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Peach Bowl Ripens Into Instant Classic

Writer's picture: Dan TortoraDan Tortora


The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl welcomed history in the making as the continuation of the newly-expanded 12-team College Football Playoff came through Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the five-seed Texas Longhorns of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) facing the four-seed Arizona State Sun Devils after Texas advanced through the first round upon defeating the 12-seed Clemson Tigers.


Arizona State would receive the ball first, and would seemingly end their opening drive with a punt, but Texas linebacker Morice Blackwell, Jr., would be flagged for running into the kicker, giving the Sun Devils a new set of downs and moving them five yards forward to their own 46-yard line.


The Sun Devils would make the most of this opportunity as they put points on the board first, thanks to a 39-yard field goal by kicker Carston Kieffer to make it 3-0 Arizona State at the 8:59 mark of the first quarter.


However, it would take the Longhorns just two plays to respond, also scoring on their opening drive, with quarterback Quinn Ewers connecting with wide receiver DeAndre Moore, Jr., for a 23-yard pass play that gave Texas their first lead of the contest, 7-3, just 45 seconds after Arizona State's score.


This touchdown was aided by the lone previous play in the Longhorns' first drive, a completion from Ewers to wide receiver Matthew Golden for a 54-yard gain.


Kanyon Flood would record the first punt of the game when the Sun Devils went three-and-out on their second drive.


Wide receiver Silas Bolden would field the punt, after the ball went 48 yards, and take it all the way back, going 75 yards for a special teams' score that would raise the Longhorns up to a 14-3 lead with 7:08 left in the first quarter.


The next score would not come until more than 13 minutes later, when kicker Bert Auburn cashed in from 22 yards away to extend Texas out to a 17-3 advantage with 8:54 to go in the first half.


Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt would elude two defenders on the Sun Devils' next drive, running out of the pocket, rolling right, and throwing while in motion to wide receiver Troy Omeire who leapt up in single-coverage and somehow made the catch after Leavitt's difficult throw, with the duo compiling 23 yards with their talents, giving the Sun Devils a new set of downs on 3rd-&-7.


But on Arizona State's next third-down try, Texas free safety Michael Taaffe would prevent a completion, forcing 4th-&-10 on the Texas 34.


Sun Devils' head coach Kenny Dillingham would elect to go for it, and the Longhorns responded by forcing a turnover on downs as a result of edge-rusher Trey Moore sacking Leavitt for a four-yard loss, giving the ball back to his offense on their own 38-yard line at the 5:09 mark.


Arizona State would threaten late in the second quarter, but would come away with nothing after Kieffer missed a 36-yard field-goal try. Texas defensive lineman Ethan Burke was credited with a block on the attempt and the Longhorns would gain the ball on another turnover on downs by the Sun Devils.


Texas would let time run out, taking their 17-3 lead into the locker room.


At the break, Ewers was 6-for-10 for 114 yard and one touchdown.


Leavitt went 15-for-27 in the first half for the Sun Devils, amounting 99 yards, with no touchdowns.


Longhorns' running back Quintrevion Wisner had 14 yards on six carries.


Running back Cam Skattebo had 45 yards on 13 carries at the half.


Golden led all receivers on both teams combined, having 65 yards on three catches for Texas.


Wide receiver Melquan Dtovall had 18 yards on four catches for Arizona State.


Defensive back Jahdae Barron had five total tackles after the first half to lead the Longhorns; four of those were solo. He was joined by teammate and fellow defensive back Jelani McDonald who also had five total tackles (two on his own).


Linebackers Jordan Crook and Keyshaun Elliott each had four total tackles in the opening half to lead the Sun Devils.


Texas would open the second half with a three-and-out.


Arizona State, conversely, would get into Texas' redzone, looking to turn this contest into a one-score game.


However, McDonald and safety Andrew Mukuba would thwart that plan by stopping Skattebo on his 4th-&-2 rush attempt, causing a turnover on downs, giving the Longhorns the ball on their own two-yard line.


It was up to the offense to make something of this turnover.


What happened?


Wisner was stopped in his own end zone on a carry, losing two yards and giving the Sun Devils points off of a safety created by defensive back Shamari Simmons. Texas almost gave up a touchdown on this play, but Ewers recovered Wisner's fumble.


With 7:38 left in the third quarter, the score was 17-5 Longhorns and the Sun Devils were getting the ball back.


On the next drive for Arizona State, Skattebo lowered his head on 3rd-&-2, enacted a blow, and took off for a 33-yard gain to the Texas 22-yard line.


The Sun Devils would run 12 plays on this drive, eight beings runs. A pass attempt for a loss of two yards, followed by a sack by edge-rusher Colin Simmons on Leavitt for a loss of four yards would keep the Sun Devils out of the Longhorns' end zone once again.


Kieffer would come onto the field for a 36-yard attempt, and this one would go through, giving Arizona State points off of their drive that followed the safety they created, bringing the score to 17-8 Texas with 41 seconds before the end of the third quarter.


Early in the fourth quarter, Ewers lived by the "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again" as he aired the ball downfield after back-to-back incompletions, finding Golden on the third-straight pass for a 29-yard gain to the Arizona State redzone, at the Sun Devils' nine-yard line.


On 3rd-&-5, Ewers did not see anything developing, so he made something come to life, rolling out right and then taking the opening in the field to rush forward for a five-yard touchdown keeper to extend the Longhorns out to a 24-8 advantage on the Sun Devils with 10:17 remaining.


Arizona State would take their next drive into the end zone for their first touchdown of the day, this coming on a heave by Skattebo, who was pitched the ball by Leavitt. The running back would send his pass down the field to wide receiver Malik McClain on 4th-&-2. The ball hung in the air and McClain got under it, catching the ball, and heading into the end zone.


The Sun Devils would elect to for two, and it would pay off, with Leavitt finding wide receiver Xavier Guillory in the end zone to shrink the game to a one-possession differential, with the Sun Devils down 24-16 with 6:31 to play.


On the second play of the Longhorns' ensuing drive, Ewers would air it out, looking downfield for wide receiver Isaiah Bond. Instead, he would find cornerback Javan Robinson who got his hands in front of the line to Bond, giving the ball to his offense on their own 21 with 5:37 remaining in the fourth quarter,


The first play of this Arizona State drive created by the takeaway saw Leavitt drop back and send the ball to Skattebo down the left sideline. Skattebo caught the ball and took off, fighting for 62 yards.


Taaffe would tack on even more yards to this Skattebo catch-and-run, with Taaffe committing two fouls on the play, one for pass interference and the other for a facemask.


The Sun Devils would decline the facemask penalty and accept the pass interference foul, moving themselves to the Longhorns' nine-yard with a fresh set of downs.


Two plays later, Texas would be flagged for pass interference again, this time Barron on Guillory, giving them first down at the Texas two-yard line.


Skattebo would take the next play up the middle for the two yards needed, bringing the score to 24-22 Longhorns.


Leavitt would scramble on the two-point conversion, seemingly had a lane on the right side, but did not take it, sending the ball out right. It would fall into the hands of the Longhorns ending the potential tying play.


Or did it?


Cornerback Malik Muhammad was flagged for defensive holding on the two-point conversion attempt, resulting in Arizona State having another opportunity to tie the game.


From the Longhorns' one-yard line, the Sun Devils did not waste the bonus opportunity, with Skattebo rushing on the right side to tie the game at 24-apiece with exactly five minutes to play.


On 4th-&-10, Auburn would attempt a 48-yard field goal to break the tie.


That attempt would fall to outside the right goalpost, keeping the score at 24-all, giving the ball over on downs to Arizona State at the Sun Devils' own 30-yard line with 1:39 to go.


On 3rd-&-15, Leavitt found Stovall over the middle for a 10-yard gain to just shy of the 50-yard line. Taaffe came in like a train and Stovall remained on the field for minutes.


The hit by Taaffe was reviewed for targeting and looked clear on the replay that it was.


After looking at it, officials did not consider the hit by Taaffe to be targeting, leaving the Sun Devils with 4th-&-5, a situation that they decided to punt on.


With 57 seconds to play, the ball was back with the Longhorns.


Ewers would go 5-for-5 for 68 yards to move Texas down the field along with two rushes by the team.


Auburn would come on for a 38-yard attempt.


As time expired with the ball in the air, the stadium watched as it hit the left goalpost and fell to the ground, extending this instant classic into overtime.


Arizona State had the ball to open the extra period and on 4th-&-1, Leavitt went for that lone yard on a quarterback keeper. This carry by Leavitt was ruled a first down on the field.


However, the officiating crew wanted to review the play.


Upon further time with eyes on this play, officials upheld their original call, with the Sun Devils getting a new set of downs off of the aforementioned keeper by Leavitt, placing the Sun Devils on the Longhorns' 15.


On 3rd-&-15, Leavitt trusted his eyes and his legs, moving through traffic for a 16-yard gain and a first down at the three-yard line of Texas.


Skattebo would follow with a carry. As he stumbled, left guard Kyle Scott would put his arms around Skattebo and pull him into the end zone backward to give Arizona State their first lead of the game, 31-24. Skattebo was credited with a three-yard score.


On fourth down, Ewers dropped back and Golden went flying down the field, catching the ball in the end zone for 28-yard touchdown that moved this game into the second overtime period, with the score tied at 31.


You think that is impressive?


Ewers came right back onto the field for the second overtime and found tight end Gunnar Helm for a 25-yard touchdown on the very first play of the drive.


Then the Texas signal-caller would find his trusted target Golden for a two-point conversion to give the Longhorns a 39-31 lead.


Down eight, the Sun Devils came back out on offense.


On 3rd-&-8, Texas' defense, which had disappeared in the second half of this game for a time, woke up with safety Andrew Mukuba intercepting Leavitt to put the hooks in this contest, sending the Longhorns to the 2024-25 College Football Playoff Semifinal Round at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic with a 39-31 victory.

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