The Daily Texan's Double Coverage 2021-11-12 by The Daily Texan

T H E D A I LY TEXAN PRESENTS

Double Coverage VOL. 16 ISSUE 11 | Nov. 12, 2021

jack myer

/ the daily texan file

friday, NOVEMBER 12, 2021

TEXAN Myah Taylor

Kaitlyn Harmon

STAFF PICKS Nathan Han

Matthew Boncosky

Payne Williams

Christina Huang

Hannah Williford

Vicente Montalvo

Jenny DeVico

Blaine Young

Angelina Braese

No. 9 Michigan @ No. 23 Penn State

Michigan

No. 4 OU @ No. 18 Baylor

Oklahoma

Baylor

Oklahoma

Baylor

Oklahoma

Baylor

Oklahoma

Mississippi State @ No. 16 Auburn

Auburn

Northwestern @ No. 20 Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Purdue @ No. 6 Ohio State

Ohio State

Purdue

Ohio State

Purdue

Ohio State

Minnesota @ No. 19 Iowa

Iowa

Minnesota

Iowa

No. 11 Texas A&M @ No. 12 Ole Miss

Ole Miss

Texas A&M

Ole Miss

Texas A&M

Ole Miss

Texas A&M

Ole Miss

Texas A&M

Kansas @ Texas

Texas

Kansas

TCU @ No. 10 Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Arkansas @ LSU

Arkansas

LSU

Arkansas

LSU

Arkansas

LSU

Arkansas

Week 10 Results

7–3

4–6

5–5

6–4

5–5

7–3

6–4

Overall Record

72–28

66–34

63–37

68–32

63–37

67–33

69–31

63–37

70–30

66–34

63–37

Ohio State

EDITOR’S NOTE

overall STANDINGS 1.

Texas’ matchup against the Jayhawks Saturday may be the last opportunity the Longhorns have to secure a non-losing season. A Texas loss means Texas would have to win two games in a row to avoid missing a bowl game for the first time since 2016. Texas has many things it needs to figure out on the field this Saturday, and hopefully a Kansas matchup will give the Longhorns a must needed win and good practice reps before facing West Virginia in Week 12.

Jenny DeVico

Hannah Williford

Matthew Bonocosky

Christina Huang

T-6.

Kaitlyn Harmon, Blaine Young

Kaitlyn Harmon

Double Coverage Editor Kaitlyn Harmon

Myah Taylor

T-7.

DOUBLE COVERAGE

Nathan Han, Payne Williams, Vicente Montalvo, Angelina Braese

Design Editor

Jenny DeVico

Photo Editor

Blaine Young

Copy Editor

Angelina Braese

Writers Nathan Han

Matthew Boncosky

Vicente Montalvo

Christina Huang

Hannah Williford

Payne Williams

Designers Isabella Waltz

Sally Parampottil Managing Editor Myah Taylor

DOUBLE COVERAGE

GAMEsTO WATCH

By Hannah Williford

@howdy_itshannah

Purdue at No. 6 Ohio State

No. 4 Oklahoma at No. 18 Baylor

Nov. 13, 2:30 p.m. CT, ABC

Nov. 13, 11 a.m. CT, FOX Despite being undefeated, the College Football Playoff committee feels as if Oklahoma still has something to prove, ranking the Sooners eighth in its first release in Week 10. Perhaps the committee’s reasoning lies in the fact that none of Oklahoma’s wins have occurred against currently ranked teams. Come Saturday, the Sooners will have a chance to showcase against Baylor. The Bears fell to TCU last week, but won out against both Iowa State and BYU. A win for the Bears would mean mass confusion in the Big 12, but a victory for Oklahoma could be the proof the Sooners need to slide into playoff contention.

No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 12 Ole Miss

For Ohio State, November means back-to-back games against Michigan and Michigan State, the main competition for the Big Ten. But Ohio State’s gambit may start sooner than anticipated. The Boilermakers have spent their season wrecking the records of playoff hopefuls. In October, Purdue put down then-No. 2 ranked Iowa State 24-7. A second beatdown of undefeated Michigan State last weekend proves the Boilermakers can’t be taken lightly. Since Ohio State’s early upset, the Buckeyes have built themselves back up to the top-ranked team in the Big Ten, with their smallest margin of victory at nine points.

No. 9 Michigan at No. 23 Penn State

Nov. 13, 6 p.m. CT, ESPN

Nov. 13, 11 a.m. CT, ABC

Something has been clicking in Aggieland. After two losses in a row to Arkansas and Mississippi State, Texas A&M has become a force. Last week in what was expected to be a tight game, the Aggies stomped out the Tigers with a 20-3 victory. In their last three games, the Texas A&M Aggies have comfortably scored double the points of their opponents. However, the Rebels are averaging over 37 points per game under the leadership of head coach Lane Kiffin this season. ESPN’s College Gameday in the Grove Saturday morning is sure to bring excitement.

Penn State hit a rough patch with a three-game losing streak in October, but the tides may have turned last weekend against Maryland with a 31-14 victory. The Nittany Lions pose an offensive threat with the help of wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who set a program record for receiving yards in a game with 242 yards. But Michigan has held teams to an average of 16 points per game, and outside of a narrow loss to Michigan State, have put forward a team that is still searching for a spot in the playoffs come December.

No. 2 Cincinnati at South Florida Nov. 12, 5 p.m. CT, ESPN2 In Week 11, Cincinnati jumped over Alabama to the No. 2 spot in the AP poll. Representing the American Athletic Conference, Cincinnati is campaigning hard for a playoff spot outside of a Power 5 conference. The Bearcats average almost 40 points per game and only allow 14 points against opposing offenses, but the question remains if the effort will be enough to persuade the committee to include Cincinnati in the conversation with traditional powers.

OPPONENTS

DOUBLE COVERAGE

TO WATCH

JASON BEAN

Even though Kansas has yet to win a conference game this season, the Jayhawks rattled the Oklahoma Sooners when they held them scoreless for a half. Although the lead over Oklahoma was temporary, Kansas managed to look relatively put together for two quarters thanks to junior quarterback Jason Bean. Bean passed for 246 yards in the Oklahoma game, surpassing Sooner quarterback Caleb Williams’ 178 yards. Despite the loss, Bean was able to get the ball through the Oklahoma defense and give the Sooners a scare. Bean’s ability to lead the Jayhawks to a 10-0 score heading into the half over the No. 4 Sooners shows that the Kansas quarterback has the potential to execute at a high level. Low level mistakes by the Texas defense could give Bean all the momentum he needs for another good performance.

By Christina Huang @stina_huang

DEVIN NEAL

Freshman running back Devin Neal is the future of Kansas’ offense. Neal was named Co-Big 12 Newcomer of the Week two weeks ago after he rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma. The duo of Bean and Neal could be incredibly dangerous in the run-pass option if the two are maximized to their fullest potential, as shown briefly against the Sooners. However, the Bean and Neal combo is completely dependent upon Bean’s health this week. Regardless, Neal is a solid receiver. Kansas’ current offense is made up of slower, methodical drives that eat up large chunks of time. The Jayhawks’ offensive pace essentially allows Neal less room for mistakes and fewer chances to score. However, he has proved himself as a solid target for Bean when attacking opposing defenses. Neal leads the Jayhawks with 505 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Cutting off Neal will be crucial to stifling the Kansas offense.

Despite all of Texas’ recent struggles, a win over a 1–8 Kansas team is more than doable for the Longhorns. Texas will need to focus on four Jayhawks to bring the Longhorns one step closer to bowl eligibility:

KWAMIE LASSITER II

Super senior and former walk-on Kwamie Lassiter II also had a pretty solid performance against Oklahoma. Lassiter played a monumental role on the Kansas offense as the Jayhawks outplayed the No. 4 Sooners. All seven of Lassiter’s receptions went for a successful first down. He also leads the Jayhawks in receiving yards with 439 total yards on the season. Lassiter is tied for ninth place in all-time career catches in the Kansas Jayhawks program. The senior is a true leader for the Jayhawks and focuses on playing quality football while ignoring the score. Lassiter’s story from walk-on to one of the Jayhawks’ all-time leading receivers demonstrates his drive and work ethic. The Longhorns will not only have to keep the ball out of Lassiter’s hands, but they will have to throw him off his mental game as well.

KENNY LOGAN JR.

Junior safety Kenny Logan Jr. leads the 2021 Kansas team in tackles with 70 total. Logan Jr.’s best performance of the season also occurred against the Sooners in Week 7. Logan had 14 tackles, 10 of those being solo tackles. His presence on the field heavily contributed to Kansas shutting out Oklahoma 10-0 at the half. Logan Jr. is one of the best defenders in the Big 12, leading the conference in average solo tackles with 5.6 a game. Logan has shown that he is more than capable of shutting down a talented offense, so making offensive moves quickly and efficiently will be key for Texas minimizing his effect on the game. copyright emma pravecek/udk, denny medley/usa today sports, sarah carson/ udk, and reproduced with permission

LONGHORNS IN THE NFL friday, november 12, 2021

By Payne Williams | @paynewilliams5

peyton coker

/ the daily texan file

COLT MCCOY

ARIZONA CARDINALS Texas legend and Arizona Cardinals backup quarterback Colt McCoy took full advantage of his start in an NFC West divisional matchup. Despite a last-minute decision that quarterback Kyler Murray would be out with a sprained left ankle and star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins would also be inactive, McCoy led the Cardinals to a dominant victory over a divisional rival, the San Francisco 49ers. McCoy threw only four incompletions on 26 pass attempts and a touchdown on his way to a 119.4 passer rating and a 31-17 victory. While McCoy has failed to establish his position as a franchise quarterback in the NFL, he displayed just how important a good backup quarterback can be, and made it work without one of the league’s best receivers Sunday.

eddie gaspar

/ the daily texan file

and reproduced with permission

elisabeth dillon

/ the daily texan file

JUSTIN TUCKER

BALTIMORE RAVENS In usual, but not surprising fashion, Justin Tucker nailed the game-winning field goal to push the Baltimore Ravens over the Minnesota Vikings in an overtime thriller. In Week 3 of NFL play, Tucker set an NFL record for the longest made field goal on a game-winner, and he ran it back this week. In a wild series of events in overtime, Baltimore had control of the ball with under a minute left, eventually leaving the game up to Tucker. The former Texas star nailed the 36-yard game-winner to move the Ravens to 6–2 and keep possession of the AFC North.

DEVIN DUVERNEY BALTIMORE RAVENS

On the offensive side of the ball for the Baltimore Ravens, Devin Duvernay recorded a few receptions including a spectacular touchdown grab. On second-and-goal in the fourth quarter, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw a dart to Duvernay in the back of the endzone which he secured, tipping it with one hand and then reeling it in with both hands, all while staying in bounds. After Duvernay’s first receiving touchdown of the season and Justin Tucker’s extra point, Baltimore took a 31-24 lead late in the game against Minnesota.

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan file

CADEN STERNS

DALLAS COWBOYS Caden Sterns put the virtual nail in the Dallas Cowboys’ coffin Sunday through his late-game interception. During the Broncos’ dominant defensive showing and upset victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Sterns picked off Dallas quarterback and potential MVP candidate Dak Prescott. With Denver leading 27-0 midway through the fourth quarter, the game was all but over, but Sterns’ interception guaranteed a victory for the Broncos and helped throw their name in the hat for contention in a surprisingly tight race for the AFC West.

ALEX OKAFOR

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Alex Okafor prevented the Packers from getting on the board in America’s Game of the Week between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. Chiefs defensive tackle and former Texas defensive standout created some momentum for Kansas City after he blocked a Green Bay field goal attempt. Okafor didn’t come from the edge or break through the line, but instead utilized his length to reach high and block the field goal attempt from the line of scrimmage, and Kansas City topped Green Bay 13-7.

TEXAS

DOUBLE COVERAGE

The Longhorns return home to Austin after failing to produce at hardly any level on the road against Iowa State. Luckily for Texas, the Longhorns have had better results when playing at home versus on the road.

By Vicente Montalvo | @VMont20

loses IF....

… the special teams is the best position group on the field While special team units are monumental to the game, their play should not be what carries the entire team to a victory. Against the Cyclones, the Longhorns tried to get by with exceptional special teams play with kickoff returns and flipped field position through punts, both of which proved to be not enough. If the Texas offense and defense fail to show any signs of life for a complete quarter, then it will be a long night for Longhorn faithful. … it overestimates Kansas Everyone knows that the Longhorns have not been playing at an exceptional level as of late, having dropped their last four games for the first time since 2010. The Jayhawks have not won a game since defeating South Dakota in Week 1. Kansas’ closest chance to adding a second victory to the win column came against Oklahoma when the Jayhawks led at halftime. Both programs are trending in the wrong direction, but the Longhorns cannot afford to overlook their opponents. The Kansas defense is composed of a majority of experienced upperclassmen that enjoy ball-hawking. In 2016, former Texas head coach Charlie Strong lost to a one-win Kansas team, leading to his dismissal from the program. Sarkisian will need to have the “All Gas, No Brakes” mantra living up to its fullest potential Saturday.

Welcome back,

Students!

WINS IF....

… Sark finds a quarterback Although junior quarterback Casey Thompson got the start against the Cyclones, freshman Hudson Card relieved him of his duties early on in the contest. This week’s depth chart lists both quarterbacks as QB1 options, leaving the starter up in the air. Card has not started a game since a Week 2 loss against Arkansas. Don’t be surprised if you see both quarterbacks get an opportunity since neither one has shown enough promise lately. Whichever quarterback gets on the field and lines up behind the center, look to see how each progresses throughout the game. If Thompson or Card can get comfortable and find some rhythm, the Longhorns could be one more win away from potential bowl eligibility. … the wide outs produce There is no question that Xavier Worthy is an outstanding talent at the wide receiver position, but one of the Longhorns’ biggest problems is that other players need to step up. With Jordan Whittington’s injury earlier on in the season and Joshua Moore entering the transfer portal Monday, new Texas names will take on bigger roles. Freshman Kelvontay Dixon will step up into the starting lineup as the wide outs look for consistency in Week 11. … running backs come up big The Longhorns may no longer be led by running back Bijan Robinson after the sophomore was helped off the field in Week 10’s matchup against the Cyclones. With junior Roschon Johnson and junior Keilan Robinson, Texas should have a committee approach in the backfield. All three running backs have unique abilities and talents that head coach Steve Sarkisian should utilize. Keeping the backs fresh can help the Horns improve in the second half of the game where they have struggled tremendously. With just three more games to go and Robinson being a star in the making, Texas will have to fill a giant void in the running game against the Jayhawks.

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friday, November 12, 2021

HEISMAN WATCH

9 By Ethan Ferguson

@ethan_ferguson6

Week 10 of the Heisman race brought forth unexpected losses and outstanding performances by athletes trying to keep their name in Heisman contention. The watch list is ever-changing as the fight for the top Heisman position continues to be a battle.

Kenneth Walker III - Running Back Coming off his best game of the season against now-No. 7 Michigan, Kenneth Walker III and the Spartans hoped to continue their undefeated season through Week 10. This was not the case. No. 3 Michigan State suffered a 40-29 loss to Purdue, who had previously beaten No. 2 Iowa in Week 7. Even with the loss and his first fumble of the season, Walker is still in the Heisman conversation. Through 22 rushing attempts, Walker acquired 136 yards and one rushing touchdown with an average of 6.2 yards per carry, bringing in two receptions totalling 20 yards. On the season, the junior has 1,330 yards on 197 attempts averaging 6.8 yards per carry. He also has 15 touchdowns to his name. Walker and the Spartans will look to take on Maryland on Saturday and Ohio State the following week as the running back hopes to strengthen his Heisman odds. No. 3 Michigan State will take on Maryland in Week 11 and No. 5 Ohio State in Week 12.

Caleb Williams - Quarterback Coming off a bye week in Week 10, Caleb Williams and the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners have a ranked matchup this week against No. 12 Baylor. Williams has a current quarterback rating of 161.6, a completion rate of 64%, two touchdowns and 212 yards against top 25 teams. The freshman has thrown just one interception this season in 109 attempts and has 14 touchdowns to his name. If Williams can match the performance of his past matchups against a stout Baylor defense, then his Heisman stock will be sure to rise in the coming weeks.

Bryce Young - Quarterback Following a 20-14 win over LSU in Week 10, Bryce Young remains the front-runner to win this season’s Heisman Trophy. The Crimson Tide increased its record to 8–1 on the season, as Young earned 302 yards and two touchdowns on the day. The sophomore had a completion rate of 64.9% on 37 attempted passes and averaged 8.2 yards per catch. Young was sacked four times against the Tigers and the Aggies, to which the Tide fell to an unranked Texas A&M team. Up to this point of the season, Young has a total completion rate of 69.4% and 2,755 yards of offense. In addition, Young has 28 touchdowns with just three interceptions on the year. Young will look to further solidify his Heisman odds against the 1–8 New Mexico State Aggies in Week 11. Matt Corral - Quarterback Following a dominant 27-14 win against Liberty, Matt Corral and the No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels have their hands full this week against No. 14 Texas A&M at home. In Week 10, Corral threw for 324 yards and one touchdown on 20-27 passing. Corral has only thrown just two interceptions, which is a drastic improvement from his junior season where he threw 14 interceptions. If Corral and the Rebels can find a way to defeat the Aggies on Saturday, it will be as if Corral never left the Heisman conversation.

By Nathan Han

rocky higine / the daily texan staff

NOTES FROM THE OPPONENT

@NathanHan13

The Daily Texan spoke with Nathan Swaffar, sports editor of The Kansan, Kansas’s student newspaper, ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Jayhawks. The Daily Texan: What’s your general impression of where the Kansas football program is at this season? Nathan Swaffar: Obviously, KU has been the laughing stock of college football (over the last decade). Because we can’t win. We can’t find a good head coach. Even though we’re 1–8 (on) the season and we haven’t been competitive in more than three games, there’s been a different stigma than there has been in the past. With (head coach) Lance Leipold coming in really late — he didn’t get here till May — there just seems to be a different type of feel and atmosphere around this program. DT: Speaking of Leipold, what should Texas fans who are seeing a Leipold-led team for the first time ever know about the new Jayhawks head coach? NS: He’s definitely starting to win over players in that program. He’s proven that he can build a winning and good culture. I think that was pretty evident when we had eight or nine guys who were at Buffalo immediately transfer to KU after he got the job. So yeah, he’s a winner. I think he will bring a good culture to this program. And I think he’s doing it right now. He’s just not getting the on-field results that you might want. DT: Do we know who’s starting at quarterback for Kansas this Saturday after the injury news this past week?

NS: Yeah, it’s been a rough last few days. They came into that K-State game (and) had three healthy quarterbacks. Jason Bean had been the starter all year. He got roughed up on one play and came off holding his arm. Miles Kendrick, our backup, came into the game the next series and on the second play, he had a pretty bad, pretty ugly play where he got his leg completely broken. Bean actually came back in for another two series after, but you could tell that something wasn’t right. Then Jalon Daniels, our sophomore quarterback who started a lot last year, came into the game. Leipold said on Monday that Bean is going to be questionable. DT: On the other side of the ball, are there any Jayhawks to watch out for? NS: If you’re playing Kansas, you better watch out for Kenny Logan Jr. He’s a junior safety. He leads the team in tackles, he’s had a few interceptions this season and he’s easily our best playmaker. He’s probably good enough to be an All-Big 12 selection. The problem is that he plays for Kansas. If somebody is making a play on defense, he’s probably involved somehow. DT: What do you think is going to happen between the Longhorns and the Jayhawks on Saturday? NS: I don’t think this is gonna be very pretty. In terms of score prediction, I think it’s going to probably be 42-13 (for Texas).

friday, November 12, 2021

Moro Ojomo talks Texas’ culture struggles in light of Bo Davis rant

Defensive line coach Bo Davis was recorded on a team bus ride calling out his players after the last loss

By Matthew Boncosky | @mboncosky

“

We’ve got to get our belief right. Belief leads to results and results lead to confidence.”

s**t” bowl game — the Independence Bowl — according to Ojomo. Just two years later, Davis was on staff for Saban’s first of six national championships at Alabama. “I’m going to lean on my coaches and what they’ve been talking about,” Ojomo said. “We’ve got to get our belief right. Belief leads to results and results lead to confidence.” So far, the only Longhorn to transfer out of the program after the blowout Iowa State loss was wide receiver Joshua Moore, who reportedly had an altercation with Sarksian at practice the week prior. Sarkisian announced Moore’s departure from the program Monday. It’s impossible to know whether or not Moore was on the same postgame bus that Davis gave his speech on, as the football team requires multiple buses to travel, but it’s safe to say the message resonated with Ojomo as one of the tenured leaders of the defense. “Who’s on the bus, and who’s not on the bus, you know, who’s going to be along for the ride?” Ojomo said. “You got to try to hold the guys in, but there are people that are going to pull you down, and I’m not saying Joshua Moore was that, but people that don’t want to be on the bus ride are gonna ultimately hold the bus (back).” In his first year, Sarkisian isn’t trying to build for only this season; he’s trying to build a program, Ojomo said. With that in mind, part of that process is to weed out some of the players who might not be fully locked in to what a new staff — that didn’t recruit them — is selling. Davis’ rant after Saturday’s loss suggests that the coaches hope to do just that, with five defensive lineman already set to commit to Texas as part of the 2022 recruiting class. Throughout the four years Ojomo has been with the program, the junior said Texas has dealt with numerous good players who

MORO OJOMO

defensive lineman

haven’t been the best locker room teammates and players who have been unable to take tough coaching, taking it as a personal attack rather than seeing the big picture. Constant turnover and problem-solving has been the story ever since Ojomo arrived in Austin, and he hopes that Texas Athletics Director Chris Del Conte has finally put the right staff in place to figure out broken pieces. “I don’t know what happened in ‘09, ‘10 that started this whole decade, but something went loose,” Ojomo said. “A screw went loose, and we’ve forever been trying to find which screw.”

blaine young / the daily texan staff

n Monday, Moro Ojomo said he doesn’t want to make headlines for the wrong reasons, but on Tuesday, his defensive line coach Bo Davis might have made headlines for the right ones. After the Longhorns were embarrassed in Ames, Iowa, by the Iowa State Cyclones, Davis was recorded on a team bus ride after the game as he emotionally lit into his players for supposedly laughing and joking after the 30-7 defeat — Texas’ fourth-straight loss of the season. In the video that leaked on social media, Davis can be heard scolding the Longhorns with numerous expletives, suggesting that any players who aren’t taking the season seriously should transfer out of the program. Davis, a longtime defensive line coach who’s had multiple stints at Alabama, Texas and in the NFL spanning an almost 30-year coaching career, was brought back to the Forty Acres by head coach Steve Sarkisian to join his new staff. Sarkisian addressed the video at length Thursday. “That was encouraging to me, that we have men on our staff that stand for what we believe in. Clearly we’re here to build a culture that we want,” Sarkisian said. “What we’re doing here is not for everybody and there’s going to be people (for whom) that doesn’t work for them, and we wish them the best of luck if that’s what they decide to do. But ultimately, the people that we have in our locker room are going to be ones that are committed to the cause that we’re on, whether that’s the culture, the discipline (or) the commitment that’s needed to be special.” In the face of Texas’ longest losing streak since 2010, Ojomo, a junior defensive lineman, met with the media Monday prior to the video’s leak. Outside of not wanting to make headlines for the wrong reasons, the first thing that came to Ojomo’s mind was relying on his coach’s experience. Davis’ first year at Alabama was 2007. Brought on by head coach Nick Saban to be a part of his original staff in Tuscaloosa, Davis was tapped to be the defensive line coach. That year, the Tide went 6–6 in the regular season and ended up in “some

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