AUSTIN -- The usually serene senior defensive end Charles Omenihu was noticeably agitated in postgame interviews after Texas’ 42-41 loss to No. 12 West Virginia.

He wasn’t the only one. Texas players confronted West Virginia players after the game as the Mountaineers waved their state flag at midfield. Nickelback P.J. Locke was noticeably disappointed. After the way this game ended, it’s not much of a surprise.

Texas had the game all but locked up late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger found wide receiver Devin Duvernay on a stop-and-go route for a late touchdown to give the Longhorns a 41-34 lead. But just minutes later, West Virginia quarterback Will Grier found Gary Jennings for a 33-yard touchdown pass to bring it within one.

West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen asked his quarterback if he wanted overtime, or if he wanted to "win the f-ing game." That set up a pivotal two-point conversion attempt with just 16 seconds left on the clock.

The Mountaineers lined up in an unusual set with four wide receivers on one side and one on the other. Herman called timeout to re-evaluate. Then, West Virginia saw Texas' alignment and called timeout. Then, Texas called timeout again as the Mountaineers snapped the ball. 

The play sent several receivers into space, but Grier had the decision to pass or run on the play. 

“We’ve had this two-point conversion in our pocket all year,” Holgorsen said. “You put No. 7 in a position where he has a lot of options, he’s gonna be tough to stop. I wasn’t going to outsmart anybody. We decided to stick with the same play after they got a look.”

With a raucous Darrell K. Royal Stadium crowd at their back, and a couple of timeouts in between, Grier found the end zone on a quarterback draw.

“We thought we could defend the slant and still get to the QB draw, and the kid kind of jumped up and wheeled back around, made a great run, and that’s why he’s going to be a first-rounder,” Texas coach Tom Herman said.

Omenihu said he recognized exactly where the play was going and tried to communicate to his teammates. Herman said the play call was the exact same for West Virginia both times. 

“The scoreboard says 42-41 West Virginia,” Omenihu said dejectedly. “I don’t know what it was, but it wasn’t defended well because if it was, I wouldn’t be sitting here like this, I promise you that.”

The last-second letdowns for Texas were extra disappointing considering how well most of the roster played against the streaking Mountaineers. The Longhorns won the time-of-possession battle by eight minutes. Running back Tre Watson had both a rushing and receiving touchdown.

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger played a phenomenal game, completed 25-of-36 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns, plus adding 11 carries for 52 yards and another score. His growth has been critical for the Longhorns this season. Ehlinger outplaying Grier should have been enough for Texas to win the football game.

And off field, Texas had everything going. More than 100,000 fans showed up to watch the top-15 matchup at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. The tailgate scene was electric. A few visiting West Virginia fans even chugged beer from cowboy boots at the Texas tailgate; the atmosphere was crazy.

But in big spots, Texas just couldn’t get the breaks. First, Herman iced West Virginia kicker Evan Staley on a 44-yarder before the half. Of course, Staley missed the first and nailed the second. Then, Ehlinger seemed to run for a first down on 4th-and-1, but was ruled down because his helmet came off before he crossed the line.

After Jennings crossed the goal line, all the air left the building. In front of the Longhorn student section, you could hear a pin drop.

In games between AP Top 25 teams, you have to take advantage of your breaks. West Virginia was able to do that. Ultimately, Holgorsen just had the ball last.

“It was a hell of a college football game, huh?” Herman said. “Obviously, it didn’t go the way that we had planned.

“The silver lining is that we play in the Big 12 and everybody plays everybody. We’re not out of any race at this point.”

The path doesn’t get any easier. The Longhorns get a plucky Texas Tech squad on the road in Lubbock next Saturday. There’s still a scary matchup with No. 24 Iowa State looming before the Longhorns finish with Kansas.

The Longhorns also lost a couple key contributors. Cornerback Davante Davis suffered a sprained neck, edge rusher Breckyn Hager disclocated his elbow and defensive lineman Marquez Bimage dislocated his shoulder. Safety Brandon Jones also hurt his ankle before the game. 

Texas is still in the Big 12 title race. But now, the margin for error is gone. There can’t be touchdowns with a minute left, or defensive lapses. The Longhorns have to win every game left, and then some.