DC 2018-11-09

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 10 | NOV 9, 2018

TEXASSPORTS.COM/BIGTICKET | 512-471-3333

DOUBLE COVERAGE

2

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

6-4

7-3

7-3

9-1

6-4

8-2

6-4

5-5

7-3

8-2

No. 19 Texas at Texas Tech

Texas Tech

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas Tech

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

Texas

No. 1 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

TCU at No. 9 West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

Wisconsin at No. 20 Penn State

Penn State

Penn State

Penn State

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Penn State Penn State Penn State Penn State

Penn State

No. 10 Ohio State at No. 18 Michigan State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

No. 2 Clemson at No. 17 Boston College

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

Clemson

South Florida at Cincinnati

Cincinnati

Cincinnati

Cincinnati

Cincinnati

Cincinnati

South Florida

Cincinnati

Cincinnati

South Florida

Cincinnati

No. 24 Auburn at No. 5 Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Northwestern at No. 21 Iowa

Northwestern

Iowa

Iowa

Iowa

Iowa

Northwestern

Iowa

Iowa

Iowa

Iowa

Orgeon State at Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

OV E R AL L R E C O R D

59-31

55-35

56-34

62-28

55-35

56-34

55-35

58-32

63-27

59-31

PRESENTS

DOUBLE COVERAGE Vol. 13, Issue 10 Friday, Nov. 9, 2018

Double Coverage Editors Alex Briseño & Ross Burkhart Design Editor...................................Kendall Jordan Photo Editor.......................................Angela Wang Copy Editor....................................Kirsten Handler Cover Photo..................................Anthony Mireles

Editor’s Note Texas is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time since last October. Now, the Longhorns must make the trip to Lubbock for a primetime matchup with Texas Tech, a squad also looking to avoid three straight losses. A win against the Red Raiders would keep Texas’ Big 12 title hopes alive for one more week. A loss, and Texas will likely be watching the Big 12 Championship from the couch.

ALEX BRISEÑO & ROSS BURKHART

Writers Robert Larkin Alex Briseño Wills Layton Steve Helwick Ross Burkhart

Ohio State Ohio State

Keshav Prathivadi Donnavan Smoot Cameron Parker CJ Vogel

3

november 9, 2018 BETTING

Buy or sell: where to bet in week 11 B Y C A M E R O N PA R K E R @camerondparker

I hate Notre Dame. Watching Ian Book walk into the endzone to cover the spread made me want to smash the TV. I can’t wait to watch Alabama annihilate them in the Playoff. I won’t apologize for that pick, but I will apologize for my Marshall pick last week. Maybe just staying from away from the Conference USA is a smart decision.

I’m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I’m just a college student who watches too much

college football and places bets he can’t afford — like most of y’all. This weekly column is where I will give you my best bets for the week in college football. I am not responsible for any money lost.

Last Week: 2–2 Total: 9–7

TCU vs No. 9 West Virginia (-12.5)

Will Grier single-handedly sent Texas fans back into “the sky is falling” mode, effectively making me question

how many fans have actually watched this program over the past decade. Regardless, West Virginia is firing on all cylinders right now, and with TCU heading to Morgantown, this game could get ugly.

TCU’s one-point victory over Kansas State last week doesn’t exactly make me feel better about this year. With everything going on with this team, from KaVontae Turpin getting kicked off to Shawn Robinson’s season-ending injury, bet big on the country roads to take you home.

Pick: West Virginia (-12.5)

Northwestern (-10)

vs

Iowa

Maybe I like Pat Fitzgerald too much. I would rank Fitzgerald as one of my top five coaching crushes, somewhere in-between P.J. Fleck, Matt Campbell, Chris Petersen and Jason Garrett. I’m kidding about Garrett. Northwestern should have covered against Notre Dame last week, and their 10-point loss is the largest since Week 2 against Duke.

Iowa is trending downward, with back-to-back losses against the Tyler Trent-led Boilermakers and a Penn State team that is not great. A win against Iowa and Northwestern clinches the Big Ten West.

Pick: Northwestern (+10)

Miami FL vs Georgia Tech (-3.5) When is Las Vegas going to realize Miami is actually terrible? After three straight

BETTING

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4

DOUBLE COVERAGE

BY ROBERT LARKIN @r_larkintexas

opponents to watch Q UART E R B ACK

W IDE R ECEIVER

CORNERBACK

LINEBAC KER

Jett Duffey No. 7

Antoine Wesley No. 4

Adrian Frye No. 20

Dakota Allen No. 40

When Texas Tech quarterback McLane Carter left the season opener against Ole Miss with a left ankle injury, fans worried about who would step up and lead the offense. Alan Bowman quickly calmed those worries. Bowman’s been fantastic during his freshman season, leading the Big 12 in passing yards per game and ranking third in the conference in passing efficiency rating.

But Bowman has had his fair share of injury struggles too, including last week where he had to sit out the second half against Oklahoma. Now, quarterback Jett Duffey will likely have to fill the void for the Red Raiders. Duffey has appeared in six games, but he hasn’t had quite the same success as Bowman. He’s thrown four touchdowns and four interceptions in the six games he has played. But assuming he gets the start on Saturday, he’ll need to escalate that production against Texas.

Despite the revolving changes at quarterback, the Red Raider offense has still been prolific. Tech’s pass offense is the best in the conference, and it features one of the best receivers in the conference: Antoine Wesley. Wesley has put up video game numbers for the Red Raiders, recording 70 receptions, 1,176 yards and seven touchdowns through just nine games. His reception and receiving yards totals have him at the top of both categories for the team.

After seeing West Virginia rack up 346 yards and three touchdowns through the air against the Longhorns’ secondary last week, Wesley has to feel good about his chances for having a big day on Saturday.

And if the Longhorns continue to struggle the way they have the previous two weeks against West Virginia’s David Sills V and Oklahoma State’s Tylan Wallace, Wesley could have a career day this weekend.

Not much has changed this season with Texas Tech’s defense. As a whole, the unit ranks last in the Big 12 in total defense. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few individual stars for the Red Raiders. One of the biggest developments for the Tech defense has been the emergence of cornerback Adrian Frye.

After starting the season as a backup on the depth chart, the Houston native has taken on an increased role in the Red Raiders’ defensive backfield. And the results have been impressive. Through nine games, Frye leads Texas Tech in interceptions and pass break ups with four and 12, respectively. His combined 16 passes defended also tops the Big 12, leading Texas defensive back Kris Boyd by two. In a game that will likely feature high scoring and game-breaking plays, any sort of contribution Frye can make in stopping Texas’ wide receivers will help.

Linebacker Dakota Allen embodies the comeback story. Following a breakout redshirt freshman season, Allen was dismissed from the team by head coach Kliff Kingsbury after he was arrested on burglary charges during the summer of 2016. The Humble, Texas, native transferred to Eastern Mississippi Community College where he became a star on the Netflix show “Last Chance U.” After proving himself during his junior college season both on and off the field, Allen transferred back to Lubbock. He has been a positive force on the Red Raider defense over his last two seasons. A team captain and starter at linebacker, Allen has tallied 171 tackles, three fumble recoveries and six pass breakups in 22 games. While Tech’s defense is by no means a formidable force, Allen has the talent to make one or two plays which could be the difference in an offensive shootout.

photo copyright texas tech athletics and reproduced with permission

5

november 9, 2018

Games to watch no.23 Fresno state Friday, 9:15 p.m., ESPN2 Fresno State upset Boise State on the Saturday of rivalry weekend in 2017. However, the Broncos got the last laugh on their signature blue turf, exacting revenge on the Bulldogs one week later in the Mountain West Championship game. Entering Friday’s matchup in Boise, the longtime Mountain West stand-

no.10 ohio state Saturday, 11 a.m., FOX Michigan State hasn’t topped the Buckeyes since Michael Geiger sunk a game-winning field goal at the Horseshoe to ultimately catapult the Spartans into the 2015 College Football Playoff.

Mark Dantonio’s defense caught fire in October, allowing no more than 21 points in each of its last

oklahoma state Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ABC Oklahoma State is 5–4 and Oklahoma is 8–1, but throw out these records when talking about Bedlam. One of college football’s most heated rivalries transpires Saturday afternoon, as the Sooners aim to win their fourth-straight in the historic series. Oklahoma State is no stranger to

no.24 auburn Saturday, 6 p.m., ESPN The bitter rivals settled it on the field twice last season. Auburn claimed the regular season episode in dominant fashion, but Georgia clinched its first-ever playoff spot by thwarting Auburn’s offense, 28-7, in the SEC Championship game. This year, the Bulldogs have

no.2 clemson Saturday, 7 p.m., ABC College GameDay is sending its cameras, talent and equipment to the easternmost FBS college, situated in the quaint town of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. There is plenty of reason for excitement on Boston College’s campus though, as the Eagles have attained their highest ranking

at

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

boise state

outs combine for a 15-3 record. Each of Fresno State’s victories has been decided by 18 or more points this year. Middle linebacker Jeff Allison, who averages 10.5 tackles per game, will return from injury to bolster Fresno State’s relentless defense (12.2 points per game).

Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien aims to replicate last December’s result en route to a fifth straight win to keep conference title hopes alive.

at

no.18 michigan state

four outings. The Spartans are hosting Ohio State at an optimal time, after the Buckeyes recently suffered a 29-point loss at Purdue and barely skated by a 2-7 Nebraska team in Columbus. Ohio State’s freshman quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been phenomenal though. No quarterback in the country eclipses his 32 touchdown passes, and his 3,053 passing yards rank third in the FBS.

at

no.6 oklahoma

upsetting higher-ranked teams, as Mike Gundy’s Cowboys stunned Boise State and Texas earlier in the year. One thing Gundy will have to focus on is containing Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray. The engineer of Oklahoma’s second-ranked yards per game offense threw for 360 yards and rushed for 100 last Saturday, accounting for four touchdowns in a 51-point performance.

at

no.5 georgia

already secured a spot in Atlanta’s conference title game against Alabama, but they must hurdle the Tigers in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry to ensure playoff hopes endure. Georgia running back Elijah Holyfield rushed for 115 yards and a score at Kentucky last Saturday, and Kirby Smart will seek major production from him against Auburn’s stout run defense.

at

no.17 boston college

since Matt Ryan quarterbacked the program in 2007. Powerful running back A.J. Dillon is a gametime decision for the Eagles, and he’ll have to face Clemson’s NFL-caliber defensive line in the battle of the trenches. But Dabo Swinney’s Tigers are loaded with skill on both sides of the ball.

The offense has become lethal lately, winning its last four ACC games by an average of 51 points.

betting

continues from page

3

losses for the Hurricanes, not even FEMA can help them at this point. Georgia Tech is picking up steam, winning four out of their last five, including last week which I *cough* picked them to do.

Pick: Georgia Tech (-3.5)

Troy vs Georgia Southern (-1.5)

OK, I’ll admit it. I did not know there was a difference between Georgia Southern and Georgia State until this year. Having said that, Georgia Southern is the odds-on favorite to win the Sun Belt after beating ranked Appalachian State two weeks ago and losing their first game since falling to Clemson in a fluke loss to Louisiana-Monroe. Troy looked like a formidable challenger to the Sun Belt

title after its five-game win streak, but losing starting quarterback Kaleb Barker dashed those hopes and the last two wins have been against two of the worst teams in the conference (South Alabama and Louisiana). A one point favorite at home coming off a loss?

Give me Georgia Southern, my new favorite team.

Pick: Georgia Southern (-1.5)

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T E X A S

F E A T U R E

Sam Ehlinger NO. 11, QUARTERBACK

BY ROSS BURKHART @ross_burkhart

| the daily texan staff Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger evades pressure during Texas’ loss West Virginia last Saturday. Ehlinger accounted for four total touchdowns in the game. juan figueroa

Heartbreaker Playmaker

w

to

ill Grier, a former SEC prodigy turned West Virginia transplant, and Kyler Murray, the 4.7 million dollar man from Allen, Texas — those are the two quarterbacks everybody mentioned in the top tier of Big 12 passers last summer.

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger was easily left out of that conversation, perhaps because he wasn’t even named a starter yet.

However, Ehlinger has quickly risen through the ranks this season and shown he’s fully capable of going toe-to-toe with many college football heavyweights.

“He’s checking out of different looks and changing the run to put us in the best position to be successful,” running back Tre Watson said. “Having him has been amazing. His development and growth and controlling the offense has been great.”

The sophomore signal caller now holds a streak of 246 consecutive passing attempts without an interception, just 27 passes shy of Geno Smith’s Big 12 record.

“It’s something that definitely we all knew that I was capable of …” Ehlinger said.

During the Longhorns’ signature win against Oklahoma, which was their biggest of the decade, Ehlinger paved the way to victory by tacking on 314 passing yards, 72 rushing yards and five total touchdowns — the same number of times Murray found the endzone.

Ehlinger then continued his red-hot streak of games weeks later by outplaying Grier on the statsheet when the Longhorns hosted West Virginia in their most important test yet.

Although Grier’s Mountaineers threw the knockout punch, Ehlinger had arguably the best game of his career, throwing for 354 yards, running for 52 yards and scoring four touchdowns in the last-second loss.

“I think the biggest thing is just experience and the game slowing down,” Ehlinger said after the West Virginia game. “That’s every level of sports and when you get more experience, it slows down for you and you’re able to comprehend more and it’s definitely helped a lot this year.”

Both the Oklahoma and West Virginia game have been examples of Ehlinger’s ability to shine brighter each time the lights come on.

“I’m proud of him,” offensive coordinator

juan figueroa | the daily texan staff Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger tucks the ball and runs down field during Texas’ 42-41 loss last Saturday. Ehlinger finished with 52 rushing yards and 354 passing yards.

Tim Beck said. “I think he’s worked really hard to get to that point. He studies the game, I give him that. He’s a grinder.”

Ehlinger’s contribution to the offense has been elemental in the program’s strides during head coach Tom Herman’s second season at the helm.

The Longhorns now shift their focus to Texas Tech in an attempt to save their promising season in a primetime game in Lubbock.

Last year’s game against the Red Raiders was a huge disappointment for Texas fans, as they watched their team suffer a blown lead in the fourth quarter and fall to an unsatisfactory 6–6 record to end the regular season.

When asked about last year’s loss, Ehlinger characterized the game similarly to the way he does many others.

“Oh man … just another game that we had the opportunity to finish and we didn’t,” Ehlinger said.

Nevertheless, Ehlinger has seemingly put last year’s demons to rest, reaching heights Texas fans haven’t seen in quite some time.

Looking ahead prematurely to next season, Ehlinger could find his name being thrown around in the same way Grier’s and Murray’s were prior to this season.

“He’s gonna have a great future,” Watson said.

9

november 9, 2018

big 12 power rankings

BY CJ VOGEL

@cjvogel3

NO.1

West Virginia Mountaineers Welcome back to the top spot, West Virginia. The gutsy move by Dana Holgorsen to go for two against Texas with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter, propelled the Mountaineers to a 7–1 record and kept their Big 12 Championship game hopes alive. West Virginia has a tune-up game with TCU at home before heading into a must win in Morgantown against Oklahoma.

NO.5

Baylor Bears Baylor gets a big boost in morale following a game-winning touchdown by Denzel Mims with seven seconds left to defeat Oklahoma State, 35-31. This is the exact victory Baylor needed to keep hope alive in the season. Baylor previously lost to Texas and West Virginia before the Oklahoma State victory and are now coming to the end of their gauntlet with a road test against No. 22 Iowa State.

NO.7

Texas Tech Red Raiders The Red Raiders suffered their second straight loss last weekend at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners. What makes matters worse is Kliff Kingsbury’s squad held the lead for most of the first half and, had it not been for a busted two-point conversion play, could have tied the game late in the fourth quarter. Regardless, Tech looks for help from their home field advantage once again this week when the No. 19 Texas Longhorns visit Lubbock.

NO.9

Kansas State Wildcats It’s rare to see a Bill Snyder-led team this low in the rankings throughout an entire season, but there just isn’t much talent on this Kansas State team. The Wildcats scored just 13 points in their one-point loss against the TCU Horned Frogs last weekend. Skylar Thompson has struggled this season, throwing for just five touchdowns and three interceptions so far.

NO.2

Oklahoma Sooners No matter the situation, winning a night game in Lubbock is tough. Oklahoma experienced that first hand for three-and-a-half quarters last Saturday. The Sooners are sitting near the top in the AP and College Football Playoff standings, however their Bedlam matchup this weekend could prove to be a small bump in the road. Kyler Murray once again put up video game numbers and should do the same this weekend against a suspect Oklahoma State defense.

NO.3

Iowa State Cyclones Winners of four straight game, the Iowa State Cyclones are playing their best football of the season and aren’t showing signs of slowing down. It is very surprising to see Iowa State this high in the rankings following a 1–3 start to the season. It’s clear the Cyclones have figured out their bread and butter, having held opponents to just 16 points per game in their last three matchups.

NO.6

Oklahoma State Cowboys One week after storming the field and celebrating a victory over then-No. 6 Texas, the Oklahoma State Cowboys experienced heartbreak with a last-second touchdown

by Baylor to fall to 5–4 on the season. The Cowboys’ offense has fallen off since being ranked in the top 10 in total offense earlier this season. However, they are still producing 38.3 points per game, good enough for 13th in the country.

NO.8

TCU Horned Frogs After a week in the trenches of the Big 12, TCU escapes for the time being.

A win is a win, even when it isn’t pretty, and that’s exactly what TCU’s 14-13 victory over Kansas State was. TCU erased a three-game losing streak but face a tough test with a meeting with No. 9 West Virginia in Morgantown this weekend.

NO.10

Kansas Jayhawks The Kansas football program appeared to be turning things around this year with a 3–5 record heading into last week. But they were attempting a U-turn with an 18-wheeler on a two lane road. Kansas scored just three points against Iowa State to fall to 1–5 in the Big 12. To add insult to injury, they fired head coach David Beatty following the game.

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NO.4

Texas Longhorns After being ranked No. 6 in the country, the Longhorns have since lost two straight conference games and watched their Big 12 Championship hopes diminish. Todd Orlando’s defense was once again thrashed for another 500-plus yard and 40-plus point performance. As previously mentioned, a night game in Lubbock is never an easy place to get a win, and that is exactly what is in store for the Longhorns this weekend.

10

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West Virginia’s Will Grier launched back into the Heisman race after breaking Texas fans’ hearts last week, but the 2018 season continues to belong to Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa.

#13 Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback, No. 1 Alabama

There are certain times that we, as a general sports-consuming public, just know who is going to win.

We knew the Golden State Warriors were going to win the championship the moment they signed Kevin Durant. We knew at the beginning of last year that Alabama was going to win the National Championship. We knew Floyd Mayweather was going to beat Conor McGregor. Now, we know for certain Tua Tagovailoa will win the Heisman.

After Saturday’s drumming of then-No. 3 LSU, it’s apparent Tagovailoa will walk away from this season a Heisman winner. The sophomore quarterback accounted for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. He finally had a moment of weakness, throwing his first interception of the season. However, seeing Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide jog off the field after making light work of the Tigers was like seeing Vince Carter signal to the world the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest was over. Alabama simultaneously made the statement that at the end of the season, it will likely be a championship team led by a Heisman-winning quarterback.

#1 Kyler Murray, quarterback, No. 6 Oklahoma According to Bovada, Kyler Murray is twice as likely to win the Heisman as Dwayne Haskins and three times as likely to win as Shea Patterson. Although those gaps are impressive, it still lands him in second place. This is Murray’s first year as the full-time starter, and considering this will be his last year in college, he has made the most of it. In the offensive-driven Big 12, he is the best offensive player, capable of throwing an extremely

accurate 350-yard game while running for 100 yards on the ground.

The proof was shown this past weekend during the Sooners’ shootout victory over Texas Tech.

Murray is likely leading Oklahoma to the Big 12 Championship, and after last weekend, that game looks to be a showdown between West Virginia and Oklahoma, which would be a rematch of the regular season finale. Barring injury, Murray will be the star for the rest of the season and dismantle the rest of the Big 12 defenses. If that’s the case, Murray has secured his seat in New York.

#7 Will Grier, quarterback, No. 9 West Virginia

Will Grier saved the Mountaineers’ season on Saturday evening in Austin. Down by seven with just under three minutes to play, Grier stepped onto the field prepared to crush the hearts of all the Longhorn fans in the stadium. Then, with 24 seconds left, Grier threw an absolute dime to Gary Jennings Jr., who got behind two Longhorns defenders in the back of the endzone. Still down by one, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen decided to attempt a two-point conversion. Grier took matters into his own hands, rushing into the endzone and virtually putting West Virginia in the driver’s seat for the Big 12 Championship.

Grier has been outstanding this year. After a couple weeks hidden on the radar, he has played his way back into the conversation. The canceled game against NC State gave him one less opportunity to prove his worth but nevertheless, Grier and West Virginia are in prime position to dethrone Oklahoma and be conference champions at the end of the season.

11

november 9, 2018

texas B Y K E S H A V P R AT H I VA D I @kpthefirst

One year truly does make a big difference. Just last year, fans pointed to offensive coordinator Tim Beck as the root cause for Texas’ struggles. Now the blame has shifted to defensive coordinator Todd Orlando after a pair of lackluster defensive performances in which a once-stout unit showed little to no resistance.

Texas Tech is a name that has not sat well with Texas fans recently. Despite dropping six straight meetings from 2009–2014, the Red Raiders have come up victorious in two of their last three matchups with Texas. But the air raid offense is still alive and well in Lubbock, and Texas Tech will be looking to lay the knockout punch on the Longhorns’ Big 12 title hopes.

If Texas wants to keep its season alive, here’s what it’ll have to do:

wins if... … it starts strong on defense.

Whether it’s quarterback Alan Bowman or Jett Duffey under center for the Red Raiders, both pose a threat to a vulnerable Texas defense. Early scores from Oklahoma State and West Virginia had the Longhorns playing from behind from the get-go, something Texas has done for a good part of the season. The Longhorns have surrendered opening-drive scores in each of their last four games, and another on the road could pose trouble for them. If the defense can force stops and keep the ball in quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s hands early and often, it could be a nice outing in Lubbock.

… it forces a turnover.

The Longhorns haven’t forced a turnover in over 10 quarters of action, dating back to their early October meeting with Baylor. In that span, the Texas defense has allowed 87 points and over 1,000 yards of offense. While Texas’ offensive production has nearly matched this, it hasn’t been enough to stop its opponents from scoring at will. A turnover would not only keep the ball in the hands of the Longhorn offense, but also provide a huge momentum spark on the road. Texas won its last game in Lubbock on a game-ending interception, and more of that can lead to the Longhorns’ fifth consecutive win in the Panhandle.

ashley ephraim | the daily texan staff Defensive end Charles Omenihu attempts to get through the West Virginia offensive line. The senior now looks to lead the Texas defense back to its dominant ways in Lubbock on Saturday.

loses if... … it can’t spread the football.

juan figueroa | the daily texan staff Texas wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey avoids West Virginia defenders during the Longhorns’ 42-41 loss at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Humphrey finished with 143 yards.

Texas has a plethora of targets to go to on the ground and through the air. However, the Longhorns seemed to have trouble finding one of their best playmakers, wide receiver Collin Johnson, until well into last week’s game. This can make Texas’ offense one-dimensional and worst of all, predictable. Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State had their game plan nailed down perfectly and shut down Johnson and the Texas offense until the Cowboys themselves built a sizable lead. Ehlinger missed tight end Andrew Beck breaking free down the seam this past Saturday on several occasions. If Texas can’t spread the ball or find its open receivers, it could spell trouble for the Longhorns.

… gets air raided.

Texas knows how much Big 12 teams lean on offense to win games. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury is no stranger to this style of play, having played quarterback for Texas Tech himself. Texas’ defense should come in expecting an offensive onslaught, filled with deep throws and involvement of running backs in the passing game. And while Ehlinger may come in with a chip on his shoulder after two late-game interceptions against the Red Raiders last year, there’s not much he can do if his defense can’t do its job.

GAME TIME

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