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Joe Burrow, LSU make history, top Texas in 45-38 shootout

Jimmy Detail

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Jul 30, 2018
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https://lsu.rivals.com/news/joe-burrow-lsu-make-history-tops-texas-in-big-12-style-shootout-45-38

AUSTIN — The new-look LSU certainly looked its part in Big 12 territory Saturday night.

The No. 6 Tigers (2-0) found itself in a back-and-forth shootout with No. 9 Texas (1-1) by the third quarter of the teams' marquee matchup.

And as the points and tension continued to skyrocket in a packed Darrell K. Royal Stadium, it was Joe Burrow and the suddenly high-powered passing attack scorching their way to history and the 45-38 victory.

LSU's senior quarterback dropped back on a third-and-17 with 2:38 remaining and a precarious 37-31 edge, calmly navigated the Longhorns pressure and found junior receiver Justin Jefferson for the first and, eventually, a winding 61-yard score.

Burrow then found sophomore receiver Ja'Marr Chase for the two-point conversion to extend the lead to 45-31.

Texas would score again, on a 15-yard strike from junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger to senior receiver Devin Duvernay to cap a two-minute, 75-yard drive.

But with only 22 seconds remaining, the Longhorns could not corral their onside-kick attempt before falling out of bounds.

And the Tigers were able to kneel out the victory.

Burrow finished 31-for-39 (79.5 percent) for 471 yards and four touchdowns — marking the second-highest passing total in program history behind only Rohan Davey's 528 against Alabama in 2001.

Jefferson led the team with nine catches for 163 yards, finally joining Chase and sophomore Terrace Marshall Jr. over the century mark to mark the first time ever that three LSU teammates did so in the same game.

Chase caught eight balls for 147 yards, and Marshall hauled in six passes for 123 yards.

Junior running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire led the rushing attack with 15 attempts for 87 yards.

Texas had opportunities to take control early.

The Longhorns held LSU to a 36-yard Cade York field goal on its first possession, then marched quickly down to within the 2-yard line.

But the Tigers' defense held up there, forcing a fourth down on which sophomore Keaontay Ingram dropped a wide-open touchdown to keep the team off the board.

Texas quickly found itself in prime position again as sophomore linebacker Joseph Ossai snatched an interception off a tipped pass and returned to the 4-yard line.

But, again, LSU managed to escape with a second turnover on downs in less than three minutes.

The Longhorns finally did reach the end zone on their next possession, as Ehlinger found sophomore receiver Brennan Eagles down the right sideline for 55 yards and a 7-3 lead.

The Tigers held their hosts scoreless the rest of the half, though, while Burrow and their offense finally came alive with three straight scoring drives to end the half.

LSU marched 75 yards midway through the second quarter to regain the lead with a 6-yard touchdown to Jefferson.

York added a 40-yard field goal with 1:41 left in the second.

And after a quick Texas punt, Burrow and company rolled 58 yards in just three plays and 26 seconds, capped by a 21-yard dart to Jefferson for the 20-7 advantage.

But the Longhorns struck back in the third and set the tone for much of the rest of the game.

Ehlinger led a 19-play, 86-yard drive early in the half to finally convert a red-zone opportunity with a 2-yard keeper into the end zone to draw back to within 20-14.

York provided LSU a bit more breathing room with a 40-yard field goal to nudge the lead back to 23-14.

But, by then, the game was quickly escalating into a shootout.

The teams traded 75-yard touchdown drives on each of their next two possessions.

Ehlinger threaded a 20-yard pass to Jake Smith into a tight window in the end zone to trim the gap to 23-21.

But Burrow and Marshall answered with their fourth scoring connection of the young season, this time from 26 yards, to pull back ahead by nine points at 30-21.

The Tigers forced Ehlinger and company into another fourth-down attempt, but the Texas quarterback found Duvernay, who broke a pair of tackles and dashed his way to the touchdown.

Edwards-Helaire provided the LSU answer to make the score 37-28.

And the Tigers, sparked by a Michael Divinity Jr. sack, finally held Texas to a 47-yard Cameron Dicker field goal on the next possession to regain possession with a 37-31 lead.

LSU survived a fumble scare on its first-down play as Marshall was ruled down before losing the ball to the Longhorns.

And a few plays later, Burrow and Jefferson helped provide some breathing room.

https://lsu.rivals.com/news/joe-burrow-lsu-make-history-tops-texas-in-big-12-style-shootout-45-38
 
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