Freshman wide receiver Kaliq Lockett doesn’t remember much about the play that led to his first career touchdown pass.
He recalls running the route drawn up by head coach Steve Sarkisian, looking up and seeing the spin of the ball — just the way that sophomore quarterback Arch Manning had spun it to him during fall camp so many months ago.
“And there was no way I was gonna let that opportunity slip,” Lockett said postgame.
Lockett’s touchdown was the third of five that pulled No. 13 Texas to victory over No. 18 Michigan in a postseason matchup that seemed almost consolatory after the Longhorns had failed to clinch a playoff spot. When the Cheez-It dust had settled amid a scoreboard that blinked 41-27, Sarkisian and Co. gathered in the press room and gave their final remarks about a football season that was officially over.
“We were just talking in the locker room about the life of a competitor. And the life of a competitor isn’t easy, and there’s ups and downs,” Sarkisian said. “This team had its own adversity this season, but the real, true, unique competitors rise up to every challenge that they’re faced with — and that’s what this team did today.”
Lockett found himself sitting for his first-ever press conference. He hadn’t started during the regular season, just practicing and waiting his turn while watching the veteran players catch the ball, run the route.
But when so many of those older guys announced their departures, the time finally came for the rookie, antsy with anticipation, to take his place on the field and make it his.
“He came right off the sideline — I was literally right next to him,” sophomore linebacker Colin Simmons said about Lockett. “Came off right off the sideline, said ‘Coach, I’m here, I’m here.’ Went over there, got in his spot, Arch threw (the) ball up.”
Lockett had his first touchdown of his career, but he wasn’t the only one.
“We played with over 20 scholarship players not suited up for practice, and it created great opportunities,” Sarkisian said.
The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl was expected to be a battle of the backups. But the performance put on by players who, for so long, had been buried in the depth chart was unexpected — and nothing short of phenomenal, lending a beacon of hope for the future of a Texas team that, like this year, has much to prove next season.
Redshirt freshman running back Christian Clark had a breakout season with his first career touchdown and 105 yards on 20 carries.
Lockett was part of a core group of rookie receivers who came in this year, including true freshmen Jaime Ffrench Jr. and Daylan McCutcheon. All three receivers saw the field, some for the first time this season, especially sophomore receivers Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V went down with injuries in the first half. Ffrench, an extremely athletic route runner in high school, saw plenty of the field despite getting no yards. McCutcheon had one catch for four yards.
The secondary, with notable names like Michael Taaffe and Malik Muhammad leaving for the NFL Draft, had back-ups on every corner making plays. Sophomore linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith had some of the biggest plays on the defensive side of the ball despite spending most of the season on second string. Smith ended the night with nine tackles and two game-changing interceptions, while redshirt freshman defensive back Wardell Mack got his second career interception in the fourth quarter to seal Texas’ win.
Texas is wasting no time in looking toward the transfer portal to fill in some holes, especially with so many outgoing transfers. Even so, talent and passion can still be found within the program — as exhibited by the back-up players who finally got their taste of the big stage at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
