AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas defense seems to have built a big burnt orange wall at the goal line.

Late-game goal-line stands have helped keep the Longhorns moving toward a possible national championship. The latest was Saturday night in Texas’ 34-28 win over Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

“We’ve got big people, and they know how to play a physical brand of football,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “When we get challenged like that … I think that’s part of our identity.”

So here comes Cam Scattebo, Arizona State’s 5-foot-11, 215-pound All-American wrecking ball of a running back to try to knock it down.

Texas’ win over Clemson sent the No. 5 seed Longhorns (12-2) to the quarterfinals against the Big 12 champion and No. 4 seed Sun Devils (11-2) in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Skattebo put on a show the last time the Sun Devils were on the field. He scored three touchdowns, had 170 yards rushing and 208 all-purpose yards in Arizona State’s 45-19 win over Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game.

Skattebo bounced off tacklers, ran through others and outraced some more. He struck the Heisman Trophy pose a few times, then had a few things to say about it all afterward.

“Nobody respects the fact that I’m the best running back in the country. And I’m going to stand on that,” he said after the game. “I’m going to keep proving people wrong. And whatever NFL team takes me is going to get a gem.”

Skattebo brings some gaudy numbers to Atlanta to back it up.

The AP All-American’s 19 rushing touchdowns and 22 overall are both tied for school records. He needs 75 yards to break the program’s single-season rushing record of 1,642.

He was twice the AP national player of the week. The first time was for his career-high 262 yards rushing amid his 297 all-purposed yards in Week 2 against Mississippi State. The second was for his game against Iowa State.

Texas players say they are ready for the Sun Devils’ battering ram.

“Yeah, I’m excited,” Longhorns defensive tackle Barryn Sorrell said. “My time being here, I feel like I’ve heard that a lot, that a team is going to come in here and run the ball on us, and I’d like to say there was a different result a lot of those times.

“Just looking forward to that challenge again,” Sorrell said.

Sorrell was in the middle of fourth-quarter goal line stands that helped save wins against Texas A&M and Clemson.

Texas was clinging to a 17-7 lead in College Station when the Longhorns stuffed four consecutive runs inside their own 5. The win sent Texas to the SEC championship game.

Clemson had a chance Saturday to get within a touchdown in the final 8 minutes. A touchdown could have completely swung momentum their way.

But after reaching the Texas 1, two straight runs failed to reach the goal line. Sorrell was in on the tackle that stopped Clemson’s Keith Adams Jr. just short of a touchdown on fourth down.

“We take pride in not letting guys score or get in our paint,” Texas safety Andrew Mukuba said.

Texas is not perfect at the goal line, however. Georgia won the SEC championship in overtime when Trevor Etienne bowled into the endzone from the Texas 4.

But they’ve been close enough to it to keep charging deep into the postseason.

“It’ll be an amazing challenge,” Texas All-American cornerback Jahdae Barron said of facing Skattebo. “He’s a hard downhill running back.”

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Cade Klubnik carved up Texas’ defense Saturday night like nobody else this season, just not enough to complete a spectacular homecoming.

Klubnik, Clemson’s junior quarterback from Austin, passed for 336 yards — the most by a Texas opponent this season — and three touchdowns. He directed a second-half comeback that gave No. 12 seeded Clemson a chance to overtake No. 5 Texas after falling behind by 18 at halftime.

But the Tigers fell short, losing the College Football Playoff game 38-24.

“I’m hurting a lot,” Klubnik said. “It was fun to come home, but it was not a vacation. It was time to come win a football game, and we didn’t do that.”

Klubnik led the Tigers (10-4) on a four-play, 55-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter, the final 25 on a pass to running back Jarvis Green that left Clemson trailing 31-17.

He directed a 64-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter. His 7-yard pass to T.J. Moore, on fourth-and-6 left Texas ahead by just a touchdown, 31-24.

“We put ourselves in a position to win,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “That young man (Klubnik) has grown into an amazing leader. You’re never out of a game with him.”

Texas (12-2) made Klubnik’s job a lot tougher when Jaydon Blue raced 77 yards for a touchdown on the Longhorns’ first possession after Moore scored.

Nevertheless, Klubnik led Clemson 74 yards to the Texas 1, connecting with Moore three times, including completions covering 29 and 30 yards.

But Klubnik was stopped by Texas safety Michael Taaffe on third down and Keith Adams was stuffed on fourth by Bill Norton and Barryn Sorrell.

Clemson’s comeback attempt was over when Klubnik’s pass on fourth down was broken up by Taaffe at the Longhorns’ 25 with 1:16 left.

Taaffe and Klubnik were teammates at Westlake High School when they won the 2020 Texas state high school championship together. The quarterback they beat that day? Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.

That history and rivalry added some extra spice to Klubnik’s trip home.

Another Westlake teammate, Texas defensive end Ethan Burke, sacked Klubnik in the first half Saturday.

Earlier in the week, Taaffe said Klubnik was his “best friend” on the Westlake team when they won that state championship.

“We were definitely sharing words back and forth, that was fun,” Taaffe said. “He’s a great guy. He had a great game.”

Another body was found in the popular Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, where other deceased individuals were found recently.

The latest body found joins the growing mystery after at least 6 additional bodies were found throughout the year in the lake in 2024. On Friday, police were called to investigate reports of a dead person in the water near 1st Street Bridge and the 300 block of Cesar Chavez.

The Austin Police Department (APD) said that they do not suspect foul play as the body showed no signs of trauma, but are investigating the incident.

Despite APD attempting to quell community fears, questions and speculation have run rampant. Police have attributed most of the deaths to accidental drowning due to the lake’s proximity to nightclubs and bars.

BODY FOUND IN SAME AUSTIN LAKE WHERE OTHER DECEASED INDIVIDUALS DISCOVERED IN RECENT MONTHS

The most recent body was found on December 1. The victim was recently identified as 73-year-old Thi Lang Nguyen. Austin police said that there is nothing connected to the other deaths this year.

TEXAS PARENTS OF ONLYFANS MODEL IN DEADLY MIAMI STABBING ARRESTED

In September, a man was behaving erratically near East Cesar Chavez and Nueces Streets. He then went into the water and did not resurface. He was later pulled out and pronounced dead. 

WATCH:

Back in February, a woman’s body was found in the water about 20 feet from the north shore and in April, a fisherman spotted another person floating in the water.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In July, a man was suffering from blunt force trauma on the trail near Rainey Street. The man was pronounced dead a short time later. 

In September, a body was found along a trail near the lake off Pleasant Valley Road. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the APD for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.