Football plays at West Virginia Saturday

Texas-West Virginia Game Notes | Longhorns Gameweek

Texas Plays At West Virginia Saturday: Texas takes to the road Saturday (6 p.m. CT/FOX) to face West Virginia with a five-game winning streak in hand. The Longhorns (6-2, 5-0) are coming off a 35-7 home victory over Kansas, while West Virginia (4-5, 2-4) survived in a 30-27 overtime road win over TCU. Texas has a half game lead in the Big 12 standings over Baylor (4-0), which was idle last week. WVU snapped a three-game losing streak with its win over TCU and is 3-0 in Morgantown this season.

Horns Win Fifth Straight in Victory over Kansas: Malcolm Brown rushed for a career-high four touchdowns, Chris Whaley returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown, and Texas' defense kept the Kansas offense in check during a 35-13 win Saturday. Brown rushed 20 times for 119 yards while scoring multiple touchdowns for the second straight game (two vs. TCU) and Johnathan Gray added 68 yards on the ground. Case McCoy went 20 of 29 for 196 yards, and Jaxon Shipley posted 77 yards on six receptions. The Texas defense limited Kansas to nine first downs on its first 12 possessions, while forcing the Jayhawks into five three-and-outs.

The West Virginia Series: Texas and West Virginia are meeting for the just the third time, with the Mountaineers winning both prior games. WVU won 7-6 in 1956 and 48-45 last season. Texas will be making its first ever trip to Morgantown. Last season's game featured the ninth most combined points (93) of any contest in UT history.

First-and-Goal:
•   UT is averaging 446.6 yards of total offense which ranks No. 3 in the Big 12. The Horns are averaging 203.0 yards on the ground (No. 3 Big 12/No. 29 FBS) and 243.6 in the air (No. 5 in the Big 12). Texas rolled up 221 rushing yards vs. Kansas and 187 vs. TCU which came into the game yielding 115.3 yards per contest. The Horned Frogs were ranked first in the Big 12 and No. 17 nationally in rushing defense.
•   Texas has scored 30 or more points in the last five games.
•   Case McCoy made his 11th career start in Saturday's win over Kansas. He improved to 4-1 as a starter this season by completing 20 of 29 passes (69 percent) for 196 yards. He was picked off twice (neither led to a KU score), but led the offense on four scoring drives, including a season-long 15-play, 92-yarder. McCoy has replaced an injured David Ash (head) who has played just one half (first vs. Kansas State) in the last six games. Ash has been ruled out for WVU.
•   Johnathan Gray leads the team (724) and ranks second in the Big 12/39th nationally in rushing (90.5 per game). He is averaging 104.1 rushing yards over the last six games. Malcolm Brown has been on a roll. He is averaging 96.7 rushing yards in the last three games and has seven rushing TDs this season which ranks tied for fourth in the Big 12.
•   Jaxon Shipley leads the team with 39 catches and ranks tied for seventh in the league at 4.9 per game. Twenty-five of his receptions have gone for first downs, including two on fourth down. Mike Davis has 30 catches and ranks 10th in the Big 12 with 4.3 pg. Davis has a team-high five TD receptions which is tied for fifth in the Big 12.
•   Sophomores Kendall Sanders and Marcus Johnson have emerged as receiving threats. Sanders has started the last seven games and posted a career-high 80 receiving yards, including a 63-yard TD, vs. Kansas State. He is third on the team with 28 receptions. Johnson has become a deep threat. He is averaging a team-high 23.2 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).
•   Seven players have recorded a rushing touchdown and six have scored via catch.
•   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 five opponents (K-State - 3.0; Iowa State - 4.0; Oklahoma - 3.9; TCU – 1.9; Kansas – 3.8) to a combined 3.5 ypc (181 rushes, 631 yards).Texas has allowed an average of 105.0 rushing yards in the past three games. The Longhorns held Oklahoma to a season-low 130 yards on the ground, and TCU to its second-lowest rushing output with just 45 yards (the Horned Frogs had 44 at Oklahoma).
•   In league games, UT is ranked first in points allowed (18.2 pg), No. 2 in total defense (333.6 ypg) and No. 3 in rushing defense (126.2 ypg). Texas has allowed a league-low 10 TDs in five Big 12 games.
•   The Longhorns rank No. 91 in the FBS in red-zone defense (25 of 29/86.2 percent), but have been able to the keep the opposition out of the end zone. Texas ranks tied for 23rd nationally in red zone touchdowns (15 of 29/51.7 percent). The 10 red zone field goals are tied for seventh most in the nation.
•   DE Cedric Reed has been one of the most productive players in the Big 12. He leads the team in tackles (54) and QB pressures (11) and is tied for first in pass breakups (4). He is second in TFLs (8) and sacks (3.0). Reed is the only defensive lineman in the Big 12 to lead his team in tackles.
•   DE Jackson Jeffcoat has a team-high 6.0 sacks and ranks second in the Big 12 and tied for 27th in the FBS at 0.75 per game. He also leads the team in tackles for loss (11) and QB pressures (13). Jeffcoat was named a Bednarik Award semifinalist last week.
•   The Longhorns 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. Steve Edmond and Dalton Santos have picked up the slack at linebacker. Edmond has 51 tackles (second on the team) and is tied for the team lead in pass breakups with four. He also recorded his second career interception vs. TCU. With Hicks' injury, Santos has seen his snaps increase and he has responded with 30 tackles over the last four 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.
•   Texas ranks tied for 22nd nationally in turnover margin at +0.75 per game. Texas has lost the ball just 11 times this year which is tied for 30th in the FBS. UT has lost the turnover battle just once this season, going minus-1 last week vs. Kansas.
•   Senior Anthony Fera has been solid both place-kicking and punting. He has gone 11-for-12 (.917) on field-goal attempts, including connecting all three times vs. both Oklahoma and TCU. Fera, who was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award Monday, ranks tied for sixth 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 seven attempts. Fera ranks 60th nationally in punting average (41.2). Eighteen of his 43 punts (41.9 percent - 10th-best mark in the nation) have gone inside the 20 and 24 have been fair caught (55.8 percent).

Sudden Change: The Longhorns forced three turnovers vs. TCU and all led to scores. Quandre Diggs forced a fumble by Trevone Boykin in the first quarter which led to a Malcolm Brown 3-yard TD run. Steve Edmond picked off a Casey Pachall pass in the second quarter and that led to a Case McCoy to Marcus Johnson 65-yard touchdown connection. A fumble on a punt return in the fourth quarter set up a 36-yard Anthony Fera field goal. The Horns only forced one turnover vs. Kansas, though it led directly to a score as Chris Whaley picked up a fumble and raced 40 yards for a touchdown. On the season, Texas has outscored the opposition 72-31 off turnovers.

Whaley in Rare Company: Chris Whaley is the first defensive tackle in school history to have two defensive touchdowns in the same season. He scored vs. Kansas on a 40-yard fumble return and via a 31-yard interception return vs. Oklahoma. Here are the other milestones:
•   Whaley became the second player in school history to score on a pick and fumble in the same season. Brandon Foster had two interception returns for TDs and one fumble return in 2007. He is also just the sixth UT player to accomplish the feat in a career (also Dakarai Pearson, Matt Melton, Michael Huff and Norman Watkins).
•   His fumble return for a score was the fifth longest in school history.
•   Whaley is the first defensive lineman in UT history to have two defensive TDs in the same season. He also is the first defensive lineman in UT history to return both an interception and fumble for a TD in the same season. He joined DE Norman Watkins as the only defensive linemen in UT history to return both an interception and a fumble for a TD in their careers, but Watkins came in different years.
•   Whaley is one of two players in the Big 12 this season to have scored a touchdown via interception and fumble (Kip Daily, Kansas State) and the only defensive lineman.

Early Defensive Pressure: In two of the last three games, UT received a big defensive play in the opening quarter. With the scored tied 3-all vs. Oklahoma (10/12), DT Chris Whaley dropped back on a zone blitz on a third-and-4 play and intercepted quarterback Blake Bell, then raced down field for a 31-yard touchdown. Against TCU (10/26), Quandre Diggs set the tone when he strip-sacked QB Trevone Boykin on the Horned Frogs' second possession of the game. Adrian Phillips recovered the fumble at the TCU 3 and one play later, Malcolm Brown ran it in to give the Longhorns a 7-0 lead.

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 five games, UT is allowing just 3.5 yards per rush after surrendering 6.0 in the first three. The defense has cut the opposing offense's rushing output by 182.5 yards per game. In addition, Texas' 18 sacks in its last five games are tied for the ninth most nationally in that span. The Horns had two sacks in the first three games. In addition, the Longhorns have allowed the fewest points in the FBS over the last three games.

	First 3 Games	Last 5 Games
Rushing Yards	308.7 pg	126.2 pg
Yards per Rush	6.0	3.5
Total Yards	491.3 pg	333.6 pg
Yards per Play	5.8	5.1
Opp. Comp. %	58.0	52.4
Red-Zone TDs	67% (8/12)	41% (7/17)
Sacks	2.0	18.0
Turnovers Forced	6	11
Fumbles	1	5
Tackles for Loss	4.3 pg	9.0 pg

**FBS • Most Sacks Last Five Games**
1.	Ohio	23
2.	Fresno State	21
	Stanford	20
	Louisville	20
T-5.	Missouri	19
	Cincinnati	19
	East Carolina	19
	Boise State	19
T-9.	Texas	18
	Georgia	18
	Nebraska	18
	North Texas	18

**FBS • Fewest Points Allowed Last Three Games (Avg.)**
1.	Michigan State	3.00
2.	Alabama	5.67
3.	Buffalo	8.00
4.	USC	10.33
5.	Georgia Tech	11.67
6.	Ohio State	12.67
7.	Duke	13.00
8.	Texas	13.33

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 74-18 (.804) in regular season games following the OU game. In the Brown era, Texas is 7-0 the week after beating OU and has won 20 of its last 23 games, including 16 of 18, after downing OU. Overall in the Brown era, the Horns are 37-8 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 52-17 (.754) post-OU with two of those losses coming after Colt McCoy was injured in 2006.

Streaks, Trends and Milestones:
•   UT has won six of its last eight on the road.
•   The current five-game winning streak is the longest during a year since the Longhorns went undefeated during the 2009 regular season (12-0). The Horns did win the final game of 2011 and first four of 2012.
•   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.
•   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 18.0 sacks in five league games and have surrendered just five. The plus-13 sack differential is the best in the Big 12. Baylor is plus-9 in its four conference games.
•   Jaxon Shipley has caught a pass in each of his 31 career games. In the Kansas game, he tied his brother, Jordan (2007-08), for third longest in school history. Shipley has posted at least five receptions in 10 of the last 12 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 one tackle for loss vs. Kansas. He now has 50 career TFLs and moved into a tie for eighth on the UT all-time list. Tony Brackens (1993-95) had 49 tackles for loss and Bruce Scholz (1977-81) also had 50. Jeffcoat has posted at least one tackles for loss in is averaging 0.59 sacks in his 35 career games which ranks No. 9 on the FBS active list.
•   OG Mason Walters leads the team with 46 straight starts, which is tied for the second-longest streak in the nation among offensive linemen (47, Gabe Jackson, OG, Mississippi St.). CB Carrington Byndom leads the defense with 34 consecutive starts. Quandre Diggs had his streak of 26 straight starts snapped vs. Kansas State.

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 and Kansas. QB David Ash (head) has missed 22 of the last 24 quarters of action (Ole Miss game; second half of K-State; ISU, OU and TCU games), RT Josh Cochran (shoulder) the last five 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 lead 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. In addition, Ash has been ruled out for WVU.

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