Anyone who fell asleep before the end of Washington's 37-31 Sugar Bowl win over Texas might not be too surprised by the score. That score, however, doesn't tell the full story of just how intense the finish became.
The Huskies led 34-21 deep into the fourth quarter, though Texas was able to trim the lead to one possession with a Quinn Ewers-led touchdown drive. Needing a stop to get the ball back, Washington appeared to ice the game by kicking a field goal with 2:44 remaining and extending their lead back to two possessions.
As the last two years of College Football Playoff semifinal games will tell you, no lead is necessarily safe. Texas managed to go from a nine-point deficit to a one play away from a win in a matter of three minutes at the end of the thrilling game.
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Here's a look at how a Washington injury opened the door for Texas, as well as how the Huskies managed to hold on.
How Dillon Johnson injury sparked Texas' late push
Texas drilled a field goal to cut the lead back to one possession with 1:09 on the clock, but with only two timeouts in their arsenal, the Longhorns had no choice but to try an onside kick. It was recovered by Washington, but the presence of those two timeouts led the Huskies to try and end the game by running the ball rather than simply taking a knee. That cost Kalen DeBoer's team in more ways than one.
Running back Dillon Johnson suffered a seemingly serious injury on his third carry of the drive, going down in a heap and requiring medical attention on the field. He would eventually be helped off the field, still appearing to be in serious pain.
The initial concern was that the injury could leave Washington without its running back for the national championship game. As it turns out, the injury nearly cost the Huskies a chance to even get there. Because Johnson went down on the field, the injury stopped the clock when Texas didn't have any timeouts. That was the difference between Washington punting with 50 seconds on the clock and about 15 seconds.
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By the time Ewers got his hands on the ball, he still had 45 seconds remaining. Even more unhelpful for Washington was a penalty for interference on the punt, which gave Texas an additional 15 yards.
Dillon Johnson was hyped for Washington's win even as he was being carted off the field.pic.twitter.com/PZNrTzY5ms
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 2, 2024
Here's a closer look at what the Huskies did to barely hang onto their lead.
How Washington survived Texas' Sugar Bowl comeback
Washington's pass defense did not grade out particularly well this season, and Texas' final drive was initially a window into why that was. Ewers was forced into two incompletions to start the drive, but with plenty of time still on the clock, he found Jordan Whittington for 41 yards to go all the way to the Huskies' 28-yard line.
WHAT A CATCH!!! JORDAN WHITTINGTON!
— CFB Country (@_CFBCountry) January 2, 2024
Texas within distance.👀 pic.twitter.com/ANble9tmhN
Washington's hopes suffered another major blow when Jaydon Blue made a terrific catch while going out of bounds to take Texas into the red zone. Replay showed Blue appear to bobble the ball as he went out, but the call stood after a lengthy review.
Was this a catch by Jaydon Blue?
— The SEC Scoop (@TheSECScoop) January 2, 2024
Refs ruled this a completed pass after replay review…#HookEm #Texas
pic.twitter.com/rJIT0qzYgZ
Ewers had four chances to get the ball into the end zone from the 12-yard line, but the only completion Washington would allow the rest of the way was a curious pass to Blue in the flat. Blue went out of bounds with a one-yard loss, and the play risked an in-bounds tackle that could have run the clock to zero.
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To Washington's credit, Ewers' final three passes were defended well. Elijah Jackson swatted the ball away from Adonai Mitchell on the final play of the game, when the Longhorns had just one second left on the clock, though Ewers' pass might have been too errant for Mitchell to catch it in bounds regardless.
the second replay here really shows how insanely bad of a pass this was by ewers
— Sam Richmond (@samrichmondBR) January 2, 2024
he wasn’t even being pressured. if he just guns it in there instead of lobs it that’s game
pic.twitter.com/yL2LTnM1ML
Both teams playing in the College Football Playoff championship won on a defensive stop with the game on the line. Both Michigan and Washington have proven they know how to win close games on college football's biggest stages, and the biggest stage of all now awaits in Houston next Monday.