What the nation is saying in Tempe following Texas football’s College Football Playoff victory over Arizona State
ATLANTA — The Texas Longhorns advanced to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Peach Bowl on Wednesday after defeating Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime.
The Longhorns advance to the CFP semifinals and will take on Ohio State at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington on January 10.
Here are some articles about Texas’ victory that are being written both nationally and in the Tempe area.
Referee Larry Smith of the Big Ten conference stopped play to examine the footage for potential targeting even though no penalty was called. Smith declared there would be no penalty as Stovall was being assisted off the field, leaving Arizona State at its own 48 with a fourth-and-five situation. (AP)
One of the most remarkable comebacks in college football this season was made by the team that ended 11-3 after going 3-9 the previous season and being selected dead last in the 16-team Big 12. Both Dillingham and the players were aware of the team’s and the program’s improvement in spite of the defeat. (Republic of Arizona)
The crowd was below capacity, either due to the distance or the possibility of Texas playing three games in Atlanta over six weeks, including the SEC and national finals. In the hours leading up to kickoff, get-in fees dropped as low as $14. The authorities in charge of college football will have to deal with that issue in next seasons. (Sports, Yahoo!)
It’s all on me, to be honest. We’re wearing a cover-zero outfit. Zyrus (Fiaseu), a junior linebacker, did an amazing job checking out late in the play clock. He saw the cover zero look and checked into a max pro. I was unable to escape it, and that is my fault. In order to cover zero into a max pro there, we left our soldiers [alone]. SunDevilSource
Skattebo gashed Texas’ defense in every manner imaginable and nearly single-handedly led Arizona State to a spectacular comeback despite “vomiting profusely” on the sidelines, according to the ESPN broadcast. He ended with a team-high eight catches for 88 yards, one pass completion for a 42-yard touchdown, and 30 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He was responsible for 56% of Arizona State’s overall offensive output. (Sports CBS)
“The roughly 100 fans in attendance on Wednesday night weren’t focused on the Peach Bowl scoreboard in Atlanta, which displayed the devastating defeat to the Texas Longhorns.” (Republic of Arizona)
