AMES, Iowa — Texas receiver Jordan Whittington does most of his best work away from the spotlight, but the senior stepped into a starring role Saturday night in the Longhorns’ 26-16 win over Iowa State.

Whittington, one of the most respected team leaders in the locker room, has tallied more blocks than catches this season for a passing game that focuses most of its downfield attention on Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell. Whittington entered the game with just 27 catches for 290 yards, with 10 of those catches and 115 of those yards coming against Oklahoma.

On Saturday night, he grabbed three catches for 54 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season on a nifty 23-yard pass in the third quarter when he faked a block and slipped wide open into the Iowa State secondary. He added a 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter on a shovel pass.

More: Texas football beats Iowa State: Our staff takeaways from the Longhorns' 26-16 win

A touchdown that was long overdue

“We just kind of felt like at some point, his time was going to come,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “That touchdown pass was really designed for him because he does so much blocking, and he did a nice job coming in like he was getting ready to block and then took off. And the 2-point conversion was obviously designed for him, too.

“He’s been long overdue. He probably deserved a touchdown well earlier in the year.”

It was worth waiting for

Whittington could only shake his head with a wry grin when asked about the touchdown and the wild celebration that greeted him on the sidelines.

“It definitely felt great just crossing that line,” Whittington said. “My whole team literally ran to the sideline and celebrated with me, so it's just moments like that are what I play the game for.”

Safety Jerrin Thompson, whose interception in the second half helped Texas pull away for the win, said no one deserved to celebrate more than Whittington.

“He's one of our leaders,” Thompson said. “He’s that guy who's been here and changed the culture. He’s just one of those guys who always keeps it real. It feels good for someone who’s been through some injuries and things to have a great game like that, and I'm just happy for him.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington relishes touchdown catch