AUSTIN — Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Ohio State found itself in a close game against an elite opponent. The Buckeyes needed one field goal to change the outcome. The kick missed. Ohio State lost.
Connor Hawkins missed a 45-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter, leaving the door open for Texas to complete a stunning 20-point comeback and defeat the top-ranked Buckeyes 24-23 Saturday night at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
The miss overshadowed an otherwise excellent performance from Hawkins, who made field goals from 26, 30 and 48 yards while accounting for 11 of Ohio State’s 23 points.
Unfortunately, nobody will remember the first three kicks.
Ohio State appeared to be in complete control for most of the night. Hawkins opened the scoring with a 26-yard field goal before Ja’Kobi Jackson’s eight-yard touchdown run gave the Buckeyes a 10-0 lead.
The Buckeyes then missed an opportunity to add three more points early in the second quarter.
After a Texas punt gave Ohio State possession at the Longhorns’ 48-yard line, the Buckeyes drove 36 yards and consumed 5:34. Facing fourth-and-2 at the Texas 13, Ryan Day left the offense on the field instead of attempting what would have been about a 30-yard field goal.
Jackson gained one yard, was stopped short, and Ohio State came away with nothing.
There is no guarantee the remainder of the game unfolds identically if Ohio State takes those points. Football does not work that way. But in a game eventually decided by one point, passing on a short field goal while comfortably ahead, and in complete control of the game, became important. Stop me if you’ve heard that before, too.
Moreover, getting stopped on 4th down breathed life into Texas for the first time all night.
Texas finally scored on Gianni Spetic’s 37-yard field goal, but Hawkins answered from 30 yards. Julian Sayin then connected with Jeremiah Smith for a 19-yard touchdown shortly before halftime, sending Ohio State into the locker room with a 20-3 advantage.
Hawkins drilled a 48-yard field goal during the third quarter to extend the lead to 23-3. Then everything fell apart.
Arch Manning found Ryan Wingo for a three-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Hollywood Smothers scored from one yard out with 7:14 remaining, cutting Ohio State’s lead to 23-17 and turning a comfortable night into a fight for survival.
The Buckeyes responded by driving 48 yards into Texas territory, giving Hawkins an opportunity to restore a two-possession lead and essentially ice the game. His 45-yard attempt sailed wide with 4:16 remaining.
Texas took advantage.
Manning led the Longhorns 73 yards before Smothers scored his second touchdown with 25 seconds remaining. Spetic converted the extra point, giving Texas its first lead and completing the largest comeback in program history.
Sayin completed 17 of 32 passes for 278 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Smith caught eight passes for 164 yards and a score, while Bo Jackson led Ohio State’s ground game with 74 yards on 19 carries.
Ohio State outgained Texas 372-336 and forced two turnovers, but the Buckeyes managed only 94 rushing yards and finished 6-for-14 on third down. More importantly, they failed to score during the fourth quarter while Texas produced 21 unanswered points.
So no, Hawkins did not lose this game by himself. The offense became conservative, the defense got gassed and eventually collapsed, and Ohio State allowed a 20-point lead to disappear in 15 minutes.
But the missed kick—and the decision to pass on an earlier one—still mattered.
What makes Hawkins’ miss even more painful is that he joins a growing collection of Ohio State kicking failures in games decided by the thinnest possible margin.
Tyler Durbin had a late 45-yard attempt blocked and returned for the winning touchdown during Ohio State’s 24-21 loss at Penn State in 2016. Noah Ruggles missed a 50-yard field goal at the end of the Buckeyes’ 42-41 College Football Playoff loss to Georgia in 2022.
Jayden Fielding missed attempts from 38 and 34 yards during the 13-10 loss to Michigan in 2024. One year later, he missed a 27-yard attempt that would have tied Indiana late in another 13-10 defeat, this time in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Now Hawkins joins the list.
It is unfair because he was one of Ohio State’s best players Saturday. Without him, the Buckeyes never build a 23-3 lead. But kickers live in a world where one attempt can erase an otherwise terrific night.
Hawkins made all the kicks until he didn’t. Just like the Buckeyes had the lead all night until they didn’t.
Have you heard any of this before?
What’s Next: Ohio State returns home to face Kent State Saturday, September 19, at Ohio Stadium.
