Texas loses Sam Ehlinger to injury, but controls Big 12 destiny after Iowa State win

Texas handles Iowa State, 24-10, to move within one victory of reaching the Big 12 Conference championship game.

About an hour before kickoff in Austin, No. 16 Iowa State and No. 15 Texas got their final marching orders. Oklahoma State’s 45-41 upset of No. 9 West Virginia in Stillwater provided a sharpened focus for the Cyclones and the Longhorns.

Both were playing to stay alive in the Big 12 Conference championship game race. And Texas turned in one of its most complete performances, combining a methodical offense with a stingy defense to throttle Iowa State, 24-10. Ending the Cyclones’ five-game winning streak was a fitting way to celebrate the 500th game played at Darrell K. Royal/Memorial Stadium.

Texas had allowed at least 500 yards of total offense in its last three games, losing two of them. The Longhorns changed that narrative by shutting down Iowa State and freshman quarterback Brock Purdy. During its five-game winning streak with Purdy running the offense, Iowa State was averaging 35 points and 427 yards in total offense. UT held the Cyclones to 216 yards and Purdy left the game midway through the fourth quarter with a hip injury.

The Longhorns’ hopes of playing in the championship appeared finished when they lost back-to-back games at Oklahoma State and at home against West Virginia. Now, Texas is a victory away from playing for a trophy.

Ironically, the team standing between Texas and the conference championship game is the team that handed the Longhorns one of its most humiliating losses. In 2016, Kansas assured the end of Charlie Strong’s career in Austin with a 24-21 overtime victory that has lived on in memes and GIFs.

What it means for the Big 12 Championship Game

The last Big 12 game on the next-to-last weekend of the regular-season finalized the following season-ending scenarios for the conference championship game.

The winner of Oklahoma-West Virginia will be in the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 1 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. If Oklahoma wins, the Sooners will be 11-1 and 8-1 in Big 12 play and will still have a chance at making the College Football Playoff.

Texas will set up a Red River rematch in the Big 12 Championship Game if they beat Kansas on Friday.

If West Virginia beats OU, the Mountaineers will face Texas because UT has the head-to-head tiebreaker with OU thanks to its Red River Rivalry victory. Thanks to Oklahoma State beating WVU, the Mountaineers will have three Big 12 losses if they lose to OU. That outcome would set up RRR II.

Backup plan

Texas sophomore quarterback Sam Ehlinger had a solid first half to help the Longhorns take a 17-3 halftime lead. He was 12-of-15 for 137 yards with one touchdown. He also gained 32 yards on eight carries with a TD.

On UT’s last play from scrimmage in the first half, Ehlinger scrambled on a third-and-14, coming up a yard short. Iowa State strong safety Greg Eisworth blasted the Texas quarterback with a clean big hit that was mostly absorbed by the quarterback’s right (throwing) shoulder. Ehlinger appeared to be in pain on the sideline while the Longhorns kicked a field goal to post a 17-3 halftime lead.

Ehlinger was the last player to return to the field from the locker room and the Longhorns had to turn to junior backup Shane Buechele start the second half. The Longhorn Network reported that Ehlinger was “questionable” for the second half.

Buechele’s 27-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter boosted the Longhorns’ lead to 24-3 and eliminated any drama. He finished a perfect 10-of-10 passing for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Suspended star

Iowa State played the first half without leading rusher David Montgomery. He was ejected for fighting in the second half of last Saturday’s victory over Baylor. The Cyclones started sophomore Kene Nwangwu and in the first 30 minutes, he had seven carries for 31 yards with a long carry of 24. He came into the game with 19 carries for 58 yards.

How much did Iowa State miss Montgomery? The Cyclones scored just three points in the first half, their lowest output since the season opener at Iowa when they managed just a field goal.

Montgomery, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior who averages 4.5 yards per carry, had 10 carries for 33 yards and an oh-by-the-way touchdown late in the game. With the Cyclones facing a two-touchdown deficit, they were unable to fully utilize their running game.