Double Coverage Dec. 2, 2011 by The Daily Texan

The Daily Texan Presents:

Dec. 2, 2011

Vol. 6, Issue 13

PILLARS OF THE DEFENSE TEXAS IS KNOWN FOR ITS ABILITY TO LIMIT QUARTERBACKS AND DEFEND THE RED ZONE. NOW ITS LEADERS WILL HAVE TO SUPPORT THE DEFENSE AS IT TAKES ON A DYNAMIC BAYLOR OFFENSE. PG. 8

Friday, Dcember 2, 2011

theLINEUP 4 page

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stopping Rgiii His nickname makes him sound like a robot, and he certainly plays like a machine. Robert Griffin III, RGIII, has put up Heisman numbers all year, and Texas will have its hands full trying to stop him.

top Dogs of the Big 12

The Longhorns boast the conference’s best defense, and they are led by a set of leaders that holds it all together.

a Look Back

Fans reflect on a season that featured its fair share of ups-and-downs. Now they can’t wait to see how this team finishes the year.

PrEviEws and notEbooks Double Coverage looks at how the Longhorns and other teams around the country are gearing up for the final week of college football’s regular season.

5 - poweR

Rankings 7 - matchups 10 - pLayeRs to watch

page

Cover Illustration: Ryan Edwards, Above: Lawrence Peart| Daily Texan staff

10 - Big 12 Quick hits page

12 - games to watch 15 - heisman watch

MorE GaME covEraGE page

5 - Quotes to note The Texas players don’t want Robert Griffin III making a case for the Heisman trophy against them. See what they have to say about it.

6 - Lost: Running game Mack Brown has said all year that his team is a run-first offense, but the once vaunted rush attack has struggled lately.

onLine For more gameday coverage, check out Double Coverage online at dailytexanonline.com

Editor’s notE

The Daily Texan’s Double Coverage is printed the Friday before every Texas football game and twice during OU week.

The Daily Texan PresenTs:

Volume 6, Issue 13 • 2011 edItIon

Double Coverage Editor……………Sameer Bhuchar Design Editor…………………….Simonetta Nieto Photo Editor…………………………Ryan Edwards Copy Editor……….....……Sydney Fitzgerald Issue Designer...............Martina Geronimo Writers…….................................Austin Laymance ...............................................................Christian Corona …………...........................…...............Nick Cremona ................................................................Lauren Giudice ..................................…......…...............Chris Hummer …………………....................…….....Wes Maulsby

Friday, December 2, 2011

Case and point

Sophomore limits turnovers By Austin Laymance Daily Texan Staff

The Longhorns hope Case McCoy still has some magic left. The sophomore quarterback, who will make his second start in a row in the season finale, always seems to come up big for Texas when it matters most. He instrumented a game-winning drive in the final minutes of last Thursday’s win over Texas A&M. A week before, McCoy nearly completed a remarkable comeback against Kansas State. And early in the year, in the first meaningful game of his career, McCoy rallied the Longhorns in the fourth quarter to beat BYU. “He does a really good job of making plays when we need them,” said senior left guard David Snow. But McCoy, who has split snaps with David Ash for most of the year, will need to pull another rabbit out of his hat to beat Baylor. Still, the ball always seems to bounce his way. Two tipped balls should have been intercepted last week, but they found the turf before the Aggies could get their hands on them. Against UCLA, McCoy severely underthrew to Mike Davis, only to have the ball bounce off a Bruin and into Davis’ lap. McCoy’s success, though, isn’t all about good fortune. He’s yet to throw an interception in 106 attempts this season, and he’s a better

runner than advertised, just watch his 25-yard scramble against A&M for proof. “There’s times when a quarterback has to be a playmaker and make plays with his feet,” McCoy said. “It’s just instinct.” McCoy doesn’t have the physical tools or prowess of Baylor quarterback and Heisman hopeful Robert Griffin, but then again, he’s used to it. McCoy’s been in the shadow of his older brother Colt ever since he stepped foot in Austin. Adversity is nothing new to him. He began the season as the backup, started three games while splitting time with Ash, and then watched as the coaching staff gave the job to the freshman. But McCoy didn’t sulk, and he made the most of the snaps that came his way. “He didn’t back off or stand off, he knew his opportunity would come up again,” said quarterbacks coach Bryan Harsin. “Case has done a good job, being there ready to go when it’s his opportunity.” While Ash started five games in a row, McCoy watched from the sidelines and got mop-up work. But throughout the process, he was there when Texas called. “He stayed level headed,” said senior linebacker Keenan Robinson. “He never complained. He’s a guy that’s going to buy-in every week. If the coach asks him to signal plays from the sidelines, he’s going to do

Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff

Case McCoy tries to avoid the tackle at the end of a 25-yard run against Texas A&M. McCoy’s gutsy run set up the game-winning field goal. McCoy’s passing yards aren’t stellar, but he has yet to throw an interception.

it. If they ask him to go in and drive down the field in the fourth quarter to win the game, he’s going to do it.” That’s exactly what McCoy did last week in his first start in more than a month, and now he has a chance to get the majority of the snaps during bowl practices if he can find a way to lead Texas past

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Griffin and BU. That means jumpstarting a passing attack that’s been absent for the second half of the season. If McCoy intends on keeping the starting job, he’ll have to do a better job moving the chains. “I’d like to see him convert some more third downs and hit some easier throws,” Harsin said.

“If he’ll continue down that road of not turning the ball over and managing the game, doing a better job on third downs, then you’ve got something.” And he’d be wise not to try going throw-for-throw with Griffin. “If it’s a shootout, we’re in trouble,” said Texas head coach Mack Brown, who is 12-1 against BU.

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RGIII looks to cap off big year with another victory over UT, Texas eyes stopping him cold By Chris Hummer Daily Texan Staff

Given its history, who would have thought a Heisman candidate would come out of Baylor University? Not many, but Robert Griffin III is forcing people to take notice of the Bears and take a long look at Griffin’s Heisman resume. Griffin’s season looks like it has come out of a video game on rookie-mode, with the insane numbers he has put up thus far. He has 3678 yards passing and 34 touchdowns on only four interceptions. Couple that with his 4.3 second 40 track

speed when he scrambles out of the pocket, and Griffin is the ultimate defensive nightmare. Mack Brown gives Griffin perhaps the highest praise possible when he compares him to a pair of Texas legends. “I would compare him to what Colt and Vince did for us because when you got the guy under the center that we have to try to stop, he is the dominant player they have,” said Texas head coach Mack Brown. “He is the focal point. He’s their confidence. He’s their heartbeat. When he walks in that huddle they

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all believe that they’re going to win the game.” That’s lofty praise for a quarterback who’s career up until this season has been defined by a major injury, rather than for his ability to make magic happen on the field. Griffin missed the majority of the 2009 season after tearing his ACL in a game against Northwestern State. He was granted a medical redshirt after the year and came back in 2010 as a sophomore once again. He had a good season passing—he threw for 3,501 yards—but showed only flashes that would indicate the elite level of play he has displayed this year. Griffin worked hard this offseason to improve his passing ability, and it has paid off. He now stands in the pocket and zips the ball around the field on par with the best quarterbacks in the country. “He’s a much more complete passer,” said Texas senior Emmanuel Acho. I don’t think people give him enough credit for how good a thrower he is. That’s something that we are not taking lightly.” That ability to be a deadly accurate passer, and the speed he has to make plays like Chris Johnson when he pulls the ball down and runs with it, have people talking that Griffin could be a top 5 pick, or even a challenger to Andrew Luck, for the No. 1 overall spot. But that’s in the future, for now he has his eyes towards Texas, and helping Baylor finish what is perhaps the best season in school history. One thing could stand in the way of that though, another injury. Griffin was hurt last week in Baylor’s game against Texas Tech, where a huge hit knocked him out of the second half of the matchup, but it will take more than that to keep RGIII off the field for back to back weeks. “He is cleared,” said Baylor head coach Art Briles. “He is 100 percent ready to go.” Baylor will be competing for a top bowl game spot and as high as a second place finish in the Big

By Tony Gutierrez The Associated Press

12. But as important as team accomplishments are, all eyes will be on Griffin and his performance, in his last shot to impress the Heisman voters. “Being on the national stage, being on ABC certainly helps, playing a team the caliber of Texas, with the national recognition that they have certainly helps the

“

team first. Big we, little me is the way I like to put it. He is team first all of the way.” Griffin is incredible though, and it is almost 100 percent likely that if the Bears come away with a win this Saturday, it will be because of an outstanding individual performance from their star. The Longhorns’ knows who it

I would compare him to what Colt and Vince did for us because when you got the guy under the center that we have to try to stop, he is the dominant player they have. — Head coach Mack Brown on Robert Griffin

cause,” Briles said of Griffin’s Heisman chances. Though, Briles is quick to praise Griffin for his team-first attitude and notes that Griffin would trade a Heisman for another win any day. “Robert will be the first to sit here and tell you that if he throws eight passes and completes two and we win the football game, he is going to be extremely happy. That is the way Robert is. He is

needs to contain in order to come away with a victory when they head up I-35 this weekend. They also know what will happen if he runs wild on them, because they may be appearing in a certain highlight reel in the “Big Apple”. “If we don’t play well, we’ll end up on all the highlight shows, and we’d rather not do that. We don’t want to go to New York,” said Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.

Friday, December 2, 2011

BIG 12POWERRANKINGS — By Nick Cremona | Daily Texan Staff

Oklahoma State

Missouri

There was no game for the Cowboys this week, instead it was spent in preparation for what may pan out to be one of the biggest games in school history. At No. 3 in the BCS rankings, the Cowboys are on the precipice of a national title berth. They could slide to No. 2 with a convincing win against OKlahoma.

The Tigers wrapped their regular season up with last Saturday’s 24-10 win over Kansas. The game was the 120th and final edition of the Border War between the two schools. The Tigers won four out of their last five games to finish the year and are looking at a probable New Era Pinstripe Bowl appearance.

After an early lead that even held over to halftime, the Aggies practically threw their last rivalry game against Texas away as quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw two costly picks in the second half. The Aggies’ have a weak secondary, and any team they face in the postseason will expose it.

Texas A&M

Oklahoma

The Sooners were able to fend off upset-minded Iowa State in their last game and remain in the BCS top-10. With a win against the Cowboys, they would get an at-large bid to a BCS bowl to cap off an up-and-down year. It will be a de facto conference championship game and bragging rights will be on the line.

Texas Tech

Baylor

Quarterback Robert Griffin III and a number of other Bears, as well as Red Raiders, were injured when their heads slammed the questionably hard turf at Cowboys Stadium last weekend. Even after their star quarterback and then starting running back Terrance Ganaway went down with concussions, the Bears were in good hands. Senior wide receiver Kendall Wright hauled in two touchdown passes, one from Griffin and another from junior backup Nick Florence.

Kansas State

Iowa State

The Wildcats had last week off, but now they are gearing up for their final regular season game against Iowa State. The Cyclones have shown that they can stick around if they want to so the Wildcats should be wary of the upset bug. If the Wildcats win and the Sooners lose in Bedlam they could be selected as a BCS at-large so there’s definitely still something to play for. A big game from junior quarterback Collin Klein could be a nice little introduction to NFL scouts.

Texas

Say what you want about the offensive ineptitude of the Longhorns at various points this year, but they have had some gutsy wins that need to be credited. Last week’s temporary series finale of the Lonestar Showdown was another one of such wins. Currently at .500 in Big 12 play, Texas has an outside shot at a Cotton Bowl bid. However, they’ll have to get past Baylor this weekend for that to be possible.

Well, the Red Raiders almost left Jerry World with a win. After it seemed as if they caught a break with RGIII not returning to the field in the second half, Nick Florence decided to make an appearance. The junior was under the impression he was redshirting this season, but his redshirt was burned after the Bears felt the heat from the Red Raiders quick-scoring offense. It proved to be an effective choice as the Red Raiders didn’t have an answer for him or running back Terrance Ganaway, who rushed for 246 yards. The Cyclones forced four turnovers against the Sooners last week, but they also coughed up the ball four times as well. Not a good recipe for a win. The Cyclones just aren’t talented enough on offense this year to be contenders in the Big 12. Give freshman quarterback Jared Barnett some time, and maybe add a couple more skill players around him and this offense will be much better off. Head coach Paul Rhoads seems to have guys buying into his philosophy and is on the right track. They’re still bowl eligible, too.

Kansas

It’s safe to say the Jayhawks were just glad to get this season over with.The defense was atrocious while the offense showed many bright spots, just not enough to make up for the other side of the ball. Head coach Turner Gill was fired this week after just his second year at the helm.

QUOTESTONOTE Texas is facing its third Heisman-caliber quarterback of the season. Here is what the Longhorns have to say about facing Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.

Mack Brown

Emmanuel Acho

Head coach

Senior linebacker

“He’s got to be a strong Heisman candidate. I was walking by Manny’s office… he said, ‘I’ve never seen this many deep touchdown passes in my coaching career.”

We don’t plan on letting anybody win the Heisman against this defense. I’m happy for him. He’s had a heck of a season, heck of a career. Him being one of the Heisman candidates playing on that day is going to be fun to see him bring his best. We’re definitely going to bring ours.”

Kenny Vaccaro

Manny Diaz

Senior tight end

Senior safety

We definitely don’t want anyone winning the Heisman on our clock

“I think [being motivated] is inherent but if they need rallying cries after putting on this [of Robert Griffin] tape, then we’re already in trouble.”

Friday, Dcember 2, 2011

Longhorns facing identity crisis, must utilize more balanced attack By Christian Corona Daily Texan Staff

The 439 rushing yards Texas racked up against Kansas seemed impossible to top, but the Longhorns did so in their very next game by running for 441 on Texas Tech. But Texas hasn’t even rushed for 400 yards in its last three games combined. Injuries to the Longhorns’ three best tailbacks hurt their chances to establish a strong ground game. Fozzy Whittaker tore his ACL and MCL against Missouri while Malcolm Brown has been dealing with turf toe and Joe Bergeron has not fully recovered from a hamstring injury. Brown and Bergeron returned against Kansas State two weeks ago but were not 100 percent healthy with Bergeron not playing against Texas A&M. Texas embraced the identity of running the ball down opponent’s throats, but now they’re looking to revive a running game that’s been nonexistent recently.

“We need to run the ball more consistently,” said head coach Mack Brown. “We’re not running the ball like we used to. We got our identity against Tech and Kansas, then, all of a sudden, we lose all three of our backs for the Missouri game. In his last two games, Brown has rushed for 72 yards on 28 carries. Nearly a month ago, he ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries before a turf toe injury that he says has nagged him since his high school days resurfaced. He should play again this weekend. “It was pretty difficult to just watch those two games,” the freshman running back said. “I’m just ready to be back out with my team and show them that our running game at the beginning of the season wasn’t a fluke.” Bergeron, like Brown, has missed two games this season and was not completely healthy when he ran for 40 yards on nine carries against Kansas State. He took over for his fellow first-year tailback when he ran for 191 yards against Texas

Tech and tied a Longhorn’s freshman record with three rushing touchdowns. But Bergeron hasn’t been the same since and his head coach knows how much he means to his offense and could miss the regular season finale. “We need Joe Bergeron back,” Brown said. “With Joe’s hamstring, who knows? It’s one of those things where you watch him in practice and you watch him run in pregame. He just wasn’t ready.” For the first time all season, the quarterback position is more stable than the one at running back. McCoy has solidified himself as the starter behind center after rallying the Longhorns to a dramatic win over the Aggies this past Thursday and extending his interceptionfree streak to 106. But the running game will still be needed to alleviate the burden on Texas’ passing attack, even if it has improved with McCoy at the helm. “For us to beat Baylor, we’ve got to throw the ball better,” Brown said. “We feel like Case [McCoy] will give us a chance to throw

Ryan Edwards | Daily Texan Staff

Texas running back Joe Bergeron (24) tries to find running room. Injuries to Bergeron and the rest of his running back corps have hurt Texas’ offense.

it better but we’ve got to [run the ball].” The Longhorns couldn’t move the chains on any of the first five drives against the Aggies. If they expect to have a chance at beating Baylor, their offense will need to improve before trading blows with one of the nation’s most prolific passing attacks. The Bears facing one of the country’s top 10 defenses should help Texas’ chances. But the Longhorns will need their offense to click before halftime, unlike last week. “Going three and out is not really going to help us,” said co-of-

fensive coordinator Bryan Harsin. “The field goals need to turn into touchdowns. On third downs, we need to extend our drives. That’s the reality. We’re not going to be able to go three and out and play field position all night.” Texas may not have a Heisman candidate at quarterback but they have the next best things — a former Heisman candidate’s younger brother and an impressive stable of somewhat healthy tailbacks. The Longhorns might not rack up 400 yards on the ground this week, but they’ll need more than the 86 they got this past Thursday.

Friday, December 2, 2011

MATCHUPS — By Wes Maulsby | Daily Texan Staff

QUARTERBACK

Texas peaked here in the two-game span against Texas Tech and Kansas, but has since rushed for 353 yards in three games. The Longhorns got more than 400 against both Texas Tech and Kansas. With the injuries to Fozzy Whittaker, Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron, the running game for Texas has sputtered. Baylor averages more than 210 yards per game on the ground and shredded the Red Raiders for 360 yards rushing with Terrence Ganaway rushed for a careerhigh 246 yards. With all the injuries that Texas has suffered at the position, the advantage has to go to Baylor with Ganaway and Griffin combining for a dangerous ground attack.

RECEIVERS Texas got a much needed boost at this position with Jaxon Shipley returning to the lineup last week against the Aggies. Though he only caught three passes for 34 yards, he threw a touchdown pass to Blaine Irby in the second quarter and provides a much needed play-making presence to a team constantly looking for one. In addition to catching the touchdown pass, Irby has become a key to the offense and has seven catches with two touchdown catches in the last three games. Kendall Wright has been an explosive player all year for the Bears and is their leading receivers. He has 95 catches this for 1,406 yards this season. Baylor has four receivers with at least 35 catches, and three of them have more than 750 yards receiving.

OFFENSIVE LINE Baylor is second in the nation in total offense and is in the top 20 in rush offense this season. The Bears have allowed 24 sacks this season and are third in the conference in tackles for loss allowed, having only given up 52 so far this season. The Texas line has allowed 66 tackles for loss this season and has also allowed 24 sacks this season. Both teams can run the ball, but the Bears have been more consistent in recent weeks in running and passing game, which starts with the push and protection up front. The Texas line has had its moments, including some dominating short yardage situations against Texas A&M. Both lines have been solid this season, but the Bears have been putting up better numbers and have more experience.

Advantage

Breakdown

This one is obvious. Baylor has a Heisman candidate at quarterback with Robert Griffin III. He has passed for 3,678 yards with 72-percent completion. He has led Baylor to eight wins this season, including winning four in a row. He is also dangerous on the ground, with two 100-yard rushing games this season, and is averaging 55 yards per game on the ground. Texas, meanwhile, has been struggling all year at the quarterback position, but it may have finally found an answer. McCoy didn’t have a passing touchdown and only tossed 110 yards through the air, but he made plays when it mattered as he guided Texas to a win over Texas A&M. But the advantage is still Baylor’s.

RUNNING BACK

Advantage

Breakdown

DEFENSIVE LINE The Texas defensive line has been a force of nature of late and has been dominating Big 12 offensive lines. Texas has 88 tackles for loss on the season, with 64 of those coming in the last five games at a rate of more than 12 per game. Baylor only has 55 tackles for loss on the season and is in near the bottom third of the country in sacks with 17. Alex Okafor lived in the Aggie backfield last week and, though only credited with one tackle, was a primary part of forcing Tannehill into quick throws. Texas’ depth along the line has been a problem for opposing teams. Baylor is No. 102 against the run and has not been able to get into the backfield enough this season. The Texas line is among the best in the country, not just the conference, while Baylor’s line lags in the bottom third of the conference

LINEBACKERS Emmanuel Acho has been playing at an all-conference level and has 98 tackles so far this season. Alongside him is Keenan Robinson who overcame an injured thumb to haunt Tannehill in the backfield last week on blitzes and rushes, getting to him many times throughout the game. Baylor is led by senior Elliot Coffey, who has 89 tackles this season. Baylor has a poor rush defense, and an even worse pass defense. Baylor’s linebackers have to do a better job of getting into the backfield to break up the play and forcing the backs into the defensive line. Texas’ linebackers have been playing at an all-conference level over the past five games and should do significantly better than the Baylor linebackers.

SECONDARY Against one of the best receiving units in the Big 12, Texas’ defensive backs had their marquee game of the season. With three interceptions, and a pick-six by Carrington Byndom, the Longhorn defensive backs had one of the best games by a secondary unit this season in the Big 12. Texas has the No. 35 pass defense in the nation but is No. 8 in pass efficiency defense. Baylor has one of the worst pass defenses in the conference and is in the bottom third of pass efficiency defense nationally. Even against a Heisman candidate, the Texas pass defense should be stout, and one of the best individual matchups of the game will be Texas’ Byndom against Kendall Wright of Baylor.

SPECIAL TEAMS Baylor is one of the worst kickoff return teams in the nation and is last in the conference. Texas, even without Whittaker, is in the top 15 in kickoff returns nationally and only trails Kansas State in the Big 12. Baylor is significantly better on punt returns, but the advantage still lies with Texas, which is the top punt return team in the conference and No. 7 nationally. Although Baylor’s kicker, Aaron Jones, has made 95 percent of his PATs but is only hitting half of his field goals, missing from all ranges. Texas’ Justin Tucker didn’t have a good day punting the ball against Texas A&M, but he made the game winning, 40yard field goal as time expired and has been money in the bank for the Longhorns all season. Texas has the superior athletes on special teams and one of the most reliable kickers in the Big 12.

COMM

THE

Photos by Ryan Edwards | Daily Texan Staff

TEXAS’ DEFENSIVE LEADERS THRIVE IN BEND-DON’T-BREAK PHILOSOPHY By Austin Laymance Daily Texan Staff

The Texas defense has made a habit of forcing field goals in the red zone this year, and the Longhorns will need that trend to continue. UT’s red zone defense was instrumental last week against Texas A&M, holding the Aggies to a pair of touchdowns and two field goals in four trips to keep the game within reach. For the year, Texas has forced 19 field goals in 36 red zone situations (53 percent), a stat the Longhorns pride themselves on. “That’s just a mindset, that’s toughness thing,” said senior safety Blake Gideon. It’s just standard operating procedure for defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. “He expects us to not let anyone get in our end zone,” said junior safety Kenny Vaccaro. “So that’s what we expect, too.” Texas will face a top-10 offense for the second time in as many games Saturday, and protecting the end zone will be a major point of emphasis this week. Baylor averages 43 points per game (sixth in the nation); so holding the Bears to field goals will be paramount. “So many games are won and lost in the red zone by forcing an offense to kick field goals,” Gideon said. “There’s a lot of times where we’re disappointed we give up big plays to let them down there, but if we can keep them out of the end zone, that’s a win for us.” The Longhorns understand that Baylor will move the chains —the Bears average 576 yards per game — but clamping down inside the 20-yard line will be the key.

“When you play an offense like this, you have to accept the fact that they are going to get yards, but you have to try like crazy to not let them get points,” Diaz said. Texas has fared well this season against some of the top offenses in the country, though. The Longhorns gave the Aggies fits, frustrated Kansas State and limited Oklahoma State for the most part. Still, the Bears and Heisman Trophy candidate Robert Griffin III pose a new challenge. BU’s vertical passing game is unlike any the Longhorns have faced. Griffin’s 34 touchdown passes this season went for an average of 35 yards each, the best mark in the nation by far. “That’s unheard of,” said Texas head coach Mack Brown. But UT is the only team in the nation that hasn’t allowed a touchdown pass of longer than 19 yards. “The way our defense and coverage are structured, it’s big play proof,” Gideon said. “There’s a lot of eyes on the ball. If there’s a few broken tackles, we still have a chance to get the guy on the ground.” Limiting the Bear’s big play ability, though, is easier said than done. Baylor has 35 scoring drives off less than two minutes, including 18 lasting less than 60 seconds. Still, the Longhorns have implemented a bend-but-don’tbreak philosophy through 11 games, and they expect more of the same in Waco. “If they do move the ball, we can’t panic,” said senior linebacker Keenan Robinson. “If they do score early, we can’t panic. We know once they get in the red zone that we have to really be stout, make sure they don’t get in and force field goals or turnovers.” If the Longhorns want to deny Griffin a shot at the Heisman Trophy, they’ll have to keep him out of the end zone.

HORNS KEEP By Christian Corna Daily Texan Staff

It was an ugly day when Texas traveled ton Bowl this October. Landry Jones had and three touchdowns before halftime as ers put a 55-spot on the Longhorns. But since then, the Longhorns have do job shutting down opposing quarterbacks Brandon Weeden was limited to a seaso yards, more than 150 below his season a just one of his 34 touchdown passes. Kan Webb came into the contest against Texa more than 200 yards per game but mana when the Jayhawks visited Austin. The Texas Tech’s Seth Doege, who has thro touchdown, didn’t find the end zone unti third quarter when the Longhorns alread Missouri quarterback James Franklin just 186 yards and Kansas State’s Collin merely 83. Klein, who ran for 1,000 yard before facing Texas, is second in the nati rushing touchdowns but rushed four only on 26 carries against the Longhorns. And Ryan Tannehill turned in his worst perfo the season as he was picked off three tim

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Texas secondary with one of them being returned for a touchdown. “It might not so much be Tannehill,” said junior safety Kenny Vaccaro. “He might not have played one of his worst games. We might have just played one of our best. The Longhorns could use another one of their best outings when they face a Baylor offense led by Robert Griffin III, who boasts the country’s secondhighest passer rating but has also run for more than 600 yards. When it comes to dual-threat quarterbacks, Griffin is one of the best but Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has a good history against mobile quarterbacks. Cam Newton managed only 136 passing yards against Diaz’s Mississippi State defense, which did not allow Denard Robinson and Michigan’s offense to score after the first quarter in last season’s Gator Bowl. “Iv’e always felt like you want it to be fun with the kids,” Diaz said. “When you tell the nose guard that he’s going to drop back like a linebacker, he thinks it’s some KGB stuff that came from and East German spy so it has to work.” Texas may have saved its best opposing offense for last as the Longhorns travel to Waco to face the nation’s second-most productive offense. Baylor has

averaged 576.7 yards per game and put up 66 points last week while routing Texas Tech. And that was with the Bears playing their second-string quarterback for the entire second half. “This is a really good challenge,” Diaz said. “You have three main fronts. You have a vertical passing game that they do better than anybody in the country. Then, you have the quarterback run game that sometimes changes numerically how you have to try and defend them. Then, you have a quarterback that can just take off and run.” Griffin, who has racked up 34 touchdown passes against just five interceptions this season, has made it look easy torching Big 12 defenses. Before getting knocked out of the game during the first half of last week’s contest, Griffin averaged more than 400 yards passing over his five previous games. The Copperas Cove product has also averaged nearly 80 rushing yards over his last three contests. “He’s probably going to be the best talent we face all year, we’ll have our hands full,” said Vaccaro, who was childhood friends with Griffin. “I thought he was going to the Olympics in track. He’s always had a cannon. He’s just never been this efficient.” One of three finalists for the Davey O’Brien Award given annually to the nation’s best quarter-

back, Griffin is also in line for an invitation to New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation. With guys like Trent Richardson and Andrew Luck not playing this week, Griffin could give himself a chance to bring home the coveted award with a big game against the Longhorns, who aren’t exactly willing to oblige. “We don’t plan on letting anybody win the Heisman against this defense,” said senior linebacker Emmanuel acho. “He’s had a heck of a season and heck of a career. With him being one of the Heisman candidates playing on that day, it’s going to be fun to see him bring his best. We’re definitely going to bring ours.” Mack Brown joked this week that players that suffer a concussion should be automatically out of next week’s game, knowing that Griffin had suffered a head injury last Saturday. But it might be Griffin that has given Texas headaches this week. “I was walking by Manny’s office and he said, ‘I’ve never seen this many deep touchdown passes in my coaching career,’” Brown said. “It’s unbelievable watching these guys. They just sling it deep and they hit them. They’re amazing. They can score so fast.”

Friday, December 2, 2011

BIG 12

QUICKHITS

PLAYERSTOWATCH

— By Wes Maulsby | Daily Texan Staff

— By Nick Cremona | Daily Texan Staff

Texas A&M

ished 0-9 in conference play for the first time since 2002. Six of those losses came by 30 points or more, perhaps why coach Turner Gill was given the pink slip this week after just two seasons with the program. No candidates have been named to replace Gill as of yet. The Jayhawks’ defense ranked last nationally in not just one but two categories: total yards (516.4 per game) and points (43.7 per game).

The Aggies finally decided to part ways with head coach Mike Sherman. He was fired early this morning. The Aggies went just 25-25 in his four years at the helm. Some think current Houston coach, Kevin Sumlin, could be his replacement. Jeff Toole, the chief financial officer for the Aggie athletic department, recently admitted to being critical of A&M president R. Bowen Loftin by using an alias on the popular website TexAgs.com. Un- Texas der the name UtayAg, Toole called After picking off his third pass Loftin a “putz,” and a “hopelessly of the season last week, cornerback under-qualified puppet.” Quandre Diggs is one pick shy of tying the UT freshman record for interceptions. Running back Joe Bergeron Oklahoma sat out against the Aggies as he is still Defensive end Frank Alexander recovering from a hamstring injury. had to be helped off the field after Texas has held 10 out of 11 opponents an injury last week, but head coach under their season rushing averBob Stoops expects him to play go- ages this year. The Longhorns hold ing forward. Wide receiver Jaz Reyn- a 73-23-4 advantage all-time over olds did not play against Iowa State the Bears, although the Bears’ last last week because of suspension but win of the series came just last year he is also projected to be back in the in Austin. starting lineup. Junior quarterback Landry Jones made his 35th career start for the Sooners last weekend, Kansas State moving him in to second place on Head coach Bill Snyder is among OU’s all-time list. It was also Jones’ the finalists chosen for the Liberty 32nd consecutive start. Mutual Coach of the Year Award, annually given to the nation’s most Baylor outstanding coach. He could even The Bears’ 66-42 rout of the Red add a share of the Big 12 conferRaiders was the first win for the ence title to his already impressive school in 15 tries. Running back resume this season. If the Wildcats Terrance Ganaway carried the ball defeat Iowa State and the Sooners a career-high 42 times for 246 yards lose to the Cowboys, both Oklahoagainst the Red Raiders. Ganaway ma teams along with the Wildcats also sustained a concussion but re- would finish in a three-way tie for turned after sitting out for just a few the conference crown. However, if plays. The Bears will have a chance this occurs the Sooners would repto win nine games in a season for the resent the conference in the Fiesta Bowl. first time since the 1986.

Texas Tech Cornerback Happiness Osunde suffered a serious knee injury last week. He will be evaluated for possible surgery this week. Running back DeAndre Washington and wide receiver Alex Torres will both undergo offseason knee surgery and could miss spring practice. The Red Raider defense gave up an average of 259 yards rushing per game over the course of the year, by far the most in the conference.

Iowa State

The Cyclones recently offered a scholarship to junior college transfer Cory Morrissey. Morrissey is a 6-foot-4, 245-pound defensive end that is transferring from Iowa Western Community College and will be able to participate next season. Cyclones’ head coach Paul Rhoads weighed in on the recent firing of Kansas coach Turner Gill, saying “it’s bad for our profession, coaches getting two years and then being let go. We’re in our third year [at Iowa Kansas State] and we’re just now starting to A terrible season for the Jayhawks see the physical differences needed came to a close last week as they fin- to compete in [the Big 12].”

Robert Griffin III, Junior QB Robert Griffin III has gone from being a solid player on a fringe bowl team to a household name and one of the top candidates for the Heisman Trophy. He has passed for 3,678 yards this season with 34 touchdowns to only five interceptions. He is second in the nation in passing efficiency and second in the nation in total offense this season. In addition to his gaudy passing numbers, Griffin is also a significant threat on the ground, with 612 yards on the ground this season. He is completing 72 percent of his passes this season and hasn’t thrown an interception since an overtime win against Kansas. His worst game this season came against Oklahoma State in which he threw for 425 yards, completed 66 percent of his passes, had one touchdown to two interceptions with a passer rating of 136 — his lowest of the season.

Orlin Wagner | Associated Press

Terrance Ganway, Senior RB Rounding out Baylor’s three-pronged attack on offense is Ganaway, who is the leading rusher in the Big 12 this season with Henry Josey out at Missouri. He has run for 1,195 yards this season and has two games with 200 yards rushing. However, he has been held to less than 100 yards rushing seven times this season, with two of his four lowest outputs of the season coming in the last three weeks. Against Texas Tech, however, he ran for a career-high 246 yards on almost six yards per carry. Behind Griffin, he is the other most important part of the offense, as his production allows Baylor to open up the game and allow Griffin to hit explosive receivers such as Wright. In losses to Texas A&M and Kansas State, he was held to 34 and 38 yards rushing, respectively, making the Baylor attack one dimensional. If he can get the ground game going, then Baylor will be tough to stop on Saturday.

Kendall Wright, Senior WR Kendall Wright is No.4 in the nation in receiving this season, and is No.1 in the Big 12 among active receivers (Oklahoma’s Ryan Broyles is No.3 nationally, but is out with torn ACL). He only has three games with less than 100 yards receiving, coming at 97 yards against Missouri. He has two 200-yard receiving games this season and three more games in which he passed 120 yards receiving. He has scored a touchdown in all but three games and is coming off a six-catch, 125-yard game against Texas Tech in which he had two touchdowns. A week after taking the best receiving unit in the conference, Texas will now take arguably the best and most explosive receiver in the Big 12.

Sharon Ellman | Associated Press

Friday, December 2, 2011

As year draws to close, fans proud of Texas’ step forward By Lauren Giudice Daily Texan Staff

As the season comes to a close on Saturday, fans can’t help but look back and compare this season to last year’s 5-7 debacle. Texas missed its first bowl game since 1997. Texas will be heading to a bowl game this year and have a 7-4 record. Fans are glad to see improvement this season from last year. “I would like for us to be back to 10-win seasons, but I also understand that you can’t just snap your fingers and expect to return to that without having a little bit of growing pains,” said 2006 Texas alumnus Ron Blancarte. Blacarte is a member of Longhorn Tailgate, a group who tailgates at 17th Street and Congress Avenue before every home game. He believes that if either Case McCoy or David Ash step up at quarterback, the offense will drastically improve.

“We need to have some stability in the position as well as sound leadership and more consistent play,” Blancarte said. “I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ll take whoever will be better and gives Texas the best chance to win. I am kind of hoping that both of them can make some improvements and next year we’ll see some better decision making and better accuracy.” Business and international relations sophomore Danni Taimuty feels that the fans have definitely had the team’s back this season. As a season ticket holder, she has seen the fans’ enthusiasm and excitement grow as the team’s record improves. “Last year, the stadium was half empty and a lot of students didn’t show up,” Taimuty said. “There wasn’t a lot of pride. But this year things are a lot different.” She has been especially impressed with the defense. The defense is second in the Big 12 in

points allowed per game at 21. In the past five weeks, only LSU and Alabama have been statistically better than Texas’ defense. “Part of the reason that games have been as close as they have been is because the defense is able to shut down the opposing team’s offense,” Taimuty said. She said that the pressue that is put on such a young team may be too much, especially last year coming off of a season where Texas went to the national championship. “That’s a lot to throw at a group of guys who have never played together and never played at this high level of intensity,” Taimuty said. “I do think that our will get better by the time we graduate.” Business honors sophomore Claire Schreiber said expectations for this team are very high and she is proud of the progress that has been made. Scheriber’s mom graduated from UT, so she

has been a Texas fan through thick and thin. “With any team, there are ups and downs,” she said. “If you love the school and the team enough, you keep pulling for them.” Blancarte, Taimuty and Schreiber are all excited for next season to see

the young team get even better. “Next year I definitely think they will get even better,” Scheriber said. “Even just looking at the difference between this year and last year it’s drastic. They’re a young team and you can tell that they’ve come leaps and bounds.”

Next issue: Dec. 7

Bowl Game

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Friday, December 2, 2011

GAMESTOWATCH — By Chris Hummer | Daily Texan Staff

No. 24 Southern Miss @ No. 6 Houston Overall 10-2 C-USA (6-2)

Overall 12-0 C-USA (8-0)

No. 14 Georgia @ No. 1 LSU Overall 10-2 SEC (7-1)

Michigan State @ Wisconsin

No.10 Oklahoma @ No. 3 Oklahoma State

Overall 12-0 SEC (8-0)

Overall 9-2 Big 12 (6-2)

Overall 10-1 Big 12 (7-1)

Overall 10-2 Big Ten (7-1)

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In the first big conference championship game of the day, Houston puts its undefeated season on the line against Southern Mississippi for the Conference USA championship. However, for the Cougars, there is much more on the line besides a conference title. If Houston remains undefeated they almost guarantee themselves a spot in the school’s first ever BCS bowl. It is also a huge game for the team’s quarterback, Case Keenum, who is in contention for a Heisman trophy after his video game-like stats this season, throwing for 4,726 yards and 43 touchdowns on only three interceptions. The Golden Eagles would like to prevent all of those scenarios from happening, and are well equipped to do so, if they play their best football. Southern Miss ranks in the top 25 in the country in offense and defense. The Eagles are also quietly only a pair of tough-luck, one-possession losses from being in Houston’s position as a no-loss BCS buster. The Golden Eagles will be Houston’s toughest test by far.

LSU has gone through one of the most brutal schedules in college football history this season, taking on three top-five teams and seven ranked squads this year. Fittingly, they will have take on one more ranked foe — Georgia — in order to win an SEC title and have an opportunity to compete in the National Title game. It won’t be an easy test either; the Bulldogs are one of the hottest teams in the country, winners of 10-straight SEC games. They are led on offense by one of the least talked about quality quarterbacks in the country, Aaron Murray, who has passed for 2,698 yards and 32 touchdowns as a sophomore. As adept as Murray has been this season, it is really the defense that is the calling card of this squad — they allow only 17.8 points a game and have not given up more than 28 points since Week 2 of the season. If Georgia’s defense has been good this year, LSU’s has been that great and then some. The Tigers allow only 10.8 points a game, despite facing some of the best offenses in the nation.

Oklahoma has dominated the ‘Bedlam’ series the last few seasons, winning the last eight contests by a combined score of 343-178. However, this year’s iteration could be — and has to be — different for Oklahoma State if it wants to keep its national championship hopes alive. The Cowboys are the higher-ranked team coming into the game, which has been the case the last two seasons, but that has been to no avail for them so far. This year they check in at No. 3 in the country, they have dominated opponents all season, and if it weren’t for an unthinkable slipup to Iowa State two weeks ago, they would be a lock for the title game, with a victory at home against the Sooners. Both schools feature explosive offenses that average more than 42 points a contest, with most of those points coming from the air. The Cowboys come in with the second-best aerial assault in the nation at 401.6 yards a game, and the Sooners are right behind them in third. Expect defense to be critical in this pivotal game for the ‘Sooner State.’

The Big Ten is America’s oldest Division 1 athletic conference, but despite all the history it carries, there has never been a conference championship game in Big Ten football. That all changes this weekend, when Michigan State and Wisconsin square off Saturday evening in primetime, and the winner will represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin represented the conference last season in Pasadena, and this year’s Badgers squad could be even better than last years. They are led by senior quarterback Russell Wilson who has stabilized their offense, forcing teams to pay attention to the pass, instead of putting eight in the box every possession to stop their fourth ranked rushing attack. Their defense is great, too, allowing only 15.2 points a game, shutting down Big Ten teams all season. Michigan State faces a tough test to deal with that kind of talent, but the Spartans have a knack for winning tough games. Many recall the Hail Mary the Spartans beat Wisconsin with earlier this season, so they’ll be looking for revenge.

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Friday, December 2, 2011

2011HEISMANWATCH

— By Nick Cremona | Daily Texan Staff

1 Dave Martin | Associated Press

2 3

Trent Richardson RB Alabama

Week 13 at Auburn- Rushing: 27 carries, 203 yards (7.5 ypc) Receiving: 1 reception, 5 yards, 1 TD Season Stats- Rushing: 263 carries, 1,583 yards (6.0 ypc), 20 TD Receiving: 27 receptions, 327 yards (12.1 ypc), 3 TD

Although he didn’t find the endzone on the ground for only the third game this year, Richardson did spearhead a dominant offensive gameplan that pummeled rival Auburn 42-17 last weekend. He also topped 200 yards rushing for the first time this season while adding a receiving score to his resume. In all but three games this year, Richardson has gone past the 100-yard rushing mark and scored at least one touchdown, precisely why he sits atop the most recent Heisman Expert’s Poll. Richardson and the Tide aren’t participating in the SEC title game due to their earlier loss to LSU, but with their No. 2 national ranking it seems as if they are headed for the National Championship game anyhow.

Andrew Luck QB Stanford

Week 13 vs. Notre Dame- 20/30 (66.7%), 233 yards, 4 TD 1 INT Season Stats- Passing: 261/373 (70.0%), 3,170 yards, 35 TD 9 INT Rushing: 43 carries, 153 yards (3.6 ypc), 2 TD Once again Luck was efficient enough to lead his team over a pretty good Notre Dame squad. He also surpassed two of the former Cardinal quarterback John Elway’s records in the win; one for career touchdown passes (78) and another for single-season touchdown passes (33). Those are no small records, and that’s just another reason Luck remains close to the top of the Heisman rankings. You can’t help but think that his projection into playing in the NFL has a little to do with his Heisman hopes as well. Whatever the case, he is having a good year and is still one of the most accurate passers in the nation. There’s no doubt Luck will be among the top-three vote getters in New York come the end of the year.

Robert Griffin III QB Baylor

Week 13 vs. Texas Tech- Passing: 7/11 (63.6%), 106 yards, 1 TD Rushing: 14 carries, 62 yards, 2 TD Season Stats- Passing: 252/347 (72.6%), 3,678 yards, 34 TD 5 INT Rushing: 149 carries, 612 yards (4.1 ypc), 7 TD One can only speculate at what sort of gaudy numbers Griffin would have put up in last week’s game against the Red Raiders had he returned from an apparent concussion, but he wasn’t too shabby in just under two quarters of work either. His numbers are still competitive but he’ll need a solid performance this week against the Longhorns if he wants to jump Richardson and Luck. I can’t imagine head coach Art Briles keeping RGIII out of this week’s game so expect backup Nick Florence to return to bench, even after his on-the-spot performance a week ago.

Case Keenum QB Houston

Week 13 at Tulsa- 33/46 (71.7%), 457 yards, 5 TD Season Stats- Passing: 342/467 (73.2%), 4,726 yards, 43 TD 3 INT Rushing: 44 carries, 43 yards, 3 TD

It’s hard not to root for this guy. Don’t forget this is the same guy that tore his ACL in the third game of the season just last season. After Keenum went down the Cougars’ backup quarterback, Cotton Turner, went down with a fractured clavicle in the same game and was also lost for the year. This season things are a bit different as the Cougars are in prime position to reach the Sugar Bowl for the first time. Ever. No team from C-USA has ever reached a BCS bowl in fact. Even after all the run-and-shoot teams the Cougars had in the early ‘90s where they would sometimes score 80 points, they never did reach the Sugar. If Keenum and the Cougars can get past Southern Miss in the C-USA title game they can put to rest any talk about not being a legitimate BCS contender.

5 Morry Gash | Associated Press

Tony Gutierrez | Associated Press

MonteeBall RB Wisconsin

Week 13 vs. Penn State- 25 carries, 156 yards (6.2 ypc), 4 TD Season Stats- Rushing: 248 carries, 1,622 yards (6.5 ypc), 29 TD Receiving: 17 receptions, 248 yards (14.6 ypc), 5 TD At the beginning of the season it was another Badger receiving Heisman consideration, but Ball has been so consistent this year he needs to be mentioned among the top performers in 2011. Ball fits the mold of a Badger running back, checking in at a stout 5-foot11 and 210 pounds. He’s second in the nation in total rushing yards and his 29 rushing scores are the most in the country. Even Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein’s monster season of 24 rushing touchdowns is still a ways off of Ball’s incredible total. Add his five receiving scores to that total and now his numbers are among the most impressive of any player in college football. To put it simply, Ball has rushed for no less than 60 yards and a touchdown in every game this season. Talk about dependability.

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Friday, December 2, 2011

TEXANSTAFFPICKS Sameer Bhuchar

Trey Scott

Austin Laymance

Christian Corona

Nick Cremona

Lauren Giudice

Wes Maulsby

Chris Hummer

Last Week’s Record

(10-0)

(9-1)

(8-2)

(6-4)

(9-1)

(7-3)

(10-0)

Overall Record

(69-31)

(75-25)

(73-24)

(69-31)

(61-39)

(72-28)

(71-29)

(79-21)

No. 22 Texas at No. 17 Baylor

TEXAS

BAYLOR

TEXAS

BAYLOR

TEXAS

HOUSTON

LSU

OKLAHOMA STATE

OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA STATE

OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA STATE

WISCONSIN

MICHIGAN STATE

WISCONSIN

No. 24 Southern Mississippi at No. 6 Houston

No. 14 Georgia vs. No. 1 LSU

No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 3 Oklahoma State No. 15 Wisconsin vs. No. 13 Michigan State No. 5 Virginia Tech vs. No. 20 Clemson

Iowa State at No. 11 Kansas State

New Mexico at No. 7 Boise State

Wyoming at Colorado State

Fresno State at San Diego State

VIRGINIA TECH VIRGINIA TECH VIRGINIA TECH VIRGINIA TECH VIRGINIA TECH VIRGINIA TECH VIRGINIA TECH

VIRGINIA TECH

KANSAS STATE KANSAS STATE KANSAS STATE KANSAS STATE KANSAS STATE KANSAS STATE KANSAS STATE

KANSAS STATE

BOISE STATE

WYOMING

COLORADO STATE

WYOMING

FRESNO STATE

SAN DIEGO STATE