Double Coverage 2017-11-03

THE DAILY TEXAN PRESENTS

DOUBLE COVERAGE VOLUME 12 ISSUE 09 | 03 NOV 2017

2

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017

STAFF PICKS ALEX BRISEÑO

TRENTON DAESCHNER

STEVE HELWICK

DREW KING

MORGAN KUEHLER

WILLS LAYTON

VANESSA LE

DALTON PHILLIPS

KESHAV PRATHIVADI

MICHAEL SHAPIRO

COIN FLIP

Last Week's Record

6–4

6–4

8–2

5–5

7–3

6–4

5–5

7–3

7–3

4–6

4–6

Texas vs.

No. 10 TCU

TCU 24-14

Texas 24-21

TCU 24-17

TCU 21-10

TCU 13-10

Texas 24-21

TCU 21-10

TCU 17-7

TCU 34-20

TCU 28-23

Texas

No. 8 Oklahoma vs.

No. 11 Oklahoma State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

No. 6 Clemson vs.

No. 20 NC State

NC State

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

NC State

No. 18 Stanford vs.

No. 25 Washington State

Stanford

Washington State

Stanford

Washington State

Washington State

Washington State

Stanford

Stanford

Washington State

Stanford

Stanford

No. 13 Virginia Tech vs.

No. 9 Miami (Fla.)

Miami

Miami

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech

Miami

Miami

Miami

Virginia Tech

Miami

Miami

Virginia Tech

No. 16 Auburn vs.

Texas A&M

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

Auburn

UCLA vs.

Utah

Utah

Utah

UCLA

Utah

Utah

Utah

Utah

UCLA

Utah

UCLA

Utah

No. 7 Penn State vs.

No. 24 Michigan State

Penn State

Penn State

Penn State

Michigan State

Penn State

Penn State

Penn State

Penn State

Penn State

Penn State

Penn State

No. 14 Iowa State vs.

West Virginia

Iowa State

West Virginia

West Virginia

Iowa State

Iowa State

Iowa State

Iowa State

Iowa State

Iowa State

West Virginia

West Virginia

Baylor vs.

Kansas

Kansas

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Kansas

Baylor

Kansas

Kansas

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Overall Record

57–23

57–23

61–19

58–22

56–24

51–29

54–26

52–28

58–22

56–24

42–38

r

c

EDITOR’S

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 09 | NOVEMBER 3, 2017

Texas has its work cut out for it. After getting back on track with a road win over Baylor last week, the Longhorns prepare for their stiffest matchup of the season.

No. 10 TCU has stomped Texas in the last three meetings and enters Saturday’s game with the best defense in the conference. The Longhorns must play a clean game on both sides of the ball in order to pull off the upset in Fort Worth and move one step closer to claiming bowl eligibility.

DOUBLE COVERAGE DOUBLE COVERAGE EDITOR .............................. Vanessa Le DESIGN EDITOR ............................... Maya Haws-Shaddock PHOTO EDITOR ............................................. Gabriel Lopez COPY EDITOR ............................................ Morgan Kuehler COVER PHOTO ............................................... Gabriel Lopez WRITERS Alex Briseño

Trenton Daeschner

Steve Helwick

Drew King

Wills Layton

Dalton Phillips

Keshav Prathivadi

Michael Shapiro

S t O

H photos by gabriel lopez daily texan staff

The Daily Texan presents

t h e

3

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017

TEXAS WINS IF

TEXAS LOSES IF

By Drew King @drewking0222

Before its game against Baylor, Texas had gone five straight games without a single running back gaining 50 yards rushing.

On Saturday, however, two backs were able to do so. Freshmen Daniel Young and Toneil Carter combined for 22 carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns as well as three catches for 30 yards.

As great as the young backs’ numbers looked, they may have been a bit inflated. Both touchdowns went for 28 or more yards and came during the fourth quarter, when the Longhorns already had the lead. Still, the explosiveness the pair showed last weekend has provided a newfound hope for the rest of the unit.

Texas wins this game if it can keep up the same level of production throughout this S a t u r d a y ’s contest against No. 10 TCU. The last time the Longhorns played a ranked team, they were only able to muster up 42 rushing yards against then-No. 10 Oklahoma State — in overtime.

Last week’s win over the Bears proved head coach Tom Herman is capable of riding the hot hand in a committee approach. He has been reluctant to do so for most of the season, typically splitting carries evenly between Carter, junior Chris Warren III and sophomore Kyle Porter.

Moving forward, Herman is likely to distribute touches in a similar manner. If Carter and Young can stabilize the Longhorns’ run game, Texas should have a much easier time scoring against No. 10 TCU. juan figueroa | daily texan staff

HEISMAN SAQUON BARKLEY PENN STATE RUNNING BACK, #26

After Barkley ran the kickoff back to the house on the game’s opening play last week, Ohio State never kicked to him for the remainder of the game.

However, they didn’t let him run too much either. The junior back was held to 44 yards on 21 carries in the Nittany Lions’ 39-38 loss to the Buckeyes.

Penn State’s inability to establish a run game against the Buckeyes proved to be its demise, as late-game, short-yardage situations ended up favoring Ohio State.

The Nittany Lions will have a chance to rebound when they play at Michigan State this weekend. The Spartans are also coming off a loss heading into this game, so expect a sense of urgency from both sides.

BRYCE LOVE STANFORD BACK, #20

RUNNING

A hamstring injury kept Love out of action for Stanford when the Cardinal faced Oregon State last Thursday.

Stanford prevailed, 15-14, proving the importance Love

has to its offense. Despite sitting out, Love still leads the nation in running, and his Heisman stock did not waver.

BAKER MAYFIELD OKLAHOMA QUARTERBACK, #6

Mayfield found himself back in his element this past weekend in the Sooners’ first home game since they lost to No. 14 Iowa State three weeks ago.

Mayfield accounted for five total touchdowns in a convincing 49-27 victory over Texas Tech.

Through eight games, the redshirt senior has established himself as one of the country’s premier quarterbacks, leading the nation in total quarterback rating. His ability to keep the Sooners engaged in any type of offensive shootout makes Mayfield and the Sooners primed to compete with the best in college football.

The No. 10 Sooners will travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma to renew their rivalry with No. 11 Oklahoma State in the Bedlam game. Expect a duel of Heisman proportions between Mayfield and Oklahoma State senior

By Keshav Prathivadi @kpthefirst

quarterback Mason Rudolph this weekend.

JOSH ADAMS NOTRE DAME RUNNING BACK, #33

Adams ran wild on a stingy NC State defense last weekend, rushing for 202 yards and a touchdown, including a 77yard scamper to the end zone.

Notre Dame prevailed, 35-14, over NC State, largely due to Adams’ contributions.

The junior back continues to dazzle after being under the Heisman radar for the majority of the season. With the Fighting Irish making a serious case for a College Football Playoff spot, expect Adams to be the focus of Notre Dame’s approach. Adams averages 8.9 yards per attempt, good for third in the nation, and will look to maintain his torrid pace at the business end of the season.

The No. 5 Fighting Irish will host Wake Forest in South Bend, Indiana this weekend.

Expect Adams to have success against a porous Demon Deacon defense which allows over 180 rushing yards per game.

The Longhorn defense allowed just 10 points in regulation against Oklahoma State, a team that had the best offense in the nation when the teams met during Week 8. It was the lowest total for the Cowboys since Nov. 15, 2014 when they lost at home to Texas 28-7.

The Longhorns held Oklahoma State’s star senior quarterback Mason Rudolph to 282 yards and without a touchdown on 25-of-38 passing attempts and knocked him back 14 yards on seven carries. Texas’ ability to neutralize the Cowboys’ best offensive weapon helped the burnt orange offense keep pace.

Texas loses this game if it is unable to do the same against t h e Horned Frogs.

Senior quarterback Kenny Hill had arguably his worst game of the season against the Cyclones last week. Iowa State intercepted Hill twice and kept him out of the end zone as he threw for just 125 yards.

The Longhorns have one of the best ball-hawking defenses in the country. The secondary is headed by junior defensive back Deshon Elliott, who leads the nation with six interceptions this year.

Hill is due for a rebound game. The Longhorns will lose if they’re unable to make big plays to keep that from happening. angel ulloa | daily texan staff

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 TEXAS FEATURE

Davis embraces role as Longhorns’ elder statesman

By Trenton Daeschner @TrentDaeschner

Senior defensive back Antwuan Davis addressed members of the media on Tuesday night after practice with nothing but a smile on his face.

For Davis, this was a change from his normal routine; he’s rarely gotten the chance to speak with reporters. So the first question Davis received was only fitting.

“When was the last time you talked to the media?” a reporter asked.

“Probably spring practice,” Davis said. “Sounds about right. Yeah, it’s been a minute.”

Usually Davis’ starting counterpart, junior P.J. Locke III, speaks at these Tuesday night media availabilities. But Locke suffered an ankle injury in the first half of the Longhorns’ 38-7 win over Baylor last Saturday in Waco, sidelining the junior for the rest of the game. Subsequently, Davis filled in for Locke at nickelback and recorded three total tackles.

On Monday, head coach Tom Herman said Locke is “very doubtful” to play on Saturday against No. 10 TCU in Fort Worth. If Locke can’t play, Davis will make just the sixth start of his Longhorn career.

“You have to be the next guy. You have to be prepared. You have to be ready,” Davis said. “When your number’s called, that defense is gonna be expecting you to do the same thing the starter did.”

Davis has been around the 40 Acres for much longer than most of his teammates.

He’s one of only three players on Texas’ current roster who was on the team during former head coach Mack Brown’s final season in 2013. Senior linebacker Naashon Hughes and senior kicker Mitchell Becker join Davis in that select group. All three redshirted in 2013. “(Davis) is the oldest out of all of us, so we always joke around with him about that,” sophomore safety Brandon Jones said.

During the win over Baylor, Davis said he received some of those old-man jokes. After all, Davis got much more playing time against the Bears than he normally does.

“Last game, the guys were teasing me, ‘You know, you ain’t had this much mileage in a while, huh?’ I said, ‘You right,’” Davis said. “After the game, I couldn’t really move. I was sore in places I didn’t even know I was sore at.”

Davis starred at Bastrop High School just about 45 minutes southeast of Austin. Along with playing cornerback, Davis was also a wide receiver, running back and kick-returner. He was a sprinter for the track team as well.

He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in 2013, and he arrived at Texas as the No. 15 cornerback in the nation, per ESPN. Throughout his Texas career, Davis has largely been under the radar. This season, his role has mostly been on special teams. He had a fumble recovery on a kickoff against San Jose State in Week 2. His three tackles against Baylor matched his career high for a single game. But more than

juan figueroa| daily texan staff

Senior defensive back Antwuan Davis escapes a San Jose State defender at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Sept.

9. Davis is one of only three players on Texas’ current roster who was on the team during former head coach Mack Brown’s final season in 2013.

anything, Davis has been an elder statesman in the locker room for the Longhorns.

“He’s been through a lot of ball games. He has experience,” defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. “He’s a tough kid.

I love him as a human being. Forget about the football part of it. He’s a bright-eyed kid that comes into meetings (and) he’s always saying hello.”

Davis has also been on good and bad defenses at Texas. In Davis’ first two years in Austin, the Longhorns had the luxury of players like Quandre Diggs, Jordan Hicks, Malcom Brown, Cedric Reed and Adrian Phillips suiting up on the defensive side of the ball. Davis looked up to those players while he was an underclassman.

Up until its monumental turnaround this season under Orlando, the Longhorns’ defense had been historically bad the past couple years, searching for the success that those former players helped bring when Davis was just beginning his Texas career.

They showed us how great defense is supposed to be,” Davis said. “They showed us that every guy has a

responsibility … and I think for a couple years we had been missing that. A lot of guys didn’t really trust each other. But now you have a defense (where) everybody’s for each other, everybody’s trusting each other. We’re starting to see the benefits on the field now.”

And Davis would be the one to best tell a difference.

After all, he’s been part of one of the worst stretches in the history of the program. The last time Texas had a winning season was in Davis’ first year on campus. That team in 2013 finished 8–5 and lost to Oregon in the Alamo Bowl, which was the final game of Brown’s career as head coach.

Davis has seen the worst of Longhorn football, which is why he’s taken on the role of showing the younger players how to grow.

“I’ve embraced it,” Davis said. “I know a lot of these young guys, they need somebody to look up to, to help them go forward and show them how to do it the right way. … And of course, it’s up to us older guys like me and Naashon that’s been on a winning team our freshman year — and that’s the last time we kind of really excelled as a program.”

5

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017

GAMES TO WATCH

By Steve Helwick @s_helwick

NO. 7 PENN STATE AT NO. 24 MICHIGAN STATE SATURDAY, 11 A.M., FOX

NO. 13 VIRGINIA TECH AT NO. 9 MIAMI (FL) SATURDAY, 7 P.M., ABC

NO. 8 OKLAHOMA AT NO. 11 OKLAHOMA STATE SATURDAY, 3 P.M., FS1

NO. 23 ARIZONA AT NO. 17 USC SATURDAY, 9:45, ESPN

It will be redemption week for the Land Grant Trophy rivals, which both suffered their first loss on Saturday afternoon. Penn State fell from the No. 2 spot after Ohio State surmounted the Nittany Lions’ 15-point fourth quarter lead in Columbus, Ohio. Despite sophomore quarterback Brian Lewerke throwing for a career-high 445 yards and four touchdowns, Michigan State dropped a triple-overtime thriller to Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois to shatter its four-game win streak. This will be Heisman candidate running back Saquon Barkley and the Nittany Lions’ third-straight battle against a ranked opponent, and Penn State must bounce back to save its playoff hopes. Meanwhile, the upset-hungry Spartans still control their own destiny in the Big Ten East by winning out and will have the home crowd on their side come Saturday morning.

The ACC Coastal Division is on the line at Hard Rock Stadium near the southern tip of Florida. The Hurricanes are one of just five undefeated programs remaining in the nation, but Miami just won its fourth-straight game by one possession. Quarterback Malik Rosier has stepped up in crunch time the past few weeks and delivered several victories over ACC opponents. But Virginia Tech will be Miami’s first ranked opponent of the season. The 7–1 Hokies have looked convincing in their victories except for their lone loss to Clemson at the end of September. Given the quality of the rest of the division, the winner of this one has all but locked up a trip to Orlando on Dec. 2 for the ACC Championship Game.

Due to the inaugural Big 12 Championship Game, this rivalry week game was moved up to early November. But even at an earlier date, Bedlam remains one of the greatest battles in college football each season — often a de facto Big 12 title game. And 2017 is no exception with both of these teams sporting top-15 rankings and just one loss apiece. All eyes will be on the quarterback matchup of the Sooners’ Baker Mayfield versus the Cowboys’ Mason Rudolph, arguably the top two passers in college football this season. The Cowboys, fresh off a 50-point offensive clinic at West Virginia, have their eyes fixed on their first Big 12 title since 2011, but the Sooners under first-year head coach Lincoln Riley hope to shatter their archrival’s dreams by claiming victory in the Bedlam Series for the fifth time in six seasons.

Stakes will be high during “Pac-12 After Dark” on Saturday night in Los Angeles as the Pac-12 South should be on the line. The Wildcats have been one of the surprise teams of 2017, checking in the AP Poll for the first time since Week 4 of 2015. Their sophomore quarterback Khalil Tate might be the best runner from the quarterback position in the country.

Tate has accumulated 840 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in the past four games, setting an NCAA record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game with 327.

USC rebounded from a disastrous performance at Notre Dame with a convincing 48-17 victory at Arizona State last week. The 7–2 Trojans received a gigantic boost from running back Ronald Jones II last week with a 216-yard, two touchdown performance in Tempe, Arizona.

KEYS TO THE GAME

By Wills Layton @willsdebeast

COPY THE IOWA STATE METHOD

It seems like so much time has passed since the Longhorns’ 17-7 victory over Iowa State f on Sept. 28. Since then, Texas has gone 2–2 . and has been unable to pull off any upsets versus ranked teams. However, Iowa State has upset Oklahoma and TCU, two top-5 teams. n Iowa State pulled off the upset over thent No. 4 TCU last week with timely offense and a - lights-out defense. The only score that TCU was e able to achieve was a kick return for a touchdown. The defense was able to force senior Kenny Hill to commit three turnovers, one of which e allowed the Cyclones to clinch the win in the g fourth quarter.

3 Texas has the star power to pull off a similar h upset. The defense has been able to slow down traditionally powerful offenses such as USC and s Oklahoma State, the former of which was in Cals ifornia on the road. In order to beat the Horned Frogs, the Longhorns will need to follow the g Cyclones’ lead and play dominant defense.

STICK WITH BUECHELE

o While certainly not as mobile as his teamd mate freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger, s sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele is e the better option at this point in the season.

Last week against Baylor, Buechele threw for

256 yards and one touchdown to go with 42 rushing yards and another score on a 28-yard scramble to the end zone.

Buechele showed command over intermediate routes that Ehlinger has yet to show a knack for.

With Buechele moving the ball through the air, the run game finally got some life, as freshman running back Toneil Carter rushed for 70 yards and one touchdown. The team ran for a total of 171 yards, a vast improvement over the 42 yards from the previous week versus Oklahoma State.

The only way to beat TCU is to pair a stingy defense with a balanced offensive attack. The best player to put under center for that is none other than Buechele.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TURNOVERS

Against USC, the first key moment occurred for the Longhorns at the end of the second quarter when an interception was returned for a touchdown. In last week’s game against Baylor, the first score of the game for the Longhorns was another interception return for a touchdown.

While the offense is still struggling to find a consistent identity, the defense has to continue to carry a large part of the burden. This involves scoring points on defense and setting up the offense with favorable field position.

In order to pull off the first upset against a ranked opponent this year and put Texas one game away from bowl eligibility, the team must make the most of its turnover opportunities.

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6

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017

KEY MATCHUPS

By Dalton Phillips @Dalton_Tweets

QUARTERBACK ADVANTAGE: TCU

Sophomore Shane Buechele elbowed his way back into the quarterback conversation with a dominant performance on Saturday against Baylor. With both Buechele and freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger healthy for the approaching road matchup, Texas’ quarterback situation has returned to its seemingly continuous state of uncertainty. But no matter who ends

up stepping onto the field, the Horned Frogs will have the advantage under center.

Junior Kenny Hill has led his team to a single loss in eight games behind 15 touchdowns and over 1,800 yards. Despite a sloppy performance in the loss to Iowa State in Week 9 — including two interceptions and a key fourth-quarter fumble — Hill remains to be one of the top playmakers in the Big 12 conference. However, he’ll need a win at home to stay in the playoff conversation.

RUNNING BACK ADVANTAGE: TCU

Freshman running backs Toneil Carter and Daniel Young breathed new life into Texas’ run game last Saturday. Young averaged an efficient 8.6 yards per carry, and the team was able to establish a ground game early in the road win over Baylor. Still, until we see more from these emerging threats, the polished TCU ground offense maintains an edge.

Sophomore running back Darius Anderson has churned his way to 627 yards and six touchdowns — the fourth best in the conference. He has been a consistent weapon for the Horned Frogs through all eight games, but may struggle to produce in the face of the formidable Longhorn ground defense.

WIDE RECEIVER ADVANTAGE: TCU

Texas flexed its receiving muscles last Saturday as it saw production up and down the line.

Sophomore wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey led the way with five catches and 55 yards to go along with a touchdown. But that performance came against the lowly Bears, and not the conference-best pass defense of TCU. The Horned Frogs boast an equally-if-not-more-talented bevy of receivers. Senior John Diars and freshman Jalen Reagor have a combined 675 receiving yards and six touchdowns this season, while senior Desmon White has another 22 receptions. The trio provide a number of deep threats for Kenny Hill and the Horned Frog offense.

DEFENSE ADVANTAGE: TCU

For what feels like the first time the season, Texas lacks an advantage on defense heading into a matchup. The team has leaned heavily on its defensive units all season as the orange and white offense struggle to find consistency on the other side of the ball. Junior cornerback DeShon Elliott and junior linebacker Malik Jefferson have made their case as the best two pieces on the Longhorn roster, but their combined effort may not be enough heading into the defensive juggernaut that is TCU. The Horned Frogs currently sweep the conference in defensive categories. They possess the top run defense, pass defense, scoring defense and total defense. Through eight games, they’ve held opponents to an average 14.8 points per contest. They won’t need to beat Texas on the offensive end, though they can. The Longhorns will struggle to put up more than a touchdown on the road against the sea of purple and white defenders.

H

7

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 COLUMN

Matchup with TCU opportunity to truly turn tide

By Michael Shapiro @mshap2

while, the juniors and seniors, that they’ve been embarrassed by this team and they don’t want to be embarrassed again,” Herman said. “This is an in-state conference team. We recruit against them. We see them all over the place all the time, and I know our guys, a lot of them played with or against a lot of the guys on their team and kind of ran around the same recruiting circles coming out of high school. So it’s a big deal when you play another team in our conference that’s from the state of Texas.”

Aside from the symbolic importance of Texas’ battle in Fort Worth, there’s also the whole matter of bowl eligibility. Currently sitting at 4–4, the Longhorns’ road

carlos garcia| daily texan staff

Head coach Tom Herman stands on the sideline at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Herman and the Longhorns head into this weekend’s matchup against No. 10 TCU with a 4–4 season record.

Head coach Tom Herman stood at his weekly press conference with the media on Monday afternoon and provided some encouraging news for the burnt orange faithful.

“My confidence is at an all-time high,” Herman said. “And I think our players are too.”

The rise of the Longhorns’ morale is undoubtedly a good thing. After a threeyear, 16–21 stretch in which Texas endured a slew of heartbreaking losses, a boost of confidence could help spring Longhorn football to its next era. Charlie Strong’s tenure as head coach was the nadir of Texas football in the 21st century, and it will be up to Herman to erase years of backsliding in the Big 12.

Texas has shown flashes of improvement throughout 2017. The Longhorns have brought both then-No. 4 USC and No. 11 Oklahoma State to overtime this year, and fell to No. 5 Oklahoma at the Red River Showdown by just five points. Throw in

a victory on the road against current Big 12 leader Iowa State, and the Longhorns’ résumé is stronger than that of most 4–4 teams.

But turning the page on a dark chapter of Texas football requires the Longhorns to actually break through against highly-ranked opponents, not just play them tough. Close-but-not-quite won’t help in the Big 12 standings.

Saturday’s matchup with the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth will be Herman and company’s fourth chance this season to defeat a current top-20 opponent. Despite TCU’s 14-7 loss to Iowa State last week in Ames, Iowa, the Horned Frogs still remain in the top-10 of the College Football Playoff rankings, sitting at No. 8 with a 7–1 record. And don’t forget the recent history between Texas and TCU. The Longhorns have lost three straight in the series, by a combined score of 129-26.

“There is some added motivation for the guys that have been on this team for a

to its first bowl game since 2014 is simple.

Avoid a 1–3 collapse, take care of Kansas and Texas Tech at home, and qualify for postseason play. A win against the Horned Frogs would all-but clinch bowl eligibility, because, let’s face it, Kansas won’t beat Texas again this year unless this game is played at Allen Fieldhouse.

Texas’ confidence is at an “all-timehigh,” which is exactly where it should be following a victory to 0–8 Baylor. It’s easy to be confident in your group following a 38-7 shellacking. But sustaining that success against a top-10 opponent on the road? That’ll be a far more difficult task for Texas on Saturday evening.

8

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017

OPPONENTS TO WATCH

By Steve Helwick @s_helwick

KENNY HILL QUARTERBACK, #7

Hill burst onto the college football scene as the Texas A&M Aggies quarterback in 2014. He gained plenty of recognition for following up Heisman winner Johnny Manziel and throwing his name into the Heisman Trophy race after finding instant success in College Station.

Three years later, Hill is performing at a high level once again, but for No. 10 TCU. The senior has launched the pigskin for 1,863 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, completing passes at a 67.8 percent — the 11th best rate in the FBS. Hill’s most impressive performance of the season occurred in Week 3 when he tore up the 6–2 SMU Mustangs’ defense with 365 yards and four touchdowns. But Hill is seeking redemption against Texas after ending up in the losing locker for the first time this season, a 14-7 offensive disaster at Iowa State.

TRAVIN HOWARD OUTSIDE LINEBACKER, #32

This season, TCU has rebranded itself as a stout defensive team.

The 11-man unit is led by Howard from the outside linebacker position, who leads his team with 60 total tackles. The senior has added 6.5 tackles for loss, a sack and an interception for the 7–1 Horned Frogs this year. His defense is 10th in the nation in yards allowed per game with 287 and eighth in points yielded per game (14.8).

In 2016, Howard’s 130 tackles were the most of any Big 12 defender, causing Howard to earn First Team All-Big 12 honors.

His successes at the collegiate level will likely translate to the NFL, as he is an adept tackler who additionally excels in man coverage.

This Saturday evening, the outside linebacker will face Texas, a team Howard has tallied 23 tackles against in just two games.

photos courtesy of tcu athletics

JALEN REAGOR WIDE RECEIVER, #18

Reagor has served as one of the Horned Frogs’ breakout stars in 2017. Ranked as the No. 6 receiver in the nation by ESPN, the true freshman has lived up to the hype by earning 308 receiving yards and four touchdowns through seven games. Reagor is occasionally utilized on rushing plays too, adding versatility to Gary Patterson’s offense in Fort Worth.

The Waxahachie, Texas product leads the team in touchdown catches and ranks second among his teammates in receiving yards behind senior wide receiver John Diarse. Reagor has demonstrated incredible speed and even a great vertical leap. In fact, in the 5636 victory over SMU, the 5-foot-11 Reagor rose above a cluster of defenders in the end zone to snag one a 45-yard Hail Mary from Hill.

BEN BANOGU DEFENSIVE END, #15

The transfer from Louisiana-Monroe to TCU has been kind to Banogu. The junior from McKinney, Texas is in the midst of his first season wearing purple and leads the Horned Frogs in sacks with 4.5. Banogu has recorded a total of 38 tackles this year and 9.5 have resulted in a loss of yards.

Banogu’s ability to swarm through opposing offensive tackles and pressure quarterbacks has been an impressive element of TCU’s defense this season. Banogu has forced two fumbles this season, including a key momentum changer against Oklahoma State in Week 4.

With the Cowboys driving in Stillwater, Banogu sacked and stripped senior quarterback Mason Rudolph. TCU’s recovery resulted in a key 14-point swing, which assisted the Horned Frogs in upsetting Oklahoma State 44-31.