Double Coverage 2016-11-22 by The Daily Texan

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kenny Hill Quarterback #7 In 2014, Hill manufactured a magical start to Texas A&M’s season. Nicknamed “Kenny Trill,” his name frequently appeared on early-season Heisman-contender lists. Hill has since transferred to TCU, but is still capable of putting up eye-opening numbers on offense. He has thrown for 400 yards on three occasions this year, including in a stellar five-touchdown performance against Oklahoma. In recent weeks though, the offense has shifted away from the air raid, meaning the senior’s passes have decreased. But with his star receiver KaVontae Turpin back from injury, Hill may find more comfort back in the pocket once again and return to his early-season success.

Kyle Hicks Running back #21 The Horned Frogs suffered from a lackluster offensive performance in their 25-point loss to Oklahoma State. But the week before, Hicks propelled the unit to great success. The junior from Arlington ran for a career-high 192 yards and five touchdowns in Waco in a 62-22 week ten victory. Hicks has eclipsed the 100 rushing yard mark four times this season and also serves as a steady receiving threat. He ranks second on the team in receptions with 35 and third on the team in receiving yards. Hicks averaged fewer than two yards per carry in the 31-6 loss to Oklahoma State and will look to revert to stardom against the Texas defense.

Double Coverage Editor...................Daniel Clay Design Editor.................................Lillian Michel Photo Editor...............................Daulton Venglar Copy Editor....................................Victoria Recer Cover photo:.................................................Zoe Fu Writers Noah Brooks Claire Cruz Trenton Daeschner Steve Helwick Shane Lewis Sydney Rubin Michael Shapiro Ezra Siegel

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

By Steve Helwick @s_helwick

Josh Carraway Defensive end #94 The Horned Frog defense ranks eighth nationally in sacks, providing consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Texas offensive line should be most wary of Carraway, the fifth-year senior from Flower Mound. Carraway leads TCU with seven sacks in 2016. He has sustained success throughout a long college career, earning First Team All-Big 12 honors a season ago. Back in 2014, he recorded the first full sack in his career against the Texas Longhorns in a 4810 victory on Thanksgiving.

Nothing is certain in the wake of Texas’ loss to Kansas. Sunday saw reports fly about Charlie Strong’s impending firing. Monday saw Strong take the podium to assure the media that he was still the top dog on the 40 Acres. After the press conference he was embraced by his players who maintain that Strong is their coach. Now that loss is in the past. Strong can redeem himself with a season concluding victory against TCU that would propel his reeling team to bowl eligibility. A win could be enough for the head coach to hang on one more year. A loss will make it nearly impossible for administrators to avoid making a change. Friday’s game against TCU carries major implications for the Longhorns and their head coach and in a season that has seen Texas lose to lowly Kansas and knock off two top-ten teams, anything could happen.

Travin Howard Outside linebacker #32 Howard is the multipurpose leader of the TCU defense. The junior outside linebacker has been a forceful run-stopper and a decent pass-defender. In recent weeks, he has added pass rushing to his arsenal of defensive strengths, earning 1.5 sacks in three games. Howard is atop the Big 12 and fifth in the nation in total tackles with 108. He tied a career-high with 19 tackles against Texas Tech’s offense in week nine, holding the Red Raider offense to 17 points in regulation. Howard has additionally accumulated two pass deflections and an interception this year, while excelling in the zone coverage. His presence will be felt around the field in Austin on Friday and may impact the game in a multitude of ways.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

WINS IF / LOSES IF By Shane Lewis @theREALsplewis

Texas Wins If

The Longhorns will take on TCU Friday in a battle for bowl-eligibility. Both teams are coming off losses and have seen their fair share of struggles over the month. TCU is 1-3 over its past four games, and its struggles have stemmed from its inability to find consistency on offense. Two weeks ago, the Horned Frogs exploded for 62 points in a blowout win over Baylor. However, in its three losses, TCU has averaged a paltry 16 points per game. In all three of the losses, junior quarterback Kenny Hill failed to pass for over 200 hundred yards, and threw only two touchdowns to four interceptions during the span. And when Hill has struggled, the Horned Frogs have failed to get the production out their running game that is needed to compensate for the air attack. They had only one rusher eclipse the 100-yard mark during those three losses, and even in that instance, junior running back Kyle Hicks managed only 103 yards. The Longhorns win if they follow that blueprint. If they can put pressure on Hill, the quarterback has shown that he’s turnover prone. Texas needs to key in on Hill and let other Horned Frogs step up and beat them. TCU has shown it doesn’t have the playmakers to do that. Daulton Venglar | Daily Texan Staff

Daulton Venglar | Daily Texan Staff

STOCK UP, STOCK DOWN Stock Up: D’Onta Foreman In a very rough game for the Texas offense, junior running back D’Onta Foreman continued to be the bright spot in the unit. Foreman rushed 51 times, a career high, for 250 yards and two touchdowns. He was relied on heavily all throughout the game and delivered, helping the Longhorns gain critical first downs. Foreman’s 12th straight 100-yard game also broke Earl Campbell’s school record of 11 straight games over the century mark. Foreman has been outstanding this season for Texas, and his presence has been indispensable in every game this year, win or lose. There’s no reason to believe that he won’t continue to excel against TCU next Friday and extend his streak to 13 games. Stock Down: Shane Buechele After a strong game against West Virginia last week, freshman quarterback

Texas Loses If

Like TCU, Texas puts their offense on the back of one player, in this case, junior running back D’Onta Foreman. Foreman has been on a historic run this year and has carried the Longhorns all season. The back is looking to pass the 2,000-yard mark this Friday, and possibly even break the Texas’ single season record for rushing yards. Texas loses if Foreman fails to run as dominantly as he has all season. Like TCU, the Longhorns have failed to show they can compensate offensively when their star player isn’t rolling. In back-to-back losses freshman quarterback Shane Buechele has looked unimpressive, and it is clear the signalcaller has not yet progressed to a player that can take over a game. The receiving corps for Texas has also been exceptionally ordinary. The Longhorns top three receivers have combined for only 1137 yards this season. That combined total is less than two individual receivers in the Big 12. It’s clear that Texas desperately needs Foreman to power its offense. And against a TCU defense that has been one of the better units in the conference, the Longhorns will need another vintage performance on the ground. If they don’t get one, they could be looking at a third straight loss to end the season.

By Noah Brooks @NTBrooks1011

Shane Buechele had his worst game against Kansas. He passed for only 165 yards — 75 of which came from his first throw that resulted in his only touchdown — and threw three very costly interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown and another that prevented Texas from scoring in overtime. Granted, this was after a neck injury early in the first quarter, but Buechele struggled to establish a passing game for Texas, and it proved to be part of the loss. Texas will keep its fingers crossed that Buechele can have the next few days to recover and return to form for the season finale. Stock Up: Breckyn Hager and Edwin Freeman Sophomore linebackers Breckyn Hager and Edwin Freeman both played well against the Jayhawks, providing a needed source of pressure on the Kansas offense.

KEYS page 6

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Tuesday, Novem

Longhorn football must take a new direction By Ezra Siegel

Daily Texan Columnist @SiegelEzra

Dozens of Texas football players lined up in the back of the Centennial Room in Darrell K Royal — Texas Memorial Stadium as head coach Charlie Strong addressed the media Monday. The group, many with tears in their eyes, watched as their third-year coach made the case to return to Texas for a fourth year. And when Strong finished taking questions, his players gave a standing ovation and embraced him as he walked away from the podium. “I just wanted to let everyone know how much we care for that man,” senior linebacker Tim Cole said. The players know the writing may be on the wall for their head coach. Strong came into the season carrying immense pressure and expectations. Coming off 6–7 and 5–7 seasons in his first two years, all eyes were on the former Louisville coach to turn the burnt orange around. But after falling 24–21 to Kansas — a team previously without an FBS win since November 2014 — all signs of progress are lost. Texas now sits at 5–6 in danger of missing a bowl game for the second-straight year. “So many people are counting on us to move this program forward,” Strong said. “I look at just how far we’ve come. Yeah, the wins and losses, they don’t stack up.”

The wins and losses, they don’t stack up. Strong entered the program with numerous hurdles to overcome. The team was devoid of talent following the departure of head coach Mack Brown. Entitlement and a satisfaction to merely put on the uniform pervaded Texas’ locker room. “I don’t ever want to blame coach Brown because he’s been unbelievable for me,” Strong said. “There have been changes we needed to make.” And Strong has had a resounding affect on the

Longhorns since arriving on campus in 2013. He’s emerged as a role model for his players: a man who prioritizes developing his athletes as people on and off the field. “He’s [taught us] the acceptance of life, how life works, how people work and tying football back to everything,” senior defensive tackle Paul Boyette Jr. said. “I think the maturity and growth of a young man coming from different situations speaks value.” Still, at a place like Texas where every win is counted and the coaching staff is always under the microscope, becoming a role model isn’t enough. Strong changed Texas’ culture for the better, and his players’ unwavering support shows it. But he failed to translate those changes into wins on the field. The loss to the one-win Jayhawks marked just another brutal defeat over the last three years — a 24-0 loss to Iowa State, a 50–7 trouncing to TCU and a 41–7 loss to BYU also come to mind. “We know what he’s trying to build here,” Cole said. “I know [fans and media] have been frustrated with how things have been going. But things are definitely going to turn around for the better.” While Cole and his teammates preach progress and future gratification — Strong said this group “will win a National Championship” — those words mostly fell on deaf ears. The team has emphasized similar sentiments for the last three years, including Strong saying the team will never lose five games again after a 6–7 finish in 2014. Texas needed Strong to change the culture and reel in talent, and he succeeded on both counts. But Strong failed to yield the necessary results on the field, with the peak of the team’s frustrations coming late into his third season. Now it’s time for change; it’s time for someone else to build off Strong’s achievements and take the program to its next step: winning football games.

mber 22, 2016

Confusion reigns in wake of Texas’ loss to Jayhawks By Michael Shapiro @mshap2

Why even drag this out? That has been the dominant question over Charlie Strong’s job status beginning at the final buzzer of Texas’ 24-21 loss to Kansas on Saturday, placing a large question mark over the future of the program. The defeat dropped the Longhorns to 5–6, 3–5 Big 12, sending Texas to 16–20 over the course of Strong’s tenure in Austin. And while the burnt orange still have to face TCU on Friday, it seems as though the end of Strong’s time on the 40 acres will arrive soon. Both the Austin-American Statesman and HornsDigest reported on Sunday that Strong would be dismissed at the end of the season, but would coach through the end of the year. A “high-ranking university source,” stated that Strong’s dismissal, “will happen for sure. The question is when.” Longhorn athletic director Mike Perrin released a statement refuting that report later Sunday evening. “We will evaluate the body of work after the regular season,” Perrin said. “We have a game to get ready for against TCU on Friday, and I hope our fans will come out and support our team. We’ll discuss where things stand after that.” Strong spoke to the media on Monday at his regularly-scheduled press conference. He affirmed Perrin’s words saying, “I’ve been told we will be evaluated at the end of the season… After the last game against TCU, a decision will be made.” However, the sense surrounding the program contradicts both Perrin and Strong’s statements. ESPN’s Brent McMurphy reported on Saturday morning that Longhorn boosters were placing “extreme pressure” on Texas brass to fire Strong and hire Houston coach Tom Herman. And Saturday’s loss the the previously 1–9 Jayhawks only stoked that pressure. The situation has become quite murky since Saturday. The initial reports of Strong’s presumed firing weren’t met by The University with a denial regarding his job status. Instead, Texas

Zoe Fu | Daily Texan Staff

claimed it had not decided on Strong’s fate, and were prepared to discuss retaining or dismissing Strong after the season. Strong looked despondent during Saturday’s press conference in Lawrence, Kansas. As he answered questions for just four minutes, Strong seemed shell-shocked that the program he insisted he could turn around fell to a Kansas team that entered the contest at 1–22 over the past two seasons. When asked what the loss meant to his future with the Longhorns, the head coach said he had, “no idea.” Monday provided Strong another opportunity to speak with the media. While the tenor of the press conference was far brighter than on Saturday, it yielded no further answers on the Strong’s future. After questions regarding his job status, the Longhorn leader shifted his focus to earning bowl-eligibility for the second time in his tenure. “We have one game left and it’s important we go play this game for our seniors because they deserve to get to a bowl game,” Strong said. “We’re all frustrated… But we have one [game] to go get and we’re gonna go out there and play. ”

We have one game left and it’s important we go play this game for our seniors Charlie Strong will not be Texas’ coach after this season if the reports from earlier in the week are any indication. But what could have been a clean break has morphed into a sticky situation. The administration will have an even more complicated task if Texas does in fact beat TCU on Friday, having to possibly fire a coach following a victory. Strong will lead the Longhorns out of the tunnel on Friday for the 37th time. And barring an unforeseen turnaround, it seems as though it will be his last.

STOCK continues from page 3 Hager led the team with seven total tackles including two and a half for losses, while Freeman contributed five tackles, one tackle for loss and Texas’ only interception. Both linebackers also had one sack each. Texas’ linebackers have been stepping up recently, especially considering the injury-related absence of positional leader Malik Jefferson, and the Longhorns should be able to rely on the young players to continue improving the defense. Stock Down: Turnovers Though a lackluster offensive performance didn’t help, turnovers ultimately led to Texas’ downfall and allowed Kansas to snatch the win. The Longhorns committed a season-high six turnovers against the Jayhawks including a pick six and an interception in overtime. The turnovers continue to be a concerning trend for Texas, as the Longhorns have given the ball over 11 times in the last three games. In their last game against TCU, the Longhorns need to focus on not giving the ball away and not giving their opponent more chances to put up points.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

KEYS TO THE GAME

By Sydney Rubin @sydneyrrubin

Photos: Daulton Venglar

Get angry

Secure the ball

After Texas’ devastating 24-21 loss to Kansas on Saturday, the tension in Austin is stronger than ever. It’s down to the wire for the Longhorns and they have one last chance to avoid a losing season and one last opportunity to become bowl eligible. Before Saturday, Texas hadn’t lost to Kansas since 1938 and Kansas hadn’t won a conference game in two seasons. But the Longhorns fumbled in Kansas. Fumbled on the field and fumbled the opportunity to secure its sixth win. Texas committed a season-high six turnovers against the Jayhawks, including a costly fumble by junior running back D’Onta foreman late in the fourth quarter. But the nail in the coffin came in overtime when freshman quarterback Shane Buechele threw an interception that led to Kansas’ game-winning field goal. Texas needs to do a better job of protecting the ball against TCU. Foreman has notched a record-setting rushing season, but has also fumbled the ball seven times. With a lot on the line against the Horned Frogs, the Longhorns need to hold on to the ball.

Before the season started, the Longhorns thought this would be their year. After beating Notre Dame to kick off the season and moving into the rankings, the hope grew even more. But since that early September win over the Irish, Texas’ season has been a rollercoaster and its 2016 campaign has been anything but consistent. The Longhorns head into this weekend with a truck-sized load of distractions hovering above. At this point, all they can do is get angry and play with emotion. After missing bowl season last year and finishing with five wins, the Longhorns are hungry for their sixth win. But they need to play like it. In Texas’ victories over Notre Dame and Baylor earlier in the season, the passion and fight on the field was noticeable and that’s truly been the difference for the young team this season. With huge chips on their shoulders, the Longhorns need to get angry.

Embrace the moment

Friday’s matchup with TCU marks the regular-season finale for the Longhorns and the seniors’ final game at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. It will be an emotional night for the team considering the circumstances surrounding the future of the program, but Friday night will be especially emotional for Texas’ seniors as they put on their burnt orange uniforms for the final time. Since the team fell short of six wins last season, this is the group’s last chance. Last chance to play in front of their home crowd, last chance to compete with their teammates and last chance to keep the season alive. Texas needs to embrace the moment when the lights come on Friday night. The team needs to lay it all on the line and leave everything on the field.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

NOAH BROOKS

DANIEL CLAY

CLAIRE CRUZ

TRENTON DAESCHNER

STEVE HELWICK

TYLER HORKA

SHANE LEWIS

SYDNEY RUBIN

Overall Record

68-21

72-35

68-21

72-35

76-33

61-48

53-56

69-40

64-45

72-35

Last Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Record

5-5

6-4

8-2

6-4

8-2

4-6

2-8

7-3

8-2

TCU vs. Texas

TCU 31-28

Texas 30-21

Texas 28-24

Texas 31-28

TCU 27-23

TCU 27-21

Texas 49-14

Texas 21-14

Texas 35-21

Texas 34-27

No. 15 Auburn vs. No. 1 Alabama

Alabama

Auburn

Alabama

No. 20 Boise State vs. Air Force

Boise State

Air Force

Boise State

No. 23 Florida vs. No. 17 Florida State

Florida State

Florida

Florida State

Florida

Florida State

No. 16 LSU vs. No. 25 Texas A&M

LSU

Texas A&M

LSU

No. 3 Michgan vs. No. 2 Ohio State

Ohio State

Michigan

Ohio State

Michigan

Ohio State

Michigan

Ohio State

Minnesota vs. No. 7 Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Toledo vs. No. 21 Western Michigan

Western Michigan

No. 12 Utah vs. No. 10 Colorado

Colorado

Utah

Colorado

No. 6 Washington vs. No. 22 Washington State

Washington State

Washington

Washington State

Washington

Washington State

Washington

Washington State

Washington

MICHAEL SHAPIRO

EZRA SIEGEL

MATCHUPS Quarterback Advantage: Tie Freshman Shane Buechele struggled mightily against Kansas last week. Buechele threw for a season-low 165 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, including a picksix in the second quarter and a pick in overtime that effectively ended the game. Junior Kenny Hill also struggled last week against Oklahoma State. Hill threw for only 166 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, but he did rush for 79 yards. Running Back Advantage: Texas Junior D’Onta Foreman

was handed the ball a whopping 51 times last week as he rushed for 250 yards and two touchdowns. But Foreman fumbled the ball twice, including a crucial one late in the fourth quarter. The TCU running game was stifled by Oklahoma State. Junior Kyle Hicks, who rushed for 192 yards a week prior against Baylor, managed only 47 yards on 25 carries against the Cowboys. Wide Receiver Advantage: Tie Senior Jacorey Warrick scored on a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage against

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

By Trenton Daeschner @TrentDaeschner

Kansas. The longest completion for Texas receivers the rest of the game was a mere 10 yards. Junior Taj Williams has been the primary receiving threat for the Horned Frogs this season. Williams has 36 receptions for 679 yards and five touchdowns, but he was held in check last week. Offensive Line Advantage: Tie The Texas offensive line did a decent job of runblocking for D’Onta Foreman, but it wasn’t great. The Longhorns also gave up four sacks for the second consecutive game. TCU could not get its

running game going against Oklahoma State, and Kenny Hill was sacked twice. However, the Texas defensive front poses much less of a threat than the Cowboys’ front. Defensive Line Advantage: Tie Sophomore end Breckyn Hager led the way for the Longhorns on defense against Kansas. Hager finished with seven total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. TCU was gashed up front last week as Oklahoma State rushed for 334 yards against the Horned Frogs. Senior end Josh Carraway is tied for third in the Big 12 in sacks.

Linebacker Advantage: TCU Junior Travin Howard and sophomore Ty Summers are among the best linebackers in the Big 12. They rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the Big 12 in tackles. Sophomore Malik Jefferson missed last week’s game due to a concussion. Freshman Jeffrey McCulloch continues to impress when given playing time. Defensive Back Advantage: Tie Sophomore safety DeShon Elliott got in the mix and played one of his best games of the season. Texas only allowed 220 yards passing and

5.2 yards per attempt against the Jayhawks. Senior safety Denzel Johnson is one of the most stable defensive backs in the Big 12. Junior safety Nick Orr has four interceptions on the season. Special Teams Advantage: Tie Senior kicker Trent Domingue hooked and missed a 31-yard field goal against Kansas. Domingue has struggled mightily this season as he’s now missed six of 20 attempts. Junior kicker Brandon Hatfield has made nine of 13 field goal attempts this season. TCU ranks second in the Big 12 in punt return average.

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