Texas Football: The last time the Longhorns... (Pt. 3)
Here’s the third in a series of eye-opening facts about Texas football
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How well-versed are you on Texas football and the last time that certain statistics or milestones were accomplished or surrendered?
Well, we are betting that there’s a handful of facts and figures and dates that may have fallen out of your collective memory banks. Hey, that’s easy to understand with all that recruiting news and basketball overload rolling around in your head while you are deep in preparation for the upcoming college baseball season.
Judging from the response we received on the two stories in this series, there’s plenty of milestones that might have been forgotten.
The sports information office at every university has the job of keeping up with every bit of minutia surrounding the teams they publicize, and the staff at Texas is one of the best, if not the best, in the nation at the task. There are two pages of “Last Times” in the Longhorns’ football media guide, one for Texas accomplishments and the other for record against Texas.
We’ve picked out five more really tough “last times” and five others that will be easier to answer if you are ever asked in a discussion with friends…or Aggies. This is the third in series, and there’s enough to keep this going for a while.
And away we go, for the third time.
The tough ones
When was the last time Texas…
Had a run of 90 or more yards?
That would be on Nov. 26, 2015 – a stretch of 84 games – when Chris Warren ripped off a 91-yard run for a touchdown at home against Texas Tech in a wild 48-45 loss. Warren set a Longhorns’ freshman record in the game with 276 yards rushing and four TDs, but it wasn’t enough as Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes passed for 372 yards and a score.
Was shutout at home?
You have to go all the way back to Nov. 6, 1976 to find this mark as it has been 263 games since the Longhorns suffered a 30-0 defeated at the hands of then-Southwest Conference rival Houston. Texas finished with just 24 yards rushing and 121 total yards of offense. It was the Cougars’ first year as a full member of the conference. They were a juggernaut, going 10-2, winning the SWC and a Cotton Bowl matchup with Maryland. Houston’s victory ended the Longhorns’ 42-game home winning streak.
Had less than 100 total yards of offense in a game?
It’s been 99 games since Texas managed just 59 yards of total offense to Arkansas on Dec. 29, 2014 in 31-7 loss to the Hogs in the 2014 Texas Bowl during Charlie Strong’s first season on the 40 Acres. It was the first game between the former Southwest Conference rivals since 2008 and it ended a two-game skid in the series for Arkansas. The Longhorns finished 6-7 on the season.
Had consecutive games with a special teams touchdown?
Texas running back and return threat Fozzy Whittaker ripped off 100-yard kickoff returns for scores in back-to-back games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Oct. 8 and Oct. 15, 2011. It’s been 144 games since it’s happened. Whittaker’s TD was only window dressing in a 55-17 loss to the Sooners, and his dash to the end zone versus OSU fueled a futile rally in a game Texas eventually lost 38-26. The Longhorns finished that season at 8-5.
Had an opposing quarterback throw for six touchdowns in a game?
We have to go all the way back to Nov. 16, 2002 – a span of 260 games – to find when Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury picked apart the Longhorns with six scoring passes in a 42-38 win. The Red Raiders’ victory knocked Texas out of the Big 12 and national championship race. Kingsbury threw for 473 yards in the Red Raiders’ win.
The easy ones
When was the last time Texas…
Had a receiver amass 200 yards or more in a game?
That was just 19 games ago, when the Longhorns’ Xavier Worthy had 261 receiving yards against Oklahoma in a 55-48 loss on Oct. 9, 2021. Worthy had nine catches in the game and two touchdowns, one a 75-yarder and the other 31-yard hookup from Casey Thompson that tied the game with 1:23 to play.
Had a kicker make three or more field goals in the same game?
Texas kicker Bert Auburn booted four field goals – from 26, 43, 24 and 49 yards, respectively – in the Longhorns’ 20-19 loss to Alabama on Sept. 10, 2022, a span of just 11 games. Auburn also had a 20-yard field goal blocked at the end of the second quarter in a game that came down to a point.
Forced turnovers on three consecutive drives?
That would be 31 games ago, when the Longhorns’ defense forced an interception, a fumble and then another fumble in a 53-45 four overtime loss to Oklahoma on Oct. 11, 2020.
Had less than 200 yards of total offense in a game?
Texas managed just 199 yards of offense in a 17-10 loss at home to TCU this past season, a span of just three games. The Horned Frogs held Texas running back Bijan Robinson to just 29 yards and no offensive touchdowns.
Had an opposing quarterback have 25 or more completions in a game?
You just have to go back to Texas’ most recent game for this one, as Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 32 passes (on 54 attempts) in the Huskies’ 27-20 victory in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29, 2022.
