Vince Young described the massive play.
Vince Young Breaks Down Game-Winning Play From Texas' National Championship Win originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Texas Longhorns' last national title came in 2005, thanks in part to star quarterback Vince Young, who scored a game-winning touchdown with 20 seconds left.
Young scrambled out of the pocket and ran into the endzone to give Texas the 41-38 win over the USC Trojans after a two-point conversion. He ended the game with 267 passing yards, 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
On a recent episode of "The Triple Option," he shared the story behind the play. Young, head coach Mack Brown, and offensive coordinator Greg Davis agreed it was best for it to be a pass play that gave the quarterback a chance to run.
The rest was history.
"One of the things that me, Coach Brown, and Coach Davis did was we talked before we left Austin," Young said. "The game is on the line. What play would you call? Y'all know, quarterback sneak for sure. I want the ball, coach. And Coach Davis was like, 'Let's call a pass play that will give you the right to throw the ball as well as run the ball.' Again, that's why coaches coach and players play."
Young discussed the game further and described how the scariest moment was not the eventual go-ahead score, but rather focusing on catching the snap from center Lyle Sendlein. The Longhorns' star joked that if you were not paying attention, Sendlein would send the football over your head.
Fast forward to 2025, and Texas had a stressful moment with one of the top recruits in the 2027 class. John Meredith, the top cornerback in the state, revealed the Texas A&M Aggies as the frontrunner with the Longhorns in second for his recruitment.
Much has changed in college football since 2005, but the Longhorns continue to compete for national titles.
Related: Steve Sarkisian Names One Thing He Doesn't Love About Recruiting at Texas
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
