The 2019 Alamo Bowl pits the Texas Longhorns against the Utah Utes. Alright, I’ll admit it, I was off the mark with these teams. I had both making it to the CFP and only one was close. I still have no clue what happened to Texas this year, but I found myself drinking the kool-aid, which historically is bound to happen down there.
This year Utah came one game short of likely making it into the CFP, at least a New Year’s Six. Now they get to face off in the coveted Alamo Bowl against Texas (7-5). A win could be potentially devastating to what was a one promising season for Utes. A win for the Longhorns could salvage what has already been a largely disappointing season.
How They Got Here
Utah: 11-2
They came into the season with high expectations, even being some people’s picks for the CFB. The defense is no doubt one of the best in the country, and they prove to be as good as advertised: fourth in the country in yards per play, third in yards per game, and sixth in touchdowns allowed.
As a team, they play really well on the defensive side of the ball, but there are few elite defensive guys on the roster. Bradlee Anae has put together a 12.5 sack and 13.5 TFL season. He’s likely to be a top 100 draft pick in the spring, but he’s not the only one. Junior DB Jaylon Johnson is a star in the making. His stats don’t jump out at you, with 11 PD’s and two picks, but Todd McShay has labeled him the player to watch for the game, and many projections place him as a first round pick.
Offensively, star RB Zach Moss has been putting in the work. Averaging 6.2 YPC and 1,359 yards en route to 15 TDs. He is the perfect combination of speed and physicality that makes him dangerous to break open for big runs. QB Tyler Huntley has made big steps this year. He’s completed 74% of his passes for just under 3,000 yards and 18 TDs.
Ranked 5th in the CFP list going into the Pac-12 Championship game, many believed a win would put them in. Oregon has other ideas and put their championship hopes to rest with a convincing 37-15 win.
Texas: 7-5
After finishing 2018 with a surprise defeat of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, many believed Texas would be back. Newsflash: they are not.
Sam Ehlinger led the Longhorn offense, throwing for 29 TDs and 3,462 yards. They had an effective RBBC with Keaonty Ingram and Roschon Johnson carrying the ball over 600 yards each and over 5 YPC. Devin Duvernay was Ehlinger’s favorite target, catching 103 passes (2nd in the country) for 1,294 yards (4th in the country).
Defensively, Brandon Jones is all over the field. He has a sack, leads the team in tackles, and has four PDs. Juwan Mitchell leads the team in sacks with three, and also has three PDs.
Player to Watch
Utah: Zach Moss
You could honestly have your pick for any of the player I mentioned. Moss is electric with the ball in his hands and I’m looking for him to make one or two big plays that drop some jaws. Huntley has made a lot of improvements in his game, but Zach Moss is the engine that makes this offense run.
Texas: Sam Ehlinger
I’m gonna be honest, this game will be a blowout. The only way I can see this game be relatively close, and potentially even a Texas win, is a big game from their signal caller. Ehlinger has been largely up and down this season, and the team has struggled because of it. He’s not the number one reason for their failure, but he could have been a reason they were successful.
2019 Alamo Bowl Betting Picks: Utah -7 O/U 55
Utah is going to come out the gate fast and inspired after their loss to Oregon. I don’t know what we’re going to get out of Texas, but it will not be pretty. I love the under in this game. It seems unlikely to me that either team will score over 30, unless Utah’s defense is rolling and it’s a blowout. Utah -7 is also a fantastic pick. There is maybe a 10% chance this game is within 10 points. Not saying it is impossible, but extremely unlikely in my mind. I see Utah winning the 2019 Alamo Bowl by a large margin.
You can read our other 2019 bowl previews here.