Final update (11:25 p.m.): Texas opened the scoring in the second half with a 72-yard strike from Buechele to Burt – a play that Burt failed to complete in the first half. He hauled it in this time.
Five minutes later senior kicker Trent Domingue nailed a 25-yard chip shot to put Texas up 31-14. The three-score advantage didn’t last long.
Kizer took the Irish down the field on a four-play, 61-yard drive drive that lasted 1:28. It resulted in a 29-yard touchdown rush from Kizer.
Buechele threw an interception deep in his own territory on the Texas’ next possession, and Notre Dame capitalized with a touchdown to cut its deficit to 31-28.
The Irish regained the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter when Kizer connected with Josh Adams on a 17-yard touchdown.
Texas countered with a D’Onta Foreman score from 19-yards out to take a 37-35 lead; a lead that lasted zero seconds of game time. Notre Dame blocked the PAT and ran it back for two points, tying the game at 37.
That’s where it stood heading to OT.
Texas struck first in the first overtime on a Swoopes rushing score, but it took one screen pass from Kizer to C.J. Sanders. to tie the game at 44. Notre Dame knocked a 39-yard field goal through the uprights to put pressure back on Texas.
Swoopes answered.
He powered his way through the defense and leaped toward the goal line. His outstretched arms crossed the plane before his knees came down, and the game was over. Texas prevailed in a 50-47 double overtime thriller.
– Tyler Horka
Halftime update (8:24 p.m.): Notre Dame took it to Texas on its first drive. For the first few minutes, the Irish reminded the Longhorns what the 2015 matchup between these two teams felt like — Notre Dame won 38–3 on opening weekend last year.
Junior quarterback DeShone Kizer led a six-play, 78-yard drive that spanned only 2:32 of game time to take a 7–0 lead.
But freshman quarterback Shane Buechele led the Longhorns on a quick scoring drive of their own, culminating in a 19-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Armanti Foreman. The series tied the score at seven and lasted 2 minutes and 58 seconds.
The scoring ceased for both teams for the rest of the first quarter. Notre Dame used both Kizer and senior Malik Zaire at quarterback for the entire first half. Texas senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes saw his first action of the year in the second quarter.
Swoopes entered the game in a big way, rushing for 30 yards on five carries on his first drive. Buechele relieved Swoopes once Texas crossed midfield. The freshman found junior receiver Jake Oliver twice on the drive — once for 21 yards to set the Longhorns up inside the Fighting Irish’s five yard-line. Buechele finished it off with a quarterback sneak, putting Texas on top 14-7.
Kizer and the Irish answered less than four minutes later. He found sophomore receiver Equanimeous St. Brown over the middle of the field for a 30-yard touchdown, tying the game with 3:44 left in the first half.
Buechele and the Longhorns went back to work. Buechele connected with redshirt sophomore receiver Jerrod Heard on a 68-yard pass that took Texas to the Notre Dame one-yard line. Swoopes ran it in three plays later to give the Longhorns the lead back – 21-14 – with 1:12 left in the half.
– Tyler Horka
Original story: The Longhorns are set to open their season in a primetime against the No. 10 Fighting Irish. Coming off a 5-7 season, Texas looks for a signature win to jump-start a critical campaign for head coach Charlie Strong.
The two teams met on opening weekend last tear, with Notre Dame shellacking the Longhorns 38-3. The matchup between the two storied programs is expected to yield the largest attendance at Darrell K Royal — Texas Memorial Stadium since Strong arrived on the 40 Acres in 2013, according to Texas Athletics.
Stay tuned for live updates on this page and on Twitter: @TexanSports.
