The Daily Texan Double Coverage 2019-11-15 by The Daily Texan

T H E D A I LY TEXAN PRESENTS

Double Coverage VOL. 14 ISSUE 10 | NOV. 15, 2019

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Friday, november 15, 2019

TEXAN

staff picks

MARCUS KRUM

WILLS L AY T O N

DONNAVAN SMOOT

MYAH TAY L O R

STEPHEN WAGNER

ALEX BRISEÑO

CLARK D A LT O N

DANIELA PEREZ

CAMERON PA R K E R

NO. 22 TEXAS AT I OWA S TAT E

IOWA STATE

TEXAS

IOWA STATE

TEXAS

N O. 5 G E O R G I A AT NO. 13 AUBURN

GEORGIA

AUBURN

GEORGIA

N O. 1 0 O K L A H O M A AT N O. 1 2 B AY L O R

OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA

N O. 2 4 N AV Y AT NO. 15 NOTRE DAME

NAVY

NOTRE DAME

NAVY

NOTRE DAME

NO. 10 FLORIDA AT M I S S O U R I

FLORIDA

T C U AT TEXAS TECH

TCU

TEXAS TECH

TCU

TEXAS TECH

TCU

NC STATE

LOUISVILLE

NC STATE

LOUISVILLE

L O U I S V I L L E AT N C S TAT E

LOUISVILLE LOUISVILLE

A R I Z O N A S TAT E AT O R E G O N S TAT E

OREGON STATE

ARIZONA STATE

OREGON STATE

ARIZONA STATE

OREGON STATE

ARIZONA STATE

U S C AT CALIFORNIA

USC

CALIFORNIA

USC

VIRGINIA TECH AT G E O R G I A T E C H

GEORGIA TECH

VIRGINIA TECH

GEORGIA TECH

VIRGINIA TECH

LAST WEEK’S RECORD OVERALL RECORD

7–3 47–34

8–2 44–36

5–5 46–34

8–2 45–35

8–2 46–34

8–2 49–31

7–3 49–31

7–3 50–30

DOUBLE COVERAGE Double Coverage Editor Design Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor

Marcus Krum Maria Perez Joshua Guenther Megan Shankle

8–2 53–27

EDITOR’S NOTE With Big 12 Championship Game hopes hanging by a thread, Texas stayed afloat with a last-second win over Kansas State last weekend. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but sophomore kicker Cameron Dicker nailed a game-winner, and the Longhorns still have an outside shot at making the Championship Game. This week’s win is vital to those hopes, and it won’t come easy. Ames, Iowa, is never an easy place to play, and the Cyclones will be ready.

Writers Daniela Perez Donnavan Smoot Myah Taylor Stephen Wagner

Clark Dalton Wills Layton Cameron Parker

Marcus Krum, Double Coverage Editor

double coverage

BIG 12 power rankings By Marcus Krum

1. OKLAHOMA SOONERS Although the top of the Big 12 picked up wins, none of them were pretty. Oklahoma looked as if it would stomp Iowa State, but the Cyclones roared to life with a fero-

cious comeback that was halted only by a missed two-point conversion. The Sooners will have to get back on track this week in a massive matchup against Baylor.

3. TEXAS LONGHORNS Consider the ship righted — for now. The Longhorns needed a victory last Saturday against Kansas State to keep their Big 12 Championship hopes alive. They

were able to surge back from a 14-point deficit to win over Kansas State thanks to another Cameron Dicker game-winner. Is it time to retire his No. 17 already?

5. IOWA STATE CYCLONES The Cyclones have every reason to be hopeful for this week’s matchup against Texas. They’re seven-point favorites, they’re at home in cold weather conditions and they

were a two-point conversion away from pulling off one of this season’s most astounding comebacks against Oklahoma last week. Get ready for a showdown in Ames, Iowa.

7. TCU HORNED FROGS Much like Iowa State, the Horned Frogs were oh-so-close to picking up a massive victory and vaulting themselves higher in the rankings. It took a strange game and

three overtimes for TCU to be done away with, but the Horned Frog defense showed up in a big way, limiting a potent Baylor attack to just 273 total yards of offense.

9. KANSAS JAYHAWKS It won’t be easy for Kansas from here on out. Head coach Les Miles’ Jayhawks will face Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Baylor to close out the first season of Miles’ tenure.

Anything more than what they’ve had in the past is an improvement, but they’ll want to at least compete in a couple of those tough matchups in the home stretch of the season.

@marcuskrum

2. BAYLOR BEARS The Bears have done everything but make things look easy this season. In another last-second stunner, Baylor made a game-tying field goal to send the game

to overtime. They eventually pulled out the victory over TCU in triple overtime. Say what you will, but Matt Rhule’s team is 9–0.

4. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS The Wildcats’ Championship Game aspirations were all but dashed with the loss to the Longhorns. That being said, in a game where they mustered just 51 yards rushing

and were outgained by nearly 200 yards, Kansas State was in a position to win on the road. Head coach Chris Klieman has a bright future ahead of him in Manhattan, Kansas.

6. OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS Head coach Mike Gundy and his team are back in action this week, appearing at No. 22 in the College Football Playoff Rankings. With just Kansas and West Virginia

on the schedule before a showdown with Oklahoma, it looks as if the Cowboys could pick up two more wins before Bedlam in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

8. TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS Longhorns fans better watch out. Yes, Tech is just 4–5. But in last week’s win over West Virginia, junior quarterback Jett Duffey threw for 354 yards and a score, and the

Red Raider defense forced four turnovers. The 11:00 a.m. matchup in Austin in a few weeks could present some problems come Black Friday.

10. WesT VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS The Mountaineers’ abysmal season isn’t looking like it’ll improve. A blowout loss at home against Tech last weekend made West Virginia’s road to a bowl game just about

impossible. They’ll have to win out against Kansas State, Oklahoma State and TCU in order to go bowling.

Friday, november 15, 2019

GAMES to watch By Clark Dalton | @Clarktdalton1T

no. 10 oklahoma at no. 13 baylor 6:30 p.m., ABC

It is the question that is reverberating through the college football landscape — is Baylor for real? The Bears are undefeated so far, but the victories have not come easily. The Bears scraped by West Virginia and TCU in the past two weeks, winning by six points or less in both matchups. This week they welcome a different beast into McLane Stadium: the Oklahoma Sooners. Although the Sooners

have won four Big 12 titles in a row, they’ve shown cracks in their armor. The Sooners lost to Kansas State on the road, and were one two-point conversion away from a home loss to Iowa State. An upset is possible, which creates two distinct scenarios — either it’s the Bears shining en route to a Big 12 title or Oklahoma reasserting its dominance.

no. 4 georgia at no. 12 auburn 2:30 p.m., CBS

Georgia has been foaming at the mouth waiting for an opportunity to claim its first national championship since 1980. The Bulldogs are hoping to pave the championship road as the front-runner in the SEC East. But there is one thing standing in Georgia’s way — Auburn. The Tigers are at home, where they’ve managed to pull off statement wins over the

years, and the last time Georgia played in Jordan-Hare Stadium the Bulldogs lost 40-17. Auburn freshman quarterback Bo Nix is erratic, but he has had moments of greatness. Nonetheless, the Tigers will have to stop a rushing attack that is averaging 215 yards per game. One team is playing for pride while the other is trying to hold on to a dream.

no. 8 minnesota at iowa 3:00 p.m., FOX

The Gophers shocked the nation by dethroning the Penn State Nittany Lions 31-26. Even though Minnesota controls its own destiny in the Big Ten West, not everyone has bought into the hype. Iowa hopes to squash the Gophers in Des Moines. The Hawkeyes defense remains strong under head coach Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeyes don’t have many plays fly past them. They allow 178 passing

yards per game, which is the 10th best in the country. Minnesota sophomore quarterback Tanner Morgan has been a surprise, tossing 21 total touchdowns on the season. Last weekend, Morgan had three touchdowns while also completing 90% of his passes. The Gophers will need a similar effort to inch closer to a Big Ten Championship appearance.

indiana at no. 9. penn state 11:00 a.m., ABC

Yes, Indiana is both a basketball and football school this year. The Hoosiers are 7–2, posting an exciting offense that averages 446 yards per game. The catalyst has been sophomore running back Stevie Scott III, who has churned out 737 total yards. Penn

State is down, but not out. It still has an opportunity to make the Big Ten Championship. The Nittany Lions have the home-field advantage in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, so this could mark an opportunity to rebound against an upstart Indiana team.

ucla at no. 7 utah 7:00 p.m., FOX

Utah is trying to shock everyone by sneaking into the College Football Playoff. However, they will face a UCLA team that could slide past them. UCLA has grown by leaps and bounds this season. The Bruins are only 4–5 overall, but their

four wins have all come within the Pac-12. The Bruins are currently third in the South Division. A team that is beginning to shape a new identity for a struggling program may have the Utes on upset alert.

BesT BETs for WEEK 12 By Cameron Parker After a perfect showing last week, I’m proud to announce that, just like Texas, I am back. Shout out to the Big 12 referees for doing everything possible to ensure Kansas State covered, Joe Burrow for picking apart the Alabama defense, Baylor for not blowing it and Will Muschamp for continuing to make us question why he’s still a head coach. And as a reminder, 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, so don’t request money from me on Venmo. Last Week: 4–0 Overall: 19–8 No. 19 Texas at Iowa State(-7)

The way the College Football Playoff committee and Las Vegas value Texas could not be more different. The Longhorns were unranked yet favored by seven points last week over then-No. 16 Kansas State. Although they have now vaulted to No. 19 in the College Football Playoff rankings, they are seven point underdogs to 5–4 Iowa State. Yes, the Cyclones were one play away from upsetting Oklahoma last week, but let’s pump the brakes. Iowa State has lost twice at home this year, including a 34-27 loss to Oklahoma State where Brock Purdy tossed three interceptions. The Longhorns should have senior linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch back alongside sophomore defensive back DeMarvion Overshown, junior defensive back Chris Brown and maybe freshman running back Jordan Whittington, all of whom did not play in last week’s victory over the Wildcats. Tom Herman is 2–0 against the Cyclones in his tenure at Texas, so have a little confidence in the burnt orange this weekend. Pick: Texas(+7) Marquee Matchup of the Week No. 10 Oklahoma(-10) at No. 13 Baylor

It’s taken until Week 12, but we will finally find out how good of a

@camerondparker

team Baylor really is. The College Football Playoff committee believes they’re overrated, ranking them at No. 13, while Vegas has them opening as a 10-point underdog to the Sooners. It would not shock me if the Bears get absolutely dismantled by Oklahoma on Saturday, but let’s not forget that Lincoln Riley’s squad has not looked good since its win over Texas. In fact, the Sooners are 1–4 against the spread in their last five games. Coming off their upset loss to Kansas State, I thought Oklahoma would respond with a blowout victory. It looked like that was the case until the Cyclones came storming back and almost won. Yes, Baylor is most likely overrated, and although Jalen Hurts and Oklahoma have played on the national stage while Charlie Brewer and the Bears have not, I still like them covering. Pick: Baylor(+10) Lock of the Week No. 17 Cincinnati(-9.5) at South Florida

*sniffles* We may be nearing the end of the Charlie Strong era — again. Cincinnati is arguably the best Group of Five team in the nation. South Florida has only been a double-digit underdog twice this season, and is 0–2 against the spread. Last week’s loss against Temple felt like the beginning of the end for Strong, and with Cincinnati, Memphis and UCF left on the schedule, I don’t see him winning another game. Pick: Cincinnati(-9.5) Degenerate Gambler Pick of the Week Louisiana Tech(-2.5) at Marshall

You know who the hottest team in the country is? It’s not LSU, Clemson or even Minnesota. It’s the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but the beloved blue and red Bulldogs have had eight straight wins since their opening loss to the Longhorns. Marshall is sneakily good too, but with the way Louisiana Tech is playing I like them this week. I’m also biased because they played Texas early in the season. Pick: Louisiana Tech(-2.5)

double coverage

Texas bowl predictions: What must happen next? By Daniela Perez & Donnavan Smoot @danielap3rez @dsmoot3D

bowl game scenarios

Here is a breakdown of what could happen at the bowl game this season.

sugar bowl if:

Texas wins out vs Iowa State; Baylor; Texas Tech

Oklahoma wins out

and Texas beats Oklahoma in Big 12 championship

Big 12 championship if: Texas wins out

and

Baylor loses next two weeks to Oklahoma and Texas

alamo bowl if:

Baylor wins out, loses in Big 12 championship and gets an at large for New Year's Six

and

If Oklahoma wins out, makes Sugar Bowl christiana peek

/ the daily

Friday, november 15, 2019

katie bauer

/ the daily texan file

Texas Football lifts the trophy after defeating Missouri 33-16 in the 2017 Texas Bowl in Houston. The Longhorns won two of the final three games of the season to reach a 6–6 record and make a bowl game.

or the Texas Longhorns, the chances of making the College Football Playoff is less than 1%. Currently, they rank as the No. 3 team in the Big 12 conference and the No. 19 team in the nation. At face value, these rankings won’t put them in the conversation for a New Year’s Six bowl game — a position they didn’t think they would be in the preseason. But Texas is still in a position to play a marquee opponent during bowl season. Depending on its next three games, fans may be seeing the Longhorns against blueblood opponents like Notre Dame or the University of Southern California. Texas is heading into the crucial part of its schedule. With back-to-back games on the road, the Longhorns have a tough slate ahead. “We’re in November right now, and we’ve got a critical game on the road in a great environment,” defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said Wednesday. “We’ve got a lot on the line, and this is where you have to be really dialed in.” The key to figuring out where Texas will play during bowl season is in the next two weeks. If No. 10 Oklahoma beats No. 13 Baylor, next week’s Baylor-Texas matchup would essentially be a play-in game for the Big 12 Championship. In this scenario, Baylor would only have one

texan staff

katie bauer

/ the daily texan file

Former Texas punter Michael Dickson accepts the MVP trophy after Texas’ 33-16 win over Missouri in the 2017 Texas Bowl. Dickson punted 11 times for 452 yards in the win.

conference loss, but if Texas wins, it would have the same record and hold the tiebreaker for the second spot. No matter who wins this week’s game, there’s one thing that must happen for Texas to get to the Big 12 Championship Game: winning out. Currently, Texas is projected to finish third or fourth in the Big 12. With Oklahoma and Baylor gatekeeping the top two spots in the conference, the Longhorns would sit out of the Big 12 Championship. The Big 12 Championship’s victor will also likely not go

That’s what you work for all year (and) all season, to get to that point, so anything short of that is kind of a failure.” DEVIN DUVERNAY senior wide receiver

to the College Football Playoff, but instead to the Sugar Bowl, making Texas’ bowl situation even more complex. Though it may sound bleak to fans who celebrated the Longhorns’ win over Georgia in last year’s Sugar Bowl, Texas’ potential bowl opponents will still make for an exciting end to its season. If Oklahoma and Baylor take the Sugar Bowl and the Alamo Bowl, respectively, Texas is projected to receive a bid from the Camping World Bowl in Orlando, Florida, against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. One of the more interesting, yet highly unlikely, possibilities for the Longhorns would come to fruition if they lose the remainder of the season’s games. If this occurs, the Longhorns could potentially play Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl in Houston. There has been talk between the schools about reviving the rivalry, but certain obstacles have kept the old tradition from making a return. Texas is lined with a myriad of options for the postseason, with the Big 12 Championship Game being the end goal. Despite the challenges they face, the Longhorns control their own destiny — but they need to win out in order to fulfill it. “I feel like it would be (a disappointment),” senior wide receiver Devin Duvernay said Tuesday about the possibility of not making it back to the Big 12 Championship Game. “That’s what you work for all year (and) all season, to get to that point, so anything short of that is kind of a failure.”

double coverage

HEISMAN WATCH

By Stephen Wagner @stephenwag22

rocky higine

/ the daily texan staff

Week 11 wasn’t the craziest week of college football this season, but it still provided quality entertainment as two playoff-ranked teams squared off in Tuscaloosa. The then-No. 2 LSU Tigers downed the then-No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide in a battle for the ages as the two Heisman candidates — LSU senior quarterback Joe Burrow and Alabama junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — squared off in a late-season matchup. But while the newly-crowned No. 1 LSU Tigers and Burrow ultimately prevailed, Tagovailoa’s Heisman hopes haven’t been stomped out yet. Here’s what to watch for in Week 12: Joe Burrow — Quarterback, LSU

Burrow’s incredulous season took an elephant-sized leap in last Saturday’s win over the third-ranked Crimson Tide, the Tigers’ fourth victory over a ranked team this season. Burrow dominated Tagovailoa statistically, throwing for nearly 400 yards and three touchdowns while completing almost 80% of his passes. Burrow has now thrown for over 3,000 yards on the season, second only to Anthony Gordon of Washington State. If Burrow continues this pace against three struggling opponents —Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas A&M — in LSU’s last games of the regular season, he’s a lock to not only break the single-season completion percentage record, but to become LSU’s first Heisman winner since 1959. Tua Tagovailoa — Quarterback, Alabama

Alabama’s reign of terror over the SEC hit a speed bump against LSU, but Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide remain in the driver’s seat. While Tua’s 418 passing yards and four touchdowns weren’t enough to overtake Burrow, Tagovailoa hasn’t been eliminated from Heisman consideration yet. With three games left to play — including one against Auburn in the Iron Bowl — the junior quarterback still has time to pad his stats, although losing the head-to-

head matchup with Burrow is a blow to his chances. With likely blowouts remaining over a Mississippi State team playing for bowl eligibility and FCS Western Carolina, the only thing left that could hurt Tua’s hopes is playing time. Now the question becomes whether Saban will sit Tagovailoa for half the game as he did early this season, or let him play.

Jalen Hurts — Quarterback, Oklahoma

It didn’t take long for the Sooners to return to the big stage. After surviving a nail-biter against Iowa State that was decided by a late twopoint conversion attempt, Hurts and the Sooners head south to Waco for College GameDay and ABC’s prime-time game. But while this year’s team may not be the College Football Playoff-qualifying team from years past, Hurts is hardly to blame. In Oklahoma’s loss to Kansas State, the Sooner defense allowed 48 points while Hurts threw for 395 yards and a touchdown. In last week’s narrow escape from Iowa State, Hurts threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns, and he still holds the highest quarterback rating in college football. Hurts may be slipping out of Heisman contention, but he shouldn’t be. He’ll have the opportunity Saturday against a stout but untested Baylor defense to thrust himself back into the conversation. Justin Fields — Quarterback, Ohio State

Unlikely to win the award but still finding his way into the conversation is Fields, Ohio State’s sophomore Georgia transfer. In his first year as a starter, Fields’ production has been almost immaculate. His touchdown to interception ratio stands at 27:1, and Ohio State is yet to win a game by fewer than 24 points. Although he has not yet had a 300-yard performance in 2019, he leads a Buckeye offense averaging a whopping 51 points per game. Expect the Buckeye steamroller to chug right along against Rutgers, against whom they stand as comical 53-point favorites.

Friday, november 15, 2019

OPPONENTS to watch

By Myah Taylor | @t_myah

The Longhorns will walk on thin ice Saturday when they head to Ames, Iowa, for a must-win game against the Iowa State Cyclones. Last weekend, Texas slipped past Kansas State in a home game that kept its Big 12 Championship hopes alive. Later that day, another thrilling Big 12 matchup occurred when the Cyclones nearly edged out then-No. 9 Oklahoma in their 42-41 loss. Excellent quarterback play and defensive performances from Iowa State nearly brought down the Sooners at home, so what should the Longhorns expect this weekend as they hit the road? Here are four Iowa State players to watch this weekend against Texas:

NO. 15

NO. 34

NO. 88

NO. 55

brock purdy

o’rien vance

charlie kolar

zach petersen

Quarterback

Sophomore quarterback Brock Purdy has been a force of nature this season. Purdy rose to the occasion in Norman, Oklahoma, last weekend, throwing five touchdowns and rushing for a score too. When Texas met Iowa State last November in Austin, the Gilbert, Arizona, native rushed for -11 yards, threw an interception and completed just 10 of 23 passes. But this game may be different. Purdy’s 20 passing touchdowns and seven rushing scores through nine games display his improvement. All of these factors, coupled with Iowa State’s home-field advantage and Ames’ near-freezing temperatures, should be concerning for a Texas defense that gave up two touchdowns to Kansas State in the first quarter of last week’s matchup.

all photos copyright iowa state athletics, and reproduced with permission

Linebacker

Last weekend marked Texas junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s fifth consecutive game of sack trouble, as members of Kansas State’s defense brought him to the ground twice. If the Longhorn offensive line doesn’t prepare for redshirt sophomore O’Rien Vance, it could be another rough outing for Ehlinger. Vance is one of the Big 12’s top linebackers. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has recorded a team-high 6.5 sacks this season to go with one forced fumble. If Purdy plays anything like he did at Oklahoma, the Texas offense will have to light up the scoreboard. Ehlinger can’t score touchdowns laying on the ground, so the Longhorn offensive line must do what it takes to limit Vance.

Tight end

When Iowa State trailed Oklahoma 42-35 last weekend, redshirt sophomore Charlie Kolar scored the touchdown against his hometown team that would bring the Cyclones within one point of the Sooners. The next play, quarterback Purdy threw an interception on Iowa State’s twopoint conversion attempt that would’ve given the Cyclones the lead. Kolar, who was momentarily open during the play, raised questions about what could have happened had Purdy found him. The Norman, Oklahoma, native knows how to make plays and find the end zone, and the tight end’s team-leading six touchdowns are a testament to his impact. Kolar’s average 14.3 yards per reception and 6-foot-6 frame might be hard for a young and recovering Texas defense to stop.

RECYCLE your copy of

Defensive end

Defensive end Zach Petersen impressed at Oklahoma last week, recording a forced fumble and a sack. Last season, Petersen totaled one solo tackle; this year he has 19. The much-improved sophomore from Long Grove, Iowa, has also increased in size, weighing in at 262 pounds compared to last year’s 236 pounds. With defensive starters falling to injury, this season has seen Petersen step up for Iowa State. Strong showings against Big 12 opponents TCU and Oklahoma cemented Petersen as a key piece of the Cyclone defense — one that could get in the way of Texas’ plans Saturday.

Double coverage

Notes from the opponent

The Daily Texan spoke to Noah Rohlfing, sports editor of The Iowa State Daily. By Marcus Krum | @marcuskrum The Daily Texan: What did the

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near-comeback against Oklahoma show about this team? Noah Rohlfing: It shows both how far Iowa State has come since (Matt) Campbell’s been the head coach and what they have to do to make the next step. The small errors — missing three interceptions and lots of missed tackles in the first half — really set them back, and they still almost won. It’s a good team, but one that has to play mistake-free to win. DT: How has (sophomore quarterback) Brock Purdy progressed as a passer in his second season? NR: Purdy’s really improving on making reads and finding the secondary receivers. He still takes lots of risks, but they’re more controlled now. He has also improved a lot as a runner with an ability to make people miss. DT: What has Breece Hall done to improve as just a freshman this season in the backfield? NR: Hall is everything Iowa State needs in a running back: consistent, a hard runner with the ability to make cuts and make people miss in the open field. He had a slow start and barely saw the field at times, but against West Virginia he took off and showed enough ability to

win the job. He’s been crucial to balancing out the offense. DT: What problems will the Iowa State defense present to Ehlinger and the Texas offense? NR: Ehlinger should provide some issues for Iowa State with his ability to run the ball — something that’s bothered the Cyclones all season. But Iowa State’s 3-3-5 base set lends itself to preventing big plays and keeping everything in front, which could take away a couple of Ehlinger’s reads. The biggest (question) is: How long can Iowa State’s inexperienced defensive backs cover Texas’ talented receivers? DT: What are the game day field conditions expected to be like, and will it have any impact on the game? Does that play at all to Iowa State’s advantage? NR: It’s supposed to be 40 on Saturday, which won’t be too cold, but it might be enough to make a difference. Jack Trice is a grass field, and, since it’s the end of the year and there’s been snow up here and a lot of rain since August, it might start to show some wear this weekend. I think it’ll be a challenge for both teams, really. It comes down to who can handle the cold better — I would guess it’s a small advantage for Iowa State.

Friday, november 15, 2019

Texas By Wills Layton | @willsdebeast

There is hope in Austin! After Texas took down then-No. 16 Kansas State on Saturday with another Cameron Dicker game-winning field goal, it has another chance to turn this season into a success. In addition to becoming bowl eligible and guaranteeing the opportunity to earn a winning season, the team also kept its hopes alive for a possible return to the Big 12 Championship Game. Should Baylor lose to Oklahoma next week and Texas wins out, the team will go to Arlington in search of revenge against the Sooners. The first step toward making that dream a reality is taking care of business in Ames, Iowa, against the Cyclones. Here’s how the game against Iowa State could go:

… it can stop Brock Purdy.

After being named the Big 12 True Freshman of the Year by ESPN in 2018, sophomore quarterback Brock Purdy has performed well in his second year behind center. In Iowa State’s near-upset of the Sooners in Norman, Oklahoma, Purdy threw for a whopping five touchdowns against no interceptions. The now-healthy Texas defense did an excellent job of slowing down Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson last week, which allowed the offense to do just enough to escape with a win. If Texas can do similar work with Purdy, they should be able to head

into the next week’s game against Baylor with a shot at a Big 12 Championship berth.

… Keaontay Ingram continues to be fed.

After the first quarter of the season, it looked like freshman running back Roschon Johnson was the most consistent rusher on the roster. Ingram has spent the last three games reversing that narrative. Since the loss to Oklahoma, the sophomore running back has run for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, averaging over 6.5 yards per carry. Ingram has allowed the passing attack to open up and has forced opposing defenses to respect

loses if … the secondary regresses after getting starters back.

The return of sophomore safety Caden Sterns gave a boost to the Texas secondary against Kansas State. Sophomore defensive back DeMarvion Overshown is also expected to be back in action against the Cyclones. While the return of this talent to the secondary helped the team limit Kansas State, a regression to how the team had been playing in the weeks prior would be disastrous. If the secondary makes Purdy’s job easier than it needs to be, the Cyclones could score very quickly, resulting in a lead that the Longhorns may not be able to overcome.

ryan lam

/ the daily texan staff

Sophomore running back Keaontay Ingram breaks a tackle against Kansas State in Texas’ 27-24 win over the Wildcats last Saturday. Ingram rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

… the team can’t handle expectations.

In head coach Tom Herman’s tenure, Texas has exceeded expectations when doubted and underperformed when expectations are high. Texas was the underdog against LSU, and it showed up for that game. It also showed up against Kansas State after falling out of the rankings for the first time in 2019. When the Longhorns were expected to do well, such as in games against Kansas and TCU, they failed to live up to expectations. Now that Texas has returned to the rankings and has a clear path to the Big 12 Championship, the rest of the season depends on how the team handles the pressure.

wins if

the run, making play action a more lethal threat. There is no reason to think his production will decrease against an Iowa State team that allowed over 225 yards rushing against the Sooners. If Ingram can continue to consistently produce on the ground, the offense should have no trouble moving the football Saturday.

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