With Gary Patterson in burnt orange, Texas’ defense had a purple flair versus Alabama
The 20.5-point underdog Texas played its best game defensively in more than a decade, and it’s a not a coincidence Gary Patterson was on the field.
The former TCU head coach serves as an “analyst” to UT defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.
Sorry, Pete, but you signed on for this.
On Saturday against No. 1 Alabama, unranked Texas lost 20-19 on a last second field goal.
It should not have been this close. Texas should have won this game.
Texas lost starting quarterback Quinn Ewers in the first half to injury, after he was doing whatever he wanted. He was 9-of-12 passing for 134 yards when he was hurt.
His backup, Hudson Card, suffered a leg injury during the game and pressed on with an obvious limp that affected his throwing.
Texas missed one of those classic “college kickers” short field goals in the first half.
In the second half, Texas should have been handed a safety via a sack of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, but that play was erased by some bizarre (horrible?) officiating.
Texas led 19-17 with 1:29 remaining after Bert Auburn made a 49-yard field goal, but Young had too much time.
Young led the Tide on a game-winning drive against a defense that was not sitting back in prevent mode. Texas tried everything.
On the decisive drive, Young ducked away from a potential game-altering sack from a corner blitz that he turned into a 20-yard gain.
A few plays later, Bama won it on a short field goal.
It should be said again, Texas should have won this game.
It should have won on the strength of a defense that one year ago was one of the worst in the country.
Young played well in the fourth quarter against a front seven, and specifically a defensive line, that gave him nothing but problems.
The only big play Bama got on Texas was running back Jase McClellan’s 81-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
From that point on, Texas’ defense outplayed Alabama’s offense. UT forced Bama to punt six straight times.
UT’s problem was the quarterback.
Bama had a Heisman Trophy winner junior whereas Texas was playing the backup.
How very Texas versus Alabama.
The Longhorns made some additions to its personnel this offseason, but the big add was Patterson. He “resigned” from TCU last fall, and landed on head coach Steve Sarkisian’s staff as an analyst.
It’s one of those vague titles that allows Gary to have a role in game planning and coaching, but not much else.
The job, the team, and the town, are almost ideal as he contemplates his next career move.
Gary has kept his home in Fort Worth, and he commutes back-and-forth from Austin since he was hired. He’d like to be a head coach again, and Saturday’s tape was good for the resume.
He needed Saturday’s game as much as Texas.
Saturday was only the third time Alabama scored 20 points or less since the start of the 2018 season.
As a defensive coach, few people in the sport are any better than Patterson.
His delivery can be a bit brusque, but scheme-wise the man sees it in a way few have in the last 25 years in college football.
He just never could recruit the type of talent to TCU that typically go to the power names in college football, like Texas. Like Alabama. At TCU, he always had to do more with less, and often did.
The thought about Patterson had been forever if he had access to a dozen high-end players that his defense could be nasty.
He has those now, and Texas’ defense was nasty against Alabama.
The Longhorns won’t be celebrating anything. Or they shouldn’t be celebrating anything.
They did lose.
They do have plenty to feel good about.
They have a quarterback (if Ewers is healthy).
They have a defense.
They should have won that game.
