University of Washington
Texas
Washington Comes Up Short Against Texas, 47-43
December 28, 2001 | Football
Dec 29, 2001
By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
SAN DIEGO - Major Applewhite saved his greatest game for last as the Texas Longhorns won one of the wildest Holiday Bowls ever.
Starting his final college game after riding the bench for almost his entire senior season, Applewhite rallied the No. 9 Longhorns to a 47-43 victory over No. 21 Washington on Friday night in a game that'll add to this bowl's legacy of thrilling finishes.
The Longhorns (11-2) trailed by as many as 19 points and were down 36-20 entering the fourth quarter. But Applewhite - who threw three interceptions in the second quarter - was already in the process of leading Texas to scores on six of its last seven possessions.
After Willie Hurst gave Washington a 43-40 lead on a 34-yard touchdown run with 1:49 left, Applewhite moved the Longhorns 80 yards in seven plays, with running back Ivan Williams scoring on a 3-yard run with 38 seconds left.
Applewhite completed 37 of 55 passes for 473 yards, all career bests and all breaking his own school records. His four touchdown passes tied his career high.
"We all refused to quit," Applewhite said. "We did a great job as a team. The defense started off rough, I started off rough, but in the second half it was another great Holiday Bowl."
Applewhite, who holds 44 school records, got the start after replacing Chris Simms in the second quarter of the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 1. In that game, Applewhite led a desperate rally that fell just short as Texas lost to Colorado 39-37, blowing a shot at the national championship game.
Washington (8-4) fell to 0-3 in the Holiday Bowl despite holding a 36-17 lead with 3:51 left in the third quarter.
The Longhorns, 12{-point favorites, finished with 11 victories for the fifth time in school history.
Applewhite's 4-yard touchdown pass to Bo Scaife with six minutes left gave Texas a 40-36 lead, three plays after linebacker Derrick Johnson intercepted Cody Pickett's pass and returned it 16 yards to Washington's 9.
Applewhite was hit just as he released the TD pass, and he knew it was good. Laying on his back, he pointed both index fingers toward the sky as the Texas players on the field and the sideline went wild.
Still, it wasn't enough for Texas. Washington, which won five games with fourth-quarter rallies this season, appeared to have comeback win No. 6 after Hurst's run.
Texas started its winning drive with 1:49 to go, and Applewhite was 4-of-5 for 75 yards before Williams got the last five yards on two carries. Applewhite hit Scaife for 12 yards before Brett Robin dropped a pass. Applewhite then hit three straight - 25 yards to B.J. Johnson, 6 to Scaife, and 32 to Johnson.
In last year's 35-30 Holiday Bowl loss to Oregon, Johnson dropped a pass from Simms in the end zone in the final minutes.
Pickett, who played most of the season with a separated throwing shoulder, was 27-of-54 for 293 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions.
After a scoreless first quarter, Applewhite's three second-quarter interceptions led to 13 Washington points as the Huskies took a 23-14 lead in the highest-scoring quarter in Holiday Bowl history.
Washington pushed it to 30-14 after tight end Jerramy Stevens caught a 17-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter.
Applewhite then led Texas on five straight scoring drives. Dusty Mangum had field goals of 26 and 24 yards sandwiched around Hurst's 4-yard scoring run. Applewhite threw a 2-yard TD pass to Matt Trisell early in the fourth quarter and Ivan Williams' 1-yard run pulled the Longhorns to 36-33 with 8:01 to go.
Washington defensive tackle Terry Johnson returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown and a 13-0 lead in the second quarter.
Applewhite came right back, though, and gave Texas a 14-13 lead with touchdown passes of 43 yards to B.J. Johnson and 25 yards to Roy Williams on consecutive drives.
Pickett ran the two-minute drill perfectly and threw a 4-yard TD pass to tight end Joe Collier for a 20-14 lead with 47 seconds left in the half.
Applewhite's third pickoff, which bounced off Scaife's hands to linebacker Marquis Cooper, set up John Anderson's 40-yard field goal as time expired. Applewhite's first interception, by Ben Mahdavi, led to Anderson's 43-yard field goal.
Texas tailback Cedric Benson, who set a school freshman record with 1,053 yards, didn't play because of a stinger from the loss to Colorado.
