The Daily Texan Presents:
Oct. 14, 2011
Vol. 6, Issue 7
GETTING PUMPED UP
It will be hard to forget last week’s drubbing, but Texas is looking to put the past behind it and rebound against Oklahoma State at home. PAGE 12
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theLINEUP 4 page
12 21 Cover Photo: Elisabeth Dillon, Above: Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan staff
PrEviEws and notEbooks Double Coverage looks at how the Longhorns and other teams around the country are gearing up for Week 6.
5 - MAtCHuPs
14 - PlAyers to wAtCH
8 - Power
16 - Big 12 quiCk Hits
9 - Big 12
17 - keys to tHe gAMe
page
rAnkings
gunslinger
page
20 - HeisMAn wAtCH
A Hot And Cold defense The Cowboys know how to force turnovers, but they also know how to give up a lot of yards.
BounCing BACk
Texas was handled by Oklahoma last week. Now the Longhorns have to put the 55-17 loss behind them and focus on an equally daunting Oklahoma State team.
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Oklahoma State is one of the conference’s top teams, as well as the best offense in the country. It comes as no surprise then that this may be the Cowboys’ season.
14 - A MAn page
AMong Boys
The Cowboys have the country’s best receiver in Justin Blackmon. The NFLready wide out is looking to tear up the Texas secondary.
21 - Building tHe ProgrAM
With a little luck and a host of quality coaches, the Oklahoma State football program has quietly crept into the upper echelon of teams.
Editor’s notE
The Daily Texan’s Double Coverage is printed the Friday before every Texas football game and twice during OU week.
The Daily Texan PresenTs:
Volume 6, Issue 7 • 2011 edItIon
Double Coverage Editor……………Sameer Bhuchar Design Editor…………………….Simonetta Nieto Photo Editor…………………………Ryan Edwards Copy Editors……….....……Sydney Fitzgerald Issue Designer...............Martina Geronimo Writers……......................................Trey Scott ...............................................Austin Laymance ...............................................................Christian Corona …………...........................…...............Nick Cremona ................................................................Lauren Giudice ..................................…......…...............Chris Hummer …………………....................…….....Wes Maulsby ................................................Michael Morton
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Friday, October 14, 2011
After poor outing, Horns’ O-line squad still has ‘work to do’ By Christian Corona Daily Texan Staff
Many units were considered strengths for Texas heading into this year’s Red River Rivalry before getting embarrassed against Oklahoma. The offensive line was no different. Despite giving up only five sacks in its four games, the Longhorns offensive line allowed the Sooners to rack up eight. Oklahoma’s defense also made 17 tackles for loss as Texas averaged fewer than one yard per carry in spite of the production the Longhorns got out of running backs Malcolm Brown (59 yards), Fozzy Whittaker (45 yards) and D.J. Monroe (23 yards) “We did not play well in the offensive line,” said head coach Mack Brown. “We did not make the yards we needed to make. We did not protect the quarterback like we needed to. We’ve got a lot of work to do this week at that area.” There could be a bit of movement along the offensive line as there is now an “or” between senior Tray Allen’s and true freshman Josh Cochran’s names on the depth chart at left tackle. Allen, who waited four years behind players such as Kyle Hix and Adam Ulatoski to start,
was the top-rated offensive tackle coming out of high school in 2007. Cochran, on the other hand, is in his first season at Texas and was not nearly as highly touted of a prospect as Allen. “[Cochran]’s a guy that comes in and competes,” said co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin. “Like a lot of our young guys, you’re wanting to get those guys experience and you’re wanting to get those guys to play.” Another first-year offensive lineman who has also caught the coaching staff ’s eye, Sedrick Flowers, is finally over an ankle injury. The earliest the 6-foot-3, 310-pound guard would see the field, however, would be after the Longhorns’ bye week against Kansas Oct. 29. “We think he has a chance to be really good,” Brown said. “He’s better but he hasn’t been able to get the experience in practice we’d need him to get so he’s not as far along as we’d like him to be at this time.” Even though Texas held Oklahoma to 86 yards rushing, 64 of them coming on one long, Dominique Whaley-touchdown run, the Longhorns were out-rushed as they managed only 45 yards on 36 carries. Texas lost 51 yards on eight sacks and a whopping 117 yards on
Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff
Texas’ offensive linemen try to make push up front for quarterback David Ash. The line was hammered by Oklahoma all game, giving up eight sacks and 17 tackles for loss.
Oklahoma’s 17 tackles for loss, including going backward 35 yards on back-to-back sacks of David Ash. “That stuff can’t happen, especially against a good team,” said senior guard David Snow. “You can’t have that. You play a really good team and make mistakes, it’ll cost you.” Another chunk of lost yardage came on trick plays, which had worked wonderfully in the Longhorns’ first four contests. Freshmen receivers Miles Onyegbule and Jaxon Shipley were both brought down for big losses on reverse-pass plays. One piece of trickery was effective, however, when a screen pass went for a sizable gain with Allen lining
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up near the left sideline and throwing a nice lead block. Oklahoma State’s defense, even though it ranks near the bottom of the Big 12 in yards allowed, is superb at getting takeaways. The Cowboys have already forced 17 turnovers and the nation’s thirdbest turnover margin, along with 14 sacks in five games, which is good for 21st in the country and third in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Texas’ offensive line should have easier time with Oklahoma State’s defensive front than it did with Oklahoma’s. “We played a very good opponent up front,” Harsin said. “Those
guys did a very good job of giving us some different looks and obviously being talented. I thought the O-line did a nice job of competing. It wasn’t perfect, nor was any position on the field, but those guys kept competing.” The blame for turnovers is often placed on those who commit them. However, the fact that McCoy and Ash had their worst game the same week that their offensive line did is no coincidence. Texas won’t be giving up eight sacks or committing five turnovers anytime soon but that doesn’t mean the Longhorns offensive line doesn’t have to step up this weekend.
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Friday, October 14, 2011
Cowboys force turnovers often, but still allow opposition to score By Lauren Giudice Daily Texan Staff
Oklahoma State’s defense is known for its ability to create turnovers. This season, they have created 17 turnovers, 10 of which were interceptions. “We practice it,” said Oklahoma State defense end Jamie Blatnick. “If you practice forcing turnovers, you will do it in a game. The harder you work, the luckier you get.” Saftey Daytawion Low leads the team with 34 tackles and defensive end Jamie Blatnick boasts three of the team’s 14 sacks. Cornerback Brodrick Brown has three picks. Last season, the Cowboys finished with 34 takeaways, which was fifth highest in the country. Defensive coordinator Bill Young said the team emphasizes turnovers in practice. “Our goal is to get five turnovers in practice every day,” Young said. “We post a sign on our meeting room doors about how many takeaways we got in practice the day before. So we definitely emphasize that aspect of
the game.” Over the past three games, the Cowboys have scored 52 points off of 14 turnovers. After coming off of a tough loss to rival Oklahoma where Texas allowed five turnovers, the Longhorns will need to protect the ball to stay in the game. Freshman wide receiver Jaxon Shipley said Texas is well aware of the success of Oklahoma State’s defense. “They have a great defense,” Shipley said. “I think they are young, but they have proven themselves so far. We need to come out and start the game fast.” Although forcing turnovers is a strong suit, the Cowboy defense definitely has holes and does not appear strong in statistics. The young Longhorns offense definitely has the opportunity to take advantage of some lapses in the Oklahoma State defense. Through the first five games of this season, the Cowboys rank 75th in the country against the run and 103rd in both pass defense and total defense.
On average, they give up 438 yards per game in total defense. Although these statistics aren’t what someone would expect from the No. 6 team in the country, the defense is getting the job done and helping the Cowboys maintain their undefeated record. After the Cowboy’s 70-28 win against Kansas last week, head coach Mike Gundy said he believes that their defense is getting better. “Our tackles are getting better each week,” Gundy said. “I feel that we did a better job last week playing gap sound defense. We tightened some of the creases, where we were giving up big plays in the weeks before last week’s game. That is really important in our opinion.” The defense gave up a touchdown on the Jayhawks’s opening drive. Texas co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite said that though the Cowboys are not a great defense statistically, that is skewed information. “There is no doubt that they are better than their numbers,”
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Kansas quarterback Jordan Webb, center, is sacked by Oklahoma State linebacker Tyler Johnson, right, and linebacker Shawn Lewis, left.
Applewhite said. “A lot of times those numbers will get skewed if you are not blitzing, so you are not as aggressive. You are not trying to give them a oneplay drive. Then you look at some of those games, those guys are getting pulled in the second quarter.” Although the stats of the defense aren’t very impressive, no one can deny that the Cowboys can make big plays. The young, inexperienced Texas
offense will definitely be challenged by a defense who thrives on turnovers. Saturday will definitely be a time for both teams to prove themselves. “They’re kind of shadowed by their offense, but I believe I think it’s four different players on their team have interceptions,” said Texas center David Snow. “They’re a very good defense. We’ve just got to start preparing for them, and it’s going to be a great battle out here in DKR.”
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Friday, October 14, 2011
MATCHUPS — By Wes Maulsby | Daily Texan Staff
QUARTERBACK
Oklahoma State has a strong running game, but it is by no means a dominant attack. The Cowboys have been outrushed in each of their two conference games, and were held to 46 yards rushing against Texas A&M. The strength of the Texas offense had been the rushing game going into last week’s butchering. Texas gained 153 yards rushing against the Sooners, but lost 117 yards for a net total of only 36. The Cowboys will be looking to pass first, so most of their rushing yards will be supplemental, but Texas has to establish the run in to have a chance to win the game. Texas has a little more talent at the position, and will be relying on it to win.
RECEIVERS A week after facing one of the best receiver tandems in the conference, Texas will now face one of the best receivers in the nation. Justin Blackmon is the primary target on the Cowboys’ offense. He has caught for more than 100 yards in three games this season including receiving for 128 and 121 yards in tight games against Arizona and Texas A&M respectively, and 13 percent of his catches have gone for touchdowns. Texas’ one consistent target this season has been true freshman Jaxon Shipley. Last week, he caught nine balls for 89 yards and the only offensive touchdown for the Longhorns. Blackmon alone gives the Cowboys the edge in this one, but Oklahoma State has had at least one 100 yard receiver in three games this season, and two against Texas A&M.
OFFENSIVE LINE Last week, the Sooners spent as much time in the Texas backfield as the Longhorns did. The Texas offensive line gave up eight sacks against Oklahoma, and an additional seven quarterback hurries. The Sooners turned all that pressure into four turnovers and 117 yards for loss. Kansas was only able to get one sack, and one QB hurry on Weeden as he passed for almost 300 yards. The Cowboys averaged 3.9 yards per carry against Kansas, and are only averaging 3.1 yards per carry over the last three games. If Texas is going to pull the upset this weekend, then the offensive line has to do a significantly better job than it did last week, because the Oklahoma State line, is going to give Weeden ample time to throw.
Advantage
Breakdown
Oklahoma State has the definite edge in this game under center. Texas saw some improvement after switching to the two-quarterback system, but that system was abused last week by Oklahoma. David Ash threw two interceptions, and McCoy was sacked and fumbled twice, with one of each of those turnovers being returned for scores. Meanwhile, Brandon Weeden is averaging almost 380 yards per game through the air, and although he has thrown six interceptions this season, none of those have come in the last two games. He has completed 80 percent of his passes over the last two games and has completed 79 percent of his passes since the first game of the season, where he completed a paltry 61 percent.
RUNNING BACK
Advantage
Breakdown
DEFENSIVE LINE While Oklahoma was able to set up base camp in the Texas backfield, the Longhorn defensive line was not able to get any pressure on Landry Jones. It only recorded two hurries and one sack against Oklahoma. Oklahoma State’s line fared a little better against the Jayhawks, with 3.5 sacks and a hurry, but gave up 4.6 yards per carry to the Kansas running backs. The one bright spot from the Red River Rivalry was that Texas was able to limit Oklahoma to just 86 yards rushing, and didn’t let through a lot of runs up the middle. Neither team will be taking in a dominant defensive line, but the Cowboys may have little more going for them in pass rushing, though Texas is a little better at defending the run.
LINEBACKERS
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Texas’ Linebackers were only able to muster up 13 tackles against Oklahoma, with most of the work being done by the defensive backs. The most troubling stat is that the linebackers combined for one quarterback hurry, and no sacks. Most of the blitzes done by the linebackers got stopped at the line of scrimmage, and could not apply pressure on the quarterback. Oklahoma State’s linebackers are solid, but don’t make a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage, nor do they account for a lot of sacks. They are a decent group, but none of them being exceptional. A backup, Tyler Johnson, led the team in tackles last week with seven. Texas has more talent at the position, but it has to start producing, especially on blitzes in order for the team to have success.
Texas’ secondary got torched by Landry Jones and the Oklahoma receivers, but some of that may be on a defensive front seven that was not able to get any pressure on Jones. But the defensive backs were only able to get their hands on three balls for pass breakups, and no interceptions. They made a lot of tackles, but there were too many instances of Oklahoma receivers running open down the field, and too many poor angles taken by the entire backfield. The Cowboy’s secondary has picked off 10 passes this season, with most of those coming in the last three games, including three in the comeback win against Texas A&M. Texas; corners are young, but talented, but the OSU defensive backs have a lot more experience, and have been more consistent at getting their hands on passes.
SPECIAL TEAMS Texas hasn’t gotten much out of its punt return units this season, but its kick return game came alive against the Sooners. Texas racked up 248 return yards on nine returns averaging over 27 yards per return. Fozzy Whitaker had a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown, and D.J. Monroe had a 90yard kick returned called back on a penalty that would have given the Longhorns over 330 yards on kick returns for the day. Oklahoma State averaged 18.5 yards per return on four kicks, and was a perfect 1010 on PAT’s against Kansas. If the game is close, Texas’ newfound advantage in special teams could mean the difference in this game.
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Friday, October 14, 2011
BIG 12POWERRANKINGS — By Nick Cremona | Daily Texan Staff
Oklahoma
1
Quarterback Landry Jones and the Sooners got off to a quick start against the Longhorns last weekend in Dallas and proved once again that they are indeed one of the best teams in the country. Jones tossed three touchdowns passes and didn’t turn the ball over while the Sooners’ defense forced five Texas turnovers en route to a decisive victory on a big stage. The Sooners are bigger, stronger and faster than any team in the conference.
2
Much like his counterpart down the road in Norman, Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden continued his scorching pace last week against the Jayhawks, recording five more passing touchdowns. The Cowboys will take their air show on the road to Austin this week and will be licking their chops after the performance the Texas secondary turned in last week.
Texas
6
Not too many positives to take away from last week’s 55-17 shellacking at the hands of the Sooners, but the Longhorns did hold the Sooners to 86 yards rushing. That’s good and all but the Longhorns still gave up nearly 400 yards through the air also. Whatever the problems the Texas secondary had last week need to be fixed at warp speed because Oklahoma State comes to Austin this week averaging more than 400 yards through the air per game.
7
The Red Raiders nearly handed Texas A&M their thirdconsecutive loss but fell just short in the end. Any time a quarterback can complete 44 passes like Seth Doege did for the Red Raiders last week, his team will have a shot at winning games. The Red Raiders just need some defense to go with all that firepower they have on offense.
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
Missouri
Kansas State
3
The Wildcats continue to impress and are off to a quiet 5-0 start. Quarterback Collin Klein isn’t going to “wow” anyone with his arm but he continues to produce significantly for a Wildcats’ rushing attack that ranks 18th in the nation. Klein rushed for three more touchdowns in last week’s victory.
4
For a moment last Saturday it looked as if the Aggies would blow another late lead, but they were able to snap their two-game skid and edge Texas Tech by five points in Lubbock— which is no easy feat. The Aggies’ secondary did give up some alarming numbers once again, but running back Cyrus Gray was able to rush for more than 100 yards to help the Aggies beat the Red Raiders. A Baylor team that is much different than in years past will make a visit to College Station next.
8
The Tigers are talented, especially on the ground The team is averaging a hefty 253.3 rushing yards per game. They have the big numbers but only two wins to show for it. In the Tigers’ three losses they have not lost by more than 10 points. The potential is there, they just need to get over the hump late in games and finish off opposing teams.
Texas A&M
Iowa State
9
Cyclones’ quarterback Steele Jantz has shown he can make big plays when they matter the most, but he’s also shown a propensity for turning the ball over. He has thrown eight interceptions so far and has squandered opportunities to put his team ahead. Baylor seemed to just be too fast and powerful for the Cyclones to handle last week and they could be in for another rude awakening this week against Columbia if they don’t assess some glaring issues on the defensive side of the ball.
10
The Jayhawks are in week two of a four-game stretch against ranked opponents. After losing 70-28 last week at the hand of Oklahoma State they get the luxury of playing Oklahoma this week. Tough break for a team that is clearly a cut below the conference’s best.
Baylor
5
Bears quarterback Robert Griffin III rushed for more than 100 yards last week against Iowa State and added a rushing touchdown to bring his overall touchdown total to 21 this year. Running back Terrance Ganaway added 200 yards and three scores to remind us all that this Baylor squad is extremely wellrounded offensively.
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Friday, October 14, 2011
BIG12GUNSLINGERS THROUGH THE SCOPE
Klein quietly leading Wildcats to breakthrough year By Michael Morton Daily Texan Staff
Just like the Kansas State Wildcats who he leads on offense, Collin Klein has flown under the college football radar. The 6-foot-5 wide receiver turned quarterback from Loveland, Co., isn’t going to be confused with Landry Jones or Robert Griffin III, but his balance of consistent passing and strong running numbers has helped put the Wildcats on top of the Big 12 standings. “He’s made tremendous strides in regards to his leadership of our football team,” said Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder of Klein this summer. “He’s a very intelligent young guy and grasps concepts well. He’s just grown and grown and grown in his understanding of the offense and how to have dominant control of our offense.” Although completing less than 58 percent of his passes and throwing for an average of fewer than 120 yards per game, Klein has managed to lead the Wildcats — who were ranked num-
ber eight in the media’s preseason Big 12 football poll — to their first 5-0 start since 2000 and a No. 17 spot in the latest Associated Press poll. Compiling more rushing attempts (115 for 468 yards) than passing attempts (101), the junior Klein has mobility and moderate speed to power the Kansas State offense along with sophomore running back and Waco native John Hubert. “He has had his ups and downs throughout the course of the year, but he has been very competitive and has shown a tremendous amount of leadership and toughness,” Snyder said. “He is a guy who makes it important to enhance his game and become a better player week in and week out. As long as he is doing that, I am confident he will continue to improve.” Utilized mostly as a running, change-of-pace quarterback for the Wildcats in 2010, Klein played in 10 games attempting only 18 passes for 138 yards and rushing for 486 yards — becoming Kansas State’s second leading rusher. Despite his limited play, Klein won his first collegiate start when he
rushed 25 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 39-14 victory over Texas — setting a school record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in their first career start. “Last year was pretty unique situation,” Klein said. “It was a good opportunity to get game reps and I just tried to take advantage of that opportunity the best that I could.” Klein, who appeared in each of Kansas State’s games during the 2009 season as a wide receiver or on special teams, has used last season’s experience to lead the Wildcats to fourth-quarter comebacks against Miami and then-ranked No. 15 Baylor. However, things have not been all smooth sailing for Klein and the Wildcats who have blown doubledigit leads against Miami and most recently Missouri, a game in which Klein rushed for a career-high three touchdowns. “We are leaving a lot out on the table, which is good and bad,” Klein said after the win over Missouri. “The bad part is that we are still making some mistakes
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which is unacceptable and needs to be corrected.” Leaving a lot on the table has caused Klein and Kansas State to not only fly under the Big 12 and college football radar but also to remain considered the underdogs against unranked and lower-ranked opponents. Klein and the Wildcats are once again listed as the underdog this
weekend as they face unranked Texas Tech in Lubbock. With the Red Raiders averaging more than 524 yards of total offense per game, which ranks seventh nationally, Klein can’t leave much on the table if Kansas State aims to remain unbeaten. “There is more out there we can do on offense,” Klein said. “We cannot grow weary right now.”
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Friday, October 14, 2011
Texas DBs need to regroup after worst outing of season By Austin Laymance Daily Texan Staff
Defensive backs have short memories. That will come in handy this week. The Longhorns don’t have any time to sulk over last week’s implosion against Oklahoma. Not with the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation coming to town on Saturday. Texas entered the OU game with the country’s seventh-best pass defense. They left the Cotton Bowl ranked No. 55. If Oklahoma and Landry Jones were good, Oklahoma State and Brandon Weeden are better. “They’re throwing it as good as anyone in the country,” said head coach Mack Brown. “This offense might be better than the one we just played. This one’s the real deal.” For the second-straight week, the Longhorns will face a top-five passing offense manned by a top flight signal-caller. “We’re playing two Heisman candidates back to back here at quarterback,” Brown said. The young Longhorns cornerbacks underwent a trial by fire last week against Jones and his talented group of Sooners receivers. And it won’t get any easier this week against Weeden and elite wide out Justin Blackmon. Still, sophomore starter Carrington Byndom says the secondary is up to the challenge. “We’re ready to show that last
week was just our fault back in the back end and we’re going to step it up and bring our game to another level,” Byndum said. “We pride ourselves on being good in the back end. We’re just going back to basics and we’re going to play our game.” Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz says it takes more than just a good defensive backfield to have success against the pass. It takes 11 players, from the front seven to the deep safety. If the Longhorns want to slow down the Cowboys aerial attack, they must limit the running game first. “Then we can squarely focus on hammering the pass, hammering the quarterback, making him unsure of his reads,” said senior linebacker Keenan Robinson. “We need to make the quarterback feel uncomfortable and that way we can force turnovers, force interceptions, force him to hold the ball. And maybe somebody can come up from behind him and slap the ball out and get a fumble.” But to do that, Texas must find a way to pressure Weeden. It’s been a struggle this season for the Longhorns to get sacks and disrupt the quarterback’s timing. Texas has just six sacks through five games. An inconsistent pass rush has hindered the sack totals. The onus isn’t squarely on the defensive line or front seven, though. “When we get a great rush go-
ing, we have to have great coverage in the back end,” said senior linebacker Emmanuel Acho. “And when we have great coverage in the back end, that allows us to get a great rush going. It’s a total collective effort.” The Longhorns struggled in coverage against the Sooners, partly because of poor communication. The speed of the game also factored in. The Cowboys call plays at a blistering pace, meaning the defensive backs must be clear on their assignments against a no-huddle look. If Texas has breakdowns in pass coverage like it did against Oklahoma, they will pay a similar price in this game. “If you do things 85-percent right against a quarterback like this, it is punished,” Diaz said. Blackmon and the rest of the Cowboys receivers are going to get their catches. The Longhorns understand this. Oklahoma State throws for over 431 yards per game, so the yards will come. Texas just needs to limit the explosive plays that swing momentum and put points on the board. The Longhorns will have to tackle better than they did a week ago,
Lawrence Peart | Daily Texan Staff
Cornerback Carrington Byndom tries to pull down an Oklahoma receiver. The secondary will take on another Heisman-caliber quarterback this week.
though, in order to reduce OSU’s game-breakers. Blackmon is the type who can take a swing pass for six points from anywhere on the field. “We need to tackle well once they do catch the ball,” said senior safety Blake Gideon. “You can’t let a team like that get extra yardage. You can’t let them catch and run. That’s always going to be a stress for us.” Few teams face prolific offenses like these on consecutive weeks. But
the Longhorns aren’t complaining. They’ve moved on. The last game was a forgettable one for the secondary. And they’re pretty good at wiping the slate clean. They’ll have a shot at redemption Saturday and another chance to prove their worth against a recordsetting offense. “It’s another challenge for us and one we’re looking forward to,” Byndum said.
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Horns hope to put OU drubbing behind By Christian Corona Daily Texan Staff
Texas obviously did many things did wrong against Oklahoma. But maybe the Longhorns’ first mistake was made before the game even started when the team did a walkthrough at the Cotton Bowl the Friday before the game. “We thought so many young players had never been the Cotton Bowl that we should walk through and let them see it,” said head coach Mack Brown. “It’s probably something we’ll never do again. Texas lost five of their last seven games after falling to Oklahoma last season. One of those two wins was a 20-13 triumph in Lincoln, Neb., over No. 5 Nebraska the contest immediately following the Red River Rivalry, but it didn’t keep the Longhorns from going down a slippery slope. This year’s Texas team seemed on the right track toward redeeming itself from last season’s 5-7 debacle but took a Lawerence Peart| Daily Texan Staff
step backward at the Cotton Bowl last Saturday. Now, the Longhorns need to bounce back. “The loss Saturday doesn’t discourage me at all,” said senior linebacker Keenan Robinson. “I feel like we’re still the same team we’ve been all season. We played four great games before this.” Oklahoma State, who has played five great games so far this year, travels to Austin this weekend. The Cowboys, led by 28-year-old quarterback Brandon Weeden, have one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. After giving up more than 300 yards and three touchdowns to Oklahoma’s Landry Jones in the first half last weekend, Texas is faced with the tough task of slowing down the nation’s second-most productive offense, led by a gunslinger seven weeks older than Super Bowl winner Aaron Rodgers. “We made OU one-dimensional but we didn’t make them pay because we didn’t stop the pass and get off the field on third down,” Robinson said. Robinson is a senior but is playing on a young team with freshmen contributing at virtually every position. Many of the Longhorns’ underclassmen either weren’t in a Texas uniform or didn’t play much when Texas col-
lapsed last season. So while Robinson’s solution of limiting Weeden’s short throws is viable, fellow senior, running back Fozzy Whittaker, offered another one Monday, saying “senior leadership” is the most important thing the Longhorns must have moving forward. Robinson agreed. “I have to make sure that, as a senior leader and someone that’s supposed to lead by example, I do the little things right,” Robinson said. “I have to make sure I play at the highest level because everyone is going to follow after me. If they see me take a play off, they’re going to think it’s ok to take a play off.” Many of Texas’ youngsters are playing on two of the most important spots on the field — behind center and in the secondary. Those crucial positions also require a short memory, which will come in handy after a game like the one David Ash, Case McCoy and the Longhorns secondary had against Oklahoma. “It’s not all on the quarterbacks, it’s not all on any one position,” said co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin. “The first thing you go back and look at is the turnovers. That’s the number one thing we focus on.” One adjustment Texas will be look-
ing to mak Oklahoma getting the est players often. Juni Goodwin against the roe had 53 five touche “We’ve g hands mor really impr roe’s] don my estima really well. After las Texas’ seas spite the b there are m squad tha from itself are young still have u memory o ing season ened sense similar letd “Everyon differently,” depressed. year. They’r be positive.”
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Mack Brown to put perfect post-rivalry record to test
D
By Austin Laymance Daily Texan Staff
Mack Brown knows how to get the Longhorns to forget about the Oklahoma game and move on. He’s never lost a game following the Red River Rivalry in his 13-plus years at Texas. Brown said he learned early on the difficulties of coaching before and after the OU game. So what’s his secret? “We’ve made a real conscious effort to not talk about that game the week before, but to put it to bed really quickly, win or lose, immediately afterwards.” Brown said. “Its such an emotional game and it means so much to everybody that it can linger.” The Longhorns have been in this position before: coming off a loss to OU and preparing for a top-10 opponent. Last year, Texas upset No. 5 Nebraska on the road after a 28-20 loss to the Sooners. Now, senior tailback Fozzy Whittaker says the Longhorns are looking forward to another tough matchup against No. 6 Oklahoma State. “We’ll be ready to answer the bell,” he said. Keenan Robinson believes Texas will be able to pull off another upset this year, just like in 2010. The senior linebacker says this group of young Longhorns is ready to turn the page and get back to the success that followed them before a disappointing trip to the Cotton Bowl. “The loss doesn’t discourage me at all,” Robinson said. “We’re still the same team we’ve been all season. We played four great games. We just have to focus on the little things. We’ll be fine.” The Longhorns pouted after losses a season ago and would let one loss beat them twice. But Brown maintains that Texas is a changed team and that his players won’t make the same mistake twice. “This team’s got a lot of pride,” he said. “Especially after last year. They’re not to let what happened last year happen again. They’re going to fight every week and make sure we don’t get the down games we had last year.” Senior linebacker Emmanuel Acho saw that happen one too many times in 2010. But the Longhorns are a year older and a more mature team than that 5-7 outfit. He says Texas will get the mistakes that plagued them a week ago against OU fixed — and quickly. While the Longhorns don’t want the results off last week’s debacle to carry over, they think there’s room to learn from their mis-
d them
ke against a State is eir two fastthe ball more ior wide receiver Marquise did not catch any passes e Sooners while D.J. Mon3 all-purpose yards on just es. got to get it in [Marquise’s] re,” Brown said. “And we’re ressed with what D.J. [Monne. For the first time, in ation, he is playing really, ” ast year’s Red River Rivalry, son began to snowball, debig win over Nebraska. But many things about this year’s at will keep recent history f. This season’s Longhorns ger and more talented but upperclassmen with a fresh of the program’s first losn since 1997 and a heighte of urgency to prevent a down. ne responds to difficult days ” Brown said. “Last year, I got I’m not going to do that this ’re going to take my lead and .” Lawerence Peart | Daily Texan Staff
takes and take those lessons forward. Acho expects to see growth in the green Texas secondary this week after a tough matchup in OU game — one that’s typically an eye-opener for the younger players. “It grows you up quickly and it helps you mature,” Acho said. “I think that’s what they’ll do.” Sophomore cornerback Carrington Byndom is one of a handful of first-year starters in the back end who got a first-hand look at a high-powered offense in the Sooners last week. They’ll face a similar opponent in OSU. The Cowboys have an all-American wide receiver in Justin Blackmon and a Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Brandon Weeden. The Sooners torched the Texas secondary for 347 yards passing and three touchdowns. But Byndom and company views it as part of the learning curve for this inexperienced defensive backfield. “We can definitely learn from what happened,” Byndom said. “It’s just an experience you have to go through. Sometimes you have to experience things to learn from them.” Brown said he spoke with his team this week about his 2003 team that lost to OU, 65-13. That was a similar game to the Longhorns’ 55-17 loss this season. Texas turned the ball over at least five times in each game and had a freshman quarterback throw multiple interceptions. But the coach reminded his squad that the ’03 team ran the table in the regular season after the OU game and finished 10-3. It’s part of the positive mentality Brown is trying to create in the locker room. “It’s my job to pick them up,” he said. “I’m not going to let them get down because it obviously didn’t work last year.” Brown’s been around long enough to know the ins and outs of coaching after the Red River Rivalry. But his staff features six coaches in their first-year with the Longhorns. Bryan Harsin got his first taste of OU weekend, and the co-offensive coordinator is looking forward to the Longhorns’ response on Saturday. “This is a great opportunity to see where we are after a difficult loss,” Harsin said. “How we come back and how we prepare and our mentality going into this week. I’m excited to see how we respond. Because I think we’ve got guys who are going to respond well and execute.” Texas has done it before.
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Friday, October 14, 2011
PLAYERSTOWATCH — By Wes Maulsby | Daily Texan Staff
Brandon Weeden, Senior QB After tossing the pigskin 367 yards in the air last week, the Texas pass defense doesn’t catch a break this week with Weeden coming to Austin. The 28-year-old senior has experience to spare and enough arm strength to make every pass seem like a casual flick. He threw for a season-low 288 yards against Kansas on 24 of 28 passing. He threw five touchdown passes against the Jayhawks and has 15 on the season. He does have six interceptions this year, but all of those came in the first three games of the season, with half of them coming in game one against Louisiana-Lafayette. Last year, he had one of his three 400-plus yard games against Texas, passing for 409 in Austin.
Mary Kang | Daily Texan file photo
Justin Blackmon, Junior WR The Cowboy’s have began to form a bit of a reputation for producing NFL talent at receiver. Following Dez Bryant, Blackmon won the Biletnikoff award last year as a redshirt junior. Along with being named the best receiver in the country, he was a unanimous all-American and received Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors. He lit up Texas last season, catching 145 yards on just nine receptions, including a 67-yard catch and run in second quarter. He had at least 100 receiving yards in 12 games last year and has three so far this year. Against the young Texas corners, he has a chance to have a big game on Saturday.
Receiver Blackmon adds NFL-level talent to Cowboy’s offense By Chris Hummer Daily Texan Staff
The Texas secondary cannot catch a break. Last week they went up against one of the best trios of receivers in the country, Ryan Broyles, Kenny Stills and Jaz Reynolds of Oklahoma. Now the defense gets the pleasure of going up against the talented receiver in college, and a projected top-five pick in the NFL draft this year, Justin Blackmon. Blackmon is a physical specimen at wide out. His 6-foot-1, 211-pounds frame is strong enough to outmuscle any corner he comes up against, and it is athletic enough to out-jump every corner in FBS. But what really separates him from the other receivers the college game is his elite ability to run the ball after the catch. When he brings down the ball he immediately turns into a running back and an elusive one at that. He makes cuts in tight spaces and is strong enough to shrug off any corner or safety that tries to make an arm tackle. But it’s not only the people in the secondary that respect Blackmon’s ability. Other receivers, such as Texas freshman Jaxon Shipley, do too. “He’s incredible,” Shipley said. “He
is one of those guys who is a ball hawk. He is going to go up and get the ball. I have watched him for the last couple of years. He’s one of those truly great receivers.” Shipley has watched him from home the last couple of seasons in high school, but the Texas secondary has seen him up close and personal the last two years and not with good results. In 2009, in Blackmon’s freshman year, Texas did a decent job of controlling his playmaking ability, holding him to only 38 yards and a touchdown. Then, in his sophomore campaign, he made the Texas defense look silly going for 145 yards and a score. Perhaps even more impressively, he did that against former Texas cornerback Aaron Williams, who was an early second-round pick in the 2010 draft. “He’s as good as I’ve ever seen because he’s so physical,” said head coach Mack Brown. “Last year, Aaron Williams plays the fade as well as it can be played, and he reaches above him and catches the ball with his big, strong body and hands and just runs off and leaves him for about a 60, 70-yard touchdown.” Williams wasn’t the only corner that Blackmon dismantled in his sophomore campaign, he did
BLACKMON continues on PAGE 15
Mary Kang | Daily Texan file photo
Joseph Randle, Sophomore RB With so much attention being paid to the Oklahoma State passing attack, Randle has quietly put together a good season having rushed for almost 500 yards so far. His 484 yards this season is already higher than his entire season total last year at 452. After rushing for 378 yards in the first three games, he has been held to 106 in his last two, including just 23 against Kansas. He may be the most important “X-factor” in the game this weekend. With the Texas defense preoccupied with stopping the highpowered Cowboy’s passing attack, he could take advantage of the lack of attention to get some yards on the ground against the Longhorns.
Sue Ogrocki | Associated Press Jeff Heimsath | Daily Texan file photo
Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, left, avoids a tackle. Blackmon is especially good at racking up yards after the catch.
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Friday, October 14, 2011
BLACKMON continues from PAGE 14
it to every school and secondary age and will usually keep eight he came against. Blackmon went men out of the box to help the for more than 100 yards in all 12 running game. games he played on his way to a The threat of Blackmon is 1,782-yard season and a Bliet- constant, and the Cowboys have nikoff award for being the best used it to their fullest advantage receiver in college football. on offense. The attention paid to Blackmon hasn’t slowed down him is one of the main reasons much off of last season’s pace in the Cowboys have the No. 1 of2011 either, he’s already caught fense in the country, averaging . 534 yards and six touchdowns . 51.4 points a game. this year, while routinely seeing Texas will certainly pay plendouble teams. y Blackmon is also key to their ty of attention to him when the offense in other ways besides his Cowboys head into Darrell K. m outstanding catching skills. He Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium s gives defensive coordinators fits on Saturday afternoon. They s because he mandates more than might even have a corner and a e one player to cover him at all safety meet him when he gets off s times, which frees up the other the plane on Friday, so they don’t receivers for one-on-one cover- lose track of him at all in Austin. b g 8 , e y . F IL LI N R O L EG , IORS V A S 2 BIG 1 Wildcard SeaSon on M s o k
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QUICKHITS — By Nick Cremona | Daily Texan Staff
Oklahoma State
Iowa State
Center Grant Garner, a Rimington Award nominee, sat out last week’s game against Kansas with a sprained knee. Freshman running back linebacker Tyler Johnson also made his season debut after suffering a knee injury in preseason camp. Johnson recorded seven tackles, with two going for losses.
Running back Shontrelle Johnson did not play against Baylor because of a neck injury and will likely miss this week’s game against Missouri. Redshirt sophomore James White filled in for Johnson by rushing for 148 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in his first career start last week. Linebacker Jake Knott dislocated his shoulder twice against Baylor and was in a sling earlier this week but is still expected to play this week.
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With his nine catches for 122 yards last week, wide receiver Ryan Broyles became the 12th player in NCAA history and the second in Big 12 history to reach 4,000 yards receiving. He is only four receptions from breaking the NCAA record of 316 set by Taylor Stubblefield of Purdue in 2004. Defensive ends Frank Alexander and Ronnell Lewis have been added to the watch list for the 2011 Bednarik award, presented annually to the top defensive player in college football.
Missouri
Kansas Safety Keeston Terry left with an undisclosed injury in the first quarter of last week’s game against Oklahoma State and did not return. Running back Brandon Bourbon suffered a concussion in the second quarter after he was tackled on a kickoff return.
Texas Tech Junior running back Eric Stephens injured his left knee late in the third quarter last week against Texas A&M and could miss at least one game. Senior kicker Donnie Carona tied a Texas Tech school record with four field goals against the Aggies. Carona connected twice from 49 yards, once from 30 and again from 27 yards out.
Linebacker Will Ebner missed his fourth-straight game last week with a high ankle sprain. One half of the Tigers’ injured running back duo returned last week when Kendial Lawrence carried the ball six times for five yards in his first game back since breaking his fibula. The other injured back, De’Vion Moore (high ankle sprain), traveled and Baylor With his 22 completions last dressed for the game but did not see any action. week, quarterback Robert Griffin III became the all-time leader in pass attempts at Baylor. The junior Kansas State from Copperas Cove now owns Running back Bryce Brown has 43 school records and is the career been absent from all team funcleader in 16 categories. Senior wide tions for the past three weeks and receiver Kendall Wright moved in unconfirmed reports speculate that to a tie for second on Baylor’s sinthe Tennessee transfer will leave gle-season touchdown reception list Kansas State and declare for the when he grabbed his eighth touchNFL Draft. down last week.
Texas Tight end Blaine Irby caught his first pass since injuring his knee in a game against Rice in 2008. The Texas defense still has not allowed an opponent to score a first-quarter touchdown through five games. Running back Fozzy Whittaker tied a UT school record with his 100-yard kickoff return last week. Johnny “Lam” Jones was the first to do it in 1978 against SMU.
Texas A&M Wide receiver Jeff Fuller was knocked out of last week’ game against Texas Tech with a concussion. Defensive end Brandon Alexander also left the game with a dislocated elbow. The Aggies received a commitment from the recruiting class of 2012 this week with the signing of junior college running back Marion Grice from Blinn College.
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Friday, October 14, 2011
GAMESTOWATCH — By Chris Hummer | Daily Texan Staff
No. 11 Michigan @ No. 23 Michigan St Overall 6-0 Big Ten (2-0)
Overall 4-1 Big Ten (1-0)
No. 20 Baylor @ No. 21 Texas A&M Overall 4-1 Big 12 (1-1)
Overall 3-2 Big 12 (1-1)
No. 18 Arizona State @ No. 9 Oregon Overall 5-1 Pac-12 (3-0)
Overall 2-2 Pac-12 (0-2)
Florida @ No. 24 Auburn Overall 4-2 SEC (2-2)
Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Mich. Saturday 11 a.m. TV: ESPN
Kyle Field, College Station Saturday 11 a.m. TV: FX
Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Ore. Saturday 9:15 p.m. TV: ESPN
Overall 4-2 SEC (2-1) Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Ala. Saturday 6 p.m. TV: ESPN
Michigan won their first five games last season in convincing fashion, but then the Wolverines ran into in-state rival Michigan State and fell 34-17, sending them into a second-half spiral to finish the season 7-6. This year Michigan has an opportunity to reconcile last year’s woes, putting its 6-0 record on the line, against the Spartans. Michigan is an explosive team that averages 38 points a game. Its offense is powered by a dynamic quarterback, Denard Robinson. Robinson is a signal caller with a solid passing ability and a sprinter’s speed and a runner’s mentality that has made defenses look silly all year. Robinson is a clear cut Heisman candidate early on this season, and the Spartans will have a tough time containing him. However, if there is a defense that is equipped to do so it would be Michigan State’s third-ranked squad who only allow 10.2 points a game. The Spartans would love to do nothing more than knock off their rival for the second season in a row and derail the Wolverines’ title hopes.
This game features two of the best and quickest scoring teams in the country. Baylor averages 47.6 points a game, while the Aggies boast a pass-happy offense that puts up 39 points a contest. The Bears have had a breakout season and have only lost one game so far, falling to Kansas State by a single point. Baylor’s resurgence can be attributed to their human highlight reel of a quarterback, Robert Griffin III. Griffin has video game like numbers this season passing for 1520 yards, 19 touchdowns and only one interception through five games. The Aggies will have a hard time stopping Robinson if their defense numbers for the year are any indication, as they give up 26.8 points a game and were torched by the top offense’s they have faced this year. Arkansas put up 42 points, Oklahoma State 30 and even Texas Tech scored 40 against a weak A&M defense. But the Aggies do put up points fast and furiously, so expect a highflying passing attack from both sides .
After Oregon’s season-opening loss to LSU, the national runners up have quietly went about their business of winning football games, looking to win a second-straight Pac-12 crown. However, the competition that the Ducks have faced has been subpar at best, which could be why they are averaging 56 points a game in the last four games after their loss against the Tigers. However, this week they come up against a resilient and senior laden Arizona State squad that is looking toward a conference title of their own. The Sun Devils have had an impressive early season run so far, notching wins against quality teams such as Missouri, USC and Utah thus far. However, the test against the Ducks is a whole new level of difficulty for Arizona State, as they face a team that averages 539.6 yards a game. The Ducks are also riding an 18-game, home-win streak, so the odds are stacked against the Sun Devils. If they could come away with a victory though it could mean BCS in Arizona.
Florida just cannot seem to catch a break. Two weeks ago they ran into No. 2 Alabama who dominated the Gators 38-10. Then they met up with the No. 1 team in the country, LSU, who laid the wood on them as well 4111. Now the Gators finish up quite possibly the toughest three-game stretch in the country, against the defending national champions Auburn. The Tigers only have six returning starters from the aforementioned national title team. However, they are still a talented group despite their youth and present a challenge for any opponent. The Tigers are a run-first offense, and that attack is spearheaded by sophomore Michael Dyer, who has 679 yards and eight touchdowns so far, while eating up a ton of possession time, carrying the ball 21 times a game. Florida will have a tough task though, as they have a freshman Jacoby Brissett under center after their starter John Brantley was injured against the Crimson Tide. Brissett struggled in the LSU contest throwing for only 94 yards, while adding two interceptions.
KEYS TO THE GAME By Wes Maulsby
Comeback kids Three of Texas’ four-largest comebacks in history have been at the expense of the Cowboys. The first and largest of which came in 2004. Texas trailed 35-7 with 1:21 left to go in the second quarter. The Longhorns then reeled off 49 unanswered points to win the game emphatically, 56-35. It didn’t take long for a repeat performance: the next year, Texas trailed by 19 in the second quarter in Stillwater, but the Longhorns again took advantage of a strong second half to tint he game. Vince Young led Texas to 35 second-half points to down Oklahoma State. Following in Young’s footsteps, Colt McCoy again found a way to dash the hopes and dreams of the Cowboys by coming back from being down 21 points in the second half. With a little help from Jamaal Charles, Texas scored 24 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Cowboys waiting for their first win against Texas since Brown took over.
Home and home Because of a scheduling quirk that came about with the conference shrinking from 12 to 10 teams, Texas will play Oklahoma State at home in consecutive years. This is the first time this has happened since the 1961 and 1960 seasons. Texas played Tech in those games, and won 17-0 in 1960 and 42-14 in 1961. In 1943, Texas lost at home to Southwestern, 7-14. The next year, Texas won the same game at home 20-0. And you have to go back 90 years for the last time that Texas to the same team at home in consecutive years. In 1921, Texas lost to Vanderbilt, 20-0. The next year, Texas lost to Vanderbilt again, 20-10.
The hangover Mack Brown has never lost the game following Oklahoma, having a record of 13-0 in those games. Six of those wins came against ranked opponents. The average margin of victory in those games is just more than 20 points, but that average drops to 12 against ranked teams. But only twice has Texas faced a team ranked in the top 10 in that week: beating Nebraska 24-20 in 1999 and beating the Huskers again in 2009, 20-17. Under Mack Brown, Texas has faced Oklahoma State immediately after Oklahoma one other time, rolling to a 45-17 win against the Cowboys in 2001.
Offensive Explosion In the 13 games under Brown, Texas has averaged 480.5 yards per game against Oklahoma State. That is the highest yards per game average Texas has against any of the former Big 12 South teams. Twice Texas has totaled 600 or more yards and has exceeded 500 yards in five more games. By comparison, in Texas’ 13 games from the 2008 season, Texas averaged 475.8 yards per game, which stands as the second-largest average in Texas history. Texas has had obvious success against the Oklahoma State defense, but it’s two lowest offensive outputs have come in the last two meetings, where Texas averaged 316.5 yards per game.
Home field disadvantage
Under Mack Brown, Texas is 12-1 against the Cowboys, averaging almost 38 points a game with an average margin of victory of 19 points a game. Texas’ average margin of victory is actually higher on the road than at home in this series. The Longhorns’ average road margin is 21.5 points, while their home margin is 15.2 points per game. And the only loss for Brown in the series is at home in last year’s 16-33 contest.
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Friday, October 14, 2011
2011HEISMANWATCH — By Nick Cremona | Daily Texan Staff
Landry Jones QB Oklahoma
Week 6 vs. Texas- 31/50 for 367 yards, 3 TD Season stats- Passing: 142/205 (69.3%) for 1,814 yards, 13 TD 5 INT Rushing: 8 carries for 3 yards, 2 TD
Week 6 vs. California- 30 carries for 239 yards, 1 TD Season stats- Rushing: 95 carries for 852 yards (9.0 ypc), 8 TD Receiving: 11 receptions for 159 yards (14.5 ypc), 1 TD In the past three games, James has rushed for six touchdowns and more than 700 yards. He’s making a serious case for the Heisman but he did dislocate his elbow last week against California. The Ducks will miss James dearly if he’s not able to go this week against Arizona State and the monster that is linebacker Vontaze Burfict. James opens up another dimension for the Ducks’ offense and without him they are very vulnerable. Something tells me he’ll find a way to play this week; the Ducks need his big-play threat to stretch opposing defenses.
Aaron Marineau | Daily Emerald
Jones put on a clinic at the Cotton Bowl last week, recording more than 300 yards passing in the first half against the Longhorns. He never batted an eye at the pressure Texas brought and could have very well had 10 to 15 more completions had he not overthrown his receivers on a few occasion. The Sooners have now beaten two ranked teams this year and have four more scheduled the rest of the way. With the way Jones and Co. have been performing lately, Kansas stands little to no chance of stopping Jones from putting up huge numbers this week.
LaMichael James RB Oregon
Andrew Luck QB Stanford
Week 6 vs. Colorado- 26/33 for 370 yards, 3 TD 1 INT Season stats- Passing: 106/145 (73.1%) for 1,383 yards, 14 TD 2 INT Rushing: 12 carries for 60 yards, 1 TD
UP
Another week, another big game for Luck, and this time he welcomed new Pac-12 member Colorado with a whooping in Palo Alto. Only one ranked team remains on the Cardinal’s schedule and that comes in mid-November when Oregon rolls into town. Other than that it should be smooth sailing for Luck and the rest of the team. If he continues to put up even decent numbers he will remain the Heisman front-runner. Analysts, Heisman pundits and NFL general managers all love this guy and project him to perform very well at the next level. Paul Sakuma | Associated Press
ON THE RISE Orwin Smith RB Georgia Tech
DOWN
Week 6 vs. Maryland- 4 carries for 41 yards, 1 TD Season stats- Rushing: 32 carries for 464 yards (14.5 ypc), 8 TD Receiving: 8 receptions for 239 yards (29.9 ypc), 1 TD
Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina
Week 6 vs. Kentucky- 22 carries for 102 yards Season stats- Rushing: 146 carries for 779 yards (5.3 ypc), 9 TD Receiving: 16 receptions for 153 yards (9.6 ypc), 1 TD
Smith hasn’t officially qualified for any postseason awards — at least not yet. That’s partly because of the fact that he hasn’t received more than nine carries in any game this year. Still, he’s averaging a rushing touchdown every four carries and is just one piece of a Yellow Jackets’ ground attack that averages more than 360 yards per game running the ball. Clemson and Virginia Tech loom on the Jackets’ schedule, but for now they remain undefeated, in part thanks to Smith’s outstanding play.
Rich Glickstein | Associated Press
John Bazemore | Associated Press
The Gamecocks rolled to a 54-3 victory last week against Kentucky but Lattimore didn’t see the endzone for the first time since last season’s Chick-fil-A Bowl. However, he was able to gain more than 100 yards on the ground after being held under the century mark for the past two games. Lattimore will need to find a way to score more touchdowns if he wants to stay in the Heisman race.
21
Friday, October 14, 2011
Recent Texas grads turn tiny tailgate into massive party By Lauren Giudice Daily Texan Staff
All ‘Bout Texas Tailgate definitely lives up to its name. The group started four years ago when graduates from the years 2007-2009 decided they wanted to stay more connected to the University. What started as a group of six graduates enjoying themselves in the parking lot across the street from the Bob Bullock Museum has grown to a group of 20 with approximately 200 people coming to the tailgate each week. “We had just graduated from UT and we wanted to show our support,” said Brenton Riley, a 2008 alumnus and one of the founders of the group. “We were all still living in Austin and we all got jobs here. We wanted to do it as big as we possibly could and have something we could invite all of our family and friends out to and just have a really good time out there for all the home games.” Riley said some members of group who started the tailgate passed up better job opportunities to stay in Austin. Before every home game, you can find their tents and a huge smoker that says “All Bout Texas” on it. In it, Oklahoma State running back Jeremy Smith, left, celebrates his touchdown against Kansas. The Cowboys have quietly built one of the Big 12’s best teams.
Sue Ogrocki Associated Press
they usually smoke two or three briskets and sausage. The smoker has been with the group for six years. It belongs to Riley’s roommate, who has had it since he belonged to Absolute Texxas as a student. “The fact that we all graduated and found job opportunities in Austin that kept us here really contributed to the fact that the tailgate is still around,” said Peter Vincent, class of 2009 graduate. “We live and breathe Texas football.” The group also has a DJ, a bar and plenty of drinks — especially since Corona and Corona Light sponsor them. The group’s growth has led to sponsorships and a need for organization. The group definitely adheres to Mack Brown’s saying “Come early, be loud, stay late.” They usually arrive at the parking lot at about nine in the morning and set up and begin drinking. “It’s ridiculous getting out there and getting to see thousands of people wearing burnt orange and everybody pulling for Texas and having the best time of their weekend,” Riley said. In the parking lot where All ‘Bout Texas is located, people tend to migrate from tailgate to tailgate. But,
Josh Rachner| RD Photography
The All ‘Bout Texas Tailgaters fist pump to some music while enjoying drinks and barbeque. The tailgate, which began in 2008, started with only a few friends, but it quickly grew in to one of the busiest tailgates in town.
All ‘Bout Texas has a television, so people who don’t have tickets can still enjoy themselves. In addition to throwing a fun party, the group also gives back to the community. Vincent said that members of the tailgate were all involved in organizations while they were students. Because of this, they knew they wanted to give back. The group works with The Federico Cuevas Foundation — a nonprofit charity that supports juvenile diabetes research. They donated $500 to the charity last year and hope to double that amount this year. In addition, they
make yearly donations to the Bob Bullock museum. “Tailgating is one of Texas’ greatest traditions, but also we believe that giving back to the community is one of the things that we believe provided the most value to us while we were on campus,” Vincent said. “That’s what our tailgate does. We throw great parties for all of our friends and we also donate our profits to charity.” Vincent said having both academic and athletic prestige is something very unique about Texas. A native Hawaiian, he moved here to go to school at Texas and hasn’t left.
“I think Texas has a culture of doing everything bigger and better than the rest of the nation,” Vincent said. “Not to say that tailgating doesn’t happen anywhere else, but Texas is very proud of its traditions. I believe that tailgating is kind of an extension of your school pride.” Riley, who went to Dallas last weekend for the Red River Rivalry, said he hasn’t missed that game for the past seven or eight years and he has traveled to 10 or 15 games. “We are about as passionate as it comes, I think,” Riley said. “We like to think we have the best tailgate going in the entire city.”
Cowboys rise to top dog with luck and coaching By Trey Scott Daily Texan Columnist Somewhere above the Red River, lives a top-10 team, one with a Heisman contender at quarterback, the nation’s most dangerous receiver and an offense that moves so fast it — OK, I’ll save you from the whole “Ha! Made you think it’s Oklahoma and then it turns out to be Oklahoma State!!” thing because the Cowboys are clearly the focal point of this issue. So let’s get right to it with this question: How did we get here? How is OSU better than Texas? Luck’s a good place to start with it. Its quarterback, Brandon Weeden, joined the program as a walk-on after spending time in the New York Yan-
kees’ minor league organization. Its best receiver and Biletnikoff recipient, Justin Blackmon, was considered the 91st-best wide receiver coming out of high school. Nintey-first. Wow. So it’s luck for the Cowboys that some of their biggest starts are bypassed by the bigger programs — Texas didn’t offer Dez Bryant — and head to Stillwater instead. But luck’s only so much of it. OSU and head coach Mike Gundy have proven very successful at developing major talent. Far better at it, I must say, than Texas. Here, we tend to spend the season asking, “What happened to that guy?” There, at OSU, they wonder, “Where did we get this guy?” The Cowboys have churned out NFL running backs, guys like Tatum
Bell and Kendall Hunter. They’ve had a ton of talent at the wide receiver position, with Bryant and Adarius Bowman and Rashaaan Woods and now Blackmon. Former tight end Brandon Pettigrew is now starting with the Lions. Has OSU produced better talent than the Longhorns? Historically, no But now, there’s better talent in the orange and black than there is in the orange and white. The ‘Pokes will win Saturday, even though there’s no way Texas will play as poorly on offense as it did against the Sooners. I’m not sure the defense will be able to contain the Cowboys’ high-speed, high-skill passing attack, a Heisman contender at quarterback, the nation’s most dangerous receiver and an offense that moves so fast it just might be faster than Oklahoma.
22
Friday, October 14, 2011
NATIONAL
notebook
— By Nick Cremona | Daily Texan Staff
Arizona fires head coach, Kish will serve as interim Wildcats head coach Mike Stoops was fired Monday after eight years with the team. Athletic director Greg Byrne made the move to fire Stoops after a 1-5 start to the season. “I was concerned about the direction of the program and where we were going and felt that needed to be addressed,” Byrne said. “We felt this would give everybody a fresh start for the remainder of the season.” Stoops led the Wildcats to threestraight bowl games after a decade of mediocrity, but that wasn’t enough to keep him around. His overall record at Arizona was 4150, including 27-38 in conference games. Defensive coordinator Tim Kish will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season while the school searches for a new coach.
South Carolina dismisses former starting QB Garcia Senior quarterback Stephen Garcia was dismissed from the team earlier this week after failing to meet the guidelines put in place after his fifth suspension this past spring. His dismissal results from testing positive for both alcohol and marijuana. “Being a student-athlete at the University of South Carolina is a privilege, not a right,” said athletic director Eric Hyman. “And we remind all of our student-athletes that there are consequences for their actions. For Stephen to return to and remain with the football squad this fall, we agreed on several established guidelines. Unfortunately, he has not been able to abide by those guidelines and has therefore forfeited his position on the roster. We wish him the best of luck as he moves forward in life.”
Utah QB out for season, needs shoulder surgery Junior quarterback Jordan Wynn will undergo surgery on his left shoulder within the next 10 days and will miss the remainder of the season. It is the second-straight season that Wynn will have season-
ending surgery. “Obviously, this is disappointing news for Jordan and the entire team,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. “The good news is that he is eligible for a redshirt season.” Junior transfer Jon Hays now permanently moves in to the starting role as the Utes’ quarterback. Hays made his first collegiate start last week against Arizona State and threw three interceptions and one touchdown.
Jared Crick done for year after suffering muscle tear
All-American defensive tackle Jared Crick has a torn pectoral muscle and will miss the remainder of the season for the Corn Huskers. The senior had been projected as a first-round NFL pick, and was ranked as high as 18 on Mel Kiper Jr.’s most recent 2012 Big Board. “I feel extremely bad for Jared,” said head coach Bo Pelini. “Jared has a bright future in front of him on the field at the professional level. I know he will bounce back from this and become a stronger player and person.” With 20 career sacks, he ranks eighth on Nebraska’s all-time sack list. He also totaled 35 tackles for a loss in his career.
No major violations found in Newton recruiting case
The NCAA has said that they have not found any major violations committed by Auburn regarding former quarterback Cam Newton or other play-for-pay allegations. The NCAA released a statement earlier this week stating that the 13-month investigation had been closed. Auburn was also cleared by the NCAA of allegations pertaining to four former players that received payments during their recruitment or career at the university. “Any allegations of major rules violations must meet a burden of proof, which is a higher standard than rampant public speculation online and in the media,” the NCAA said in a statement. It also says the investigation could be reopened if evidence surfaces.
23
Friday, October 14, 2011
TEXANSTAFFPICKS
Last Week’s Record Overall Record No. 6 Oklahoma State at No. 22 Texas No. 11 Michigan at No. 23 Michigan State No. 18 Arizona State at No. 9 Oregon
Sameer Bhuchar
Trey Scott
Austin Laymance
Christian Corona
Nick Cremona
Lauren Giudice
Wes Maulsby
Chris Hummer
82
100
100
82
010
73
82
73
3515
3812
3911
4010
2723
3317
3614
3713
TEXAS
TEXAS
OKLAHOMA STATE
TEXAS
OKLAHOMA STATE
OKLAHOMA STATE
TEXAS
OKLAHOMA STATE
MICHIGAN
MICHIGAN
MICHIGAN
MICHIGAN
MICHIGAN STATE
MICHIGAN STATE
MICHIGAN
MICHIGAN
OREGON
OREGON
OREGON
OREGON
OREGON
OREGON
OREGON
OREGON
TEXAS TECH
TEXAS TECH
TEXAS TECH
KANSAS STATE
No. 17 K.ansas State at Texas Tech
TEXAS TECH
No. 20 Baylor at No. 21 Texas A&M
TEXAS A&M
TEXAS A&M
BAYLOR
BAYLOR
BAYLOR
TEXAS A&M
TEXAS A&M
TEXAS A&M
No. 15 South Carolina at Mississippi
SOUTH CAROLINA
MISSISSIPPI STATE
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTHERN CAROLINA
MISSISSIPPI STATE
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH CAROLINA
No. 8 Clemson at Maryland
CLEMSON
CLEMSON
CLEMSON
CLEMSON
CLEMSON
CLEMSON
CLEMSON
CLEMSON
No. 13 West Virginia at Syracuse
WEST VIRGINIA
WEST VIRGINIA
WEST VIRGINIA
WEST VIRGINIA
WEST VIRGINIA
WEST VIRGINIA
WEST VIRGINIA
WEST VIRGINIA
OHIO STATE
ILLINOIS
ILLINOIS
ILLINOIS
ILLINOIS
ILLINOIS
ILLINOIS
OHIO STATE
MEMPHIS
EAST CAROLINA
EAST CAROLINA
EAST CAROLINA
EAST CAROLINA
EAST CAROLINA
EAST CAROLINA
EAST CAROLINA
State
Ohio State at No. 16 Illinois East Carolina at Memphis
KANSAS STATE KANSAS STATE KANSAS STATE
LASTWEEK’SWINNER
Submit your weekly picks on the Double Coverage site for a chance to be immortalized as a “Fan Pick ‘Em” winner, as well as receive two free movie tickets courtesy of Regal Cinemas. Last week, Eli Perez won the contest off a technicality. His 7-3 record was good, but other competitors beat him in terms of percentage. Still, Perez gets the win because our other competitors were not eligble for the prize.
HOBBIES: “I like singing with UT’s premier co-ed a cappella group, the Ransom Notes. I also enjoy baking as well as rock climbing.” WHAT HE’LL BE DOING BEFORE THE GAME: “Eating a few breakfast tacos.” Eli Perez History junior
THOUGHTS ON WINNING BY TECHNICALITY: “You know what? A win is a win, and at the end of the day, I’m the one who gets to go see a free movie.”