Texas Longhorns: Most Clutch Team in History?

by UTgrad'08 on Dec 18, 2009 1:42 PM CST

Woke up this morning, turned on ESPN Classic, the 2001 Holiday Bowl was on. Down 36-17 with 3:51 in the 3rd, The Major leads the Horns to win it 47-43. I remember watching this game with my dad and stepmom and going nuts. At the time, I believe it was the biggest comeback in Texas history. Flash forward 3 years later to the 2004 Ok. State game in Austin. Down 28 points, VY leads Texas back in its biggest comeback ever to win 42-35, scoring 28 point in the 2nd half and the defense shutting out the cowboys. Rose Bowls of 2005 and 2006, Fiesta Bowl 2009. Tech game in '06, Nebraska and Ok. State games of '07. Ryan Bailey's kick in the snow against Nebraska in '06, and of course the comeback this year on Dec. 5th. Obviously, in the Mack Brown era, Texas is one of the most exciting, clutch, heart-attack-inducing teams of the past 10 years, if not THE most. But Texas has had some great comebacks before Brown's tenure. There were some epic comebacks against A&M in the 60s under Royal, and the 1969 Big Shootout comeback against Arkansas is considered one of the greatest games in college football history. I admit, I'm not too familiar with the epic comebacks of other elite programs, but, are the Texas Longhorns THE most clutch team in college football history?

PS: Hook 'Em tomorrow in Tampa!

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without any further research

I give this statement the label of 100% accurate

by Lothor on Dec 18, 2009 2:11 PM CST reply actions 2 recs

It would be hard to come up with anyone else.

Certainly during MB’s tenure. There were some nice ones in the old days as you point out, but there were some colossal screw-ups as well.

Disciplina Praesidium Civitatis.

by zamm on Dec 18, 2009 2:32 PM CST reply actions

WRONG

in 2004, we won 56-35.

by 2Bearnest on Dec 18, 2009 2:38 PM CST reply actions

Even better!

by burntorangehorn on Dec 18, 2009 2:44 PM CST up reply actions

Underestimated

Yeah – at halftime, Mack told the team that we would win, and that the final score would be 42-35. He later "apologized" to the team for underestimating them.

rktlaw

by rktlaw on Dec 18, 2009 2:53 PM CST up reply actions

I sure hope he apologizes for underestimating a win this January

by burntorangehorn on Dec 18, 2009 3:04 PM CST up reply actions

The funny thing is...

I absolutely believe that would be considered one of the greatest football games ever played, and would be a fixture in ESPN Classic’s rotation, had we actually come back to win 42-35, scoring the winning TD in the final minutes.

But because of the final score, the game barely raised eyebrows at the time, let alone 5 years later. We, and the Cowboys, are the only ones who remember that one.

Funny story. That night I was in Tuscaloosa attending my first Alabama game. The jumbotron showed the 35-7 score which put me in a terrible mood for the rest of the evening; I couldn’t take in the scenery at all, which was unfortunate because I had been looking forward to experiencing the venue. Oddly, they never showed the Texas score again, and so I left the stadium assuming we had lost. But later that night, around midnight, I saw the score on a television at a bar near campus and assumed that either that score or the one I had seen earlier must have been a misprint.

by BrooklynHorn on Dec 18, 2009 4:20 PM CST up reply actions

Tex vs osu

Here’s a good one about that game,me and my girl were outside the stadium watching the game(i WAS GETTING SMASHED because we were losing) this guy comes out and he gets cigarette from me and gives me his tickets and says he’s not going back (he wants to get smashed)me and my girl friend go in 50 YARD LINE tickets down close to the field,watched the whole comeback. One of the louder games I have been too…

Were going to win this January guys.Hook’em

by cpabis on Dec 18, 2009 4:53 PM CST up reply actions

In 1982 Texas played Bama in the Cotton Bowl. Bama led 10-0 with 13:00 left in the 4th quarter

Texas came from behind to cap the win 14-12 in the last meeting between these two squads. Clutch? YES
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I don’t know how clutch Texas really is. I think every team can look back and recount a few clutch victories. However the Big 12 CG against Nebraska, that was a clutch victory….or at least a clutch FG.
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Roll Tide Roll !!!

Your temper brings dishonor to my happy mooshu palace.

by mulletover on Dec 18, 2009 2:48 PM CST reply actions

Best 2-minute drill QB of all time

I’ve been telling this to everyone who would listen during the whole year. The Texas Longhorns and this “terrible” offense that Greg Davis runs is tailor-made for comebacks. They’re nearly impossible to defend right now. It may be frustrating to watch if you a ‘running-game-is-most-important’ purist but they are NEVER out of a game.

I’ve also been crowing that Colt McCoy is the BEST 2-MINUTE DRILL QB OF ALL-TIME. Honestly, when given legit field position and atleast :45 seconds, when is the last time you haven’t seen him lead the team to a score at the end of the 1st half and the end of a game that was tight? I can’t. He did it all season. He did it big against ou last year and a&m this year, and ‘quietly’ did it against NU in the Big 12 CG in both halves. Those critical of him in the Heisman race conveniently liked to forget his 2nd coming of “Captain Comeback” abilities. This kid’s the best ever at keeping the Horns in games at the end. Loved VY, Major, & James Brown but if I’m on my own 20 yard line with 1:00 minute left and behind, I take Colt every time.

by robthecob on Dec 18, 2009 3:34 PM CST reply actions

If you take Colt over Vince,

Something is wrong, my friend.

by ctex80 on Dec 18, 2009 4:26 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs

uhm?

How dare you underestimate superman. NEVER ever ever ever ever doubt Vince Young. Ever.

While most are dreaming of success, winners wake up and work hard to achieve it.

by UTHorns107 on Dec 18, 2009 10:31 PM CST up reply actions

Dont want to step on any toes or offend anyone here.

But that Holiday bowl game, was that the one where that piece of S**t Chris Simms was the starting QB gettting a new ass ripped into him, than my boy Major had to come in and finish the game off. Yeah go ahead talk smack to me but I was never a fan of Chris Simms I always thought Major Applewhite was the shit though!!!!

by kcmorse on Dec 18, 2009 8:55 PM CST reply actions

I don't think you have to worry about people talking shit to you...

Not too many people are/were huge Chris Sims fans and just about everybody loves the major

by tvr'11 on Dec 18, 2009 11:08 PM CST up reply actions

It is kind of crazy

when I find myself rooting against the Broncos just because Simms is playing for an injured Kyle Orton.

Feels dirty.

by tblog123 on Dec 19, 2009 2:13 AM CST up reply actions

Always root for my longhorns, no matter what.

Texas Swagger

by We Are Texas on Dec 19, 2009 12:22 PM CST up reply actions

Unless simms is gutting out a game...

…with a ruptured spleen, I tend to not claim him as a former longhorn, too many painful memories

by tvr'11 on Dec 20, 2009 1:18 AM CST up reply actions

um...

Major started that game and helped dig the hole he had to climb out of. Simms didn’t play a down that night.

Disciplina Praesidium Civitatis.

by zamm on Dec 19, 2009 1:02 AM CST up reply actions

Exactly

I’m not a huge Simms fan, but its amazing how revisionist the memories from that era have become. Major also started the 60 pt loss to OU in 2000, but ESPN for years talked of Simms’ being 0-3 against OU, when actually he was 0-2, with both losses competitive.

by BrooklynHorn on Dec 19, 2009 3:08 AM CST up reply actions

Why did you censor one "shit" but not the other?

If you're so sure of what it ain't, how about telling us what it am!

by circa1015 on Dec 19, 2009 3:36 AM CST up reply actions

"The" shit vs piece of shit.

Different context. I’m sure that’s the reason.

by GoHorns on Dec 19, 2009 10:10 AM CST up reply actions

connotation dictates vulgarity

interesting

If you're so sure of what it ain't, how about telling us what it am!

by circa1015 on Dec 19, 2009 3:19 PM CST up reply actions

Some of my personal favorites...

VY over KU in 2004, 4th and 18.
VY over Michigan in 2005 Rose Bowl, that was unbelievable.
VY over USC in 2006 NC. That was destined after 4th and 2 stop.
All VYs comebacks vs OSU.
Colt over Nebraska in 2006. Which was really Aaron Ross over Nebraska for forcing that fumble when all Nebraska had to do was fall down after converting 1st down. (My son’s first game.)
Colt and JC over Nebraska and Ok St in 2007. Down 35-14 in 4th. Awesome. Watched game updates on my phone. Could barely believe it.
Colt over tOSU in Fiesta Bowl. Quan Cosby ftw.

And possibly one of my favorites because I think it taught VY how to be clutch and kick started our runs of comebacks…..
Chance Mock over Texas Tech in 2003. VY played the entire game, but down late in the game inside the their own 10, Chance Mock comes in cold and leads Texas down the field for the winning Touchdown. Not many people remember Chance Mock, but I will never forget him for that game.

-flo

by bleed burnt orange on Dec 20, 2009 6:19 AM CST reply actions