College Football Playoff: Washington reaches final, holds off Texas in Sugar Bowl

NEW ORLEANS — Washington rode the accurate left arm of Michael Penix Jr. and Dillion Johnson’s two touchdowns on Monday night, as the Huskies earned a spot in the College Football Playoff championship game with a 37-31 semifinal victory against Texas in the Sugar Bowl.

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Grady Gross added three field goals for the Huskies (14-0), who will face unbeaten and top-seeded Michigan (14-0), a 27-20 winner in overtime against Alabama in the first semifinal, on Jan. 8 at NRG Field in Houston.

The Huskies had to survive a last-minute scare as Texas (12-2) drove to the Washington 12 with 15 seconds to play. The Longhorns had one last chance with one second to play, but Quinn Evers’ pass to Adonai Mitchell at the right corner of the end zone was incomplete.

Ewers completed 24 of 43 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown and nearly engineered a college football shocker.

But Penix, who was named the offensive player of the game, was sharp all night against the Longhorns. He completed 29 of 38 passes for 430 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Penix was almost perfect in the third quarter, connecting on 11 of 12 passes. Texas ran just five offensive plays in the third quarter, as Washington chewed up 12:39 of the clock.

That led to a wild finish.

Johnson scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter and added a 1-yard score early in the second period for the Huskies.

Washington, appearing in its second CFB semifinal and first since 2016, appeared to take control, scoring 10 points in the third quarter to snap a 21-21 halftime tie.

Both teams came into the game at the Superdome with plenty of offensive firepower and they did not disappoint in the first half. Every time second-seeded Washington scored a touchdown in the first half, No. 3 Texas, making its debut under the current four-team playoff format, answered with a game-tying score.

The Huskies struck first, as Penix completed a 79-yard pass to Jalen McMillan to the Longhorns’ 2. Dillon Johnson scored on the next play from 2 yards out to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead with 11:01 left in the first quarter.

Penix would throw for 255 yards in the first half on 11-for-14 passing.

Texas answered quickly after Washington’s touchdown, putting together a seven-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with Jaydon Blue’s 5-yard touchdown run with 7:06 left in the first quarter.

Penix and the Huskies came right back with a long drive, moving 80 yards in nine plays. Washington took a 14-7 lead when Johnson scored his second touchdown of the game, a 1-yard run with 13:08 left in the half.

Texas, which had been unable to convert on third down, got a break after a Longhorns punt was fumbled by Washington’s Germie Bernard at the Washington 22. That led to a game-tying 1-yard touchdown by the Longhorns’ Byron Murphy with 10:08 remaining before halftime.

The Longhorns defense stopped Washington on a fourth-down play at the Texas 14 with 6:59 left until the intermission. But the Huskies regained the lead at 21-14 when Penix threw a 29-yard touchdown pass that was deflected into the hands of receiver Ja’Lynn Polk with 1:27 left in the half.

But Texas tied the game for the third time with 17 seconds left in the half. CJ Baxter scored on a 3-yard run, one play after Ewers ran for 21 yards to the Huskies 7-yard line. Texas was helped by a Washington personal foul penalty to move the ball to the 3.

Washington regained the lead after an eight-play, 70-yard drive that was capped by Penix’s 19-yard scoring pass to McMillan with 10:30 left in the third quarter.

The Huskies’ Asa Turner then recovered a Baxter fumble at the Longhorns 25. That led to a 26-yard field goal by Gross, giving Washington a 31-21 lead.

Gross added a 41-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to extend Washington’s lead to 13 points.

Texas mounted a promising drive early in the fourth quarter, but Blue fumbled after a 19-yard catch from Ewers and the ball was recovered by Washington’s Bralen Trice, who was named the defensive player of the game.

Texas pulled within six points, at 34-28, when Ewers completed a 1-yard scoring pass to Mitchell with 7:23 to play.

But Gross kicked his third field goal, a 27-yarder with 2:40 to play, to give Washington a 37-28 lead.

Ewers led Texas to a 25-yard field goal by Beri Auburn to make it 37-31. A desperation onside kick did not go 10 yards but was nevertheless recovered by Washington.

There was still some drama, as Texas got the ball back with 45 seconds after a Washington punt. They got a break because Johnson was hurt before the punt, stopping the clock due to an injury timeout.

Ewers led the Longhorns down the field with a 41-yard pass to Jordan Whittington with 28 seconds left and a 16-yarder to Blue that put the ball at the 12.

But that was as close as Texas would come, as the Huskies defense prevented what would have been a stunning finish.

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Allstate Sugar Bowl - Texas v Washington NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 01: Rome Odunze #1 of the Washington Huskies catches a pass against Ryan Watts #6 of the Texas Longhorns during the second quarter during the CFP Semifinal Allstate Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome on January 01, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)