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The chance for Texas football to finally bring a national title to Austin for the first time in the College Football Playoff era will have to wait for at least another season after the Longhorns exited Monday night's Sugar Bowl with a 37-31 loss at the hands of the Washington Huskies.
However, they did not fold easily against the Huskies, with the Longhorns making it a whole lot more interesting with a late-game comeback attempt, highlighted by a clutch 41-yard catch on a third-and-10 by wide receiver Jordan Whittington with under 30 seconds remaining in regulation.
“We felt magical, the whole time that we felt like it was already written,” Whittington said after the game about his big-time catch (via Dave Wilson of ESPN). “No matter what happened, I didn't know it was going to come down to the last, like, 10 seconds … but we didn't waver one time.”
Unfortunately for Whittington and Texas football, their last-gasp drive did not churn out the Longhorns' desired result, as Washington's defense ultimately got the job done by forcing Quinn Ewers to throw an incomplete pass out of desperation as time expired.
Whittington finished the game with 40 receiving yards on four catches, while Ja'Tavion Sanders led Texas football with 75 receiving yards on six receptions.
Although Texas football failed to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, its appearance at the Sugar Bowl should be a source of momentum for the program heading into the 2024 campaign. The Longhorns close their 2023 campaign with an overall record of 12-2.
