What started off as a Sugar Bowl shootout and it looked like it was going to end in anything but that as Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington offense proved far too much to handle for the Longhorns in the majority of second-half action.
After a dry spell, the Longhorns came back to life in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points after Washington looked to pull away with 10 unanswered points of its own in the third quarter.
One of the biggest storylines of the game heading into it was which offense could break away in what was anticipated to be a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair as both teams came in with some of the poorest passing defenses in the nation.
The Longhorns came into the contest with the No. 93 pass defense in college football, giving up an average of 250.8 yards per contest. The Huskies are even worse at No. 120 among 133 teams in the FBS, surrendering 263.2 passing yards per game.
While both teams were tied at halftime, and brought it down to the wire in the final quarter as Heisman Trophy candidate Michael Penix Jr. ultimately was the star as he gutted the Texas secondary, completing 76% of his passes for 430 yards and 2 touchdowns.
This performance and now making it into a national title game is the finishing touch on what's been a remarkable transfer portal success story as he turned things around and ended out the regular season with a 65.9% completion rate, passing for 4,218 yards today with 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions at the helm of the No. 19 offense in the country.
Wide receiver Rome Odunze and running back Dillon Johnson have also been key components in keeping the passing and rushing game humming, respectively, and both factored into Monday's win, though Johnson's status will be something to watch after he limped off the field injured with assistance from trainers late in the fourth quarter.
BENDER: Why Michigan will upend Washington in the College Football Playoff championship
The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights for Texas vs. Washington on Monday night. Follow along for the latest scores and highlights from the game.
Texas vs. Washington final score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Texas | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
| Washington | 7 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 37 |
Texas vs. Washington results, highlights from College Football Playoff semifinal
(All times Eastern)
Final score: Washington 37, Texas 31
12:42 p.m.: Quinn Ewers' 16-yard pass to Jaydon Blue is ruled a completion. Texas is at the Washington 12.
12:38 p.m.: Washington standout running back Dillon Johnson limps off the field with the assistance of trainers and appears to be in serious pain. Losing him could be a major blow to their offense in the national title game if this lead holds up.
12:32 p.m.: Texas' onside kick attempt is recovered by Washington.
12:23 p.m.: Bert Auburn's 25-yard field goal attempt is goof.
12:20 p.m.: Grady Gross' 27-yard field goal is good.
12:17 p.m.: Washington totals 527 yards of offense with just under three minutes remaining to play, threatening to score again at the Texas 10.
12:09 p.m.: Texas is back in it, scoring its first points of the second half. Quinn Ewers completes a short, 1-yard pass to the right into the hands of Adonai Mitchell.
12:05 p.m.: Texas is in scoring range at the Washington 10 after Quinn Ewers hits Malik Agbo on a 6-yarder.
11:50 p.m.: That's Washington ball. The ruling on the field that Jaydon Blue was down is overturned. It's recovered by Huskies defender Bralen Trice at the Washington 24.
11:44 p.m.: Washington tacks on a 40-yard field goal from Grady Gross to build on what is now a 13-point lead.
11:41 p.m.: The announced attendance for the Sugar Bowl is 68,791 fans.
Washington 31, Texas 21
11:37 p.m.: The third quarter ends on a 5-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. to Germie Bernard. Washington will start the fourth quarter at the Texas 18.
11:21 p.m.: Grady Gross' 26-yard field goal is good. The Huskies choose to take the 10-point lead instead of going for the touchdown on fourth down.
11:15 p.m.: Texas' CJ Baxter fumbles and it's recovered by Washington's Asa Turner deep in Longhorns territory. Huskies start at the Longhorns 31.
11:14 p.m.: Michael Penix Jr. is continuing to have a standout night. Less than five minutes into the third quarter, he is 17-of-20 passing for 311 yards with 2 touchdowns.
11:10 p.m.: Michael Penix Jr. hits Jalen McMillan for the 19-yard touchdown.
11:07 p.m.: Michael Penix Jr. keeps for the 12-yard rush to the Texas 45, crossing into Longhorns territory.
Washington 21, Texas 21
10:39 p.m.: Touchdown Texas. CJ Baxter takes it up the middle for the 3-yard score to tie the game at 21-21 with 17 seconds left in the second quarter.
10:33 p.m.: Tim Tebow's Sugar Bowl record for passing yards is 482 in 2010. Michale Penix Jr. is on track to beat that with 255 passing yards to this point.
10:29 p.m.: What a catch by Ja'lynn Polk. It bounces off his hands and then he reels it in for the 29-yard touchdown. Washington leads Texas, 21-14 with 1:27 to go until halftime.
10:26 p.m.: Michael Penix Jr. finds Jack Westover for 15 yards and Washington advances to the Texas 29.
10:14 p.m.: Washington will start its next drive at its own 24.
10:05 p.m.: Washington goes for it on 4th & 1 and does not get there. Dillon Johnson took the direct snap, but Texas read it perfectly.
10:02 p.m.: Texas might be fortunate to have this game where it is with the way the secondary is getting beaten right now. Penix completes to Odunze for a massive 52-yard gain, and the Heisman runner-up is now up to 190 yards on just six completions.
Texas 14, Washington 14
09:58 p.m. TOUCHDOWN: Texas takes advantage of the muffed punt and evens the score on a big man touchdown by DT Byron Murphy II. The special teams mistake costs the Huskies just when they had a chance to take control of the game.
09:53 p.m. FUMBLE: Disaster for the Huskies! Germie Bernard can't hold onto the punt, and it's recovered by Texas just outside the red zone. The Longhorns have an instant scoring opportunity.
Washington 14, Texas 7
09:46 p.m. TOUCHDOWN: For the second time tonight, Dillon Johnson caps off a pass-heavy drive with a rushing touchdown. Washington regains the lead and goes up 14-7.
09:41 p.m.: Big completions to Germie Bernard and Rome Odunze have Washington driving and deep into Texas territory. Penix continues to find success downfield.
Washington 7, Texas 7
09:19 p.m.: Texas responds with a 5-yard touchdown run by Jaydon Blue.
09:16 p.m.: Quinn Ewers completes his second pass of the night with a 31-yarder to CJ Baxter.
09:11 p.m.: Great pass from Michael Penix Jr. there. He finds Ja'lynn Polk on a 77-yard deep shot to the right. Dillon Johnson follows it up with a 2-yard touchdown run and Washington leads, 7-0 less than 4 minutes into the first quarter.
09:08 p.m.: A 31-yard return gave Texas some juice on the first drive of the game, but Quinn Ewers fails to complete all 4 of his passing attempts and the Longhorns punt. Washington starts its first drive at its own 11 after the punt is downed by Michael Taaffe.
09:05 p.m.: After a 31-yard return from Blue set Texas up with solid field position, it's 3rd&10 with the ball at the Texas 45 for the Longhorns.
Pregame: The Longhorns come into this game with essentially a home field advantage as the stands are almost completely orange with the stadium now totally filled.
Pregame: Washington wins the toss and elects to defer. Quinn Ewers and the Texas offense will go to work first.
Pregame: The Sugar Bowl broadcast will now begin on ESPN2 and then will move to ESPN when the Rose Bowl broadcast concludes.
Pregame: The kickoff has been delayed for the Sugar Bowl due to the overtime situation with Alabama-Michigan. The game is now set to kick off in 18 minutes.
Pregame: Michigan ties Alabama at 20-20 with roughly one and a half minutes remaining in regulation. If the game goes into overtime, the start of the Sugar Bowl will be delayed.
Pregame: Texas is well-represented with the stadium beginning to fill up with almost entirely orange, as would be expected given the distance from New Orleans between the two teams respectively.
Pregame: Bevo has arrived.
Pregame: Texas arrives to Caesars Superdome.
Pregame: Washington arrives to Caesars Superdome.
Texas vs. Washington start time
- Date: Monday, Jan. 1
- Start time: 8:45 p.m. ET l 5:45 p.m. PT
Monday night's Sugar Bowl contest between the Longhorns and the Huskies is set to kick off at 8:45 p.m. ET at the Superdome in New Orleans, La.
MORE: Texas vs. Washington CFP semifinal player props, odds, picks
What channel is Texas vs. Washington on today?
- Game: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Washington
- Date: Monday, Jan. 1
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo
Monday night's Sugar Bowl game between the Longhorns and the Huskies will be broadcast across multiple ESPN networks.
ESPN is rolling out its Megacast for the College Football Playoff, once again providing alternate broadcasts across its family of networks with just about the same setup as last season's semifinals.
| Telecast | TV channel |
| Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show | ESPN2 |
| Command Center | ESPNU |
| Skycast | ESPN News |
| Spanish-language | ESPN Deportes |
College Football Playoff schedule
| Date | Bowl | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal) | No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama | 5 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| Jan. 1 | Sugar Bowl (CFP semifinal) | No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas | 8:45 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| Jan. 8 | CFP National Championship Game | TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |