McCoy leaves BCS championship game early in 1st quarter, Texas leads Alabama 6-0

McCoy hurt in 1st quarter of BCS title game

PASADENA, Calif. — Colt McCoy left the game after taking a hard hit on Texas’ fifth offensive play and the second-ranked Longhorns could only convert two huge special-teams mistakes by No. 1 Alabama into a pair of field goals for 6-0 lead Thursday night in the BCS championship game.

There was no immediate word on McCoy’s injury. He left after receiving a shot on an option keeper that was stopped at the line. The All-America quarterback was checked out by trainers on the sideline before walking to the tunnel with his helmet off but the rest of his pads on.

The injury came moments after a terrible series to start the game by Alabama’s offense. The Tide went three-and-out with a sack and a penalty.

Instead of punting, Alabama called for a fake from its own 20, with punter P.J. Fitzgerald lofting a pass down the sideline to reserve defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick. The pass came up short and Texas safety Blake Gideon made a leaping interception, falling backward at the Alabama 37.

Texas quickly moved to the 11, then McCoy left and backup Garrett Gilbert entered. The highly touted freshman, the Longhorns’ quarterback of the future, sneaked into the end zone on a first-and-goal, but penalties on both teams wiped out the touchdown.

Gilbert threw 26 passes during the regular season.

Alabama then held on three downs and forced an 18-yard field goal by Hunter Lawrence, whose last-second field goal won the Big 12 title for the Longhorns and sent them to the national title game.

The next mistake by Alabama came on the ensuing kickoff, a high and short popup that the Tide let Texas’ Curtis Brown recover at the ‘Bama 30.

With Gilbert running the offense, Texas could not get a first down and had to settle for a 42-yarder by Lawrence.

Texas sacked Greg McElroy on three of the Tide’s first six offensive plays. But Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram ran five times for 44 yards, providing almost all of Alabama’s offense.