MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Among 20 seniors who lost their final home game at West Virginia, linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton nonetheless kept up his postgame ritual. After the 28-14 loss to Texas, he circled the field, greeting students and fans who lingered.
“I took my final lap around the stadium and realized I didn’t hear ‘Country Roads’ singing,” Benton said.
Benton joined fellow senior Kyzir White and sophomore David Long with 10 tackles each. Now the mission becomes getting into the right mindset for next week’s massive challenge at Oklahoma, and then the Mountaineers (7-4, 5-3 Big 12) begin preparation for what is likely to be a second-tier bowl.
“It’s disappointing for this to be the way we went out for my last time playing on Mountaineer Field, but we still have some good ball ahead of us,” he said.
Horns survive Ehlinger’s mistake
Texas had a 14-0 lead and first-and-goal at the 5 when Sam Ehlinger made a potentially game-changing mistake. In the grasp of linebacker Dylan Tonkery, the freshman quarterback flipped a pass toward the flat, where safety Kenny Robinson made the interception and a 94-yard runback.
“I was trying to throw it away to avoid the sack down on the goal line. Stupid mistake. Just got to eat that,” Ehlinger said.
Coach Tom Herman cited Ehlinger for “trying too hard” and likened it to the game-ending mistake that cost Texas a shot at tying Oklahoma State in overtime on Oct. 11
“The last time he learned a lesson it was at the expense of a victory,” Herman said. “This time he learned that lesson and we were able to pull it out for him. I suspect it will be a mistake that you won’t see him make again.”
Ehlinger replaced Shane Buechele on the Longhorns’ third series and played out the string. He threw two touchdowns and ran for 68 yards on nine carries.
“That’s 7.6 yards per carry,” Herman said. “That’s a pretty good day at the office.”
Texas backup tight ends leave rare mark
The only Texas tight end with a touchdown catch entering Saturday’s game, Cade Brewer, was left behind in Austin with an injury. Yet Brewer’s backups scored twice against West Virginia in the opening half.
Syracuse graduate transfer Kendall Moore scored on a 4-yard swing pass, his first catch of the season. Chris Warren, who moved from running back this week, added a 20-yard touchdown.
“That’s just selflessness,” Ehlinger said. “Chris did a great job coming in learning the plays really quickly and scoring a freaking touchdown.
“And Kendall has been behind Cade all season. He’s been right there, filling in and paying attention.”
Quotable, part I
Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson on seeing Grier leave: “Just a crazy incident with his finger. God bless him and I hope he gets healthy.”
Quotable, part II
Holgorsen on the senior day loss: “I really feel bad for our 20 seniors. I don’t feel like I put them in the best position today to be successful.”