What an incredible 10 games between two classic Longhorn teams.
’05 Texas got hot in the middle of the series, rattling off five wins in a row, taking a commanding 5-2 lead. The ’09 team nearly had the greatest comeback in sports history, nearly winning four games in a row on the road against one of the best college football teams of all time.
There will some amazing games throughout, starting with the first game. Going all the way into overtime, the run game was huge for both teams, totaling well over a combined 500 yards. Vondrell McGee walked it off for ’09, giving them the 1-0 series lead.
In Game 4, ’05 ran for over 300 yards, led by Vince Young’s 103 yards. Colt McCoy’s two fourth-quarter passing touchdowns halted a late comeback attempt for ’09, as ’05 won 35-30 and tied the series at two apiece.
Jamaal Charles dominated for ’05 in Game 7, rushing for over 100 yards and two touchdowns. Young added another 230 through the air with a score, while McCoy struggled, throwing two interceptions. ’05 won another close game, giving them that demanding 5-2 series lead.
On the brink of elimination in Game 8 and 9, the ’09 offense stepped up in the first game. McCoy made up for his poor previous game, throwing for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Add on three Hunter Lawrence field goals and ’09 survived elimination with a 23-13 win.
Game 9 was wilder, going into four overtimes. In what seemed like what would have been a defensive battle, both teams struggled, especially on the ground. Averaging less than 2.5 yards per carry, ’05 and ’09 relied heavily on their field goal kickers. Luckily for 2009, Hunter Lawrence got the better end of the stick, hitting the game-winning kick after a long game of football.
The series finale was a bit anti-climatic, with ’05 in control the entire game. ’09’s offense could not do anything, going 5/21 on third-down conversions. In need of a win to force a tiebreaking Game 11, McCoy and company fell short after a great two games, officially making ’05 Texas the better team.
Overall, the series was closer than expected. 2005’s five-game winning streak with dominant display and a closer game or two squeezed in there is what I expected throughout all 10 games. 2009 pulled off some amazingly gritty wins, but in the end, there is a reason the ’05 squad was able to win the national championship.
Congrats to Vince Young and the 2005 squad on their series victory.
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