The Daily Texan Double Coverage 2021-09-24

T H E D A I LY TEXAN PRESENTS

Double Coverage VOL. 16 ISSUE 4 | Sept. 24, 2021 jack myer

/ the daily texan file

friday, september 24, 2021

overall STANDINGS 1.

Christina Huang

2.

Kaitlyn Harmon

T-3 Myah Taylor, Hannah Williford 4.

Jenny DeVico

T-5.

Vicente Montalvo,

T-6

Matthew Boncosky,

TEXAN

Nathan Han Payne Williams

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Nathan Matthew Payne Han Boncosky Williams

Tennessee @ No. 11 Florida

Florida

Florida

Florida

Florida

Tennessee

Florida

Florida

No. 21 UNC @ Georgia Tech

UNC

Georgia Tech

UNC

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No. 12 Notre Dame @ No. 18 Wisconsin

Notre Dame

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Wisconsin

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West Virginia @ No. 4 Oklahoma

Oklahoma Oklahoma

Oklahoma Oklahoma

Jenny DeVico

Blaine Young

Angelina Braese

Florida

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Georgia Tech

UNC

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Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Christina Hannah Vincente Huang Williford Montalvo

Kaitlyn Harmon

Angelina Braese 8.

STAFF PICKS

Myah Taylor

Blaine Young

7.

3

Wisconsin Wisconsin

Notre Dame

Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma

Wisconsin Wisconsin West Virginia

Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma

Arizona @ No. 3 Oregon

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No. 7 Texas A&M @ No. 16 Arkansas

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No. 14 Iowa State @ Baylor

Iowa State

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Baylor

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No. 24 UCLA @ Stanford

UCLA

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Texas Tech @ Texas

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No. 2 Georgia @ Vanderbilt

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Week 2 Results Overall Record

9-1 22-8

8-2 23-7

8-2 18-12

7-3 19-11

6-4 17-13

10-0 25-5

10-0 22-8

7-3 20-10

9-1 21-9

8-2 20-10

EDITOR’S NOTE

In what could be Texas’ most compelling matchup for the remainder of the season –– despite facing OU in the Red River Rivalry –– the Longhorns have to find a way to dominate a potentially threatening Texas Tech team. Facing the Red Raiders at home, while there is the obvious home field advantage, Sarkisian, Thompson and team need to be on their toes as they duel it out Saturday morning. Coming off of a blowout win over Rice, Texas needs to push the momentum forward into Week 4. Now is the time for the Longhorns to tweak, perfect and enhance upon their performance.

Kaitlyn Harmon

DOUBLE COVERAGE Double Coverage Editor Kaitlyn Harmon Design Editor

Jenny DeVico

Photo Editor

Blaine Young

Copy Editor

Angelina Braese

Writers Nathan Han

check us out

ONLINE

stories videos photo galleries thedailytexan.com

7-3 19-11

Matthew Boncosky

Vicente Montalvo

Christina Huang

Hannah Williford

Payne Williams

Designers Isabella Waltz

Sally Parampottil Managing Editor Myah Taylor

4

GAMEsTO WATCH

By Ross Fisher

|

DOUBLE COVERAGE

@rossfisher23

No. 25 Kansas State at Oklahoma State

No. 12 Notre Dame at No. 18 Wisconsin Sept. 25, 11 a.m. CT, FOX

Perhaps the most anticipated encounter in Week 4 is the Midwestern showdown between two historic college football powerhouses. Wisconsin looks to upset the Fighting Irish with the home field advantage. The Badgers are coming off of a bye in Week 3 and enter the contest as favorites, despite losing to Penn State 10-16 in Week 1. The last time the Badgers took the field in Week 2, Wisconsin took care of business against Eastern Michigan 34-7, where four Badger running backs rushed for touchdowns. Wisconsin’s Chez Mellusi is one to keep an eye out for as Mellusi rushed for well over 100 yards and a touchdown in both of Wisconsin’s matchups this season. Notre Dame will meet the Badgers in Chicago as 3–0, despite scares in both of its first two matchups. The Fighting Irish squeaked

by Florida State and Toledo in games they were expected to win but nonetheless made difficult for themselves. Notre Dame won by a mere three points in each.

In Week 3 however, The Fighting Irish picked up a more convincing win against Purdue. Notre Dame’s Jack Coan is the player to watch on Saturday as the quarterback has thrown for over 800 yards and eight touchdowns this season. A win for either program would make a major statement.

No. 7 Texas A&M at No. 16 Arkansas Sept. 25, 2:30 p.m. CT, CBS If the most intriguing matchup fails to be Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin, then it certainly is this SEC battle. Saturday’s matchup will mark A&M’s second time playing at an NFL venue this year. After taking on Colorado at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, the Aggies will play another “away” game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Both teams enter the weekend 3–0, but the Aggies are the favorites despite being on the road. Head coach Jimbo Fisher and program will still be without starting quarterback Haynes King, but sophomore Zach Calzada started confidently under center last weekend. Calzada threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns as A&M cruised to a 34-0 win over New Mexico. Junior running back Isaiah Spiller also impressed against New Mexico, running for over 100 yards and one touchdown. Arkansas has had three convincing wins this season, including one against Texas. After a shaky start against Rice, the Razorbacks pulled away to win 38-17, also beating Georgia Southern 45-10 in Week 3. However, Arkansas’ best display of the season was its 40-21 demolition of then-ranked No. 15 Texas at home. Arkansas’ key area of strength lies with middle linebackers Bumper Pool and Grant Morgan, as well as roaming safety Jalen Catalon. Aside from a tough secondary, running back Trelon Smith and redshirt sophomore quarterback KJ Jefferson have proved themselves this season on the offensive side of the ball. Jefferson has emerged as a real dual-threat this season, scrambling for 180 yards and two touchdowns, and picking up four touchdowns and 632 yards through the air.

Sept. 25, 6:00 p.m. CT, ESPN+

Perhaps one of the more leveled playing field contests in Week 4, Kansas State at Oklahoma State is another Big 12 matchup with plenty of promise. Stillwater, Oklahoma, is never an easy place for opponents to play on the road, making Oklahoma State slight favorites in this one. The Cowboys offense has struggled to get going this season, and despite being 3–0, zero wins have been straightforward so far. Oklahoma State just barely held off Boise State on the road last weekend. The Cowboy to watch will be senior linebacker Malcom Rodriguez, who has forced two fumbles this season and leads the team with 36 total tackles. On the other side of the ball, look out for Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn. Vaughn has proved plentiful this season, rushing for five touchdowns and 371 yards. The Wildcats are looking to raise hell on the road with an upset, and look to keep their momentum going ahead of tough matchups with Oklahoma and Iowa State. Kansas State’s most impressive win this season came in Week 1, when the Wildcats beat Stanford 24-7.

No. 14 Iowa State at Baylor Sept. 25, 2:30 p.m. CT, FOX Iowa State faces a conference matchup against Baylor on Saturday, entering Waco as the favorites. Yet, Baylor is certainly a team to be weary of for the Cyclones. Iowa State will take its first snap against the Bears after losing to intrastate rival Iowa at home in Week 2. Last weekend, the Cyclones bounced back in a dominating performance, beating UNLV 48-3.

Breece Hall is the guy to watch for Iowa State, as the junior running back has picked up four touchdowns this season on 238 yards. Baylor heads into Saturday 3–0, after cruising to a couple of comfortable wins in Weeks 2 and 3. Baylor beat down on weaker oppositions in Texas Southern and Kansas, scoring 111 points across the two games. The Bears, however, were disappointing in their season debut win against Texas State. Senior running back Abram Smith has been the standout for Baylor so far, rushing for 366 yards and five touchdowns.

Villanova at No. 6 Penn State Sept. 25, 11:00 a.m. CT, Big Ten Network Both the Wildcats and the Nittany Lions enter Saturday’s all-Pennsylvania affair 3–0.

Penn State matches up against Villanova as heavy favorites, after knocking off ranked opposition for the second time this season. The Nittany Lions held off then-ranked No. 12 Wisconsin 16-10 on the road in Week 1, and last weekend triumphed over then-ranked No. 22 Auburn 28-20 at home. The Penn State crowd has proved to be a huge advantage in Happy Valley — last week fans packed Beaver Stadium in all-white, playing a major role in Saturday’s win. Senior wide receiver Jahan Dotson has proved to be an asset for the Nittany Lions this season, amassing 245 yards through the air and three touchdowns. For Villanova, Penn State is by far the biggest test on its 2021 schedule. The Wildcats cruised to lopsided wins against Lehigh and Bucknell in Weeks 1 and 2, and narrowly beat Richmond in Week 3. Villanova’s key man is graduate student quarterback Daniel Smith, who has eight passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns already to his name this season.

longhorns in the nfl

DOUBLE COVERAGE

6

By Payne Williams

|

@paynewilliams5

Week 2 of the NFL season featured a handful of Longhorns who shined on both sides of the ball, putting the Texas name in the ears of millions of NFL fans on Sunday.

Former Longhorn Devin Duvernay played a key role in the Ravens’ eventual victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, which boasts one of the best offenses in the NFL. The second-year receiver kicked off the Ravens’ win with an impressive athletic display and effort that contributed to a huge momentum shift.

The Chiefs scored quickly after a pick-six by Tyrann Mathieu, but Baltimore fired back, reaching the red zone in a less-than-two-minute drive. The Ravens punched it in with running back Ty’Son Williams on first and goal, but a hit by a Kansas City corner jarred the ball loose from Williams and nearly led to the Chiefs taking over. Then, in immense traffic, Duvernay plucked the ball out of the air and trotted into the endzone resulting in six points on the board for the Ravens. In a game that came down to the wire, without Duvernay’s play, Baltimore may have endured its second turnover to start the game and its second loss of the season. Instead, Baltimore knocked off the defending AFC champs in a Sunday night thriller.

DEVIN DUVERNAY Baltimore Ravens

DESHON ELLIOTT

eddie gaspar

Baltimore Ravens anthony mireles

/ the daily texan file

/ the daily texan file

On the defensive side of the ball in Sunday night’s AFC showdown, DeShon Elliott represented the Ravens along with Duvernay. The former star safety for Texas left the game at halftime due to a concussion diagnosis, but his performance in the first half was nothing short of a success.

Stat sheets show Elliott ended the game with three solo tackles on a future hall of fame quarterback, but his performance went beyond a hodge podge of numbers on a stat sheet. Elliott faced the daunting task of keeping some of the NFL’s best –– Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce –– at bay. Elliott and the Ravens defense succeeded at pressuring the Chiefs offense. On a crucial third down in the second quarter, Elliott came blitzing off the edge, forcing Mahomes to scramble in the pocket. Mahomes had no other choice but to throw the ball away. Kansas City was forced to punt, and Baltimore responded with a touchdown. The Baltimore defense, with Elliott’s help, held Hill to just three receptions and 14 yards, proving crucial to Baltimore’s win. Elliott will now enter concussion protocol and his availability for Week 3 is up in the air.

Dallas ran rampant during the Cowboys’ visit to California to face the Los Angeles Chargers, and former Texas guard Connor Williams played a key role in the trenches.

Jerry Jones’ beloved franchise ran for nearly 200 yards on the Chargers’ defense. Williams is working to become one of the best on Dallas’s already star-studded offensive line, and he dominantly proved that on Sunday. The fourth-year guard didn’t allow a single pressure against the Chargers and is yet to allow a pressure or sack this season per Pro Football Focus. Behind Williams’ and the rest of the line’s performance, Dallas running backs Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott combined for 180 yards on the ground and quarterback Dak Prescott had plenty of time in the pocket, leading to a Cowboys win. Williams has the potential for a breakout season to make Dallas’ offense even more potent than it already is.

CONNOR WILLIAMS Dallas Cowboys

QUANDRE DIGGS

brooke crim

Seattle Seahawks

shelby tauber

/ the daily texan file

/ the daily texan file

While the Seattle Seahawks lost to the Tennessee Titans in a close game, Seattle’s Quandre Diggs proved he’s among some of the best safeties in the league. The former Texas corner-turned-free safety displayed his tackling ability in Sunday’s loss. Diggs finished second on the defense with 10 total tackles and tied for the team’s second-best five solo tackles — both behind Bobby Wagner. The strong effort from Diggs wasn’t enough, however, to give the Seahawks a home victory. Tennessee’s offense proved too powerful for Seattle on Sunday, and Diggs looks to only improve his performance in this week’s Sunday afternoon matchup against the Vikings.

TEXAS

Friday, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

7 Big 12 play kicks off this Saturday for the Longhorns as they welcome the Red Raiders to Austin to battle it out for the Chancellor’s Spurs. With Texas having already lost a game earlier this season, it’s important that Sarkisian and team steer through Big 12 conference play if they hope to have a chance at a Big 12 Championship. Two fast paced offenses will battle it out in what is expected to be a high scoring matchup at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

By Vicente Montalvo | @VMont20

WINS IF....

… the offense can establish the run game Texas running backs dramatically improved upon their run game within two weeks since their Arkansas matchup in Fayetteville. After the ground game struggled against the Razorbacks in Week 2, Texas turned it around against Rice, rushing for 427 yards.

Sophomore running back Bijan Robinson will have to find the holes and exploit the Tech defense for a balanced offensive attack. Over three games, the Red Raiders defense ranks 14th in the nation, allowing just less than 60 yards on the ground per game.

Robinson must continue the momentum he has established and fight for extra yardage using pure strength and elusiveness. Establishing the running game will not only benefit Robinson, but the entire offense as well. It will open the playbook and keep a Red Raiders defense guessing. …they avoid penalties Texas is giving up on average only 32 yards per game on penalty yardage, succeeding at limiting the impact of reckless mistakes. Texas’ opponents on the other hand are struggling with flying yellow

blaine young

/ the daily texan staff

flags, accounting for double the amount of penalties against the Longhorns. If Texas can limit false starts and pass interferences, it will help starting quarterback Casey Thompson and team maintain possession of the ball and not give any more time to the Red Raiders offense. In years past, Texas has beat itself with an immense amount of yellow flags thrown, but being at home Saturday should help the Horns win the penalty battle. …Thompson doesn’t force any throws Junior quarterback Casey Thompson is going to have to accurately use his arm if the Longhorns plan to win their fourth straight matchup against Texas Tech. Instead of throwing the ball wildly around the field, Thompson will have to maintain his composure, making accurate throws to his open receivers down field. Thompson dumping the ball into the flat while there’s tight coverage down field will give his teammates the opportunity to make big plays. If Thompson doesn’t thread the needle too often and stays within his gifted abilities, the Longhorns will get the job done.

loses IF....

… Texas forces Thompson to win the game with his legs The offensive line has not been immune to ups and downs throughout the short start to the season. Thompson under center brings more mobility, but his movement shouldn’t be something that the quarterback’s teammates rely on him for over an extended period of time. The O-line needs to give Thompson the necessary time to go through his progressions and make the proper read to an open teammate to keep driving the ball down field.

The Red Raiders bring the blitz early and often, attempting to rattle Thompson in the pocket and bring him down along with frustrating his sole line of protection.

blaine young

/ the daily texan staff

… the defense can’t pressure the quarterback Texas Tech has an accurate quarterback under center with junior Tyler Shough, who is completing almost 70% of his passes. With that in mind, Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski is going to have his hands full trying to disrupt Shough — a first season Big 12 quarterback. While Shough comes from Oregon, he isn’t thought of as a dual-threat quarterback, only having eight yards on 15 rushing attempts throughout his three starts. If Kwiatkowski doesn’t have his defense ready to push and pressure the quarterback from different points on the field, the Red Raiders will be celebrating in the endzone more than Longhorn Nation hopes to witness.

DOUBLE COVERAGE

8

HEAD -TO-

HEAD

HISTORY

By Hannah Williford

If recent history has any say in the matter, Longhorn fans should brace themselves for the performance of the Texas defense this weekend.

Since Texas Tech and Texas’ first meeting in 1928, the Longhorns have won 51 of 66 games against the Red Raiders. But even more predictable than the outcome has been the high score, with the exception of 2017, when Texas lost to Texas Tech 23-27 — an offensive showdown.

The teams have scored an average of approximately 80 points combined in their last five meetings. Neither program has scored below 20 points since 2014, when Charlie Strong was in his first season as the Longhorns head coach. In the Tom Herman era, the trend continued with Texas scoring over 40 points in its past three games.

Now, with new head coach Steve Sarkisian at

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@howdy_itshannah

the helm, few players will remember the Longhorns’ 2017 loss. Even fewer will remember a low-scoring game against Texas Tech. But almost all will remember last September’s game, when both teams put up numbers into the 50s.

GAME TO REMEMBER: Texas and Texas Tech reached new heights in their annual offensive showdown last year, when the teams extended the game into overtime and, together, scored 119 points.

The game began with a strong showing by the Texas offense, which would prove necessary to putting up an offensive fight against Tech. The Longhorns executed a clean 5-minute drive to start the game, leading them to the Raiders’ 2-yard line.

Hey,

Austin!

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger found his way into the endzone to put the first six points on the scoreboard.

But the series became complicated through a slew of missed tackles by Texas, allowing Tech to tie up the game two minutes later. By the end of the first quarter, the Longhorns found the endzone twice more to put the Horns up 17-7.

All the while, defensive issues plagued Texas. At the beginning of the second quarter, the Red Raiders’ KeSean Carter caught a 22-yard slant pass to the 10-yard line, where another missed tackle allowed him to find a pathway into the endzone.

By the time players headed for the locker room at halftime, Texas led Tech 31-21.

In the third quarter, the Longhorns defense forced the Red Raiders to punt. But as Tech punted the ball away, it bounced off the hands of defensive back D’Shawn Jamison into the grasp of Tech’s Xavier Martin. The Red Raiders found the endzone for another six points.

Less than two minutes later, special teams went awry again, this time in Texas’ favor. The Longhorns blocked a punt from Tech, which sent the ball skipping into the endzone. Then defensive back Jahdae Barron snagged it from the air.

The scoring fest continued into the fourth quarter, when Texas found itself down 15 with only three minutes remaining. But in approximately 30 seconds, the Longhorns found the endzone. Then, with just 40 seconds left in the game, they scored

again. Tech and Texas would find themselves battling it out at 56-56.

In overtime, the Longhorns scored on a connection from Ehlinger to wide receiver Joshua Moore.

The defense proceeded to take the field, where on 4th down and an impressive defensive stand, Texas safety Caden Sterns picked the ball, dashing the Red Raiders’ hopes.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Sept. 26, 2020 Texas at Texas Tech, Jones AT&T Stadium, 63-56

Nov. 29, 2019 Texas vs. Texas Tech, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, 49-24

Nov. 10, 2018 Texas at Texas Tech, Jones AT&T Stadium, 41-34

Nov. 24, 2017 Texas vs. Texas Tech, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, 23-27

Nov. 5, 2016 Texas at Texas Tech, Jones AT&T Stadium, 45-37

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friday, september 24, 2021

NOTES ON THE

COACH

By Christina Huang | @stina_huang

copyright katie perkins/the daily toreador, and reproduced with permission

Texas Tech continues the quest for its first win over Texas under third-year head coach Matt Wells.

The 2021 season is Wells’ ninth season as an NCAA head coach and he currently holds a 55-48 record. Wells and the Raiders are looking to upset the Longhorns on Saturday after coming close to doing so in 2020 during a 56-63 shootout.

In that shootout, former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger threw touchdown passes to Brennan Eagles and Joshua Moore to even the score in the final three minutes and 13 seconds of the game.

Ehlinger threw a dagger to Moore in overtime, sealing the Raiders’ fate with a seven point loss. “(That was) a great college

football game. Unfortunately, we didn’t win and there’s no moral victory at all in that for us,” Wells said after last year’s tough loss.

Despite zero wins against the Longhorns and an abysmal record at Tech, Wells has a history of building strong football programs.

Prior to his arrival in Lubbock, Wells spent nine years as the head coach of Utah State, his alma mater. Wells took the Aggies to five bowl game appearances and was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year in both 2013 and 2018.

Much of Wells’ success as a head coach can be attributed to his experience as a coach at various positions. Wells has experience as a quarterbacks, fullbacks,

wide receivers and tight ends coach, respectively. His deep understanding of a variety of positions allows him to recognize how to better utilize players at each position, setting him up for program-changing potential success in Lubbock.

Wells’ victories at Utah State go beyond the collegiate level.

With Wells at the helm, Utah State sent a handful of players to the NFL, including current Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, soon-to-be Aaron Rodgers’ successor. Love was the first Aggie since 1970 to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Wells also produced NFL talent in Minnesota Vikings linebacker Nick Vigil, Kansas City Chiefs

running back Darwin Thompson and Buffalo Bills linebacker Maurice Alexander.

Texas Tech’s initial draw to Wells was his exceptional work at Utah State, leading him to his current gig in Lubbock. At the time of his hiring in 2018, Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt had high praise for Wells.

“Quickly in the interview process, it became clear Matt Wells and his leadership style were a perfect fit to lead our football program,” Hocutt said. “We have a great future in store under Coach Wells, and I firmly believe he is the right coach to take us to an elite level.”

Although Wells has more than proved himself at Utah State,

there is still work to be done within the Raiders program. Saturday will mark Tech’s biggest challenge this season so far, as the Raiders have only played unranked teams in Florida International University, Stephen F. Austin and Houston. Defeating Texas would allow Wells to take Tech’s program to the next level in becoming a Big 12 powerhouse.

Even though Wells will be coming to Austin to avenge last year’s loss, he will essentially face a new program with Sarkisian’s Longhorns. Saturday’s game will be a test for both programs as Sarkisian gets his first taste of Big 12 play as Texas’ new head coach while Wells tries once again to beat one of the conference’s most notable teams.

9

DOUBLE COVERAGE

10

he’s worthy

TEXAS FEATURE

XAVIER WORTHY NO. 8 WIDE RECEIVER

By Nathan Han | @NathanHan13

Freshman Xavier Worthy took a circuitious path to become Texas’ top receiver. blaine young

ver since Xavier Worthy first stepped foot on the Forty Acres, his teammates have been raving about his potential.

Defensive tackle Keondre Coburn called the freshman wide receiver a “Tyreek Hill in college.” Sophomore running back Bijan Robinson compared Worthy to current Denver Bronco and firstround draft pick wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. The wideout himself said he models his game after a different former Alabama wide receiver — Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith.

But in Worthy’s first two games, the No. 1 receiver on the depth chart caught only one pass for 34 yards and two passes for 41 yards against Louisiana and Arkansas, respectively.

Then, last Saturday against Rice, Worthy showed college football fans what all the hype is about. He caught seven passes for 88 yards, scored his first collegiate touchdown and, most importantly, earned the trust of his offensive playcaller.

“I think he’s got a real internal drive about him,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“He was coming here to play. He wasn’t going to wait his turn, and he’s earned everything that he’s gotten.”

e

But Worthy isn’t satisfied just yet. The true freshman sets lofty goals for himself. His personal goal for the season is 1,000 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, a hefty goal to reach.

The Fresno, California, product is motivated. Worthy said he has a nightly routine with Robinson, his roommate. The two get a piece of paper and write out their stats and goals each night.

“We fold it, write ‘God Bless’ at the top, go to sleep and leave it in,” Worthy said.

Against Rice, Worthy wrote down a goal of 10 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns.

Robinson set a goal aimed at a measly 200 rushing yards. The running back said the two like to “over-set” their goals, even if they may not reach them.

But the overarching theme of Worthy’s whole career thus far has been overachieving. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound wideout from California first played varsity football when he was just 14 years old, weighing only 140 pounds. He ran a 10.55 second 100-yard dash as a sophomore.

“Everybody told me I was small ever since I was growing up,” Worthy said.

He turned that size and speed into a state championship his junior year and a four-star ranking before his senior season was canceled due to the pandemic. Worthy originally signed

/ the daily texan file

with Michigan, but he decommitted in April and was released from his letter of intent. “(It was) just some problems with paperwork,” Worthy said. “I just wanted to get a fresh start somewhere else.”

Nine days later, Worthy announced his commitment to the Longhorns. He said he’s always wanted to play for Sarkisian, who first recruited him and built a relationship with him and his mother as Alabama’s offensive coordinator.

“I just liked the way he utilized (DeVonta Smith),” Worthy said. “He’s a receiver just like me. I liked the way he used him, so I put my trust in that.”

Sarkisian made getting the ball to Worthy in space a point of emphasis for the Longhorn offense, just as he engineered plays to get Smith touches in similar situations at Alabama. Last Saturday, Worthy rewarded him by showing off his blistering speed and slippery style.

In one fourth-and-three play, Worthy turned a short slant into a 31-yard gain, breaking tackle after tackle. In two other plays, the wide receiver received two pop passes while in motion and turned them into chunk plays by turning the corner with elite quickness.

But Worthy isn’t just a speedy, skinny wide receiver. The freshman also has a penchant for finishing plays with impunity and

absorbing contact for the extra yard. In his only punt return this season, Worthy made a nice cut to earn 20 yards before trucking a Rice defender out of bounds and jawing with him on the sidelines.

“The thing that I like about him — he’s fast, and he’s not the biggest guy, but he has some physicality about him,” Sarkisan said. “He had a couple times on the sidelines where I think a lot of guys might have stepped out of bounds, but he dropped the shoulder and finished the run. That’s a quality and trait that we try to preach here about contact courage.”

It’s the same toughness that Worthy showed as a 140-pound freshman playing varsity football and a canceled senior season. The same toughness that Worthy showed battling to become the No. 1 wide receiver even after arriving midway through spring camp as a true freshman.

And the same toughness that helped him recover from a slow start to the season after his first loss in nearly three years in the 21-40 loss to Arkansas.

The next obstacle to overcome for Worthy?

One thousand yards in his freshman season and whatever sky-high statline sits on a sheet of paper in his room before Saturday’s Texas Tech game.

friday, september 24, 2021

NOTES FROM THE OPPONENT

By Matthew Boncosky

The Daily Texan spoke with Arianna Flores, sports editor at The Daily Toreador, ahead of Texas Tech’s trip to Austin this weekend.

Daily Texan: Texas Tech enters conference play undefeated. What’s the buzz like surrounding the team?

The

Arianna Flores:

In general, Lubbock is a very Texas Tech city, so there’s a lot of buzz going around about this new team (and) about the energy that they’re bringing. They have this new slogan, “Now it’s personal,” and that’s kind of become the brand for Lubbock. Most people take that really seriously out here.

DT:

What strides has head coach Matt Wells made with his program and why do things appear to be looking up for the Red Raiders?

AF:

Last year he had to deal with (COVID-19) and things in general that probably didn’t go his way, but this year he’s got a solid team.

He’s got a solid offense and a solid defense.

He’s got guys who you can tell are really passionate about the game on both sides of the ball. They want to win (and) they’re hungry

11

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@mboncosky

for success, so I feel like coach (Wells) has a lot of really talented guys on his roster, and that’s really helping him kind of do what he does best, which is coach.

DT: What has allowed quarterback Tyler Shough

Texas Tech had four interceptions, that’s (almost) more than they had all of last season in one game, so I think that the defense is really going to try and do what they can to get the ball back.

to have success this year and what should fans expect from Texas Tech’s passing attack?

DT :

AF:

AF :

He (currently) leads the Big 12 in passing, and he’s just a really big name out here … I just think Tyler has a really good head on his shoulders and he’s got a really good connection with the receivers. We don’t know who he’s going to throw to, we don’t know who he’s going to look for next and that’s the beauty of Texas Tech (football). Expect the unexpected.

Are there any specific storylines that you’re excited to see play out on Saturday?

I’m kind of excited to see the quarterback versus quarterback (situation) because I know (Texas) has had two quarterbacks start. I’m also excited to see some of our defensive backs get on the field. We have DaMarcus Fields (and) Reggie Pearson, he’s a really big name that’s been out here and he’s been doing a lot.

What are you expecting from the Red Raiders’ front seven on Saturday against Texas’ running game?

DT :

A win against Texas would be the first 4–0 start for the Red Raiders since they won seven straight to start the 2013 season campaign. What would that mean for the Red Raiders program as a whole given the state of the team the past couple of years?

AF :

I think a Texas Tech win would really kind of put the Red Raiders on the map. I feel like the Red Raiders have really worked hard and, with the whole Big 12 (realignment) situation and the whole — I don’t want to say names — but the Chris Beard situation, the Red Raiders have had their eyes on Texas for a while, so I feel like a win in the football category would be a win for Lubbock.

DT:

AF: I’m expecting a really good game because,

in the last couple games, Texas Tech has put a really good effort into stopping the ball, so I feel like they’re gonna do the same this game. (Against) Houston,

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