Texas 31 - Oregon State 27

Seniors step up in the fourth quarter to lead the Longhorns to an Alamo Bowlvictory

The Longhorns pulled out a win over the Beavers in the fourth quarter.
Marquis Goodwin, who destroyed the Beaver secondary all night, caught agame-wining, 36-yard touchdown with just 2:30 left.

For three quarters, the Texas Longhorns looked tired and disinterested, just another disappointing night in a disappointing season. But down 17-27 midway through the fourth quarter, the Longhorn senior leadership flexed their muscles and came up with the plays required to beat the No. 13 Oregon State Beavers and win the Alamo Bowl 31-27.

Major Applewhite, calling his first game as offensive coordinator, didn’t resort to trick plays or finesse offense. Applewhite kept the Oregon State defense on their heels when the game was on the line, and David Ash found the yards he needed —whether throwing the ball to senior Marquis Goodwin or junior Jaxon Shipley or simply running it into the end zone himself.

Ash missed on seemingly simple passes, but he also found plays when the Longhorns needed them. He was brilliant in the fourth quarter, going nine of 11 passing and scrambling for a game-changing first down. Ash ended the night 21 of 33 for 241 yards, with two touchdowns passing and one rushing.

The real hero of this game might be defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. The much-maligned Texas defense kept the Longhorns in the game.

The real hero of this game might be defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. The much-maligned Texas defense kept the Longhorns in the game. Honestly, it was Alex Okafor who turned into a one-man sack machine, chasing Oregon State’s quarterback all over the Beaver backfield and coming up with 4.5 sacks.

In fact, the Texas defense spent most of the night in the Oregon State backfield, finishing with 10 sacks and backing up the Beaver offense 81 yards. Add in two interceptions and a fumble recovery, and you have the recipe for a last-minute win.

That’s the way it ended, even though it started ugly. The Longhorns didn’t get a first down until well into the second quarter, and, with a blocked field goal attempt, the team appeared disoriented throughout the first half. Credit the Texas defense with keeping the Horns in the game, intercepting a pass and forcing a fumble in the first half.

As a result, Texas never trailed by more than 10 points, and a different team came out of the locker room for the second half. When Texas needed it, the playmakers delivered.

Johnathan Gray managed only 18 yards rushing, but he caught a terrific pass from Ash, who escaped a near-certain sack, and then ran 15 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown that put Texas within a field goal. Then senior wide-out Marquis Goodwin, who destroyed the Beaver secondary all night, caught a game-wining, 36-yard touchdown with just 2:30 left.

The win feels good for Longhorn fans, but it’s no harbinger of things to come. The stars of this game will not be back next season, as it was the seniors who came up big to win the game. That said, Marquis Goodwin and Alex Okafor will likely be playing in the NFL next year.

As for the next year’s team, there is still work to be done. Ash has yet to prove he is the quarterback of the future, and Applewhite has a lot of work to do on the offensive game planning.

Against Oregon State, running back Johnathan Gray was handed the ball only seven times. Both the quarterback and the rushing commitment will need to be addressed if Texas is to enter the college football elite.

Still, the Texas Longhorns managed a come-from-behind win against the No. 13 ranked BCS football team. The momentum from a bowl win, especially against a good team, can carry over into the next year.

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for the win

Cheer on these Texans competing for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics

Amber Glenn, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater from Plano

teamusa.com/

Plano's famous figure skater Amber Glenn is on the roster.

The XXV Winter Olympic Games, also known as the Milano Cortina 2026, are right around the corner, running February 6-22 in northern Italy. Out of the 2,900 athletes who will participate in this year's Games, 232 will represent the U.S., with four hailing from the Lone Star State.

North Texans will recognize two local athletes in particular: Ice hockey player Hannah Bilka, who grew up in Coppell, and Plano's record-breaking figure skater Amber Glenn. Another figure skater, Emily Chan, also has ties to Dallas-Fort Worth.

To catch these Texas-born athletes in the 2026 Winter Olympics, viewers can tune in to NBC and its affiliate networks, websites, and apps (like Peacock).

Without further ado, these are the Winter Olympians competing for Team USA with roots in Texas. (Note that there are other athletes with Texas ties, like Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, who are competing in the Olympics but aren't considered Texans.)

Hannah Bilka, 24
Sport: Ice hockey
Texas tie: Bilka grew up in Coppell and is the youngest of four children. At age six, she followed in the footsteps of her older brother, Anthony, and started playing hockey. Due to a "lack of girls’ hockey teams in Texas," she grew up playing hockey with boys.
Fun facts: She won the 2024 National Championship in women’s ice hockey with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the same university where she earned a master's degree in sport management. Her two older sisters, Christina and Stephanie, were figure skaters.
When to watch: The women's ice hockey preliminary round begins on Thursday, February 5. The women's bronze and gold medal matches will take place on Thursday, February 19.

Hannah Bilka, 2026 Winter Olympics hockey player Hannah Bilka is one of two North Texans competing in this year's Games.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Emily Chan, 28
Sport: Pairs figure skating
Texas tie: Chan hails from Pasadena, a Houston-area suburb in Harris County, but she also calls Dallas home. She graduated from Texas Online Preparatory School as the valedictorian.
Fun facts: She loves to cook, bake, make jewelry, and dreams of opening her own café in the future. Her longtime skating partner, Spencer Akira Howe, is from Los Angeles. They both relocated to train at the Skating Club of Boston in 2019, where Chan now coaches young figure skaters. Chan is also pursuing a family and marriage counseling degree from Grand Canyon University.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The pairs figure skating competition begins on Wednesday, February 16.

Emily Chan, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater In addition to being a top-notch figure skater, Emily Chan is also trained in Chinese modern dance and ballet.teamusa.com/

Amber Glenn, 26
Sport: Singles figure skating
Texas tie: She was born in Plano, and started skating at just five years-old.
Fun facts: Glenn is a mental health advocate and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She came out as pansexual in 2019. She loves to play Magic: The Gathering, and her dog, Uki, is named after stalking shadow card Ukkima. She also enjoys anime and Star Wars. On Friday, May 29, Glenn will visit Allen during the 2026 Stars on Ice Tour.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The women's singles free skate competition begins Thursday, February 19.

Amber Glenn, figure skating Plano's Amber Glenn will have the Dallas-Fort Worth crowd on its feet. Facebook/ISU

Boone Niederhofer, 32
Sport: Bobsledding
Texas tie: Niederhofer grew up in San Antonio, and later became a wide receiver at Texas A&M University. His father, Dan, played football for Abilene Christian University. Niederhofer and his family previously lived in Midland .
Fun facts: Niederhofer has a degree in petroleum engineering and worked in Texas' oil and gas industry while competing in bobsledding competitions.
When to watch: The bobsled competition begins on Sunday, February 15. The men's two-man heat will take place on Tuesday, February 17, and the men's four-man heat is scheduled for Sunday, February 22.

Boone Niederhofer, 2026 Winter Olympics bobsledder Boone Niederhofer is a former Texas A&M University football player.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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