AUSTIN, Texas — Heisman Trophy winners all have one thing that separates them from the rest of college football. Nicknamed the "Heisman moment," winners of the coveted award have one catch, one pass, or one tackle that cements themselves among the greats of college football.
Last season, Bryce Young had the drive against Auburn which he capped off with the game-winning 2-point conversion to defeat the Tigers. On Saturday, he outdid himself by not only setting Alabama up to win the game but erasing a six-point deficit in the second half.
You see, Young's "Heisman moment" was not one play, or one drive but the final 12:55 of the fourth quarter when he completed 15 of his final 19 passes to help No. 1 Alabama escape its trip to Texas with a 20-19 victory.
"I knew that if we could shrink the game enough that we got the ball back, that he'd do a good job in two-minute he does it all the time," Saban said. "Players made plays when they had to make them. He made them on the drive before that, on that particular drive, and on the drive where we didn't get it on fourth down. On three-consecutive drives, he took the game over."
After Alabama punted on six-consecutive drives heading into the fourth quarter, the offense needed more than a spark — it needed a complete revival as the unit recorded just 23 total yards and went a quarter without a first down.
After Texas opened the fourth quarter with a field goal to extend its lead to 16-10, Young got going. The clutch quarterback got Alabama's first first down of the second half, escaping the Texas pass rush and scampering forward for 17 yards on a third-and-7 from the Alabama 28-yard line. Five plays later, when the Crimson Tide needed a crucial conversion on fourth-and-3 from the Longhorns' 37-yard line, Young found Ja'Corey Brooks for a 14-yard reception. Young then found Brooks again for 14 yards to lead Alabama down to the Texas 7-yard line, setting up one of his biggest highlights of the afternoon.
The Longhorns once again brought pressure, but Young sashayed to his left and threw across his body to find Jahmyr Gibbs in the back of the endzone for the score, helping Alabama take a 17-16 lead with 8:29 to play.
"I tried to extend the play and Jahymr did a great job breaking off his route," Young said. "It was a really instinctual play. He had a hitch out there, came back and broke across face. I saw it last minute and we were able to score in a really timely moment."
It was the lone fourth-quarter possession to end in a touchdown as Young went 6 for 8 passing for 51 yards and a 17-yard rush.
The junior found his rhythm after the score and on the next drive, completed four passes in a row before Alabama staled out at the Texas 25-yard line.
After Alabama's defense held the Longhorns to a field goal, Young had one final drive — this time it was to win the game.
"That's where we love to be at," Young said. "We know what it takes and there's no wavering. I feel confident in those positions and as a unit we do. We all embrace that challenge. We know what it means, when it's time for us to step up in those crunchtime moments, that's what we're made for."
Once again, Young could not be stopped, completing four-consecutive passes and leading Alabama from its 25-yard line to the Texas 37-yard line in a minute, forcing Texas to take a timeout.
Following the break, the Longhorns nearly halted the drive as Ryan Watts nearly brought the reigning Heisman Trophy winner down for a sack. However, Young wasn't going to go down that easy as he dodged the cornerback before rushing forward for a 20-yard gain to put Alabama into comfortable field-goal range for Will Reichard's game-winning field goal.
"He plays quarterback like a point guard in basketball," Saban said. "He's got talent, but he doesn't just play with his talent. He's very well prepared, he knows exactly what the gameplan is and what he needs to do to execute it."
Young also plays quarterback like a Heisman winner, and on Saturday, that was exactly what Alabama needed.
