The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma State
No. 23/24 Football plays host to No. 12/10 Oklahoma St. Saturday
11.11.2013 | Football
Game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Texas-Oklahoma State Game Notes | Longhorns Gameweek | Tickets | Gameday Information
Texas Plays Host to Oklahoma State Saturday: No. 23/24 Texas returns home Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT/FOX) to face No. 12/10 Oklahoma State toting a six-game winning streak. The Longhorns are coming off a 47-40 overtime road win over West Virginia, while Oklahoma State rolled past Kansas, 42-6, in Stillwater for its fifth-straight victory. Texas is 6-0 in the Big 12 and is a half-game ahead of Baylor (5-0) in the league standings. OSU is third with a 5-1 mark.
Horns Win Sixth Straight in OT Victory over West Virginia: Case McCoy hit Alex De La Torre for a 2-yard touchdown pass in overtime and Texas knocked off West Virginia, 47-40, on the road Saturday. LB Steve Edmond twice prevented West Virginia from the equalizing score in overtime -- first tipping a pass in the end zone on third down, and then intercepting Mountaineer QB Paul Millard in the end zone on fourth down to seal the win. McCoy went 27 of 49 for 283 yards and three touchdowns and the Texas defense forced five turnovers in a game that featured seven lead changes. UT won for the seventh time in its last nine road games.
First-and-Goal:
• Texas moved back into the national rankings this week (No. 23 - AP poll, No. 24 - USA Today Coaches poll, No. 24 BCS).
• The Longhorns are 6-0 in the Big 12 for the fifth time under Mack Brown (also 1999, 2005, 2006, 2009).
• Texas has scored 30 or more points in the last six games, matching the longest streak since 2009 (also six games - Oct. 24 through Nov. 26). The Horns are averaging 34.4 points per game, No. 36 nationally.
• UT is averaging 445.3 yards of total offense which ranks No. 3 in the Big 12. The Horns are averaging 197.3 yards on the ground (No. 3 Big 12/No. 38 FBS) and 248.0 in the air (No. 5 in the Big 12).
• Case McCoy, who has replaced an injured David Ash, made his 12th career start in Saturday's win over West Virginia. He improved to 5-1 as a starter this season by completing 27 of 49 passes for 283 yards. McCoy engineered nine scoring drives, including the game-tying 57-yarder that was capped off by Anthony Fera's 24-yard FG with 13 seconds left. McCoy will make the start vs. OSU with Ash being ruled out.
• Already without Ash, who has played just one half in the last seven games, and RT Josh Cochran (missed the last five games), the Horns' offense was dealt another blow when Johnathan Gray, the team's leading rusher (780), suffered a season-ending Achilles injury vs. West Virginia. Malcolm Brown will take on more of the load at tailback. He is averaging 94.8 rushing yards in the last four games and has eight rushing TDs this season (seven in the last three games) which ranks tied for fourth in the Big 12.
• Jaxon Shipley leads the team with 46 catches and ranks sixth in the league at 5.1 per game. Thirty of his receptions have gone for first downs, including three on fourth down. Mike Davis has 33 catches and ranks seventh in the Big 12 with 59.6 receiving yards per game. Shipley is eighth at 58.6. Davis has six TD receptions which is fourth in the Big 12.
• Sophomores Kendall Sanders and Marcus Johnson have emerged as receiving threats. Sanders has started seven games and ranks third on the team in both receptions (32) and receiving yards (329). Johnson has become a deep threat. He is averaging a team-high 22.5 yards per catch (minimum 10 receptions) and has two of the team's four longest receptions of the season (59-yard TD vs. Oklahoma and 65-yard score vs. TCU).
• Eight players have scored a receiving touchdown and seven via the ground.
• Seven players have at least one reception of 45 yards or more this season.
• After surrendering an average of 7.0 yards per carry to BYU and Ole Miss, the UT defense has held its last six opponents (K-State - 3.0; Iowa State - 4.0; Oklahoma - 3.9; TCU – 1.9; Kansas – 3.8; West Virginia – 2.3) to a combined 3.2 ypc (228 rushes, 740 yards). Texas has allowed an average of 98.0 rushing yards in the past three games.
• In league games, UT is ranked second in points allowed (21.8 pg), total defense (344.5 ypg) and rushing defense (123.3 ypg).
• The Longhorns rank tied for No. 85 in the FBS in red-zone defense (30 of 35/85.7 percent), but have been able to the keep the opposition out of the end zone. Texas ranks tied for 30th nationally in red zone touchdowns (19 of 35/54.3 percent). The 11 red zone field goals are tied for seventh most in the nation.
• Jackson Jeffcoat and Cedric Reed are two of the most productive defensive ends in the nation. They rank tied for second in the Big 12 and 21st nationally in sacks (0.78 pg/7.0). They are one of only two duos in the nation to have 7.0 sacks apiece. Reed is tied for fourth in the FBS in fumbles forced (0.44 pg/four) and Jeffcoat is tied for 11th nationally in fumbles recovered (0.33 pg/three). Reed has tallied 61 tackles (second on the team) and Jeffcoat has 51 (fourth). They have also combined for 27 tackles for loss and 24 QB pressures. Jeffcoat was named a Bednarik Award semifinalist last week.
• The Longhorns have suffered two big losses to their defense this season. They have been without junior linebacker Jordan Hicks, who ruptured his Achilles, since the Kansas State game. He was leading the team with 41 tackles at the time. Last week vs. West Virginia, senior DT Chris Whaley suffered a season-ending knee injury on the first series of the game. He had started all nine games. Steve Edmond and Dalton Santos have picked up the slack at linebacker for Hicks. Edmond has 63 tackles (first on the team) and is tied for the team lead in pass breakups with five. He also recorded his second career interception vs. TCU. With Hicks' injury, Santos has seen his snaps increase and he has responded with 34 tackles over the last five games.
• DT Malcom Brown has been a key cog along the line. He had perhaps his best game as a Longhorn against Iowa State. The sophomore had a career-high 10 tackles, including one sack and one TFL, as well as one PBU. He shared the team's defensive player of the game award with Jeffcoat whose interception on the Cyclones' final drive helped seal the win. Brown had six tackles and a career-best two pass breakups vs. TCU. DT Desmond Jackson saw his role increase vs. West Virginia with the injury to Whaley and responded with career highs in tackles (8), tackles for loss (3) and sacks (2.0).
• Texas ranks tied for eighth nationally in turnover margin at +1.00 per game. Texas has gained 22 turnovers this season, which is the 12th-best total in the nation. The Longhorns were plus-3 for the second time this season in the win over West Virginia and have lost the turnover battle just once this season (minus-1 vs. Kansas).
• Senior Anthony Fera has been solid both place-kicking and punting. He has gone 15-for-16 (.938) on field-goal attempts, including a career-best 4 of 4 vs. West Virginia and connecting all three times vs. both Oklahoma and TCU. Fera, who was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award last week, ranks third in the FBS in accuracy (minimum 10 attempts). He has posted a career long field goal twice this season. He had a 47-yarder vs. Ole Miss and nailed a 50-yarder vs. OU. He has connected on his last 11 attempts. Fera ranks 53rd nationally in punting average (41.4). Twenty-one of his 49 punts (42.9 percent) have gone inside the 20 and 27 have been fair caught (55.1 percent).
Veteran's Day Game/Gameday Recognition: Saturday's game will serve as the Horns' annual recognition of Veteran's Day. For complete information on the day's activites, click here.
• Pregame activities include Team Fastrax skydiving onto the field to present the U.S. flag, the State of Texas flag, the Longhorn flag, and the game ball. There will also be recognition of the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Veterans Committee and Nate Boyer, a current member of the team as well as the Armed Forces, who will be presented with a ring for earning 2012-13 Big 12 Male Sportsperson of the Year.
• Texans who served in the military and were killed in action over the last year will be recognized during the national anthem.
• The Yellow Rose Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force will perform a flyover just prior to kickoff.
• Honorary captains will be Air Force Lt. General Stephen L. Hoog, former UT player Ahmard Hall (2003-05), who served in the U.S. Marines, and Richard Overton, the oldest living WWII veteran (107 years old).
• Former Longhorn great Jerry Gray will be honored during the first quarter by the National Football Foundation. Gray, a two-time All-American (1983-84), will be the 17th Longhorn inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.
The Oklahoma State Series: The Longhorns hold a 23-4 edge in the all-time series with the Cowboys and have won 13 of the last 15 meetings. The Horns are 13-3 against the Cowboys in Austin and are 13-2 in the Mack Brown era. Since the two schools joined the Big 12 Conference in 1996, the Horns have won 14 of 17 contests against the Cowboys. The 1998 (UT, 37-34), 2002 (UT, 17-15), 2007 (UT, 38-35) and 2012 (UT, 41-36) games were decided on the final drive.
Texas-Oklahoma State Trends: UT and OSU have met 27 times with the Longhorns winning 23 of those contests. The two teams' first-ever meeting, a 14-7 UT win in 1916, was played in San Antonio. They also met in San Antonio in 1920. UT is a perfect 13-0 against the Cowboys when the Horns enter the game ranked among the nation's Top 25. OSU has been ranked in the AP poll five times in the history of the series, including 2003, '04, '08, '11 and '12. UT and OSU met as Southwest Conference foes five times (1916, '17, '18, '20 and '22) before the Cowboys departed that league. The two teams also met in 1944, '46, '63, '67 and '68. UT has outscored OSU by an average of 30.5-16.8 in the series (824-453). The Cowboys have tallied more than 10 points on UT just 16 times, five of which were big Texas wins (71-14 in 1996, 55-16 in 2003, 56-35 in '04, 47-28 in '05 and 41-14 in 2009). UT has shutout Oklahoma State twice and held it to seven or fewer points 10 times. However, OSU has won the last two games played in Austin - 33-16 in 2010 and 38-26 in 2011.
Monumental Comebacks: Texas' 28-point comeback against Oklahoma State in 2004 marked the largest deficit a UT team had come back from in its history, surpassing the previous mark of 19 points set in the 2001 Holiday Bowl against Washington. The Longhorns trailed the Cowboys 35-7 and responded with 49 unanswered points for the win. In 2005, Texas had to overcome another 19-point deficit against Oklahoma State before scoring 38 unanswered points to win, 47-28. The Horns also tied the second-largest comeback in school history and set the standard for fourth-quarter comebacks against the Cowboys in 2007. The Horns trailed by 21 points entering the fourth quarter, but scored 24 unanswered points and won the game on a last-second, 40-yard Ryan Bailey field goal.
On A Roll: The Longhorns have been on a roll of late winning their last six contests, all within the Big 12 Conference. The winning streak is tied for the fifth-longest active one among BCS teams.
| 1. | Ohio State | 21 |
| 2. | Alabama | 13 |
| 3. | Baylor | 12 |
| 4. | Florida State | 11 |
| T-5. | Texas | 6 |
| Auburn | 6 |
Defensive Improvement: Under coordinator Greg Robinson, who was hired after the BYU game, the defense has shown marked improvement. Robinson is in his second stint with Texas, having served as defensive coordinator in 2004 when Texas ranked No. 18 nationally in points allowed (17.9 per game), No. 16 in rushing defense (107.4 ypg), and No. 23 in total defense (320.1 ypg). Over the last six games, UT is allowing just 3.2 yards per rush after surrendering 6.0 in the first three. The defense has cut the opposing offense's rushing output by 185.4 yards per game. In addition, Texas' 24 sacks in its last six games ranks fifth most nationally in that span. The Horns had two sacks in the first three games.
| First 3 Games | Last 6 Games | |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing Yards | 308.7 pg | 123.3 pg |
| Yards per Rush | 6.0 | 3.2 |
| Total Yards | 491.3 pg | 344.5 pg |
| Yards per Play | 5.8 | 5.1 |
| Opp. Comp. % | 58.0 | 51.9 |
| Red-Zone TDs | 67% (8/12) | 48% (11/23) |
| Sacks | 0.67 pg | 4.0 pg |
| Turnovers Forced | 6 | 16 |
| Fumbles | 1 | 9 |
| Tackles for Loss | 4.3 pg | 9.3 pg |
| 1. | Missouri | 26 |
| Nebraska | 26 | |
| North Texas | 26 | |
| 4. | Louisville | 25 |
| 5. | Texas | 24 |
| 6. | Utah | 23 |
| Ohio | 23 | |
| Stanford | 23 | |
| 9. | Fresno St. | 22 |
| 10. | Cincinnati | 21 |
| Arizona St | 21 |
Post-OU Success: Regardless of the outcome of the AT&T Red River Rivalry, Texas has had great success in the second half of the season during Mack Brown's tenure. Since 1998, the Horns are 75-18 (.806) in regular season games following the OU game. In the Brown era, Texas is 7-0 the week after beating OU and has won 21 of its last 24 games, including 17 of 19, after downing OU. Overall in the Brown era, the Horns are 38-8 in games after beating the Sooners. UT has won at least four consecutive games following the Red River Rivalry in 11 of the last 14 seasons. That had only been done four times in 25 seasons prior to 1999. Six times in Brown's previous 15 years, Texas has won all of its regular season games after the Oklahoma game. In addition, since 2004, including Big 12 Championship games in 2005 and '09 and a 7-1 record in bowl games, Texas is 53-17 (.757) post-OU with two of those losses coming after Colt McCoy was injured in 2006.
Streaks, Trends and Milestones:
• UT's six-game winning streak is the Horns' longest since capturing 17 in a row from 2008-09.
• The Horns became bowl eligible for the 15th time in Mack Brown's 16 seasons with the win over Kansas.
• The offensive line has recently done a tremendous job of keeping QB Case McCoy upright. The Horns entered the Kansas game having not allowed a sack in 61 pass attempts (last nine quarters). The streak was snapped at 84 when McCoy was sacked on what would have been his 24th pass attempt of the game. Texas is tied for first in the Big 12 by allowing just one sack per game in league play (also Oklahoma State).
• With 283 passing yards vs. West Virginia, McCoy became the 12th UT quarterback in school history to reach 3,000 in a career and moved into 11th on the all-time list (3,227). He passed Bobby Layne (1944-47) who had 3,145 career passing yards.
• Malcolm Brown had a career-high four rushing touchdowns vs. Kansas. He became the 10th player in school history to post four or more in a game. Ricky Williams had a school record six rushing TDs twice during the 1998 season (vs. New Mexico State and Rice).
• With his 31-yard return for a TD vs. OU, Chris Whaley, a former running back, became the seventh defensive lineman (first DT) in UT history to return an interception for a score. Eddie Jones was the last UT defensive lineman to score via interception (60 yards vs. Baylor on Nov. 14, 2009).
• The Horns have 24.0 sacks in six league games and have surrendered just six. The plus-18 sack differential is the best in the Big 12. Baylor is plus-7 in its five conference games.
• Jaxon Shipley has caught a pass in each of his 32 career games. In the West Virginia game, he surpassed his brother, Jordan (2007-08), for third longest in school history. Shipley has posted at least five receptions in 11 of the last 13 games (three vs. Iowa State; one vs. TCU).
• Daje Johnson had a pair of career highs in the Kansas game. He recorded a career-high seven receptions for 46 receiving yards and had a career-best 152 all-purpose yards (139 vs. New Mexico State, 2013).
• DE Jackson Jeffcoat posted two tackles for loss vs. West Virginia. He now has 52 career TFLs which ranks sixth on the UT all-time list. Next on the list are Shaun Rogers (1997-2000) with 53 and Casey Hampton (1996-2000) with 54. Jeffcoat is averaging 0.597 sacks in his 36 career games which ranks No. 5 on the FBS active list.
• OG Mason Walters leads the team with 47 straight starts, which is tied for the second-longest streak in the nation among offensive linemen (48, Gabe Jackson, OG, Mississippi St.). CB Carrington Byndom leads the defense with 35 consecutive starts. Quandre Diggs had his streak of 26 straight starts snapped vs. Kansas State.
Big Play Touchdowns: With Mike Davis' 49-yard TD reception from Case McCoy in the third quarter of the West Virginia game, Texas has scored 11 touchdowns this season on plays of 45 yards or longer and they have been spread around among eight players (also David Ash – 55-yard run vs. New Mexico State; Malcolm Brown – 74-yard TD reception vs. NMSU; Mike Davis – 57-yard TD catch; Johnathan Gray - 45-yard TD run vs. Iowa State; John Harris – 54-yard TD reception vs. NMSU, Daje Johnson – 66-yard TD catch vs. NMSU, 85-yard punt return for TD vs. Oklahoma; Marcus Johnson – 59-yard TD catch vs. Oklahoma; 65-yard TD reception vs. TCU; Kendall Sanders 63-yard TD catch).
Injury Bug: Injuries have been mounting for the Longhorns who played without four offensive starters vs. Kansas State and three starters (two offense and one defense) vs. Iowa State, Oklahoma, TCU, Kansas and West Virginia, and as many as five vs. Oklahoma State with recent losses of RB Johnathan Gray and DT Chris Whaley. QB David Ash (head) has missed 26 of the last 28 quarters of action (Ole Miss game; second half of K-State; ISU, OU, TCU, Kansas and WVU games), RT Josh Cochran (shoulder) the last six games and WR Mike Davis (ankle) the K-State game. The Horns were dealt a severe blow when it was announced on Sunday, Sept. 22 that junior LB Jordan Hicks, the team's leading tackler (41) at the time, will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon against Kansas State. Hicks appeared to be back to his old form after missing the final 10 games of 2012 with a hip ailment. He had at least seven tackles in each of the first four games and his 32 career games played led the linebacking corps. In addition, WR/RB Daje Johnson (ankle) missed nearly all of the BYU game and each of the next two contests, but returned vs. ISU. TE Greg Daniels (foot) was injured against Ole Miss and missed the K-State contest. Two reserves are also out for the season. CB Sheroid Evans tore an ACL in the Iowa State game and LB Tevin Jackson did the same vs. Kansas. Gray (Achilles) and Whaley (knee) suffered season-ending injuries vs. West Virginia. Ash will not play vs. Oklahoma State.
