Austin, TX
Texas vs. Arizona State: Longhorns defeat Sun Devils 39-31 in 2OT
Texas vs ASU: Sun Devils expert gives some insight
FOX Phoenix’s Richard Saenz stepped into The Sports Office to give some insight into the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Saenz talks with FOX 7 producer Julian Martinez about everything Longhorn fans need to know about the Arizona State Sun Devils.
AUSTIN – The Texas Longhorns defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils in a nail-biter on Wednesday afternoon to move to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
Arizona State came from behind to tie the game in overtime and had Texas against the ropes in the first overtime.
A 4th-and-13 touchdown from Quinn Ewers to Matthew Golden gave the Longhorns new life and a quick strike in the second overtime led to a Texas victory.
The winner of Texas-Arizona State advances to play the winner of the game between No. 1 Oregon and No. 8 Ohio State.
That game will be played on January 10 in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium.
Live Updates
2nd Overtime
Texas scored on the first play of the 2nd overtime on a Quinn Ewers pass to tight end Gunnar Helm. Texas then converted a two-point conversion to put huge pressure on the Sun Devils.
The Texas defense stood strong in the second overtime, picking off Leavitt to end the game.
Overtime
In the first possession of overtime, a long scramble from quarterback Sam Leavitt set up a short touchdown run for Cam Skattebo to power his way into the endzone.
The Longhorn offense sputtered in OT at first, but Quinn Ewers threw a 28-yard touchdown to Matthew Golden to extend the game.
Fourth Quarter
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 01: Bert Auburn #45 of the Texas Longhorns misses a field goal during the fourth quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (
The Texas offense found the endzone for the first time since the opening quarter on a Quinn Ewers scramble. The Longhorns lead 24-8.
Arizona State’s offense struck with a bit of trickery. Running back Cam Skattebo threw a 42-yard touchdown and added a two-point conversion to cut the lead to 8.
A deep shot from Ewers was picked off with 5:37 left in fourth giving the Sun Devils life.
Skattebo hauled in a long catch and then pounded in a short touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game at 24.
Kicker Bert Auburn missed a 48-yard attempt with 1:39 left in the fourth, but Texas got the ball back.
A 28-yard pass from Ewers to Ryan Wingo put the Longhorns into field goal range.
Auburn hit the left upright on a potential game-winning kick from 38 yards out as time expired in regulation.
Third Quarter
The Sun Devils offense moved the ball well to start the second half, but another 4th down stop near the goal line kept Arizona State off the board.
One the next play, Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner fumbled in the end zone, leading to a safety.
The Sun Devils drive the ball down the field for a field goal to cut the lead to 17-8 late in the third.
Second Quarter
The second quarter started with a big fourth down stand for the Texas defense. Bruising running back Cam Skattebo was stuffed deep in Texas territory to give the Longhorns the ball back.
Texas marched down the field and kicked a short field goal to take a 17-3 lead.
Arizona State’s fake punt extended a drive at the end of the half that ended in a blocked field goal.
First Quarter
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 01: Silas Bolden #11 of the Texas Longhorns returns a punt for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Atlanta,
Arizona State was on the board first after an early field goal, but Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns offense struck back quickly.
Ewers threw a 23-yeard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore Jr. to cap off a two-play, 77-yard drive and put the Longhorns up 7-3.
After a stop on defense, Texas return man Silas Bolden took a punt 75 yards for a touchdown.
Overall, the Longhorns defense looked very stout and the offense looked explosive in the first.
Pregame
Some bad news for the Longhorns ahead of kickoff.
Texas RT Cameron Williams is unlikely to play today due to a knee sprain, according to sources.
Redshirt freshman Trevor Goosby is expected to start in his place.
Texas vs Arizona State: How to watch, stream
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 01: Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns walks onto the field with teammates prior to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo
- No. 5 Texas vs No. 4 Arizona State
- Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: Wednesday, January 1
- Time: 12 PM (CT)
- TV: ESPN
Key Matchup
Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo vs. Texas’ defensive front. Skattebo put together a dynamic season, finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting while becoming one of the rare players in FBS history to total 2,000 yards from scrimmage. He has rushed for 1,568 yards, averaging 6.0 yards per carry while scoring 19 touchdowns on the ground. But the Longhorns figure to present a much tougher challenge than Skattebo faced in the Big 12. Texas ranks 11th nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 104.5 yards per game.
Players to Watch
Texas: CB Jahdae Barron. The Jim Thorpe Award winner as the nation’s top defensive back, the senior leads the Longhorns with five interceptions and 11 passes broken up. If Barron and the rest of Texas’ stellar secondary can shut down Arizona State’s passing game, the Sun Devils would be hard-pressed to move the ball effectively even with Skattebo leading the way.
Arizona State: QB Sam Leavitt boasted that he’s the better quarterback in his matchup with Texas counterpart Quinn Ewers. Now, Leavitt has to back up his bravado. After transferring from Michigan State, the redshirt freshman played a key role in the Sun Devils’ remarkable turnaround this season. He has completed 63.2% of his passes for 2,663 yards, with 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Leavitt is also a threat to run the ball, totaling 383 yards and five TDs.
Austin, TX
Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?
Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.
Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.
Texas, though, is a different story.
For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.
“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”
It all depends on the weather
How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.
Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.
If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.
How can you treat allergies in Austin?
If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:
- Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
- Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
- Take a shower before going to bed.
- Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
- Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
- Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.
Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:
- Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
- Vacuum and sweep regularly.
- Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
- Keep doors and windows closed.
- Clean out the vents in your home.
- Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
- Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
- Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.
Austin, TX
Texas Primary: Breakdown of Texas races
Democrats tried to stop a mid-decade redistricting effort, but were unsuccessful. Now, we are starting to see some of the candidates emerging in those newly drawn districts. FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski gives a full breakdown.
Austin, TX
Remembering Jorge Pederson: Minnesota MMA fighter killed in Austin, Texas, shooting
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A shooting on West Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, early Sunday morning, killed three people and injured more than a dozen others, according to the Austin Police Department. APD confirmed one of the victims was 30-year-old Jorge Pederson, a Minnesota man who worked as an MMA fighter for the Med City Fighting Championships.
“You meet tons of fighters and there are people that stand above the rest that you find you enjoy or find the most amusing,” MCFC Co-Owner Matthew Vogt said. “He was definitely one of them.”
According to Vogt, Pederson was also the owner of a Minnesota business called Metro Movers. Vogt said the MMA competitor touched everyone’s hearts since his first day of fighting professionally in Rochester.
“As soon as we met him when it was the weighing time, we just loved the guy already because he had a great mission or spirit about him,” Vogt said. “He was a funny guy and great fighter.”
Vogt told KTTC when he first saw the news that Pederson was killed, he could not believe what he saw.
“I was looking, like, ‘Wait a minute. Is this one of his shenanigans or did something actually happen there?’” Vogt said, recalling the moment he saw a social media post regarding the shooting in Austin. “I confirmed with a few people and I’m just like, sometimes, some things happen that you don’t even like, you don’t even know how to respond to it because it’s just so out of left field that you don’t immediately have a response to it.”
MCFC confirmed there is an online fundraiser dedicated to supporting Pederson’s family. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $10,000 has been raised.
“He was someone that always could make anybody laugh,” Vogt said. “Support his family through the fundraiser and take a look at his Instagram especially to see how funny he was.”
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