Texas Football: 5 Takeaways from Notre Dame Win

Sep 4, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns players celebrate the victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 4, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns players celebrate the victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 4, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns players celebrate the victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 4, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns players celebrate the victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

On Sunday night, Texas football kicked off their 2016 season with an instant classic, double-overtime 50-47 win over No. 10 Notre Dame. Besides witnessing an incredible game, what did we learn about this Longhorns team?

This was a victory two years in the making. Since Charlie Strong took over as the head coach of Texas, he has building a foundation of winning culture and accountability. That transition was difficult at times and contributed to back-to-back losing seasons for the Horns.

But on Sunday, all that program building seemed worth it. This team is still extremely young, but all the talent that has been accumulated over the last two years showed out on a national stage. Heading into this season, there was no questioning that Strong was winning on the recruiting trail. The issue was that recruiting success had not shown up on the field.

Those questions about the talent translating to wins should be quieted for now. This was one of the most exciting games in an electric atmosphere at DKR during one of the best opening weekends in college football history. The spotlight was as bright as it has ever been on this team since Strong came to Austin and they responded.

This win should provide momentum heading into a tough opening month of the season. This game legitimizes all the work that Strong has put into this program over the last two seasons. The future is bright on the Forty Acres and the future appears to be now.

So what else did we learn from Texas’ season-opener?

Next: 5. The Defense is Still a Work in Progress