Written by Andy Staples at SI.com
On a sweaty night in Austin, Texas coach Charlie Strong’s seat got a lot cooler. Here are three takeaways from the Longhorns’ 50–47 double overtime win against No. 10 Notre Dame.
1. Texas has a new starting quarterback (plus an intriguing situational guy), a new offense and new hope
After going 11–14 in his first two seasons in Austin, Strong overhauled his offense. He hired a thirtysomething offensive coordinator who hadn’t previously held playcalling duties. That coordinator, Sterlin Gilbert, was brought in to install the offense made popular by a Big 12 rival (Baylor). On Sunday, Strong turned over the reins of that offense to a true freshman quarterback. If Sunday’s performance was any indication, the result may be more wins and some job security for Strong.
To keep his job, Strong needed the Longhorns to show improvement. They definitely did that. An offense that hasn’t clicked for seven years finally looked competent.
Texas also needed to win a tight game. Using freshman Shane Buechele as the starting, most-of-the-time quarterback and oft-maligned former starter Tyrone Swoopes to provide blunt-force trauma in short-yardage situations, the Longhorns finally overcame Notre Dame when Swoopes dove over the goal line in the second overtime.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, found its QB1 in DeShone Kizer. Unfortunately for coach Brian Kelly, he’ll have to explain why there was even a question as to whether Kizer or Malik Zaire would lead the offense.
2. Repeat, Texas has a starting quarterback who looks comfortable for the first time since Colt McCoy. And the short-yardage guy? He’s a load to tackle
In the Longhorns’ spring game, Buechele looked like he came out of the womb running coordinator Sterlin Gilbert’s offense. But that was a spring game, where the coaches can set the circumstances to make a quarterback look good. This was real, and Buechele looked just as comfortable. The freshman completed 16 of 26 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and added 33 yards on the ground.
In his first series, Buechele led the Longhorns on an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that lasted 182 seconds and ended with a brilliant catch by Armanti Foreman in the back of the end zone on a 19-yard fade. As the night wore on, it became clear Texas got exactly what it paid for when it hired away Gilbert and offensive line coach Matt Mattox from Tulsa. Gilbert and Mattox worked for former Art Briles assistant Philip Montgomery at Tulsa, and this absolutely is the offense Briles ran at Houston and Baylor.
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