The Daily Texan Double Coverage 2020-09-25

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T H E D A I LY TEXAN PRESENTS

Double Coverage VOL. 15 ISSUE 2 | SEPT. 25, 2020

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan file

FOR FOOTBALL FANATICS, PRE-GAME RITUALS ARE SACRED. Whether you’re catching the Forty Acres to the Co-op to grab the latest UT gear or hopping on the 10 to bag some brats from H-E-B, we all have our own way of preparing for Saturday night’s spectacle. But no matter where your Longhorn spirit guides you, you can safely let CapMetro take the wheel.

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EDITOR’S NOTE Now that Texas has a 59-3 win over UTEP under its belt, the Longhorns are gearing up to go Lubbock this weekend for their first road trip of the season. Games against

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

By Brittany Archer

|

@brittanyarcher_

No. 6 LSU vs. mississippi state

No. 4 georgia vs. arkansas

Sept. 26, 2:30 p.m. CT, CBS

Sept. 26, 3 p.m. CT, SEC Network

After having arguably college football’s greatest season ever, the defending national champions open their season against Mississippi State on Saturday. The Tigers find themselves in a very different position this year after losing Heisman Trophy winner quarterback Joe Burrow and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, among others, to the NFL. While redshirt junior quarterback Myles Brennan mentioned in several interviews this summer that he spent the past two seasons learning and implementing techniques from Burrow, it should be interesting to see if those lessons translate to the field. After hiring first-year head coach Mike Leach from Washington State this summer, the Bulldogs will look for their first win in Death Valley since 2014.

The Bulldogs and the Razorbacks do not normally meet every season. Since the SEC moved to a conference-only schedule, this will be the first meeting between the two since 2014. After losing three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm to the NFL Draft, Georgia thought they found the answer to their problem in the form of transfer quarterback Jamie Newman. But with Newman opting out of the 2020 season, head coach Kirby Smart has his hands tied and has yet to name a starting quarterback. The Razorbacks could be a challenge after nabbing former Georgia assistant Sam Pittman as their new head coach and former Missouri head coach Barry Odom as their new defensive coordinator during the offseason.

No. 22 army vs. no. 14 cincinnati Sept. 26, 2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN After last week’s bye, the Black Knights bring their best-in-the-nation rushing attack to Cincinnati on Saturday for their first matchup with the Bearcats since 2004. The Bearcats and the Black Knights were not originally scheduled to play this season, but each side agreed on a game after disruptions to both team’s schedules. If the Bearcats defense can hold the Army triple option, they may become this year’s dark horse and sneak into the College Football Playoff.

florida state vs. no. 12 miami Sept. 26, 6:30 p.m., ABC Is Miami back? It’s rivalry week, and the Florida State Seminoles and College GameDay are heading down to Miami to face the No. 12 Hurricanes. Miami, riding a two-game win streak after beating the University of Alabama-Birmingham and No. 24 Louisville, will look to capitalize on the absence of Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell, who announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Seminoles are coming in with loss against Georgia Tech.

Plan Your Future Now Whether you are a star on the field or a star in the classroom, start thinking about your future and stay an additional year to earn your master’s degree

Middle tennessee vs. utsa Sept. 25, 7 p.m. CT, CBS Sports Network The Roadrunners were originally supposed to face the Memphis Tigers this weekend but weren’t able to play due to COVID-19 outbreak in the Tigers program. Shortly after, UTSA announced that they would instead face Conference USA foe Middle Tennessee at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Roadrunners enter the game on a two-game winning streak, with a win in double overtime against Texas State and a 24-10 victory over Stephen F. Austin. The Raiders are coming off a two-game losing streak with losses against Army and Troy.

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joshua guenther

/ the daily texan file

Sterns brothers embody family, football

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

Texas safety Caden Sterns shares college football bond with his brothers.

By Myah Taylor @t_myah

f the Longhorns played Houston Baptist, Josh Sterns said he’d get open on his big brother Caden, Texas’ All-American safety. The freshman wide receiver’s confidence might come from playing backyard football with four older brothers who were all three times his size. Josh said they made him better.

These days, he just listens to their advice. Ahead of Houston Baptists’ game against Texas Tech on Sept. 12, junior Caden’s message to Josh and Jerreth, his other brother who also plays for the Huskies, was simple.

“He just told us to go out there

and do what we do normally,” Josh said. “He said, ‘We’re Sterns, and you know how we get down.’”

The Sterns brothers answered the call. Josh and Jerreth combined for 339 receiving yards.

Jerreth, a junior wide receiver, scored one touchdown. Josh scored two.

Texas Tech was a 42-point favorite heading into the game, but the Red Raiders won by just two — in their home stadium.

Houston Baptist put up 33 points. “(Caden) always tells me and Jerreth, ‘Even if they’re sleeping on you, don’t worry about it. Because you know what you’re capable of. You know your ability, so don’t let the haters or the people sleeping on you bring you down and stop you from being who you are and being the best you can be,’” Josh said.

Josh caught his second touchdown pass before Jerreth did that night. The elder Stern said seeing his little brother thrive at the Division I level so early and being able to call him a teammate “is such a blessing.”

Jordan, the oldest Stern brother between Caden, Josh and Jerreth, played at Oklahoma

copyright houston baptist athletics, and reproduced with permission

State and is a former Kansas City Chief. Jerreth said Jordan helped pave the way for all the siblings on the football field. He said Caden is making just as large of an impact at Texas.

What makes Caden so great, Jerreth said, is his ability to always be around the football and

find ways to make plays. Then, just get to trade knowledge that there’s his leadership. we have with one another too, “It’s honestly amazing, but so it’s pretty cool.” he’s just showing the world what If Caden’s brothers played we already knew: that he’s the with him at Texas like he wishes, best safety in college football,” they’d get another shot at Texas Jerreth said.

Tech with the Longhorns, who The two are the same age, but Josh said will definitely win the Jerreth still welcomes advice game on Saturday. from his Longhorn brother.

The brothers support each He said Caden gave him other, but competition between the lowdown on Texas Tech’s them has always been a battle defensive backs ahead of the game.

“He is really like a wise dude for our age, and he does drop knowledge to me just giving me little tips, like how to run my routes and how to get open because in the game he would have to guard me,” Jerreth said.

Caden said he wishes JOSH STERNS his brothers could have left houston baptist freshman wide receiver Lubbock with a win, but he’s proud of them nevertheless.

He said he learned from Josh and over who truly won, Jerreth said.

Jerreth that Texas Tech’s defense The debate may never be setisn’t very good, though it won’t tled. Would Jerreth beat Caden affect him much as a safety. on a play? He’d rather keep his “(It’s) cool seeing my broththoughts to himself. ers reach their dream of play“I’m not going to say,” Jering DI football and then doing reth said. “We won’t speak what they did,” Caden said in on that. It would be a good a Tuesday teleconference. “We matchup though.”

“

He said, ‘We’re Sterns, and you know how we get down.’”

copyright houston baptist athletics, and reproduced with permission

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DOUBLE COVERAGE

BIG 12

By Matthew Boncosky

|

@mboncosky

POWER RANKINGS

1. Oklahoma Sooners

2. TEXAS LONGHORNS

The Sooners looked like themselves in their season opener against Missouri State. Redshirt freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns in his brief debut. Head coach Lincoln Riley said after the game that they had a number of positive COVID-19 tests that almost jeopardized the game, but the Sooner Schooner rolled on and keeps its top spot in the rankings.

The Longhorns opened the season with a 59-3 drubbing of UTEP in their last matchup two weeks ago. Senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns, including 424 yards and five touchdowns in just the first half.

Overall, the Longhorns put up 689 total yards of offense, the third most in school history. Texas opens up conference play this week at Texas Tech.

3. Oklahoma state cowboys

4. baylor bears

No one expected a defensive battle, but that’s what happened in Oklahoma State’s win over Tulsa last week. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Spencer Sanders left the game early with an injury, hindering the Cowboys offense, but redshirt junior running back Chuba Hubbard found a rhythm in the second half, and the defense did enough to hold Tulsa at bay. The Cowboys face West Virginia this week.

Baylor still hasn’t been able to get on the field after their matchup against Houston was postponed in their third postponement or cancellation this year. Assuming they’ll be able to suit up this week, expect the Bears to take care of business as usual in their conference opener at Kansas.

5. TCU HORNED FROGS

6. WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

We still haven’t gotten a glimpse of TCU on the gridiron yet either. The Horned Frogs were originally scheduled to open their season against SMU, but instead they’ll be starting play this week at home against Iowa State.

West Virginia handled business in its opener against FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky. The offense put up 56 points with redshirt junior quarterback Jarret Doege throwing for three touchdowns. The Mountaineers will look to carry that success into their matchup with Oklahoma State this week.

7. Iowa state cyclones

8. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

The Cyclones were the first of three Big 12 teams to catch the upset bug in Week 1. They weren’t able to get anything going against Louisiana, losing 31-14 to open their season. Iowa State did not look like the team most thought they would be, hence their fall in the rankings. The Cyclones will look to get back on track against TCU.

The Wildcats also dropped the ball in their opener, losing 3531 to Arkansas State. To say the Sun Belt conference has gotten the best of the Big 12 would be an understatement, as three teams pulled off upsets. There were times when Kansas State looked good, particularly with freshman running back Deuce Vaughn, but those moments ultimately weren’t enough and the team will now travel to face Oklahoma.

9. texas tech red raiders

10. kansas jayhawks

The Red Raiders barely held on in their season opener against the Houston Baptist team they were projected to beat by 42 points.

Although that’s not how Texas Tech would’ve liked to open the season, they found a way to win, which is more than several other Big 12 teams can say. It will be a much different story when Texas comes to town Saturday.

Kansas football lost to Coastal Carolina for the second straight year in its season opener nearly two weeks ago. The Jayhawks billed this year’s affair as a revenge game but were unable to find much success against their foes from the Sun Belt conference. Junior running back Pooka Williams was held in check, only collecting 67 yards on the ground. The Jayhawks travel to Waco this week for a matchup against Baylor.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

Head-to-head history history

By Nathan Han @NathanHan13

One thing about Saturday’s matchup between Texas and Texas Tech is clear: When the Longhorns and Red Raiders meet on the football field, there’s going to be a lot of scoring.

Texas Tech has only won four of its last 20 meetings against Texas, but when the Red Raiders have the upper hand, it’s mostly in shootout games that come down to the wire.

The lone exception to this trend came in Texas’ loss to Texas Tech in 2017, when the Longhorns scored their fewest points in their last 20 games against the Red Raiders and fell 27-23.

Then-freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger had a chance to put the game away in the final minutes with the Longhorns up three points. But Ehlinger threw an interception that led

to the Red Raiders’ game-winning touchdown after a 55-yard interception return.

Since then, the Texas Tech defense has been unable to stop Ehlinger both in the pocket and on the run. In 2018, the then-sophomore quarterback threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns.

In 2019, Ehlinger threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 88 yards on 10 carries.

Expect Ehlinger to have a field day on Saturday, but as history shows, the Red Raiders could definitely light up the scoreboard as well.

GAME TO REMEMBER: Every Texas fan can recall the game where former Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree caught a pass and tiptoed down the sideline for a game-winning touchdown to upset then-No. 1 Texas in 2008.

A 2015 shootout in the rain might also be on the minds of many Longhorn fans when it comes to the Red Raiders. But this week’s game to remember is Texas’ thrilling 2018 victory over Texas Tech.

Sam (Ehlinger) believed in me and put it up there for me to go get it, and I came down with it.”

LIL’JORDAN HUMPHREY wide receiver

After starting the 2018 season with a disappointing loss to Maryland, the Longhorns had bounced back and won six straight games, including a 48-45 win over rival Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl.

blaine young

In the next two games, Texas lost two down-to-the-wire games to Oklahoma State and West Virginia, dealing a blow to its Big 12 title hopes.

The Longhorns seemed poised to put their past woes behind them in Lubbock, leading 2710 in the third quarter. But with a successful onside kick and 24 fourth-quarter points, the Red Raiders tied the game with 1:45 left in the game.

It was a defining moment for the Longhorns, who were facing the possibility of a third straight loss.

Enter Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who made a 29-yard touchdown grab over the outstretched arms of a Texas Tech defensive back to salvage the Longhorns’ season in the same exact corner of the field where Crabtree broke so many Longhorn hearts 10 years earlier.

The then-junior wide receiver had a career high 159 receiving

/ the daily texan file

yards on eight catches.

“Sam (Ehlinger) believed in me and put it up there for me to go get it, and I came down with it,” Humphrey said.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Nov. 29, 2019: University of Texas at Austin vs. Texas Tech University, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, 49-24 Nov. 10, 2018: University of Texas at Austin at Texas Tech University, Jones AT&T Stadium, 41-34 Nov. 24, 2017: University of Texas at Austin vs. Texas Tech University, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, 23-27 Nov. 5, 2016: University of Texas at Austin at Texas Tech University, Jones AT&T Stadium, 45-37 Nov. 26, 2015: University of Texas at Austin vs. Texas Tech University, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, 45-48

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DOUBLE COVERAGE

DANIELA’S DIGS

Players need to be supported when publicly discussing their mental health.

Daniela Perez @Daniela Perez

hen former Texas cornerback Kobe Boyce opened up about his struggle with depression and announced he would be leaving the program to prioritize his mental health July 18, sports fans across the country rallied around him. They wished him the best, opened up about their own battles with mental health and applauded him for his bravery. Senior Texas offensive lineman Sam Cosmi also opened up about his struggle with anxiety during his first year at Texas in a NCAA video about mental health.

Unlike Boyce and Cosmi, some athletes are scared of coming forward with their stories because of characters like FOX Sports’ Skip Bayless, who scoffed at the idea that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was dealing with depression and anxiety due to the pandemic and his brother’s suicide in April.

“If you reveal publicly any little weakness, it can affect your team’s ability to believe in you in the toughest spots,” Bayless said on FS1’s “Undisputed.” And it

joshua guenther

definitely can encourage others on the other side to come after you.”

These insensitive comments are clear manifestations of the perpetual toxic ideals that surround all athletes, specifically male ones.

It’s a toxicity that Longhorns like Boyce, Cosmi and former Heisman running back Ricky Williams have spoken out about. Fans, athletes and coaches need to combat negative stigmas surrounding mental health and foster collegiate programs that allow athletes to feel like their best selves — not just physically, but mentally.

Weakness has never been an option in football. The “next man up” mentality

leaves no room for error, and weakness only opens up a spot on the bench. The stereotypes surrounding weakness usually follow the same playbook: not being fast enough, not being strong enough, not being smart enough. As Bayless heinously pointed out, when a player opens up about their mental health struggles, it becomes a convenient excuse.

“If (players) introduce the idea that they may be struggling with mental health problems, people are going to go that route,” said Aaron Rochlen, a professor in educational psychology. “The irony is that them acknowledging it means they’re probably getting good help

… but folks who struggle with seeing mental health as a legitimate health issue are going to see them as weak.”

Weakness has never been an option in football. The “next man up” mentality leaves no room for error.”

DANIELA PEREZ

sports columnist

There is no shame in being human. The idea that athletes should compartmentalize hits at the heart of sports. Rochlen said that

sports in the past served as a positive distraction from the chaos in the world around us. But with so many platforms for players to express themselves, the role of the athlete has changed from the “larger than life” figure to the vulnerable young adult who has struggles outside of their sport.

Bayless’ comments only discourage players from coming forward with their stories. With online critics hiding behind social media handles and sports personalities’ desperate ploys to have a “take,” the anxiety of being in the spotlight while dealing with a personal issue is debilitating. It was so debilitating for Williams that he wore his

/ the daily texan file

tinted visor and helmet to press conferences because of his social anxiety disorder.

That’s why fans, teammates and coaches must continue commending and supporting athletes when they come forward with their stories. Bravery on a team is displayed not only when someone takes down a 300-pound lineman but also when players speak out about very real and personal matters that affect everyone.

Players’ self-expression shouldn’t end when they leave the football field. Their voices will encourage others to speak out their own personal struggles and inspire their teammates to do the same.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

NOTES FROM THE OPPONENT @stephenwag22

The Daily Texan spoke with Zach Richards, sports editor of The Daily Toreador, ahead of Texas’ Big 12 opener against Texas Tech.

What’s your overall evaluation of the team so far?

What’d you see in Texas Tech’s opening win against Houston Baptist, and what are some of the strengths and concerns of the team?

The Daily Texan:

Zach Richards:

Sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman showed a lot of promise early last season before his injury.

How does he look this year?

DT:

The first few possessions and a few times throughout the Houston Baptist game he missed a few throws, but honestly they’re throws he can make. I think it was just kind of rust, first-game jitters, stuff like that. He even mentioned in his press conference that those are passes he can make, those are plays that he makes with consistency. I think he’s good. He’ll get his yards because Tech’s system is heavily predicated around him throwing the ball, and he’s really good at that.

ZR:

COACH

By Brett Hintz @BHintzUT

By Stephen Wagner

Generally, I would honestly say Tech is a bit behind where fans want to be. It’s hard to say because the team opened against Houston Baptist and they’re obviously not the best of competition, but that game was a lot closer than the program wanted it to be. There were a lot of outstanding things in that game that are going to be exponentially shown against good teams like Texas.

NOTES ON THE

blaine young

What can you tell me about T.J. Vasher? He’s been the guy on Texas’ radar in each of the last three matchups and is probably a top-three receiver in the Big 12.

DT:

He’s a big guy. Tall, 6’6”, very physical, athletic. I think one of the biggest things that can hurt you is when you get into the red zone with T.J. He’s an absolute elite red zone threat with his size, his length and his catching ability. Once Tech gets into the red zone, he’ll probably be one of the guys they look to go to.

That’s where he’s most dangerous, in that red zone area.

ZR:

What are Texas Tech’s keys to success?

DT:

Defensive coordinator Keith Patterson said first they’ll need to limit the run because if Texas gets the run going, Tech is susceptible to play action, and then that’s where you get the long bombs from Sam (Ehlinger) and that’s where you get big chunks of yardage. So one of his main points of emphasis was ZR:

/ the daily texan file

stopping the run out of the gate, but also making sure the secondary is secure and locked in to prevent big plays like they gave up against Houston Baptist. On the offensive end, it’s just be consistent, limit turnovers, establish the run game early and see what develops after that.

Lastly, what’s on the line for Texas Tech in this game? Is there an immediate pressure to win against an in-state rival?

DT:

There’s still the rivalry aspect even though Texas has stomped Tech in the past. Tech has already outsold the ticket total from the Houston Baptist game, and there’s going to be way more of a fan presence than there was at the Houston Baptist game. Texas blew them out the last time the teams met, so there’s definitely a chip on these guys’ shoulders coming into the matchup. I think due to what happened last (year), Texas blowing Tech out of the water, and this being a home game, that Texas Tech has something to prove.

ZR:

Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells will be looking to lead his team to its first home victory over the Longhorns in 12 years when the two teams square off in Lubbock on Saturday.

The Red Raiders’ last home win against the Longhorns was an all-time classic that vaulted them to No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings with just three weeks remaining in the 2008 season.

Former head coach Mike Leach departed Lubbock a year after tying the school record of 11 wins during the 2008 campaign. In the decade since, Red Raider head coaches have averaged a measly six wins a season.

When Texas Tech was in the market for a new head coach after firing Kliff Kingsbury in 2018, finding a leader with an established history of rebuilding programs meddling in mediocrity was at the top of its wish list.

It’s difficult to think of an available coach who fulfilled that requirement better than Matt Wells.

Wells, who started at quarterback for Utah State in the 1994 and 1995 seasons, spent the first 13 years of his coaching career training various offensive position groups at Navy, Tulsa, New Mexico and Louisville before he was brought on to be the quarterbacks coach at his alma mater in 2011.

After Utah State promoted Wells to offensive coordinator in 2012, the Aggies won double-digit games for the first time in their 100-year history. This success could be attributed to an offense that scored a staggering 34.9 points per game. The Utah

State offense — which powered the Aggies to their first outright conference championship since 1936 — averaged 469.8 yards per game, good for 24th in the nation.

Despite only having one year of being an offensive coordinator under his belt, Wells became Utah State’s 27th head coach in program history following the departure of head coach Gary Andersen after the 2012 season.

Wells led the Aggies to unprecedented success throughout his fiveyear tenure as head coach. Utah State appeared in three bowl games, won nine or more games in a season three times and even ascended to as high as No. 13 in the AP poll in 2018, marking its highest ranking ever.

Prior to Wells being head coach, the Utah State program had only four winning seasons since 1980, with two of those coming in 2011 and 2012 while Wells was on staff.

Given his history, it makes sense that Texas Tech brought Wells in to oversee a similar turnaround in Lubbock.

The results weren’t quite there in Wells’ first year as head coach for the Red Raiders in 2019 — Texas Tech finished ninth in the Big 12 at 4–8. But this season, the second-year head coach will finally get an opportunity to run his offense with talented redshirt sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman, whom the Red Raiders lost to injury last year just three games into the season.

If Wells is aiming to turn around the Texas Tech program in the same way he did at Utah State, there is no doubt he is looking at Saturday’s matchup as an opportunity to grasp a potentially culture-shifting win in Lubbock.

12

DOUBLE COVERAGE

OPPONENTS TO WATCH

By Carter Yates @Carter_Yates16

The Texas football team will travel to Lubbock this weekend to face Texas Tech at the Jones AT&T Stadium. With the current pandemic, the Red Raiders will not have their trademark home-field advantage. Judging from Texas Tech’s first game this season, an uninspiring 35-33 win over Houston Baptist, the team may have needed the extra boost from the crowd.

Here are four Red Raiders players to watch for Saturday:

No. 10 Alan Bowman — Quarterback

Just two years ago, Alan Bowman was regarded as one of the top freshman quarterbacks in the nation after being named as an honorable mention for the Big 12 Offensive Freshman

of the Year. Since the end of the 2018 season, however, the injury bug has limited Bowman’s production. After playing in only eight games as a freshman before a collapsed lung ended his season, Bowman started only three games in his sophomore season before a shoulder injury forced him to redshirt. Now a redshirt sophomore, Bowman is poised for a breakout campaign in 2020 if he can stay healthy, many college football pundits say.

No. 56 Jack Anderson — Right guard

A freshman All-American in 2017 and an All-Big 12 second team pick in 2018, Jack Anderson was well on his way to leaving for the NFL after three seasons before a shoulder injury abruptly ended his junior year.

Now, as a redshirt junior, Anderson has expectations for another stellar year after being named to the 2020 All-Big 12 Preseason Team. The right guard out of Frisco, Texas, has lived up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of high school as one of the highest-rated recruits to ever sign with the Red Raiders. Anderson anchors an offensive line that will be charged with protecting quarterback Alan Bowman in Tech’s signature Air Raid offense. Anderson has the ability to stave off a Texas pass rush that accounted for eight tackles for loss in the Longhorns’ season-opening win over UT-El Paso.

#56

#10

No. 6 Riko Linebacker

#6 copyright elise bressler / texas tech athletics, and reproduced with permission

Jeffers

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Senior linebacker Riko Jeffers is the leader of the Red Raiders’ defense. In the season-opening win against Houston Baptist, Jeffers flew around the field and accounted for nine total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. A 2019 honorable mention All-Big 12 player, Jeffers will be tasked with filling the shoes of departed linebacker Jordyn Brooks, a first-round NFL Draft Pick for the Seattle Seahawks. The linebacker out of Garland, Texas, is looking to continue developing his leadership qualities after being named to the team captains circle as a junior. At 6 feet, 2 inches tall and 235 pounds, Jeffers has the physicality to rush the quarterback or drop back in coverage on slot receivers and tight ends. He will be tasked with trying to limit a Texas rush offense

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that poses a triple-headed threat in running backs junior Keaontay Ingram, sophomore Roschon Johnson and freshman Bijan Robinson.

No. 53 Eli Howard — Defensive Line

A redshirt senior out of San Angelo, Texas, Eli Howard enters 2020 with 30 career starts on the defensive line.

Last season, Howard was the first Texas Tech defensive lineman to earn All-Big 12 honors since 2013. The defensive lineman has 19 career tackles for loss and was a preseason All-Big 12 pick for 2020. With a chunk of proven pass rushers gone from last year’s squad, Howard is being asked to step into an even greater role this season. He will need to provide consistent pressure to rush Texas senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger into throws that open up opportunities for the Texas Tech secondary on Saturday.