Texas vs. Kansas 2012: A quarterback controversy comes to Austin?

A last-second Case McCoy touchdown pass saved Texas from the height of indignities, finally taking the Longhorns past the hapless Kansas Jayhawks and cementing a 21-17 win Saturday. McCoy took over in the second half for an ineffective David Ash, who had gone just 8-for-16 for 63 yards and two interceptions. McCoy finished 5-for-7 for 68 yards and threw the winning score.

The McCoy touchdown pass, caught by D.J. Grant with just twelve seconds left to play, gave Texas its first lead since the second quarter. Kansas held a 14-7 lead at the half, and neither team could score in the third quarter. A Marquise Goodwin touchdown run with 9:41 left to play tied the game at 14, but a Kansas field goal at the 2:30 mark seemingly gave the Jayhawks the upset victory. But McCoy took the Longhorns 70 yards in 2:16, averting disaster.

The gang at Barking Carnival tried to head off the potential quarterback controversy:

For Ash, it's just a burn-the-tape kind of day. Something like this was bound to happen at some point, but it was uglier than I expected and I have no idea why he was as off as he was. In fairness to him that second INT got tipped at the line, but he was inaccurate and just didn't seem to be stepping in to his throws at all. About ten or twelve absolute downfield strikes delivered against Ole Miss, OSU, WVU and Baylor were immediately forgotten by some on Ash's underthrown pick along the sideline, but there's no denying it was just a terrible pass. He missed high, low, left and right today and just seemed to be in a funk. Mama said there'd be days like this, but....ugh.

Big ups to Case for hitting a couple of big throws to Shipley and Davis, and big ups to that KU corner for dropping the game-ending INT with two minutes to go. I'm grateful for his play, but Ash is the starting QB unless he's nursing an injury that no one knows about. If Mack lets any doubt linger about that fact after Monday's press conference it's a horrendous failure of leadership.

Quarterback controversy or no, Texas returns to action next week against rival Texas Tech in Lubbock.