Texas, fueled by adversity and last year's CFP loss, tops Clemson in playoff opener

AUSTIN, Texas – On the eve of Texas' opening-round College Football Playoff game against Clemson, Steve Sarkisian addressed his team, taking the guys through the last several months. From summer meetings when he instructed each player to write about the hardships in their lives, to fall camp when they lost playmakers to season-ending injuries, to the present, where he highlighted starting left tackle Kelvin Banks and quarterback Quinn Ewers, who have been dealing with their own injuries. He referenced the two losses to Georgia, too.

Sarkisian asked each player to write down a personal challenge they endured this season and how they responded to it, and then pen a note to a teammate who they were proud of for handling their own difficulty. 

The fourth-year Texas head coach always speaks to his players the night before a game, but this time he didn't know his words would be so prescient.

The Longhorns put together a complete game Saturday afternoon in Darrell K. Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium, dominating in the trenches and the run game en route to a 38-24 win over Clemson. For most of the afternoon, Texas looked the part of a national title contender, akin to how Notre Dame, Penn State and later Ohio State appeared in their respective CFP games.

But the end result did not come without some tough moments.

"It's ironic when some of the things you talk about come true," Sarkisian said after the game. "Literally, my talk to the team – after some X's and O's that were going to be needed in the game – was all about adversity.

"When we get knocked down, we get back up, and I'm so proud of them for that tonight."

Clemson presented problems for the Longhorns right away, as quarterback Cade Klubnik, who was making a triumphant return to his hometown of Austin, engineered what was nearly a seven-minute touchdown drive on the opening possession. Klubnik got the ball out fast, made smart decisions and put his team up early.

Texas responded, scoring 21 unanswered points and taking a 28-10 lead at halftime. Ewers was precise in his execution in the first half, and ended the game 17 of 24 for 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Earlier this week, Sarkisian was asked why he thinks Texas could win the national championship. He mentioned his team's depth and versatility, saying "we can lean into different aspects of our team to win any style of game we're presented with" and "we can withstand injuries when guys get knocked out of games."

So, in the second half, when the Longhorns lost two starting offensive linemen, they didn't panic. Right tackle Cameron Williams and center Jake Majors went down on back-to-back plays and didn't return. 

Offensive coordinator Kyle Flood crosstrains his linemen to play multiple positions, so Texas was able to continue its dominance in the run game. Plus, Flood has had to get creative about shifting his offensive line around before. When Banks went down seven plays into the Longhorns' 17-7 win over Texas A&M on Nov. 30, it was Trevor Goosby who filled in at left tackle and then started the SEC championship against Georgia. Against Clemson, Goosby jumped in at right tackle. Starting left guard Hayden Conner moved to center and Cole Hutson, who normally plays right guard, moved to the left side. 

"We all rely on each other, we all trust each other," Conner said of all that shuffling. "When Kelvin went down at Texas A&M, Goosby came in and we didn't skip a beat. That's just what we practice."

Entering Saturday's showdown, the Longhorns had only given up four passing touchdowns all year. Klubnik had three passing scores alone on Saturday, while also becoming the first quarterback to pass for more than 300 yards against Texas' defense this season. The junior signal-caller finished the game 26 of 43 for 336 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. His final score came on fourth-and-6 from Texas' 7-yard line when he hit an open T.J. Moore in the end zone to make it a one-score game.

On the next drive, Jaydon Blue broke free for a 77-yard touchdown run to give Texas more cushion. Blue had fallen out of the lineup due to an early-season ankle injury and ball security issues, but the junior played his best on the biggest stage, rushing for a season-high 146 yards with two touchdowns in the victory. Quintrevion Wisner added 110 yards and two scores as the Longhorns piled up 292 yards on the ground, their highest rushing total of the season.

"It hurts for a defense when you're just getting the run, run, run, and you can't stop it," Texas safety Michael Taaffe said.

After Blue's touchdown run made it 38-24, Matthew McConaughey – the Longhorns' self-appointed "Minister of Culture" – led the 101,150 fans in attendance in a "Texas Fight" chant. The stadium lights went out, everyone turned on their phone flashlights and McConaughey grabbed the microphone.

The electricity was still pulsing through the stadium when Clemson got the ball back. Klubnik took some explosive shots downfield and led his offense to the 1-yard line, but the Texas defense delivered a goal-line stand, stuffing the Tigers on both third and fourth down.

"That's just who they are," Sarkisian said. "We weren't perfect and we got a little loose in the back end and they made some plays. And credit to Clemson and credit to Cade. But at the end of the day, when our backs are against the wall, what a stand from our 1-yard line to get that stop."

Sarkisian would have loved a long sustained drive to finish the game with 7:24 remaining. But on fourth-and-1, Arch Manning, who came in on a number of short-yardage situations, fumbled the snap and Texas turned the ball over on downs. In a last-ditch comeback effort, Klubnik marched his offense down the field. Facing fourth-and-6 from the Texas 26, he looked for Moore – who led all receivers with 116 yards – up the middle. And it was none other than Taaffe – Klubnik's best friend and former high school teammate – who broke up the pass to end the game.

"I don't know if this was our best game defensively, but when we had to have it, they made those plays," Sarkisian said. "And that, to me, that's a sign of a great defense."

After the band played "The Eyes of Texas," the music quickly turned to Jermaine Dupri's "Welcome to Atlanta," as the Longhorns will now move on to play Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on New Year's Day. As the music blared, a drone light show hovered over the stadium, forming the letters "ATL" emblazoned by a peach. 

A year ago, Texas was ousted in the playoff and has had a sour taste in its mouth ever since. That loss – to Washington in the four-team semifinal – is unresolved adversity that's been lingering in the background of this season.

"We don't forget," Sarkisian said. "To get as close as we were and not have an opportunity to get into that [national championship] game, I think really fueled us, quite frankly.

"We've got a couple more games to go to get there."

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.

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