Texas survives double OT scare from Arizona State in College Football Playoff thriller

By Jackson Thompson

Published January 01, 2025

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Arizona State gave Texas all it could handle in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday, forcing two overtime periods before the Longhorns finally came up with a game-saving play to win 39-31.

Texas defensive back Andrew Mukuba hauled in a goal-line interception off Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt on the final play. Mukuba was looking to tie the game and force a third overtime after Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers threw a touchdown pass on the first play of the second overtime, with a successful two-point conversion.

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Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half of the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)

The interception helped prevent the possibility of the biggest upset of the new CFP format, and what could have been one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history.

Texas, ranked No. 3 in the nation, went into the game as 13.5-point favorites. But the No. 12 Sun Devils never stood down, as running back Cam Skattebo put up 143 rushing yards with two touchdowns and 99 yards receiving to lead the near-upset effort.

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Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) runs the ball as Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Keyshaun Elliott (44) chases in the second quarter as the Texas Longhorns play the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 1, 2025. (Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

But Ewers kept things in control for the Longhorns, throwing for 322 yards with three touchdowns while wide receiver Matthew Golden put up 149 yards with a touchdown catch.

Golden's touchdown catch came on a critical 4th-and-13 play in the first overtime period, when Texas was one snap away from elimination. Golden got open down the middle of the field and hauled in the Ewers pass to force the second overtime and give the Longhorns a shot to avoid the historic upset.

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Texas defense, including Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Dorian Black (86) stop Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) in the first quarter as the Texas Longhorns play the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 1, 2025. (Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Texas will now advance to the semifinal where it will face the winner of the Rose Bowl matchup between Oregon and Ohio State.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

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