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Texas vs. Alabama score, takeaways: 'Horns impress by silencing Tide, ending Bama's 21-game home win streak

Texas rallied in the second half to overcome Alabama's surge

Alabama's 21-game home winning streak, previously the longest active mark in the nation, came to a dramatic end Saturday night as No. 11 Texas upset the No. 3 Crimson Tide 34-24 in a marquee showdown between future SEC foes. The outcome also ended Alabama's 43-game winning streak in nonconference home games and dropped coach Nick Saban's record against former assistants to 28-3 as third-year Texas coach Steve Sarkisian claimed a long-awaited signature victory.

Sarkisian worked as Alabama's offensive coordinator in 2019-20 and had a golden opportunity to beat his former team last season before the Tide escaped with a 20-19 victory on a late field goal in Austin, Texas. In that game, the Longhorns were hampered by an early injury to quarterback Quinn Ewers and failed to overcome a Bryce Young-led Tide squad.

Fast forward one year, and Texas enjoyed the edge at quarterback as a fully healthy Ewers threw for three touchdowns with no interceptions. Alabama's Jalen Milroe struggled by comparison with two interceptions that led to 10 Texas points, including a game-changing miscue that helped the Longhorns build a two-possession lead early in the fourth quarter. 

The win was Texas' first road victory against a top-three team in the AP Top 25 since 1969, and it marked Saban's first regular-season nonconference loss since 2007, his first year at Alabama.

Quinn Ewers gets redemption

When Ewers exited the 2022 loss against Alabama in the first quarter after taking a late hit, it left Texas fans playing a game of, "What if?" What if Ewers had played the whole game? Well, Saturday night's outcome provided a telling answer to that question. With a healthy Ewers, Texas is superior to Alabama. 247Sports' No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2021 completed  24 of 38 passes for 349 yards, finding nine different receivers as part of a performance that cemented his name in program history.

The explosiveness of Texas' passing game was particularly striking as the Longhorns connected on six plays of 30 yards or more. Adonai "AD" Mitchell was on the receiving end of two Ewers' touchdown tosses in the fourth quarter as he furthered his reputation for being a Bama slayer. The former Georgia wideout also caught a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the Bulldogs' 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship win over the Tide.

The only other opposing quarterbacks to throw for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns without an interception while playing at Alabama during Saban's tenure are Arkansas' KJ Jefferson (2021), LSU's Joe Burrow (2019) and Ole Miss' Chad Kelly (2015).

Alabama's got a QB question

Debate figures to continue in the days ahead over whether Milroe is truly the team's best option at quarterback. The redshirt sophomore never looked comfortable in the pocket against the 'Horns while finishing 14 of 27 with 255 yards, two touchdowns and those two critical interceptions. 

While Milroe showed his big-play capability with touchdown throws of 49 and 39 yards in the second half, Alabama struggled to find a reliable rhythm through the air. Milroe's speed and willingness to run set him apart from backup QB Tyler Buchner, but Texas rarely let Milroe get free on the ground. He also took five sacks, which reflected the discomfort Milroe displayed in the pocket.

Sanders shines

Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders made just three catches for 4 yards in last year's loss to the Crimson Tide before going on to enjoy a breakout season with 54 catches for 613 yards. The former five-star prospect put his development on full display Saturday with five catches for 114 yards.

Though he didn't record a touchdown grab, his 50-yard reception on the second play of the fourth quarter set up a score on the following play. Sanders has already been generating buzz as a potential first-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft -- going at No. 27 overall in a recent CBS Sports mock draft -- and that buzz should only increase in the wake of his blockbuster night against the Crimson Tide. What sets Sanders apart at 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds is his speed, and that trait was evident as he covered ground in the open field against Alabama.

SEC West off to a woeful start

With Alabama's loss to Texas, No. 23 Texas A&M's loss to Miami and LSU's Week 1 loss to Florida State, the SEC West's top brands are in early trouble. While none of the defeats have been conference losses, the bad start for multiple schools from the division diminishes the SEC's margin for error when it comes to competing for College Football Playoff spots.

The CFP has never taken a two-loss team, which leaves the SEC West with a razor-thin margin for error after just two full weeks of the season. While No. 20 Ole Miss took care of business with a win at No. 24 Tulane on Saturday, the Rebels face a treacherous path this season that includes a road game at No. 1 Georgia in addition to the usual landmines of SEC play.

For much of the 21st century, the SEC West could stake a claim to being the toughest division in college football. But in the final season before conference realignment rocks the league and the rest of the sport, the SEC West's hold on the title has evaporated.

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Texas pulls it off

Final: Texas 34, Alabama 24

Texas came to Tuscaloosa as a touchdown underdog and leaves with the program's first win over an AP top-3 team since 1969. The outcome ends Alabama's 43-game non conference home winning streak, which dated back to Nick Saban's first year. It's also just the third time Saban has ever lost to a former assistant. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers completed 24 of 38 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Statement victory for the Longhorns against a future SEC foe.
 

Texas strikes first

Texas takes advantage of Jalen Milroe's interception by getting on the board with a field goal. Ewers hit Xavier Worth in the hands at the left pylon on third down, but Worthy could not corral it. Sarkisian opted for the field goal. Bert Auburn drills it from 32 yards out to give Texas an early lead. Probably some nervous energy inside Bryant-Denny Stadium right now after Bama's opening possession. How much is Tommy Rees going to trust Milroe to throw the football on Alabama's second series?

 
@TexasFootball via Twitter
 

Tim Smith down

Alabama defensive end Tim Smith is down on the field and receiving medical attention after a second-and-goal run from Texas. The Longhorns are knocking on the door after the Jalen Milroe interception and on the cusp of striking first. Smith is a senior who started seven games last season.

 

Interception

Jahdae Barron just intercepted Jalen Milroe and set up Texas in excellent field position. That was a devastating end to a promising opening series for the Crimson Tide. Alabama's run game started hot with productive runs from Jase McClellan and then a little flip pass from Jalen Milroe to McClellan. Milroe also gained a first down with his feet and appeared to be easing in to the game nicely. Then came disaster. Poor read and poor throw from Milroe.

 
@TexasFootball via Twitter
 

Alabama stands

Texas looked like it was going to roll the dice by going for it on fourth-and-6 from the Alabama 43-yard line on its opening series. Instead, the Longhorns took a delay of game penalty and punted it away. Couple of first downs for Texas on that series, but nothing to show for it in the end. Nice job by the punt team to pin Alabama inside the 5-yard line.

 
@AlabamaFTBL via Twitter
 

Here we go

Marcell Dareus and Dont'a Hightower were honorary captains at the coin toss for Alabama. Tide won the toss and deferred. Texas will begin with the football. All the pregame theatrics have concluded. It's time for football as the No. 3 Crimson Tide and No. 11 Longhorns square off in Week 2's marquee matchup.

 
@TexasFootball via Twitter
 

Injury reminder

Alabama's veteran defensive back Malachi Moore is expected to play against Texas after he was dinged up in the opener against Middle Tennessee last week. UAB transfer safety Jaylen Key is expected to be available as well after he was injured against the Blue Raiders. Will be interesting to see if Steve Sarkisian tries to exploit those guys early and test whether they're truly 100% healthy.
 
@AlabamaFTBL via Twitter
 

Dodd on Alabama/Texas

As we get set for kickoff in just a few minutes, here's some last-minute reading on this blockbuster matchup from the great Dennis Dodd.

"The same question actually applies to both sides in Week 2's ultra-showdown: Are Texas / Alabama back?Pick one. Pick both. For different reasons, the implications of this monster game will linger for both sides past Saturday. The "Is Texas back?" query has become tiresome as it is almost 15 years old and remains unanswered. The Longhorns continue to chase relevancy on the national stage. For that same decade and a half, the Crimson Tide pretty much have been that stage. Same question, different implications."
 
@TexasFootball via Twitter
 
@AlabamaFTBL via Twitter
 

Keys for Alabama

Both these teams come into the season with high expectations. Alabama has failed to win the SEC the last two seasons and has watched Georgia ascend to the top of the sport. It's heard plenty about how the Nick Saban dynasty has reached its end. Meanwhile, Texas has been hearing about how it's an annual tradition to claim Texas is back, only to find out the only thing returning is another disappointing season. Here are the keys for the Crimson Tide.
 
@TexasFootball via Twitter
 

Alabama vs. Texas prediction, picks

"I'll start by making sure you understand that I also find it extremely weird to be taking Texas -- the perennial underachiever -- against Alabama. It's as if my fingers are revolting against me as I type it, but I must ignore them because it's truly how I feel. I believe there's a good chance Texas will win this game outright because it's a very talented team and has the better QB in the matchup. That's important. That said, even if Alabama does the thing it does (win), I don't know how often the Tide can do so by more than a touchdown, so I'm taking the points." Pick: Texas +7 -- Tom Fornelli

 

Saban vs. Sarkisian

"Nick Saban's former assistants are 2-28 against him, though the two losses have come in recent years against Kirby Smart and Jimbo Fisher. It's a stat that gets tossed out pretty often because it's impressive and because Saban has a lot of former assistants coaching teams across the country. It turns out other schools want to hire your assistants when you win as many national titles as Saban has. However, as Texas' Steve Sarkisian was quick to point out when asked about it last week, it's not as if coaches who have never worked for Saban have had much success against him, either. He's lost 27 games at Alabama in his 16+ seasons, six of which came in his first season." -- Tom Fornelli

 
@TexasFootball via Twitter
 

Redemption for Quinn Ewers

"It's true that Texas was held to only a field goal while Ewers was in the game last year, but it certainly isn't any fault of his. Ewers completed 9 of 12 passes for 134 yards before he went out with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Hudson Card. It's hard to forget how crisp and explosive the Longhorns offense looked in the game with Ewers, and impossible not to think about what might've happened if he never got hurt." -- Tom Fornelli

 
@TexasFootball via Twitter
 

Keys for Texas

Texas was undefeated against the vaunted Tide until Nick Saban arrived, posting a 7-0-1 record with four major bowl wins. Three of the wins came against the great Paul "Bear" Bryant. However, Saban's Tide crushed Texas 37-21 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game and edged the 'Horns 20-19 in Austin last season. Texas was moments away from stunning Alabama, but yet another magical Bryce Young drive ultimately cost them the game at the buzzer. Here are the keys for the Longhorns in tonight's showdown.
 

Jalen Milroe's chance 

"There was plenty of teeth-gnashing and concern about Alabama's QB battle this offseason, as reports made it seem as if none of the candidates performed well enough to take the job and the enormous task of replacing Young. Then Milroe took the field last week, and it all seemed fine again. Milroe threw for 194 yards and three touchdowns while simultaneously leading the Tide offense with 48 yards rushing and two more scores. Granted, it was against Middle Tennessee, and Texas is a tougher nut to crack, but a five-touchdown performance is a great way to build confidence ahead of a huge game." -- Tom Fornelli

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