The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas named Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week
10.13.2008 | Football
Oct. 13, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Longhorns have been named the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week after defeating No. 1 Oklahoma, 45-35, on Oct. 11, the Football Writers Association of America has announced.
No. 5 Texas trailed by as many as 11 points twice before putting on a 25-7 second-half surge in knocking off No. 1 Oklahoma, 45-35, at Dallas' Cotton Bowl. It was UT's first regular season victory over a No. 1 team since a 28-7 win over Oklahoma on Oct. 12, 1963. The win marked the Longhorns' third in the Red River Rivalry in the last four years and provided Texas with its second 6-0 start in the Mack Brown era. The Horns' 45 points matched a series high with the 2005 team, which won 45-12.
Offensively, Texas registered 438 total yards on 70 plays (6.3 ypp), including 277 in the air and 161 on the ground, against an Oklahoma defense that was allowing just 256 total yards per game. The Longhorns had 17 plays of 10 or more yards and mounted four TD drives of at least 74 yards. Once inside the red zone, Texas converted on all seven of its chances.
Defensively, Texas held Oklahoma to just one TD in the final 26:15 of the game and limited them to more than 100 yards below its season average and 14 points under its scoring average. UT held the Sooners to only 48 rushing yards on 26 attempts (1.8 ypc) and held OU to zero yards or less on 21 of its 67 plays. Oklahoma had only one run of more than 10 yards in the game and starting tailback DeMarco Murray was held to six yards on seven carries. In all, the Longhorns recorded three sacks, two INTs and three forced fumbles.
On special teams, the WR Jordan Shipley returned a kickoff 96 yards for a TD, and K Hunter Lawrence stepped into his first action in the Red River Rivalry and was perfect on FGs of 26, 33 and 28 yards and all four PATs.
Following the game, the Longhorns earned the top spot in both the Associate Press and USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in the regular season since 1984. Additionally, QB Colt McCoy was named the O'Brien Award National Quarterback of the Week and the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Shipley was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week and the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, and Lawrence was named a Groza Award Star of the Week.
The Longhorns were selected for the honor this week along with Oklahoma State as it was shared for the first time in the award's seven-year history.
The FWAA has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the fifth season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Members of the FWAA board of directors and All-America committee decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2008 college football season, the FWAA will name the Tostitos Bowl National Team of the Week through Dec. 1.
Since 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has hosted six games that have decided the college football national championship, including three Bowl Championship Series title games. This season the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game will be played on Jan. 5, 2009, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., and the Insight Bowl will be played on Dec. 31, 2008 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
For more information on the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, go to footballwriters.com or fiestabowl.org.
