Alabama kickers… for the win? Well, that’s what happened Saturday with the Crimson Tide taking on and narrowly beating Texas on the road at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Thanks to a go-ahead 33-yard field goal from Will Reichard with just 10 seconds left, Alabama took a 20-19 lead over the Longhorns and held onto it for the final seconds and a victory — and surely a relieving one for the Crimson Tide, especially after taking 15 penalties for 100 yards, which is a record under Nick Saban, per FOX Sports.
Pretty much from the beginning, this game looked a lot different than many people expected. The top team in the nation was not dominating, there were some questionable calls and the Longhorns defense stifled Alabama’s Bryce Young-led offense, leading to a 10-10 halftime score.
But with Reichard’s kick and a thrilling late performance from reigning Heisman winner Young, Alabama survived an extremely close call. Here’s a look at the near-perfect field goal to give the Crimson Tide the lead and ultimately the game:
WOW 😱@AlabamaFTBL takes back the lead with 10 seconds remaining 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XqWyrSJfYJ
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 10, 2022
— E (@EricMurphyGroup) September 10, 2022
This game-winning kick, however, could not have been possible without Young stepping up big time in the fourth quarter.
Early in the fourth, Texas kicker Bert Auburn nailed a 24-yard field goal to extend the Longhorns’ lead to 16-10. But the Alabama drive that followed looked entirely different from the rest of the game.
The Crimson Tide abandoned most of their run game in the fourth quarter, allowing Young to step up and take over. Leading Alabama’s final touchdown drive, Young had a huge 17-yard run to get his team closer to midfield after starting the drive at its own 25. Young then connected with Ja’Corey Brooks twice for a total of 30 yards on back-to-back passes to get Alabama to Texas’ 7-yard line.
And then some serious magic happened on Young’s part because he really dazzled. He faked a throw, he scrambled a little and then, somehow, he managed to find Jahmyr Gibbs in the back of the end zone for a brilliant go-ahead touchdown:
Making BIG PLAYS!!! 👏👏@_bryce_young @Jahmyr_Gibbs1
📺: @CFBonFOX
pic.twitter.com/rStkrSN6Mh— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) September 10, 2022
Another look at that HUGE play by Bryce Young 👀🔥
cc: @AlabamaFTBL pic.twitter.com/jOqeOd1zUS
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 10, 2022
In all, the Longhorns put up a better fight than most people probably imagined, and it’s clear they have a solid defense this season. But, of course, even by the narrowest margins, it wasn’t enough to halt Alabama.
