Texas seems to enjoy finding new and innovative ways to experience the agony of defeat.
The Texas Longhorns’ list of gutting, 1-score losses grows ever longer
Texas is back. To losing heartbreakers.
Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Most recently, the Longhorns lost this 13-10 game to Oklahoma State in which Sam Ehlinger threw this interception in overtime to lose.
Going back to the Charlie Strong era, the Horns have had quite a bit of heartbreak with one-score losses seemingly every week.
Things are trending in the right direction under Tom Herman, but the old issues are still there.
2014, Week 3 vs. No. 12 UCLA: 20-17 final score.
The seeds were sown when the Horns forgot how the coinflip worked.
If you win the coin toss, the correct answer is always to defer until the second half. There’s pretty much no difference between opening the first or second half with the ball, but if you defer, there’s a tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny chance that the opponent will be so massively stupid that they will choose to kick off, forgetting that you will certainly choose to receive in the second half, thus giving you the ball twice.
This ceded an extra possession to the Bruins. UCLA scored on it. Texas was unable to run a successful three-minute drill to win.
2014, Week 7 vs. No. 11 Oklahoma: 31-26 final score.
Not too gutting here, but the Horns did fight back from three scores down to make things respectable. A lateral-fest wasn’t enough to make a truly special ending in this Red River Showdown.
2015, Week 3 vs. Cal: 45-44 final score.
Texas scored on a huge run late in the game to tie it. All the Longhorns had to do was hit the extra point, right?
Wrong.
2015, Week 4 vs. No. 24 Oklahoma State: 30-27 final score.
You tell me what’s a more gutting special teams mishap: A botched extra point, or this punt (appropriately set to “Yakety Sax”)?
Oklahoma State would kick a field goal and win the game.
2015, Week 13 vs. Texas Tech: 48-45 final score.
Texas had a late TD to make this a one-score game, but the Red Raiders faked a kneel and scored to go up 10 points late in the game.
2016, Week 3 vs. Cal: 50-43 final score.
Cal appeared to ice the game with a TD, but the Bears dropped the ball before crossing into the end zone.
Texas didn’t pounce on it quickly enough, though, and therefore, didn’t get possession with a chance to drive and tie the game.
2016, Week 6 vs. No. 20 Oklahoma: 45-40 final score.
A late Longhorns score also brought this within one score. The lateralapalooza at the end got an A for effort.
2016, Week 8 vs. Kansas State: 24-21 final score.
Another late score to put Texas in a position to make things interesting. All you gotta do is get the onside kick and oh —
2016, Week 11 vs. No. 16 West Virginia: 24-20 final score.
Texas drove with a decent chance to score but could only get to the Mountaineers 27-yard line. Not a bad effort, all things considered.
2016, Week 12 vs. Kansas: 24-21 (OT) final score.
2017, Week 3 vs. No. 4 USC: 27-24 (2OT) final score.
A double overtime fight against a Trojans team many expected to contend for a national title. A good effort in Herman’s first year. But, man, this is a tough way to lose.
USC took over and kicked a field goal to win.
2017, Week 7 vs. No. 12 Oklahoma: 29-24 final score.
With QB injury issues, Texas’ fight in this game was pretty impressive too. Again, a frenetic end-of-game situation fell short.
2017, Week 8 vs. Oklahoma State (OT).
All caught up.
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