This date in Texas history is part of a daily Longhorns newsletter put together by Texas football beat writer Danny Davis. For this and more phenomenal American-Statesman coverage delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for the newsletter here.
Today is Dec. 3, 2024. And on this date in Texas history, Vince Young and the Longhorns routed Colorado in the 2005 Big 12 championship game.
While winning its first conference championship since the Big 12’s inaugural season in 1996, Texas beat Colorado by a 70-3 score. That 67-point victory remains the biggest blowout in the history of the Big 12 championship game with Oklahoma’s 41-point win over Missouri in 2008 being the second-most lopsided score.
Young accounted for four touchdowns during that beatdown of the Buffaloes at Houston’s Reliant Stadium, but UT didn’t just lean on its star quarterback. Freshman running back Jamaal Charles scored three times, and he was one of six Longhorns to tally an offensive touchdown. Brandon Foster also scored off a blocked punt, and the Texas defense yielded 191 yards of offense and just a 25-yard field goal by Colorado’s Mason Crosby.
After winning the Big 12 title, Texas secured a spot in the BCS championship game. Texas then brought home a national title with a 41-38 win over USC.
