McEachern and the Longhorns did just well enough to win 13-6. With McEachern under center - and Campbell in the backfield - Texas continued to win all season, including wins over #8 Arkansas and #14 Texas Tech. They rose to #1 in the rankings and stayed there for six weeks. In the Arkansas game, McEachern threw for 72 yards of a game-winning 80 yard touchdown drive late in the 4th quarter, and was named the Chevrolet Offensive Player of the Game. Late in the season, McEachern re-injured his knee in practice and Sam Ansley replaced him that week against TCU and the start of the next against Baylor. McEachern and Ansley alternated series in the second half against Baylor, and McEachern took over for the remainder of the season. That season, McEachern threw for 906 yards with 8 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, while rushing for 189 yards and 3 touchdowns. For only the fourth time in Texas history, the Longhorns finished the season ranked #1, undefeated and playing in the Cotton Bowl for the national championship. But McEachern fumbled the ball on the first drive setting up a Notre Dame field goal, and went on to throw three interceptions as Notre Dame rolled to an easy win and the national championship. On the third day of the 1978 spring practice, McEachern reinjured the knee he'd had surgery on in 1976 and underwent surgery again. Coach Akers worried that it would keep him from playing, but by the fall, McEachern was again the starter. He struggled early and after a poor showing against Oklahoma was replaced by Donnie Little who got the start the next week against North Texas State. In that game McEachern came off the bench and threw two touchdown passes to rally Texas to a come-from-behind win and reclaim his starting position. He started the next 5 games, during which Texas upset #3 Arkansas but lost to #8 Houston and was upset by unranked Baylor. He shared some time with Little, and got to play against his brother Greg, who played defense for TCU. The Baylor game would, effectively, be the end of McEachern's career. In it, former starter Mark McBath took a significant number of snaps and, for reasons that Akers never stated, was given the start the next week against Texas A&M. McBath also got the start in the 42-0 blowout win over Maryland in the