COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Quintrevion Wisner ran for a career-high 186 yards and Quinn Ewers threw a touchdown pass to lead No. 3 Texas to a 17-7 win over 20th-ranked archrival Texas A&M on Saturday night, sending the Longhorns to the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Texas (11-1, 7-1 SEC, No. 3 CFP) will face No. 7 Georgia next Saturday in Atlanta for the SEC title, with the winner getting a first-round bye in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
The highly anticipated return of this rivalry, which dates to the 1890s, had all the hype of a heavyweight title bout. It looked to be headed for a blowout after Texas raced to a 17-0 halftime lead.
But Ewers turned the ball over in the red zone on consecutive possessions to keep the Aggies in the game, the first giveaway an interception that Will Lee III returned 93 yards for a touchdown.
Texas A&M (8-4, 5-3, No. 20 CFP) had a shot to cut the lead to three with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining, but Ethan Burke dropped Amari Daniels for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-goal from the 1. The Longhorns stopped the Aggies on three fourth downs on the night.
Highlights
First half
Texas took the early lead on this Arch Manning first-quarter touchdown run. He was originally ruled short, but was awarded the touchdown on review.
Texas went up 14-0 on the Aggies with this Quinn Ewers to Jaydon Blue scoring strike.
Second half
With Texas on the verge of extending their lead, Ewers threw this pick six to make it a 17-7 game. Will Lee III took it 93 yards to the house.
With the Aggies driving for a score in the fourth that would have made the game closer, Texas stopped them on fourth down to take over.
What’s at stake?
The game isn’t big just because it pits these two longtime rivals against each other again. It’s also big in the national championship picture. The winner of the Texas-Texas A&M game will move on to the SEC championship game against Georgia. The winner of that game is guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff. For the Aggies, beating Texas and then Georgia is pretty much the only way they’ll be able to play for a national title.
What’s the all-time series record?
The Horns old the edge on this one, winning 76 times to the Aggies 37 wins. Five times, the game ended in a tie.
- First meeting: October 19, 1894
- Texas won 38-0
- Latest meeting: Nov. 24, 2011
- Texas won 27-25
- Largest victory: Texas won 48-0 in 1898
- Longest win streak: Texas, 10 (1957-1966)
- Current win streak: Texas, 1 (2011)
Key matchup
Texas A&M’s running game vs. the Texas run defense. The Aggies rank 17th in the country by averaging 208.4 yards rushing and the Longhorns rank 13th against the run by holding teams to just 104 yards rushing. They had their best performance of the year last week against the Kentucky Wildcats, holding them to just 21 yards rushing on 30 attempts. Texas A&M has had at least 200 yards rushing in six games this season.
Players to watch
Texas: TE Gunnar Helm has been the steady drumbeat of the Texas offense. After totaling just 19 catches the previous three seasons, his 42 receptions for 544 yards this year lead the team in both categories. Soft hands, size and agility in a 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame make him a difficult matchup for any defense.
Texas A&M: QB Marcel Reed threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns, both season highs, in the loss to Auburn last week. The dual-threat quarterback, who was a backup to start the season, has thrown for 1,426 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions and added 441 yards rushing with six TDs.
Facts & Figures
Texas has won 10 consecutive games on an opponent’s home field. The Aggies have won five in a row at home since a season-opening loss to Notre Dame … Texas has 12 sacks from 10 players over the last two games, and has allowed just four passing touchdowns this season … Texas coach Steve Sarkisian joins Darrell Royal and Mack Brown as the only Longhorns coaches with consecutive 10-win seasons. … Longhorns kicker Bert Auburn is 9 of 13 this season and is just 4 of 8 from beyond 40 yards. Aggies kicker Randy Bond's 19 field goals rank ninth in the country … The Aggies rank second in the country with a 95.6% conversion rate in the red zone. They have scored on 43 of 45 trips with 33 touchdowns.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
