Double Coverage 2013-09-06 by The Daily Texan

THE DAILY TEXAN PRESENTS

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

VOL. 8, ISSUE 3

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2 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

THELINEUP 3

Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan Staff

Jaxon Shipley congratulates David Ash after a 55-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of Texas’ 56-7 win over New Mexico State last week. Ash also threw four touchdown passes.

GETTING OUT OF THE GATE

Texas gained 715 yards last week, a school record. Its offense proved to be capable of great things. So why did it not get off to a better start, and is the problem fixed?

HITTING THE ROAD

The recent struggles the Longhorns have had at home have not kept them from winning on the road. Texas faces a BYU team this week that has been just as good at home.

Cover photo: No. 28 Malcolm Brown / Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan Staff

PREVIEWS&NOTEBOOKS 10 13 14 15

MATCHUPS

GAMES TO WATCH KEYS TO THE GAME

REED COMING UP BIG

Forced into a bigger role than he was ready for last season, junior defensive end Cedric Reed is becoming a dominant force opposite Jackson Jeffcoat on Texas’ defensive line.

CONTAINING KYLE VAN NOY

If you don’t know who Kyle Van Noy is yet, you’ll find out soon. The BYU linebacker is a bona fide All-American, a likely top-10 pick in next year’s NFL Draft and lives in opponents’ backfields.

TEXAN STAFF PICKS

ONLINE PLAYERS TO WATCH THE DAILY TEXAN PRESENTS

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

VOL. 8, ISSUE 3

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 ....................................................Wes Maulsby ...............................................Darren Mitchell ...............................................Stefan Scrafield ....................................................Matt Warden ..............................................Rachel Wenzlaff

SAME FACE, NEW PLACE

A two-year starter at cornerback, Quandre Diggs is thriving in his new role as Texas’ nickel back, a spot filled last season by current Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro.

EDITOR’SNOTE Once the scoreboard was up and running again, Texas lit it up. It took longer than many hoped, but the Longhorns scored 56 points and gained a school-record 715 yards in a blowout win over New Mexico State last Saturday. This week’s game promises to be a much bigger challenge as Texas travels to Provo, where BYU has been tough to beat under longtime head coach Bronco Mendenhall. Keep in mind the Longhorns have been one of the nation’s best road teams under Mack Brown.

3 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

Slow start will prove more costly vs. BYU By Christian Corona Double Coverage Editor @ChristianC0rona

There shouldn’t be a lot to complain about after a team racks up a school-record 715 yards and scores 56 points. But when you consider that none of those points came in the first 28 minutes, there’s cause for concern heading into Saturday’s game against BYU. Facing a New Mexico State team that went 1-11 last year and gave up the fifth-most points per game in the country, the Longhorns committed three turnovers and trailed the Aggies, 7-0, with two minutes left in the second quarter. Texas won’t be able to get away with a start like that this week when it faces a BYU team ranked third in both points (14.0) and yards allowed (266.1) per game last year. “There’s no doubt we were ready to go,” senior wide receiver Mike Davis, who fumbled on Texas’ opening drive, said. “I just feel like not all 11 men were doing everything correct. I’m not pointing fingers but somebody probably wasn’t doing their job.” Davis made up for the miscue, catching five passes for 63 yards and an acrobatic fourth-quarter touchdown. David Ash, who threw two early interceptions, racked up a career-high 414 yards and scored five touchdowns. “We definitely left some points out on the field,” Ash said of the 56-7 win. “I don’t think there was a point in the game when everybody decided we’re going to play hard or not or if we’re going to quit. It never came to that. It was always like, ‘That was not good but it’s going to happen on the next play.’” Ash was picked off by walk-on linebacker Andrew Barnard in the second quarter of that victory, the

DAVIS page 4 Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan Staff

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4 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

Longhorns hope to continue road success By Peter Sblendorio @petersblendorio

With a maximum capacity of nearly 101,000 people, Darrell K. RoyalTexas Memorial Stadium is the sixth-largest venue in college football. This figures to give the Longhorns a considerable advantage every time they take the field in Austin, but over the past three years, Texas has fared far better in front of their opponent’s fans. In the last three seasons, Texas compiled a 9-4 record in opposing stadiums while going a pedestrian 10-9 at home. The Longhorns face their first opportunity of 2013 to continue their road success this Saturday, when they travel to Provo, Utah to take on BYU. Many of the players believe playing away from home goes a long way in unifying the team. This list includes junior quarterback David Ash, who led Texas to a 66-31 blowout of Ole Miss in Oxford and a come-frombehind 41-36 victory over Oklahoma State in Stillwater the following weekend.

“The road games are always cool because it’s you against the world,” junior quarterback David Ash said. “Just you and your teammates with a common goal. You have to come together because there are a lot of things that are against you. It will be cool to see how we come together.” The Longhorns played particularly well on the road last season, when they won their first four games in opposing venues before dropping the regular season finale at Kansas State. Much of this success can be attributed to Texas’ roster being full of players that legitimately enjoy road affairs. “I love going on the road,” junior defensive back Quandre Diggs said. “You get something different each and every weekend when you go on the road and go to another team’s stadium. It’s going to be a great atmosphere on Saturday, and I’ve been looking forward to it for a while.” Another reason for the Longhorns’ confidence in road games is due to their experience. The Longhorns

—David Ash, quarterback

return 19 starters from the 2012 team, and head coach Mack Brown believes this experience makes the trip to Provo easier to prepare for. “It’s so much better,” Brown said. “I always enjoy the road. The adversity is tougher. The crowd is against you. I just think it pulls your

team together more when you’re traveling. This team is experienced. We’re going to be fine, just take care of the ball. Last year, two years ago, it would have been very much different.” While the Longhorns relish lining up in front of their home crowd, senior guard

Trey Hopkins believes that the energy from the opposing crowds can be used as inspiration. “It’s that underdog mentality,” Hopkins said. “It just kind of makes you a little bit more anxious to prove yourself when you’re on the road when everybody is going

against you, especially going in to a great place like Provo.” Beating BYU is no small feat, especially since the Cougars are 11-2 at home over the past two seasons. That said, it is hard to believe there is player in the Texas locker room not up for the challenge.

“We’re really trying to work on getting a fast start. That’s something that we work on in practice. If we can go ahead and score that first drive and just get the momentum going, I think that will help us in the long run.” Although Andrew McDonald’s touchdown toss to Joshua Bowen in the corner of the end zone was the culmination of the 28-minute meltdown, the Longhorns

defense played well in the opener. In the other four possessions New Mexico State entered Texas territory, it committed three turnovers and ended another drive with a turnover on downs. “Our job is to stop people and we did that,” senior cornerback Carrington Byndom said. “We did a good job of that, only allowing one touchdown in the first half. We were just holding on

until the offense got into their groove. That’s our job. When one side of the ball isn’t doing well, we’re there to pick up the slack.” As disappointing as the first 28 minutes of the Longhorns’ season was, how productive they were in the final 32 minutes of their season opener shouldn’t be overlooked. After scoring touchdowns of 50 yards or more six times last season, Texas

scored four such touchdowns last Saturday. The Longhorns ripped off 11 rushes of at least 10 yards and six passes of at least 15 yards, including a 54-yard scoring strike to John Harris and a 66-yard touchdown to Daje Johnson on consecutive throws. After being shutout for the first 28:12, Texas reeled off touchdowns on five consecutive drives, scoring 35 unanswered points in a

8:37 span. “We could have dominated a little bit more,” junior running back Malcolm Brown said. “We know what we can do and we know how we can play but, at the same time, we know we did make those mistakes and we need to start a whole lot better than we did.” That’s how they’ll need to play for 60 minutes this weekend.

The road games are always cool because it’s you against the world.

DAVIS

continues from page 3 Longhorns’ third turnover in their first five drives. He’ll be going up against a defense that includes AllAmerican linebacker and projected top-10 pick Kyle Van Noy when Texas travels to Provo this week. “That’s something that can’t happen,” junior wide receiver Jaxon Shipley said.

Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan Staff

In four road starts last season, all Texas wins, David Ash threw for 957 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 71.6 percent of his passes. The Longhorns travel to Provo for their first road game of the year against BYU.

5 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

Reed becoming dominant force on D-line By Garrett Callahan @callahangarrett

In 2011, the Longhorns brought in 22 new commits who created a bond that promised to help change the fortunes of a Texas program that went 5-7 the previous season. Head coach Mack Brown has been recruiting players who grew up watching the Longhorns in their glory days. One of those recruits, who vowed to do just that, was a young Cedric Reed from Cleveland, Texas. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz intended to redshirt Reed his freshman year but didn’t get that opportunity due to injuries. Instead, Reed played in seven games but only recorded three tackles. Through his sophomore season, however, the 6-foot6 defensive end played in all 13 games, making six starts as Jackson Jeffcoat missed the second half of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Reed was given the opportunity to prove himself, forced to grow up quicker than anticipated, and he did not disappoint. Reed recorded 46 tackles, eight for a loss, great numbers for someone who didn’t start for half the season. In addition, he averaged 5.5 tackles-per-game in the six contests he started in. “He had some injuries, had to throw him in the fire [his freshman year],” Diaz said. “He improved last year, was able to learn under Alex [Okafor] and Jackson [Jeffcoat]. Then Jackson got hurt and he started to kind of step into that role. He had a good bowl practice and was rewarded by some big plays in the bowl game.” Coaches and teammates have only seen improvement from the lineman as he continued to impress during the spring and fall camps. In the

first game of the season, Reed recorded six tackles, just one shy of his single-game high, including a third-quarter sack. After the Longhorns scored touchdowns on five straight drives to take a 35-7 lead, Reed wrestled New Mexico State quarterback Andrew McDonald down to the ground, forcing a threeand-out and providing the exclamation mark showing the season opener’s outcome was decided. “As time has gone on, he’s continued to improve throughout the offseason,” Diaz said. “You want all your players to have that type of game to show all their hard work is paying off. There are other guys whose hard work is playing off as well. Ced had the big plays come his way on Saturday.” Reed, who wears number 88 — to be similar but slightly different than his father who wore 86 — is a tall athlete. His long arms creates separation between himself and offensive linemen, which gives him the opportunity to sneak away or just push his opponent back to the quarterback. This is a spot where Texas has lacked the past few years. Last season, Texas’ defense was the worst it has been, statistically, in school history and had tremendous trouble stopping the run game. “I think we set the season up right,” Reed said. “We weren’t sure we could tackle but I don’t think we missed many tackles. I think we came out with a fire and a great intensity that we wanted to show the country that we can play, that we’re not the team we were last year, and that we’re a lot better.” Fans shouldn’t be surprised by Reed’s newfound success, however. Picture a Jack in the Box. The main attraction — in this case Reed’s

Junior defensive end Cedric Reed was thrown into the fire after Jackson Jeffcoat suffered a torn pectoral last year. Now he’s one of the defense’s biggest assets.

Elisabeth Dillon Daily Texan Staff

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abilities — has always been in there, it just took a little work to get it out. “Cedric was my roommate for two years,” junior Quandre Diggs said. “I know exactly how he is. He’s one of those guys that I knew was going to have a good year. It’s just something he’s been ready to do. He played great on Saturday. He’s one of those silly guys off the field that just wants to have fun. On the field, he’s so serious. You look at us two from when we got here as boys, now we’ve become men.”

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7 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

All-American Van Noy to test Texas offense Evan Berkowitz @texansports

When Texas takes the field in Provo, they are going to have to try to slow down one of the most dangerous defensive players in college football: Kyle Van Noy. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior linebacker has been compared to Brian Urlacher by head coach Bronco Mendenhall — Urlacher’s defensive coordinator at New Mexico. Yet he was a relatively lowkey player who only scouts and BYU fans took notice of until the Poinsettia Bowl, where his stock skyrocketed. He outscored both the BYU and San Diego State offenses, returning a fumble and an interception for touchdowns. This performance led many to believe he’d join teammate Ezekial Ansah in the NFL draft, where he was told by scouts he’d be a firstor second-rounder. Van Noy could have gone pro like Ansah, who went No. 5 overall in this year’s NFL Draft But he didn’t. Despite risks that include injury

and his draft stock slipping, he stuck with the team that stuck with him. He got a DUI in high school, a speed bump for most schools but a dealbreaker for BYU. Head coach Bronco Mendenhall asked he wait a year and then come back while he made amends. Several schools told Van Noy he could play for them without sitting out a year but he stuck with his commitment to the Cougars. After sitting out that year, Van Noy thrived. He became the leader of the thirdranked defense in college football this past year and has a bright future ahead of him — one with preseason All-American honors and first-round projections. And now that he has his future back on track, he isn’t letting it get to his head. “All the hype he’s had this year?” Corey Shelly, a friend, told the Deseret News. “He’s still grounded, he doesn’t buy into it. He has kept himself a humble person.” So instead of taking down the Joe Flacco’s and Adrian

Peterson’s of the world on Sundays, he will be going after David Ash this Saturday. And that means Texas is going to have to know where he is at all times. “Kyle Van Noy is an AllAmerican,” Texas head coach Mack Brown said. “He’s one of those dominant players when you go into the ballgame you better find him.” Questionable quarterback play The season couldn’t have started off any worse for sophomore quarterback Tayom Hill. His numbers: 13-for-40, 175 yards in an 19-16 loss to Virginia. Yet Hill is still under center for BYU, whose head coach defended him. “Well, as the game got towards the end, there was a third-and-11 or third-and-12 where he’s taking shots trying to get the first downs, and it’s hard to say don’t do that,” Bronco Mendenhall said. “Everything around him needs to improve so that doesn’t happen, where he doesn’t have that burden.” And that improvement

Andrew Shurtleff / Associated Press

BYU running back Jamaal Williams fumbles then recovers the ball next to Virginia safety Anthony Harris and linebacker Daquan Romero during the first half of the game Saturday.

needs to come from his wide receivers — who had some costly drops. “We had too many drops that were game changers,” Mendenhall said. If they get the same kind of production in the passing

game Saturday, they may need another Van Noy-manufactured Poinsettia miracle. So while their defense is one of the best in the nation, their offense is not. The nation’s third-best defense last year was complemented by

the 64th-ranked offense. “We have to nail down our execution,” wide receiver JD Falslev said. “We have to nail down our assignments, and we have to continue to play fast but at the same time we have to play hard.”

Horns a much different team since last time they faced BYU By Garrett Callahan @callahangarrett

Two years ago, BYU walked into Austin aiming to pull an upset. The Cougars were coming off a winning season and an impressive victory against Ole Miss. Texas, on the other hand, was coming off its first losing season under Mack Brown and a not-so-impressive win against Rice the prior week. As Texas now walks into Provo, Utah with a win in mind, these teams are not the same teams as before.

Texas won this last nonconference meeting but it didn’t come easy. The Longhorns were down by 13 points at one point and it wasn’t till the second half that they decided to come back. In the fourth quarter of the game, down by six, Texas was able to punch in a drive that resulted in a touchdown and the eventual one-point win. Many Longhorns fans remember this game as the one that saw the Garrett Gilbert era come to an end. About midway through the game, Gilbert was booed and

replaced by the duo of Case McCoy and David Ash. Within the next month, Gilbert underwent season-ending shoulder surgery and elected to transfer from Texas. McCoy and Ash, switching off plays, were able to lead their team to the victory, which most likely kick-started Ash’s eventual takover behind center. This biggest change in this team is maturity. In the last contest against BYU, Texas was playing close to 20 freshmen that had little experience. The Longhorns played only

two true freshmen in their season-opening win over New Mexico State last week. “We are more mature and older,” senior wide receiver Mike Davis said. “David Ash is phenomenal, he is in control and I think he is an elite quarterback. The offensive line got better and basically our team as a whole is more mature and everyone is on the same page and everyone is all in.” Most athletes on the Texas roster have now been playing with each other a full two seasons and some even more.

The team has been through the bad and has seen the good they can do. BYU is also a different team. The Cougars will be a lot tougher and will have an edge to them after a disappointing loss to Virginia. “Certainly BYU has a very good football team,” defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. “We know they’re very dangerous. They’ll be a little bit like a wounded animal. We’ll get a better version of BYU than what we saw on tape from the Virginia game.” Texas will have its work cut

out for them as it travels west, but with a deep backfield and a revamped defense, it has experience on their side. That wasn’t the case when BYU visited Austin two years ago. “We played them a few years ago,” senior guard Mason Walters said. “They’re a tough, physical team. They’re still that. It’s going to be a great early challenge. They’re going to play sound football. You’re not just going to get the big shots, big chunks out of them. If we play sound football, no reason we can’t win.”

CAN YOU DIG

G IT?

QUANDRE DIGGS

Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan file photo

By Peter Sblendorio @petersblendorio

Quandre Diggs paused for a moment after being asked if he was surprised Texas enters Saturday’s road affair against BYU as a sevenpoint favorite. “What would I be surprised about?” he finally answered. “My deal is for us to win every game.” Diggs has become an anchor of the Texas defense, someone who finds losing unfathomable. He is so supremely confident in his ability that it is hard for him to imagine being the underdog. The junior defensive back emerged as the Longhorns’ most prominent defensive playmaker over the last two seasons, compiling eight interceptions and 30 passes defended in 26 games. This production, coupled with his physical skill set and his punishing 5-foot-11, 200-pound frame, prompted defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to shift Diggs to nickel back to start the season. “One of the rules is the more instinctive of a player you are, the closer you want to line that guy up to the football,” Diaz said. “Certainly one thing Quandre has shown over the last two years is he has great instincts for playing the game.” Diaz believes Diggs fits naturally at nickel back due to his aptitude for playing in both zone and man coverage. Additionally, the junior boasts the speed to cover receivers in the slot and the physicality to line up in the box and prevent the run. “[Nickel] plays a lot of different factors in the game,” Diggs said. “You get to blitz, you get to cover and you get to do all different types of stuff and disguises. It puts me closer to the line of scrimmage to go make more plays. That’s something I’m very, very excited about.” Diggs played well in his debut at nickel back last Saturday, racking up five tackles while breaking up a pass and recovering a fumble against New Mexico State. Senior cornerback Carrington Byndom was impressed by the junior’s performance, saying Diggs possesses the ability to make a major impact in the Longhorns’ secondary. “Him playing nickel is allowing him to be around the ball, and that’s something that he is really good at,” Byndom said. “He’s really instinctive and he’s always around the ball, so

putting him even closer is helping him out. We’re looking for big things out of him from the nickel spot.” Diggs follows in the footsteps of a number of high-profile nickel backs to star in the Texas defense, including current NFL safeties Earl Thomas, Aaron Williams and 2013 firstround draft pick Kenny Vaccaro, who led the Longhorns with 107 tackles last season. Diggs realizes that comparisons to Vaccaro are inevitable, but after just one game his focus remains on improving each week and forming his own identity. “I can’t compare myself to Kenny, but it was fun [playing nickel] and I can tell you that I enjoyed it,” Diggs said. “I look forward to playing it every week. I’m learning so much more about the game just being there, and I want to just continue to take advantage of the opportunity that coach has given me. I’m very thankful for it.” The emergence of sophomore cornerback Duke Thomas and junior cornerback Sheroid Evans gives the Longhorns the depth to pencil Diggs into the nickel slot. While the junior still lines up at his traditional cornerback position in Texas’ base defense, Diggs’ teammates expect him to make his biggest contributions jetting around the field as the nickel back. “He’s a playmaker, and at nickel, you’re there to make plays,” senior safety Adrian Phillips said. “Quandre is just a heck of a player. He has a knack for the ball. With him being at nickel, you don’t have to worry about that position. He’s going to find his way to the ball.” A big season figures to propel Diggs up the 2014 NFL Draft board, especially due to the small sample of defensive backs capable of excelling in the nickel back slot. Despite this, Diggs’ concerns lie with his opponents each week rather than his prospects as a future NFL draft pick. “I’m not really worried about draft stock,” Diggs said. “That’s something that’s going to come with [playing]. I just want to continue to go out and play.” This mindset bodes well for the Longhorns, as every acrobatic interception, athletic pass breakup and jaw-dropping hit supplied by their standout nickel back pushes the Longhorns one step closer to becoming a top-flight defense.

MATCHUPS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

CAMERON KUBENA DAILY TEXAN STAFF

QUARTERBACKS Sophomore Taysom Hill was shaky in his third career start against Virginia, completing just 13 of 40 passes, but showed his dual-threat ability rushing for 57 yards and a score. The stormy weather in Virginia masked Hill’s potential. Junior David Ash showed maturity in the season opener, responding to two early interceptions with four touchdown passes and a 55-yard touchdown run.

ADVANTAGE

WIDE RECEIVERS

OFFENSIVE LINE

The passing game of BYU suffered with the absence of senior Cody Hoffman, who is three touchdowns away from breaking the school record for most touchdown receptions. Hoffman is expected to return this Saturday. Texas junior John Harris showed Ash has options with a 54-yard touchdown. Texas also possesses the most explosive player in the Big 12 in sophomore Daje Johnson, who scored on a 66-yard catch and run.

BYU returns three starters that allowed 2.6 sacks a game in 2012. Protection is still an issue for the Cougars, giving up three sacks against Virginia. Penalties are also an issue, with three false starts in the season opener. Texas returns all five starters from 2012, with seniors Trey Hopkins and Mason Walters making the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy. The Texas line committed only one false start and gave up no sacks.

ADVANTAGE

RUNNING BACKS Freshman Jalen Overstreet was a nice surprise for Texas with 92 yards and two scores. But the trio of Gray, Brown and Bergeron totaled just 110 yards all together against a rushing defense ranked 113th in 2012. Along with a failed fourth-down run and missed third-down conversions, a lack of consistency in the conventional hand-off was evident. BYU has the edge in sophomore Jamaal Williams, who rushed for 148 yards on a flooded field. Senior Michael Alisa will provide the power. Both are Doak Walker Award candidates.

ADVANTAGE

SPECIAL TEAMS BYU conducted efficiently considering they were playing in what was basically a monsoon. Although senior Justin Sorensen completed a 36-yard field goal and averaged 41 yards a punt, Virginia blocked a punt on a bobbled snap. Texas has the edge with no special teams turnovers and a beautiful 68-yard punt from senior Anthony Fera that placed NMSU inside their own one-yard line.

ADVANTAGE

DEFENSIVE BACKS Three-year starter senior Daniel Sorensen is the biggest threat in the BYU secondary, leading the team with three interceptions in 2012. Junior Craig Bills is a returning starter after being on a mission trip in the 2010-11 seasons. Quandre Diggs looked adequate as Kenny Vaccaro’s replacement at nickel. Without being tested against an elite offense, it is hard to tell whether they are back to “DBU” form.

ADVANTAGE

DEFENSIVE LINE BYU senior nose tackle Eathynh Manumaleuna is a preseason candidate for the Outland Trophy, and had a career-high 10 tackles against Virginia. But BYU has yet to record a sack this season. For Texas, Bednarik Award candidate senior Jackson Jeffcoat came up with seven tackles in his season debut, his first since missing seven games with a torn pectoral last year. Reggie Wilson, Desmond Jackson and Shiro Davis proved they were sufficient relief for the starters with seven tackles and a sack between them.

ADVANTAGE

LINEBACKERS The Longhorns linebacker unit looked more improved, aiding to allow 88 less rushing yards than the 2012 average. The return of junior Jordan Hicks may have been the major factor in the improvement. BYU has a major edge at these positions. Three Cougar starters are candidates for the Butkus Award, including senior Kyle Van Noy, who is a contender for just about every award a linebacker can win. All are returning starters from a defense that ranked third overall last season.

ADVANTAGE

NEXT ISSUE

SEPTEMBER 13 Texas vs. Ole Miss

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

STOCK UP/STOCK DOWN

RYAN HADDOX DAILY TEXAN STAFF

LB Peter Jinkens (So.)

It was a quiet game for the sophomore linebacker, as he registered only three solo tackles and two assisted tackles. The defense bent a little on Saturday but didn’t break, playing a mostly sound game. Jinkens’ night wasn’t miserable and there are still 11 games for him to make more of an impact, but for someone who is expected to bring a little crazy to the defensive side of the ball, Saturday left something to be desired.

S Mykelle Thompson (Jr.)

Lawrence Peart / Daily Texan Staff

RB Jalen Overstreet (Fr.)

It is tough to find someone whose stock should be down after a 56-7 romp, and this is probably a reach. Thompson played a pretty solid football game on Saturday, but was responsible for the only touchdown given up against the Aggies. His coverage was tight on the pass play that resulted in the first points of the game, but he still allowed the only touchdown the Aggies would record. In a game where your offense breaks school records and your defense only allows a single touchdown, it doesn’t take a whole lot to spot a single shortcoming. Thompson was more physical and tackled much better Saturday than he did in 2012, so even with the allowed touchdown pass, Thompson is still in great shape as the free safety for 2013.

If the Longhorns had an embarrassment of riches at the running back position heading into the season, what they have the week after New Mexico State is simply laughable. Redshirt freshman Jalen Overstreet, a converted quarterback and probably the fourth-string running back, reeled off 92 rushing yards on nine carries and tacked on two touchdowns in his first collegiate game. Co-offensive coordinators Major Applewhite and Darrell Wyatt now must figure out how to keep getting the football to its game changers, a list of players which now likely includes Overstreet.

DE Cedric Reed (Jr.)

There was a bit of concern among the Longhorns faithful as to how a depleted defense in 2012 would be able to replace the pass rushing ability of Alex Okafor heading into 2013. Saturday night against New Mexico State, Cedric Reed started to erase some of those fears. Reed was credited with six solo tackles, including a sack and six assisted tackles. He controlled the line of scrimmage and was a force all night against the Aggies’ offensive line. If that Cedric Reed shows up every Saturday this fall, the Texas pass rush will be just fine.

Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan Staff

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12 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

Davis must protect ball, torch Cougars’ defense By David Leffler @texansports

By most standards, Mike Davis didn’t have a bad game against New Mexico State last Saturday, hauling in five passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. However, he did open the game with a costly fumble that brought Texas’ opening drive to an abrupt halt. The issue here isn’t so much Davis’ play last game, as it is the necessity for him to have a big game this week. Although quarterback David Ash didn’t have to rely on

him much last week thanks to an abundance of open receivers and explosive plays by an array of players, he will need Davis to pull through and have a big game against a BYU defense that will challenge this offense. If the Longhorns are going to have another monster offensive output, they will need the senior wide out to take charge in Utah. 2. DT Malcom Brown (So.) Don’t confuse this Malcom Brown with the other one — he’s got four inches and

almost 100 pounds on the junior running back. After playing in all 13 games last year as a freshman and a solid start to the season last week, Brown appears poised for a breakout sophomore season. The Longhorns will need him to continue this type of play this week against BYU, who have a talented running back in sophomore Jamaal Williams. Considering Texas had some trouble stopping the run last week against an underwhelming Aggies backfield and Williams ran for 144 yards against Vir-

ginia, Brown needs to be the anchor up front for the Longhorns defensive line. If he struggles to hold his own against the Cougars’ interior linemen, this defense will have some trouble getting off the field. 3. WR John Harris (Jr.) Although Harris only had two catches in the season opener he made them worthwhile, taking one to the house for a 54-yard touchdown that ignited a slumping Texas offense and completely turned the game

around. With Ash looking to spread the ball around, the Longhorns don’t need Harris to provide a consistent threat against the Cougars. What they do need from him, though, is a big play or two to help take the pressure off of fellow receivers Davis and Jaxon Shipley. 4. S Mykkele Thompson (Jr.) Based on the box score, Texas’ defense performed pretty well against New Mexico State’s passing attack, allowing 242 yards and one touchdown through

the air while intercepting a pass. However considering neither of the Aggies’ quarterbacks had much of any experience, that’s not much of an accomplishment. Yes, BYU quarterback Taysom Hill was only 13-for-40 for 175 yards last week, but numbers from that game don’t mean much since it was played in monsoonlike conditions. Expect the inexperienced Thompson, who was in coverage on the Aggies’ lone touchdown last week, to be tested early and often.

Horns need early lead against BYU By Ryan Haddox @The_Real_RH

Texas wins if it goes into a hostile environment in Provo, Utah and punches BYU in the mouth to start the game. The Cougars are certainly a step up for the Longhorns heading into Week 2 and a slow start like the one they had last week against New Mexico State could be disastrous. Texas will need to come out and control the line of scrimmage, take an early lead, and get the chaotic crowd in Provo to settle down. The Longhorns must be physical in the high altitude of Provo, something the Longhorns struggled with at times a season ago. BYU brings physical brand of football with them, so they will be trying to lure Texas into a street fight. Shutting down the Cougars ground-and-pound style of offense won’t be an easy task, but the Longhorns will have to start quick and go muzzle to muzzle with the Cougars if they want to get to 2-0.

Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan Staff

Senior Mason Walters anchors an offensive line that needs to control the line of scrimmage early against BYU this week so Texas can get off to a faster start than it did last week.

Texas loses if... It can’t establish itself on the line of scrimmage. It took an entire half for the Longhorns offensive line to finally get their footing against the Aggies on Saturday, something that doesn’t bode well as they head into Provo this weekend, where a much more physical team awaits them. BYU finished with the third-best defense in the country last year and return star linebacker

Kyle Van Noy, although first-round draft pick Ezekiel Ansah graduated and moved on to the NFL. The Texas defense will get its first true test of the season Saturday, where they will hope to shed the label of being “soft” they received a year ago. If Texas can’t match the Cougars’ toughness on Saturday and they lose the battle at the line of scrimmage, it could find themselves in trouble late Saturday night.

HEISMAN WATCH

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

WES MAULSBY DAILY TEXAN STAFF 3. JAMEIS WINSTON, FRESHMAN QB, FLORIDA STATE Previous game: 25-27, 356 yards, 4 TDs Season: 25-27, 356 yards, 4 TDs

1. TAJH BOYD, SENIOR QB, CLEMSON Previous game: 18-30, 270 yards, 3 TD Season: 18-30, 270 yards, 3 TD

Being the only player on the list with a marquee win in this short season, Boyd placed himself atop the Heisman list by helping Clemson beat Georgia last week. He’s making a name for himself while changing the philosophy of a program. Clemson has long had a stigma of failing on the big stage. As the Tigers leader, Boyd is leading them to conference and national title contention.

He’s only played one game, but he looked pretty good in it. There’s almost no way that he will be able to continue those numbers throughout the season, but if he can keep his production up, then he’ll earn Heisman consideration. Johnny Manziel proved a freshman can win the Heisman last year and Winston looked better than any other contender for the award. So why not put him up here?

2. TEDDY BRIDGEWATER, JUNIOR QB, LOUISVILLE Previous Game: 23-28, 355 yards, 5 TD, INT Season: 23-28, 355 yards, 5 TD, INT

The knock on the Cardinals coming into the season was never over their talent, but over their schedule. A perfect regular season may not earn them a national title shot but Bridgewater’s performance on Sunday forced the voters to seriously consider Louisville. If he continues to play the way he did in Week 1, he’ll be in the running for a Heisman and a national championship.

4. MARCUS MARIOTA, SOPHOMORE QB, OREGON Previous game: 12-21, 234 yards, 1 TD Season: 12-21, 234 yards, 1 TD

Mariota is the lone player represented from the West Coast and another young, exciting quarterback on the list. He’ll continue to put up big numbers every week until he begins to face some of the big names in the Pac-12. A road game against Washington in mid-October will be the first time he faces a legitimate contender so, until then, we’ll have to wait and watch as he puts up ridiculous numbers against weaker competition.

5. JADEVEON CLOWNEY, JUNIOR DE, SOUTH CAROLINA Previous game: 3 tackles Season: 3 tackles Jason Getz Associated Press

Clowney didn’t play like a Heisman hopeful last week. He looked sluggish and disinterested at times. Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray and tailback Todd Gurley will be looking to take Clowney’s spot on this list, which he may deserve more based on their Week 1 performances. We’ve heard the excuses, now its time to see if Clowney is the real deal.

Bill Haber Associated Press

GAMES TO WATCH

RACHEL WENZLAFF DAILY TEXAN STAFF

No. 2 Oregon vs. Virginia Overall 1-0

Overall 1-0

Scott Stadium, Charlottesville Saturday 2:30 p.m. TV: ABC/ESPN2

The Oregon Ducks demolished Nicholls State, winning by 63 points in their season opener, compared to Virginia’s modest 1916 win against BYU. Although the Cavaliers came out of the game victorious, their offensive and defensive fronts have significant room for improvement, especially on the defensive end if they hope to slow down Oregon’s fast paced offense. Additionally, this game could be the debut of the highlyanticipated Oregon freshman Thomas Tyner, who was kept out of last Saturday’s game as a precaution.

No. 17 Michigan vs. No. 14 Notre Dame Overall 1-0

Overall 1-0

Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor Saturday, 7 p.m. TV: ESPN

This matchup will be both teams’ first real test this season, making it difficult to predict how this game will play out. Irish quarterback Tommy Rees had a big game taking over for the suspended Everett Golson, but it will be interesting to see how he handles leading this Notre Dame team when he’s in the spotlight and on the road in a hostile environment. Michigan still has much to prove. Can they beat a legitimate opponent and defend home field?

No. 12 Florida vs. Miami Overall 1-0

Overall 1-0

Sun Life Stadium, Miami Saturday, 11 a.m. TV: ESPN

Expect Florida to ground and pound with a solid (and now healthy) offensive line, controlling the momentum of the game by relying on Mack Brown, who ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the last game. Florida is also looking to develop quarterback Jeff Driskell into a more consistent player. What better way to do that then sending him on the road to play a tough in-state rival? The Miami defense will need a performance like they had last week, when they held Florida Atlantic to only two field goals, if they’re going to be able to compete with the Gators defense, which also allowed only two field goals last week.

No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Georgia Overall 0-1

Overall 1-0

Sanford Stadium, Athens Saturday, 3:30 p.m. TV: ESPN

This one could go either way if the Bulldogs can erase their memories of their crushing loss against Clemson and bring back that same intensity and energy. The Gamecocks are coming off a dominating performance against North Carolina and may hold a morale advantage. Georgia will need to utilize Todd Gurley, who was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week, if they want to remain competitive.

14 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

Longhorns will win big in Provo By Darren Mitchell @texansports

BYU finished third in the nation in total defense a year ago, behind only Alabama and Florida State, and held Virginia to just 223 total yards in Week 1. Despite the stout defensive performance, the Cougars still lost to the Cavaliers thanks to a lackluster offense that managed only 16 points and a quarterback in Taysom Hill, who completed only 13 of his 40 passes. The BYU defense is as good as they come, and they won’t allow Texas to come anywhere close to the school record 715 yards they gained last weekend. But the Cougars’ inability to score will allow the Longhorns to cover the spread. Texas (-7) at BYU

LOCK OF THE WEEK San Diego State at Ohio State (-28) The Buckeyes are supposedly national championship contenders. The Aztecs are coming off a 40-19 blowout loss in Week 1 to FCS Eastern Illinois. Ohio State should be able to easily win by four touchdowns at home and, if they can’t, they don’t deserve the contender status given to them. UPSET ALERT Florida at Miami (+3) The fact that this spread isn’t higher should alarm people. Florida is ranked No. 10 in the most recent AP poll and Miami is unranked, yet the Gators are only favored by three points. Vegas doesn’t believe in these Gators and

neither do I. The Florida defense looked good enough last week, but their offense carried over their struggles from a year ago as they found themselves in a dragit-out game against Toledo. The Gators held only a 17-6 lead late in the third quarter before being bailed out by freshman cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, who intercepted Rockets quarterback Terrance Owens in a game-defining drive. It’ll be much more difficult to stop Miami quarterback Stephen Morris and his dynamic teammate, running back Duke Johnson. The Gator offense needs to give their defense a little more help if they want to win. If they come out as flat as they did against Toledo, they’ll be going home with a loss.

PICK UP THE LINEBACKERS Texas rushed for 359 yards against New Mexico State, boasting a stellar offensive line that will be tough for any defense to beat. But two interceptions by David Ash showed that even with the talent in the trenches, defenses can still get into the backfield on occasion. BYU boasts an excellent group of linebackers known for racking up tackles and harassing the quarterback. BYU got 34 sacks last season and held its opponents to only 86.9 rushing yards per game. The second level of the BYU defense is fast and strong and will likely be in the backfield many times this weekend, but Texas can nullify this game plan by focusing on picking them up. Virginia only produced 223 total yards against the Cougars last weekend. Texas needs to pick up the linebackers to give Ash a chance to burn the secondary.

KEEP RUNNING This key is becoming more and more redundant each week, but the success of the Texas football team when they run the ball often speaks for itself. The Longhorns racked up 359 rushing yards last weekend against the Aggies which was eighth-most by any team in Week 1. The Longhorns got more than 60 rushing yards from four different players, including 91 by Ash. Texas carried the ball 42 times, wearing down the Aggies defense after a shaky start had New Mexico State in the game at halftime. When Texas runs the ball they produce more in the passing game as evidenced by 356 yards through the air last weekend. It sounds too simple to work but it just keeps working for the Longhorns. They need to put pressure on the BYU defense with lots of rushing attempts.

MAINTAIN POSSESSION For all of the good Texas did in its opening game of this season, a look at the box score shows turnovers were an overlooked issue. Texas turned the ball over three times against New Mexico State and that cannot happen against BYU if they want to win. Ash completed 20 of 28 passes but threw two interceptions early in last weekend’s game and will need to avoid making early mistakes as BYU possesses more weapons on both sides of the ball than the Aggies did. The Cougars will put pressure on the Texas backfield to make plays early, but it will be imperative that the Longhorns keep their composure and not turn the ball over. If they can minimize the help they give to BYU, then the Longhorns will likely pick up a victory.

TEXAN STAFF PICKS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

CHRISTIAN CORONA

GARRETT CALLAHAN

PETER SBLENDORIO

EVAN BERKOWITZ

CHRIS HUMMER

WES MAULSBY

DARREN MITCHELL

STEFAN SCRAFIELD

MATT WARDEN

Last Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Record

7-3

8-2

5-5

7-3

4-6

7-3

8-2

7-3

9-1

Overall Record

7-3

8-2

5-5

7-3

4-6

7-3

8-2

7-3

9-1

Texas vs. BYU

Texas

Georgia

South Carolina

Georgia

South Carolina

Georgia

Notre Dame

Michigan

Notre Dame

Michigan

Florida

Miami

Florida

Oklahoma

Wake Forest

Boston College

Wake Forest

Boston College

Wake Forest

Boston College

Bowling Green

Kent State

Bowling Green

Kent State

Bowling Green

Kent State

Houston vs. Temple

Houston

Temple

Houston

Temple

Houston

Temple

Duke vs. Memphis

Duke

Memphis

New Mexico vs. UTEP

UTEP

New Mexico

UTEP

New Mexico

UTEP

New Mexico

South Carolina vs. Georgia

Notre Dame vs. Michigan

Florida vs. Miami (FL)

West Virginia vs. Oklahoma

Wake Forest vs. Boston College

Bowling Green vs. Kent State