After failing on a 4th-1 deep in BYU territory early in the fourth quarter, Texas forced the Cougars into a quick punt, getting them the ball back near midfield. Case McCoy handled most of the duties on the second Longhorns TD drive of the night, hitting true freshman Jaxon Shipley on two key passes – hearkening back to days in the recent past when their brothers carried Texas to the national championship game – to set up Cody Johnson for another short scoring run.
Shipley’s second catch was an excellent 20-yard grab in traffic on 3rd-9 as McCoy placed the ball just out of reach of three defenders. David Ash and Malcolm Brown carried twice more for another first down before Johnson finished the job.
The 17-16 lead is Texas’ first of the day. The Longhorns came in favored by a touchdown at home but could not move the ball at all in the first half under Garrett Gilbert. With Ash and McCoy at the helm, the offense has picked up the pace and has turned around a 13-3 halftime deficit.