The Daily Texan Double Coverage 2020-10-02

T H E D A I LY TEXAN PRESENTS

Double Coverage VOL. 15 ISSUE 3 | OCT. 2, 2020

toad to redemption eddie gaspar

/ 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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TEXAN

DOUBLE COVERAGE

STAFF PICKS

Myah Taylor

Stephen Wagner

Nathan Han

Carter Yates

Brittany Archer

Matthew Boncosky

Daniela Perez

Brett Hintz

Jack Myer

TCU @ No. 9 Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

No. 7 Auburn @ No. 4 Georgia

Auburn

Auburn

Georgia

Georgia

Auburn

Auburn

Georgia

Auburn

Auburn

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No. 18 Oklahoma @ Iowa State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

UTSA @ UAB

UTSA

UAB

UTSA

UAB

UTSA

UAB

UAB

UTSA

UTSA

No. 13 Texas A&M @ No. 2 Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

No. 25 Memphis @ SMU

Memphis

SMU

Memphis

SMU

SMU

SMU

SMU

SMU

Memphis

Baylor @ West Virginia

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

West Virginia

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Baylor

Navy @ Air Force

Navy

Air Force

Navy

Air Force

Navy

Navy

Navy

Navy

Air Force

Arkansas State @ Coastal Carolina

Coastal Carolina

Arkansas State

Arkansas State

Arkansas State

Coastal Carolina

Arkansas State

Arkansas State

Arkansas State

Coastal Carolina

Texas Tech @ Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Kansas State

Week 4 Results Overall Record

9-1 14-4

7-3 12-6

8-2 12-6

8-2 11-7

8-2 13-5

9-1 13-5

8-2 13-5

8-2 12-6

5-5 12-6

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EDITOR’S NOTE The Longhorns made it out of Lubbock with a 63-56 overtime win in last week’s thriller against Texas Tech, but Texas still has much work to do, and this weekend might be the biggest test so far this season. The Longhorns’ quest for the Big 12 continues Saturday against TCU, a team with star safeties and a dual-threat quarterback.

Myah Taylor & Stephen Wagner

Matthew Boncosky

Carter Yates

Daniela Perez

Brittany Archer

Brett Hintz

Issue Designers Minka Atkinson Associate Managing Editor Jason Lihuang

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5

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2020

GAMEsTO WATCH

By Brittany Archer

NOTES FROM THE OPPONENT

| @brittanyarcher_

Arkansas at no. 16 mississippi State Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network

After a statement win in Death Valley against the defending national champions, the No. 16 Mississippi State hosts the Arkansas Razorbacks for head coach Mike Leach’s first home game.

Senior quarterback K.J. Costello became the first SEC quarterback to throw for over 600 yards, breaking a 1993 record. The Stanford graduate transfer’s former career high in passing yards was 381 yards. Immediately following last week’s game, Leach touted that the Bulldogs only played LSU because the Chiefs, Green Bay and New England already had games scheduled. Will the Bulldogs live up to Leach’s expectations, or will the Razorbacks take the upset?

No. 13 texas a&m at no. 2 alabama Oct. 3, 2:30 p.m. CT, CBS After senior quarterback Kellen Mond spent the majority of the offseason proclaiming that No. 13 Texas A&M could have an LSU-type year, the Aggies will face their first challenge of the season in Tuscaloosa against No. 2 Alabama. The Aggies haven’t won against the Tide since former quarterback Johnny Manziel’s Heisman Trophy campaign in 2012. Much like the Aggies, head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide are looking to get back on top of the SEC West after falling to LSU last season.

After losing starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to the NFL Draft, the Tide found their rhythm last weekend in their 38-19 romp of Missouri. Will the Aggies finally be able to inscribe a year on the national championship trophy they gave head coach Jimbo Fisher when they hired him in 2018, or will Bama regain their top spot in the SEC?

By Stephen Wagner @stephenwag22

The Daily Texan spoke with Colin Post, sports editor of TCU’s student newspaper TCU 360, ahead of Saturday’s game between the Longhorns and the Horned Frogs.

Daily Texan: TCU just played its first game of the season last week against Iowa State after its season opener against SMU was canceled.

Did the team look rusty last week, or was that about the performance you expected?

The

Colin Post: You had no idea what

you were going to see from a team that was heading into Big 12 play without any nonconference games. And so we had to go against an opponent that had the luxury of having that. And then on top of that, our starter, (sophomore quarterback) Max Duggan, had a heart condition that came up in the offseason. It was just a big question of what the team would look like. So I would say it was not a surprise with how they played, especially given the fact that Duggan was just not able to play in the first half of that game, which was a personal decision by him and (head coach Gary) Patterson.

He played a heck of a second

half, but it just wasn’t enough.

It was one of those (games) where you know you feel like they could have gotten a win, but it’s not an utter shocker to see them come out with the loss in that opener.

Speaking of Duggan, it was uncertain if he would play at all this year after he was diagnosed with a heart condition he’d had since birth, but he returned to practice and played last week.

Did anyone expect that type of turnaround from him?

DT:

CP:

The answer is absolutely NOTES

PAGE 9

virginia at no. 1 clemson Oct. 3, 7 p.m. CT, ACC Network The No. 1 Clemson Tigers are back in action against the Virginia Cavaliers after last week’s bye. The last time the Cavaliers and the Tigers met was in the 2019 ACC Championship, where Clemson took the title. Clemson junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence is currently the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. The Cavaliers have had a rocky start to their season. After postponing its game with Virginia Tech and canceling its matchup with Virginia Military Institute, the Cavaliers are behind the rest of the ACC. However, they were able to get a decisive win against Duke last weekend.

South florida at no. 15 cincinnati Oct. 3, 2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN+ After holding off Army’s triple-option offense last weekend, the No. 15 Cincinnati Bearcats host the South Florida Bulls on Saturday. Cincinnati enters the game on a two-game winning streak while the Bulls are coming off of a 52-0 loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 19. The Bulls previously postponed their game last weekend against Florida Atlantic after a COVID-19 outbreak in their program. The Bearcats are looking to stay undefeated and keep alive their dark horse College Football Playoff hopes.

TCU at no. 9 texas Oct. 3, 11 a.m. CT, FOX After a whirlwind game against Texas Tech last weekend, the Longhorns are back in Austin for a showdown against TCU. Texas is looking for redemption this season, as the Horned Frogs upset the Longhorns in Fort Worth last year. While the Longhorns are riding a two-game winning streak, the Horned Frogs are coming off a loss to Iowa State after their first game against SMU was postponed.

The Horned Frogs have won six of the eight games against Texas since joining the Big 12 in 2012.

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6

DOUBLE COVERAGE

texas wide receivers build trust with ehlinger Longhorn wide receivers have developed a winning connection with their quarterback.

By Myah Taylor @t_myah

T

exas’ game-tying 18-yard touchdown and 2-point conversion receptions against Texas Tech on Saturday may have taken six seconds, but it has taken much longer than that for senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s wide receivers to gain his trust.

“I think the biggest thing with trust between a quarterback and receiver is being on the same page all the time,” Ehlinger said in a Tuesday teleconference. “Knowing the playbook and understanding the different variations or adjustments that can happen with different coverages, and that’s the way to build trust.”

Ehlinger and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Joshua Moore already seem to have established a winning connection through the first two games. Moore sprinted 78-yards to the end zone on the Longhorns’ first play of the season against UTEP, and he caught three

joshua guenther

touchdowns from Ehlinger on Saturday in Lubbock.

The duo’s success this season is not a product of their respective athleticism, but their communication on the field, which they worked to

strengthen over the summer.

“Almost every day of the week, we would get together, all of the receivers, and we would just throw routes to each other,” Moore said. “Just building the

chemistry that we need to be successful this year.”

The relationship between a quarterback and his wide receivers is symbiotic, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said,

/ the daily texan file

adding that even one small miscommunication can result in a significant mistake.

“They depend on one another,” Yurcich said. “You can’t have a quarterback have a good

7

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2020

joshua guenther

day or have a good season or have a good game without good receiver play. And receivers, it’s the same way. They go hand and hand.”

The Longhorn offense, which has averaged 61 points in the first two games, is stacked with receivers. Moore, junior Brennan Eagles and graduate transfer Brenden Schooler were all key contributors last Saturday.

Texas’ wide receivers have accounted for 44 receptions, 641 yards and 11 touchdowns in just two weeks. Ehlinger said he’s proud of the Longhorn receivers for their performances this far, but the offense isn’t at full strength yet.

“(I) think we have a lot of room for improvement,” Ehlinger said. “We have a ton of talent in that room, and I’m looking forward to continuing to get better with them.”

Sophomore receiver Jake Smith will return from injury to join the group of wideouts playing this weekend against TCU. Ehlinger will get another weapon when redshirt freshman receiver Jordan Whittington returns from his knee injury.

Not every receiver will get the ball, though. That’s where trust comes in, head coach Tom Herman said.

“You want to earn the trust of a quarterback? Go out and

play really hard,” Herman said. “Be in the right place at the right time. Don’t bust.

When you’re supposed to run a fade, don’t run a slant. …

Quarterbacks tend to gravitate toward guys like that.”

Moore has been one of Ehlinger’s main targets in the last two weeks, but he said his relationship with his quarterback extends past game day.

“I look at Sam as a brother.

I’m looking forward to the success we have this year,” Moore said. “Sam’s a hard worker. To have anybody back there behind the seam like him, I mean any receiver would want that, so I’m thankful for Sam as well.”

/ the daily texan file

eddie gaspar

/ the daily texan file

8

DOUBLE COVERAGE

DANIELA’S DIGS

Early wake-up call will benefit the Longhorns.

By Daniela Perez @danielap3rez

aturday was a wakeup call for Texas, which skated out of Lubbock with a 63-56 overtime win against Texas Tech. The game confirmed Ehlinger’s place among Longhorn greats and sent Texas’ defense back to the tackling doghouse it occupied for the majority of the 2019 season.

Fans remain haunted by former defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s unwavering stubbornness against changing the scheme and former Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb taking the secondary’s ankles as prisoners.

With tackling needing desperate improvement, head coach Tom Herman brought defensive coordinator Chris Ash and his rugby-style tackling technique to Texas.

But even these solutions couldn’t overcome the unique set of challenges the COVID-19 pandemic created in the offseason, such as the lack of offseason workouts.

That seems to be the only explanation for the abysmal performance. Tossing Orlando’s scheme and getting players healthy seemed to be the fix, but tackling issues in Ash’s defense were as prevalent as ever in Lubbock last Saturday.

“I felt like it was last year.

With no spring ball, very limited contact in fall camp and playing UT-El Paso in our opener, I think the speed of the game got to our guys a

joshua guenther

little bit,” Herman said in the postgame press conference.

“All of these are really good teaching moments. We will celebrate the things we did well and go back to work on the things we didn’t.”

Sure, Texas looked rough, but it was just game two in 2020. Let’s not make a sweeping judgement on Texas’ defense until more games are played. We’ve seen what the defense can do when it has time. Texas fans were relieved when the Longhorns took down No. 11 Utah in a 38-10 beatdown at the Valero Alamo Bowl, showing defensive prowess over a Pac-12 powerhouse. Ash admitted he thought the tackling was in a good place after Texas’ game against UTEP, but Texas Tech exposed the remnants of last year’s problems in the third quarter.

On third-and-16, a play that would surely put the ball back in Texas’ hands, the Longhorns’ coverage gave senior wide receiver T.J. Vasher too much space, allowing sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman to connect a pass that would catalyze a scoring drive. The drive would be capped by a 29-yard touchdown from Vasher, who left a tumbleweed of defenders rolling behind him.

The same thing happened on sophomore running back

/ the daily texan file

SaRodorick Thompson’s 75yard touchdown play. Thompson broke multiple tackles and flew past the second level. Members of the Texas secondary thought the play was over and even walked as they watched Thompson mangle the defensive line and dart down the sideline.

Ehlinger and the offense won the game, but the defense got a taste of redemption when senior defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham snuffed out Thompson for a 4-yard loss that would be the first nail in the coffin for Texas Tech’s overtime dreams.

The wake-up call in Lubbock will either rally the defense and help Texas reach its Big 12 championship goals or further expose the defense’s flaws. TCU will be a great test for the Longhorns and will show if this team’s resilience has changed at all since 2019.

“We didn’t blame each other,” sophomore defensive lineman Keondre Coburn said after Saturday’s game.

“With previous teams, when stuff happens we’d like to blame, but this defense is different. We knew that we made mistakes; it’s the reason why they scored. But (we knew that) we had to keep on to the next play and play after play.”

Head-to-head history history

By Nathan Han @NathanHan13

When TCU joined the Big 12 conference in 2012, no one expected the Horned Frogs to compete for Big 12 titles, but they have been a thorn in the Longhorns’ side.

“It’s a team that quite frankly has had our program’s number for the last few years,” Texas head coach Tom Herman said in September 2018 before UT’s game against TCU. Herman and company won that 2018 matchup, but the win was a rare occurrence for the Longhorns. Last season, then-junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger threw four interceptions in Texas’ upset loss in Fort Worth.

Texas has held the all-time 63–26–1 record over TCU ever since the two teams first played in 1897. After a 1995 Longhorn victory, the two squads would only meet once in 2007 before TCU joined the Big 12 in 2012. Since then, TCU has been one of Texas’s toughest competitors.

GAME TO REMEMBER: There’s no better game to sum up recent Texas-TCU history than the first time the two teams met as conference foes

in 2012.

The Horned Frogs had just joined the Big 12 and were headed to Austin for Thanksgiving Day. The 8–2 Longhorns were ranked No. 18 and still had slim BCS bowl game hopes with sophomore quarterback David Ash at the helm.

But the underdog Horned Frogs, in a role they would continue to play over the next decade, didn’t make things easy for the Longhorns.

Ash led Texas right down the field on the first drive of the game, but the quarterback made a mistake that would foreshadow the rest of the day for Texas when he threw a red zone interception, one of four turnovers for the Longhorns.

TCU followed the interception with a 94-yard drive.

The Horned Frogs, who had contributed 217 yards on the ground, held a 20-6 lead in the fourth quarter after another red zone interception and a fumble from Ash in the second quarter.

But hope came for the Longhorns in the form of backup quarterback junior Case McCoy, who delivered a touchdown in the fourth quarter to bring Texas within one score at 20-13.

After the defense did its part and forced a three-and-out, the Texas offense received the ball with 1:44 left in the game and a chance for McCoy’s second last-minute Thanksgiving Day comeback after he led the Longhorns past Texas A&M in dramatic fashion in 2011.

But McCoy threw Texas’ fourth turnover of the game, dousing any comeback hopes for the Longhorns and eliminating the outside chance of a BCS bowl.

The 2012 matchup was an eerily similar game to the 2019 loss, where the Longhorns also notched their third loss of the season due to four turnovers, dashing their Big 12 title hopes.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Oct. 26, 2019: UT at TCU, Amon G. Carter Stadium, 27-37 Sept. 22, 2018: UT vs.

TCU, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, 31-16 Nov. 4, 2017: UT at TCU, Amon G. Carter Stadium, 7-24 Nov. 25, 2016: UT vs.

TCU, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, 9-31 Oct. 3, 2015: UT at TCU, Amon G. Carter Stadium, 7-50

eddie gapsar

/ the daily texan file

9

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2020

NOTES ON THE

By Brett Hintz @BHintzUT

Editor’s note: This story references a derogatory racial slur.

To open the shortened season, Texas has won in both convincing and nail-biting fashion against two teams that are still working to establish a winning culture under recently hired head coaches.

UT-El Paso head coach Dana Dimel and Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells are wellknown for their abilities to turn around lesser programs, but both had just four years of combined head coaching experience at their respective schools before coming into their matchups against Texas.

The Longhorns will be tasked with going against a veteran head coach for the first time when Gary Patterson and the TCU Horned Frogs make their way to Austin on Saturday.

Now into his 20th season as the head coach of the Horned Frogs, Patterson is the longest tenured head coach on the Longhorns’ schedule and is now the second-longest tenured head coach across all of college football, amassing an impressive 172–71 record throughout

notes

CONTINUES FROM PAGE 5

not. It was zero to 100 for Max Duggan. His heart condition is fully solved, and that was something he had not dealt with in the past (before) COVID tests brought (it) up, and now he’s ready to get back to 100%.

But that goes to say, he only had literally a matter of days to get in shape for the game.

It was officially made clear that he would play the Monday prior to game day. So obviously, he had been working out throughout that, but just with the offense and getting things going, that was just

COACH

his time in Fort Worth.

College coaches often harp on the importance of getting the opportunity to build a winning culture with “their guys,” who have all been recruited by the same coaching staff that they play under. Patterson is the first coach on the Longhorns’ schedule who boasts the experience necessary to build that cohesiveness within his program.

Despite Patterson’s experience, he shares an important quality with Dimel and Wells: Patterson has made a name for himself by building a lesser-known program into a perennial winner.

Prior to hiring him as defensive coordinator in 1998, the Horned Frogs had appeared in just two bowl games in a 33year span and hadn’t won 10 games in a season since 1938.

Since Patterson’s initial hiring and eventual promotion to head coach in 2000, the Horned Frogs have now won 10 games or more a season 12 times and have failed to play in a bowl game just three times over that span.

By looking at what he has done on the sidelines in Fort Worth, it certainly isn’t difficult to understand why Patterson has become essential to TCU football.

Recently though, a couple of rough seasons and off-the-field controversies have cast a negative light on Patterson’s legacy within college football.

Patterson came under fire Aug. 3 after linebacker Dylan Jordan, a Black player, tweeted a statement that said the coach used the N-word in a team meeting. The incident prompted a boycott from the team.

Patterson later tweeted in an apology statement Aug. 4 saying he regretted his actions and has always “encouraged (their) players to do better and be better and (he) must live by the same standards.” According to a report from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he did not say the slur to the player directly and was criticizing the player’s repeated use of it in meetings. Regardless, the coach’s use of the word still came off as insensitive in a time of increased racial tension across the United States.

TCU’s record recently also hasn’t been the best. It missed a bowl game last season for the first time since 2013 and only had one season with more than seven wins in the last four years, so the stakes are higher than usual for the Horned Frogs when they visit Austin on Saturday.

a real show of grit for Max Duggan. He was very efficient, 16-19, 241 yards and only threw a pick because of a bobble by a receiver. Definitely did not expect that, but it was very encouraging to see the way that he was able to come out and in only a half of football put together a very good game.

this year. (Last) Saturday, TCU’s offensive line was simply abysmal. I mean, (six) sacks for Iowa State. There was a fumble that came off a sack that gave Iowa State a score at the end of the first half. And you just see only two returning starters for the offensive line this year for TCU and three (linemen) from last year in the NFL now. One of those returners didn’t even win the starting job, so literally four to five new starters (are) on the offensive line at any given time out there. Texas’ defense is big, especially on that front line. If they can get to Duggan, it’s going to be a long day for TCU.

What are some of the things Texas can really expose about TCU? DT:

Get to the quarterback because of the lack of game experience from TCU quarterbacks. No matter what quarterback is playing, they only played half of football CP:

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10

DOUBLE COVERAGE

BIG 12

By Matthew Boncosky

|

@mboncosky

POWER RANKINGS

1. TEXAS LONGHORNS

2. Oklahoma state cowboys

Texas needed some late-game heroics but still found a way to survive against Texas Tech last week in an overtime thriller. The Longhorns are 2–0 for the first time under head coach Tom Herman and take the top spot in the Big 12 following Oklahoma’s loss. Texas will be back in Austin for a matchup against TCU this week.

Oklahoma State joins Texas as the only 2–0 teams in the Big 12 after its victory over West Virginia last week. It didn’t look pretty, but redshirt junior running back Chuba Hubbard put up another 100-yard game on the ground, leading the Cowboys to victory. Oklahoma State travels to Kansas this week.

3. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

4. baylor bears

Kansas State stunned No. 3 Oklahoma last week, roaring back from a 21-point deficit to upset the Sooners for a second straight year. The final tally in Norman was 38-35. Senior quarterback Skylar Thompson threw for over 300 yards in the comeback victory. Kansas State takes on Texas Tech at home this week.

The Bears looked good in their 47-14 drubbing of Kansas last week, finally getting to play a game after having their first three games of the season canceled or postponed. Senior running back Trestan Ebner shined on the field, collecting four touchdowns, including two kick returns for touchdowns. Baylor travels to West Virginia this week.

5. Iowa state cyclones

6. Oklahoma Sooners

Iowa State got back on track last week with a 37-34 win over TCU. Sophomore running back Breece Hall ran for 154 yards and three touchdowns in the win. The Cyclones are 1–0 in conference play and will look to keep the momentum going against Oklahoma this week, a matchup that will tell us a lot about the mental fortitude of both teams.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler looked — forgive me — rattled during Kansas State’s stunning comeback over Oklahoma last week. Rattler threw three interceptions, including an errant throw that sealed the game for the Wildcats.

The young quarterback will look to improve upon that performance this week against Iowa State.

7. TCU HORNED FROGS

8. texas tech red raiders

TCU dropped a close one last week to Iowa State in their season opener. Sophomore quarterback Max Duggan threw three touchdowns in the second half, but a tipped interception late set up the game-winning score for Iowa State. TCU travels to Austin this week for a matchup with No. 9 Texas.

Texas Tech’s 56 points were the most the team has ever scored against Texas, but it wasn’t enough to complete the upset. The Red Raiders had a 15-point lead with a few minutes to go before senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger, with the help of an onside kick recovery, led the Longhorns to 22 unanswered points. Texas Tech travels to Kansas State this week.

9. WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

10. kansas jayhawks

West Virginia only managed to score 13 points in its Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State, mustering just one touchdown in the loss. West Virginia hopes to put up a better fight against Baylor this week.

Kansas lost big to Baylor last week. Junior running back Pooka Williams Jr. scored twice on the ground, but he was the lone bright spot for the Jayhawks, who couldn’t score any additional points. Kansas hosts Oklahoma State this week.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2020

OPPONENTS TO WATCH

By Carter Yates @Carter_Yates16

Fresh off of an improbable victory over Texas Tech, the Texas football team will be back at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this Saturday to face off against the 0–1 TCU Horned Frogs. The Longhorns will look to avoid a repeat of last year’s contest, where senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger threw four interceptions on the way to a stunning 27-37 loss to an undermanned TCU squad.

Here are four Horned Frogs to watch for Saturday:

No. 15 Max Duggan — Quarterback

A 2019 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honorable mention recipient, Max Duggan won the starting quarterback job after two games and set TCU true freshman records with 2,077 yards passing and 15 touchdowns. In last year’s matchup against Texas, Duggan enjoyed a coming-out party with 345 total yards and three total touchdowns on his way to being named the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week for his performance. The sophomore was cleared to return

11

to practice only a few days before the team’s season opener against Iowa State — he discovered during COVID-19 testing protocols that he’s had a heart condition since birth.

Despite his shortened training camp, Duggan played in the second half against Iowa State and threw for three touchdowns. Look for him to play the entire game against Texas this Saturday.

No. 4 Taye Barber — Wide Receiver

A junior out of Cypress, Texas, wide receiver Taye Barber got off to a hot start last weekend against Iowa State when he hauled in five receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Barber is the top target in a group of unproven wide receivers as the Horned Frogs’ leading receiver over the final seven games of 2019. An All-Big 12 honorable mention as a sophomore last season, Barber will look to exploit a Texas secondary that gave up 331 yards through the air and five passing touchdowns against Texas Tech. Standing at only 5’9” and 185 pounds, Barber will look to use his 4.5-second 40-yard dash speed and decisive route running to find holes in the defensive backfield.

No. 30 Garrett Wallow — Linebacker

The Big 12’s 2019 tackles leader Garrett Wallow is back as the lynchpin of the Horned Frogs’ defense for his senior season. A first-team All-Big 12 performer in 2019, Wallow was all over the field with 125 total tackles and 18 tackles for loss. A captain for the 2020 season, the linebacker out of New Orleans started off his senior campaign with nine total tackles and a sack. A disruptor both in the run game and in the offensive backfield, Wallow might be the best linebacker the Texas offense will face the entire season. Interesting note: Wallow was the defender who came on a linebacker blitz and forced Iowa State junior quarterback Brock Purdy into one of the wackiest pick sixes you will ever see.

No. 7 Trevon Moehrig — Safety

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This Saturday, there will be two dominant safeties wearing No. 7, only one of them being Texas junior Caden Sterns. TCU safety Trevon

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Moehrig enters his junior year as one of the premier players on head coach Gary Patterson’s defense. Last season, he recorded 62 total tackles and four interceptions on his way to being named a first-team All-Big 12 performer. Last year against Texas, Moehrig intercepted Ehlinger’s pass to end the third quarter. Ehlinger will need to be

more careful with the ball in this year’s contest, as Moehrig has proven to be a ball hawk in his first two seasons. Standing at 6’2” and 202 pounds, the safety out of Spring Branch, Texas, has the size to compete on jump balls with bigger receivers such as Longhorns senior Tarik Black and junior Brennan Eagles.

M O R E I N F O : T E XA S S P O RTS . C O M / G O M O B I L E