Double Coverage 2013-12-06 by The Daily Texan

THE DAILY TEXAN PRESENTS

DECEMBER 6, 2013

VOL. 8, ISSUE 13

RETURN OF THE MACK? PAGE 8

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2 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

THELINEUP 3

Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan Staff

Joe Bergeron, wearing No. 32 in honor of Johnathan Gray, who tore his Achilles against West Virginia last month, was one of two Texas tailbacks to top the 100-yard mark last week.

Cover photo: Head coach Mack Brown / Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan file photo

PREVIEWS&NOTEBOOKS 6

PLAYERS TO WATCH

MATCHUPS

KEYS TO THE GAME

POWER RANKINGS

HEISMAN WATCH

THE DAILY TEXAN PRESENTS

DECEMBER 6, 2013

VOL. 8, ISSUE 13

5 6 8

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

BOOMER SOONER?

Texas finds itself in an awkward situation pulling for Oklahoma this weekend. The Longhorns need the Sooners to beat Oklahoma State to have a chance at winning the Big 12 outright.

TOUGHEST TEST THIS SEASON

Greg Robinson has taken the Texas defense to new heights this year, but the Longhorns face a Baylor team that leads the country in scoring and total offense. Are they up to the challenge?

NEW ATMOSPHERE IN WACO

Trips to Waco are much more eventful now than they used to be. A trip to Floyd Casey Stadium once meant an easy, lopsided victory. That’s not the case anymore.

FILLING BIG SHOES

Robert Griffin III won the program’s first Heisman Trophy. Nick Florence was the nation’s leading passer last year. But Bryce Petty has picked up right where they left off.

MACK ATTACK

One could argue, after going 5-7 in 2010 and starting 1-2 this year, Mack Brown’s time is up. One could also argue getting Texas back in Big 12 title contention has been one of his best coaching jobs.

EDITOR’SNOTE This has been a wild and wacky season. Texas started from the bottom, losing two of its first three games, but now it’s here — somehow playing in a de facto Big 12 title game of sorts. If the Longhorns win, the worst they can do is a share of a conference championship. If they lose, it essentially renders this season a failure. Decimated by injuries and a two-touchdown underdog for the first time since facing Oklahoma, Texas is confident it can close the regular season with a win in Waco.

3 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

Texas reluctantly roots for OU this weekend By Peter Sblendorio @petersblendorio

This weekend, Texas players and fans alike must do something they probably never imagined they’d have to — root for Oklahoma. The Longhorns can clinch a share of the Big 12 title with a win over Baylor, but the only way they can earn an outright conference championship and trip to the Fiesta Bowl is if the Sooners defeat Oklahoma State. “I’ll be rooting for them,” senior quarterback Case McCoy said of the Sooners. “It makes me sick to my stomach to think about, but I hope they play well.” Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma State share identical 7-1 records in conference play, but the Cowboys control their own destiny for a trip to the Fiesta Bowl due to their wins over both the Longhorns and the Bears. Should Oklahoma upset the Cowboys on Saturday, the winner of the Texas-Baylor game would clinch the conference crown. Texas figures to have a good idea of whether it remains in contention

I’ll be rooting for them. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about, but I hope they play well. —Case McCoy, senior quarterback

for the Fiesta Bowl by the time its game against Baylor kicks off at 2:30 p.m., as Oklahoma versus Oklahoma State begins at 11:00 a.m. Despite this, head coach Mack Brown wants the Longhorns to remain focused on their own game and nothing else. “The game before us is something that’s out of our control,” Brown said. “Let’s worry about how we play. As a team, we talked about the championship run with Oklahoma State. We didn’t play well. We’re going to talk about us playing well, the preparation, practice. We’re going to talk about the things we do.” McCoy seconded this, saying he would rather not even know the outcome of the Bedlam game before he takes the field. “I don’t want to know at all,” McCoy said. “I don’t think it will change the way I play. In this situation, you can’t control everyone. All I can control is how I play, how I get my team ready to play.” Other players, like senior cornerback Carrington Byndom, would like to know the outcome of the morning game as soon as it ends, but he agrees the team’s focus should be on beating Baylor. “It wouldn’t hurt to know,” Byndom said. “Obviously we’ll be getting ready to take the field. Our main focus is winning the game. Everything else will play out as far as that.” Regardless of what happens before they take the field against the Bears, senior defensive Jackson

Illustration by Alex Dolan / Daily Texan Staff

Jeffcoat believes the Longhorns should be proud of how far they’ve come this season. “It’s great that we’re in this position,” Jeffcoat said. “Starting the year off 1-2 was frustrating. To be

able to work our way back up here, to be able to get a conference championship, is special. Only two teams are normally battling for it. We’re going to be working hard for it.” A win over Baylor allows Jeffcoat

WE MAKE THE BASKETS, YOU SCORE THE Points.

and the rest of the seniors to earn at least a share of the conference championship for the first time, but they need some help from their hated rivals to earn their first BCS bowl appearance too.

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4 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

Baylor’s offense the best Horns have faced By Peter Sblendorio @petersblendorio

The Longhorns seemed to have an answer for everything Texas Tech’s top-ranked aerial attack threw at them last Thursday. Texas racked up a season-high nine sacks while holding the Red Raiders to roughly 100 passing yards below their season average. This week, the Longhorns face an even tougher test against Baylor’s high-powered offense and senior safety Adrian Phillips knows Texas must replicate its defensive performance on Saturday for a chance to slow down the Bears. “We need to do the same this week,” Phillips said. ”Baylor has a great passing game, they have a great running game and we just have to be on top of it. The defense knows that, to have any chance of winning this game, we have to keep them out of our end zone.” Baylor boasts college football’s most potent offense, leading the nation with 55.4 points per game while eclipsing the 70-point plateau on four occasions. The Bears continue to break down opposing defenses with a balanced offensive attack, as they rank fourth in the nation with 365.9 passing yards per game and 11th with an average of 269.2 yards on the ground. At the forefront of the Baylor offense is junior quarterback Bryce Petty, a Heisman hopeful for much of the season. Petty racked up 3,557 passing yards and 28 touchdowns against just two interceptions in his first 11 games while adding 11 touchdowns on the ground. Junior defensive end Cedric Reed believes the key to the game for the Texas defense is simple. “Get after the quarterback,” Reed said. “These teams with the spread offense, the system is run through their quarterbacks. Once the quarterback loses confidence and you hit him a few times, everyone else will fall.” The Longhorns must account for more than just Petty, though, as Baylor’s impressive stable of running backs continue to put up prolific numbers as well. Junior running back Lache Seastrunk leads the way with 982 rushing yards on 126 attempts, an average of 7.8 yards per carry, while freshman Shock Linwood isn’t far behind with 848 yards on the ground. Senior cornerback Carrington Byndom realizes Baylor’s offense is among the nation’s most balanced units, and he said its up to the players to execute on every play. “You just gotta stay on your keys,” Byndom said. “That’s something with any team with a

Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan file photo

Cedric Reed looks on as Carrington Byndom tackles Baylor’s Glasco Martin during Texas’ 56-50 win over Baylor in Austin last year. The Longhorns allowed more than 600 yards last year and face a Bears squad that is scoring 55.4 points and racking up 634.4 yards per game this year, both tops in the country.

dual threat quarterback that has the explosive power to throw the ball or to run the ball.” Byndom furthered this, saying the Longhorns must continue to limit big plays in order to keep Baylor from racking up quick scores as they have throughout the season. “We’ve been doing a great job of eliminating big plays for touchdowns this year, and something that Baylor does a really good job of is striking quick,” Byndom said. “They’ve had a lot of big plays throughout the year, and I think another thing for us is keeping those big plays of the board.” The Bears enter Saturday’s game coming off of a pair of shaky performances, suffering a blowout loss to Oklahoma State two weeks ago before narrowly beating a 4-7 TCU team by three points in their last game. Despite this, the Longhorns know how dangerous Baylor’s offense can be, and their defense needs to be at its best to keep the Bears off the board and give Texas a chance to win.

BEAR ATTACK OPPONENT

PPG

FBS RANK

YARDS/GAME

FBS RANK

RESULT

New Mexico State

20.9

104

384.7

W, 56-7

BYU

31.3

495.4

L, 40-21

Ole Miss

30.6

473.0

L, 44-23

Kansas State

33.4

401.3

W, 31-21

Iowa State

24.8

363.0

W, 31-30

Oklahoma

31.7

428.4

W, 36-20

TCU

25.1

344.8

106

W, 30-7

Kansas

15.3

120

294.7

119

W, 35-13

West Virginia

26.3

410.8

W, 47-40

Oklahoma State

41.2

444.2

L, 38-13

Texas Tech

35.7

512.9

W, 41-6

Baylor

55.4

634.4

5 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

dTrip to Waco doesn’t mean easy W like it used to By Garrett Callahan @CallahanGarrett

Years ago the walk into Floyd Casey Stadium meant one sure thing — a win. Today, however, that guarantee is far from present. While in the past, Texas’ game against Baylor was played without much trepidation, on Saturday the Longhorns enter Waco with a chance to play for a Big 12 title — a thought many wouldn’t have associated with the Bears in past years. “It is crazy,” senior quarterback Case McCoy said. “Baylor is one of those teams, but there’s several throughout college football. Just growing up as a football fan, it is different to see them that way.” Texas’ series with Baylor dates back to 1901, marking the third-longest series in school history. The Longhorns are a combined 74-244 against the Bears, with a 29-15-2 record in Waco. Most games at Floyd Casey hotoStadium between Texas g- and Baylor brought a large amount of Longhorns fans and, on numerous occasions, it was considered another home game for the players in burnt orange. But that has changed since Baylor has become a prominent football team. Especially since this season’s contest is the last to be played in the 63-year-old stadium, Baylor will be even more motivated to leverage its home-field advantage against the Longhorns. “We’ve had 25,000, 30,000 fans there,” head coach Mack Brown said. “But Baylor’s crowd is coming. They’ve done a good job of getting their own crowd. I’d say we’ll have our normal great Texas support, but it will probably be less than it has been in the

past just because Baylor is selling more tickets.” Baylor head coach Art Briles and his Bears have made a large transformation since current Longhorns watched Baylor growing up. The team has entered national recognition in the past few years and helped create another in-state rival for Texas. “That’s not belittling Baylor,” senior offensive lineman Mason Walters said. “I don’t think [Texas] really had a lot of hesitancy going into that game. If you were to go up against a Baylor team that I grew up watching it’s nowhere near the same thing. As that program continues to get better and better its going to keep making great competition in the Big 12.” For many of Texas’ seniors, this might be the biggest game of their career — a chance to end their underwhelming four years with a Big 12 championship against No. 9 Baylor and a chance to go to a BCS bowl if things work in their favor. That thought might have been unheard of when they first came to the 40 Acres, but now beating a 10-1 Bears team is what stands in their way of

Case McCoy drops back during Texas’ 48-24 loss in Waco two years ago. McCoy threw for three first-half touchdowns before being picked off four times. It marked the Longhorns’ first road loss to Baylor since 1997.

Elisabeth Dillon Daily Texan file photo

their final goal. “They’ve done a tremendous job,” Brown said. “Art [Briles] has a great football team. It’s a team that’s in the Top 10. It’s a team that’s playing before their largest crowd in the history of Floyd Casey Stadium. Last game there. It’s for a championship. It’s a great challenge for us and our team.”

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LONGHORNS IN WACO YEAR

SCORE

TEXAS YARDS

BAYLOR YARDS

2011

L, 48-24

557

511

2009

W, 47-14

411

246

2007

W, 31-10

470

292

2005

W, 62-0

645

201

2003

W, 56-0

477

260

2001

W, 49-10

406

195

1999

W, 62-0

586

159

1997

L, 23-21

268

241

1994

W, 63-35

582

474

1992

L, 21-20

295

247

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6 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

6 Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty walks off the field smiling after the game against Texas Tech in Arlington on Saturday, Nov. 16. Baylor won 63-38.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

MATT WARDEN DAILY TEXAN STAFF

QB Bryce Petty (Jr.)

Jameis Winston and Johnny Manziel are garnering Heisman attention for their performances this season but Bryce Petty is putting up his own Heisman numbers. The junior signal-caller has led the explosive Baylor offense all season long, completing 62.4 percent of his passes for 3,557 yards, 28 touchdowns and only two interceptions. The Bears’ huge loss to conference foe Oklahoma State cannot be ignored but neither can Petty’s performance this season as the Baylor offense is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, averaging just over 55 points per contest. Petty has been about as efficient as one can be while putting up video game-like numbers and keeping his team in the Big 12 title hunt at 10-1 overall heading into the game with Texas. Petty has thrown for at least two touchdowns in every game this season and has even done his part in the running game, racking up 11 touchdowns on the ground this season. If the Baylor offense is going to be contained, it will start and end with Petty.

LM Otero Associated Press

Led by Bryce Petty, Bears reach new heights By Evan Berkowitz @Evan_Berkowitz

Redshirt junior Bryce Petty didn’t have the easiest shoes to fill. He watched Robert Griffin III walk across the Heisman stage. Then he watched as Nick Florence broke Griffin’s single-season Baylor record for passing yards. “Those guys have put a lot of standards up there that are going to be tough to beat,” head coach Art Briles said on Petty following Griffin and Florence before the season. “But Petty has been around everything. He understands he’s got the physical presence and ability to do it. What we

gotta do is just let him get in situations and let him create his own identity.” Coming into the season under-the-radar, he didn’t feel much pressure. It was the sophomore running back— Lache Seastrunk—who everyone thought of as a Heisman Trophy candidate. He averaged nearly eight yards per carry the year before and looked poised to carry the Bears offense. Despite Seastrunk’s solid season, it is actually Petty who has carried Baylor and thrown his name into the Heisman discussion. “I think he’s been phenomenal and the thing that impresses me is, first of all, his

leadership because you never really know about someone until you go through the fire with them — go through some kind of adversity with them,” Briles said. “Fortunately, we haven’t had a lot of adversity but when we have, he’s been really strong and really solid.” Petty is currently eighth in the country in passing yards, leading the highest scoring offense in the nation. All he can do now is reflect on his past years on the bench and marvel in the current year leading a Top 10 team. “I think God has a very funny way of writing out and planning our story

better than we could,” Petty said. “If I had it my own way I would’ve been playing since I was a freshman and all that stuff. But to have the team that we have now, I couldn’t have wrote it better myself.” Texas realizes what they are up against — a Baylor team that isn’t the highest scoring team in the nation for no reason. When watching film, Texas’ defensive coordinator Greg Robinson can only admire the offense he prepares to solve. “I take pictures on my screen so I can print them just so I can save some of these,” Robinson said. “I

PETTY page 13

RB Lache Seastrunk (Jr.)

Seastrunk is an interesting player who has finally found a home in Waco after bouncing around his first few seasons in college football. The Temple native is the leading rusher for a running game that ranks No. 11 in the nation, compiling 982 yards and 11 touchdowns on 126 carries this season. Seastrunk is a big and powerful back who can run defenders over just as easily as he can outrun them for big yardage. His 7.8 yards per carry is a staggering statistic that’s facilitated by the potent passing game of the Bears. If Texas can disrupt Petty, Seastrunk will still be there to pick up yards. The Longhorns need to limit his effectiveness to force Baylor to beat them in one way instead of two.

LB Bryce Hager (Jr.)

Texas will be looking to establish their run game to poke holes in the Baylor defense, one that is ranked No. 27 in the country. Bryce Hager will be the catalyst for this game plan. Hager is second on the Bears’ defense with 71 tackles despite missing two games this season. His 7.9 tackles per game are a team-high. Hager is the most complete defender on this defense, showing his ability to disrupt the passer with nine quarterback hurries and his ability to drop into coverage, evidenced by his three passes broken up. He will be around the ball the entire game and Texas has to find a way to move the ball away from his side of the field.

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MATCHUPS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

CAMERON KUBENA DAILY TEXAN STAFF

QUARTERBACKS Case McCoy bounced back against Texas Tech, throwing for 139 yards and two touchdowns while running for another score. It was the first time since early October that McCoy had not thrown an interception. Baylor’s No. 26 rush defense may force McCoy to step into a role he has not handled well this season. Heisman candidate Bryce Petty, who has rushed for 11 touchdowns this season, has fewer pass attempts than the Texas starters and averages 11.2 yards per attempt, the most in the country and more than McCoy has had in a single game this year. Petty threw for 206 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in his worst performance this season against TCU last week.

RUNNING BACKS Joe Bergeron proved he could fill in for the injured Johnathan Gray with a 102-yard, one-touchdown performance in the 41-16 win over Texas Tech. Malcolm Brown ran for 128 yards, topping the 100-yard mark for the third time this year. Lache Seastrunk ran for 869 yards in just seven weeks when he went down in the first half against Oklahoma. Freshman Shock Linwood picked up the slack with back-to-back 180-yard games against the Sooners and Texas Tech. Seastrunk is healthy and again the featured back and, along with Linwood, will present the Texas defense their toughest backfield this season.

Since catching just nine passes in October, Mike Davis has totaled 315 yards and three touchdowns, two of them for more than 45 yards, in the last three games. Jaxon Shipley had been consistent before not recording a catch for the first time in his career against Texas Tech. Daje Johnson returns after serving a one-game suspension. Antwan Goodley has 1,205 yards and 12 touchdowns this year while averaging 20.4 yards per catch. Tevin Reese averaged 25 yards per catch before suffering a seasonending wrist injury but Levi Norwood has stepped up with 400 yards and five touchdowns in Reese’s absence.

ADVANTAGE

DEFENSIVE LINE Baylor has six sacks in the last three games, three of them coming against TCU. Chris McAllister leads them with 6.5 sacks this season. The Bears rank No. 30 in sacks. Stopping the Texas run game will be Baylor’s main concern. Texas’ defensive line accounted for six sacks last week. Jackson Jeffcoat had a career-high three sacks and junior Cedric Reed tied his career-high with two. Jeffcoat and Co. also face the country’s No. 11 run offense, their stiffest test since playing BYU.

WIDE RECEIVERS

LINEBACKERS Texas held Texas Tech to its secondfewest yards this season, with 51 of the Red Raiders’ 94 rushing yards came on a fake punt. Eddie Lackey leads the Baylor linebackers with 84 tackles, 18 of them and 1.5 sacks coming in the last two games, including a 54-yard interception return against TCU. Brody Trahan tied a career high with seven tackles last week against TCU. The Bears have allowed 414 rushing yards in their last three games but haven’t faced a team reliant on the run like Texas is since playing Oklahoma, who ran for only 87 yards.

ADVANTAGE

DAILY TEXAN FLICKR ACCOUNT Check out the best football photos from this season

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ADVANTAGE

DEFENSIVE BACKS Texas held Texas Tech to 302 passing yards, almost 100 yards under their season average and will have its hands full again with Baylor, who has the nation’s No. 4 pass offense. Petty has thrown just two interceptions this year. Reese’s absence helps the Longhorns but Goodley is the most dominant receiver the Longhorns have faced this year. Baylor returned two interceptions for touchdowns last week and has nine interceptions in its last six games. Baylor will try to pressure the turnover-prone McCoy into making rushed throws.

ADVANTAGE

OFFENSIVE LINE Baylor, who gave up three sacks to TCU last week, has an offensive line that includes Outland Trophy finalist Cyril Richardson and that will face a Texas team that has a Big 12-best 35 sacks this year, nine of them against Texas Tech. The Longhorns have allowed the 20thfewest sacks in the nation this year, giving up just two in their last two games. Their main concern will be establishing a run game against a defense that allows just 133 rush yards per game. Texas needs to protect McCoy well to do that.

ADVANTAGE

SPECIAL TEAMS Texas Tech punter Ryan Erxleben turned a fake punt into a 51-yard rushing touchdown. The Longhorns allowed a 33-yard kick return to the Red Raiders’ Jordan Davis and are now fifth-worst in the country in average kickoff return yards allowed. Anthony Fera provided a silver lining, making a 49-yard field goal. Baylor’s Corey Coleman has a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Norwood has two punt return touchdowns on the season. Both will give a struggling Texas coverage team issues and could be the difference in the game.

ADVANTAGE

COMEBACK

Brown has to beat Baylor to keep his job By Christian Corona Double Coverage Editor @ChristianC0rona

The rebuilding process was supposed to be over. Texas was supposed to be in reloading mode again. The Longhorns were recruiting well despite going 5-7 three short years ago. They won eight games the year following the 2010 debacle and won nine the year after that. This year was supposed to be the year. With an FBS-best 19 returning starters, Texas was supposed to contend for Big 12 and national titles. But the Longhorns started 1-2 for the first time since 1998, Mack Brown’s first year on the job. Many Texas fans want this year to be his last. Since then, Brown’s Longhorns have played themselves into a de facto Big 12 title game of sorts. Either Texas or Baylor will leave Waco this Saturday with at least a share of a conference championship. If Oklahoma State loses to Oklahoma, the Longhorns-Bears winner will be the outright Big 12 champion. Like his team has earned the right to play for at least a share of a Big 12 title, Mack Brown has earned the right to prove that he deserves a 17th year as Texas’ head coach. He lost that right by losing two of his first three games this season. Last time he did that, he had a Heisman Trophy-winning running back in Ricky Williams to dig him out of that 1-2 hole. This year, he had lost both his starting quarterback and running back for the year midseason. He’s got more injured linebackers than healthy ones. Johnathan Gray, out for the season with a torn Achilles suffered against West Virginia, joked that

Texas could hold a “Scooter Olympics” with as many fallen Longhorns that are rolling around campus now. Yet Brown has taken a struggling, banged-up team and turned it into a bona fide Big 12 title contender. For that, he deserves a chance to come back next year – if Texas beats Baylor. But if the Bears triumph over the Longhorns in their final game at Floyd Casey Stadium this weekend, Brown’s legendary 16-year tenure on the 40 Acres should come to an end. Because a loss to Baylor means there’s nothing left to salvage this season. “This is where we asked to be early on, playing for a Big 12 title,” senior quarterback Case McCoy said. “We understand the situation. I would fully agree that this game will determine if our season is a success.” A loss to Baylor means much more than missing out on a conference championship. It means a fourth straight season losing at least four games. It means no chance to improve from last year’s 9-4 mark, a telltale sign that Brown has lost his touch. It means no chance to win 10 games, the signature standard set by Brown early in his time at Texas. Whether Brown deserves to keep his job and whether he actually does are two extremely different things. A new men’s athletics director, possible in-fighting above Brown’s proverbial pay grade and Brown’s personal desires are all off-field factors that will heavily into if Brown will be back in 2014. He could retire the day after beating Baylor or not step down until his contract expires in 2020 even if Texas loses this weekend. But whether Brown deserves to come back next season hinges on whether his team finishes this regular season with a win.

Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan file photo

Brown hoping one of his roughest regular seasons ends with victory By Garrett Callahan @CallahanGarrett

It’s no secret that Mack Brown has come under fire this season for a less than impressive performance by his Longhorns. However, while fans are calling for Brown’s head, it is also no secret that he has helped turn Texas into the program and name it is today. The Tennessee native has a 158-46 mark at Texas, giving him the Darrell K. Royal. Brown has made two national championship game appearances, including one win, and captured two Big 12 titles. With his successes, though, Brown has also had a few tough years. He notes his first season (1998), the 2010 season and this current season as the toughest three years he’s

had at the program. “Yeah this is probably one of the toughest years,” Brown said. “2010 wasn’t a bright spot in my life. Probably the first year, ‘10 and this year have been the three most challenging. First year, just because we were coming off 4-7 and trying to put it all together and started 1-2.” This season, Brown also started 1-2, the first time since that 1998 season. In that year, Texas ended 8-3 and made an appearance in the Cotton Bowl. Now, however, the Longhorns have a chance to clinch at least a share of a Big 12 title, an almost unfathomable thought at the beginning of the season. The veteran head coach has had to make a few decisions to get to this point, the largest of which was to replace defensive coordinator Manny Diaz at the beginning of the season.

Brown brought in Greg Robinson, a familiar face to Texas, who has gone 7-2 as the defensive play-caller this season. “It was a very difficult decision because you never want to change coaches,” Brown said. “That’s never something you like doing, especially during the season, I’ve never done that. But I will say it’s worked.” While many speculate whether this will be the final season to Brown’s storied tenure at Texas, he has learned to put off the worries of his job security. Instead, he is only focused on his day-to-day planning. “I don’t even go there,” Brown said. “This place helps you focus on your job and not worry about all the stuff around it cause that gets you in trouble. What I’ve learned is to try and win the game on Saturday and keep our guys focused and our coaches focused. The rest of it really isn’t important.”

STOCK UP/STOCK DOWN

DE Jackson Jeffcoat (Sr.)

DAVID LEFFLER DAILY TEXAN STAFF

Prior to the Texas Tech game on Thanksgiving, Jeffcoat had already logged two multi-sack games en route to a total of seven on the season. Apparently that wasn’t enough for the senior, who feasted on Red Raiders quarterbacks all night. By game’s end, Jeffcoat had added three more sacks — a career-high — bringing his season total to a whopping 10. If Texas is going to disrupt Baylor’s explosive offense, it’s going to need another huge effort from Jeffcoat.

WR Mike Davis (Sr.)

Three weeks ago, Davis was in the midst of a three-game swoon during which he had four catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. Oh, how quickly things can change. The senior wideout has been on a tear the past three games, racking up a total of 16 catches for 315 yards and three touchdowns. Davis has done most of his damage on big plays, as he has had a catch of at least 40 yards in all of those games. He has a career-high eight touchdowns on the season with two contests remaining, including a bowl game.

K/P Anthony Fera (Sr.)

As Nick Saban and Alabama can attest to, you only notice a kicker when he’s not doing his job — and boy, that can hurt you. Fera has been nothing short of spectacular this season, making 19 of his 20 field goal attempts, including five of six from at least 40 yards. Considering the fact that he also handles the punting duties for the Longhorns, the senior has shown he is a one-man weapon on special teams.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

RB/WR Daje Johnson (So.)

Daje Johnson just can’t catch a break. After a scintillating start to the season when he had over 120 total yards and two touchdowns against New Mexico State, the sophomore out of Pflugerville has been plagued by injuries and a lack of production. Things hit rock bottom for him last week, when he was suspended for the Texas Tech game for a violation of team rules. In the seven games he has appeared in since the season opener, Johnson has a combined 160 yards of total offense.

Texas Punt Return Coverage

Falling for a fake punt is one thing — but letting a punter run 51 yards for a touchdown is on another level. Was anyone else feeling a little queasy watching Tech punter Ryan Erxleben throw up the “shhhh” sign — an index finger over his mouth — after he rumbled into the end zone? Fortunately, that nausea was alleviated once the Longhorns reeled off 41 of the game’s final 50 points.

DOWN

Again a 2-TD dog, Texas will cover By Darren Mitchell @texansports

Just a little more than two weeks ago, this game looked like it would be a blowout. The Bears were ranked higher than they ever had and had legitimitate national championship aspirations while the Longhorns were languishing in the realm of the unranked. But things change fast in college football. These two teams are now trending in opposite directions. Texas is coming off one of their best wins of the season, a 41-16 beatdown of Texas Tech. The Bears, on the other hand, look lost. After getting embarrassed by Oklahoma State, Baylor struggled heavily against a bad TCU team, winning by only three points. To make matters worse, their star safety, Ahmad Dixon, got ejected for targeting in the second half meaning he will miss the first half of this game. There is so much

talent on this Baylor team, and they should still be able to win at home, but I don’t think they can be trusted to cover such a large point spread. If Texas can get running backs Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron going like they did against Texas Tech, it should be able to stay in the game and at least cover the spread. Texas (+14) at Baylor Lock of the Week Central Florida (-7) at SMU The Mustangs are fighting for bowl eligibility, but the Golden Knights are fighting to secure a spot in the BCS. Starting SMU quarterback and former Longhorn Garrett Gilbert’s status is questionable due to a knee injury. If he can’t play, or if he plays but isn’t feeling right, things could get ugly for the Mustangs.

If I had a vote in the coaches’ poll, Ohio State would not be my No. 2. Where is there an impressive win? To date, the Buckeyes’ best victory has been a seven-point win at home against a currently unranked Wisconsin team that just lost to Penn State. The Buckeyes were lucky to get past a five-loss Michigan team last week. Michigan State has played a similar level of competition but has looked impressive doing so. The Spartans have held six teams to less than 10 points, including holding Michigan, who scored 41 points against Ohio State last week, to six points. Michigan State is, by far, the best team Ohio State has faced this season. If the Buckeyes play like they did last week, their national championship hopes will be dashed.

Upset Alert Ohio St. vs Mich. St. (+5.5)

Darren’s record: 15-18 (.455) Last week: 1-2

11 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

TEST THE SECONDARY When Baylor dropped the game to the Cowboys, 47-17, two weeks ago, it was because Oklahoma State beat the secondary. The Cowboys completed 21 passes for 440 yards against a team that only surrenders 22.2 points per game. Texas needs to take a page from their book and air it out to beat the weaker part of Baylor’s defense. Confidence should be high after Texas’ big win over Texas Tech and it needs to pull the trigger on the passing game to minimize the effect of Baylor’s strong linebacking core.

KNOW WHAT’S ON THE LINE CONTAIN BAYLOR’S TIME Any defense would have a hard time shutting down the Baylor offense, although Oklahoma State’s three forced fumbles seemed to do the trick last week. The Bears rank No. 1 in offense and will inevitably pick up 400 yards game after game. Texas needs to simply contain this if it wants to win the game. Pressuring Bryce Petty and getting as many bodies in the backfield on every play will be the key to this containment. If Lache Seastrunk has nowhere to run and Petty has nowhere to sit and survey his receivers, the Baylor offense will have a hard time doing much of anything. When the Bears have time, they can pick apart any team with their talent. If Texas can limit the time they have to sit and think about their next move, the win is possible.

Horns pass rush crucial vs. Baylor By Ryan Haddox @The_Real_RH

Texas wins if… its defensive ends are the force they have been throughout most of the season. Jackson Jeffcoat and Cedric Reed have both wreaked havoc on Big 12 quarterbacks, registering 10 and eight sacks, respectively. That trend will have to continue in Waco on Saturday for the Longhorns to have a chance to pull the upset. The once-prolific Baylor offense has fallen on tough times the last two weeks. Through six Big 12 games, the Baylor offense was averaging nearly 600 yards and 57 points per game, helping the Bears earn a Top 5 ranking. Oklahoma State was the first team to derail Art Briles’ offense, holding the Bears to 17 points in its only loss of the year. Last week in Fort Worth, TCU held Baylor to

just 27 points, also well below their season average. Bears starting left tackle Spencer Drango is out for the remainder of the season with a back injury, so Jeffcoat’s and Reed’s job of getting to the quarterback should be a little easier Saturday. If those two can create pressure and save Greg Robinson from having to blitz, it will allow the Longhorns secondary to better deal with the weapons the Bears will trot out at wide receiver. Antwan Goodley has amassed more than 1,200 yards receiving for the Bears this year, so any help the secondary can get from the pass rush will go a long way. Texas wins if they can make Bryce Petty’s life hell on Saturday. Texas loses if… it can’t get the ground game going. The best way to slow down a highflying offense such as Baylor’s is to keep it off the field

as much as possible, and that is done by successfully running the football. It won’t be an easy task. The Baylor defense has the No. 26 rushing defense in the country, so the offensive line will have to take it upon themselves to be more physical the Baylor front seven to move the ball. A gameplan like the one the Longhorns employed in their game against Texas Tech, when they rushed for 281 yards, should do the trick Saturday at Floyd Casey Stadium. While running for 280 yards will be a daunting task, Oklahoma State proved that you can move the ball on the ground with success against Baylor. If the Longhorns cannot get the ground game going, it will force Case McCoy to go from game-manager to gamechanger, and that has proven to be problematic in the past. Texas loses if they can’t move the ball on the ground.

The Big 12 is a three-way race for the championship heading into the final weekend of games. Texas and Baylor are tied with Oklahoma State at 7-1 in the conference and this game will be a deciding factor in which teams will earn BCS bids. If bragging rights over Baylor isn’t enough motivation for the Longhorns, the chance to capture a Big 12 title should be all they need. Texas should keep this in mind to help it play harder and prove that its performance in conference this season hasn’t been a fluke. Texas has the talent. It just needs to remember that.

BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

STEFAN SCRAFIELD DAILY TEXAN STAFF

OKLAHOMA STATE

BAYLOR

The Cowboys have played their way into the front of the Big 12 title race and have a shot at a BCS bowl. If they can get a win over the Sooners this weekend, they’ll find themselves in the Top 5.

The Bears have scored just 55 points in its last two games, less than their single-game average prior to the mini-slump. Baylor will need to get back on track in the final game at Floyd Casey Stadium this weekend to have a shot at the conference title.

TEXAS

OKLAHOMA

Despite all the rumors about Longhorns head coach Mack Brown being on his way out, Brown continues to get results out of his injury-riddled bunch. If Texas can knock off Baylor on Saturday, and possibly even claim a Big 12 title, this season would be one of Brown’s most impressive coaching jobs on the 40 Acres.

What happens in Stillwater will define the Sooners’ season. A win and Oklahoma will have overcome a turbulent quarterback situation on its way to its fourth straight 10-win season.

KANSAS STATE

TEXAS TECH

TCU

IOWA STATE

WEST VIRGINIA

After dropping their first three conference games and starting the season 2-4, the Wildcats won five of their last six games and are bowl-bound. It seems no matter what the preseason expectations are, Bill Snyder’s teams never fail to overachieve.

Kliff Kingsbury can’t be too upset with seven wins in his first season as a head coach, but the Red Raiders’ five-game losing streak to finish the season has to leave a sour taste in his mouth.

The Horned Frogs finally showed some promise in a close loss to Baylor last weekend, but it was too little, too late. Its 4-8 record was the worst in TCU history since 1997 and the worst ever under head coach Gary Patterson.

After dropping five of its first nine games by one score or less, the Cyclones finally won a close one, coming from behind to defeat West Virginia in overtime last weekend. Paul Rhoads may have saved his job in the process.

It’s hard to believe that the Mountaineers team that knocked off Oklahoma State back in September is the same one that lost its last two games of the season to Kansas and Iowa State.

KANSAS The Jayhawks 31-point performance in the win over West Virginia ended up being the only time this season Kansas scored 20 or more points against an FBS opponent. For a guy known as an offensive guru, Charlie Weis has really struggled in Lawrence.

GAMES TO WATCH

RACHEL WENZLAFF DAILY TEXAN STAFF

No. 5 Missouri vs. No. 3 Auburn Overall 11-1

Overall 11-1

Georgia Dome, Atlanta Saturday, 3 p.m. TV: CBS

Auburn needs to hit the ground running (and passing) to have a chance at winning the SEC and going to the BCS National Championship. Despite engineering the biggest turnaround in SEC history and beating Alabama last week, Auburn faces a Missouri defense that leads the SEC in sacks and interceptions. Auburn’s miracle-producing offense will either have to hope for another one, or hold onto an early lead. Missouri’s James Franklin has completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions, compared to Nick Marshall’s 59.2 completion percentage with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.

No. 2 Ohio St. vs. No. 10 Michigan St. Overall 12-0

Overall 11-1

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis Saturday, 7:17 p.m. TV: FOX

Ohio State is now the favorite to win the conference’s title game. The Buckeyes are 24-0 since Urban Meyer took over as head coach and the Spartans have lost eight out of their last nine meetings with the Buckeyes. But this game against Michigan State is more than just a formality on the Buckeyes’ journey to the national title game. The Spartans boast the best defense in the nation, which has led them to their impressive 11-1 record. Expect this game to come down to who has the final possession.

No. 18 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Oklahoma St. Overall 9-2

Overall 10-1

Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater Saturday, 11 a.m. TV: ABC

Despite having a bye last week, Oklahoma State has some serious momentum after demolishing Baylor the previous week. The Cowboys’ recent performance makes it seem almost impossible that their one loss could have come from such a mediocre West Virginia team. A win here would improve the Cowboys’ record to 11-1, a record good enough to get into BCS title game contention. But Oklahoma is determined to not let that happen. The Sooners quarterbacks have been inconsistent but they boast the nation’s No. 15 rushing attack, which is sure to present a challenge for the Cowboy defense.

No. 7 Stanford vs. No. 11 Arizona State Overall 10-2

Overall 10-2

Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe Saturday, 6:45 p.m. TV: ESPN

Even with one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Taylor Kelly, Arizona State is the underdog here. If you had asked which teams would be playing for the Pac-12 title at the beginning of the season, Arizona State likely wouldn’t have made that list. But if the Sun Devils win here, they will make their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1997. Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan’s stat sheet may not impress, but he’s one of the best game-managers and leaders in the conference and is looking to guide his team to another win.

HEISMAN WATCH

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

DREW LIEBERMAN DAILY TEXAN STAFF 1. FLORIDA STATE QB JAMEIS WINSTON (FR.) Last Week (W, 37-7, vs. Florida): 19-for31, 327 yards, 3 TD, INT Season: 218-for-317 (68.8%), 3,490 yards, 35 TD, 8 INT (134 rushing yards, 3 TD)

With Alabama’s loss in the Iron Bowl, Florida State became the top-ranked team in the nation and Winston remained the Heisman favorite. There simply has not been a more valuable player to his team than Winston so, barring a complete disaster against Duke, “Famous Jameis” will take home the trophy. After a promising and close race through most of the year, Winston clearly pulled away from the pack, which will win him the Heisman. With his off-the-field issues not issues anymore, it’s hard to find someone else worthy of a first-place vote.

2. BOSTON COLLEGE RB ANDRE WILLIAMS (SR.) Last week (L, 31-34, at Syracuse): 9 attempts, 29 yards, TD Season: 329 attempts, 2,102 yards, 17 TD

Williams was injured in the first quarter of the Eagles’ loss to Syracuse on a 26-yard touchdown run and did not return. Though he was largely ineffective until that point, Boston College’s collapse proved Williams’ value to this team and its offense. Williams’ 2013 campaign fell 84 yards short of fourth place in single season rushing in FBS history but he will have a chance to move into that spot in the Eagles’ bowl game.

3. NORTHERN ILLINOIS QB JORDAN LYNCH (SR.) Last week (W, 33-14, vs. Western Michigan): 5-for-17, 39 yards, TD (321 rush yards, 3 TD) Season: 212-for-329 (64.4%), 2,457 yards, 22 TD, 5 INT (1,755 rush yards, 20 TD)

Lynch struggled throwing the ball in the Huskies’ latest win, but more than made up for it with his feet. In Northern Illinois’ second half of the season, Lynch scored 16 touchdowns on the ground and ran for 1,139 yards while adding nine touchdowns through the air. His rushing yards total and touchdown total already top that of Mark Ingram’s 2009 Heisman-winning campaign. If he had done this in a major conference, Lynch probably would win the Heisman but the Huskies’ weak schedule can’t be ignored. While he won’t win the Heisman, Lynch could deliver Northern Illinois’ second consecutive BCS berth with a victory in the MAC title game over Bowling Green on Friday.

4. OHIO STATE QB BRAXTON MILLER (JR.) Last week (W, 42-41 @ Michigan): 6-for15, 133 yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception (153 rush yards, 3 TDs) Season: 138-for-210 (65.7%), 1,759 yards, 21 TD, 5 INT (891 rush yards, 8 TDs)

With Alabama’s loss to Auburn, Miller now has the Buckeyes in position to play for the national title, at least for the time being. Ohio State has now won 24 straight games and Miller is a major reason why. Despite missing two games this season due to injury, Miller threw for six more touchdowns than in 2012, including 15 in his last six games. Miller has also picked up his game on the ground, rushing for 481 yards and six touchdowns in the past three contests. His five-touchdown performance against Michigan should be remembered for years to come by the Buckeyes faithful, regardless of how the season ends.

5. ARIZONA RB KA’DEEM CAREY (JR.) Last week (L, 58-21, at Arizona State): 32 attempts, 157 yards, 1 TD Season: 322 attempts, 1,716 yards, 17 TD (26 receptions, 173 yards, TD)

Carey finished the regular season with yet another impressive performance, and claimed Pac-12 Player of the Year honors despite his team’s struggles. The loss was a huge letdown after Arizona’s win over Oregon, but somewhat expected by such a consistently inconsistent squad. Carey won’t win the Heisman, but his numbers over the past two seasons combined are impressive (more than 4,000 total yards and 42 touchdowns). He won’t win the Heisman, but the Doak Walker Award for the top running back is pretty much a toss-up between him and BC’s Williams.

PETTY

continues from page 6 want to show them to my grandkids so I can say, ‘This is how you use a field,’” Everything begins with Petty. “He’s a good quarterback,” Robinson said. “He has good weapons around him. He knows how to get the ball to those guys.” But what scares the Texas defense is his ability to make plays on the ground. He has twice as many rushing touchdowns as Oklahoma State quarterback Clint Chelf, who torched the Longhorns on the ground with 95 yards and two touchdowns. “I hope he’s not as good,”

I hope [Petty’s] not as good. Quite frankly, I think we helped Chelf a little bit. I’m not taking anything away from him ... but this guy has run for yardage just like Chelf has and a couple others too. —Greg Robinson, Texas defensive coordinator

Robinson said. “Quite frankly, I think we helped Chelf a little bit. I’m not taking anything away from him, I think he did a nice job, but this guy has run for yardage just like Chelf has and a couple others too.” With all the success he has had so far, Petty knows more lies ahead, and is excited for the final game of this season with possible BCS implications.

“There are a lot of memories, a lot of high points with this season and the best part is it’s not over,” Petty said. “We got two more games. One more game that will sum up everything and I am very blessed, very humbled to be a part of it.” And Petty isn’t leaving Waco anytime soon. The NFL will have to wait. “I definitely will be back next year,” he said.

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64-46

Texas vs. Baylor

Baylor 42-28

Texas 38-35

Texas 41-38

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Texas 34-31

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Baylor 45-35

Baylor 45-38

Baylor 38-35

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Auburn

Missouri

Auburn

Florida State

Duke

Florida State

Stanford

Arizona State

Stanford

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Michigan State

Ohio State

Michigan State

Ohio State

Michigan State

Utah St. vs. Fresno State

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Central Florida vs. SMU

SMU

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Missouri vs. Auburn

Florida State vs. Duke

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