The Texas Longhorns defeated the Clemson Tigers 38-24 to advance to the CFP quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl against the Arizona State Sun Devils. Led by an inspired Quinn Ewers, and an all-around strong outing, Steve Sarkisian’s team secured a vital win and sent a statement to the rest of the league.

Although he is still dealing with an ankle injury, Ewers managed the game to perfection. Relying on a run game that exploded for its best performance of the season when it mattered most, the Longhorns jumped to a big lead and never let off the pedal.

It wasn’t Texas’ first rodeo in the College Football Playoffs. The Longhorns showcased their experience and made the most of their home-field advantage as they dominated the Tigers at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. Texas is the only team from last year’s postseason schools to be back in the mix in 2024. They are most definitely hungry for redemption.

Following the victory during the team’s final home game of the NCAA season, Sarkisian issued a strong reminder to his players, with a warning to the rest of the league in the playoffs, about their ultimate goal and the chance to avenge last season’s failure.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian during the first half of the first round College Football Playoff game between the Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers on December 21, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Texas won, 38-24.

We don’t forget,” Sarkisian said postgame, via Inside Texas. “I think that’s the first thing. I think we’ve got a group of guys that were here with us a year ago that didn’t forget that feeling in New Orleans last year. We’re far from that. We’ve got a couple more games to go to get there. But it sure serves as great motivation, when you can get close as we were.”

Sarkisian expected run game to be decisive

Clemson had no answers for Texas’ backfield all night long. The Longhorns rushed for 292 yards, their highest total on the year and scored 4 touchdowns through the ground. Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner split the carries and both posted excellent statlines, leading the Longhorns to victory, just like Sarkisian envisioned.

“I always put what it takes to win each game. One of the first bullet points I put up in this room was, run to win,Sarkisian said. “We needed to run the football to win this game, and we’re going to need to run the football to advance in these playoffs.”

On New Year’s Day, the Longhorns will take on the Sun Devils at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for a spot in the semifinal.