Double Coverage 2014-11-07

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DOUBLE presents

COVERAGE Friday, November 7, 2014

REESTABLISHING THE RUN

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Friday, November 7, 2014

FEATURES

After a couple months, the Longhorn rushing attack looks like the dangerous threat it was supposed to be.

PAGE 10 Nine games and 10 big men later, the Longhorn offensive line is finally beginning to play like a unit.

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Ethan Oblak | Daily Texan Staff

QUICK HITS Keys to the Game PAGE 5 By the Numbers PAGE 6 Scenarios PAGE 7 Matchups PAGE 9 Players to Watch PAGE 12 Heisman Watch PAGE 14 Games to Watch PAGE 15 Big 12 Power Rankings PAGE 17

After bouncing between schoools and enduring a concussion, Clint Trickett is exceeding expectations.

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EDITOR’S NOTE The win over Texas Tech appears to have given the Longhorns new life as they continue to chase a bowl birth. The stout Texas secondary will have its hands full trying to contain Clint Trickett, Kevin White and the high-flying West Virginia offense in Austin this weekend, but they’ll need to do just that to keep their postseason dreams alive. Will Tyrone Swoopes and the Longhorn offense be able to keep up or will Texas suffer its fifth Top-25 loss of the season?

Stefan Scrafield, Double Coverage Editor

DOUBLE presents

COVERAGE Vol. 9, Issue 10

Friday, November 7, 2014

Writers: Evan Berkowitz Garrett Callahan Nick Castillo Daniel Clay Jori Epstein Sebastian Herrera Drew Lieberman Jacob Martella Peter Sblendorio

Double Coverage Editor...............................................................................Stefan Scrafield Design Editor................................................................................................Omar Longoria Photo Editor..................................................................................................Shelby Tauber Copy Editor............................................................................................................Taiki Miki

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Friday, November 7, 2014

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Ethan Oblak | Daily Texan Staff

Longhorn quarterback Tyrone Swoopes has been inconsistent this season, shining against some of the best defenses in the country only to falter against some of the weaker teams in the Big 12. He’ll have to be better for Texas to reach a bowl game.

Bowl game likely out of reach for Texas

By Garrett Callahan Daily Texan Columnist @CallahanGarrett

With three games left in the season, Texas is facing the same fate it did at this point four years ago.

At 4-5, the Longhorns must win two of their next three games to become bowl eligible and avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2010 — their only losing season under former head coach Mack Brown.

Brown’s team also had only four wins with three games remaining, but only won one.

However, with two top-25 teams left on the schedule, including one that has a shot at a College Football Playoff berth, Texas will most likely find itself out of bowl contention by the end of head coach Charlie Strong’s first season,

much like the 2010 team.

In the last four years, Texas has beaten just three top-25 teams, all on the road, and the Longhorns have yet to beat a ranked opponent at home since 2008, losing 13 such contests in that time period.

Furthermore, an unranked Texas team hasn’t beaten a ranked foe since 1998.

The numbers tell the story — Texas has struggled mightily against topranked teams. This season alone, the Longhorns are 0-4 against ranked teams, although they came close to winning against UCLA and Oklahoma.

“Everyone’s ready to turn that around,” junior center Taylor Doyle said. “We’re excited to be back at home and have the support of our crowd. Everyone’s fired up and ready to prepare to go

out and play this game.”

However, playing at home may not be much of an advantage for Texas, which has struggled at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this season.

The Longhorns have won just two games on home turf this year and both have come against lowly opponents — North Texas and Iowa State.

But for Texas to become bowl eligible, it must beat at least one top-25 team at home.

While possible, it will be a difficult task for a Longhorn team that has struggled to put together a complete game in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams — this season. The execution has been inconsistent, and Texas’ offense has had little spark, despite sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swoopes’ slight improvements throughout the season.

However, the Longhorns

demonstrated clear progression in last Saturday’s 34-13 win over Texas Tech, putting up their highest point total in a road game this season. But one good performance hasn’t necessarily led to another for these Longhorns.

After putting up 48 points against Iowa State a few weeks ago, Texas travelled to Manhattan, Kansas, and got shut out by the Wildcats the following week. And, back in September, the Longhorns came close to beating a top-15 UCLA team, only to return home flat-footed against Baylor.

Texas may be able to pull out a win against Oklahoma State, a team that has been equally inconsistent this season. However, it will struggle against West Virginia and TCU. And if history is any indication, Strong will find himself with a lot of free time come December.

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Friday, November 7, 2014

STEP UP

By Nick Castillo @Nick_Castillo74

Cedric Reed

Where has the senior defensive end been this season? The 6-foot-2-inch, 272-pound Cleveland, Texas, native hasn’t had the impact he was expected to have this season.

Reed was placed on multiple 2014 award watch lists in the preseason – Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy and Ted Hendricks Award – after having a great junior season.

But this season, Reed only has 38 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. The Longhorns need more from Reed, as they fight for two more wins to become bowl eligible. More importantly, Texas needs Reed to step up so they can pull off the win against West Virginia on Saturday.

Tyrone Swoopes Ethan Oblak | Daily Texan Staff

When Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes is at his best, so are the Longhorns. Swoopes has been great at times, but struggled as well. He’ll have to be the former to beat West Virginia.

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Swoopes was on this list last week because it was imperative that he step up against Texas Tech after a poor performance against Kansas State. But, after a rebound game against the Red Raiders — throwing for 228 yards and a touchdown — Swoopes is on the list for a different reason.

The Longhorns need Swoopes to step up and be consistent. If Texas is going to beat the Mountaineers and keep its bowl hopes alive, Swoopes needs to play his best. The Longhorns can’t afford for the sophomore quarterback to digress. They need him to keep getting better.

Defensive backs

Unsurprisingly, the defense has become the cornerstone of Charlie Strong’s team this season. Against Texas Tech, the Texas defense held the Red Raiders to 225 yards. The Longhorns will need their defensive backs to step up and continue to play well in order to beat West Virginia. The Mountaineers rank 11th in passing yards per game, with 325.8 yards per contest, so Texas will need its secondary to step up and contain West Virginia’s passing attack.

Nick Rose

The junior kicker had a pretty rough start to his season, but he’s continued to improve throughout the year. Against Texas Tech, Rose hit 2-of-3 field goals, including a careerlong 46-yarder. While Rose has continued to improve this season, they will need him to be perfect this week. Texas needs its kicker to step up and lead the team to victory over the Mountaineers to get one step closer to bowl eligibility.

Defensive end Cedric Reed, seen here blocking for the fieldgoal unit, has struggled to live up to the lofty expectations that accompanied him in the preseason.

Ethan Oblak Daily Texan Staff

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KEYS TO THE GAME

By Daniel Clay @Dclay567

WHITE-OUT West Virginia Senior Kevin White may be the most dynamic receiver in the country. The transfer from Lackawanna College has raked in 1,075 receiving yards, third-highest total in the nation, and eight touchdowns.

Junior corner Duke Thomas will likely line up across the superstar receiver, as senior Quandre Diggs continues to line up over the slot receiver. Opposing quarterbacks will pick on Thomas regardless of who he faces, and West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett could have a field day if Texas cannot find a way to neutralize the Mountaineers’ best offensive weapon.

Thomas and company will have to make sure that they are just as strong after the catch as before. White has the elusiveness to tear through the Longhorn secondary all game long if the Texas defensive backs cannot bring him down on first contact.

START STRONG The Texas offense tends to sputter for a series or two before settling in for sustained drives, but that approach will not be enough Saturday. The Mountaineer offense is explosive enough to score from anywhere on the field, and it has too much talent to falter as the game goes on.

The Longhorns will need to start scoring early and often if they want to hang with a top-25 team like West Virginia. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, West Virginia has excelled on opening drives. The Mountaineers have only given up two opening-drive scores this season, and opponents are averaging a scant 4.4 points in the first quarter.

The odds are against the Longhorns, but the offense has enough talent to light up the scoreboard when firing on all cylinders. Texas will have to do just that if it’s going to knock off the Mountaineers.

KEEP SWOOPES CLEAN Sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swoopes has the arm of an All-American, but he has struggled mightily to make accurate throws against disruptive pass rushes.

Swoopes has a tendency to flinch in the face of oncoming blitzes, leading to wobbly passes that force his receivers to break stride and do all they can to prevent interceptions.

In recent weeks, Swoopes’ best asset has been his deep ball, but it takes time for deep routes to develop. He has yet to show the ability to consistently check out of his first option and accurately hit receivers on short routes over the middle when the deep ball is not there.

The Mountaineers will light up the scoreboard regardless of the opponent.

Swoopes is the key to turning this game into a shoot-out, rather than a blowout, and the offensive line will have to give the youngster enough time to do so.

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BY THE NUMBERS

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60-20-1

By Drew Lieberman @DrewLieberman

The Longhorns’ record in their 10th game of the season — a win percentage of 74 percent. Texas is 1-3 all time when entering a game with a 4-5 record.

2008

The year Texas last defeated a ranked opponent at home.

Since that time, the Longhorns are 0-9 against ranked opponents in Austin.

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The year an unranked Texas team last defeated a ranked opponent at home, beating No. 6 Texas A&M, 26-24.

90.9%

The percentage of red zone trips Mountaineer opponents have scored on this season — the worst percentage in the conference and No. 117 in the nation. They’ve allowed 14 red zone touchdowns on the season. Texas, on the other hand, has the second-best red-zone defense in the Big 12, allowing opponents to score on only 75 percent of trips.

325 Defensive back

3-15

1998

The Big 12 receiving-yardage ranking of West Virginia receiver Kevin White, who leads the conference with 1,075 receiving yards — the third-highest total in the country. Texas senior receiver John Harris enters the game with 814 receiving yards — third most in the Big 12 and 15th best in the nation.

Quandre Diggs

Friday, November 7, 2014

2009

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The last time the Longhorns had a player with 1,000-plus receiving yards in a season — Jordan Shipley finished the year with 1,485. John Harris will reach the 1,000-yard mark if he averages at least 62 receiving yards per game in the final three contests.

30.8%

Texas’ record against AP Top 25 teams since 2011 — an average of one win every six attempts. The Longhorns are 0-4 against top-25 teams this year.

The number of times the home team has won in the Texas-West Virginia football series. The Longhorns fell at home to the Mountaineers in 1956 and 2012, and West Virginia lost in Morgantown last season.

The third-down conversion percentage of West Virginia’s opponents, second best in the Big 12 and 10th best nationally.

The Longhorn offense continues to struggle on third down, as its conversion rate of 33 percent ranks ninth in the conference.

The Longhorns will need to move the chains in order to keep a potent Mountaineer offense off the field.

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The number of sacks the Longhorns have recorded this season, tied with Baylor for the most in the conference. West Virginia enters this weekend having allowed 21 sacks on the season, tied for the second most in the Big 12. It is also worth noting that last season, West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett was knocked out of the game against Texas after getting injured following a sack.

The passing yard average of Trickett — most in the Big 12 and ranked eighth nationally. He will face a Texas defense that allows only 177.3 passing yards per game — best in the conference and ninth in the nation.

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Friday, November 7, 2014

SCENARIOS

By Nick Castillo @Nick_Castillo74

Texas Wins

… If the defense plays up to its standard. After poor performances against Iowa State and Kansas State, the Longhorns rebounded against Texas Tech, only allowing 225 passing yards against the pass-happy Red Raiders. If Texas can get another great performance from the defense, it can expect to become one win closer to bowl eligibility. … If the running game can be productive. Texas hasn’t had the production that it expected from its rushing attack this season.

With two good running backs in senior Malcolm Brown and junior Johnathan Gray, the Longhorns thought the running game would be their offensive identity, but

that plan didn’t come to fruition. But against Texas Tech, the Longhorns finally got their first 100-yard rushing performance from Brown, and they amassed 241 rushing yards. If Texas can get the same production from Brown and Gray against West Virginia, Texas could pull off the upset. … If sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swoopes continues to improve. Swoopes has had a whirlwind season full of ups and downs.

The Longhorns will need Swoopes to be at the top of his game in order to beat West Virginia and keep their bowl hopes alive. … If the special teams are perfect. Junior kicker

Nick Rose had a pretty rough start to his season, but he’s continued to improve throughout the year. The punt-return and kick-return teams have also gotten better each week. If the special teams play an error-free game against the Mountaineers, Texas will be in a good position to win Saturday.

7 Junior running back Johnathan Gray has had a tough time rebounding from the torn Achilles that ended his 2013 campaign.

Texas will need him to be better to get a win against West Virginia.

Ethan Oblak Daily Texan Staff

Texas Loses … If the Longhorns can’t contain West Virginia’s passing attack. The Mountaineers rank 11th in passing yards per game, averaging 325.8 yards per contest. If Texas can’t stop West Virginia’s passing game, it will be a long afternoon. … If Texas can’t stop the Mountaineers’ leading receiver, Kevin White. The senior has recorded 1,075 receiving yards and eight touchdowns this season. If the Longhorns want to

stop West Virginia’s passing attack, it’s imperative that they contain White. … If the Longhorn offense struggles. While it may seem obvious, the Longhorn offense needs to play especially well to pull off a victory Saturday. Against top teams, such as Baylor and Kansas state, the offense has really struggled. Texas needs Swoopes and Co. to be at their best to knock off the Mountaineers.

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MATCHUPS

Friday, November 7, 2014

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By Daniel Clay @dclay567

QB

Advantage: West Virginia

RB

WR

Senior Malcolm Brown finally achieved 100 rushing yards in a single game. However, that came against a terrible Texas Tech defense. More encouraging is the fact that junior Johnathan Gray has started to resurrect the explosiveness that made him a top recruit.

The Mountaineers are built on the passing game, but they are more than capable of working the ground game if they have to. West Virginia has four rushers, including sophomore feature backs Wendell Smallwood and Rushel Shell, who each have at least 50 carries and average four yards per attempt.

Senior Kevin White is electric before and after the catch, and his 1,075 receiving yards are good for the third-highest total in the nation. White’s senior teammate, Mario Alford, and his seven receiving touchdowns will spread out an already thin Texas secondary.

The receivers have been the strength of the Longhorn offense this season, but they had a couple of crucial drops against Texas Tech. Senior John Harris’ efforts have produced great numbers, but his fantastic ability to beat defenders with the ball in the air cannot be quantified.

Advantage: Texas

West Virginia senior Clint Trickett has piloted the Mountaineer offense to an unexpectedly successful season. The pocket passer is a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is given to the nation’s top quarterback, and his 2,925 passing yards rank fourth in the nation.

Sophomore Tyrone Swoopes has improved drastically on passes over 20 yards, and his dangerously underthrown balls have been rare in recent weeks.

Swoopes still needs to learn how to make quick reads under duress and stand tall with pass rushers in his face.

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DL

Advantage: Texas

This unit took a bit of a step back last week, and it will have to get back to form in order to knock off the Mountaineers.

Senior defensive end Cedric Reed has to start making an impact in opposing backfields to help stop the run and save his plummeting draft stock.

Senior defensive end Shaquille Riddick will do his best to disrupt an inexperienced Swoopes and keep the Texas run game at bay. Riddick has recorded a tackle for loss in four straight games, and his six sacks are good for fifth best in the Big 12.

Advantage: West Virginia

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LB

Advantage: Texas

The Longhorn linebacking corps will not have to worry about chasing a mobile quarterback around the field. This unit will instead need to focus its resources on stopping the pass. Senior Jordan Hicks’ two interceptions and 115 tackles serve as evidence that the linebackers should be up to the challenge.

The Mountaineer linebacking corps, led by redshirt junior Nick Kwiatkoski and his nine tackles for loss, are not the flashiest unit on the field, but they get the job done. They have allowed 4.6 yards per attempt — it’s not great, but West Virginia has also faced some of the best rushing attacks in the country.

OL

DB

Advantage: West Virginia

West Virginia’s secondary has made a drastic improvement over the past couple of seasons. Junior safety KJ Dillon has secured two interceptions on the season, and the team has given up just over 200 yards per game despite already playing TCU, Baylor and Alabama.

Junior cornerback Duke Thomas has his flaws, but he will need to play the game of his life to reign in White. The struggles of the safeties — senior Mykkele Thompson and sophomore Dylan Haines — have thrown Bryson Echols, a talented but inexperienced sophomore defensive back, into the mix on nickel and dime packages.

Advantage: West Virginia

West Virginia has trotted out the same front five every game this season, but the unit is not without its faults. Trickett has been sacked 21 times, and the team, as a whole, is averaging just four yards per carry.

Head coach Charlie Strong praised his offensive line’s performance against Texas Tech last week. Texas has started the same offensive line for three straight weeks, but the success could be more a factor of Texas Tech’s terrible front seven than a newfound chemistry.

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ST

Advantage: West Virginia

Even if the Longhorns manage to suppress the powerful Mountaineer offense, they will have their hands full on special teams. Alford is tied for the NCAA lead with two kick return touchdowns, and redshirt sophomore kicker Josh Lambert has hit all four of his 50-plus-yard field goal tries.

Junior Nick Rose hit a 46-yard field goal against Texas Tech, but he also missed very wide on a 37-yarder. Texas will need him to be consistent in order to eke out a bowl appearance. Senior receiver Jaxon Shipley is consistent on punt returns but has yet to make any game-changing plays.

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Friday, November 7, 2014

Longhorn backs finally break through

By Drew Lieberman

By

@DrewLieberman

With veteran running backs — senior Malcolm Brown and junior Johnathan Gray — leading the rushing attack, expectations were high for the Texas ground game in 2014.

Brown finished the 2013 season on a hot streak, rushing for 841 yards in the final eight games and eclipsing the century mark five times. Gray suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in last season’s game against West Virginia but still managed to rack up 780 rushing yards in less than nine complete contests.

Together, they figured to be a dominant one-two punch that would carry the offense. However, that was before injuries and disciplinary issues mangled the offensive line, leaving a unit with only five career starts under its belt enterFor most of the 2014 season, junior running back Johnathan Gray has lacked the explosiveness that made him a top recruit coming out of high school for most of the 2014 season. But, against the Red Raiders, Gray had his best game of the season and will look to continue his hot play at home Saturday.

Jenna VonHofe Daily Texan Staff

ing Texas’ second game of the season.

Predictably, the offensive line struggled to produce holes in that loss to BYU, and the running backs averaged only 2.34 yards per attempt — the lowest per-attempt average since gaining 2.32 yards per carry in a 2011 victory over Texas A&M. But, eight weeks later, the Longhorn rushing attack had its most productive game of the season in last Saturday’s victory over Texas Tech. In total, they gained a season-high 241 yards on the ground, averaging 4.73 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns.

Brown reached triple digits on the ground in the win, becoming the first Longhorn to do so this season.

“It’s really about we just

Youn

Ethan Oblak | Daily Texan Staff

In his final season in Austin, senior running back Malcolm Brown has struggled behind a young offensive line but, against Texas Tech, he went for over 100 yards and two scores.

got some push up front,” Brown said. “I said it before — the offensive line was comfortable, and I could see it throughout practice. It was real simple for them, and it made it a whole lot easier for me. I

definitely did catch a little rhythm, and it just went from there.”

This success on the ground is something the Longhorns hope to be able to build on in the season’s final three games.

“It’s definitely encouraging,” junior center Taylor Doyle said. “It’s very exciting to see our backs run the way they did, and we obviously feed off that as an

RUN GAME page 16

It’s a term you’re ma’s sewing room t for the Texas offens than patchwork.

Offensive line co through the wringer missals, suspensions forced Wickline to u team’s first nine gam Pair the constant along the Longhorns been pretty.

“It’s definitely been Taylor Doyle said. “I ing like this, but it’s b That process has line’s inability to open its quarterback has ta inconsistency.

But, in being for weren’t prepared for, incredible rate and is weekly basis.

“We have guys, inc way and had to step of the leaders up fro games prior to this se go. Fortunately, we’re line leading the way Wickline is certai Long revered as one the country at Oklah coach Charlie Strong added title of offensi No coach inherite Wickline, and that w center Dom Espinosa for the season.

Despite the slew o the compensation law him, Wickline has f bad situation.

“I say it all the tim of that offensive line group because they j But, as much as W ponential improvem are going out and pe In doing so, th teammates.

“It’s just a whole through, so it’s defin senior running back those guys for adjust Brown, of all peop

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ng line improving under Wickline’s tutelage Stefan Scrafield

@StefanScrafield

more likely to hear in your grandthan in a football locker room, but sive line, there’s no better description

oach Joe Wickline’s group has been r this season. A combination of diss, injuries and underperformance has use 10 different linemen through the mes. flux with the incredible inexperience s’ offensive front, and the result hasn’t

n an interesting process,” junior center I don’t know if anyone saw it happenbeen exactly that — a process.” been a difficult one, as the offensive n up holes in the run game and protect aken a lot of the blame for the offense’s

rced into a position they evidently , the ragtag bunch has developed at an s making obvious improvements on a

cluding myself, who have come a long up,” said Doyle, who has become one ont despite having only played in two eason. “But we still have a long way to e in a great position with Coach Wickand teaching us as we go.” inly deserving of a lot of the credit. e of the top offensive line coaches in homa State, he was handpicked by head g to join the new staff at Texas with the ive coordinator. ed a more inexperienced group than was before his two best players, senior a and tackle Kennedy Estelle, were lost

of personnel issues, compounded by wsuit Oklahoma State brought against found a way to make the most of a

me, but we squeeze every ounce out e,” Strong said. “It’s fun to watch that just go out and compete.”

Wickline may be responsible for the exment, it is the five guys on the field who erforming each week. hey’ve earned the respect of their

lot of stuff this offensive line went nitely great to see them succeeding,” k Malcolm Brown said. “I’m proud of ting the way they did.” ple, should be most excited about

OFFENSE page 16

Above: The Longhorn offensive line has been devastated by dismissals, suspensions and injury this season, but the patchwork group is starting to show signs of improvement under new coach Joe Wickline.

Left: The offense’s front line turned in its best performance of the season on the road against Texas Tech last weekend, resulting in a big game for the Longhorn running backs.

Photos by Jenna VonHofe (above), Ethan Oblak (left) Daily Texan Staff

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

By Peter Sblendorio @petersblendorio

Quarterback Clint Trickett Trickett has arguably been the Big 12’s best quarterback this season, leading the conference with 2,925 passing yards and a 151.9 passer efficiency rating. He’s already passed for a career-high 18 touchdowns on the year, and his 67.5 percent completion rate ranks eighth in the nation among FBS quarterbacks. Consistency has been key for Trickett, as he’s thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game this season and has passed for at least 300 yards seven different times. Trickett struggled in less-than-ideal weather last week against TCU, but he has turned in an impressive senior campaign overall. Texas has done a good job limiting some of the Big 12’s best passing attacks, but Trickett presents what might be its biggest challenge so far.

Wide receiver Kevin White

Photo by Dale Sparks

West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett spent the first three years of his college career as a backup at Florida State. Now in his second season with the Mountaineers, the senior is proving to be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12.

Trickett leads surprising Mountaineers

By Jori Epstein @JoriEpstein

Much of the West Virginia team travelling to Austin this weekend will enter Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium with fond memories.

Boasting a 2-0 all-time program record in Austin, veteran Mountaineers remember garnering a suspenseful 48-45 win in 2012 against then-No. 11 Texas.

But, senior quarterback Clint Trickett travels south without any memories or expectations. After transferring to West Virginia from Florida State in May 2013, Trickett will make his Austin debut Saturday.

“It’ll be a first time for me,” Trickett said. “Every year’s a different year; we’re completely different from

last year and so are [the Longhorns]. I heard it’s a fun place to play — that you can feel the atmosphere and pageantry.”

Trickett’s seen his own share of atmosphere and pageantry between his time at Florida State and West Virginia. Under the rule of then-head coach Bill Stewart, the Mountaineers didn’t recruit Trickett out of high school because, as he says, “they ran a different offense than I did.”

But when Geno Smith left Morgantown, Trickett saw an opening. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social science from Florida State in three years and is now pursuing a master’s in communication studies while playing football for the Mountaineers.

Even at West Virginia,

Trickett has little experience playing against Texas. But the results of his minimal playing time are memorable.

When Texas played at West Virginia last year, Trickett completed only two passes for 31 yards and was sacked four times for a loss of 26 yards over the course of five plays. Before the end of the first quarter, Trickett was sidelined by a concussion.

“He got his bell rung,” said Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia’s head coach, after the game. “He was knocked out there for a bit. He was back on the sidelines a little bit later, so I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Eventually, Trickett was fine, but he missed the Mountaineers’ embarrassing 31-19 loss at Kansas as a

result of the head injury.

Now, he faces a Texas defense led by senior cornerback Quandre Diggs, who hit Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech’s freshman quarterback, so hard last week that Tech officials were forced to administer concussion tests and remove Mahomes from the game. The risk doesn’t faze Trickett. “[Concussions are] part of the game — I’ve had a couple,” Trickett said. “Texas will always have good players on defense. The offense will need to keep guys off my back, and it’s my job to get rid of the ball. It’s a collective effort.”

Coming off a 31-30 loss to No. 6 TCU, in which they turned the ball over five times, Trickett and the

MOUNTAINEERS page 16

Coming off an impressive junior season in 2013, White has emerged as one of college football’s top playmakers.

Through nine games, the senior ranks third in the nation in receptions and receiving yards with 75 and 1,075, respectively, and he’s tied for eighth with eight touchdown grabs.

White recorded at least 100 receiving yards in each of his first seven games this season, and he’s already hauled in double-digit receptions on four occasions. At 6 feet 3 inches and 210 pounds, he has the size and skill set of a bona fide No. 1 receiver, and he’s been just that this season. The Longhorns will be hard-pressed to slow down this matchup nightmare.

Wide receiver Mario Alford Although White has overshadowed him at times this season, Alford is in the midst of an impressive season of his own. The senior ranks second on the team with 48 receptions, 679 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, and he’s tallied at least five catches in five games this season.

Alford has been playing well of late, hauling in a touchdown in three consecutive games. At 5 feet 9 inches and 177 pounds, he doesn’t have nearly the size advantage that White possesses, but that hasn’t stopped him from recording three 100-yard receiving efforts through nine games.

With the defense focusing so much on White, Alford could be in for a big day against the Longhorns.

Running back Rushel Shell Shell joins Wendell Smallwood, fellow sophomore running back, to create a dynamic backfield combination for the Mountaineers. Each back has rushed for more than 530 yards on over 100 carries thus far, but Shell has emerged as the more effective player because of his ability to find the end zone. Shell leads West Virgina with six rushing touchdowns, while Smallwood only has one. Even though Shell has seen a drop in carries over the last two weeks, he makes for a solid goal-line option because of his stout 5-foot-10inch, 215-pound frame.

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14

HEISMAN WATCH

Friday, November 7, 2014

By Sebastian Herrera @SebasAHerrera

TCU junior Trevone Boykin was a receiver for the Horned Frogs just a year ago, but now he’s in the midst of the Heisman conversation as one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

1. Oregon QB Marcus Mariota Last week (W, 45-16 vs. Stanford): 19-for-30, 258 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 INT, 85 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs 2014: 2,541 passing yards, 26 passing TDs, 2 INTs, 410 rushing yards, 7 rushing TDs Of all the great things Mariota had accomplished, beating Stanford wasn’t on that list until last week. Mariota led the Ducks to their first win over the Cardinal in three years. And if that’s not enough proof of just how well Mariota is playing right now, then consider his statistics. Four total touchdowns and 343 allpurpose yards against Stanford were more than enough to dispel the greatest demon of Mariota’s time at Oregon. The pre-season Heisman favorite

somehow appears to be getting better and better each week. As Oregon’s chances to get into the College Football Playoff increase, so will Mariota’s Heisman odds.

5.

2. Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott

4. Alabama WR Amari Cooper

Last week (W, 17-10, vs. Arkansas): 18-for-27, 331 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 2 INTs, 61 rushing yards 2014: 2,025 passing yards, 16 passing TDs, 7 INTs, 725 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs

Last week: BYE 2014: 71 receptions, 1,132 receiving yards, 9 receiving TDs

Elisabeth Dillon Daily Texan file photo

You can’t play inconsistently and expect to sit atop the Heisman race, and Prescott is no exception. He’s played like a star most of the season, but his three interceptions in the last two games and nail-biting victories over average teams are not going to cut it by the time the Heisman winner is announced in December. Prescott has still kept his Bulldogs undefeated and ranked first in the nation, but he’s got to regain his consistency if he’s going to win this award.

Cooper has been one of the biggest reasons for Alabama’s rebound after the Oct. 4 loss to Ole Miss. In the three wins since that loss, Cooper has totaled 386 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Two weeks ago against Tennessee, his 224 receiving yards were more than the Volunteers’ total passing yardage in the contest, and he accounted for 78 percent of the Tide’s passing yardage total. It’s been simple this season — when Cooper has a good game, the Tide win big. With four regular-season games left, it’ll be up to him to push the Crimson Tide into the playoff.

3. Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon

5. TCU QB Trevone Boykin

Last week (W, 37-0, vs. Rutgers): 19 attempts, 128 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs 2014: 173 attempts, 1,296 rushing yards, 18 rushing TDs, 1 receiving TD

Last week (W, 31-30, vs. West Virginia): 12-for-30, 166 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 1 INT, 49 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD 2014: 2,472 passing yards, 22 passing TDs, 4 INTs, 423 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs

It’s been more than two months since the last time Gordon failed to reach 100 rushing yards in a game. Now that you’ve let that sink in, here’s another stat that puts the 6-foot-1-inch, 213-pound junior in a class of his own: this season, Gordon has accounted for more than a third of his team’s total offense. As a running back, there’s not much more you can do for your team.

Gordon has also scored at least one rushing touchdown in each of his last six games and is rushing for 162 yards per game — the second-highest average in the country.

Just how potent has Boykin made his TCU offense this season? The answer can be found in TCU’s embarrassment of Texas Tech two weeks ago. In that game, Boykin threw for 433 passing yards and a school-record seven touchdowns, as TCU throttled the Red Raiders, 82-27 — highest ever point total for a Big 12 conference matchup. Beyond that contest, Boykin has been the centerpiece of a TCU offense that is ranked second in scoring offense, third in total offense and sixth in passing offense in the nation. With the Dallas native under center, the Horned Frogs have yet to score less than 30 points in a game.

15

Friday, November 7, 2014

GAMES TO WATCH

15

By Jacob Martella @ViewFromTheBox

No. 12 Baylor at No. 15 Oklahoma

No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 9 Arizona State

Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, Oklahoma Saturday, 11:00 a.m.

Fox Sports 1

Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, Arizona Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

ABC

Before the season began, this was the de facto Big 12 title game in many people’s minds. Many picked the two teams to finish atop the conference in the preseason, but it hasn’t quite panned out that way. Baylor had to climb back from a 21-point deficit at home against TCU and then lost at West Virginia. Baylor senior quarterback Bryce Petty has not had the same season he did a year ago, with a mere 54.8 completion percentage, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, is already out of contention for the conference crown after losing to TCU and Kansas State. Sophomore quarterback Trevor Knight has had issues, sporting a 3-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

That being said, this is still a big game for both teams. Baylor can still claim the title but obviously needs a win to keep that dream alive, while Oklahoma is looking to save face and avoid a disappointing season.

Both teams, with one loss each, are more or less out of the playoff picture at the moment, but given that there are more upsets likely to come, they’re still technically alive, and a win would go a long way in keeping them in the hunt. Notre Dame bounced back from its loss at Florida State with a come-from-behind win over Navy last week, and, despite missing all of last year, senior quarterback Everett Golson has played well, with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Arizona State, on the other hand, has quietly put together a solid season so far, with the lone blemish being a blowout loss to UCLA in September. Senior quarterback Tyler Kelly is coming back from an injury but has thrown nine touchdowns and just two interceptions this season. It may not have the conference rivalry element, but this game could be very big in determining who might sneak into the playoffs.

No. 7 Kansas State at No. 6 TCU Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, Texas Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

FOX Fort Worth will play host to what might end up being the Big 12 title game this weekend between Kansas State and TCU — two teams most people didn’t believe would contend for the conference crown this season. The Wildcats have quietly put together a solid team — as they always seem to do — that can compete with just about anybody in the nation and are only a few missed field goals from being undefeated. Senior quarterback Jake Waters has done it all on offense this season, with 11 passing touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns. TCU has vaulted itself into the playoff conversation following an upset of Oklahoma and an impressive win at West Virginia last week.

Redshirt junior quarterback Trevone Boykin has played great, with 2,472 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Technically, this won’t necessarily decide the Big 12 title — Baylor owns the tiebreaker over TCU, and there are still a few games to be played — but there’s a good chance it will determine who represents the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff.

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16

Friday, November 7, 2014

RUN GAME continues from page 10

Photo by Pete Emerson

West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White has been one of the best pass catchers in the nation this season, leading the Big 12 in receiving yards and touchdowns. The senior possesses ideal size and speed to be successful at the next level.

MOUNTAINEERS continues from page 12 Mountaineers are playing with a chip on their shoulder. Trickett says his team isn’t turnover-prone, and they’re ready to put the loss behind them and reboot before playing in Austin.

“It doesn’t sit too well, but we’re a mature team, and we’ve won a couple like this,” Trickett said. “That’s just how college football is.

Especially when playing a team like Texas at Texas, there’s no time to sit and sulk.”

For Trickett, last year’s 4-8 season and his injury were “a down.” But this season — No. 24 West Virginia sits at 6-3 with Trickett boasting a 67.5 percent completion rate for 2,925 yards and 18 touchdowns — is “more up.”

It’s his first season of sustained success at the college level but far from his first experience on a good football team. Trickett’s been surrounded by the game his entire life

touchdowns.

“Coach [Wickline] put a lot of emphasis on drive the five — get our five guys on their five guys — and it was exciting to see us have a little success,” Doyle said.

As they’ve had a chance

looks like he has fully recovered from last year’s injury.

In particular, on a 17-yard touchdown run in the second quarter last weekend, he cut around a Texas Tech safety for the score — a move that he did not seem to be able to make in the early weeks of the season. “[On] the touchdown run, the move he made on the safety to create the run, the finish of the run, was something you don’t see a lot,” Watson said.

For the first time all season, both backs played at a high level at the same time, finally proving how potent the duo could be together.

The Longhorns hope to continue their success on the ground this weekend against a Mountaineer defense that has surrendered 200 or more rushing yards in four out of nine contests. West Virginia dropped three of those four games.

It doesn’t sit too well, but we’re a mature team, and we’ve won a couple like this. That’s just how college football is.

—Clint Trickett, Senior QB, WVU

— his father is a former Mountaineer and current Florida State offensive line coach. He’s benefitted greatly from having a livein coach, and Texas senior receiver John Harris sees the results of Trickett’s life

of football.

“He has a lot of competitiveness to him — you can see it on film,” Harris said.

“He took a big hit this weekend, [but] the kid got up and kept playing. He’s a great quarterback.”

to develop chemistry on the field, the once misfits have grown closer off the field, too, and the coaching staff is taking notice.

“That group of guys [is] kind of finding a nucleus,” Strong said. “The offensive line is such a special bond,

and they’re just playing as well as they can play.”

Like a well-made quilt in grandma’s sewing room, the Longhorn offensive line appears to be slowly going from a patchwork bunch to a tight-knit group.

It’s a process.

OFFENSE continues from page 11 the offensive line’s development. Last week, when the big guys in front of him turned in their best performance of the season, Brown did also, surpassing the 100-yard plateau for the first time all season and scoring a couple

offensive line.”

But Texas’ improvements running the football are not just a result of better offensive line play.

“I think you have to put into not only the offensive line but the tight ends and the fullback and then our H, which is our lead — our adjuster that does the same work a fullback does for us,” said Shawn Watson, Texas’ assistant head coach for the offense. “Those kids all played really well.”

In particular, the tight ends — freshman Andrew Beck and senior Geoff Swaim — have played a crucial role in lead blocking to open up some holes for the backs.

“They’re doing so many things with this offense, and they’re so important to this offense, and they know that, and they’ve been doing a great job handling it,” Brown said.

Meanwhile, Gray finally

Ethan Oblak | Daily Texan Staff

Malcolm Brown (28) and fellow running back Johnathan Gray are looking to make a habit of solid performances like the one they put together against Texas Tech last weekend.

check out

ONLINE

stories videos photo galleries dailytexanonline.com

Friday, November 7, 2014

17

BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS

By Evan Berkowitz @Evan_Berkowitz

1

No. 6

TCU

6

Oklahoma State

2

No. 7

Kansas State

7

Texas

3

No. 15

Oklahoma

8

Iowa State

4

No. 23

West Virginia

9

Texas Tech

5

No. 12

Baylor

10

The Horned Frogs escaped West Virginia with a win to keep their hopes alive of winning the Big 12 championship and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff. They have a monumental matchup Saturday against Kansas State. After that, the Horned Frogs face Kansas, Texas and Iowa State — all teams with a losing record. With junior quarterback Trevone Boykin leading the nation’s second best offense and a defense holding opponents to just over 22 points per game, there’s no reason why TCU shouldn’t be able to run the table.

As each week passes, the loss to Auburn hurts more and more. Auburn is the No. 3 team in the nation, and the Wildcats had them, if only kicker Jack Cantele hadn’t missed three field goals in the 6-point loss. But since then, Matthew McCrane has taken over the kicking duties and is a perfect 8-for-8, and Kansas State has yet to lose. Senior Jake Waters is one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 and is very capable of leading his Wildcats to a perfect finish against the toughest remaining schedule of TCU, Baylor and West Virginia.

Two close losses hurt the Sooners, but that doesn’t make them any worse. They are a well-rounded team with a top-10 offense and a stingy defense. After trampling Iowa State in a bounce-back performance, they host Baylor on what should be a great day of football in the Big 12. Quarterback Trevor Knight is starting to find his rhythm, and that’s scary for the rest of the Big 12.

A close loss to TCU hurts, but the Mountaineers didn’t look bad. They had TCU on the ropes and let it slip away. Quarterback Clint Trickett is putting up a monster year for the Mountaineers, leading them to an incredible resurgence after last year’s debacle. He had a rough game against TCU but is still top five in the nation in passing yardage. Pair him up with receiver Kevin White, and you have one of the deadliest combos in the Big 12.

The Bears’ offense is really good — everyone knows that. But in their two games against teams with winning records, they gave up 58 and 41 points. They can’t count on their offense to bail them out of those kinds of games too often. They face-off against Oklahoma on Saturday, and, afterwards, things don’t get much easier as they end the season against Kansas State.

There’s still a big gap between the Cowboys and the Big 12’s top-five teams. They’ve lost three in a row in ugly fashion, and, in their final three games, they get Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma. They need to win one of those games to become bowl eligible, and only one looks winnable given the way the Cowboys are playing right now.

The Longhorns beat up Texas Tech’s backups, but they weren’t entirely dominant. Their offense is sluggish, and the defense is beatable. Unsurprisingly, Texas’ best unit is its secondary, which ranks ninth in the nation in pass yards allowed.

Oklahoma beat them up, but they have Kansas and Texas Tech next on their schedule. That’s good news for the Cyclones, who are 0-5 in Big 12 play but have kept it close. Although their offense is respectable, their defense is atrocious, allowing nearly 40 points per game. Their offense isn’t good enough to compensate for that.

If Iowa State’s defense is atrocious, then we need a new word to describe the Red Raider defense. They are allowing over 41 points per game, and they haven’t even played Baylor or Oklahoma. Yikes. Remember when Kliff Kingsbury was touted as the best up-andcoming coach in the nation? Yeah, that feels like a long time ago.

Kansas

Former head coach Charlie Weis is gone, the basketball season is only a couple weeks away and they host Iowa State this weekend. Things are looking up for Jayhawk fans.

17

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18

Friday, November 7, 2014

FRAMES featured photo

Jenna VonHofe | Daily Texan Staff

Sophomore defensive back Bryson Echols battles Texas Tech wide receiver Bradley Marquez for a jump ball in last Saturdays’s game. The Longhorns beat the Red Raiders, 34-13.

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19

STAFF PICKS

Friday, November 7, 2014

19

EVAN BERKOWITZ

GARRETT CALLAHAN

NICK CASTILLO

DANIEL CLAY

JORI EPSTEIN

SEBASTIAN HERRERA

DREW LIEBERMAN

JACOB MARTELLA

PETER SBLENDORIO

STEFAN SCRAFIELD

8-2

5-5

6-4

9-1

7-3

7-3

6-4

8-2

7-3

7-3

Overall Record

57-33

55-35

57-33

61-29

60-30

61-29

57-33

63-27

63-27

57-33

West Virginia vs.

Texas

West Virginia 44-17

West Virginia 24-17

Texas 27-24

West Virginia 34-17

Texas 31-30

West Virginia 30-20

Texas 28-27

Texas 31-28

West Virginia 35-21

West Virginia 31-24

Oregon vs.

Utah

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Alabama

Alabama

LSU

Alabama

LSU

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Kansas State vs.

TCU

TCU

TCU

TCU

Kansas State

TCU

TCU

TCU

Kansas State

TCU

Kansas State

Ohio State vs.

Michigan State

Michigan State

Michigan State

Michigan State

Michigan State

Michigan State

Michigan State

Michigan State

Michigan State

Michigan State

Michigan State

Notre Dame vs.

Arizona State

Arizona State

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Arizona State

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Arizona State

Baylor vs.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Baylor

Baylor

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Baylor

Baylor

Oklahoma

Baylor

Baylor

Louisville vs.

Boston College

Louisville

Boston College

Louisville

Louisville

Louisville

Louisville

Louisville

Louisville

Louisville

Louisville

Minnesota

Iowa

Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota

Iowa

Iowa

Minnesota

Minnesota

Iowa

Northwestern

Michigan

Michigan

Michigan

Northwestern

Northwestern

Michigan

Michigan

Last Week’s Record

Alabama vs.

LSU

Iowa vs.

Minnesota

Michigan vs.

Northwestern

Northwestern Northwestern

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