Double Coverage 2012-11-02

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the daily texan presents

November 2, 2012

Vol. 7, issue 10

strong arm steady page 12

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Friday, november 2, 2012

thelineup 4 6

BCS...Or bust?

In the same position as they were after eight games this time last season, the Longhorns still believe they have a shot at a BCS bowl bid.

Gray Garners start

After rushing for over 100 yards for the first time as a Longhorn, Johnathan Gray will get the start this week at running back. His father played a little ball, too.

No. 33 Steve Edmond | Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff Cover photo by Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan file photo

previews&Notebooks Games to watch

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big 12 Power Rankings

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Keys to the game

18

Heisman watch

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national notebook

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big 12 Notebook

the daily texan presents

november 2, 2012

Vol. 7, issue 10

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

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from cold case to controversy

Case McCoy stepped up his game against Kansas, but he’s been relegated to the bench once again. Meanwhile, David Ash uses his experience as the starter to retool his game to better help Texas.

Teams ready to tussle

This highly-anticipated meeting between the Longhorns and Red Raiders has fans from all over the state riled up and ready for a game to remember.

If you found yourself feeling a bit queasy after last week’s win over Kansas, you weren’t alone. Texas takes the show on the road to Lubbock this week. My prediction—Texas 35, Texas Tech 42. Double Coverage returns Nov. 9 to preview Iowa State.

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Texas in search of consistency

By Lauren Giudice Though the Longhorns are nearing the end of the season with only four games left, they are still looking to find consistency on both sides of the ball.

Other than during Texas’ blowout loss to Oklahoma and its narrow win over Kansas, the offense was the only unfailing aspect of the Longhorns.

Texas scored on its first drive against Kansas and then couldn’t find the end zone until there was less than 10 minutes left in the game.

This inability to create opportunities led to a quarterback change and required a last-minute touchdown to clinch the win over a team that has not defeated an FBS team this season.

Offensive guard Trey Hopkins attributes that slow start and inconsistency to overconfidence due to scoring on the first drive. He said that kind of mentality is fixable. Fellow lineman Mason Walters chimed in with a similar thought.

“I really just think that creating a level of consistency

WALTERS continues on page 14

Lawrence Peart | Daily Texan Staff Tony Pierson (3) breaks free from an arm tackle by Quandre Diggs (6) during last week’s game in Lawrence, Kan. Tackling has been an issue for the Longhorns a;l season, but after the offense failed to make strides against the Jayhawks, the focus has begun to shift to the opposite side of the ball.

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friday, november 2, 2012

Chances at BCS bowl beginning to dwindle for UT

By Christian Corona Sports Editor

6-2. This is familiar territory for Texas.

This time last year, the Longhorns had won six of their first eight games, exceeding the number of victories they accumulated the previous year, and checked in at No. 16 in the BCS standings.

They aren’t ranked quite as high right now, but the Longhorns are still in that same 6-2 spot. They said they came into the season intending to run the table but, while they’re a bad snap against West Virginia away from being 7-1, they’re also a pair of fourth-down completions against Oklahoma State and Kansas away from being 4-4. “‘We choose our own destiny. Y’all can either start playing hard or this season’s going downhill,’” senior safety Kenny Vaccaro said he told the Texas defense. “If you win out, yeah it’s really possible.

10-2, that’s a great season, especially with Kansas State in there. That’s a great team.”

Now Vaccaro and many of his teammates are saying that they believe Texas can win out, which would give the Longhorns their first 10-win season since they played for a national title following the 2009 regular season.

Does that give Texas a chance to play for a BCS bowl?

“I feel like we can still go to a BCS bowl,” junior wide receiver Mike Davis said.

“We’ve got hope. College football today is crazy. You can lose at anytime. You don’t ever know what can happen.

You just have to be ready.”

Theoretically, of course, the Longhorns, with 10 wins and two of them coming against Texas Tech and Kansas State, could make a strong case to

Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff James Sims (29) looks downfield as he cruises past Kenny Vaccaro (4). Sims would finish the game with a career-high 176 yards rushing on 28 carries. The Longhorns may not have to worry about the Red Raiders racking up a ton of yards on the ground, but they will have their hands full with the rest of the Texas Tech offense.

earn a BCS bowl berth. But, realistically speaking, there’s no way that will happen.

Lubbock is a tough enough place to play as it is. But Texas Tech, boasting a much im-

proved defense and facing a Texas offense that struggled against last-place Kansas, could very well beat Texas by double digits Saturday. As it stands right now, the Red

Raiders are eight-point favorites this weekend.

“There’s a lot of two-loss teams right now that are not happy,” head coach Mack Brown said. “We win only two

of the last five games and we were in the same spot last year.

We lost at Missouri, we lost a tough one to Kansas State, we beat A&M and then we lost to Baylor and won the bowl

game. What we’ve got to do is play better down the stretch than we did last year.”

Texas’ two games following

STRETCH continues on page 15

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No more pushing around Red Raiders

By Nick Cremona Double Coverage Editor

Despite an 11-3 career record against Texas Tech, Mack Brown has every reason to be scared on the trip to Lubbock this weekend.

Brown’s Longhorns are fresh off what would have been an exhilirating comefrom-behind win over Kansas if it had not come against arguably the worst team in the nation. Texas somehow managed to let the Jayhawks run all over, around and through its defense — something that has become commonplace for opposing offenses as the season wanes.

Brown was on the verge of his worst loss at Texas and was saved by the grace of Case McCoy. Now faced with questions surrounding the quarterback position (again), the song remains the same for Texas according to Brown.

“There’s a lot of two-loss teams out there that are really, really good football teams,” Brown said. “Some are talked about as teams that could possibly win a national championship. We were sitting here last year at the same spot. We were 6-2 and didn’t finish well.”

And the Kool-Aid continues to be passed around.

Brown has effectively brainwashed his team into believing they can still compete with the best teams in the nation. The past three seasons have shown that to be the farthest from the truth.

The Red Raiders have been slowly turning the corner from bottom feeder to conference contender under Tommy Tuberville, and in this his third year

it seems as if his patience has finally paid off. At 6-2, Tech has played well both at home and on the road and its only two losses have come to the Big 12’s best in Oklahoma and Kansas State. Something big may be brewing in Lubbock, and it smells like defense.

Tuberville has turned a perennial doormat into an aggressive squad that sits at No. 12 in the nation in total defense. The Red Raiders have always been able to put up points, but their defense was always lacking.

Despite its new-found defensive identity, Tech has given up the most

touchdowns (24) out of any of the nation’s Top 15 overall defenses. The Red Raiders are giving up an average of 300 total yards which leaves the door just ajar enough for the Longhorns to make this game interesting.

For the most part offensive production hasn’t been a major concern for Texas.

It’s been its much-maligned defense. It’s not even worth saying any one player or unit on the Longhorns’ defense is elite, or however you want to categorize greatness, because the numbers have proved that

TEST continues on page 15

Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan file photo Joe Bergeron, above, rattled off 191 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Red Raiders in Austin last year. If Texas is to win in Lubbock this time around it will need another big performance from Bergeron.

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friday, november 2, 2012

Lawrence Peart | Daily Texan Staff Johnathan Gray (32) is corraled by Kansas defenders during the Longhorns’ 21-17 win over Kansas in Lawrence last weekend. Gray rushed for a career-high 111 yards on 18 carries.

By Chris Hummer

Gray’s anatomy fits at UT

Johnathan Gray didn’t grow up idolizing any halfback legends. Instead, he watched tape of his dad.

That’s not to say his dad, James, was a slouch himself. James Gray was a local high school legend halfback, just like Johnathan, and went on to become the second-leading rusher in Texas Tech history.

However, despite their shared DNA, the pair are quite different. Johnathan may have taken pieces of his dad’s game and incorporated them into his own, but the way they approach each rushing attempt is about as similar as the job of the kicker and an

offensive lineman.

“He was bigger than I was more of a power back, downhill runner,” Johnathan Gray said. “He’ll run somebody over before he makes somebody miss and I’ll make somebody miss before I run them over. We’re two different backs with two different styles of running.”

Still, it can’t be denied that James had a heavy influence on Johnathan’s ascent to the top of the Texas running back heap.

First at Aledo High School where he shattered the record books and became the No. 1 tailback recruit in the class of 2012. Now less than a year later, he’s atop the depth chart at Texas and will make his first career start when the Longhorns roll into Lubbock

this Saturday.

Gray’s elevation has been extraordinarily quick for a freshman who was fourth on the depth chart only eight weeks ago, and even Johnathan admits he’s surprised to be a starter so quickly.

However, head coach Mack Brown had nothing but a laundry list of positive things to say about his newly-minted 18-year-old starter who’s already rushed for 435 yards on only 81 carries.

“Johnathan is really tough,” Brown said.

“He is so mature for a freshman. He’s got good ball security. He can catch. He’s learning his pass protections better.”

GRAY continues on page 15

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games to watch

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friday, november 2, 2012

peter sblendorio daily texan staff

no. 1 alabama at no. 5 lsu Overall 8-0 SEC 5-0

no. 24 oklahoma st. at no. 2 kansas st.

Overall 5-2 Big 12 3-1

Overall 7-1 SEC 3-1

Overall 8-0 Big 12 5-0

no. 4 oregon at no. 17 usc Overall 8-0 Pac-12 5-0

Overall 6-2 Pac-12 4-2

no. 16 texas A&m at no. 15 Mississippi state Overall 6-2 SEC 3-2

Overall 7-1 SEC 3-1

Tiger Stadium Saturday 7 p.m.

TV: CBS

Bill Snyder Stadium Saturday 7 p.m.

TV: ABC

Los Angeles Coliseum Saturday 6 p.m.

TV: FOX

Davis Wade Stadium Saturday 11 a.m.

TV: ESPN

The Crimson Tide have boasted the nation’s top defense, as they lead the nation in allowing just 8.1 points per game. AJ McCarron has enjoyed a breakout season and is leading Alabama on offense, throwing for 1,684 yards and 18 touchdowns without an interception. LSU also has a Top-Ten defense, as it has held opponents to 14.6 points per contest, and offensively it has typically been strong enough to win. The Tigers are coming off of a pair of wins over ranked opponents in their last two games. The winner of this game will control its own destiny in the SEC West, making it college football’s most intriguing matchup.

Kansas State’s Collin Klein is likely the Heisman favorite at this point, as he has led the nation’s fifth-highest scoring offense by throwing for 12 touchdowns and rushing for 16 more. Oklahoma State is just as good on offense as the Wildcats, as running back Joseph Randle has followed up his strong 2011 season with 891 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground for the Cowboys. Oklahoma State has been vulnerable on defense at times, but it is on a three-game conference win streak and will look to play spoiler for the Wildcats’ championship hopes Saturday.

USC has not been able to live up to its preseason No. 1 ranking, but the Trojans have still been formidable. USC has been upset twice and they are yet to beat a ranked opponent. Oregon, on the other hand, has established itself as the team to beat in the Pac-12, and it leads the nation with an average of 53.4 points per game. Four running backs have gained for at least 350 yards for the Ducks this season, while eight different Oregon receivers have notched at least 100 yards through the air. The Ducks are right in the thick of the national championship discussion, while a Trojans win would put a serious damper on their conference rival’s title aspirations.

After beginning the year 7-0, Mississippi State suffered its first loss last week against Alabama. Led by a strong defense and the efficient play of quarterback Tyler Russell, the Bulldogs still have a chance at a conference title, but another loss would likely be the nail in the coffin. The Aggies have played better than anticipated, but have been unable to win in their toughest matchups against Florida and LSU. Johnny Manziel has been a revelation at quarterback this season, as he leads the team in both passing and rushing, but he will have a tough task in dismantling the Bulldogs’ defense.

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Orlin Wagner | Associated Press Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville talks with linebacker Will Smith (7) during the second half of a game against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan., Oct. 27. Kansas State defeated Texas Tech, 55-24.

Horns won’t have much room for error

By Sara Beth Purdy Against Baylor, Texas was able to rely on an underperforming Baylor defense that was ranked dead-last in the FBS in total defense.

In preparing for Kansas, the Longhorns could take solace in knowing that despite their own personal struggles, Kansas was 1-6 on the season and winless in

the Big 12.

When Texas travels to Lubbock this weekend, it has little to rely on as it did in the past two games, and nothing short of a miracle to hope for. In addition, thanks to the Aggies’ departure to the SEC, Texas Tech remains as the Longhorn’s biggest instate rival.

“I’m from Austin. It’s huge for me. We haven’t beaten them since I’ve been here.

I take this a little personal,” said Tech senior safety D.J. Johnson of the rivalry against Texas. “I’m keeping us motivated and being inspirational in every way that I can.”

Although No. 18 Texas Tech has the same 6-2 season record and 3-2 conference record that Texas does, the Red Raiders have consistently outperformed Texas throughout the season.

Tech has dominated when expected and lost when expected. Its only losses have come to No. 2 Kansas State and No. 12 Oklahoma, both acceptable by means of those teams sitting atop the Big 12 standings.

Texas Tech is ranked 12th in total defense and 11th in total offense. Texas, on the other hand, is 96th in total defense and 38th in total offense. Texas’ 56th

ranked passing defense will also face its toughest competition against the thirdranked receiving attack in the country.

The Texas running back duo of Joe Bergeron and Johnathan Gray, assuming Malcolm Brown is still sidelined with his ankle injury, will have a slightly easier time then the rest of the Longhorns when the No. 32 Texas rushing offense faces

the No. 27 Tech rushing defense, the Raiders’ lowestranked defensive unit.

“They’re a good running team; they’re physical,” Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville said of his concerns about facing Texas.

“Last year it was a debacle.

We never slowed them down ... I’m sure they’re going to test us out ... we’re a better defense than we were a year ago.”

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slow down the offense Texas Tech possesses one of the best offenses in the country, with a passing attack that is a perennial juggernaut. The Red Raiders rank No. 12 in total offense and No. 3 in passing this season. Led by quarterback Seth Doege, they pass the ball efficiently and frequently every week, scoring points in surplus against almost every opponent. Tech has scored over 20 points in every contest this year and has only lost two games which were against equally impressive offenses. The Longhorns have had trouble all season preventing big plays.

Against an offense that makes a living from big plays, Texas needs to step up its pass defense. The defense should use its strength in its defensive line to get pressure on Doege and force him into bad passes. Both of Tech’s losses came in games in which it turned the ball over three times. Texas Tech has shown that it can erupt at any moment with long and short passes, so Texas will really need to step up its coverage. Bump receivers at the line, hit ball carriers hard, get pressure on the quarterback, whatever Texas needs to do to disrupt the flow of the Texas Tech offense.

establish the run A key that seems to appear almost every week could be the key to victory for the Longhorns yet again. In both of Texas Tech’s losses, their opponents established the running game to set the tempo of the game. Oklahoma racked up 121 yards on the ground, while Kansas State pounded the line and scored four rushing touchdowns in a rout. Texas’ backs are known for reeling off big runs, especially in the red zone when Joe Bergeron is let out of the cage. In order to discourage the Tech defense and keep up with the elite offense, Texas should look to use the running game to wear Tech out. Let Johnathan Gray pick up those tough first downs early in the drive, and have Bergeron pound in another red zone score to add to his 15 on the year. With the unclear quarterback situation for the Longhorns, picking up solid yardage on the ground could give confidence and momentum to whatever signal caller is in the game. Establishing a tempo that fits their game plan will wear down the Texas Tech defense and allow the No. 8 ranked offense do its work.

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make adjustments A big reason for the struggles of the Longhorns has been their inability to adjust when problems reveal themselves. When Oklahoma ran the ball with authority, leaving their passing game as an afterthought at several points, Texas didn’t up the pressure. When West Virginia used short passes over the middle to open up running lanes, Texas didn’t fill the box with defenders. The Longhorns must find a way to outsmart the Red Raiders in a game that showcases two great offenses.

If the Red Raiders find a flaw in the Longhorns game plan, they will likely keep attacking it like many other opponents have done. If Texas wants to win this game, they must identify their weaknesses early on and fix them. If they wait around and hope things work out in the end, they will be looking at another Big 12 loss.

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Raiders powered by frenzied faithful and cozy stadium

By Ryan Haddox We remember the sequence of the day’s events all too well.

In 2008, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns marched into Jones AT&T Stadium on the high plains of Lubbock looking to keep their undefeated season and national championship aspirations alive.

Awaiting them were the fifth-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders, salivating at the chance to ruin Texas’ undefeated season while keeping their own dream season intact. ESPN’s College Gameday was in attendance, and for the night, all eyes were fixated on a tiny West Texas town to see who would prove to be victorious.

Colt McCoy and the Longhorns got off to a slow start as their first play from scrimmage was blown up by the Red Raiders, resulting in a safety and the game’s first points. A pair of Hunter Lawrence field goals in the second quarter got Texas on the board, but Graham Harrell and company put together a 22-6 halftime lead for the Red Raiders. Texas fought its way back in the second half, finally erasing the deficit with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter thanks to an 11 play, 80-yard drive capped off by a four-yard touchdown run by Vondrell McGee. The Longhorns had silenced the raucous crowd, and appeared as though they had put an end to the Red Raiders fairy tale season.

On the ensuing drive, Graham Harrell took the ball at the 38-yard line and began to march. Texas safety Blake Gideon nearly clinched the game by intercepting a deflected pass at the Texas 14-yard line, but couldn’t secure the catch, giving the Red Raiders one more chance with eight seconds remaining from the 28-yard line. One more shot was all they needed, and the sequence that followed will forever be remembered.

Harrell dropped back and hit superstar wideout Michael Crabtree six yards outside the end zone. Crabtree broke through the tackles of Earl Thomas and Curtis Brown and, surrealy, walked into the end zone. Game, set and match.

The Red Raiders had won what was dubbed the biggest football game in school history, leaving the Horns and their fan base with a gutted, empty feeling. Texas was left out of the BCS National Championship game due to a three-way tie breaker in the Big 12 that awarded the appearance to Oklahoma, making the scar from the game a deep and agonizing reminder of what could have been.

Jones Stadium has long been a difficult road venue for Big 12 teams to venture to. In 2002, the fourth-ranked Longhorns lost 42-38 to an unranked Tech team. In 2007, it was the Oklahoma Sooners who felt the pain of playing in Lubbock, as they waltzed in with the third-ranked team in the country, and left with a 34-27 defeat. The No. 14 ranked Missouri Tigers headed to Jones Stadium in 2010 and they were

Andrew Rogers | Daily Texan file photos Top: Red Raider fans are some of the most boisterous in the Big 12, and many don body paint in lieu of clothing for home games.

Left: Strong safety Lance Fuller (24) releases some steam during the 2008 game against the Longhorns.

Right: Jordan Shipley (8) is wrapped up by a pair of Texas Tech defenders during the 2008 meeting between the Red Raiders and Longhorns in Lubbock.

also upset 24-17. And just three short weeks ago, the newest member of the Big 12 found out how difficult of a place Lubbock is to play, as the fifth-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers were decimated to the tune of 49-14, all but crushing their biggest goals and aspirations.

Prolific quarterback play makes road games to Tech even more treacherous. Current quarterback Seth Doege is merely building upon the tradition set in place by the likes of Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie, Cody Hodges and Harrell. All were near the top nationally in total passing yards, helped by Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense. When Leach was forced out in 2009, it was assumed by some the

Red Raiders’ offense would weaken. Not so. Under coach Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech has had the nation’s No. 15 offense (2010), the No. 13 offense (2011) and the No. 11 offense (2012).

It is fitting the Longhorns get to travel 400 miles to West Texas the weekend after Halloween, because Lubbock has become a haunted house for Big 12 title contenders. A smaller venue that puts a hellacious crowd right on top of the football field, Jones Stadium is no place to get caught overlooking what is often a very scrappy bunch of farm-raised kids.

One twist: for the first time in awhile, it is the Red Raiders who will be favored.

No. 6 Case McCoy | Lawrence Peart | Daily Texan Staff

ash knows he must continually grow in order to keep his job

By Lauren Giudice Garrett Gilbert would have been a senior at Texas this year. Case McCoy is a junior.

Both stood above David Ash in age and experience at one point.

Let’s go out on a limb and say that Ash didn’t expect to play such a big role so early in his career at Texas.

But now he’s in this role. After Saturday, for how much longer is the question.

With the exceptions of the games against Oklahoma and Kansas, he has shown improvement and maturity. But last year he was plagued with inconsistency and threw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns and completed 57 percent of his passes.

“You never want to look at the past because nothing you’ve done in the past affects what you’re going to do in the present,” Ash said before the Oklahoma State game. “You just have to take it one play at a

time and concentrate on what you’re doing and try to do your job the best you can.”

Now, it’s time for him to prove himself as McCoy is breathing down his neck.

Maybe he didn’t expect to be the starter so early in his career, but the next four games will either solidify or unravel his claim of that coveted spot atop of the depth chart. His coaches seem to have a lot of faith in him and kept him as the starter this week even though McCoy saved Texas from a loss to Kansas.

“I’m very thankful,” Ash said. “They’re putting their trust in me.”

Ash will be taking on Texas Tech’s stout defense, and after the Red Raiders, Texas will face Iowa State, TCU and Kansas State.

While Texas’ toughest stretch was its first three Big 12 games of the season, the next four will not be easy. A lot rides on these next four games for Ash. Co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin tells Ash that the formula for success is

simple-It entails passion and hard work.

“It’s about being a winner and having a winner’s habits, mentality and everything,” Ash said.

Ash has shown his toughness this season, as he has bounced back from a left wrist injury that he incurred during Texas’ loss to Oklahoma. After a tough outing against the Sooners, he led the Longhorns to 56 points with 274 passing yards against Baylor. He also brought back the Longhorns for a last minute win over Oklahoma State.

Now, he’ll need to bounce back again after being benched.

“He’s shown me that he can lead this team and be tough,” wide receiver Mike Davis said. “He’s smarter. He just showed me what kind of leader he really is.”

Davis saw Ash working hard in the weight room and knew his improvement this year was inevitable.

When sharing the starting spot with McCoy, Ash struggled. Whether it was a con-

fidence issue, inexperience or an inability to find rhythm while switching in and out, he doesn’t want to be in a two-quarterback system again.

Ash said different quarterbacks take different amounts of time to adjust to new teams and systems. Other than the Oklahoma and Kansas nightmares, Ash appears to have finally found his way around the offense.

“There’s been some quarterbacks who can come in as a true freshman and get a pretty good handle on things. As a quarterback, as players, as people in general, we’re creatures of habit,” Ash said. “So whenever you’re coming into a new place, a new situation, learning a new offense, playing a different kind of game, you have to create some new habits. Sometimes you have some really bad ones you got to get out of and form new ones. Sometimes it takes a while.”

It took a little while for Ash. His growth has been obvious this year. But as he’s quick to point out, this season is far from over.

No. 14 David Ash | Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff

McCOY proves he can fill in when needed, prepares like starter

By Chris Hummer It took only one drive for Case McCoy to make his case for the starting nod.

After David Ash was benched due to three quarters of poor play, McCoy was inserted in order to provide a spark.

He delivered.

McCoy marched the Longhorns down the field for a game-winning 70-yard touchdown drive. It involved a timely fourth down conversion and a gutsy 39-yard pass to Mike Davis, in which he made an audible at the line telling Davis to run a double move instead of a streak. McCoy later capped off the drive with a touchdown pass to D.J. Grant, a throw that saved Texas from the abyss of perhaps its worst loss in school history.

It was a clutch performance from a player whose family has made a habit of pulling off the impossible.

“That McCoy magic came out and pulled

it off,” offensive lineman Mason Walters said.

It was a heroic moment, but at least for now, it will be the only chance McCoy gets. Mack Brown again named Ash the starter, citing his strong performances throughout the year.

However, as effective as Ash has been – he has a 150.3 passer rating and a better than 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio – he has floundered in some critical moments. Notably, in his poor performance against Oklahoma (13-for-29 for 113 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions) and his disappearing act against a weak Kansas defense. Against the Jayhawks he went 8-for-16 with two picks and only 63 yards in three-and-half quarters of play.

“I was disappointed that I got a little frustrated in the game,” Ash said. “I’m not going to remain frustrated. That’s something I might have done last year.”

Therein lies the problem, it’s something he would have done last year. While, McCoy’s late comeback is something he’s done through-

out his career. He just has a particular energy around him that his teammates are drawn to.

“Nothing surprises me with Case,” cornerback Quandre Diggs said. “He’s just a football player. He comes out and plays each and every weekend. He prepares just like he’s a starter. Seeing him throw those balls that last series, it’s something that you expect.”

Those expectations have been preceded by a number of gutsy performances that have bailed his team out of losses. He led the team to a win after Garrett Gilbert was benched against BYU last season, and commanded a last-second drive at Kyle Field which will forever live in Texas lore.

McCoy has a confidence about him that many quarterbacks lack. He might not have the size, accuracy, overall athletic nature or arm strength of Ash, but he makes up for it in moxie and confidence.

This is the reason he not only expected to start this week, but every week.

“I’ve expected to be the starter since I got

here,” McCoy said. “That’s my goal. I didn’t come here to be a backup.”

But, that’s the role he’s been handed this season, and he will continue to do it well.

He prepares like a starter and has grown into the backup role.

Last season he wouldn’t prepare as much as he needed to for games he wasn’t projected to start, and it showed in his performances. The Missouri game comes to mind, in which he went 3-for-7 for only 13 yards in relief of Ash. However, this season he’s been Texas’ supersub, and it’s a role he’s shined in.

“I got thrown into some situations when I wasn’t ready, ended up losing the game,” McCoy said. “That hung on my head for a long time. I made a commitment to myself and my team that would never happen again.”

McCoy will continue to be Texas’ safety net, waiting for his opportunity to start once again. But, one things for sure, the next time Ash struggles the McCoy magic will be there to save the day.

14

players to watch

14

friday, november 2, 2012

matt warden daily texan staff

darrin moore

eric ward

senior wide receiver

junior wide receiver

The senior is the second leading receiver on this Red Raider offense, having amassed 440 yards and eight touchdowns with a team-leading 43 catches on the season. Moore is not the first option in the passing game, but his size seems intriguing given what Texas’ game plan will likely be in this game. The Longhorns have had problems tackling and stopping big plays and will look to marginalize the speed of Texas Tech’s receivers to slow them down. Moore is a guy who stands a tall 6-foot-4 which makes him a matchup nightmare for the small Texas defensive backs. Moore is averaging 10 yards per reception which shows he can pick up yards after the catch. If the Red Raiders can establish their passing attack early on, look for Moore to show up big especially in the red zone.

Wearing down their speed will leave open long passes down the field for Moore to go up and get over smaller defenders.

kerry hyder junior defensive end Hyder passes the eye test, coming in at 6-foot-2, 281 pounds. He is a big defensive tackle who plugs up the running lanes well and causes trouble for quarterbacks when he gets into the backfield. The junior leads the team with four sacks and nine and a half tackles for loss this season. The Longhorns garner much of their success from their solid running game, so Hyder should be a guy they need to keep out of the backfield. With the quarterback situation a bit unclear for Texas at the moment, Hyder could complicate things even more with the pressure he will bring. Texas needs to keep its eyes upon him at all times.

Photos from Associated Press

The leading receiver for the solid Tech offense is junior Eric Ward. Ward has caught 41 passes for a team leading 517 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He is coming off his best performance against No. 2 Kansas State in which he caught 11 passes for 161 yards.

Ward should be a dangerous option for Doege to look for after coming off a career day against the best team in the Big 12. Ward is an average-sized receiver at 6-foot-1, 204 pounds, but his 12.6 yards per catch indicate that he has elite speed. Texas continued to have problems tackling even against a vastly inferior Kansas team and Ward could create many of the same problems.

seth doege senior quarterback The Big 12 may be ruled by big names like Geno Smith and Collin Klein, but there’s a quarterback in Lubbock making big waves. Seth Doege has compiled top-tier numbers through nine weeks of the season. He has passed for 2,540 yards and 30 touchdowns to only eight interceptions.

Completing an impressive 70 percent of his passes has made Doege a consistently reliable captain for the No. 3 passing attack in the country. As a senior, Doege makes up for his 5-foot-11 frame with excellent experience.

Doege has passed for over 200 yards and compiled at least a 120 passer rating in all but one game this season. His statistics are proof that despite his team’s disappointing performances against Oklahoma and Kansas State, Doege can hurt just about any defense with his arm. The Longhorns should look to pressure Doege and add to his sack total — which stands at 11 so far — if they want to slow down this prolific offense.

WALTERS continues from page 3 within our scheme is what we need to do,” Walters said.

“We, as players, need to take that personally and that’s really on us to play to the same level week in and week out.

We need to find that level that you can go for twelve weeks and play on it.”

The offense accumulated three penalties during the game and Ash threw two interceptions. Co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin

said those mistakes shot the offense in the foot and contributed to its lack of scoring.

Texas only scored 21 points against Kansas and Oklahoma even though it has been averaging 41.50 points per game, the eighth highest average in the country.

Oklahoma boasts the 17th-best defense in the country, but the Jayhawks’ defense should not have been able to hold Texas to just 342

total yards.

While the offense was inconsistent against Kansas, the defense has been consistently struggling this season.

Though it had its best game of the season last Saturday, breakdowns in the second quarter helped the Jayhawks to consecutive touchdowns on two drives.

“You can’t just play great one quarter and come back and stink it up in the sec-

ond quarter because that’s how you get beat,” sophomore cornerback Quandre Diggs said. “You have to go out and play all four quarters and I feel like it will click. I feel like we improved a lot as a defense this weekend and that gave us more confidence going into this weekend.”

Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz called Texas’ second half against Kan-

sas the best defense they’ve played all season. But the two drives in the second quarter where Kansas scored touchdowns put the Longhorns in a hole that was difficult to climb out of.

During the two drives, the defense gave up 64-yard and 20-yard rushes to James Sims. All season Diaz has emphasized the need to prevent big plays. Because the offense couldn’t produce, these two

explosive runs could almost cost Texas the game.

“Studying your opponent will make you so much more confident,” Diggs said.

“You will be consistent if you know what you’re doing.”

Texas is still trying to find its rhythm even though they are three quarters of the way through the season. It will need to find it, and fast, to have a chance against Texas Tech.

15 friday, november 2, 2012

15

STRETCH GRAY continues from page 4

this weekend’s in Lubbock are both very winnable contests that it should not be underdogs in. But following those home games against Iowa State and TCU, the latter on Thanksgiving, the Longhorns travel to Manhattan to face a Kansas State team which has their number.

The Wildcats, who narrowly beat Texas at DKR last November, are vastly improved. Collin Klein is the current Heisman Trophy frontrunner and Kansas State has its eyes on the national title game.

Chalk that one up as a loss. And 9-3 won’t get Texas in a BCS bowl game. 8-4 would probably keep the Longhorns out of the Cotton Bowl, a mark the Longhorns are likely headed for if they lose in Lubbock.

continues from page 6

Johnathan may be making his first start, but he’ll have a tough time convincing his parents to put on even a fraction of burnt orange in the stands.

Both his mom and dad attended Texas Tech, and there has been quite a bit of back-and-forth family ribbing between the three leading up to the game.

Though Johnathan says he’ll wait until after the final gun to really lay it on thick.

“I’m going to Texas, they went to Tech,” Johnathan Gray said. “It’s kind of a rivalry in the house. They talk smack. I’ll just be quiet and wait till the results after the game.”

Still, despite the friendly family rivalry, Johnathan admits his dad only wants

what’s best for him. This explains why, even early on, James tried to shy away from molding Johnathan directly in his shadow.

The two have completely different builds and personalities on the field, and James wanted Johnathan to become his own man.

“My dad said ‘You’re your own man, and I can only lead you so far and the rest you have to take on your own.’” Johnathan Gray said. “He wants me to be better than what he was in college.”

But it goes farther than that. James never made it in the NFL and he wants his son to reach that level.

It won’t be easy, but Johnathan takes the first big step towards that goal this weekend with his first start.

exit stage left

Lawrence Peart | Daily Texan Staff The Longhorns’ kickoff unit makes way for the defense late in the fourth quarter against Kansas after Case McCoy led Texas on a 70-yard touchdown drive to emerge with a 21-17 win.

TEST

continues from page 5

this defense has bent, broken and fallen apart at the seams. Texas Tech knows this and will be expected to have its way in finding more holes among the Longhorn defenders.

Given the recent nature of this rivalry it may be better to avoid looking at the total yardage given up by both teams after the game has ended. Although Tech’s defense is muchimproved, there will be plenty of opportunities for the Longhorns to showcase their rushing attack and attempt to keep up with Seth Doege and his merry band of receivers.

The last time the Longhorns and Red Raiders met a season ago, Texas pummeled Tech 52-20. Joe Bergeron got loose to the

tune of 191 yards rushing as well as three scores, and as a team Texas ran for 439 yards. Six total rushing touchdowns and four drives of 80 or more yards, all of which resulted in touchdowns, sealed the win for the Longhorns. The game was such a blowout that Darius White caught a 31yard touchdown pass from Case McCoy in mop-up duty late in the game. It was only White’s sixth catch in two years at Texas, and his last as a Longhorn before transferring to Missouri.

Maybe the most obscure statistic from that game was the fact that Ash completed just 4-of-7 passes for 125 yards and no touchdowns.

If Texas is to win again in Lubbock, a gameplan similar to last year’s may

be the answer. Doege is going to find the endzone one way or another, but it is imperative that Texas keep him off the field by executing time-consuming drives that must end with some sort of score. If Ash proves ineffective once again, it shouldn’t take as long to get McCoy in the game.

In spot-duty this year McCoy has shown to give the offense a spark when needed, and he deserves his shot, too. Texas could learn something from being more open to change at any position if the person assigned to a task isn’t getting the job done.

This game has all the makings of another classic and should give us all a better idea of where the Longhorns are headed under Brown.

16

National notebook

16

friday, november 2, 2012

Lattimore shuts it down, Terps without quarterback

By Hank South Dramatic changes are occurring across the college football landscape weekly and the first weekend of November should prove no different. With a rematch of last year’s national championship game when Alabama visits Death Valley and LSU, to Oregon getting one of its first major tests against USC, Saturday will surely shakeup the standings. Let’s take a look at some the notes around the nation heading into the weekend.

• South Carolina will be without junior running back Marcus Lattimore for the rest of the season and possibly longer after Lattimore suffered a dislocated knee

versus Tennessee last weekend. Lattimore, who missed a portion of last season with a knee injury, finishes 2012 with 662 yards and eleven touchdowns.

• Stanford has had its highs and lows in the post-Andrew Luck era, including a victory over No. 17 USC early in the season. The Cardinal looked to have found its quarterback in junior Josh Nunes but after a less-than-stellar start versus Washington State last weekend, head coach David Shaw will give backup quarterback Kevin Hogan some repetitions versus Colorado this weekend. The Cardinal just eked out a win versus the Cougars (2-6, 0-5), 2417, with Nunes never finding a rhythm.

• Cincinnati will stick

behind its junior quarterback Munchie Legaux despite the Bearkats dropping the last two games. Legaux has passed for 1,592 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Cincinnati started the season 5-0.

• Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley will face LSU for the first time since dislocating his hip versus the Tigers on an interception return in the national championship last January. The injury proved to take less time to heal than expected, as Mosley has racked up 65 tackles on the season and has become of the centerpieces of the top- ranked Crimson Tide defense.

• In other Alabama news, head coach, Nick Saban ad-

SABAN continues on page 21

Richard Shiro | Associated Press South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore grabs his right knee after getting hit by Tennessee’s Eric Gordon during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. on Oct. 27.

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big 12 power rankings wes maulsbydaily texan staff

1

2

3

4

5

kansas state

The Wildcats solidified their control of the Big 12 by demolishing Texas Tech in Manhattan. Kansas State’s schedule gets a lot easier now as the season nears the closing stretch. Its remaining opponents are 8-10 in conference play, with Baylor and TCU combining for seven of those 10 losses. Only Oklahoma State and Texas appear likely to stand a chance against Kansas State, and both of those games are at home. The Wildcats are in complete control of the Big 12 and the conference is theirs to lose, which does not appear likely at this point.

6

TEXAS

7

IOWA STATE

8

TCU

9

baylor

10

kansas

oklahoma

The Sooners suffered their second home loss of the season to Notre Dame, and the only consolation appears to be that it was not a conference game. It’s not that the Sooners are poor, but that their opponents were just better. Kansas State and Notre Dame are both very tough, mentally and physically, and were able to bully the Sooners off the line of scrimmage. Home losses are very rare for the Sooners: they lost two home games between 2005 and 2011. The major concern for Oklahoma is that it was held to 103 yards rushing against Kansas State and Notre Dame combined, with the Irish limiting the Sooners to just 15 yards on the ground.

texas tech

It is becoming blatantly apparent that the Big 12 is Kansas State, then Oklahoma close behind, then everyone else. Those two teams have proven that they stand well above the rest of the Big 12 field. Texas Tech got hammered by Kansas State and only fell five spots in the human polls, and just three slots in the BCS. It is simply expected for everyone else to lose to Kansas State and Oklahoma. The Red Raiders are still a quality team, and could very well win 10 games in the regular season, but they will still have to look up at the Sooners and Wildcats.

OKLAHOMA STATE

Since losing to Texas in its conference opener, Oklahoma State has popped off three straight wins against the bottom of the Big 12. Now the Cowboys have to face Kansas State, West Virginia, Texas Tech and Oklahoma all in consecutive weeks. A road trip to Manhattan, Kan., doesn’t look good for the Cowboys’ win streak. Joseph Randle is the leading rusher in the Big 12, but his production will be tested against a Kansas State team that leads the conference in rush defense.

Goodness. The Longhorns had pull out all the stops in order to get past Kansas in Lawrence. Since taking a nail bitter in Lawrence in 2004, Texas had outscored the Jayhawks by 154 points in four games, with two shutouts. Yet Texas had to bench David Ash and put in Case McCoy to top the hapless Jayhawks, who are in the midst of a one-win season. Things just continue to get worse for Texas, yet it continues to find ways to win games it may have no business wining. Texas hasn’t won a conference game by more than a touchdown this season and has games against Texas Tech and Kansas State still to go.

The Cyclones, with quarterback Steele Jantz hitting a groove, appear to be on their way to bowl contention if the rest of their schedule goes as expected. Only a home game against Oklahoma appears unmanageable. Six wins may not guarantee Iowa State a bowl game, so it will have some work to do to secure a bowl spot with only four games remaining.

The conference newcomers haven’t exactly had a warm welcome. West Virginia looked good before being blown apart twice, and TCU has been inconsistent, and that only got worse when quarterback Casey Pachall was arrested.

TCU games have been festivals of turnovers. Sometimes the Horned Frogs are the culprits, sometimes they are the beneficiary. There have been at least three turnovers in all but one of TCU’s games.

Baylor’s defense isn’t so bad. Yes, it may give up a few points and a few yards, but it’s not as bad as advertised. By holding Iowa State to a meager 35 points in it’s loss last week, Baylor has jumped ahead of West Virginia, and is now only allowing 52.5 points per game to the West Virginia’s 53. And it’s not like they give up a whopping 600 yards a game: the Bears are only allowing teams 599.5 yards per game. Who knows, maybe Baylor’s defense may rise up to abomination from crime against humanity before the season ends.

WEST VIRGINIA

The Mountaineers had the week off to let their consecutive blowout losses marinate. West Virginia’s offense, which looked unstoppable through the first half of the season, is suddenly very pedestrian, mustering only 28 points in consecutive games. Its lowest output before these games was 31 points against Maryland in mid-September. A visit from Oklahoma is the only daunting task left on the Mountaineers’ schedule, so they could have a nice finish, but Geno Smith will have to find his early-season form again for that to happen.

The Jayhawks have been scrappy in their past few games, but their conference losing streak has now extended to 17 games. Kansas and Baylor play Saturday, in what is both teams’ best chance for a first conference win. The winner gets a little bit of pride and the loser may be looking at a winless conference schedule.

17

18

heisman watch

18

friday, november 2, 2012

wes maulsby daily texan staff Photos from Associated Press

2. Manti Te’o Senior LB, Notre Dame

Last Week: 11 tackles and one interception Season: 80 tackles and five interceptions The Notre Dame star continues to add to his resume.

His latest victim was one-time Heisman contender Landry Jones. He picked off Jones in the fourth quarter with the Irish nursing a one score lead. While Notre Dame did give up a rushing touchdown for the first time this season, it made up for the concession by limiting the Sooners to only 15 yards on the ground. Now Notre Dame is firmly in the National Title discussion, and its next three opponents have a combined 10-14 record. The Irish only have one more relevant game left: its season finale against USC. However, following the Trojan’s loss to Arizona, that game has lost some of its luster.

1. Collin Klein Senior QB, Kansas State

Last Week: 19-for-26 (73 percent) for 233 yards and two TDs, 12 rushes for 83 yards (6.9 yards per carry) and two TDs Season: 117-for-165 (70.9 percent) for 1630 yards, 12 TDS and two interceptions, 122 rushes for 634 yards(5.2 yards per carry) and 16 TDs Klein has turned into the most consistent player in the country, on one of the most consistent teams in the country. And with Texas Tech out of the way, there are only a few obstacles standing in his way. Both of Kansas States’ remaining road games are against teams in the bottom half of the conference, and neither Texas or Oklahoma State can provide the kind of test that Oklahoma could. Now that the Wildcats are No. 2 in the BCS, they are in the driver’s seat for the national championship. If Kansas State wins out, then Klein is almost guaranteed the Heisman trophy, barring an other-worldly end to the season by another candidate.

4. AJ McCarron Junior QB, Alabama

Last Week:16-for-23 (69.9 percent) for 208 yards and two TDs Season: 122-for-177 (69 percent) for 1684 yards and 18 TDs No team has come close to beating the Crimson Tide this season. Alabama is winning by 33 points per game, and have six wins by 30 points or more. That could start to change this week. LSU will provide the biggest test yet for Alabama, so this is the time in which McCarron will start to make his campaign push. If he can guide his team past a road test against a hungry LSU team, and a potential upset game against Texas A&M, then McCarron will be in position to potentially take the top spot should Klein stumble.

3. Kenjon Barner Senior RB, Oregon

Last Week: 9 rushes for 104 yards (11.6 yards per carry) Season: 141 rushes for 974 yards (6.9 yards per carry) and 14 TDS With his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game, Barner has become the fastest rising Heisman hopeful in the nation. After beginning the season in the shadow of teammate De’Anthony Thomas, Barner has become the leader of the Ducks’ offense. He is currently the No. 10 rusher in the country and he has ample opportunities to add to that total. Additionally, Oregon’s schedule finishes strong with games against USC, Stanford and Oregon State. Barner will have the spotlight often as the season closes as long as people on the East Coast stay up late enough to see him.

5. Braxton Miller Sophomore QB, Ohio State

Last Week: 7-for-19 (37 percent) for 143 yards and one TD and one interception, 25 rushes for 134 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and two TDs Season: 112-for-198 (57 percent) for 1572 yards, 12 TDs and six interceptions, 156 rushes for 1093 yards (7 yards per carry) and 12 TDs Miller is the primary reason for the Buckeyes’ resurgence this season under Urban Meyer. His play has sparked the Ohio State offense, while its defense has struggled at times.

Most of his production has come through the use of his legs. Ohio State is averaging 248 yards per game on the ground and only trails Nebraska as the leading rushers in the Big Ten. Miller is an explosive player who is carrying his team right now, but his Heisman campaign is still very incomplete. He just isn’t a complete enough passer. While other quarterbacks are completing close to 70-percent of their passes, Miller has six games with under 60-percent completion percentage. If his passing numbers were better, he would be a very serious contender for the award, but as it stands, he would have to have absolutely terrific performances to end the season in order to have a shot.

19

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20

matchups

20

friday, november 2, 2012

PETER SBLENDORIO daily texan staff

QUARTERBACK Through five weeks, David Ash was one of the nation’s most efficient quarterbacks and the leader of an improved Longhorns offense. In the past three games, however, Ash has struggled, throwing four interceptions and just one touchdown. Seth Doege, on the other hand, is enjoying a fine season for the Red Raiders, passing for 2,540 yards and 30 touchdowns through eight games. Doege is completing 70.7 percent of his passes for an efficiency rating of 164.2, which is superior to Ash’s totals of 68.7 percent and 150.3, respectively. Earlier this season, Ash was the Big 12’s top quarterback outside of Geno Smith, but after eight games Doege may have surpassed them both as the conference’s top passer.

RUNNING BACK Texas has been without Malcolm Brown for the past four games, but all that this has done is allow Johnathan Gray to see increased playing time. The standout freshman has answered the call, rushing for 427 yards on 81 attempts for an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Joe Bergeron has been steady all season long in the backfield for the Longhorns, and he leads the team with 450 yards and 15 touchdowns. Tech’s running game has been solid as well this year, and Kenny Williams leads the team with 504 yards on the ground. Overall, the Red Raiders’ 4.6 yards per carry pales in comparison to the Longhorns average of 5.0, and Texas’ 26 touchdowns on the ground greatly outweigh Texas Tech’s nine rushing scores.

wide RECEIVERS Part of the reason that Doege is having such an impressive season is due to the strong play of the Texas Tech wide receivers. Eric Ward and Darrin Moore make for a dynamic starting duo, as the two have combined for 84 receptions and 18 touchdowns. The Longhorns have struggled to complete passes in two of their past three games, but overall their receivers have been productive as well.

Mike Davis is having a big year, hauling in 34 balls for 559 yards and four scores, and Jaxon Shipley has also made 30 receptions and scored four times. Texas’ receivers have averaged more yards per catch, but the Red Raiders receivers have gained more than 900 yards through the air than have the Longhorns.

OFFENSIVE LINE Both teams have been very efficient this season, and this is thanks in large part to their offensive lines. Texas has averaged five yards per carry and 12.1 yards per reception, and this is because the Longhorns’ line has done well in opening holes for the running backs and giving Ash enough time to set up screens or throw downfield. Texas Tech has also put up solid averages, running for 4.6 yards each carry and earning 11.3 yards with each catch. The Texas line has done a better job in protecting the quarterback, as it has only allowed seven sacks in eight games compared to Texas Tech allowing 13 quarterback takedowns thus far.

advantage advantage

DEFENSIVE LINE

advantage

LINEBACKERS

advantage

SECONDARY

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Red Raiders have struggled to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, as they have only recorded 12 sacks in eight games. They have done a solid job in limiting opposing quarterbacks production overall, as they allow 178.8 yards per game through their air, but the pass rush has left something to be desired. The Longhorns defensive line took a significant hit when end Jackson Jeffcoat went down for the season with a torn pectoral, but there seems to be enough depth at the position to still wreak havoc in the passing game. Overall, Texas has registered 20 sacks on the year, and Alex Okafor is having a strong year at the other defensive end slot.

The Longhorns had another rough game stopping the run last Saturday against Kansas, as the Jayhawks earned 234 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Missed tackles have plagued this linebacker unit all season, and this was never more evident than on Kansas’ first touchdown drive that saw James Sims continually gain yards after initial contact. Texas Tech has done a much better job stopping the run, which is a large reason that they have been much more solid at the linebacker position.

The Red Raiders have held opposing runners to 121.2 yards per game, while the Longhorns are allowing 218 yards on the ground each week.

The Texas defensive backs have allowed more yardage than they would like this season, as opposing teams are averaging 229.2 yards per game against the Longhorns. This is due to a propensity to allow big plays by the Texas secondary, with teams gaining 13.4 yards per completion. Texas Tech has been less forgiving in the defensive backfield, as they have limited teams to 178.8 passing yards per game and 10.1 yards per reception. The Longhorns have forced more turnovers in the air, intercepting nine passes to the Red Raider’s seven, but overall teams have had more trouble putting up big passing yardage against the Texas Tech secondary.

advantage

advantage

advantage

The return game has been a strength of both teams this season. The Longhorns are averaging 24.2 yards on kick returns and 11.1 yards on punts, while the Red Raiders have averaged 21.1 yards and 9.2 yards, respectively. Both teams have also been solid in limiting the returns of opponents as well. The biggest difference between these teams is the consistency of the field goal unit. The Red Raiders are 10-of-14 on field goal attempts and they are yet to miss any of their 40 extra point attempts. Texas, on the other hand, has made just 4-of-9 field goal tries, and Longhorn kickers have also missed an extra point attempt and had another blocked. Should this game come down to a last second field goal attempt, Texas Tech would have the edge.

advantage

21

big 12 notebook

friday, november 2, 2012

21

Knott done, Boykin gets healthy

By Hank South With college football heading into November, the race is heating up for the top spot. Oklahoma’s loss to Notre Dame last weekend leaves Kansas State the lone Big 12 team left to have a realistic shot at the national championship game. Let’s take a look at some of the conference notes heading into the weekend.

• Iowa State’s senior linebacker Jake Knott will miss the rest of the season after injuring his shoulder versus Oklahoma State. Knott is the leading tackler for the Cyclones this season, with 79 total tackles, and sixth all-time at ISU (347).

Knott’s original surgery date was rescheduled back a week, allowing Knott to play one final game as a Cyclone. Without the help of painkillers, Knott tallied 11 tackles and a forced fumble as ISU defeated Baylor, 35-21.

• Oklahoma offensive lineman Austin Woods’ cancer is officially in remission after the junior finished chemotherapy early last month. Woods was diag-

nosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma last spring.

• After suffering an injury in the second half versus Oklahoma State last weekend TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin is healthy and will start against West Virginia on Saturday.

Horned Frogs’ defensive end Stansly Maponga will start as well, after missing the past two games with a foot injury. Maponga has 12 tackles and a forced fumble this season.

• Is Oklahoma State sophomore Josh Stewart the next great Cowboys receiver? Stewart, who has been thrust into a bigger role in the offense after injuries to more veteran receivers, has not disappointed. The sophomore is the teams’ leading receiver with 48 catches for 574 yards and three touchdowns. Stewart also averages seven catches per game, which ranks him 18th in the nation in that respective category.

• After ranking in the top five in total defense to start the season, including holding offensive juggernaut, West Virginia to 14 points, Texas Tech has struggled stopping teams the past two weeks. The Red

Raiders, despite overcoming TCU, gave up 53 points to the Horned Frogs a couple of weekends ago and a week later gave up 55 to Kansas State. To add insult to injury, the Wildcats scored on seven straight possessions. The Red Raiders have dropped to No. 12 in total defense giving up exactly 300 yards per game.

• Kansas running back, James Sims is on a rushing tear, surpassing the 100yard mark in each of the past five games. With Baylor and the last ranked defense on the docket next, it looks like the streak will go to six. Sims rushed for 176 yards versus the Longhorns last weekend.

• Saturday will be the first matchup between the first-year Big 12 members, TCU and West Virginia.

TCU boasts the 23rd ranked defense in the country, allowing 333 yards per game and surely will test the West Virginia offense, which has stalled out the past two games. Both teams are coming off two consecutive losses and after entering the season as two of the conference favorites, will be teeing off in the conference consolation bracket.

Baylor wide receiver Lanear Sampson is tackled by Iowa State defensive back Deon Broomfield and linebacker Jake Knott (20) after making a reception during the first half of a game, Saturday, Oct. 27 in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 35-21.

Charlie Neibergall Associated Press

BIG 12 GAMES OU at Iowa State 11 a.m. ABC

TCU at WVU 2 p.m. FOX

Kansas at Baylor 3:30 p.m.

Oklahoma State at Kansas State 7 p.m. ABC

TEXAS AT TEXAS TECH 3:30 p.m. ABC

SABAN continues from page 16 mitted in an interview yesterday that he forgot that it was his birthday this week until his wife told him. The 61-year-old has put all his focus and attention into the Crimson Tides’ game with the Tigers this weekend.

• Former Florida and current New York Jet quarterback, Tim Tebow, admitted this week that he is now an Ohio State fan, solely because of Buckeyes’ first-year head coach, Urban Meyer. The Gators won the 2007 National Championship over the Buckeyes 41-14, in large part due to Tebow. The two have remained close since.

• Maryland has suffered a number of quarterback injuries this season, the latest being freshman Caleb Rowe. The Terrapins have no other choice other than turning to freshman linebacker Shawn Petty. Petty has some quarterback experience from his high school days, but nothing at the collegiate level. If a school could have a quarterback curse, it’s undoubtedly Maryland. So far this season, three quarterbacks have torn their ACLs, one quarterback injured his foot and the other two are ineligible to play. Bring on Petty.

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22

guest column

22

friday, november 2, 2012

Longhorns bring out the best in Lubbock

By Michael DuPont II The Daily Toreador

When students are camping outside, eating pizza and cutting class for the entire week there are only two logical explanations: the Sooners are making their way down from Norman, or the Longhorns are headed this way from Austin. Either way, it is a week filled with excitement leading up to game day.

This season, students have all the more reason to be excited.

There were many uncertainties before the season was actually underway, most of which stemmed from the defensive side of the ball. A defense is similar to the pieces that make up a car, the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, as Aristotle would say.

At first glance, the Red Raiders appeared to have restored the ghastly defense from 2011.

Tech was near the top in every major defensive statistical category and it appeared the reshaping was an early success.

Oklahoma had different ideas a few weeks ago, however.

The Red Raiders’ defensive performance against Oklahoma was not as flawed as the final score might lead you to believe. Entering the secondhalf down 24-13, Tech’s defense allowed the fast paced, up-tempo Oklahoma offense only ten points through the final two quarters, giving Tech’s offense multiple chances to find a way back into the game. Senior quarterback Seth Doege then contributed to the Sooners’ scoring efforts with an interception which was returned for a touchdown.

Questions were then raised in press conferences about firstyear defensive coordinator Art Kaufman’s new system.

Those uncertainties were put into the trash compactor when Tech put the brakes on a steam-

Scott MacWatters | Associated Press Texas Tech’s Darrin Moore scores a touchdown past West Virginia’s Karl Joseph during their game in Lubbock, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 13.

roller that was once the West Virginia offense. It was almost shocking to witness, not because of the fact that Tech was dropping eight defenders and forcing Geno Smith to throw to people not named Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin, but because the stadium was not filled to capacity and it was Tech’s homecoming game.

The week prior when the Red Raiders faced Oklahoma, you

couldn’t find a place to stand in the parking lot. The air reeked of charcoal and each tailgating station was filled with fans from across the state of Texas and Oklahoma anxious to hate each other and watch their team leave the field victorious.

Texas versus Texas Tech is certain to be the same type of atmosphere. I will not be surprised if on my way to the press box I come across a

Tech student wearing a Longhorns ball cap and a Tech button- down shirt. I never understood it, but it’s likely that I will see it at least once.

The inside of Jones AT&T stadium will be a horse of a different color. I anticipate the stadium will again be filled to capacity, more so than the Oklahoma game largely because of the in-state rivalry and the void Longhorns fans

were left when Texas A&M vacated their spot in the Big 12 Conference. A victory for Tech in this first season of the new-look Big 12 could potentially be the launching pad to an even bigger rivalry between these two schools in the future.

San Francisco 49ers receiver, and Tech alumnus Michael Crabtree, is expected to be in attendance for this weekend’s game. Fans of both schools

remember the magic that Crabtree brought to the stadium in 2008. The Longhorns left Lubbock with a victory in 2010, however, with both teams eyeing a potential Alamo bowl appearance and sole position of third place in the Big 12, Tech fans are hoping Crabtree can spread some of that 2008 magic in the direction of Darrin Moore Jr., Jace Amaro and Eric Ward.

23

texan staff picks

friday, november 2, 2012

k

23

nick cremona

lauren giudice

chris hummer

christian corona

sara beth purdy

PETER SBLENDORIO

wes maulsby

hank south

matt warden

7-3

5-5

5-5

7-3

5-5

4-6

5-5

7-3

6-4

44-31

53-22

45-30

53-22

44-31

46-29

52-23

53-22

44-31

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Texas

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Texas

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Texas

Alabama vs. LSU

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

LSU

Oregon vs. USC

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

USC

Arizona State vs.

Oregon State

Oregon State

Oregon State

Oregon State

Oregon State

Oregon State

Oregon State

Oregon State

Oklahoma St.

Oregon State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Iowa State

Iowa State

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Mississippi St.

Last Week’s Record

Overall Record

Texas vs. Texas Tech

Oklahoma vs. Iowa State

Miss. State vs. Texas A&M Mississippi St. Mississippi St.

Mississippi St. Mississippi St.

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

TCU

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

TCU

Arizona vs. UCLA

Arizona

Arizona

Arizona

UCLA

UCLA

Arizona

UCLA

Arizona

UCLA

Kansas vs. Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

TCU vs. West Virginia

Okla. St. vs. Kansas St.

24

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