Texas Football: 5 things we learned from Big 12 Title Game loss to OU

4. Sam Ehlinger’s shoulder improved

An injury that hampered sophomore Texas football quarterback Sam Ehlinger for much of the season, since the win over the Baylor Bears back in October, was a sprain to his throwing shoulder. Ehlinger reinjured his throwing shoulder in the win over the Iowa State Cyclones and it lingered on into the win in the regular season finale against the Kansas Jayhawks.

The Oklahoma pass rush was actually much better than expected in this game. Oklahoma’s blitz scheme caused the true turning point in this game, when it got Ehlinger down in the end zone for a safety in the fourth quarter. Ehlinger played well until that point, and there wasn’t much he could do about that safety.

This game saw Ehlinger finish with nearly 400 total yards and four touchdowns. His only slip up came late in the fourth quarter when he tossed a pick on a broken play. There was a miscommunication between Ehlinger and junior wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey on a play that could’ve pulled the Horns back on the scoreboard.

His shoulder injury didn’t hold him back as much as it did against Kansas. That’s a good sign for his health heading into the postseason. With essentially a full month to continue his rehab for the Grade 1 AC Shoulder Sprain, Ehlinger should be more than ready to go against Georgia on Jan. 1. Another game that saw him go over 300 passing yards and have more passing touchdowns than interceptions is continued evidence of the strides he’s taken in his second year.