No. 11 Texas topples No. 3 Alabama behind Ewers’ 3 TDs

Texas went on the road in Tuscaloosa and dealt Alabama what the Crimson Tide dealt the Longhorns a year ago: a home defeat.

Quinn Ewers led the No. 3 Longhorns Saturday night when Texas and the No. 3 Crimson Tide met on the football field. Ewers threw three touchdowns and 349 yards, and he put Texas on his back in the second half. 

The Longhorns already commanded a 13-6 halftime lead after two quarters. What happened next was out of a 12-round boxing match. 

Alabama scored 10 unanswered points to start the third quarter thanks largely in part to a 49-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe to Jermaine Burton. 

Leading 16-13, the Crimson Tide then surrendered a touchdown pass of their own, as Ewers found Adonai Mitchell from seven yards out for the go-ahead score. It flipped the scoreboard in favor of Texas, and the Longhorns held on to a 34-24 victory.

Milroe threw an interception as the Crimson Tide tried to answer Texas’ game-winning score. Jonathon Brooks followed by running in a 4-yard touchdown to give Texas a lead of as much as 27-16 with 13:50 left to play in the fourth quarter. 

Milroe later made up for his interception on a 39-yard touchdown pass to Amari Niblack with just over 11 minutes to play in the final quarter. Milroe finished with 255 passing yards and two touchdowns and interceptions apiece. 

It marked the possible final meeting between Texas and Alabama before the two programs compete against one another in conference play in the Southeastern Conference. It also was the first time the two teams met in Tuscaloosa since 1902, and it snapped Alabama’s 43-game winning streak in nonconference matchups and 21-game home win streak.