In a bizarre move, incredibly out of character for coach Nick Saban, facing a 4th and 23 from deep in their own territory, the Crimson Tide cued up a fake punt trying to catch the Longhorns napping.
Instead, Bama’s move backfired and safety Blake Gideon -- mostly known for the gimme interception he didn’t catch -- picked off punted P.J. Fitzpatrick’s pass and gave the Longhorns the ball at the Crimson Tide’s 33.
The Longhorns moved the ball effectively in their first series using mostly the hurry-up, but on Colt McCoy’s first run of the game, Texas’ MVP got drilled and came out of the game injured. Backup quarterback Garrett Gilbert came in, the Longhorns stalled on the one, and settled for a field goal.
McCoy’s availability will be the key factor of the game.