The Daily Texan 09-14-12

the daily texan presents

september 14, 2012

Vol. 7, issue 4

Malcolm in the mix malcolm brown | page 10

2

friday, september 14, 2012

thelineup 4

MOre malcolm, please

Just a week after Malcolm Brown rushed for over 100 yards and a score, he was nearly absent in week two against New Mexico. He’s got to be a bigger part of the Longhorns’ game plan moving forward.

No. 6 Quandre Diggs | Zachary Strain | Daily Texan Staff Cover photo by Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff

7

previews&Notebooks 14 18 19

A mississippi tradition

The Grove at the University of Mississippi flaunts a long history of elaborate parties and tailgates that are said to be among the best in the country.

matchups Big 12 notebook

10

national notebook

THe Wild BUnch

The Longhorns’ special teams players have adopted a new nickname, and are looking for every opportunity to make sure opponents remember that name.

heatseeker In just two games freshman linebacker Dalton Santos has asserted himself as an important member of the Longhorns’ special teams unit. He’s hungry to prove himself, and maybe even a little bit crazy.

8

SAntos settles in

the daily texan presents

september 14, 2012

Vol. 7, issue 4

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

13

KEys to the game

Texas took care of business in its first two games, but will have to step up this week against SEC opponent Ole Miss.

The Texas defense has been tested early in games and is looking to avoid an upset at all costs.

This week the Longhorns are on the road and face the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford.

Texas will look to stay undefeated in its last non-conference game of the season.

Double Coverage returns when Texas faces Oklahoma State.

friday, september 14, 2012

3

Sluggish starts could impede Longhorns’ success

By Lauren Giudice Slow starts have been holding the Longhorns back during their first two games of the season. Although Texas got wins in both matchups, this trend could pose a big problem for both the offense and defense moving forward.

Whether it was first-game jitters or facing off against a triple-option offense, Ole Miss and upcoming Oklahoma State will not be nearly as forgiving as Wyoming and New Mexico if Texas continues to start games on its heels.

“It is something we talk about,” defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. “It is something that is very important to us that we start the game fast, start the game early.”

Though the Longhorns eventually defeated Wyoming 37-17, a win seemed to be in question at the end of the third quarter. Wyoming struck first and scored on a 33-yard field goal and later quarterback Brett Smith’s 82yard pass to Robert Herron put the Cowboys up 9-7 over the Longhorns.

Diaz preaches to his unit the importance of not giving up big plays, but Smith took advantage of the secondary in that quarter to the tune of 158 yards passing.

The Longhorns’ offense started this season with a three-and-out after two rushes

by Joe Bergeron and one by David Ash did not produce any results. The offense prefers to start the game so they can come out to score and send a message to their opponent.

“We want to get a faster start,” co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin said. “That will never change. We want to come out and score every time we get the ball.”

Texas’ defense was not invincible during its shutout against New Mexico, either.

In the Lobos’ first drive, Texas gave up a 26-yard and then a 16-yard play.

Not something you would expect from what is considered one of the best defenses in the country against an unranked New Mexico team. The Texas defense gave up 92 yards in that quarter. They conceded just 149 total yards during the next three quarters.

The Texas defense finished the first quarter of the game against New Mexico with a touchdown, but in the next three quarters the team scored 10, 14 and 14 points. The offense couldn’t complete a pass game during that quarter and the touchdown was scored on a 49-yard run by Ash. During halftime, Harsin made some adjustments and

The Texas secondary has given up nearly 300 total yards in the first quarter of its first two games this season.

The Longhorns’ defense has rebounded from two slow starts this year, but they will have to tighten up sooner in order to contend for a Big 12 title.

Elisabeth Dillon Daily Texan Staff

the team came back to overpower the Lobos’ defense, scoring 38 more points in the second half.

“We got a slow start offensively,” said head coach Mack Brown after the game. “We tried to start with up-tempo because we thought that would make them more vanilla. But then we just didn’t do well in it so we came out of it and did a better job with conventional

tempo with our offense.”

Brown credits some of the early defensive struggles to the young linebackers trying to figure out the defense. He also said that instead of preparing for the Lobos, the defense focused more on getting ready for its following two games, which are against Ole Miss and Oklahoma State.

Though starting strong is important, Diaz believes there

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are more important things and starting well doesn’t necessarily guarantee a win.

“I know this, we started games well last year that we did not play very well in when it was all said and done,” Diaz said. “There are some games last year that we didn’t start great on the first drive and we got better and better as the game goes on.”

Senior safety Kenny Vaccaro

feels the trend of starting slow has been a trend for the Longhorns the past two years.

He also thinks there is a need to change that, especially with conference play coming up soon.

“The good teams will step on your throat,” Vaccaro said. “We need to be fighting the whole game to make sure that at halftime we’re not in a hole too deep to dig ourselves out of.”

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friday, september 14, 2012

A WILd

bunch

Kickoff unit displays explosiveness with fast start

By Chris Hummer It happens quickly. The ball is pounded off the tee and then 10 burnt orange beasts rumble down the hash marks with one goal in mind: stop the football.

Then a few seconds later, one or multiple members of the group connect with their target, and sparks fly.

That attacking mentality has earned the Longhorns’ kickoff coverage unit the nickname the “Wild Bunch,” and it’s a perfect fit.

“We are called the “Wild Bunch” for a reason,” linebacker Tevin Jackson said.

“We run down there like a

bunch of wild men just ready to tackle the ball carrier.”

They’re not only wild, but effective too. Texas’ kickoff team is ranked third in the nation in yards per return, allowing 12.6 yards per attempt. Even more impressively, the longest return the unit has allowed is 15 yards.

This has put opponents in a brutal position. On almost every possession they’re starting behind their own 20-yard line, tough under any circumstance, but even more difficult against the Longhorns because opposing offenses will be forced to go at least 80 yards against one of the top rated defenses in the country. Texas’ defense is

ranked eighth in the FBS allowing 8.5 points a contest.

This makes the kickoff unit the Longhorns’ first line of defense. Most of the time they get on the field the play before the defense, and it’s up to them to hold premier field position and get the team animated, roles the “Wild Bunch” takes a ton of pride in.

“We set the tone,” linebacker Dalton Santos said.

“We come down there and lock somebody up, and [senior S] Kenny Vaccaro is going to go crazy. [Senior DE Alex] “AO” [Okafor] is going to go crazy. The fans go crazy.

And when the fans go crazy, we feed off of it. So just that

alone is really neat. We take tremendous pride in it.”

Before every kick it’s the unit’s goal to keep the opponent behind their own 15-yard-line, a task it has accomplished with considerable success. However, for a team to rank among the country’s finest it takes more than a barbaric mentality. The group must also have discipline.

Every good special teams unit has players with a high motor and an intense mindset, but the best kickoff coverage teams are technically sound. This means staying in the right lanes and following the game plan to contain the return man to a

particular area.

Texas has been strong in this aspect due to a heavy emphasis on special teams

by Mack Brown in the offseason. But the players also put in a lot of work to balance their wild attitudes with their technical savvy.

“It is a pride thing,” Jackson said. “We are out there being wild men, but we have our keys and our assignments that we have to keep.”

They’ve found the balance this season, and the results have been evident.

It seems like every quarter Santos or someone else on the unit has made a bonecrunching tackle.

But the glory hits only go

to 10 members of the unit, the 11th is the unsung hero and perhaps the most important of the group.

Placekicker Nick Rose is the starting gun to the “Wild Bunch’s” race to the ball. Once the ball leaves his foot he’s overlooked, but the height he puts on the football is key to the unit’s success.

“Nick Rose’s hang time has been unbelievable,” head coach Mack Brown said. “The guys are excited about covering, because the ball hangs there up so long.”

Rose’s teammates certainly appreciate his cannon of a leg because it gives them the opportunity to do what they do best — lay opponents out.

Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff Sophomore cornerback Josh Turner (25) makes a tackle during a kickoff in the Longhorns’ 37-17 win over Wyoming.

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friday, september 14, 2012

7

The Grove offers fans unique tailgating experience

By Sara Beth Purdy Stepping onto the Oxford, Miss., campus on game day is like stepping back into the glory days of college football — where the football team always won and the party would never end. Every Saturday, “The Grove” at Ole Miss transforms into one of the most famous college tailgating spots in history.

The Grove is quite literally a grove of trees. It is a 10-acre field in the middle of campus littered with oak, magnolia, and elm trees. A sidewalk winds through the middle of the field bearing the name “Walk of Champions” on a stone archway at its head.

And instead of the traditional game day t-shirts and jeans, fans dress to the nines in crisp Oxford t-shirts, khaki slacks, dresses, and pearls.

Austin fans making the trek to Oxford for this weekend’s football game will get to experience what many call the “holy grail of tailgating,” an experience unlike any on the Forty Acres.

“Just be ready for what they call the best tailgating in the nation,” said current Ole Miss student Calvin Jarboe.

The game has been anticipated in Oxford since it was scheduled over a year ago and the turnout at The Grove is expected to bigger and more exuberant than ever before. This will be the first time the Burnt Orange and White will travel to Oxford. Two old and traditional football programs meeting for the first time at Ole Miss is expected to double the size of the 40,000-strong Mississippi town.

The legendary history of The Grove is so storied that the Texas coaches have been preparing their team for the atmosphere that they should

Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze coach walks the Grove on his way to VaughtHemingway Stadium before a game against Central Arkansas in Oxford, Miss.

‘

Bruce Newman Associated Press

We might not win every game, but we never lose a party - that is widely accepted in these parts.

expect when they touch down in Oxford.

“We’re going into SEC country, so it’s going to be a hostile environment,” said Texas senior Kenny Vaccaro. “[Strength and conditioning head coach for football] Bennie [Wylie’s] been talking all week about how crazy it gets down at Ole Miss. So we’re ready for it.”

Jarboe, originally from San Antonio, has experienced both tailgating scenes and insists that the Texas tailgating experience pales in comparison to that at Ole Miss. To many, The Grove is even bigger than the actual game itself.

“On Saturday, The Grove is the main event,” Jarboe said.

While Texas fans arrive to the stadium several hours prior to kickoff every

saturday, Rebel fans truly live up to the first part of Texas head coach Mack Brown’s mantra of “Come Early, Be Loud, and Stay Late.”

Students and alumni camp out all day Friday so that they can get prime tailgating locations — the most coveted spots being near or along the famed “Walk of Champions.”

Even out-of-town alumni and fans find the time to come and camp out before every home game. Occasionally, daring visiting team fans will venture into The Grove to tailgate before the game.

The annual Grove Bowl, the pre-season blue and red scrimmage, even gets attention from tailgaters. This year over 23,000 people attended the Grove Bowl and showed up to party before hand — a

school record.

At 9 p.m. sharp on Friday night, the individuals who have been sitting on The Grove all day are finally relieved as thousands of people stream from all directions to begin setting up tents, televisions, barbecue pits and other tailgating staples.

They call it “Rushing the Grove,” and it transforms the campus into a tent city. The campus authorities mean business when it comes to tailgating. Although they allow students and alumni to sit all day on The Grove to reserve spots, anyone caught with tailgating equipment on campus before 9pm face the confiscation of their belongings and possible arrest.

On normal game days in the past, over 25,000 people

gather at The Grove the night before, a number that is expected to double when Texas comes to town for one of the most anticipated games in Oxford in recent history.

About two hours before kickoff, the “Walk of the Champions” takes place.

Much like the recently established “Stadium Stampede” on the Forty Acres, the Ole Miss Rebel football team walks down the “Walk of Champions” through the middle of The Grove and receives good luck and well wishes from their fans.

Like any normal tailgate, fans cook large quantities of food, drink large volumes of beer, and watch many

— Calvin Jarboe, current Ole Miss student

minutes of football. The party lasts from the moment of the “Rushing of The Grove” until the final second of the game, and sometimes even later.

The level of reverence for a tailgating ritual is impressive, especially when the team has not had much success in recent years, winning their last SEC Championship in 1963 and last National Championship in 1962. You would not know that the football team has been experiencing several years of bad luck — the campus of Oxford parties the same as it always has.

“We might not win every game, but we never lose a party — that is widely accepted in these parts,” Jarboe said.

8

Friday, september 14, 2012

Lawrence Peart | Daily Texan Staff

Freshman linebacker Dalton Santos (55) has quickly become a big part of the Longhorns’ special teams unit. Santos leads the team with four special teams tackles.

Santos shines, becomes key factor in kickoff game

By Lauren Giudice During the Longhorns’ game last Saturday, Dalton Santos saw something he had never seen before.

As he was running towards a player about to tackle him, they made eye contact and Santos saw him say beneath his helmet, “Oh no.”

What other reaction would you expect from someone who is about to be hit someone the Longhorns’ players call “the crazy white boy”?

Though he isn’t sure if that

descriptor his teammates gave him is true, Santos has started embracing it.

“I guess it was from starting at a young age, playing pee-wee football,” Santos said. “My dad was always like that. It was just that mentality of being the nastiest dude you can be out there.”

Santos, a freshman linebacker from Van, Texas, has made an impact on special teams already even though he has only played two games. He has posted a team-high four special teams tackles so far this season.

But, his stats don’t say ev-

erything about him. Those hits have been hard hits. Really hard hits.

Whenever kicker Nick Rose kicks the ball downfield, a switch goes off in Santos’ mind and he doesn’t think anymore. He just runs and does whatever he has to do to stop the ball.

“Every play you have to have that intention to come and just try to blow people up,” Santos said.

Santos weights 260 pounds and runs a 4.5-second 40yard dash. His power, speed and spirit have helped him

become a leader for the special teams even though he is just a freshman. Both teammates Tevin Jackson and Kendall Thompson agreed Santos has had the hardest hits so far on special teams.

Thompson said if Santos was running towards him, he would “get ready.”

“Every time he runs down there my eyes are constantly on him,” junior linebacker Jordan Hicks said. “He’s full of energy, you see him run down there and nobody wants to block him. And when they do try he just ab-

sorbs it and keeps going.”

Being either the first members of the team on the field or starting the next series, the unit has taken it upon themselves to get the defense excited and ready to play. They plan on setting the tone from the first play of the game.

Santos aims to one day be the middle linebacker for the Longhorns. But, he understands that every career takes time and he will play whatever position the coaches want him to play.

He’s definitely made the most out of his role on special

teams so far this season. He and the other kickoff coverage squad are proud of their accomplishments so far but they plan to continue to improve.

“I might not be playing as much … but the role I play is making an impact on them guys,” Santos said. “It’s getting them guys ready to go out there and say, ‘Santos just laid a hit on kickoff. Let’s go out there and let’s just punish people.’’

Santos and the other members of the kickoff team call themselves the “Wild Bunch.”

For a guy they call “crazy,” he certainly fits in.

players to watch

Friday, september 14, 2012

9

matt warden daily texan staff

mike marry linebacker

bo wallace quarterback By far the best opposing player the Longhorns have faced this season, sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace is a player that must be contained for the Longhorns to find success. Wallace is a dual-threat quarterback, similar to Brad Smith of Wyoming, who is as talented with his arm as he is with his legs. He enters this game with a 76-percent completion rate to go along with five passing touchdowns and a lone interception. He’s also carried the ball 24 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns. At 6-foot-4, Wallace is of premier size for the quarterback position, and can see his receivers perfectly to dissect opposing defenses. Wallace is also a transfer from East Mississippi Junior College who received some attention from the Longhorns in January when on the recruiting trail.

Although he hasn’t faced a defense like the Longhorns’ yet, his numbers make him a player that needs to be watched, and certainly respected.

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donte moncrief receiver Sophomore Donte Moncrief has proven already that he has made big improvements from his first season. With 176 receiving yards in two games, Moncrief has already eclipsed a fourth of the yards he had all of last season. At 6-foot-2, and 214 pounds, Moncrief isn’t a huge receiver but has already become a favorite target of Wallace, hauling in two of Wallace’s five touchdown passes this season. Moncrief will enter this game as the leading receiver from either team, with 11 receptions on the year. Expect to see him targeted often as the 1-2 punch of Wallace and Moncrief will look to find weaknesses in Manny Diaz’s defense.

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Junior linebacker Mike Marry is a defensive player that the Longhorns should look out for when making their offensive game plan for Saturday. Marry entered this season as the leading tackler for the Rebels, accumulating 80 tackles last season.

He enters week three against the Longhorns coming off an impressive performance against UTEP, where he compiled eight tackles and a sack. He will definitely use every bit of his big frame to plug the holes that the Longhorn runners like to capitalize on every week. If there is a player who the Texas offensive line should look to keep out of the backfield, it’s Marry.

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friday, september 14, 2012

11

Brown must receive more carries against Ole Miss

By Christian Corona Sports Editor

No one complained when Malcolm Brown carried the ball just 41 times over the final six games of last season.

A nagging turf toe injury kept him out of three of those games and rendered him in effective in the other three.

After running for 105 yards — two fewer than he did in the last six contests in 2011 combined — and a touchdown in Texas’ season-opening win over Wyoming, it wasn’t an injury that limited Brown’s playing time last weekend. It was purely personnel and playcalling decisions.

No. 28 Malcolm Brown Zachary Strain | Daily Texan Staff

A presumably healthy Brown had just five yards on two carries in the Longhorns’ 45-0 victory over New Mexico last week, along with two receptions for 23 yards. The same Brown that came out of Cibolo Steele High School as the nation’s top running back prospect a year ago, replaced senior Fozzy Whittaker as the team’s top tailback in just his third career game, and ran for a team-high 742 yards last season got as many carries as the Longhorns’ backup quarterback.

That will have to change this week.

“Malcolm Brown played more actually than other guys in the game,” co-offensive

coordinator Bryan Harsin said. “There were seven or eight plays that he was in on that were run-pass options or possibilities to check out of them. It just happened to work out that way. Malcolm’s done a nice job. When he was in there we had a more loaded box than what we had seen on film.”

If that’s truly the reason why Brown had such a limited workload this past weekend, then the solution is simple — don’t leave any wiggle room for Brown to not carry the ball when he’s on the field. Save the runpass options for when Johnathan Gray is playing or check out of rushing plays in favor

a pass when Joe Bergeron is in the backfield.

“Malcolm Brown played 22 plays but only had four touches,” head coach Mack Brown pointed out. “A lot of his plays were plays where David Ash checked out of a run into a pass because they were stacking the line of scrimmage when he was in there ... some guys touch it and some guys don’t depending on what’s happening on the line of scrimmage.”

Like Brown, Bergeron topped the 100-yard rushing mark in the Longhorns’ first game this year and deserves plenty of touches. Bergeron has led Texas in rushing in both of its games this season

and has established himself as one of the team’s best tailbacks. Johnathan Gray gives the Longhorns another running back that was considered the best at his position coming out of high school and needs a steady dose of carries.

It also didn’t help that Texas was facing a team in New Mexico that ran a clock-chewing, triple-option style offense. The Longhorns ran just 26 first-half offensive plays, handing the ball off on just six of them. Coupled with the fact that an effort was made to let Ash throw more, there just weren’t many carries to go around. Bergeron had 11 carries while Gray had seven.

Of course, this is all as-

suming that Brown is healthy.

There has been no official word on whether Brown is injured or not, but assume that he is hurt for a moment and put yourself in Mack Brown’s shoes. If you didn’t want to reveal your best running back’s injury, wouldn’t you play him enough to say that he was actually on the field more than any other tailback without actually giving him his usual number of touches?

If that’s the case, then Brown’s lack of carries becomes much more understandable. Otherwise, he needs to get on the field more — not as a decoy — and have the opportunity to make more of an impact.

joe bergeron sophomore

Malcolm Brown sophomore

johnathan gray freshman

Rush 26 Yards 159 YPC 6.1 TD 3

Rush 16 Yards 110 YPC 6.9 TD 1

Rush 12 Yards 39 YPC 3.3 TD 0

12

Friday, september 14, 2012

heisman watch wes maulsby johnathan franklin ucla rb Last Week: 26 carries for 217 yards (8.3 avg.) and no touchdowns.

Season: 41 carries for 431 yards (10.5 avg.) and three touchdowns.

Franklin makes his debut to the Heisman rankings with big performance in last week’s upset over Nebraska. He is averaging an obscene 10.5 yards per carry. He has run for at least 200 yards in each of his games so far this season, and has a run of 50 yards or more in each game. He is a major part of the Bruins’ resurgence this season, and certainly has big play capability. He’ll pad his stats more this weekend as a dreadful Houston teams trudges into the Rose Bowl. The Bruins’ biggest games all fall in November, guaranteeing Franklin the opportunity to finish the season strong.

Eric Kayne Associated Press

le’veon bell michigan state rb Last Week: 18 carries for 70 yards (3.9 avg.) and two touchdowns.

Season: 62 carries for 280 yards (4.5 avg.) and four touchdowns.

Bell didn’t a have a stellar game against Central Michigan, but it wasn’t necessary. This week should be dif different. Notre Dame will be in East Lansing this Saturday for one of the biggest games of the weekend. This is a huge opportunity for Bell to cement his spot near the top of the Heisman rankings. This game is also the first chance for someone to supplant Barkley. If Bell runs all over a talented Notre Dame team in a win-or even a close loss- then he can basically book himself a ticket to New York in December.

Al Goldis Associated Press

games to watch peter sblendorio

No. 1 Alabama vs. Arkansas

no. 2 USC vs. no. 21 stanford

Overall 2-0

Overall 2-0

Overall 1-1

Overall 2-0

No. 20 NOtre dame vs. No. 10 Michigan state Overall 2-0

Overall 2-0

no. 18 florida vs. no. 23 tennessee Overall 2-0

Overall 2-0

Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville Saturday 2:30 p.m.

TV: CBS

Stanford Stadium Saturday 6:30 p.m.

TV: FOX

Spartan Stadium, East Lansing Saturday 7 p.m.

TV: ABC

Neyland Stadium, Knoxville Saturday 5 p.m.

TV: ESPN

The glamor of this matchup took a serious hit last Saturday when the Razorbacks were upset by LouisianaMonroe. However, Arkansas still boasts a talented roster that has the potential to play the Crimson Tide tough. Alabama has looked stellar so far in blowout wins against Michigan and Western Kentucky, with quarterback A.J. McCarron coming into his own this year with 418 passing yards and six touchdowns. The Tide’s defense is arguably the best in the country and it has been dominant so far holding its first two opponents to just 14 total points. Quarterback Tyler Wilson — if he’s clear to play after a blow to the head against Monroe — will have to be at his best for Arkansas, who fell out of the Top 25 after entering last week No. 8, to have a chance against the Crimson Tide.

The Trojans will face their first real test of the season on Saturday against the Cardinal, which looked strong in its second win of the season against Duke.

Matt Barkley has jumped out ahead as the early favorite for the Heisman Trophy, with 559 yards and an eye-popping 10 touchdowns in two games. New addition Silas Redd’s impact has also been felt early, as he leads the team with 163 yards rushing with a touchdown. Quarterback Josh Nunes has done enough thus far to lead the Stanford offense, but the lineup is not nearly as intimidating as it was last year with Andrew Luck behind center, two NFL draft-picks along the offensive line and Coby Fleener at tight end. That said, the Trojans are just an eight-point favorite, so this has strong potential to be a competitive matchup.

This should be the most evenly matched game of the week, as these two team each own efficient offenses and effective defenses that make them players in any game. The Irish appear to be boasting one of their most talented teams of the decade, as Everett Golson has emerged at the quarterback position, throwing for 433 yards and a pair of scores so far. This has been enough to complement a defense that has allowed an average of 13.5 points per game so far. The Spartans are constructed similarly, as their defense has held opponents to a combined 20 points in two games. Le’Veon Bell has starred at running back, rushing for 280 yards and four touchdowns, and he has held pace on an offense that has averaged 478 yards through two weeks. Both teams contain balanced offenses, but this one could come down to who makes the most stops on defense.

This marks the second consecutive season that these two teams enter their matchup with 2-0 records. Florida avoided a scare last week against new SEC opponent Texas A&M after trailing at halftime, and its offense has struggled thus far, averaging just 23.5 points per game through two games. Running back Mike Gillislee has been the main source of offense for the Gators, as he leads the team with 231 yards on the ground and four touchdowns. The Volunteers have been paced so far by quarterback Tyler Bray, who has thrown for 643 yards and six scores, and as a team they are ranked 15th in the NCAA with 541 offensive yards per game. This matchup will come down to who stands taller between the Tennessee offense and the Florida defense.

Friday, september 14, 2012

Keys to the game

13

matt warden daily texan staff

Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. This should be the mindset for the Longhorns as they head to Mississippi to try to take the running game away from the Rebels.

Texas has proven that it can stick to the game plan as they shut down the athletes of Wyoming and New Mexico. If the Longhorns want to stay undefeated however, containment will be the key once again.

contain the run(ner) After two successful weeks, the Longhorns will again be faced with a tough dual-threat quarterback who can beat them with his legs, or arm given the opportunity. Texas should know all about sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace, who it gave a solid look in January when Wallace was collecting offers as a potential JUCO transfer. Wallace leads the Rebels in rushing yards this season and looks to be every bit capable of torching any defense that doesn’t stick to their assignments. He has also completed 76 percent of his passes so the defensive unit of the Longhorns will also need to contain his ability to make throws. As a team the Rebels are averaging 238 rushing yards a game, which means Texas should likely take their chances with Wallace’s passing ability. The defensive line needs to plug the running lanes to allow the defensive backs to keep doing work when Wallace is forced to throw the football.

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test the secondary The Rebels should prove to be the Longhorns’ biggest test thus far, as their defense will provide the most fight Texas has seen. The Rebels currently rank 44th in the country in points allowed, giving up just over 18 a game through two weeks of football. Despite this solid statistic, 27 points were given up to a non-BCS opponent in Central Arkansas. The defensive unit of Ole Miss is armed with a talented group of defensive backs, but the Longhorns should do their best to test this talent early and often.

Freshman safety Trae Elston will be suspended for this game against the Longhorns after a dirty hit in week two against UTEP, which should allow David Ash to feast in his absence. The only way to find out if a defense is legitimate is to test it through the air and see how it responds.

Ash should look to put the Rebels up against the ropes by throwing at the defensive backs as often as possible.

crowd the line The Ole Miss offense has a very experienced offense line, with five linemen who each started at least six games last season. They have proven capable of blocking for an offense that currently ranks in the top 50 in passing yards and top 10 in rushing yards through two weeks of this season. It’s already been established that the Longhorns need to contain Bo Wallace, but in order to make a statement they need to pressure the Rebels’ offensive line and make them block on every play. If the defense can stack the line and supply constant pressure, the Ole Miss offensive line will most likely wear down given its run-happy system. To contain Wallace the Longhorns have to penetrate the line with constant pressure. Texas needs to rush often to wear down the offensive line and wreak havoc on Wallace and running backs alike.

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matchups

14

Friday, september 14, 2012

peter sblendorio daily texan staff

RUNNING BACKs

wide RECEIVERS

The Longhorns continued to be effective on the ground in their second game, as they ran for 146 yards as a team on 31 carries and scored three rushing touchdowns. Joe Bergeron led the ground attack for Texas once again, turning his 11 carries into 49 yards and finding the end zone for the third time this season.

Standout freshman Johnathan Gray saw his workload increase in his second game, and he tallied 30 yards on the ground. Ole Miss’ leading rusher is a quarterback, and of the trio of Bergeron, Gray, and Malcolm Brown, someone is bound to have a big game on the ground for the Longhorns each week.

Jaxon Shipley and Mike Davis have each turned in nice performances for the Longhorns so far. Thanks in large part to a strong seven catch game in week one, Shipley leads Texas with nine receptions and 75 yards, and Davis is not far behind with seven catches for 70 yards.

Neither of the Texas starters have been able to match the production of Donte Moncrief though, as the sophomore has hauled in 11 balls for 176 yards and two touchdowns this season. He has long catches of 53 and 55 yards in his two games, and his ability to get open downfield gives Ole Miss a dimension that the Longhorns have not had this season.

advantage

advantage

QUARTERBACK David Ash’s improved play continued on Saturday against New Mexico, as he completed 16 of 22 attempts for 221 yards and two touchdown passes and also scored on a 49 yard run. He has been very accurate in his first two games, completing 73.5 percent of his passes, and has yet to throw an interception. Ole Miss has also enjoyed strong production from the quarterback position, as Bo Wallace has been a weapon both passing and running the ball. Wallace has thrown for 438 yards and five touchdowns, and his 76.7 completion percentage is second in the SEC. The quarterback also leads the team in rushing, as he has gained 135 yards on the ground and found the endzone twice. The Longhorns cannot complain with what Ash has given them so far, but Wallace gets the edge here due to his ability to lead the offense in all phases of the game.

advantage

OFFENSIVE LINE The Texas offensive line has had very few issues two games into the season.

The experienced starters across the line have given David Ash plenty of time to throw, and he has only thrown 13 incompletions because of it. The Longhorns have also been effective running the ball, averaging 213 yards as a team in their first two games. What is most impressive is that the line has been able to block well for each of the Longhorns’ running formations, as five players have rushed the ball at least seven times and the team still sports a 5.5 rush average.

Ole Miss has also been the beneficiary of strong blocking. The Rebels have run the ball more than the Longhorns, and as a team they average more than six yards a carry. They have only run for four touchdowns, however, compared to the Longhorns’ seven, and Texas’ ability to complete drives on the ground gives its line the advantage.

advantage

SPECIAL TEAMS Nick Jordan has missed three of his five attempts and the Longhorns as a team are 10-of-11 on extra points. While the Rebels have not yet missed a point-after try, Bryson Rose is 0-for-4 on field goal attempts. The Rebels have outgained Texas by 10 yards on kick returns, but the Longhorns have made more out of their punt return opportunities, recording 66 yards on three returns to Ole Miss’ 16 yards in six attempts.

advantage

DEFENSIVE LINE Both teams are stout across the line, although Texas has not been as productive getting to the quarterback as expected. As a team, the Longhorns have only picked up two sacks and teams have gained an average on 14.1 yards per catch, suggesting that quarterbacks are not seeing as much pressure as Texas would like.

Ole Miss, however, has sacked opposing quarterbacks nine times through two games, good for a total loss of 51 yards.

Likewise, the Rebels have allowed just 2.1 yards per carry.

Despite coming into the season without much experience at the position, line-

advantage

LINEBACKERS

defensive backs

backer has become an area of strength for the Longhorns. Texas’ top two tacklers at any position play linebacker, with Jordan Hicks leading the team with 20 tackles and Steve Edmond registering 17 to come in at second. In addition, these two have combined for five tackles for losses in two games. Edmond has filled in admirably at middle linebacker, replacing Keenan Robinson as the anchor of the defense. For Ole Miss, nobody at the linebacker position has nearly as many tackles as either Hicks or Edmond, with Mike Marry leading the Rebels at the position with 11.

The secondary has been arguably the most impressive area for the Longhorns

thus far. Texas has allowed just 155.5 yards per game through the air in 2012 and this is largely due to the coverage skills of the team’s cornerbacks and safeties. The defensive backs have also turned in several big plays two games in, with Quandre Diggs, Carrington Byndom and Kenny Vaccarro each recording an interception.

Ole Miss has struggled to shut down the pass to an extent, allowing an average of 260.5 yards to its two opponents thus far. While the Rebels have picked off two passes, the balance of coverage skills and big-play ability give the Longhorns the more explosive secondary.

Both teams have struggled converting on field goals this season. Freshman

advantage

advantage

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big 12 power rankings

16

1 2

west virginia The West Virginia offense is among the best in the Big 12, but its defense could be vulnerable. It gave up 545 yards to Marshall, with over 400 yards coming through the air. The Mountaineers won’t likely get a real test until they host Baylor in late September. The Bears could really pressure the West Virginia pass defense.

oklahoma The Sooners are off this week, so they get extra time to prepare for a surging Kansas State team that just got done pounding Miami. Oklahoma will have to tighten up its run defense before the Wildcats head down to Norman, or else it will find itself falling in the rankings. Speaking of Wildcats...

3

kansas state

4

texas

it

5

friday, September 14, 2012

wes maulsby daily texan staff

Kansas State is averaging over 300 yards a game on the ground and limited Miami to just 40 last week. The Wildcats get to practice a little more against North Texas this week before a trip to Norman will get the conference title race started with a bang.

The Longhorns’ defense decided to tackle from the gun against New Mexico, and as a result, didn’t give a up an inexplicable 80yard touchdown. Progress. Texas is still developing and still trying to prove that it is “back.” Whether or not it actually is all rides on the arm of David Ash, who needs to figure out how to keep the ball in front of the receiver, and not behind them.

tcu The Horned Frogs officially began their first season in the Big 12 last week against Grambling State. Now they will play their first conference game on the road against Kansas. The Jayhawks should at least provide a sterner test than Grambling State did, who could only muster 70 yards of offense against TCU.

quotes to note

6

texas tech The big news for the Red Raiders: they are in the top 50 in rushing so far this season. Tuberville is starting to make an impact on the ground as he slowly breaks away from the Mike Leach system. Texas Tech will host a New Mexico team that has already played Texas, so we could get a better idea of the comparison of the two teams after this weekend.

7

baylor

8

oklahoma state

9

iowa state

10

Baylor will return to the field to take on Sam Houston State in what could be another bloodbath. Baylor’s offense hasn’t quite dropped off the face of the earth with all the departures, buts primary issue is still defense. If it can’t find a way to stop anyone, then it’ll be in a shootout each week. So all of the Bears’ games could be very exciting this season.

After getting all hyped up after 84-0, the Cowboys’ stock fell back down to earth after they got ran out of Tucson with their tails between their legs. Freshman quarterback Wes Lunt still threw for 436 yards and four touchdowns, but he also threw the ball to Arizona three times. Meanwhile, OSU’s defense could not stop Arizona enough, producing zero takeaways. This team led the conference last season in turnover ratio, which may have masked a shaky defense.

Iowa State is 2-0, but in a deep Big 12, the Cyclones are still stuck near the bottom of the rankings. Iowa State got its second win in Iowa City this decade and has positioned itself to have a nice season with another shot at a bowl. Fortunately for the Cyclones, most of its difficult conference games are in Ames, with Texas and TCU as the only ranked road games.

kansas The Jayhawks join the Cowboys as the only two teams in the conference with a “1” in the loss column. After starting the season right with a win over South Dakota State, Kansas was upset at home by Rice thanks to a field goal as time expired. The schedule gets a lot harder with TCU coming to Lawrence before consecutive road trips to Northern Illinois and Kansas State.

mason walters

kenny vaccaro

offensive lineman

defensive back

“I know we have to play Ole Miss next week. I know they’re in the SEC. But I don’t know what entity the SEC is other than that collection of schools. So it’s not really something I’ve put too much thought in. I know the team we have to beat. We don’t have to play the whole conference, we just have to play Ole Miss.”

“The way the media has it, it’s supposed to scare everybody. So to me, to our whole team, it’s just the next opponent that happens to be in the SEC.”

texan staff picks

friday, September 14, 2012

17

nick cremona

lauren giudice

chris hummer

christian corona

sara beth purdy

PETER SBLENDORIO

wes maulsby

hank south

matt warden

Last Week’s Record

5-5

6-4

6-4

7-3

6-4

7-3

7-3

6-4

6-4

Overall Record

8-7

10-5

10-5

10-5

10-5

10-5

11-4

10-5

10-5

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech

Virginia

Virginia

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech

TCU

TCU

TCU

TCU

TCU

TCU

TCU

TCU

TCU

Texas vs. Ole Miss

Alabama vs. Arkansas

Virginia vs. Georgia Tech

TCU vs. Kansas

Notre Dame vs. Mich. St.

Michigan State Michigan State Michigan State

Notre Dame

Michigan State Michigan State Michigan State Michigan State Michigan State

Missouri

Arizona State

Missouri

Missouri

Missouri

Arizona State

Missouri

Missouri

Arizona State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Texas A&M vs. SMU

SMU

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

USC vs. Stanford

USC

USC

USC

USC

USC

USC

USC

Stanford

USC

BYU vs. Utah

BYU

BYU

BYU

Utah

BYU

BYU

BYU

Utah

BYU

Arizona State vs. Missouri

California vs. Ohio State

big 12 notebook

18

Friday, september 14, 2012

ESPN, Big 12 reach terms on 13-year television deal

By Hank South Conference play is just around the corner for most teams and college football is heating up. Let’s take a look at some Big 12 notes heading into the weekend.

-Baylor will hold a ground-breaking ceremony in honor of its new stadium this Saturday when it takes on Sam Houston State in Waco. The Bears were approved a $250 million fund to construct the 45,000 seat facility this past summer.

The new stadium is scheduled to open in 2014. Baylor fans shouldn’t overlook the Bearkats, as the team played for the FCS title just one season ago.

• Oklahoma State defen-

sive coordinator Bill Young is back working in the football offices in Stillwater, and is expected to coach during the Cowboys game versus Louisiana-Lafayette this Saturday. Young has been absent from the sideline the past couple of weeks after undergoing an undisclosed medical procedure. Oklahoma State is coming off a 59-38 defeat in Arizona last weekend, a game that saw the Cowboys give up 501 yards of total offense.

• The Big 12 conference has agreed to a new television contract with ESPN for a reported 13 years, which would total $2.6 billion.

The new revenue will give each institution $20 million annually, however West Virginia will not be eligible

to receive the funds until 2015. The Mountaineers are still paying back the loan the Big 12 gave the school to cover its exit costs from the Big East conference.

• With a 52-13 win versus Miami last weekend, Kansas State has moved to 6-0 against non-conference BCS opponents at home.

The streak began with Iowa visiting Manhattan in 1988.

• Oklahoma receiver and Penn State transfer Justin Brown has found success as a Sooner. While Brown has six catches for 87 yards on the season, he’s averaging 22 yards per punt return, ranking him fifth in the nation.

• Iowa State’s game versus Western Illinois will mark the first football game aired on Cylcone.tv, the Univer-

sity’s new subscriptionbased network that is devoted to Cyclone athletics.

The University of Texas set the bar last season creating the Longhorn Network.

Since that time many schools h a v e shown interest in

their own athletic channels, including Oklahoma, which currently has a partnership with FOX Sports (FOX Sports Oklahoma) and has been airing since the Sooners’ opener versus UTEP. • TCU held its first game at renovated Amon G. Carter

Stadium last Saturday versus Grambling State. While the Horned Frogs rolled to 56-0 victory perhaps the most interesting point in the game was the game ball being delivered by jetpackstrapped “Rocketman,” Dan Schlund.

• After the Jayhawks’ 2524 loss to Rice last weekend, first-year Kansas head coach Charlie Weis is looking for anyway to motivate his squad to keep on trucking tech — including using the technique of telling the team no one is excited to play them. sug This maneuver likely suggests Kansas can sneak up on a team not playing to its full ability when playplay ing the Jayhawks. Senior wide receiver Daymond Patterson agrees with his coach, “It’s like, ‘What do we got to lose?’ Nobody thinks we’re gonna win,” Patterson said. Kansas is 5-27 in its last 32 games.

Daymond Patterson Kansas wide receiver

Ed Zurga | Associated Press

national notebook

Friday, september 14, 2012

No. 15 Kolton Browning | Daniel Johnston | Associated Press

19

Randy Edsall | Luis M. Alvarez | Associated Press

No. 10 DaVaris Daniels | Sam Householder | Associated Press

Notre Dame joins ACC, Nebraska loses starting tackle

By Hank South With another week of college football in the books, there has been no shortage of excitement both on and off the field. Let’s take a look at some of the notes around the country.

• Notre Dame has agreed to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports except football. The Irish have historically been an Independent when it comes to football and the University didn’t want to jeopardize the school’s culture in any way. However, Notre Dame will annually play five ACC opponents in football. The Fighting Irish has been given notice by the Big East conference (the school’s current home for non-football sports) that the University must give 27 months notice and pay a $5 million exit fee.

This closes the door on the rumors that Notre Dame would one day become a part of the Big 12.

‘

• LSU has ruled junior linebacker Tahj Jones, among 3 others, academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. Jones was one of the Tigers’ most experienced linebackers and likely will be replaced by junior Luke Muncie.

• Mississippi State could be in some trouble with the NCAA as rumors are spreading that booster Robert Denton Herring gave money to “five or six” Bulldog players over the summer during 7-on-7 tournaments. Booster benefits have become mainstay in the college football conversation the past few seasons.

• Nebraska starting sophomore defensive tackle Chase Rome has withdrawn from the football program. This is coming after the Cornhuskers’ 36-30 loss at UCLA in which Nebraska gave up 344 yards on the ground.

• New Mexico State will become an Independent football program in 2013.

This comes amidst major conference transformations

If I could do it over again, I wish that there was some way that I could see the players and tell them face-to-face that I was going to leave and come to Maryland.

— Randy Edsall, Maryland head coach

the past couple of years. The Aggies are currently playing their final year in the Western Athletic Conference.

• It seems Louisiana-Monroe was paid handsomely to upset one of the nation’s topranked teams. ULM received $950,000 for agreeing to play Arkansas in Little Rock last week. The Warhawks shocked the Razorbacks, 3431, prompting Arkansas to drop from the polls after being ranked eighth, the biggest drop in ranking since Michigan fell from No. 5 after losing to Appalachian State at home in 2007. In an odd circumstance, Louisiana-Monroe was actually considered the home team, stemming from an agreement dating back to 2004 that helps ULM with attendance averages and maintains the school’s FBS status.

• Former Connecticut and current Maryland head coach Randy Edsall showed remorse this week over his exit from UConn. Edsall was criticized for flying straight to Maryland for a job interview following the Huskies’ loss to Oklahoma in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl without informing his players of his decision to leave. In a press conference this week Edsall expressed his feelings, “If I could do it over again, I wish that there was some way that I could see the players and tell them

face-to-face that I was going to leave and come to Maryland,” Edsall said. Maryland

hosts Connecticut Saturday night. • After last weekend, Michigan State and Florida

State are the only two FBS teams to have not allowed an offensive touchdown.

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