The Daily Texan 09-07-12

the daily texan presents Vol. 7, issue 3 SEPtember 7, 2012

sealing the edge

alex okafor and jackson jeffcoat | page 10

2

friday, september 7, 2012

thelineup 4 10

Monroe in motion

editor’snote Double Coverage returns to preview the Longhorns’ week two game against the New Mexico Lobos.

Next up is Ole Miss. Roadtrip anyone?

After three years of spot duty at running back and return man, D.J. Monroe has become comfortable doing whatever it takes to get on the field for the Longhorns.

end game

Sophomore defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat has learned plenty from senior Alex Okafor, both as a teammate and mentor.

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Ana Maria Schwartz I mmi g r a t i o n L a w

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No. 80 Alex Okafor | Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff Cover photo by Zachary Strain | Daily Texan Staff

loboslooming The Longhorns face New Mexico this week for just the third time since 1948. Texas will have a distinct advantage over the Lobos, who are in their first year under new head coach Bob Davie.

12 16

Coaches’ Corner

17

Relax and take notes

Oklahoma State made a statement after their lopsided week one win and Baylor barrelled in to the new season with a bang, winning their first game with ease.

keys to the game

Texas will try to start 2-0 on the year with a win over New Mexico, but it will have to stick to the gameplan in order to come away with another victory.

week two matchups

the daily texan presents

september 7, 2012

Vol. 7, issue 3

Double Coverage Editor..........................................................Nick Cremona Design Editor..........................................................................Natasha Smith Photo Editor..........................................................................Elisabeth Dillon Copy Editor.......................................................................................Trey Scott Writers................................................................................Christian Corona .........................................................................................Draike De La Garza ...............................................................................................Lauren Giudice ................................................................................................Chris Hummer .................................................................................................Wes Maulsby ............................................................................................Peter Sblendorio .............................................................................................Sara Beth Purdy ....................................................................................................Hank South .................................................................................................Matt Warden

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friday, september 7, 2012

3

Secondary seeks to move past week one showing

By Chris Hummer It was not an outstanding start to the season for the Longhorns’ secondary.

At the start of fall camp Texas’ defensive backs were billed as a dominant unit, but this past Saturday the Longhorns struggled to defend Mountain West member Wyoming. In the first quarter alone the Texas defensive backs allowed Cowboys’ quarterback Brett Smith to throw for 158 yards.

That hefty total included one back-breaking play, an 82-yard touchdown pass which lifted Wyoming ahead of Texas 9-7 late in the opening quarter. Preventing big plays is priority No. 1 in Manny Diaz’s

defense, and the long completion didn’t mesh with his philosophy.

“What we violated [Saturday] was the no long passes for touchdowns [part of our formula],” Diaz said. “Those are the little things that can ruin a good day on defense.”

It wasn’t all bad for the secondary. The group combined for two interceptions, including Kenny Vaccaro’s momentum-swinging pick in the second quarter. Carrington Byndom snagged the other pick, and his opposite side corner, Quandre Diggs, had a quietly impressive game, as Smith rarely glanced at his half of the field.

Still, the secondary allowed 276 yards through the air and a pair of touch-

downs to a passing attack that ranked 79th out of 120 teams in 2011. They got away with it against the Cowboys, but the Longhorns would’ve been in trouble if they started out slow against an explosive Big 12 rival like Oklahoma State, who dropped 84 points in their season opener.

Vaccaro, who played well, was demonstrative about his team’s performance. He insisted that individuals on the defense need to stop listening to people telling them how good they are and get to work.

“You really just have to keep your head out of magazines and online and all of the comments on Twitter

VACCARO continues on page 12

Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff Linebacker Demarco Cobbs (7) and safety Kenny Vaccaro (4) advance an interception made by Vaccaro in the first half of last week’s game against Wyoming.

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friday, september 7, 2012

Monroe serves as jack-of-all trades for Longhorns

By Chris Hummer D.J. Monroe is the biggest enigma on the Longhorns’ roster. Again.

Each fall his name gets tossed around as a potential breakout star and weapon.

Then every winter, the media and fans question why Monroe didn’t receive more touches – he only had 94 career rushing attempts entering this season.

For the Texas coaching staff it has always come down to a number of small issues that have kept him off the field. In spite of his speed Monroe is not the most durable runner because of his 5-fot-9, 175-pound frame and he doesn’t have the hands to excel at receiver either, a role players of his stature and skillset usually excel in.

However, Monroe, a fifthyear senior, has worked doggedly this offseason to improve upon his weakness, including some interesting methods to upgrade his pass catching ability.

“I tried to catch 100 tennis balls with [strength and conditioning coach] Bennie [Wylie] a day,” Monroe said.

“He would not throw a football; he would throw a tennis ball to me while I ran my swing routes and my slants. It helped me focus, and I had to make sure it was one of the things I got better at.”

Those improvements were on full display in the Longhorns’ season opener against Wyoming. Monroe had 36 yards rushing on five attempts, including a purposeful 13-yard touchdown run on a reverse, and even contributed to the Texas aerial attack with a 15-yard reception.

But the most notable improvement in Monroe’s game

Left: Senior running back D.J. Monroe (26) evades a Wyoming defender on his way to a 13-yard touchdown run.

Below: Monroe flexes after scoring his third career rushing touchdown as a Longhorn against the Cowboys in week one.

Elisabeth Dillon Daily Texan Staff

was his toughness.

In year’s past Monroe would often be taken down easily when he went head-tohead against a safety or a linebacker. But against Wyoming Monroe seemed to run with renewed determination. On three of his runs he collided with a Wyoming defender and either bowled past him, or carried them forward for an extra few yards.

“D.J. had a great game,” wide receiver Jaxon Shipley said. “He was driven, especially on the one where he came around to the end zone to score, he had to force his way there because there was a guy on him.”

His aggressive mindset on the field this year can be traced to his senior status.

This is Monroe’s last sea-

son in a Longhorn uniform and he’s going to do whatever he can do to assist his teammates in accomplishing their goals.

But it’s personal, too. Monroe has always been highlyregarded as a running back, but he’s never truly found a way to capitalize on his gifts.

Because of this he’s been labeled a disappointment by many, a fact that’s not lost on him, according to Shipley.

“I’ve talked to D.J. several times, and obviously he’s looking to go to the NFL,” Shipley said. “He’s looking to prove something to some people, so when he gets his chance he’s going to make the most of his opportunities.”

If he continues to perform at the level he did last Saturday, the chances will

continue to come to Monroe. He may not be the most complete football player, but his elite track-level speed is an asset the Longhorns will never overlook.

“D.J’s got a place and he’s is really trying,” head coach Mack Brown said. “He’s been

positive, he’s been upbeat and he’s working hard trying to help our football team win.

And I thought he looked really fast on Saturday night.”

Monroe may never live up to his limitless potential, but he’s been a blessing for Texas.

“D.J. is one of those guys who always gets the job done when his name is called,” Shipley said. “Even though it may not be called as much as he’d want it to be, he still manages to get the job done.

That just says something about his drive.”

friday, september 7, 2012

5

Stretching the field a must for Ash

By Lauren Giudice Texas has become accustomed to its running backs taking over games and scoring most of the points. But that isn’t enough for this year’s offense.

Head coach Mack Brown has been pushing for a more balanced offense since last season, but with the quarterback struggles, it has been difficult to maintain a consistent passing game.

Now, he and co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin want the offense to capitalize on explosive plays downfield.

“We feel like we need to throw the ball more often deeper. And we have to make more yards on the short passes,” Brown said. “That’s something that we’ve been concerned about.”

Ash’s longest pass against Wyoming was 16 yards. There were five long downfield throws called, according to Harsin.

Two downfield passes to wide receiver Mike Davis were underthrown by Ash. Brown believes that as the season progresses, Ash will get more comfortable and the team will have more success when throwing the ball downfield. Harsin says ultimately the goal is for the team to send two shots downfield each quarter.

“We had some shots in there that we’ve got to hit,” Harsin said. “Those are game changing plays.”

Ash threw eight interceptions last season and a goal of the offense this season is to avoid turnovers. Last season, when the Longhorns won the turnover ratio, they won the game. Ash wasn’t picked off by the Cowboys, so that’s a start.

Though being responsible with the ball is important for Ash and the offense, throwing the ball downfield is still a necessity.

“I played a pretty much mistake-free game,” Ash said. “I missed out on some opportunities that I need to be able to exploit... there’s a couple of times I took a hitch step which threw off the timing which means the ball is going to be late. So for me that’s the main thing is trusting my reads, trusting my feet, and getting rid of the ball.”

Against Wyoming, the offense had 280 rushing yards and 156 passing yards. Having a running total that is higher than passing was a common theme for the

Longhorns last season.

In a conference where teams scored 84, 69 and 59 points in their openers, the Longhorns will need more than Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron handling the ball in order to contend for the Big 12 title.

A deficit in explosive plays is nothing new for the Longhorns. They were seventh in total offense in the Big 12 last season. With newcomers West Virginia and TCU, the offense simply needs to score more points.

During Texas’ game against New Mexico, the team will have the opportunity to improve how it capitalizes on long passes downfield.

‘We’ve got to hit those big plays,” Harsin said. “I think it will change the outcome.”

david ash vs. wyoming

20 / 27 YARDS 0-5 6-10 11-15 16-20

NUMBER OF COMPLETED PASSES 6 9 4 1

Elisabeth Dillon Daily Texan Staff

big 12 power rankings

6

1

west virginia

2

oklahoma state

The Mountaineers basically did whatever they wanted to against the Thundering Herd, rushing for 331 yards on the way to 655 yards of total offense. The defense could become a concern, though. Marshall was able to accumulate 545 yards in total offense and 28 first downs with turnovers and penalties slowing its offense in its tracks.

84-0. Let that sink in. 84-0. The Oklahoma State basketball team only passed 84 points twice last season. The football team has already got half of that. There’s not much else to take away from last week’s game. Savannah State was clearly overmatched, and we’ll have a better idea of how good this year’s Cowboys are as they go into Tucson to play an Arizona team that should at least have a pulse.

3

baylor

4

oklahoma

5

friday, september 7, 2012

wes maulsby daily texan staff

The Bears might not miss their departed players as much as everyone thought. Baylor laid down 613 yards, 26 first downs and 59 points en route to an easy win over SMU. This is an offense that has the potential to score on seemingly any play. That should sound familiar for a Big 12 team, as should this: the Bears defense is a little sketchy. They allowed SMU to accumulate over 500 yards in total offense with 28 first downs.

While West Virginia was doing as whatever it pleased on offense against Marshall, Oklahoma was having a tougher time against UTEP. The Sooners put up 427 yards in total offense, with over 200 in passing and rushing, but they only earned 19 first downs while converting only 31 percent on third down. Two fourth quarter touchdowns broke open a three point game, and the Sooner defense was gashed for 177 yards by UTEP rusher Nathan Jeffery.

6

kansas state

7

tcu

8

texas tech

9

iowa state

texas The Texas defense had trouble getting a hold of Cowboys quarterback Brett Smith without blitzing and continues to have a propensity to give up big plays. But the run defense held Wyoming under 70 yards and the rush offense was able to get 280 yards in game one with a pair of 100-yard rushers.

10

Chronic sufferers from Jekyll and Hyde syndrome, Kansas State played in what may have been the strangest game of week one.

Missouri State, an FCS team, scored on its first drive in the second half to tie the game at nine before Kansas State remembered that it came to play big boy football. The Wildcats proceeded to score six unanswered touchdowns, five in the fourth quarter, to blow open the game.

The Horned Frogs had the first week off and will begin the season against FCS opponent Grambling State. If TCU is the team that it expects to be, it should make easy work of the Tigers.

Grambling State is coming off a one-point loss to conference foe Alcorn State in a game that was very close statistically.

The Red Raiders had no trouble against Northwestern State last weekend. Texas Tech had 500 yards in total offense, but a large bit of that came on the ground, as it tallied 179 yards rushing. It also showed that it can play a little defense, limiting the Demons to 84 yards in total offense and six first downs. With the defense and running game both starting to take shape, the Red Raiders are beginning to look more like a Tuberville-coached team.

The Cyclones overcame a slow start to take their first game of the season against Tulsa. Iowa State’s rivalry game against interstate foe Iowa is next on the schedule, and the Cyclones haven’t won in Iowa City since 2002. But this Iowa team needed to overcome an eight-point fourth quarter deficit to avoid losing at home in week one. If Paul Rhoads is really leading this Iowa State program back to relevance, then these are the games he has to win.

kansas The Jayhawks started the season off with a win, which has become an increasingly rare occurrence of late in Lawrence. Kansas started last season with a pair of wins before losing 10 straight.

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friday, september 7, 2012

7

New Mexico coach Davie faces familiar opponent

By Sara Beth Purdy In his first year as New Mexico head coach, Bob Davie is looking forward to facing a familiar rival in Texas. New Mexico is the second Mountain West opponent for the Longhorns in as many games.

Davie, who was an assistant coach at Texas A&M from 1985 to 1993 is 10-1 all-time against the Longhorns as a coach. While at A&M, David built up an 8-1 record against Texas as an assistant coach and then went 2-0 at Notre Dame as defensive coordinator and interim head coach.

The Lobos opened this season with a 66-21 victory over FCS Southern at home,

an impressive start for the first-year coach and the first season-opening victory for the Lobos in seven years.

No. 17 Texas holds a 2-0 series lead over the Lobos, with the last meeting coming in 1988. The Lobos also have a 13-game losing streak in the state of Texas.

“This isn’t the first time for the guys that have been here playing against this caliber of team,” Davie said.

A third of the New Mexico roster is composed of true and redshirt freshmen.

The game in Austin should be an eye opener for the young team.

“For our younger guys they’re probably so naive, they probably don’ realize that it is different.... Obviously the results, things

aren’t going to look like they did Saturday, but we still can improve,” Davie said.

Against Southern, junior running back rushed for 103 yards, becoming the Lobos’ first 100-yard rusher since Desmond Dennis in 2009.

In 2011, New Mexico rushed for 1,358 yards and had a 56.6 completion percentage on its passes.

The Texas defense, which had a little trouble at first containing Wyoming quarterback Brett Smith, should have an easier time with New Mexico’s optionstyle offense.

While the Texas offense seems shaky to most Longhorn fans, New Mexico is concerned about the weapons Texas will field in quarterback David Ash, senior

head over heels

running back/wide receiver D.J. Monroe, and sophomore receiver Jaxon Shipley. “[Ash’s] weapons. What concerns me is he’s a guy who’s smart, he executes, he’s big, strong, and athletic, but he gets the ball to those weapons, and they have a lot of them,” Davie said. “They have a lot of speed at receiver...those guys are like worldclass sprinters...Shipley’s a heck of a player.”

On defense, the Lobos forced four turnovers, converting two into touchdowns in their opening game. They held Southern to 83 yards on the ground and 242 yards in the air. New Mexico will face a better rushing offense with Texas backs Malcolm Brown, Joe Bergeron, and Johnathan

Bob Davie

New Mexico head coach 36-25 career record as head coach 0-3 in bowl games 6-16 record against Top-25 opponents Former college football analyst for ESPN and ABC Gray this weekend.

This weekend Davie is anticipating a more active Longhorn passing game then was seen against Wyoming last weekend. At A&M, Davie was known for his “Wrecking Crew” defense while employed as defensive coordinator. He hopes to use his prior experience and knowledge of the Longhorns’ style of play (he

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TEAMWORK Zachary Strain | Daily Texan Staff Texas wide receiver Jaxon Shipley is flipped by a Wyoming defender in last week’s 37-17 win.

Shipley would finish the game with seven catches for 45 yards and a touchdown.

covered many Texas games as an ABC analyst, including the game against UCLA last season) to give his overmatched team a leg up.

“Texas didn’t try to throw the ball down the field a lot,” Davie said. “I expect them to try and launch it on us and get some big plays. What they did was just line up and ran the ball mostly and pounded Wyoming.”

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players to watch

friday, september 7, 2012

9

matt warden daily texan staff

demarcus rodgers running back cole gautsche running back Junior Demarcus Rogers is the leading rusher returning for a New Mexico offense that amassed just over 1,300 yards on the ground as a team last season.

Rogers looked impressive in week one, putting together a stat line much like the Longhorns’ backs, with 13 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown. Rogers possesses all the tools to succeed in the Lobos new option offense. He’s of a very stocky build, low to the ground, and has showed glimpses of big play ability with long runs. With an inconsistent signal caller at the helm, Rogers should get a lot of carries against a vastly superior Texas defense. He will have all the opportunity he needs to help his team pick up yards and points, but it will be up to him to shine.

#14 5’10” 190 lbs Junior

Gautsche looked very good with his legs in week one, as he rushed eight times for 88 yards and two touchdowns, including a 47 yard touchdown run. He only threw two passes in that game which suggests he’s most likely going to be wanted against Texas to find big openings to capitalize on. Gautsche is a big kid at quarterback, coming in as a 6-foot-4, 227 pound freshman. His arm hasn’t been seen enough for the Longhorn faithful to worry about it, but his athletic ability has been put on display for everyone to see and should be taken into consideration if he sees any amount of playing time in this game.

Senior B.R. Holbrook will likely get the majority of snaps in this game, but his inconsistency could provide an opportunity for Gautsche to get in and show what he can do against the big boys.

#8 6’4” 227 lbs Freshman

joseph harris linebacker Finding an individual defensive player to watch on New Mexico is a tough job. New Mexico gave up 500 points last season, which averages comes out to almost 42 per game. Although they don’t have much to brag about on either side of the ball, linebacker Joseph Harris is definitely a sleeper pick to watch out for on Saturday. He had 55 total tackles last season, with one sack. Those numbers don’t jump out at anyone, but the team leader in tackles had 85, so his numbers look a little more solid in comparison. Against Southern in week one Harris had four tackles and returned a fumble for a touchdown. At 6-foot-2 235 pounds, Harris is a guy that passes the eye test and should warrant a few looks come Saturday. On a team with not much to watch when it comes to defense, he could surprise a few people.

#44 6’2” 235 lbs Senior

Hol

Jackson Jeffcoat (44) leaps to deflect a pass from Wyoming’s Brett Smith last week.

Zachary Strain | Daily Texan Staff

lding the line Tandem of defensive ends wreak havoc When Jackson Jeffcoat was in high school, he and his father, Jim, would watch film of Alex Okafor playing at Texas.

“I would say, ‘Man, this guy is good,’” Jeffcoat said.

“And to come play with him, it was incredible.”

Now, the two are considered by many to be the best defensive end duo in the country. Both are expected to be first-round draft picks in the NFL draft next April, should Jeffcoat forgo his senior season.

But until then, the two are fighting to bring Texas back into the National Championship picture with some high expectations.

“We want the No. 1 defense, I’m not going to lie to you,” Okafor said. “We want to be the best defense in the nation and that’s what we’re working towards.”

Okafor and Jeffcoat have both been named to the Bronco Nagurski Award watch list, given to the best defensive player in the nation. Okafor was also named preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. With the preseason accolades and national attention the two have received, it’s time for them to live up to the expectations.

“You never really want to listen to the hype,” Jeffcoat

said. “That’s how you get beat.

You take it all, like I said, with a grain of salt and then you keep working.”

Okafor finished last season with 58 tackles and seven sacks. He already registered his first sack of the season during Texas’ win over Wyoming. Though the line aims to sack quarterbacks, the group has been focusing on pressuring the quarterback and not necessarily sacking them. This mentality led to two interceptions from Wyoming quarterback Brett Smith. The Cowboys were only allowed just 69 yards on 30 carries.

“We played well, we didn’t play our best obviously,” Jeffcoat said. “But you don’t want to play your best, I guess, at the beginning. We showed signs of being a great defense but we have a long way to go.”

Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said the team had six or eight missed tackles. Jeffcoat said that number is too high. Though Okafor believes there were some technical issues on the line, he knows that the team can build upon that and be ready for New Mexico.

The expectations and standards that Okafor and Jeffcoat hold themselves to are the same as those of the media

and nation, but the two defensive ends are unaffected by what others say.

“Everything they say in the magazines is what we want to do for ourselves,” Okafor said. “Those are our personal goals and group goals of the whole defense...

That’s what we expected out of ourselves.”

Diaz said the defense played much better in the season opener this year than last year. Although the defense allowed Rice just nine points in 2011 and gave up 17 points to the Cowboys, like Okafor and Jeffcoat, he is confident the team will play better against New Mexico.

And he is confident expectations will be met.

“When you have a football team, and this affects us or anybody else and there’s so much talk about you before the season, the only thing that you can control is just the next play,” Diaz said. “Things will happen over the course of a game and for sure over the course of a season, the one thing you know that happens is that there will be adversity.”

Jeffcoat considers Okafor to be like a big brother. If they can live up to the preseason hype, their play could lead to big problems for Big 12 offenses.

— Lauren Giudice

alex okafor senior “As far as meeting expectations, we did not last week for the most part.

We’re just coming to improve every day and get better as the weeks go on.”

jackson jeffcoat Junior “We showed signs of being a great defense but we have a long way to go. We have to work on things and we’re going to start working on them in practice.”

12

friday, september 7, 2012

VACCARO continues from page 3 and Facebook,” Vaccaro said. “Ultimately, we have to play the snap as this new defense and we need it come out every game and prove that we are the defense that everybody is talking about.”

Social media aside, the Texas defense has the ability to live up to the talk. But in order to do so, the secondary will have to play up to its potential. Vaccaro’s a likely first- or secondround pick in next year’s draft, Byndom and Diggs are both highly-touted and starting strong safety Adrian Phillips has the versatil-

ity to play anywhere in the defensive backfield.

However, in spite of that talent, the secondary struggled in simple coverage on Saturday. The Cowboys averaged 9.9 yards a pass attempt and worked the rollout and short slant routes with ease early in the game. But the main issue still stems from the 82-yard completion the Longhorns allowed in the first quarter, which was 20 yards longer than any pass Texas had given up the past two seasons.

The play itself was a blown coverage, an issue that has

coaches’corner its roots in the way the players interact on the field.

“That was just a bust,” Vaccaro said. “We didn’t have a middle field safety. We have inexperienced players, and we will get it corrected. The team just needs to communicate better.”

No matter how talented a defense is, communication is paramount. Without it, the Longhorns’ secondary will continue to struggle.

But if they prove that the first quarter was just an aberration, the mounds of preseason praise the defensive backs received could be validated.

manny diaz

bryan harsin

bruce chambers

Defensive coordinator

Co-offensive coordinator

Tight ends coach

“Well, there’s not going to be any touchdowns that we allow that I’m going to be overjoyed about. What games provide is real life adversity.

That’s what you can’t simulate in practice.”

“The nice thing about where Johnathan (Gray) is at right now is he is a very good football player who has two guys that have experience in front of him with Joe and Malcolm.

We don’t have to throw him in the fire.”

“At this level it is all about winning. In order to do that, you have to go out there every single day of every week and be the very best you can be.”

next issue september 14

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big 12 notebook

14

friday, september 7, 2012

Cowboys readmit receiver, Red Raiders clash with Bobcats

By Hank South With the first weekend of college football in the books, one thing is clear — the Big 12 has shown it is good, really good. The conference collectively went 9-0, with TCU on a bye-week. Some teams were more impressive than others, but make no doubt about it: the Big 12 is loaded.

• If there were any kinks to work out for Oklahoma State following the Brandon Weeden/Justin Blackmon era, they seem to have been worked out in the offseason. The Cowboys shut out Savannah State 84-0 Saturday night, scoring on their first five possessions in the first

quarter. Lousy FCS opponent aside, it’s apparent true freshman quarterback Wes Lunt is capable of running head coach Mike Gundy’s spread offense. This Saturday at Arizona may prove to be a little more difficult for the Cowboys.

• Oklahoma State receiver Tracy Moore has been readmitted to the program following his suspension for legal troubles. Moore is the Cowboys top-returning receiver from 2011 (672 yards, 4 touchdowns).

Moore was also demoted to special teams for the Fiesta Bowl last January for bad behavior in practice.

• South of Stillwater in Norman, Oklahoma, the Sooners are coming off a 24-7 victory over Texas-El

Paso last Saturday night.

While Oklahoma came away with the win, many are left questioning the Sooners’ top ranking as the game was closer than the score shows. Quarterback Landry Jones was not in sync with any of his receivers except Kenny Stills and although Jones passed for 222 yards and two touchdowns, many of his throws were off target, with a couple of near-interceptions. He was also sacked three times. To compare, he was sacked only 10 times last season.

The Sooners have one more chance to tune up their offense this weekend versus Florida A&M before Kansas State comes to town in a few weeks.

• TCU’s second-leading receiver last season, Skye Dawson, will miss the opener against Grambling State because of a violation against institutional policy, head coach Gary Patterson announced

Tuesday. As a junior in 2011, Dawson hauled in 45 passes for 500 yards and also returned 12 punts.

• West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith was regarded as a preseason Heisman candidate, and after last Saturday he might be the frontrunner for the trophy. Smith threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns — with an 89 percent completion rating — and rushed for 65 yards adding one more score. Smith should only pad those stats on Sept. 15 versus James Madison. However, this is the same James Madison that went into Blacksburg two years ago and defeated Virginia Tech.

• Who needs RG3? Not Baylor (on Sunday night at least). The Bears defeated former Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert’s Southern Methodist Mustangs, 59-24. Robert Griffin III’s replacement, Nick Florence, passed for 341 yards and

four touchdowns proving the Baylor program is still a force to reckon with.

• Former Kansas tight end A.J. Steward, a graduate assistant with the Rice Owls, will be coaching against the Jayhawks on Saturday, just one season after playing for Rock Chalk.

• Texas Tech faces Texas State this weekend in San Marcos, coming off a 44-6 victory over Northwestern State. However Texas State might not be the tune-up game fans expect them to be. The Bobcats upset

Nick Florence

Baylor Quarterback • Baylor has won its past seven games dating back to 2011, the second-longest active streak in the nation.

• The Bears have also totaled over 500 yards of offense in each of their last eight games.

LM Otero | Associated Press

Houston last Saturday, 3013, prompting the firstyear Cougars offensive coordinator Mike Nesbitt to resign.

• Iowa State punter Kirby Van Der Kamp was named the Big 12 special teams player of the week after dropping five punts inside Tulsa’s 15-yard line.

Cyclones running back Shontrelle Johnson recorded a career-high 120 rushing yards in his first game back from neck surgery.

• Kansas State offensive lineman Nick Puetz extended his streak of consecutive starts to 13 games when he started against Missouri State.

Puetz was sidelined during the opener after suffering a foot injury and will miss an idefinite amount of time.

national notebook

friday, september 7, 2012

15

The Associated Press

Seminoles lose senior lineman, Mathieu stays put

By Hank South Week one of college football wrapped up on Monday night, capping off a weekend of exciting performances. Looking ahead to week two, the excitement should continue.

• Florida head coach Will Muschamp has slated sophomore quarterback Jeff Driskel as the starter versus Texas A&M on Saturday in College Station. Driskel passed for 114 yards and a touchdown versus Bowling Green last week in a 27-14 victory. This Saturday’s game will also be the Aggies’ season and SEC inaugural game.

• Florida State senior defensive end Brandon Jenkins will miss the rest of the season with a foot injury sustained last Saturday versus Murray State. Jenkins, a projected first-round NFL draft pick, is 2 1/2 sacks short of third place all-time at Florida State.

• Nebraska senior running back Rex Burkhead is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game at UCLA. Burkhead has a sprained ligament in his knee he suffered versus Southern Mississippi last Saturday. Burkhead rushed

for 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011.

• Multiple Michigan State football players took to Twitter on Saturday night poking jokes at Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson’s struggles (200 yards, 2 INTs) versus Alabama in the Wolverines’ 41-14 loss. “DENARD IS SOOOO BAD!” tweeted redshirt freshman Kyle Artinian.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio was not happy about it. “Our guys need to keep their mouths shut,” Dantonio said. “That blunt enough? ... Especially the ones not even playing.”

• Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, who was kicked out of the Tigers program after his repeated positive tests for marijuana, will take classes at LSU this fall as he continues drug rehabilitation. It is still unclear whether Mathieu will be allowed to return to the Tigers football team in 2013.

• Division III Eureka quarterback Sam Durley broke the NCAA passing yardage record, throwing for 736 yards last Saturday night. Durley’s performance dethroned former record holder Division III Menlo quarterback Zamir Amin’s 730 yards in 2000.

• Air Force Head Coach Troy Calhoun is providing his personal USA Today Coach’s Poll ballot each week for the 2012 season. Typically coaches’ votes aren’t provided to the media until the end of the regular season. Calhoun tabbed the Texas Longhorns at No. 15 this week.

• The Boise State BCS-buster conversation ended early this season, as Michigan State handed the Broncos a 17-13 defeat in East Lansing Aug. 31. Boise State has had plenty of success versus ranked teams early in the season the past three years, defeating Oregon, Virginia Tech, and Georgia all away from Boise.

However, behind running back Le’Veon Bell (210 yards, two touchdowns) the Spartans proved the Broncos are mere football mortals.

• Michigan reinstated running back Fitzgerald Toussaint and defensive end Frank Clark following the pairs’ suspension week one. Toussaint is the Wolverines leading returning rusher. In less positive news for Big Blue, the team lost top cornerback Blake Countess for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Countess, a sophomore, had 44 tackles in 2011. Countess

is now the fourth Wolverine to go down with a season ending injury. South Carolina junior quarterback Connor Shaw can hardly move

his right arm, according to his head coach, Steve Spurrier. Shaw took a big hit to his shoulder at Vanderbilt last Thursday night in the Game-

cocks’ 17-13 victory. If Shaw can’t go this weekend versus East Carolina, Spurrier would likely turn to sophomore Dylan Thompson.

matchups

16

friday, september 7, 2012

offensive matchups peter sblendorio QUARTERBACK The Longhorns’ commitment to David Ash paid immediate dividends in the team’s first game of the season. Ash’s decision making seemed to improve after a full offseason lining up with the starters, as he completed 20 of 27 pass attempts for 156 yards with a touchdown.

The sophomore did not take many shots downfield, but he did not turn the ball over in the air either. The Lobos’ quarterbacks were not especially impressive in their season opener against Southern, as B.R. Holbrook and Cole Gautsche combined to go 7-10 for just 70 yards passing. Gautsche pitched in 88 yards on the ground in the win, but their overall impotency passing the ball gives Texas the edge.

advantage

RUNNING BACKs Both teams were extremely efficient running the ball in week one. The Longhorns were led by Joe Bergeron, who rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, and Malcolm Brown, who tallied 105 yards and a score in 14 attempts. Overall, Texas recorded 280 yards and four touchdowns on the ground with a 6.0 yard rushing average.

The Lobos rushed for 347 yards and five touchdowns in their first game, with 10 players registering at least one rushing attempt. None of these players were able to match the individual rushing totals of Bergeron or Brown however, and few teams can boast a duo with such explosive big play abilities.

wide RECEIVERS Jaxon Shipley picked up where he left of last season against Wyoming, leading the Longhorns with seven catches for 45 yards. He also made an impressive diving catch for the lone touchdown through the air for Texas, and he was effective in earning extra yards on several plays. Mike Davis also had 40 yards on four receptions for the Longhorns and could be used as a downfield threat again this week. The Lobos are a run-oriented offense that put little emphasis on throwing the ball, and no receiver had more than 24 yards or two receptions in their first game.

OFFENSIVE LINE Neither the Longhorns nor the Lobos allowed a sack in week one, and both teams rushed the ball very well. Few match the experience of the Texas line.

David Ash regularly had enough time to find an open receiver and was able to complete 74.1 percent of his passes. The Lobos’ line was even more impressive, as it led the way for a potent rushing attack that tallied 347 yards and a 6.8 yard average. Four players ran for at least 65 yards, with each of those players averaging at least 7.5 yards per carry.

advantage advantage

advantage

defensive matchups draike de la garza DEFENSIVE LINE The Texas defensive line sacked Wyoming’s Brett Smith only once last week and Smith was given a lot of time in the pocket. It did seem as the game moved along that the defensive line got into a better stride. The Longhorns only allowed 69 rushing yards to the Cowboys and the Lobos should not get too far on such a talented D-line that is hoping to improve after the first game.

advantage

LINEBACKERS

defensive backs

The Texas linebacking crew will face a triple option from New Mexico, an offensive scheme that seems like a lost art in an era where the spread offense is most prevalent. The linebackers of Texas missed some tackles and allowed 11 third down conversions last weekend.

With that said, it is almost certain that the Texas linebackers will perform at a high level against New Mexico and look to excel in the trenches against the Lobos’ triple option, where size and overall talent will play as a factor that is in Texas’ favor.

Needless to say the Texas secondary stepped up when they had to but a couple big plays were given up that left some question marks. Kenny Vaccaro played exceptionally well against Wyoming. A Vaccaro interception kicked the momentum in Texas’ favor, with the ensuing drive ending with David Ash’s 16yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Shipley.

New Mexico’s passing game should not be a problem for a strong Texas secondary. The New Mexico secondary allowed 242 yards through the air and one touchdown in their win against Southern.

advantage

advantage

SPECIAL TEAMS New Mexico’s Justin Adams, who knocked in a 38-yarder last game, has the advantage. Nick Jordan missed his first field goal as a Longhorn (46 yards) but came back hitting a 31-yarder later in the game. The Longhorns may still have to work out some special team kinks as the season rolls on.

advantage

keys to the game

friday, september 7, 2012

17

matt warden daily texan staff

The New Mexico Lobos put on an exciting performance in Bob Davie’s debut as head coach, putting up 66 points against Southern in a game that had all the makings of a track meet.

The only two meetings between the Longhorns and the Lobos have ended with the Longhorns winning both games 47-0, but if the Longhorns want to extend their streak to 3 games they need to follow a simple game plan.

don’t give up big plays In week one New Mexico accounted for 347 yards on the ground, with four players amassing 65 yards apiece.

Freshman quarterback Cole Gautsche put himself on everyone’s radar after his eight- rush, 88-yard performance against Southern, proving that his athletic ability could make him a player to watch throughout the season. While Texas should have no problem dispatching the Lobos, the Longhorns should beware of New Mexico’s big play ability.

force the pass

keep running

The New Mexico quarterbacks threw for 70 yards and one touchdown on seven of 10 completions as a unit last Saturday. Senior quarterback B.R. Holbrook hasn’t shown much in his four years with the Lobos.

His stats last season weren’t anything to brag about, as he completed only 59 percent of his passes, throwing four touchdowns to seven interceptions. In short, the Longhorns need to force the Lobos to pass the football. If the score gets too ugly, or Holbrook is forced into compromising situations by pressure, expect to see freshman quarterback Cole Gautsche get a bit of playing time in New Mexico’s new option offense.

When Holbrook and Gautsche realize they aren’t getting around Jeffcoat or Okafor and have to make throws from a small window in the pocket, expect a slew of turnovers to come the Longhorns’ way. If Texas can force the Lobos to throw the football, good things will likely happen.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In week one the Longhorns followed the game plan and totaled 280 yards on the ground, with David Ash completing 74 percent of his throws. Sophomore backs Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown did exactly what was expected of them against Wyoming, each eclipsing 100 yards rushing. The Lobos gave up 500 points to only 144 scored last season. The Longhorns need to carry the football and carry it often to wear the Lobos down. This will undoubtedly open up the passing game for Ash to build upon his solid week one performance. The main plan for the offense should be to run fast and often against a New Mexico team that is outmatched.

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texan staff picks

friday, September 7, 2012

19

nick cremona

lauren giudice

chris hummer

christian corona

sara beth purdy

draike de la garza

wes maulsby

hank south

matt warden

Last Week’s Record

3-2

4-1

4-1

3-2

4-1

3-2

4-1

3-2

4-1

Overall Record

3-2

4-1

4-1

3-2

4-1

3-2

4-1

3-2

4-1

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Georgia vs. Missouri

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Florida vs. Texas A&M

Florida

Florida

Florida

Florida

Florida

Florida

Florida

Texas A&M

Florida

Miss. State

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Miss. State

Miss. State

Auburn

Iowa

Iowa State

Iowa State

Iowa State

Iowa

Iowa State

Iowa

Iowa

Iowa State

Texas State

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Illinois vs. Arizona State

Illinois

Illinois

Illinois

Arizona State

Arizona State

Illinois

Arizona State

Arizona State

Arizona State

Miami vs. Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Miami

Oklahoma State vs. Arizona

Ok. State

Ok. State

Ok. State

Ok. State

Ok. State

Arizona

Ok. State

Ok. State

Ok. State

Nebraska vs. UCLA

Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska

Texas vs. New Mexico

Auburn vs.

Mississippi State

Iowa State vs. Iowa

Texas Tech vs. Texas State

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