Double Coverage 2013-11-27

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THE DAILY TEXAN PRESENTS

NOVEMBER 27, 2013

VOL. 8, ISSUE 12

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2 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

THELINEUP

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Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan Staff

Chris Whaley, in the scooter above, like linebackers Demarco Cobbs (knee) and Jordan Hicks (Achilles), suffered a season-ending injury when he hurt his knee in a win over West Virginia.

Cover photo: Texas vs. Texas A&M, Thanksgiving 2011 / Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan file photo

PREVIEWS&NOTEBOOKS 6 7

KEYS TO THE GAME MATCHUPS

EDITOR’SNOTE Texas’ six-game winning streak came to an abrupt end two weekends ago when Oklahoma State pummeled the Longhorns on their turf. Then, the Cowboys blew out previously undefeated Baylor, meaning Texas still does not control its own destiny in the Big 12 title race. The Longhorns are hoping to begin a new winning streak while extending Texas Tech’s losing streak to five games. If they want to keep their Big 12 title hopes alive, they’re going to have to stuff Texas Tech like a Thanksgiving turkey.

THE DAILY TEXAN PRESENTS

NOVEMBER 27, 2013

VOL. 8, ISSUE 12

Double Coverage Editor........Christian Corona Design Editor...........................Natasha Smith Photo Editor............................Elisabeth Dillon Writers..................................Garrett Callahan ..............................................Peter Sblendorio ................................................Evan Berkowitz .................................................Chris Hummer ............................................Cameron Kubena ....................................................David Leffler ..............................................Drew Lieberman ...............................................Darren Mitchell ...............................................Stefan Scrafield ....................................................Matt Warden ..............................................Rachel Wenzlaff

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FERA GOING OUT ON HIGH NOTE

It’s been a roller coaster-like ride to the top, but senior Anthony Fera is now undoubtedly one of the country’s best kickers.

MCCOY DOWN BUT NOT OUT

Case McCoy did not hesitate to blame himself for the loss to Oklahoma State. Now he’s trying to bounce back against Texas Tech.

TEXAS QB FUTURE UNCERTAIN

David Ash could play two more years or never take another snap. Is Tyrone Swoopes the real deal? How good is Jerrod Heard?

AMARO THE REAL DEAL

A semifinalist for both the Mackey and Biletnikoff Awards, Jace Amaro will look to wreak havoc on Texas’ defense this week.

THANKSGIVING TRADITION

No Hex Rally, no problem? Texas and its fans still getting used to the Longhorns not facing Texas A&M on Thanksgiving.

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Turbulent trip to the top for Anthony Fera

By Garrett Callahan @CallahanGarrett

In the past two years, Anthony Fera has gone through transition. Probably more transition than the average person goes through in a decade.

The senior place-kicker and punter started his college career at Penn State, where he spent three years before deciding to transfer amid the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

To make matters worse, his mother was ill and he had an injured groin during his first year at Texas.

“It was very emotional,” head coach Mack Brown said.

“Part of the reason he moved was because of family illness and then he had a strain that we didn’t know about and then he re-strained it. He left the teammates that he cared so much about and came to a team that he didn’t even know. He came in late so his life was really in turmoil.”

Sanctions at Penn State allowed Fera to transfer to his desired school without sitting out a year. Numerous coaches immediately made their pitch to Fera, including co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite.

Fera eventually decided on Texas with a little outside

FERA page 13

Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan file photo

Anthony Fera spent three years at Penn State before sanctions on the program there allowed him to transfer closer to home at Texas. He battled a groin injury in his first season with the Longhorns, but the Lou Groza Award finalist has emerged as one of the nation’s best kickers this year.

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McCoy his toughest critic after loss to OSU

By Peter Sblendorio @petersblendorio

Senior quarterback Case McCoy played as big a role as anyone in Texas’ six-game winning streak to kick off conference play.

After entering the second half of the Longhorns’ Big 12 opener against Kansas State on Sept. 21, McCoy started and won each of Texas’ next five games, throwing for 1,141 yards and seven touchdowns against six interceptions over that stretch.

The senior was unable to replicate this success against No. 12 Oklahoma State in his last game, though, throwing for a season-high three interceptions while failing to connect on a touchdown pass in Texas’ 38-13 loss. McCoy accepted the blame for the loss after his season-worst performance, but he remains confident in the Longhorns’ ability to finish the season strong.

“I, being the quarterback, I being the leader on this team, have to take full responsibility for that,” McCoy said.

“From my position, I didn’t play well enough to even give us a chance to win... We’re two weeks past that now.

These guys haven’t given up.

We understand that if we win two more ballgames, we’re putting numbers on the wall and we’re still sharing a Big 12 title.”

McCoy addressed the team following the loss and admitted that he needs to play better moving forward. Following his subpar performance, head coach Mack Brown said McCoy remains as vocal as ever in the locker room.

Sam Ortega / Daily Texan Staff

Senior Case McCoy has been picked off nine times in his last five games, three of them in a 38-13 loss to Oklahoma State in Texas’ last game, after going interception-free for the first five contests of the season. He will need to play better against Texas Tech for the Longhorns to keep their Big 12 title hopes alive.

“Case has really stood up and he’s accountable for our team, as a quarterback should be,” Brown said. “He’s been a very good leader with this group and he’s been very honest with them. He stepped up after the game the other day and he’s been very vocal at practice.”

Senior defensive end Jackson

I, being the quarterback, I being the leader on this team, have to take full responsibility for that [loss to OSU].

—Case McCoy, senior quarterback

Jeffcoat appreciated McCoy’s accountability, but he said the rest of the team was quick to assume much of the blame as well.

“We told him ‘Hey, it’s not on you,’” Jeffcoat said. “‘You’re not there only person out there playing. It’s on all of us.

It’s on the whole team; defense, offense, the whole team.’ We told him we just need to get that stuff corrected.”

The most pressing thing that needs to be corrected is the turnovers. Texas lost the turnover battle, 3-1, for the first time this season against

CASE MCCOY COMP

ATT

YARDS/GAME

COMP %

TD-INT

First five games

62

102

114.8

60.8

2-0

Last five games

95

157

223.6

60.5

6-9

the Cowboys, and McCoy knows the importance of keeping the ball out of the opponent’s hands.

“I understand I touch the ball every play,” McCoy said.

“I understand that you have to make plays as a quarterback to win games, but also

your No. 1 job is to take care of the ball. I didn’t do that.

That shows, when you lose the turnover battle like that, the score doesn’t usually go in your favor.”

Texas maintains the ability to win at least a share of the Big 12 title this season, but

it needs to defeat Texas Tech to keep its hopes alive. To do this, the Longhorns likely need a big performance on offense to keep up with the high-scoring Red Raiders, and no player figures to be more important in this than McCoy.

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U

Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan file photo

David Ash has not played since the first half of Texas’ Big 12 opener against Kansas State more than two months ago and was ruled out for the rest of the season this Monday. He will apply for a medical redshirt and may play two more years or never take another snap, leaving the future at quarterback for Texas uncertain.

Ash’s injury leaves question marks at QB

Staff

ve.

By Garrett Callahan @CallahanGarrett

If you were to look into the crystal ball of Texas’ future right now, there would be a lot of uncertainty.

No area of that uncertainty is larger than the problem the Longhorns have already had in recent years—right behind center.

This year alone Texas has seen three different quarterbacks take snaps. After David Ash, who began the year as the starter, was injured against BYU, senior Case McCoy took the helm at quarterback. Then, head coach Mack Brown burned Tyrone Swoopes’ redshirt, playing him against TCU, much to the surprise of many Longhorns fans.

In the spring, Texas is most likely faced with the decision between Ash (if he’s healthy) and Swoopes. Ash was recently ruled out for the remainder of this season and will appeal to get a medical redshirt. He could play another two years

injury-free or never play football again.

“David is very excited about coming back,” Brown said. “He wishes he could come back now. It’s obviously safer for him to come back in the spring. He’ll appeal and get his two years back, I’m sure. He’ll have a great two years left to play.”

Swoopes, who is looking like the Longhorns’ top choice if Ash isn’t back to 100 percent, has been inconsistent in the three series he has played. Brown has been criticized by some for burning his redshirt too early but believes he made the right decision.

“We don’t think it’s been a waste at all,” Brown said. “We’re excited about the progress he’s made. One of the things coming from a year where Tyrone was injured and didn’t get to play much to a year where he’s gone from [a] 2A [high school] to the University of Texas. What we felt like he needed was competition. We thought he needed to have some pressure and have some stress.”

The Longhorns other choice is their third-string quarterback

Jalen Overstreet, a freshman who moved to running back this season but has started taking snaps in practice again in Ash’s absence. That leaves Denton Guyer quarterback Jerrod Heard, a state champion and four-star prospect, according to rivals. com, who committed to Texas this summer, as the final option at quarterback for the Longhorns in 2014.

But if Brown feels like the Swoopes’ playing time in 2013 has given him the experience he’s needed, he could be Texas’ starting quarterback next year, especially if he’s one of the frontrunners to get the starting job in the spring.

“It was really interesting that his practice on the Tuesday after TCU was so much better than before cause of the few plays in that game,” Brown said. “I think its because the switch flipped and he said ‘I’m going to play now, I have to pick it up.’ So he was a different person that Tuesday and has been since then and we’re really impressed with his progress. I’m glad we’ve played him, he’s made progress and hell be ready for the spring.”

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DEFEND THE PASS Texas Tech has the most productive passing offense in the country, averaging 400.2 passing yards per game.

The biggest key for the Longhorns this week is to limit Baker Mayfield. Texas needs to do what they do best and rush the passer to make it difficult to throw the ball accurately down field. The secondary needs to be on its toes all game and play the receivers close. Texas needs to bump, be physical, and get the receivers off their routes early to marginalize an offense that has no problem scoring points.

PUT THE BALL ACROSS GOAL LINE The Red Raiders may have the No. 23 scoring offense in the country, but their defense is simply not up to par.

The Longhorns need to run the ball to establish the momentum and take advantage of red zone opportunities by putting the ball in the end zone. Texas does well when they get close to the goal line with a plethora of punishing backs and this should be the key for the offense. It’s simple in theory, but it’s imperative that the Longhorns take advantage of every opportunity they get to score points. If Texas gets into a shootout with the Red Raiders, the numbers favor Texas Tech.

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With Johnathan Gray and Chris Whaley going down with injuries before the Oklahoma State game, it seemed the Longhorns were thinking too much to compensate.

Texas needs to realize it has the talent to pull out a victory over any team in the conference but its confidence seems to be lacking when adversity strikes. If the team can push the ball down the Red Raiders’ throats with the run game, Texas Tech will be forced to throw the ball all night to keep up. Although Texas Tech puts up points with the best of them, eventually that production has to fail. If the Longhorns can play at their pace and wear out the Red Raiders, it will be easier to match them on the scoreboard. Simple is usually the best way out of a rough patch, and this is the game that Texas must stick to its strengths and believe in itself if it wants to remain in the Big 12 title picture.

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MATCHUPS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

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CAMERON KUBENA DAILY TEXAN STAFF

QUARTERBACKS David Ash will not play again this season. Case McCoy, who did not throw any interceptions in the first five games of the season, has thrown nine in the last five, including three in Texas’ 38-13 loss to Oklahoma State. McCoy’s numbers may improve against a Texas Tech defense that has only picked off seven passes this season Freshmen quarterbacks Davis Webb and Baker Mayfield have split starts in Texas Tech’s current fourgame losing streak. The two have combined for over 4,000 yards passing and 28 touchdowns. Texas will most likely game-plan for Mayfield, who threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns in Texas Tech’s 63-34 loss to Baylor earlier this month. The walk-on from Lake Travis has struggled against the top defenses in the Big 12, throwing five interceptions against TCU and Kansas State.

RUNNING BACKS Carries are limited for Kenny Williams in a Texas Tech offense that has ran the ball almost 300 fewer times than it’s passed it. But the junior from Hendrickson has 439 yards and eight touchdowns this season. Sophomore DeAndre Washington has 388 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the year. Neither has rushed for 100 yards in a game this season, but provide a pass-catching threat, combining for over 400 yards receiving on the year. The Texas run game produced 151 yards and a touchdown in their first game without sophomore Johnathan Gray against Oklahoma State, 73 from Malcolm Brown and 49 from Joe Bergeron. Facing a Texas Tech team that allows 186 rushing yards per game, Texas may lean on its running game this week.

ADVANTAGE

WIDE RECEIVERS The Texas receiving unit has yet to produce a 300-yard game this season and will be compared to a Texas Tech receiving core that has never combined for less than 300 yards in more than one game. Mike Davis surpassed Jaxon Shipley as the team’s leading receiver in the defeat to Oklahoma State with nine catches for 112 yards. Texas Tech will provide the toughest matchup the Texas secondary has seen this season. Tight end Jace Amaro eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in just nine games. Eric Ward has 381 yards and five touchdowns in his last four games. Sophomore Jakeem Grant is third on the team in receiving with 707 yards, and provides a deep threat with five receptions of over 30 yards.

ADVANTAGE

OFFENSIVE LINE Texas Tech has given up twice as many sacks as Texas, but has attempted about twice as many passes. Sophomore Le’Raven Clark was named a freshman All-American last seasona and has since moved to left tackle, where he will battle Jackson Jeffcoat, who has seven sacks on the season. The Red Raiders gave up three sacks to Baylor in their last game, and will face the third-ranked pass rush in the Big 12 against Texas. The Longhorns offensive line has only given up three sacks in the last six weeks, and had an unblemished record against Oklahoma State until freshman Tyrone Swoopes was sacked on the last play of the game. Left guard Trey Hopkins and left tackle Donald Hawkins have not allowed a sack in the last four games.

ADVANTAGE

ADVANTAGE

DEFENSIVE LINE The Red Raiders pass rush has emerged mostly from the linebackers, but the key for Texas Tech will be stopping the Longhorn run game. The Red Raiders have struggled recently against the run, allowing almost 300 yards per game in their last four contests. The Texas defensive line was shut out against Oklahoma State a week after the line had a six-sack performance against West Virginia. It was the first time since playing Ole Miss that the unit did not have a sack in a game. The Cowboys allow the 10th fewest sacks in the nation. Sophomore tackle Malcom Brown stood in for the injured Chris Whaley in an impressive seventackle performance against Oklahoma State, but the key to success against Texas Tech will fall upon Jeffcoat and Cedric Reed, who each have the second-most sacks in the Big 12 (seven).

ADVANTAGE

LINEBACKERS Oklahoma State quarterback Clint Chelf rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 38-13 win over Texas, including an 18-yard scamper for the game’s first score. Mayfield is not as much of a dual-threat quarterback, but Williams and Washington will provide a challenge to a Texas linebackers group that has struggled in the open field. Texas Tech’s linebackers have 11 sacks between its four starters. Senior Will Smith leads the team with 3.5 sacks on the season and had a career-high 16 tackles against Baylor. The Texas backfield will be limited with Gray out for the season with a torn Achilles and Daje Johnson being suspended for violating team rules. Facing less offensive firepower, the Red Raiders will be able to game plan in less variety.

ADVANTAGE

DEFENSIVE BACKS The Red Raiders secondary was torched against Baylor as Bryce Petty threw for 335 yards, three touchdowns and averaged almost 20 yards per completion. The Texas passing game has been up and down but has the threat of depth and talent with wide receivers Davis, Shipley, Marcus Johnson and three other receivers who all have touchdown receptions of more than 50 yards. Their success will be dependent on the performance of the recently struggling Case McCoy. Texas’ secondary has struggled, giving up 487 yards and three touchdowns to Oklahoma State and West Virginia combined. It will now face the top passing offense in the nation and will look to exploit the youth of Mayfield, who has thrown an interception in each of his last five games.

ADVANTAGE

SPECIAL TEAMS Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert marked the sixth kick return of more than 40 yards against the Texas kickoff team this season. The Longhorns kick coverage team is fourth-worst in the nation in yards given up per return, and their punt coverage team is eight-worst. Field position will be key against the top ranked passing offense in Texas Tech, whose return team has six returns of more than 30 yards on the season. The Red Raiders’ kick return team averages 23 yards per return behind freshman wide receiver Reginald Davis and junior defensive back Austin Stewart. Texas Tech’s kick and punt coverage teams both rank in the bottom half in the nation. Its field goal team has been sound as junior kicker Ryan Bustin has made each of his last eight field goal attempts.

ADVANTAGE

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Amaro fighting his way into Tech’s record books

By Evan Berkowitz @Evan_Berkowitz

Junior tight end Jace Amaro is starting to claw his way into the Texas Tech record books, the same books that NFL standouts Wes Welker, Michael Crabtree and Julian Edelman have etched their names into.

He needs just 143 more yards to leave only Michael Crabtree as the only Red Raider to have more receiving yards in a single season.

Just 17 receptions to find himself behind only Crabtree in single-season receptions.

He became the first player on any team since 2008 to be named a semifinalist for both the Mackey Award, which is given to the nation’s best tight end every year and the

Biletnikoff Award, which is handed out to the country’s top receiver. Amaro was even named to seven midseason All-American teams.

But at this time last year, it wasn’t smooth sailing.

He was coming off a frustrating freshman season that saw him on the sidelines and getting arrested for credit card fraud to buy drinks at a bar.

In Texas Tech’s stunning victory against then-No. 5 West Virginia, Amaro’s season pretty much came to an end.

He was in the midst of a career-best game when quarterback Seth Doege hit him across the middle. He jumped to make the grab, but got drilled in the midsection.

Amaro thought he just got

the wind knocked out of him, so he returned to the game in the second half to finish off his 156-yard game, setting a new career high. But near the end of the game, he realized something wasn’t right. He was struggling to breathe.

“That kid looked like a piece of hamburger meat a while ago,” then-head coach Tommy Tuberville said after the game. “He threw up the entire halftime. He’s a football player. You can tell his enthusiasm kind of bleeds over into the other guys.”

And bleeding is exactly what happened. He suffered a lacerated spleen, fractured rib and internal bleeding.

Forget games. Forget practice. Forget lifting.

AMARO page 14

Tom Fox / Associated Press

Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro celebrates his first quarter touchdown against Baylor in Arlington on Saturday, Nov. 16.

PARTY PERFECT F E AT U R I N G

PARTY TRAYS & BOX LUNCHES

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

9

MATT WARDEN DAILY TEXAN STAFF

RB Kenny Williams (Jr.)

For a team that leads the nation in passing, Texas Tech has an accomplished runner in Kenny Williams, who has 439 rushing yards this season. His eight touchdowns show he can put the ball in the end zone when in the right position. Williams is powerful, weighing in at 225 pounds and can cause the Longhorns problems in the red zone. Although the Red Raiders have the No. 104 rushing offense, Texas should work on its red zone defense to prepare for Williams.

TE Jace Amaro (Jr.)

Amaro is the leading receiver for the Red Raiders, amassing 92 receptions for 1,157 yards and six touchdowns on the season. His production from the tight end position has taken the offense to the next level as his big frame makes him a viable red zone threat. The Longhorns already have to worry about Williams when the Red Raiders get close to the end zone and Amaro makes it that much more difficult to plan for this offense. Amaro can make catches in any part of the field and his size will give him an advantage over most of the Texas defenders. He is the guy that Texas must shut down in this game.

LB Will Smith (Jr.)

LM Otero / Associated Press

Texas Tech quarterback Baker Mayfield passes under pressure from Baylor defensive end Chris McAllister on Saturday, Nov. 16.

QB Baker Mayfield (Fr.)

Speaking of that passing game, Baker Mayfield is the orchestrator that leads it. In his first season Mayfield, leads the team 2,078 passing yards and 12 touchdowns despite missing three games earlier this season. He has a plethora of receivers to get the ball to on any given play and has taken advantage of it thus far in the season. Although his eight interceptions show that the air-it-out style of Texas Tech can lead to turnovers, Mayfield has shown great poise this season.

The Longhorns need to keep the pressure on him as he’s capable of reeling off short, medium and deep passes whenever he gets a feel for the game.

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Texas Tech’s leading tackler, who shares his name with someone more famous than any other teammate does, will be a force. Smith leads the defense with 88 tackles and 3.5 sacks this season and will look to get pressure on the shaken Case McCoy, who had a tough time with Oklahoma State. Smith is prototypical size for an outside linebacker and will get in the backfield a lot in this game. If there’s one player to look out for on the 83rd-ranked defense, it’s Smith.

ALL M

Thanksgiving not the same without Horns facing Aggies

By Chris Hummer

Daily Texan Sports Editor @chris_hummer

Texas fans, remember the Hex Rally?

UT students and the Longhorns players would light candles to place a curse on the Aggies before every Thanksgiving game. A mostly harmless process, it served as an opportunity for a school to unite with a mutual loathing of all things Aggie.

Now, despite Texas A&M’s move to the SEC, the Hex Rally lives on.

Well, at least it was supposed to. This year’s event was canceled due to inclement weather, which for those of you unfamiliar with the term in Austin, means temperatures in high 30s and a slight chance of rain.

If Texas had been playing Texas A&M, there is no chance the rally would have been canceled, which leads to a larger point. Football on Thanksgiving for Texas just isn’t the same without the Aggies, nor should it be played on turkey day.

The players won’t say it, only admitting to missing their maroon-clad rivals.

“We miss playing A&M,” senior defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat said. “That’s a great rivalry. But we’ll just have to get used to it.”

Texas did not make that shift well last season against TCU. The Longhorns came out flat, turning the ball over four times, resulting in a 20-13 loss to an offensively challenged Horned Frogs unit. There shouldn’t have been any motivation issues; Texas still had an opportunity for a BCS bowl berth at that point. But the team didn’t radiate any energy and neither did the fans.

Against the Aggies, the atmosphere and player’s motivation never came into question. The electricity at DKR or Kyle Field was palpable. Last year against TCU, it looked like the players would rather be chewing on turkey legs than playing with a pigskin.

Right now, the Longhorns are scheduled to have a home game each season on Thanksgiving, rotating between TCU and Texas Tech as opponents. Both games have historic connotations, with each in-state matchup dating back to the Southwest Conference days of Longhorns football history.

But you won’t find the Red Raiders or TCU in the Longhorns’ fight song. Nor will anyone mistake the

We miss playing A&M. That’s a great rivalry. But we’ll just have to get used to it.

—Jackson Jeffcoat, senior defensive end

mild dislike out of Fort Worth or the unnecessary pride in Lubbock for the deep-seeded history and hate that connects College Station and Austin, despite the on-field crater the conference switch created.

Texas A&M-Texas was special. On Thanksgiving it provided split families across the state an opportunity to trade playful barbs and earn bragging rights for the calendar year.

Thanksgiving itself hasn’t lost any of its football glow. The NFL is a holiday staple an extra serving of mashed potatoes could never replicate.

But as for college football, notably the Longhorns without the Aggies, the feeling and spectacle isn’t the same. For a long time Texas and Texas A&M played the day after Thanksgiving, so this isn’t a tradition firmly rooted, maybe it’s time to look at a change.

MY HEXES LIVE IN TEXAS Photos by Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan file photos

(Left) Jaxon Shipley fights for position during the Longhorns’ 27-25 win over Texas A&M in 2011.

(Middle) Secondary coach Duane Akina applauds Texas’ effort in its 31-22 win over Texas Tech in Lubbock last year, the Longhorns’ ninth win over the Red Raiders in 10 years.

(Right) Cedric Reed brings down a Texas Tech ballcarrier last November.

Turkey Day matchup helps Texas forge rivalry with Tech

By Peter Sblendorio @petersblendorio

Several of the Longhorns players admit that it felt unusual playing a team other than Texas A&M last Thanksgiving.

The game lacked the same excitement that it had in previous Thanksgiving affairs against the Aggies, and Texas suffered a 20-13 loss to a TCU team that it had not played since 1995. Even defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, who missed last year’s game with a torn pectoral muscle, noticed a lack of intensity without A&M on the field.

“I just think it was something we had to get used to,” Jeffcoat said. “It was just different. You had to get used to not play A&M on Thanksgiving.”

The Longhorns don’t expect to face this same issue this year, especially with longtime rival Texas Tech coming into town for the holiday matchup. While Texas has enjoyed considerable success against the Red Raiders in recent history, senior quarterback Case McCoy always expects a dogfight against the in-state adversary.

“We’re excited about playing Tech honestly,” McCoy said. “We were there last year. Tech and this program don’t get along. They spoiled some things around here and they’re not going to spoil it again.”

In addition to wanting to defeat their rival, the Longhorns figure to bring an edge against the Red Raiders due to the game’s postseason implication.

Texas maintains its ability to win at least a share of the Big 12 title with victories in its final two games, and a win Thursday allows the Longhorns to hold on to any remaining hope for an outright conference championship.

Likewise, head coach Mack Brown told his players that they must perform better this year if they wish to continue hosting Thanksgiving games in the future.

“We’ve told our players that if you want to have an exclusive game on Thanksgiving night, then you need to make it something that everybody in the country is excited about seeing,” Brown said.

“It was that way for many, many years and it wasn’t last year.”

While Brown was dissatisfied with last season’s loss to TCU, he remains hopeful that the Longhorns will

turn things around in their second season without Texas A&M on the schedule.

“I was disappointed [last year],” Brown said. “I thought there would’ve been an edge from everybody last year playing TCU because it was new, and it was old Southwest Conference. I think the Texas-Texas A&M game has been special for so many, many years. It was who we were. It was more of a transition than I thought. Hopefully it’ll be better this year.”

Junior running back Malcolm Brown expects the transition period to be over, and he expects the Longhorns to be ready to play in front of the national audience Thursday, regardless of opponent.

“From A&M to a different team, we want to treat every game the same,” Brown said. “Of course the tradition that us and A&M had was great, but they got out of the conference so we’ve got to play someone else on that day.”

The Longhorns realize the critical importance of Thursday’s game for their title hopes, and they believe they will have no issue bringing a renewed edge this year against their longtime rivals.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27,

12

Texas’ dominance over Texas Tech to continue this yea

By Christian Corona Double Coverage Editor @ChristianC0rona

Texas’ six-game winning streak was impressive. Even if, with the exception of Oklahoma, the Longhorns feasted on the weakest of the Big 12 teams to put that streak together.

Were the Longhorns exposed in a 38-13 loss to Oklahoma State two weekends ago? Or was it a temporary setback Texas can bounce back from this Thanksgiving?

Texas Tech is the perfect team to roll into town to prove that the latter is true. A game against the Red Raiders is exactly what the Longhorns need to get back in the Big 12 title race. Simply put, Texas has Texas Tech’s number and that’s not about to change.

The Longhorns are 9-1

against the Red Raiders over the last 10 years, the lone loss coming in an unmentionable but unforgettable defeat in Lubbock five seasons ago. During that span, the Longhorns have beaten the Red Raiders by an average score of 41-27.

Even in 2010, when Texas turned in its worst season since 1997, it managed to take down Texas Tech in a 24-14 victory during the third game of the year.

Expect another shootout.

Texas Tech is the only team that is averaging at least 400 passing yards per game but the Red Raiders are also struggling on defense, allowing more than 275 rushing yards and at least three rushing touchdowns in each of its last four games – all losses.

Case McCoy was picked off three times in the Longhorns’

last contest, the worst home defeat in the Mack Brown era, but still has a solid pair of tailbacks in Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron. Texas will miss Johnathan Gray (Achilles) and Daje Johnson (suspension) but is more than capable of taking advantage of a porous Texas Tech run defense.

The first game of a threegame regular season-ending gauntlet for the Longhorns

did not go well at all. Texas lost the turnover battle, couldn’t establish a running attack like it’s used to and has now allowed a combined 78 points over its last two games.

But that’s nothing compared to the way Texas Tech is limping into this Thursday night’s contest. The Red Raiders have lost four in a row by an average of 19.5 points per game after starting

their first season under Ryan Gosling doppleganger and former Red Raiders gunslinger Kliff Kingsubry 7-0.

This is going to be a fastpaced game. Texas Tech has thrown more passes than anyone in the country except for a Washington State team led

by Mike Leach, the man who brought the Air Raid to Lubbock, where he once coached Kingsbury. As much as Texas

runs the ball, it likes t tempo enough to m week’s game a classi horns-Red Raiders sh Beating Baylor and lucky enough to have ma upset Oklahoma Stillwater next weeken two other things Texa to have happen to win 12 – probably won’t But there’s no way th horns lose to Texas Te

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Steve Edmond and Adrian Phillips make a tackle during the Longhorns’ 31-22 win over the Red Raiders in Lubbock las November. Texas is 9-1 in its last 10 meetings with Texas Tech, winning by an average of 14 points per game during th

13

, 2013

ar

to go upmake this ic Longhootout. d getting OklahoState in nd – the as needs n the Big happen. he Longech.

GAMES TO WATCH

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

RACHEL WENZLAFF DAILY TEXAN STAFF

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Auburn Overall 11-0

Overall 10-1

Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

TV: CBS

Auburn’s slide into the Top 5, after its win against Georgia, set up the first matchup of Top 5 teams in the Iron Bowl since 1971. This high-stakes showdown is not just a fierce battle between in-state rivals but will also determine who wins the SEC West and plays for a conference championship. Auburn’s only loss of the season came on the road at LSU. Although Alabama beat LSU by 21 points, the Crimson Tide had the home-field advantage in that game, a factor that could have changed the game for Auburn. To keep Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron from throwing his way to securing its third consecutive Iron Bowl victory, the Tigers defense will have to keep their eyes up to stop completions — something it has not excelled at this season.

FERA

continues from page 3

help. While his family now lives in Austin, he grew up in Cypress, Texas, where he regularly kept track of his eventual alma mater.

Two of his older sisters graduated from Texas and made their cases for why he should become a Longhorn.

Fera also wanted to be closer to home to be near his mothfile photo er, who was diagnosed with st / Daily Texan file photomultiple sclerosis not long hat span.

Lubbock last before he made his decision. me during that span. “Definitely coming down here and visiting swayed me to come here, but it was a hard decision,” Fera said. “My sisters wanted me to come, they were big Texas fans. But my parents wanted me to do what I wanted to do so I made my decision from there.”

Ferak who will get degrees from both Penn State and Texas, didn’t have a great first year at the 40 Acres. He re-aggravated a groin injury, causing him to miss seven

No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 10 South Carolina Overall 10-1

Overall 9-2

Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia Saturday, 6 p.m.

TV: ESPN2

South Carolina’s 70-10 win against Coastal Carolina set up the best-case scenario for the Gamecocks going into the game against Clemson. The Gamecocks didn’t struggle to put up points, leading 42-7 at the half, and more importantly didn’t sustain any more injuries. They finally got the opportunity to rest some of their key playmakers that have been playing through injuries all season. But Clemson is its toughest opponent yet and is led by quarterback Tajh Boyd, who threw for 288 yards and five touchdowns last week and holds more than 50 school records, is hoping to lead the Tigers to their first win in four years against their in-state rivals.

games last year. Fera was a mere 2-for-4 on field goal tries in 2012.

“Definitely last year was frustrating,” Fera said. “I was never 100 percent healthy.

It always felt like something was just off a little bit. But working hard in the offseason, getting back to 100 percent, and winning the job in camp just gave me a confidence boost that the coaches had a lot of trust in me.”

The turmoil didn’t last long. The new, healthy Fera has started to make the most of his Texas career, making 17 of 18 field goal attempts this season. On Monday, he became the first Longhorn to be named a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the nation’s best kicker.

Kickers, usually the quirkiest of players, sometimes keep to themselves and the other special teams units but, for Fera, it didn’t take long to fit in with his new teammates.

“You know those kickers

are always a little bit different, I don’t know if they do a whole lot of fitting in,” senior offensive guard Mason Walters said. “Fera is a great guy.

I’ve hung out with him a little bit and got to know him. He’s still a kicker, a little quirky, but we don’t hold that against him as long as he does his job. “ Fera has connected on 94.4 percent of his field goal attempts this season, putting him on pace to set a school record in that category.

It has been a roller-coaster career for Fera but he has managed to become one of the nation’s best specialists.

“It’s been crazy, starting off with Penn State, going out there,” Fera said. “I redshirted my freshman year. The next two years I played. Last year transferring here, the sanctions and stuff, that was a pretty crazy experience.

Coming here I think was the right decision for me and my family. So it’s been pretty crazy. Now this year, I’m just trying to do the best I can.”

No. 19 Texas A&M vs. No. 5 Missouri Overall 8-3

Overall 10-1

Faurot Field, Columbia Saturday, 6:45 p.m.

TV: ESPN

While Johnny Manziel took a step back in the Heisman race and Texas A&M dropped in the rankings after its loss to LSU, Missouri dodged a similar fate, beating Ole Miss, 24-10, in Oxford. Any fears the Tigers had of quarterback James Franklin performing poorly after more than a month of not starting due to a shoulder injury were gone after he completed 63 percent of his passes for 142 yards. Missouri beat Texas A&M, 38-31, in 2011 while both the Tigers and Aggies were still in the Big 12. But a Manziel-led Texas A&M team trounced Missouri, 59-29, last season, each team’s first in the SEC. This year the game could go either way if Texas A&M is able to rebound from its disappointing loss at LSU.

No. 22 UCLA vs. No. 23 Overall 8-3

Overall

Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Saturday, 7 p.m.

TV: ABC

Last week UCLA came up sho for their first time all season a from No. 14 to No. 22 in th Previously, UCLA’s only two l from hard-hitting opponents, O Stanford, but last week they fe Arizona State. The Bruins’ slo inability to avoid costly pena the Sun Devils could get away ing just three points in the se USC, on the other hand, earn win against Colorado last wee served as a good warm-up for game, and gave sophomore J len the chance to run for a care yards and three touchdowns.

14

BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS

14

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

STEFAN SCRAFIELD DAILY TEXAN STAFF

1

OKLAHOMA STATE

2

BAYLOR

3 4 5

Eight weeks after losing to West Virginia and coughing up top spot in these rankings, the Cowboys are back on top. The Pokes continue to improve each week, and came away with the most impressive Big 12 victory of the season last week, steamrolling previously undefeated Baylor, 49-17.

The Bears got rocked in their first loss of the season last week.

The Cowboys held Baylor to just 17 points, 44 less than its season average heading into the game, and the Bears gave up seven touchdowns. But all is not lost for Baylor. If they can win out, a BCS game is still a possibility.

6

TEXAS TECH

7

TCU

8

WEST VIRGINIA

9

IOWA STATE

TEXAS Baylor’s loss to Oklahoma State means the Longhorns will need some help from their rival, Oklahoma, in the Big 12 title race. If Texas is able to win out against Texas Tech and Baylor and the Sooners can knock off the Cowboys next week, the Longhorns will be crowned conference champions. Piece of cake, right?

After starting the season on a seven-game win streak, the Red Raiders head to Austin looking to avoid finishing the regular season with a fifth straight loss. Aside from a blowout win over Kansas, Tech has yet to beat a Big 12 opponent by more than 10 points, so they’ll be looking to make a statement on Thanksgiving.

Even if TCU can somehow upset Baylor, the season has to be considered a failure for Gary Patterson and the Horned Frogs.

TCU started the season ranked No. 20 and since then has lost seven games, with its most impressive win coming at home against SMU in Week 4.

A couple weeks after handing Kansas its first conference victory in over three years, the Mountaineers appear primed to lose to the only other team below them on this list this weekend, Iowa State. Not much was expected from West Virginia this year, but nobody could have predicted it would be this bad.

OKLAHOMA Despite sitting just one game back in the Big 12 standings with two weeks to go, the Sooners have no chance at a conference championship. Even if Oklahoma can knock off Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Series, they would need both Texas and Baylor to lose out, which is impossible since they play each other next week.

KANSAS STATE

Oklahoma snapped the Wildcats’ four-game win streak last weekend, but Kansas State continued to look like an improved bunch in the losing effort. Bill Snyder’s squad trailed by just three points heading into the fourth quarter and kept it close right to the end. A win against the last-place Jayhawks this weekend and the Wildcats will have themselves a fourth consecutive winning season.

10

After spending 12 straight weeks at the bottom of the rankings, the Cyclones have finally emerged from the basement. Iowa State shut out fellow cellar dweller, Kansas, last weekend, proving once and for all that they are not the worst team in the Big 12.

KANSAS Just a week after the biggest win of his tenure at Kansas, Charlie Weis led his team to possibly its worst performance of his tenure, a 34-0 loss to 2-9 Iowa State. The Jayhawks have improved over last year, so Weis will likely keep his job, but his time at Kansas has been a real blemish on his resume to this point.

AMARO continues from page 8 Amaro struggled to eat and talk. He couldn’t even go to class for three weeks.

He did his homework from the comfort of his own bed.

Texas Tech rarely brought the injury up.

“Well, the first doctor told me I was going to be out for two weeks. I was pretty pissed about that,” Amaro

said. “The next guy said four, the next guy said six, and the last one told me three months. So it was kind of a thing where I didn’t want to talk to anybody for a while.

So I was mean, that’s just kind of how it was. It was really frustrating.”

But Amaro rushed back to the bowl game to finish

his season. And now, the former four-star recruit is beginning to shine. He has been a constant for a team juggling freshman quarterbacks — one of whom, Bake Mayfeild, is the first true freshman walk-on to start a season opener for a BCS program.

“He’s a big boost on our

team the way he plays the game with passion and intensity,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “He wants the ball.

He wants it on him, and you appreciate that. His effort in the off-season programs, during practice, he gives you what he’s got and his teammates respect that.”

Even Amaro is more

confident this year. He needs just 20 catches and 173 yards to set the single-season record for receptions and yards by a tight end, a position which the Mackey Award honors every year. Yet the Mackey Award didn’t even have Amaro on its initial watch list.

“I know what kind of player

I am, and I’m not sure why I’m not on it,” Amaro said earlier this year. “But I know that these guys in this building and the media and everyone else has a plan for me. I’m just going to keep on playing.”

Amaro is now a Mackey Award semifinalist and Texas will have its hands full trying to slow him down.

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16 16

STOCK UP/STOCK DOWN

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

DAVID LEFFLER DAILY TEXAN STAFF

Style,

S Mykkele Thompson (JR.)

Although the Texas secondary struggled as a unit against Oklahoma State, allowing Clint Chelf to complete 16 of 22 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns, Thompson had his best game of the season for the Longhorns. In addition to hauling in his first interception of the season against the Cowboys — Chelf’s only turnover of the game — he recorded six solo tackles, his most in a single game this year.

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DT Malcom Brown (SO.)

With fellow defensive tackle Chris Whaley done for the season with a knee injury, Brown has added pressure on him in the middle of Texas’ defense. The sophomore responded well against Oklahoma State, recording seven tackles, his most in six weeks. With the Longhorns defense likely to be spread out against Texas Tech’s high-flying aerial attack, Brown needs to have a big game in the middle to stymie the Red Raiders’ running game and keep them one-dimensional.

Longhorns Offensive Line

The big boys up front for Texas have been stellar, allowing an average of only one sack per game in conference play. They continued this solid play against the Cowboys, allowing a single sack at the end of the game to freshman quarterback Tyrone Swoopes.

Longhorns quarterbacks have been sacked just twice in their last 142 pass attempts.

UP QB Case McCoy (SR.)

It’s hard to argue against McCoy being on this list. The senior signal-caller had his worst outing of the season in the Longhorns’ biggest game of the season, throwing three interceptions and zero touchdowns. His first interception was the costliest, as it was returned for a touchdown by Justin Gilbert to give Oklahoma State a commanding 28-10 halftime lead. Despite good protection from his offensive line, McCoy has been picked off in five straight games.

RB Malcolm Brown (JR.)

With Johnathan Gray done for the year, Texas needed Brown to explode against Oklahoma State. Instead he came up short, finishing with 73 rushing yards despite carrying the ball 25 times — a paltry 2.9 yards per carry. With two huge games approaching against Texas Tech, the Longhorns need Brown to step up and help them sustain the power running game that has emerged over the course of their Big 12 schedule.

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DOWN

LB Dalton Santos (SO.)

Santos had come up big at middle linebacker since senior Jordan Hicks went down with a torn Achilles against Kansas State, anchoring the defense with his aggressive play. But against Oklahoma State he was caught out of position too many times, allowing Chelf to gash the Longhorns through the air and on the ground. Chelf was able to coast into the end zone for the game’s first score when he ran a quarterback draw up the middle for an easy touchdown — right where Santos should have been.

17 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

17

Texas can win, but won’t cover

By Darren Mitchell

TCU coach Gary Patterson motions to his team during the game against Kansas State on Saturday, Nov. 16 in Manhattan, Kan. Kansas State won 33-31.

@texansports

The Longhorns ran into a buzzsaw two weeks ago against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys dominated on both sides of the ball and perhaps for the first time all season, Texas truly missed David Ash. Case McCoy threw three interceptions and struggled to get the offense into the end zone. Now the Longhorns have to face the Red Raiders without offensive weapon Daje Johnson who has been suspended for an unspecified violation of team rules. Texas Tech isn’t Oklahoma State, so this game should be much closer. I think Texas is capable of winning, but with the Longhorns being favored by 4.5 points, Texas Tech is the safer bet. My money is on the Red Raiders to at least cover the spread.

Texas Tech (+4.5) at Texas Lock of the Week Baylor (-12.5) at TCU The most basic way to make money on the stock market is to buy low and

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Texas wins if... it exploits the weakness of the Texas Tech defense. The Red Raiders defense is ranked No. 87 against the run, giving up an average of 297 yards on the ground during their current four-game losing streak.

Before the disaster against Oklahoma State, the Longhorns offense had found a bit an identity, steamrolling their opponents on the ground and reeling off six straight wins.

With Jonathan Gray sidelined to an Achilles injury,

Check out the best football photos from this season

flickr.com/thedailytexan

NEXT ISSUE DECEMBER 6

Texas vs. Baylor

Charlie Riedel Associated Press

sell high. After getting absolutely embarrassed last week against Oklahoma State, the Bears stock is at a season low, which is why now is the time to buy in. It’s clear that Baylor is not as good as we thought they were but TCU is 4-7 and the Horned Frogs aren’t Oklahoma State. The 12.5-point spread would have been unthinkably low just two weeks ago.

Baylor should bounce back this week.

Upset Alert Duke (+5.5) at UNC The Blue Devils are 9-2, but they still get no respect.

They’re 5.5-point underdogs to a 6-5 North Carolina team. I get it. The Duke football program has been a joke for a long time. But this isn’t your father’s or even your older brother’s Duke. With a win against the Tar Heels, the Blue Devils clinch a spot in the ACC championship game against a Florida State

team on track to play for a national title. They have a lot more to play for this weekend than their in-state rivals do and they’ve only lost by more than five points once all season. North Carolina has done a great job rebounding from a disappointing start to the year, but I don’t see them winning this one, especially not by six points or more.

Darren’s record: 14-16 (.467) Last week: 1-2

Open-field tackling crucial against Tech

By Ryan Haddox

DAILY TEXAN FLICKR ACCOUNT

Malcolm Brown, Joe Bergeron and the offensive line are going to have to shoulder the load Thanksgiving night. A dose of freshman backup quarterback Tyrone Swoopes could also help give the Longhorns an advantage. A few series from him early in the game to get a solid zone-read attack set up could be a weapon the Texas Tech defense has no answer for, similar to the way Kansas State deployed Daniel Sams and John Hubert against the Red Raiders en route to an emphatic 49-26 victory. If the Longhorns can get creative in

setting up their rushing attack and get Brown and Bergeron up and running, they should be able to extend their current winning streak over the Red Raiders to five games.

Texas loses if... the defense doesn’t tackle well.

Kliff Kingsbury’s offense is explosive, ranking No. 13 in the country in total offense while averaging 37.5 points per game. They are capable of beating you over the top with their athletes, such as tight end Jace Amaro and wide receiver Eric Ward, but they will also lull a defense to

sleep, dinking and dunking their way down the field. The Longhorns defense cannot let a seven-yard completion turn into a 60-yard completion if they want Thursday night to go according to plan.

With the current situation on the offensive side of the ball, the Longhorns will have to win a grind-it-out type football game, not engage in a high-flying shootout. Texas loses if they can’t generate a pass rush and don’t tackle soundly on defense, which would represent the fourth straight loss the Longhorns have had on senior night.

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18

HEISMAN WATCH

18

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

DREW LIEBERMAN DAILY TEXAN STAFF 1. FLORIDA STATE QB JAMEIS WINSTON (FR.) Last Week (W, 80-14, vs. Idaho): 14-for-25, 225 yards, 4 TD Season: 199-for-286 (69.6%), 3,162 yards, 32 TD, 7 INT (126 rushing yards, 3 TD)

Winston continues to play at an extremely high level and with the other top contenders all falling last Saturday, he pretty much has the Heisman wrapped up barring a Seminoles loss. Two plausible scenarios remain for Winston to lose the Heisman, which are that either the Seminoles fall to Florida or in the ACC title game or if allegations of his sexual assault result in either voters deciding he doesn’t have the character of a Heisman winner or if disciplinary action is involved. Barring either scenario, the Heisman Trophy will be won by a freshman for the second season in a row.

3. ALABAMA QB A.J. MCCARRON (SR.) Last week (W, 49-0, vs. Chattanooga): 13-for-16, 171 yards, 2 TD Season: 190-for-277 (68.6%), 2,399 yards, 23 TD, 5 INT

McCarron’s spot may be more of a tribute to his accomplishments over the past three seasons, but with other contenders losing last weekend, he has a chance if Winston struggles over the next two weeks. McCarron sits at 36-2 as a starting quarterback for the Tide with two national titles and a possible third on the way. Though he doesn’t post mind-boggling numbers, McCarron is so efficient and minimizes his mistakes and can complete the big throw when he needs to do so. Alabama’s contest against No. 4 Auburn this weekend is probably a must-win if the Tide are to keep their three-peat hopes alive and if McCarron is to be seen as a serious Heisman contender.

2. ARIZONA RB KA’DEEM CAREY (JR.) Last week (W, 42-16, vs. Oregon): 48 attempts, 206 yards, 4 TD Season:1,559 yards, 16 TD (26 receptions, 173 yards, 1 TD)

Carey carried the Wildcats to a blowout victory over Oregon on Saturday, putting them in position for their second eight-win regular season of this millennium.

Carey took full advantage of the stage on Saturday, especially with most of the other contenders falling in their contests. Carey has yet to have a bad game this season, eclipsing 115 rushing yards in every contest and scoring in all but two. His suspension from the season opener against Northern Arizona should also be noted and while his numbers are down from last season, his consistency over the past two seasons is impressive.

5. BOSTON COLLEGE RB ANDRE WILLIAMS (SR.) Last week (W, 29-26, at Maryland): 32 attempts, 263 yards, 2 TD Season: 320 attempts, 2,073 yards, 16 TD

Williams has ran for 897 yards over the Eagles’ past three contests and has accounted for roughly 85 percent of Boston College’s rushing offense on the season. Simply put, Williams is the Boston College offense, scoring 16 of the team’s 35 offense touchdowns for the season.

With 113 rushing yards against Syracuse, Williams will have ran for the fourth-most yards in FBS history behind only Kevin Smith’s 2007 season and two Heismanwinning campaigns of Marcus Allen in 1981 and Barry Sanders of 1988.

4. FRESNO STATE QB DEREK CARR (SR.) Last week (W, 69-28, vs.

New Mexico): 27-for-37, 527 yards, 7 TD Season: 350-for-502 (69.7%), 3,948 yards, 39 TD, 4 INT (104 rushing yards, 2 TD)

Carr’s Bulldogs are 10-0 on the season and in prime position to be this year’s BCS buster if they can take care of business to close the season. Carr has not thrown an interception since Oct. 5, but has 20 touchdown tosses in five contests since. Carr’s play has Fresno State in position for its first perfect season since 1961 and to finally surpass his brother David’s accomplishments from when he was under center for the Bulldogs in 2001.

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19

TEXAN STAFF PICKS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

19

CHRISTIAN CORONA

GARRETT CALLAHAN

PETER SBLENDORIO

EVAN BERKOWITZ

CHRIS HUMMER

DAVID LEFFLER

DARREN MITCHELL

STEFAN SCRAFIELD

MATT WARDEN

6-4

5-5

5-5

1-9

5-5

4-6

5-5

4-6

5-5

Overall Record

60-40

64-36

58-42

55-45

61-39

60-40

66-34

65-35

57-43

Texas Tech vs. Texas

Texas 41-31

Texas 34-20

Texas 38-31

Texas 28-20

Texas 34-31

Texas 41-34

Texas 27-24

Texas 38-24

Texas Tech 34-21

Fresno State

Fresno State

Fresno State

Fresno State

Fresno State

Fresno State

Fresno State

Fresno State

Fresno State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

UCLA vs. USC

USC

USC

USC

UCLA

UCLA

UCLA

USC

USC

UCLA

Georgia vs.

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia Tech

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Iowa State vs.

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

Iowa State

West Virginia

South Carolina

South Carolina

Clemson

Clemson

South Carolina

Clemson

South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina

Notre Dame vs. Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

Texas A&M vs. Missouri

Missouri

Missouri

Missouri

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Missouri

Texas A&M

Missouri

Missouri

Auburn

Auburn

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Auburn

Last Week’s Record

Fresno State vs.

San Jose State

Ohio State vs. Michigan

Clemson vs.

South Carolina

Alabama vs. Auburn

20

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