2022

Valero Alamo Bowl | Thursday, December 29, 2022
#12 Washington 27, #20 Texas 20

Attendance: 62,730 (#6 highest total of all 43 bowl games)

ESPN Viewership: 4.8 million (best viewership since 2019 and 3^rd highest among all non-CFP bowl games)

Coaches: Washington: Kalen DeBoer; Texas: Steve Sarkisian

Offensive MVP: Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Defensive MVP: Bralen Trice, Washington EDGE

Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Award: Anthony Cook, Texas DB

Highlights

Jalen McMillan and Taj Davis bring in touchdown receptions from Michael Penix Jr., the new Husky passing leader, Wayne Taulapapa adds a season-long rushing score, and the defense shuts down the Longhorns’ rushing attack on the way to a 27-20 victory for the #12 Washington Huskies over the #20 Texas Longhorns.

Recap

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. guided Washington to a 27-20 win over Texas in the 30th Valero Alamo Bowl, delivering key plays when it mattered most at the Alamodome.

The Longhorns made their third Valero Alamo Bowl appearance in four years and their first under head coach Steve Sarkisian. Washington returned to San Antonio for just the second time, its previous visit coming in 2011 when Sarkisian was on the opposite sideline leading the Huskies against Baylor and Robert Griffin III.

Washington struck first, capitalizing on a blocked Texas punt and a sharp start from Penix. Peyton Henry connected on a 46-yard field goal then Wayne Taulapapa broke free for a 42-yard touchdown run to cap a 10-play, 88-yard drive to give Washington, a 10-0 lead.

Texas closed the gap after halftime when redshirt freshman quarterback Quinn Ewers found Jonathon Brooks on a 34-yard screen pass to cut the deficit to three. Penix responded with back-to-back touchdown drives of 75 and 90 yards to secure the win for the Huskies.

Penix finished 32-of-55 for 287 yards, setting a Valero Alamo Bowl record for pass attempts and earning Offensive MVP honors. The loss dropped Texas to 4-2 all-time in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Game Notes

TOP TEAMS: The 30^th annual Valero Alamo Bowl added to its track record of competitive games between highly ranked teams as #12 Washington vs. #20 Texas the seventh time in the last nine years the game had a Top 20 matchup.

With the win Washington finished the season with 11 wins and a #8 ranking in the final AP poll which is the seventh time in the last 10 years the Valero Alamo Bowl Champion ended their season ranked in the Top 10.

NOBODY’S LIKE MIKE: With 287 passing yards in the 2022 Valero Alamo Bowl, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. broke the program’s single season passing record finishing with 4,641 yards. He passed Cody Pickett, who had 4,458 passing yards in 2002. Adding two touchdowns to those 287 passing yards, Penix Jr. earned the title of 2022 Valero Alamo Bowl MVP.

If Penix continues this torrid pace he could become the sixth Valero Alamo Bowl alum to win a Heisman trophy and follow Caleb Williams who played in San Antonio in 2021 for Oklahoma and won in 2022 for USC.

DON’T TRY TRICE: Washington EDGE rusher Bralen Trice finished with four solo tackles and two sacks to help the Huskies stymy the Texas rushing attack to 51 yards on the ground and finish as the 2022 Valero Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP. The Longhorns averaged 199.6 rushing yards per game this season, but the 2022 Valero Alamo Bowl proved to be their second lowest rushing output of the season.

YOU NEVER FORGET THE FEELING: Since Texas scored a field goal with under two minutes left in the game, the 2022 Valero Alamo Bowl became the 14th edition of the bowl to finish as a one-score game. This was the first time since 2018 that the Valero Alamo Bowl was within one possession after #13 Washington State held off #24 Iowa State 28-26.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Washington was the first team in Valero Alamo Bowl history to have two receivers with over 1,000 receiving yards during the season. Jalen McMillian and Rome Odunze led the way during the 2022 Valero Alamo Bowl as they did all year for the Huskies with 58 and 57 receiving yards respectively, finishing the year with 1,098 and 1,145 yards each.

DANGEROUS DAWGS: With the 27-20 victory, the Washington Huskies claimed their 11th win of the 2022 season. That is the most wins for the program since 2016. It also caps off Kalen DeBoer’s first season as head coach for the Huskies with his first career bowl victory as a head coach.

HAPPIER HUSKIES: By beating the Longhorns, the Huskies improved to 1-1 all-time in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Their only other appearance came in the historic 2011 shootout that saw the Huskies fall 67-56 to the Baylor Bears.

HERE COMES THE SUN AGAIN: The Washington Huskies earned their second ever victory over the Texas Longhorns, including their first since the 1979 Sun Bowl. The Huskies are now 2-3 all-time against their foes from Austin but 2-1 when they face off in bowl games.

RISING FROM THE WEST: The Pac-12 is now 6-10 in the Valero Alamo Bowl while current members of the Big 12 fell to 13-11.

EARLY ROBBERY: Texas defensive back Jerrin Thompson captured his first interception of the 2022 season and just the second of his career on Washington’s first offensive drive of the 2022 Valero Alamo Bowl. This marked the second consecutive year that the Big 12 team intercepted the Pac-12 representative on their first offensive drive of the Valero Alamo Bowl, as Oklahoma safety Justin Broiles picked off Oregon at the start of the 2021 Valero Alamo Bowl.

FROM THE STANDS: Texas Quinn Ewers joins fellow Longhorn Sam Ehlinger as the second starting quarterback in Valero Alamo Bowl history to have attended the game in a fan as growing up. Ewers’ 369 passing yards is #3 in Valero Alamo Bowl history.

HOLIDAY STUFFING: Washington linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio blocked the Longhorns’ first punt of the 2022 Valero Alamo Bowl leading to a 46-yard field goal for the Huskies courtesy of kicker Peyton Henry. For Ulofoshio, this was his first career blocked punt.

ANYTHING YOU CAN DO I CAN DO THE SAME: The Longhorns wasted no time responding to the Huskies’ field goal, as kicker Bert Auburn knocked through a 29-yard field goal to tie the game at 3 midway through the first quarter.

WAYNE’S WORLD: Huskies running back Wayne Taulapapa burst through for a 42-yard touchdown run to put Washington up 10-3 near the end of the first quarter. This was Taulapapa’s longest rushing touchdown as a Husky.

DEFENSIVE PERIOD: After 13 combined points in the first quarter, the only points in the second quarter came as the half expired. Peyton Henry connected on his second field goal of the game to put the Huskies up 13-3 at halftime.

STAMPEDING OUT OF THE LOCKER ROOM: The Longhorns stormed out of halftime with a drive that culminated in a 34-yard passing touchdown from quarterback Quinn Ewers to running back Jonathon Brooks. Brooks caught no passes during the regular season and had just one in 2021, but in the 2022 Valero Alamo Bowl, Brooks caught 2 passes including his first career touchdown reception.

BARKING BACK: Immediately after Texas creeped within three points, the Huskies answered with a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Taj Davis from quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to build their lead back up to 10. Soon after, Jalen McMillian hauled in an 8-yard touchdown, his ninth this year, to extend the Huskies’ lead to 17.

NOT SO FAST: Texas running back Jonathon Brooks broke the plane for a 3-yard rushing touchdown to decrease Washington’s lead to 10 points with just under 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Earlier in the game Brooks caught his first career touchdown pass, but this was the sixth rushing touchdown of his career and fifth this year.

LONGHORNS COME UP SHORT: The Longhorns gave one last push with help from a Bert Austin field goal that put the Longhorns down just seven with 1:40 to go in the game. Texas got the ball back with no timeouts and 31 seconds left, but the clock ran out on them as they ultimately fell 27-20 to Washington.

ALL EYES ON US: This was only the second time in bowl history the Valero Alamo Bowl did not run unopposed from another college or NFL football game as the NFL had a Thursday night game (Dallas Cowboys vs. Nashville Titans) in the same time slot this year.

In 2007, the Valero Alamo Bowl game featuring Penn State and Texas A&M drew 3.8 million viewers while opposite a New England Patriots and New York Giants game.

A HOLIDAY TRADITION CONTINUES: Fans once again packed the Alamodome to watch an exhilarating 30th version of the Valero Alamo Bowl.

A crowd of 62,730 saw the #12 Washington Huskies defeat the #20 Texas Longhorns in the highest attended Valero Alamo Bowl since 2015, when 64,569 spectators witnessed the thrilling triple overtime game between #11 TCU and #15 Oregon that the Horned Frogs won. This year is the 18th time out of 30 games that at least 60,000 fans attended the Valero Alamo Bowl.