DC 2018-09-14 by The Daily Texan

T H E D A I L Y T E X A N P R E S E N T S

Double Coverage VOL. 13 ISSUE 3 | SEP 14, 2018

TEXASSPORTS.COM/BIGTICKET | 512-471-3333

DOUBLE COVERAGE

texan

staff picks

Alex Briseño

Ross Burkhart

Kirsten Handler

Steve Helwick

Robert Larkin

Wills Layton

Kihwan Lee

Keshav Prathivadi

Donnavan Smoot

CJ Vogel

LAST W E E K’S R E C O R D

8–2

6–4

9–1

7–3

8–2

9–1

7–3

8–2

No. 22 USC at Texas

USC

Texas

USC

Texas

USC

No. 4 Ohio State at No. 15 TCU

Ohio State

No. 12 LSU at No. 7 Auburn

Auburn

LSU

Auburn

No. 17 Boise State at No. 24 Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

No. 5 Oklahoma at Iowa State

Oklahoma

Missouri at Purdue

Missouri

Houston at Texas Tech

Houston

No. 10 Washington at Utah

Ohio State Ohio State

LSU

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma Oklahoma Boise State State State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma

Missouri

Houston

Texas Tech

Houston

Texas Tech

Houston

Boise State Boise State

Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington

No. 1 Alabama at Ole Miss

Alabama

No. 23 Arizona State at San Diego State

Arizona State

OV E R AL L R E C OR D

16–4

10–10

14–6

12–8

13–7

11–9

14–6

11–9

PRESENTS

DOUBLE COVERAGE Vol. 13, Issue 3 Friday, Sept. 14, 2018

Double Coverage Editors Alex Briseño & Ross Burkhart Design Editor...................................Kendall Jordan Photo Editor.......................................Angela Wang Copy Editor....................................Kirsten Handler Cover Photo.....................................Juan Figueroa Writers Robert Larkin Alex Briseño Wills Layton Steve Helwick

Ross Burkhart Keshav Prathivadi Donnavan Smoot

Editor’s Note Texas and USC renew their historic rivalry this weekend as both teams look to avoid a 1–2 start to the season. So far, neither program has lived up to its preseason expectations this year. On Saturday, though, expect a tough, low-scoring battle that fits the description of a typical matchup between these two. ALEX BRISEÑO & ROSS BURKHART

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Games to watch no. 5 oklahoma Saturday, 11 a.m., ABC In one of the wildest upsets of 2017, Iowa State marched into Norman and knocked off Baker Mayfield and the Sooners, 38-31. It was quarterback Kyle Kempt’s first career start, where he shined with 343 passing yards and a trio of touchdown passes. Kempt is listed day-to-day with an ankle injury for Saturday’s contest in Ames. His absence during the fourth quarter

no. 12 LSU Saturday, 2:30 p.m., CBS The pair of SEC West Tigers reside in the top 15 after edging out ranked opponents in Week One. LSU dominated Miami in Arlington just two weeks ago, looking impressive with a refurbished offense. Running back Nick Brossette has carried on the success of his

no. 17 boise state

vs.

B Y S T E V E H E LW I C K @s_helwick

iowa state

of the Iowa game contributed to the Cyclones’ 13-3 loss. Oklahoma will try to steamroll yet another opponent with talented quarterback Kyler Murray, but the Sooners will be without Rodney Anderson, their star running back. After rushing for 100 yards on five carries in Week One, Anderson went down with a knee injury against UCLA last week and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

vs.

no. 7 Auburn

predecessors Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice by rushing for 262 yards in two games. But most SEC West battles are decided by the defenses. Auburn’s duo of defensive tackles, Derrick Brown and Dontavius Russell, will play a critical role in spoiling Brossette’s breakout senior year at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

vs.

no. 24 oklahoma state

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Boise State is demolishing everything in its path. In a 62-7Wwreckage e s t c aofmConnecticut, p u s l i v ithe ng Broncos accumulated 818 yards of offense while limiting the Huskies to 193 — the largest gap between yards in a game this millennium. Led by cannon-armed senior Brett Rypien,

Boise looks poised for its most successful season since the Kellen Moore era. Week Three will presrent e daemajor f i n echallenge d in Stillwater against Mike Gundy and the Pokes. Oklahoma State’s offense has faced little resistance running up the score this season, averaging 56.5 points per game after routs over Morgan State and South Alabama.

The Buckeyes and Horned Frogs both feature two of the top five active winningest head coaches, but only Gary Patterson will stand on the sidelines Saturday night in Arlington. Without Urban Meyer, Ohio State has blown out Oregon State and Rutgers behind the arm of new starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Haskins completes passes at nearly an 80

percent rate and has connected on nine touchdown passes this season. TCU needed a half to adjust to poor weather conditions in a 42-12 win over SMU last Friday, but thanks to playmaking wide receiver KaVontae Turpin and the defensive heroics of Ben Banogu, TCU enters Week Three with a plus-78 point differential. But only one of these undefeated teams will maintain its perfect status at AT&T Stadium.

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no. 10 washington Saturday, 9 p.m., ESPN This Saturday’s obligatory #Pac12AfterDark features a matchup that could put Washington’s lofty playoff hopes to rest. The Huskies rebounded from their tough-fought loss to Auburn by punishing an FCS opponent. Utah is no slouch, though. During his successful

vs.

utah

tenure with the Utes, Kyle Whittingham has knocked off three top-10 opponents, two while his team was unranked. Jake Browning, Myles Gaskin and Washington’s talented offense can’t fall for this trap game on the road against a talented Utah defense that only allowed six points to Northern Illinois last weekend.

DOUBLE COVERAGE

BY ROBERT LARKIN @r_larkintexas

opponents to watch LINEB ACKE R

W IDE RECEIVER

SAFETY

RUNNING BAC K

Cameron Smith, No. 35

Aman-Ra St. Brown, No. 8

Marvell Tell III, No. 7

Aca’Cedric Ware, No. 28

Smith surprised some NFL scouts when he announced he would return to USC after a stellar junior season that featured 112 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. However, his unexpected decision elated the entire USC coaching staff, as the senior linebacker’s return to Los Angeles not only gives the Trojans a formidable run stopper, but also an incredibly valuable senior leader. Through two games this season, the senior captain shows no signs of slacking on last year’s pace — leading the Trojans in tackles and tackles for loss. That said, the Longhorns should already be familiar with Smith’s abilities. In Texas’ 27-24 loss to the Trojans last season, the Roseville, California, native tallied nine tackles.

Few freshmen arrived at their respective campus with the amount of hype St. Brown did. A consensus five-star prospect, according to 247Sports composite rankings, many believed St. Brown to be one of the best wide receivers in the country. So far, the Anaheim Hills, California, native has lived up to the billing — leading the Trojans in yards receiving (137) and receiving touchdowns (one) through his first two games. St. Brown’s electric speed and elusive moves separate him from other college wide receivers, and the USC coaches love to make use of those traits by utilizing him in a variety of ways. Whether it’s in the form of deep vertical routes, quick screens or jet sweeps in the run game, expect St. Brown to receive plenty of touches Saturday.

NFL talent scatters the USC roster, but no player appears more ready for the professional level than senior safety Marvell Tell III. After earning All-Pac 12 first team honors last season, Tell III entered 2018 with a litany of preseason accolades, including appearances on the watch lists for the Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player). Despite the hype, Tell III is focused on elevating his game even further. The senior captain anchors the back end of a Trojan secondary loaded with talent, using his impressive sideline-to-sideline speed to assist in pass coverage and run support. Like Smith, Tell III also starred in last season’s victory over Texas, intercepting a Sam Ehlinger pass in the fourth quarter.

For three years, senior running back Aca’Cedric Ware watched other players receive carries ahead of him, patiently awaiting his turn to take over the USC backfield. Now, thanks to the graduation of current NFL running back Ronald Jones II, Ware is finally receiving his shot. Through two games, Ware has shown he’s fully capable of handling the lead role, accounting for 159 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Sophomore running backs Stephen Carr and Vavae Malepeai will also receive playing time, but the USC coaches will likely rely on Ware to establish the running game for the Trojan offense. Saturday’s contest will also carry a bit more meaning for Ware, as the Cedar Hill High School alumnus returns to the Lone Star State.

all photos copyright john mcgillen usc athletics and reproduced with permission

september 14, 2018

F E A T U R E

Revisiting a classic B Y S T E V E H E LW I C K @s_helwick

P L AY E R S F R O M T E X A S AND USC REFLECT ON T H E C L A S S I C AT T H E COLISEUM.

copyright percy anderson, and reproduced with permission Texas’ then-freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger, left, evades pressure from USC’s then-redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Christian Rector, right, during Texas’ 27-24 double overtime loss at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 16, 2017.

hen Texas and USC are pitted against each other in the same sentence, nearly every college football fan paints the same portrait in their minds. The image of Vince Young sprinting to the corner of the end zone in the 2006 Rose Bowl to claim a national championship stands as one of the sport’s most memorable moments, especially for two lifelong Texas and USC fans: Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger and USC defensive end Christian Rector. Both were heavily involved in 2017’s matchup, which didn’t disappoint. “It was real tough. It was a crazy game — one of the loudest atmospheres I’ve ever been in,” Ehlinger said. “It was my first road game, I was 18 years old.” Despite a lack of experience, Ehlinger was able to string together a mammoth of a drive. Texas’ only offensive touchdown occurred with 45 ticks on the clock after a 91-yard possession as wide receiver Armanti Foreman scored on a diving reception to claim a 17-14 lead. “I knew they had Sam Darnold on the sidelines with enough time to go down and kick a field goal so

I wasn’t content yet,” Ehlinger said. “Honestly, I was standing on the bench just praying.” Then, a poised Darnold worked his magic. His offensive prowess allowed the Trojans to pierce deep into Longhorn territory and set up a 31-yard field goal for Chase McGrath to tie the game at 17-17 as time expired. On the first play of overtime, USC broke the knot as Darnold threw a missile to a streaking Deontay Burnett, two steps ahead of Texas cornerback Kris Boyd in the end zone. Ehlinger, in his second career start, would have to execute on the biggest possession of his life, and he did. The true freshman quarterback capitalized by finding tight end Cade Brewer in the end zone to force a second overtime. “It felt like the only way we were going to win the game was if we had gotten the ball back,” Rector said. “I was consciously thinking, ‘We need to get this ball back or else we lose this game.’ If we were able to get the ball in Sam Darnold’s hands at the end of the game, we were gonna have a chance to win.” Then, the infamous disaster struck an upset-hungry

Texas squad. Second down and two, ball on the three-yard line. The end zone was within sniffing distance. Ehlinger, a confident runner, bullied his way past the trenches to a first down. However, he kept his feet driving and Rector saw a golden opportunity. USC forced a fumble. “They were having success with the power play, so they ran it to my side,” Rector said. “We were able to hold (Ehlinger) up, and I saw that ball in his hand, and I just muscled it out. With the angle I was at on the side of his arm, I was able to rip the ball out. As you see from the replays, the ball goes flying out into the air.” Texas running back Kyle Porter was the closest specimen to the pigskin at the time it jarred loose from Ehlinger’s cradle. But Rector made a heads-up play and removed Porter from the equation, blocking the halfback so that cornerback Ajene Harris would reap the benefits. “My next reaction is to prevent anyone from Texas getting on the ball,” Rector said. “The running back was the next closest guy and I pushed him out of the

REVISITING

page

DOUBLE COVERAGE COLUMN

BY CJ VOGEL @cjvogel3

College football royalty While many debate what it takes to be considered a top-tier program in college football, it’s safe to say that USC and Texas have both earned a spot at the table. Both programs began over 125 years ago and have, over time, matured into two of the best schools in college football. There are more than enough numbers to back that up.

Texas

1893 — The first official Longhorn football team takes the field. Texas currently ranks 5th all time in winning percentage at 70.5 percent (899–367–33). The Longhorns also hold the advantage over the Trojans in the all-time wins category. Ranking 3rd all time, the Longhorns come into their matchup with USC hoping to secure win No. 900. Texas has brought four national titles to the 40 Acres (1963, 1969, 1970, 2005), with the most recent being a 41-38 victory over USC in the Rose Bowl. Though the landscape of college football has changed frequently over the last few decades, the Longhorns have won 30 conference championships. In the category of the most illustrious individual award in college football, Texas running backs Earl Campbell (1977) and Ricky Williams (1998) are the only players to have lifted the Heisman Trophy. Williams’ campaign was one of the best individual seasons in history as he ran for 2,124 yards and 27 touchdowns while setting 21 NCAA records at the time. Campbell rushed for 1,744 yards and 19 touchdowns, leading the nation in scoring. W h i l e winning the Heisman is nice, the ultimate goal for many college football players is reaching the NFL. Texas has consistently sent prospects to the next level and ranks 11th with 342 draftees.

USC

1888 — USC incorporates its first official football team. As for the Trojans, their 835 wins in school history are good enough for 9th all time. The Trojans rank right behind the Longhorns in the all-time winning percentage rankings at 70.1 percent (835–340–54). Though USC is not creeping up on the 900-win plateau, its history of winning games has never squandered. Its 835 victories are good for 9th all time. Despite the Longhorns having racked up more alltime victories, the Trojans hold a significant edge in the national championship category. Only three schools in the nation have hoisted the trophy more than USC. With 11 national championships (1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004), it’s easy to see why the Trojans are regarded so highly. The Trojans have earned 39 conference championship trophies over the history of their program. The collective success of the Trojans’ individual accolades is on par with some of the best programs in history. Because Reggie Bush’s 2005 Heisman Trophy was vacated from the record books, USC ties for second with the Oklahoma Sooners for the most Heisman-winning players. Quarterback Carson Palmer (2002) and his successor, Matt Leinart (2004), defined the Trojans’ success for much of that decade while Mike Garrett (1965), O.J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979) and Marcus Allen (1981) have also won the award for USC. No other program has had more success with hearing its players’ names called in the NFL Draft than USC with a whopping 506 Trojans having been selected — the most of any program in the nation.

lauren hernandez

| the daily texan staff

september 14, 2018

way. My defensive line coach likes to say that I’m a savvy player. Not only do I try to make a play on the ball, I try to go above and beyond to put the team in the best position as well.”

Trojans ball — all they had to do was score. Four plays later, McGrath was swarmed by a sea of red and gold, as his teammates applauded the freshman for sinking the kick of his life, and their season. “It was ultimately a sigh of relief when he made that kick,” Rector said. “We all

ran out to the field and everyone in the Coliseum was shaking.” Texas departed Los Angeles with what-ifs, only plays away from attaining a victory for the ages. The Longhorns receive another opportunity to make amends for last year, 364 days after the heartbreak at the Coliseum.

the ball to LenDale White, who rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns on the evening, but was stopped a yard short, turning the ball over to Young and the Longhorns’ offense. “They hit a surge. They’re the two-time national champions, and they hit the surge. That’s how they are,” defensive tackle Rod Wright said. “When they come out in the second half, they’re a whole different team. We had to make some adjustments, but we knew when it counted in the fourth

USC ran two plays after Young scored the game-winning touchdown but couldn’t stop the confetti from flying for Texas. Linebacker Aaron Harris fought back tears while others paraded around the field with national championship hats and T-shirts. “I knew we could do it, and I knew it was going to take a lot of hard work,” receiver Quan Cosby said. “That’s exactly what happened. We worked week in and week out and until now, we didn’t get all of the respect we deserved. We had to come out and prove it.”

exas Student Media will keep you connected ith daily links to the news, sports and culture stories shaping the UT community. rather than punt. Leinart handed quarter. We had to make a stop.” lookback continues from page

{

TEXAS

MVP award. “I think he’s the best player in the country,” Texas head coach Mack Brown said. “I’ve said that since the start of the year. The bigger the arena, the better he plays. Two times out here, he’s played pretty good. This is kind of like a home field for him.” Faced with a fourth-and-two situation and less than three minutes remaining, Trojans coach Pete Carroll decided to go for it

behind the rivalry B Y D O N N A VA N S M O O T @Dsmoot3D

The long-awaited rematch between Texas and USC is back. The No. 22 Trojans will come into Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this Saturday for the second game of a home-andhome series with the Longhorns. Many fans are quick to call this a rivalry because of the famous 2006 National Championship Game in Pasadena, California, but the two teams have only met four other times prior to the matchup that many have deemed “The greatest college football game ever played.” Here’s a look at the Texas-USC all-time series from 1955–present:

1955 USC 19, Texas 7 1967 USC 17, Texas 13 In their first ever meeting, No. 9 USC played host to a struggling Texas team. The Longhorns, 1–2 at this point, traveled to Los Angeles and were simply out-muscled. USC struck first late in the first quarter and late in the second to take a two possession lead. The Trojans shut out the Longhorns in the first half, going into the break up 13-0. Texas answered back midway through the third quarter with a touchdown drive resulting from a turnover, one of three for USC on the day. Just two minutes later, USC responded and put the game on ice. Gordon Duvall, who ran in the first touchdown of the day, caught a 30yard touchdown pass and sealed the deal.

1956 USC 44, Texas 20 Their next meeting came with a change of scenery but not a change of result. The Longhorns put the first points on the board at home after a 36-yard touchdown run from Joe Clement. From that point on, it was all USC. Led by C.R. Roberts, USC scored 38 unanswered points. Roberts, in that stretch, had three 50-yard touchdown runs. USC proved to be the more physical team, running for over 400 yards and gaining 17 first downs on the ground.

1966

USC 10, Texas 6

A decade later, the two met again in Austin. This time, USC didn’t display an offensive clinic. Texas, once again coming into the game under .500, held their ground with No. 9 USC in a tightly-contested defensive battle. USC marched down the field late in the first quarter on a 15-play, 74-yard drive. The Longhorns were able to defend the goal-line and force a field goal. USC scored on a touchdown run with two minutes left in the second quarter. Right before halftime, Texas blocked a field goal that would have put the Trojans up by 13. Texas continued the high defensive intensity in the third, keeping USC scoreless. Then, at the start of the fourth, Texas’ sophomore quarterback Bill Bradley, ran in a touchdown from three yards out and put Texas right back in the game. However, as stingy as the Longhorns were throughout the game, the Trojans were just as stingy and held on for the rest of the game to capture the win.

The 1967 meeting had the most potential out of the matchups to this point, being that this time both were ranked. No. 5 Texas once again had to go to the Los Angeles Coliseum and play No. 9 USC. Both teams played a fairly even game, scoring once through the air and on the ground. In the end, the Trojans pulled out a close win. The Longhorns had chances to score with the help of great field position and couldn’t capitalize. Texas’ defense recovered two USC fumbles and the special teams unit had 366 punt returns yards during the contest. However, after the opening drive, Texas wasn’t able to score again until the fourth quarter. Thus, going down 0–4 to USC all-time.

2006texas 41, usc 38 As Texas and USC steamrolled through their respective schedules, the Longhorns and Trojans set themselves up for a No. 1-versus-No. 2 heavyweight matchup in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4, 2006. The two best teams in college football, led by Vince Young and Matt Leinart, quickly found themselves in a back-and-forth affair. The Longhorns were down 12 points with less than seven minutes remaining in the game until a touchdown by Young and a crucial stop by Texas’ defense gave the Longhorns one last shot to take the lead. It would come down to a fourth-and-five play from USC’s nine-yard line. Young dropped back, stood in the pocket, then sprinted for the front corner of the endzone, scoring the championship-winning touchdown. The result ended the Trojans’ 34-game winning streak and any hopes of winning their third-consecutive title.

2017 USC 27, Texas 24 In the first matchup since the epic 2005 duel, Texas and USC did not disappoint. The first half was relatively underwhelming — until the final 30 seconds. USC quarterback Sam Darnold threw a pick six to DeShon Elliott with 19 seconds left. Then with five seconds left, he responded by finding a wide-open Ronald Jones II, who then took it 30 yards for a touchdown to close the half. The second half largely resembled the first. Texas took the lead with 45 seconds left, only to have USC tie the game with a field goal as time expired. In the first overtime, they traded touchdowns. Texas called a QB run from the three-yard line. Then-freshman Sam Ehlinger had the ball stripped before he could reach the first down marker. USC recovered, kicked a 43-yard field goal and escaped the game, remaining undefeated as the No. 4 team in the country.

2018 no. 22 usc at Texas, darrell k royal-texas memorial stadium, 7 p.m Texas was only ranked in the fourth meeting. A 39-year gap passed before they met again. This matchup doesn’t have the bare minimum history behind to grant it rivalry status. Including last year’s game, these schools have only met twice in the past 50 years, and those two games were 12 years apart. At this very moment, Texas only has one victory against USC. The only other statistics favoring the Longhorns are all-time wins (Texas is third to USC’s eighth) and all-time win per-

centage (Texas’ is 70.5 to USC’s 70.1). It is an interesting matchup on paper regardless of the history. Both teams are at critical junctures in their season. The Trojans are coming off a loss to Pac-12 rival Stanford, and the Longhorns still invite questions about their ability after a one-possession win against Tulsa. “Rivalry” is going to used a lot going into this matchup. Even after examination of the history accumulated by these schools, it is understandable why it is seen as a rivalry game.

Both USC and Texas are programs that hold themselves among the college football elite. They pride themselves on being a gold standard for other programs in terms of winning and tradition. However, between the schools, only one additional national championship game appearance has been made since the 2006 Rose Bowl. For programs who have not lived up to expectations, when they play each other, it is a reminder to both schools and fan bases what it

name name | the daily texan staff Then-junior quarterback Vince Young scrambles during Texas’ 41-38 victory over then-No. 1 USC for the national championship at the 2006 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

looked and felt like the last time they were top. It reminds them what it feels like to be center of attention of the college football wo On Saturday, for the first time since 1966 1967, they will play each other back-to-b years. Each will have chips on their should and something to prove, including that this legitimate rivalry.

name name | the daily texan sta Then-junior quarterback Vince Young kisses the crystal ball trophy after bringing the national title back to Austin with a la go-ahead touchdown to end USC’s hopes of a three-peat.

10 w at s o n

continues from page

outgoing young man. You never really have to worry about what he’s thinking because he’ll tell you.” As for Watson’s opportunity, he’ll get that on Saturday against a familiar foe. Growing up in Southern California, Watson was like most kids, watching the USC Trojans. “As a little kid I was a USC fan,” Watson said. “I wore 5 because Reggie Bush was my favorite college football player.” Tre said he was rooting for USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, but that he’s experienced a change of heart these past few years. In his four seasons at Cal, Watson’s Golden Bears went 0–4 against USC. Now, his opportunities at beating USC have dwindled down to one last shot: Saturday night. “It’s personal, man,” Watson said. “I’m from

carlos garcia | the daily texan staff Geaduate transfer Tre Watson runs through a tackle during the Longhorns’ 28-21 victory over Tulsa at DKR on Saturday. Watson finished with 75 yards on 18 carries and one touchdown.

Southern California, so USC is something that I need.” Watson has come a long way from rehabbing in Corona and an even longer way from cheering on USC in the 2006 national title. Now, the 22-year-old is claiming the starting running back title for one of the biggest games of the season. And he isn’t taking it for granted.

“I can’t wait to run up this tunnel,” Watson said. “I came here for the spring game and saw the amount of fans that were there. That was like the home games that we have at my other school. Just seeing that, and knowing we’re playing a home game here, I can’t wait. This is going to be a blessing to experience this.”

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september 14, 2018

Keys to the game: no. 22 usc B Y W I L L S L AY T O N @willsdebeast

L A S T W E E K ’ S W I N AG A I N S T T U L S A WA S A N Y T H I N G B U T E A S Y. ALTH O U G H TH E LO N G H O R N S N E V E R TR AI LE D, I T F E LT A S I F T E X A S WA S T RY I N G T O G I V E T H E G A M E AWAY TO TH E G O LD E N H U R R I C AN E . T H I S W E E K I S A C H A N C E T O S H OW T H AT T H E W E E K O N E L O S S WAS A FLU KE AN D TH AT TH E LO N G H O R N S C AN C O N T E N D O N T H E N AT I O N A L S C A L E — AT L E A S T AG A I N S T U S C . H E R E AR E TH E KE Y S TO A TE XAS V I C TO RY :

Force the QB to make mistakes

The starting quarterback for the Trojans, freshman JT Daniels, should be in high school right now. He graduated early to start for USC, and while he definitely has the talent to lead a program like USC, he lacks the poise to rebound from mistakes. In the first game of the season, USC walloped UNLV and Daniels threw for one touchdown with no interceptions. However, against a highly ranked Stanford team, Daniels faced constant pressure and threw two interceptions while completing less than 50 percent of his passes. If the Longhorns want to beat a ranked opponent for just the second time in the past two years, the defense will need to rattle Daniels and force costly turnovers. The defense proved capable of doing this against Tulsa, but doing it against USC is another level of challenge.

Establish the ground game

Unfortunately, this seems to be a key to the game every week, and that is a problem for several reasons. First, a successful run game allows the passing game to become more dynamic. Second, it forces the defense to respect the offense. In the past two games for the Longhorns, the team has struggled to find any meaningful progress in developing the rushing attack. With grad transfer Tre Watson running for either a yard or 11 and then freshman Keaontay Ingram breaking out for huge chunks of yards, consistency has been hard to find. If the team wants to beat USC, a team that allowed UNLV to rush for over 300 yards, Texas needs to take advantage of a weaker run defense and put up points on the ground.

Show improved special teams

Last year, the Trojans beat the Longhorns by a score of 27-24 in double overtime. The game this year promises to be just as close, meaning special teams will be a crucial element to the game. Freshman Cameron Dicker has yet to kick a field goal for the Longhorns, but his presence — good or bad — in the USC game will be felt. Additionally, fellow freshman punter Ryan Bujcevski has been inconsistent this season in flipping the field for Texas. Although both Dicker and Bujcevski are young and will suffer the occasional freshman mistake, both will need to be at the top of their games if the Longhorns are going to win a close game. Whether it be a well-placed positional punt, or a clutch field goal at the end of the game, these two will have a large role in the outcome of Saturday’s game.

DOUBLE COVERAGE

Watson’s last ride T E X A S

BY ALEX BRISEÑO @alexxbriseno

F E A T U R E

Tre Watson NO. 5 RUNNING BACK

W AT S O N ’ S A C L T E A R E N D E D H I S C A R E E R AT C A L . N O W H E G E T S T O W R I T E H I S C O M E B A C K S T O R Y.

exas running back Tre Watson knew he wanted to return for one final year of college football. He just needed to relearn how to walk first. It all happened before Watson arrived on the 40 Acres as a graduate transfer. Last year, he entered his senior campaign at Cal-Berkeley. He was placed on award watch lists for the nation’s best running back, and with three years of college experience under his belt, he was ready for his best year yet. Then, in the second game of the 2017 season, Watson took a hit to his right knee. “I hopped off the field,” Watson said. “But adrenaline took over and I was like, ‘I’m good.’ They checked it out, and it was pretty sturdy. I was telling my coach, ‘Put me in. I’m good.’ I go in, I am setting up the safety and as soon as I plant, it just gives.” It was his ACL and MCL — both were torn. His senior season was over. However, Watson was still eligible for one more season as a graduate. All he

anthony mireles | the daily texan staff Graduate transfer running back Tre Watson celebrates with freshman offensive lineman Samuel Cosmi after Watson’s 11-yard touchdown catch during Texas’ 28-21 win over Tulsa on Saturday. The California native’s next opportunity comes against No. 22 USC on Saturday.

needed to do was get into graduate school. There was one issue, though: Watson said he was unable to get into any of the graduate programs at Cal. In January, Watson announced his intention to transfer as a graduate student and opened up his recruitment. Unable to benefit from the luxury of rehabbing at a university after undergoing surgery, Watson headed back to his hometown of Corona, California — a city nearly 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles — for physical therapy. “It was tough in the beginning,” Watson said. “The whole process of an ACL injury, coming back, learning how to walk

again — that started out pretty tough, but once you get past that point, things start clicking for you.” After months of therapy and college visits, Watson announced he was taking his talents to Texas just one week before he graduated with a degree in sociology. It didn’t take long for Texas fans to get a feel for the confidence Watson exudes. In May, he told The Athletic, “I think I’m the best (running back) in the country. I just need the opportunity to show it. Texas gave him a shot, now he has the opportunity to “show it,” and he has so far. Not even a year after his injury, Watson reported to preseason camp and checked

out as the starting running back. And he is leading in more ways than one. “When he makes a mistake he owns up to it, and but he’s really, really energetic and is very positive with his new teammates,” Herman said. “They really like being around him.” Watson hasn’t had much time to develop much chemistry with the guys on the roster, but it appears his teammates are already fully aware of his personality and the level of his confidence. “That’s him. He’s just loud,” senior tight end Andrew Beck said. “He’s a very

WATSON

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september 14, 2018

Longhorn lookback Editor’s note: The story originally printed Jan. 17, 2006. It has been condensed for publishing purposes. BY JAKE VEYHL

As the USC Trojans return to Austin for the first time in nearly 52 years, we’re going to revisit the famed 2006 Rose Bowl through the words of Jake Veyhl, a former Daily Texan sports editor,who covered the game in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 4, 2006. Here’s Veyhl’s story: Vince Young made a habit of leading the Longhorns to come-from-behind victories. He engineered six fourth-quarter comebacks during his career at Texas but saved the best for last. Staring at a fourth and five, in Pasadena, California, with Texas down 38-33 and a little more than 20 seconds left in the game, Young dropped back to pass and briefly scanned the field before tucking the ball and scrambling around Justin Blalock’s pancake block on the right edge. Young found but open field as he ran eight yards into the end zone and sent Texas to a 41-38 victory over Southern California before 93,986 raucous fans at the Rose Bowl. “We’re a fourth-quarter team,” safety Michael Griffin said. “We’ve been in that situation plenty of games. We know if we gave Vince the ball, they were going to score. So when Vince got the ball in his hands inside the 20, I was like, ‘Guaranteed touchdown.’”

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juan figueroa | the daily texan staff Texas and then-No. 4 USC line up before the snap during the Trojans’ 27-24 double overtime victory over Texas at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Sept. 16, 2017.

“We’ve been down in the end all year long,” Young said. “It’s all about focus and poise and not to worry because in the end, it’s all about heart.” The victory completed a perfect 13–0 season for the Longhorns and marked the first time they have won more than 11 games. Head coach Mack Brown earned its first national title and Texas claimed its fourth — the first since 1970. “This was the best performance I could have imagined, and I’m just so excited to have been a part of it,” tight end David Thomas said. “This is such a special moment, seeing us with that trophy.” The trophy is a result of a season orchestrated by an easy-going quarterback. From the time he made the declaration a year ago that Texas would return to California, Young pushed himself and his teammates to get better. That work showed in Young’s finale with the Longhorns. He topped last year’s remarkable Rose Bowl performance of 180 yards, 192 yards rushing and fourth total touchdowns by completing 30 of his 40 passes — including each of his first nine attempts — for 267 yards. Young combined that with 19 rushes for 200 yards and three touchdowns to win his second consecutive Rose Bowl

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Q&A

with Daily texan sports

B Y D A I LY T E X A N S P O R T S @texansports

A S T E X A S A N D U S C P R E PA R E T O M E E T AT D A R R E L L K R OYA L - T E X A S M E M O R I A L S TA D I U M F O R T H E S E C O N D H A L F O F T H E H O M E - A N D - H O M E S E R I E S , T H E D A I LY TEXAN CAUGHT UP WITH SAM ARSLANIAN, ONE OF THE D A I LY T R O J A N S ’ S P O R T S E D I T O R S .

Here’s a portion of the Texan and Trojans’ weekly podcast. The full recording can be found on The Daily Texan’s podcast channel on SoundCloud.

The Daily Texan: The

first look we got at USC was Week One against UNLV and similar to Texas’ performance against Tulsa. It wasn’t something that really jumped out as far as what you would expect from a USC team. We know they lost a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball, but what are the expectations moving forward?

The Daily Trojan: Like you said, this USC offense is very young. USC lost Sam Darnold and Ronald Jones among others. JT Daniels is young. He’s a true freshman. He’s reclassified. He should be in high school right now. The running back situation is really weird with that three-headed monster as head coach Clay Helton calls it, of Carr, M and Aca’Cedric Ware. It’s really interesting. The emphasis needs to be on getting that offense going. As we saw against Stanford, the defense held. If you hold Stanford, Bryce Love and K.J. Costello to 17 points and you don’t win a football game. That’s on the offense and playcalling. Texan: What are the ex-

pectations for this game? Would you say, because these are two good defenses with struggles in play calling, where it’s a first team to 20 points wins, sort of like last year?

back. He’s going to do a lot of things. I think he needs to get comfortable first … give it a couple of games I think he will start to settle in.

Trojan: I want to say it’s a

you say is the weakest part of this offense, or at least which unit needs to make the most improvements to gain momentum throughout the season?

shootout, but a shootout without scoring, if that makes sense. There’s going to be a lot of punting and there’s going to be a lot of field goals. At least on the USC end of things, finishing drives is something USC needs to figure out … that’s going to be a recurring issue for USC against defenses that are solid like Stanford, like Texas. I definitely think it could be a shootout, but I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of scoring.

Texan: What was the re-

action of the fan base after last week’s game? There a lot of questions around the offense with JT Daniels. Were fans disappointed or did they expect this to be a difficult start?

Trojan: I definitely sensed a lot of frustration. I think a lot of the blame was put on JT Daniels. He’s kind of been the face of what USC football could have and should have been right now. I don’t think he is to blame. He’s 18. I think he’s going to be a great quarter-

Texan: What unit would

Trojan: I think the wide receivers have to get better. It’s hard with a new quarterback. He’s been the starting quarterback for two or three weeks now. It’ll come, but dropped passes can’t keep happening. That was a huge issue against Stanford.

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september 14, 2018

texas week 3 vs. usc

B Y K E S H AV P R AT H I VA D I @kpthefirst

USC comes into this game a completely different team, having lost quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Ronald Jones II to the NFL. Meanwhile, Texas seems to be in a similar place it was last season — looking for its next big break.

wins if... … it runs the ball consistently.

With a run game like Texas’, it’s easy to become increasingly pass-happy as the run game stagnates. However, Texas stuck to the run game last week against Tulsa and used a big run from sophomore running back Daniel Young late in the fourth quarter to seal the deal. Against a Trojan defense that has allowed 233 rushing yards per game this season, running the ball consistently with a group including Young and graduate transfer Tre Watson could give Texas control of the game.

… it makes freshmen look like freshmen. USC has a new face in its backfield: freshman quarterback JT Daniels. Daniels fared well against UNLV in Week One but struggled last week at Stanford. Texas is definitely familiar

with the fickle nature of a freshman quarterback — making big plays on one play and head-scratchers on another — and should try and capitalize on it. An early interception against Tulsa set the tone for the first half, and the Texas defense should do all they can to force the issue and take Daniels out of his comfort zone.

It’s finally here. The No. 22 USC Trojans will pay a visit to Austin this weekend in a rematch of last year’s double overtime thriller in Los Angeles.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey for touchdowns in consecutive weeks. Texas boasts a lot of size in its wide receiver group and will have a solid chance of making a play on a long ball as long as they don’t overthink it.

After close losses to top-ranked teams in the first 15 games of head coach Tom Herman’s Texas tenure, the Longhorns will look to nab their first signature victory under their new head coach. Here’s how the season’s most anticipated game could swing.

… it isn’t cute on offense.

Under offensive coordinator Tim Beck, Texas has opted for shorter passes instead of deep shots. Despite that, the Longhorns have found success throwing downfield, linking up with junior wide receivers Devin Duvernay and

brooke crim

| the daily texan staff

loses if...

… it loses the field position battle.

Texas has hurt itself in the first two games with critical turnovers and occasional special teams errors. A couple of shanked punts from freshman punter Ryan Bujcevski set both Maryland and Tulsa up with short fields, shifting momentum away from the Longhorns. On the other end, interceptions and fumbles have done just the same. If Texas wants to win, it’ll have to execute in all three phases of the game and avoid critical mistakes that can shift field position, such as the blocked punt last week.

… it can’t pass.

This game in particular will pose a challenge for Sam Ehlinger as he faces a stout Trojan pass defense which has only allowed 140 yards per game so far this season. USC is going to do all it can to contain Ehlinger in the

pocket and force him to be one-dimensional. They know Ehlinger isn’t the most accurate passer. If USC can force mistakes in the passing game, it could swing the game drastically.

Stadium that pushed them past the favored Irish. A slow start will take the one intangible — the noise — out of the arena and will let USC have their way with Texas.

… the crowd is out of it.

The last thing Texas wants to do is fall behind in front of what will be a sellout crowd on Saturday night. A lot of what is adding to the buildup around this game is the atmosphere. Texas hasn’t had a game of this magnitude at home since it hosted then-No. 10 Notre Dame in 2016 and will need that same energy at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial

carlos garcia

| the daily texan staff

GAME TIME

15-minute departures on routes all over Austin

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