Sugar Bowl 2024: Live updates, score, how to watch UW-Texas College Football Playoff semifinal

Washington’s magical season continued following a thrilling 37-31 win over Texas on Monday night in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

The No. 2 Huskies (14-0), who pushed their winning streak to 21 games, will meet No. 1 and Big Ten champion Michigan (14-0) in the national championship game 4:30 p.m. PT Monday at NRG Stadium in Houston on ESPN.

The Wolverines beat No. 4 Alabama 27-20 in overtime in the other CFP semifinal.

Washington’s victory was decided on the final play when Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers misfired on a throw to the end zone that would have given the Longhorns the win.

Here are three thoughts on Monday’s game.

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NEW ORLEANS — On the third snap of the Sugar Bowl, Washington wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk beat Texas cornerback Terrence Brooks to haul in a 35-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. on a nifty curl route. He then shed a tackle from safety Jerrin Thompson near the sideline, cut back toward the middle of the field and almost scored before Brooks pulled him down for a 77-yard gain to the 2-yard line.

It was the beginning of another special night — for Polk and the still-undefeated Huskies.

Washington (14-0), which entered as an underdog again, never trailed in Monday’s 37-31 victory against Texas while becoming the first Pac-12 team to win a College Football Playoff game since Oregon in 2014. The Huskies will face fellow unbeaten and soon-to-be Big Ten Conference mate Michigan next Monday in Houston.

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NEW ORLEANS — After Dillon Johnson towed Texas defensive end Ethan Burke and free safety Michael Taafe into the end zone to give Washington a 7-0 lead, the junior running back made a beeline for ESPN’s camera. As Johnson roared, right tackle Roger Rosengarten draped an arm around his teammate’s shoulder and held a single finger to his lips.

The intention, it seems, was to silence a burnt orange supernova inside the Superdome.

As well as a continuously doubting country of college football fans.

In a 37-31 Sugar Bowl win over No. 3 Texas (12-2), UW did just that — proving it’s more than a Pac-12 mirage, or a finesse offensive fairy-tale, or anything in between. Michael Penix Jr. proved his Heisman Trophy candidacy was — to quote Oregon coach Dan Lanning, who Penix repeatedly defeated — rooted in substance. His wide receivers proved they’re worth the mounting mock draft mentions.

And Washington didn’t waste time.

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It's over.

The Huskies are headed to the national championship game.

Texas has one more play with 5 seconds left and third-and-11 at the UW 13.

And UW recovers the onside kick.

That should do it.

The scoring play: Texas kicker Bert Auburn cuts into UW's lead with a 25-yard field goal.

The drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 1:25.

The story: The Longhorns opt to kick the field goal and will attempt an onside kick here ...

The score: Washington 37, Texas 31. 1:09 remaining.

The scoring play: UW kicker Grady Gross hit a 27-yard field goal to extend the Huskies' lead to 9 points late in the Sugar Bowl.

The drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:43.

The story: Ryan Grubb called a pass play on third-and-10 and Michael Penix Jr. threw incomplete, allowing Texas to keep two timeouts when the Longhorns get the ball back.

The score: Washington 37, Texas 28. 2:40 remaining.

The Huskies are in the red zone, running the ball and the clock within the 10-yard line.

After a loss of 2 at the Texas 2-yard line, the Longhorns used their first timeout of the half to stop the clock from continuing to run out in this one.

UW faces a third-and-10 at the 10 with 2:50 left.

Michael Penix Jr. hit tight end Jack Westover for a 4-yard gain on a crucial third-and-2 at UW's own 33.

On the next play, Jalen McMillan moved the Huskies to the Texas 49 to keep this drive rolling and, more importantly, the clock running.

UW is less than 5 minutes away from the national championship.

The scoring play: Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers connects with Adonai Mitchell for a 1-yard touchdown against Elijah Jackson in coverage.

The drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 3:56.

The story: This game isn't over just yet. Can Michael Penix Jr. and the UW offense push the lead back to more than a score?

The score: Washington 34, Texas 28. 7:23 remaining.

The drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 0:47.

The story: UW got a little cute there after a defensive pass-interference penalty on Texas and punted back to the Longhorns.

Next possession: Texas starts at own 28.

Time left: 11:19 remaining.

The scoring play: UW kicker Grady Gross made a 40-yard field goal, his second of the game, to again extend the Huskies' lead over Texas early in the fourth quarter.

The drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 5:48.

The story: The Huskies would have liked to punch it in there but they wrapped a dominant third quarter by extending their lead to 13 points with 14:51 remaining in this one.

The score: Washington 34, Texas 21.

Domination by the Huskies in that third quarter.

UW leads Texas 31-21 and has a third-and-5 on the Texas 18 to open the fourth quarter of the Sugar Bowl.

The Huskies are 15 minutes away from the national championship game.

The drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:50.

The story: Texas drives are starting to look eerily similar. After Jaydon Blue's 16-yard run for a first down on their first play, the Longhorns backed themselves up with a false start and Quinn Ewers threw incomplete while pressured by Bralen Trice on a third-and-5 as UW forced another punt. It's been all Huskies so far in this third quarter — and they can start pulling away on this next possession.

Next possession: Huskies start at own 19.

Time left: 5:39 in 3Q.

The scoring play: UW kicker Grady Gross made a 26-yard field goal, his first attempt of the game, to extend the Huskies' lead and take advantage of the recovered fumble.

The drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 2:30.

The story: Having Michael Penix Jr. hand the ball off three times after reaching the Texas 14 sure was a choice. Penix has been on fire and connected with Jack Westover on a 19-yard gain on the first play of that drive.

The score: Washington 31, Texas 21. 7:44 left in 3Q.

On Texas' first offensive play of the second half, running back CJ Baxter had a fumble forced by UW's Bralen Trice and recovered by Asa Turner.

Big chance for the Huskies to take control of this game early in the second half.

The scoring play: Michael Penix Jr. throws a dart to Jalen McMillan for a 19-yard touchdown on the Huskies' opening possession of the second half.

The drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:30.

The story: That drive looked almost too easy coming out of halftime.

The score: Washington 28, Texas 21. 10:30 left in 3Q.

Washington has outgained Texas, 305 to 213. The Husky defense has forced four punts and three three-and-outs. UW quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has eviscerated Texas’ secondary for 255 yards and a touchdown, while running back Dillon Johnson has rumbled for two more scores.

Yet it’s a tie game at halftime.

That’s because UW has also made the bigger mistakes – a muffed punt by wide receiver Germie Bernard and a fourth-and-1 run that was emphatically stuffed.

Thus far, the Huskies have proven they belong in the Sugar Bowl. Now it’s time to win it.

The scoring play: Texas running back CJ Baxter gets into the end zone late in the first half for a 3-yard touchdown.

The drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 1:03.

The story: Texas got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining, and the Longhorns were able to tie this one up before halftime. QB Quinn Ewers scrambled for 21 yards to the 3-yard line on a third-and-1 from the 28 to set up the touchdown there.

The score: Washington 21, Texas 21. 17 left in 2Q.

The highlight:

The scoring play: Michael Penix Jr. steps up to avoid pressure and hits Ja'Lynn Polk, who deflects it up and is able to catch it for a 29-yard touchdown.

The drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:28.

The story: Huge drive for the Huskies before halftime, starting with the fourth-and-1 play at their own 33.

The score: Washington 21, Texas 14. 1:27 left in second quarter.

The highlight:

The drive: 4 plays, 11 yards, 1:04.

The story: That's a big stop after UW went for it on fourth down deep in Texas territory and failed.

Next possession: UW starts at own 24 (and Germie Bernard fair caught it this time).

Time left: 5:55 in 2Q.

After Dillon Johnson failed to gain a yard on third-and-1 at the Texas 14, the Huskies opted to go for it.

But a second consecutive run from Johnson, this time out of the wildcat formation, had the same result: No gain. And this time — a turnover on downs.

The Huskies had all the momentum.

Until Germie Bernard made a monumental mistake.

After UW’s defense forced its second consecutive three-and-out, Bernard – the Huskies’ sophomore wide receiver – muffed the ensuing punt. The Longhorns capitalized with a 1-yard Byron Murphy II touchdown four plays later.

Despite a hostile crowd and a formidable opponent, UW might be good enough to beat Texas and advance to the national championship game. But not with momentum-snuffing mistakes.

The scoring play: Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy II punches in a 1-yard touchdown as the Longhorns take advantage of Germie Bernard's muffed punt.

The drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 1:37.

The story: The Bernard mistake comes back to haunt the Huskies immediately after what was a strong defensive stop by the UW defense. We'll see if Bernard can come back and make up for it on offense.

The score: Washington 7, Texas 7. 10:08 left in 2Q.

The highlight:

The scoring play: UW running back Dillon Johnson scored his second touchdown of the game, getting into the end zone from 1 yard out from the fullback spot.

The drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:26.

The story: The Huskies' third drive was mainly carried by Michael Penix Jr.'s arm, but a 17-yard option rush by Tybo Rogers proved important in moving UW deep into the red zone. We've also now seen Texas hit with five penalties, compared to UW's zero so far.

The score: Washington 14, Texas 7. 13:08 left in 2Q.

The highlight:

Michael Penix Jr. came to play.

In an entertaining first quarter, the Heisman Trophy runner-up piled up completions of 77, 29 and 24 yards. The senior quarterback completed 5 of 7 passes for 138 yards, repeatedly puncturing the Texas secondary. And while Washington’s running game, special teams and defense all sputtered at times, a precise Penix can cover up other mistakes.

We’ll see if he can continue to lift the Huskies.

The Huskies and Longhorns are tied at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter in the Sugar Bowl.

Michael Penix Jr. has connected with Rome Odunze and Germie Bernard on the Huskies' third offensive drive, which means UW faces a second-and-7 at the Texas 23-yard line to open the second quarter.

The drive: 4 plays, minus-10 yards, 2:51.

The story: After Bralen Trice sacked Quinn Ewers on the first play of Texas' third drive, the Longhorns kept backing themselves up with two holding penalties.

Next possession: UW starts at own 20.

Time left: 2:34 in 1Q.

The drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 1:41.

Next possession: Texas starts at own 35.

Time left: 5:25 left in 1Q.

The offenses are excelling in different ways.

UW’s opening touchdown came in predictable fashion, with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. hitting wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk for a 77-yard gain. Junior running back Dillon Johnson punched it in on the following play.

Texas, meanwhile, has been the more physical outfit early – rushing for 60 yards, 8.6 yards per carry and a 5-yard touchdown.

Which strength is superior? And which defense will get a few more stops? We’ll see soon enough.

The scoring play: Texas running back Jaydon Blue rushes for a 5-yard touchdown to tie this one up.

The drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:50.

The score: Washington 7, Texas 7. 7:06 left in 1Q.

The scoring play: UW running back Dillon Johnson dives into the end zone from 2 yards out to put the Huskies on the board early.

The drive: 4 plays, 89 yards, 2:56.

The score: Washington 7, Texas 0. 11:01 left in 1Q.

The drive: 5 plays, 11 yards, 0:54.

Next possession: UW starts on own 11.

Time left: 14:00.

If you're hearing Pat McAfee all of a sudden, switch back to the main broadcast on ESPN!

NEW ORLEANS — At 8:30 a.m. Sunday, an improbable pair entered through the back doors of the big ballroom, as cameras clicked and heads turned and the Superdome waited a mile away. They walked past rows of occupied seats and climbed two stairs to the stage — sitting behind three black tables, two helmets and a trophy in between.

The trophy shone in silver and the same gold as the Huskies’ helmet, with a miniature football atop an ornate cup sprouting from the roof of the Superdome.

On its base, four words teased in bold gold type:

SUGAR BOWL CLASSIC CHAMPION

By roughly 9 p.m. Monday, either Kalen DeBoer or Steve Sarkisian will hold that trophy above his head.

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For Washington to win, what has to happen?

It’s a question we posed to UW’s assistant coaches throughout the past several weeks, collecting bullet points for a postseason disposal of No. 3 Texas (12-1) for the second consecutive season. And while it’s true that games aren’t played on paper, until 5:45 p.m. Monday, paper’s all we got.

So … want a blueprint for a Washington win in the Sugar Bowl?

Here’s a five-step formula.

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NEW ORLEANS — Dylan Morris’ farewell tour has been admittedly bittersweet.

Morris — UW’s 6-foot, 197-pound junior quarterback — entered the transfer portal on Dec. 11, seeking a second home for his final collegiate season. He did so after starting in 2020 and 2021, then sitting behind and supporting transfer sensation Michael Penix Jr. each of the last two seasons.

So, while Washington went 24-2 under Penix and Kalen DeBoer, Morris put patience and collective success ahead of individual aspirations.

“Ultimately why I stuck it out so long, through all the ups and downs, is the loyalty I have to the guys in this program and the love I have for the program,” Morris said on Saturday, during UW’s Sugar Bowl media day. “I’ve dreamed of playing at UW my whole life. I was able to do that. The last two years haven’t ultimately gone my way, but there’s so much happiness I have for everyone in the locker room and the guys I spend so much time with.”

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Whether by air, by land or over the sea, Washington football fans are doing everything they can to make it to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans for one of the most important games in program history.

When the No. 2-ranked Huskies take on the No. 3 Texas Longhorns on New Year’s Day, the winner will go on to play for the national championship. It’s a pretty big deal.

A trip to the Rose Bowl would’ve been preferable for many, but UW fans aren’t letting travel headaches keep them away. Despite a dearth of direct flights from Seattle to New Orleans, pricey hotels or some hectic travel logistics, eager Husky fans are still showing up en masse.

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It has been more than three weeks since the Huskies last took the field to play for the Pac-12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The wait for Washington’s CFP semifinal game is (finally) almost over.

Michael Penix Jr. and No. 2 UW (13-0) face No. 3 Texas (12-1) on Monday in the Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The winner will play for the national championship on Jan. 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston.

The Huskies’ CFP semifinal is scheduled to kick off at 5:45 p.m. Seattle time and will be broadcast on ESPN. Local radio listeners will be able to hear the game on KJR 950 AM and 93.3 FM.