Football battles weather to down Kansas State, 23-9

Saturday, October 24

Austin, Texas

11 a.m.

University of Texas

3-4 , 2-2

K-State

3-4 , 0-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Kansas State

Texas

Football battles weather to down Kansas State, 23-9

10.24.2015 | Football

Box Score

Texas rushed for 274 yards and managed five sacks in the victory over the Wildcats.

AUSTIN, Texas — On a blustery Saturday afternoon with heavy rain falling throughout the contest at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas (3-4, 2-2 Big 12 Conference) rushed for 274 yards as a team and managed five sacks to battle past both the elements and Kansas State (3-4, 0-4 Big 12), 23-9.

Texas senior running back Johnathan Gray powered the Longhorns' offense with a season-high 103 rushing yards on 18 carries, marking the sixth 100-yard effort of his career. Junior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes came off the bench in the "18 Wheeler" package to score three touchdowns and accounted for all 52 rushing yards on Texas' game-clinching drive late in the fourth quarter. Redshirt freshman starting QB Jerrod Heard was 10-for-15 passing for 99 yards while contributing 61 more on the ground. Senior wide receiver Daje Johnson was credited with six catches for 41 yards, coming up just one grab short of equaling his career high set against Kansas and West Virginia in 2013.

UT's five sacks were just one shy of its season-best total of six established two weeks ago in the 24-17 triumph over nationally-ranked Oklahoma. As a team, Texas' offense out-gained the Wildcats by a commanding total of 373-242.

After stopping Kansas State three-and-out on its opening drive, Texas turned to its running game, marching 42 yards over 15 plays to take an early 3-0 lead on a 28-yard Nick Rose field goal.

With the Longhorns' defense holding the Wildcat offense at bay, the Burnt Orange & White advantage expanded to 10 points just 2:22 into the second quarter. Swoopes completed UT's 13-play, 80-yard jaunt on a one-yard rushing TD.

A key 46-yard run from Gray set the Horns up with a first-and-goal situation at the two-yard-line. From there, Swoopes managed his second score on the ground, battling his way into the end zone to make it 16-0 with 6:48 left on the first half clock.

On the ensuing kick-off, Texas had Rose attempt a pooch kick toward the UT sideline. The ball hit the turf and bounced straight into the arms of Kevin Vaccaro as the Longhorns' junior safety recovered the live ball at the Wildcat 27. Unfortunately, Texas couldn't add to its lead as Heard could gain only one yard on a fourth-and-5, allowing KSU to take possession at its own 21.

The defensive stop seemed to provide Kansas State momentum. The Wildcats immediately embarked on their longest sustained drive of the opening half. With the assistance of a key Texas pass interference penalty in the end zone, the Wildcats marched 78 yards in 10 plays with quarterback Joe Hubener finding Dominique Heath on a seven-yard scoring toss to cut KSU's deficit to 16-6 with 32 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

With the weather continuing to deteriorate, both offenses found the going tough out of the halftime break. It was Kansas State that became the first to cross midfield in the second half, eventually traveling as far as the UT 19 before stalling and settling for a 36-yard Jack Cantele FG to make it 16-9 with 7:18 left in the third.

Backed up in their own territory at the 15, the Longhorns got a big play on a 28-yard toss from Heard to junior tight end Caleb Bluiett to escape a deep hole. From there, UT's quarterback hit freshman wide receiver John Burt for consecutive gains of five and 20 yards to a first down at the KSU 32. With the ball back at the 41 following a UT penalty and a sack, freshman Michael Dickson was called on to punt for the Horns. The snap got away and rolled past midfield, but Dickson corralled the ball and unleashed an important 33-yard kick that pinned Kansas State at its eight-yard line.

The Wildcats moved to the Texas 36-yard line with 6:38 left on the clock, but a five-yard loss on a run by Justin Silmon, a two-yard QB draw and an incomplete pass forced the Wildcats to punt.

KSU got the ball back with 4:22 remaining and a chance to tie the game, but an interception by junior safety Dylan Haines at the Texas 48 snuffed out the opportunity.

The Longhorns iced the game just 1:15 later. Three consecutive Swoopes runs of 13, 29 and 10 yards proved the path to the end zone as UT took a 23-9 advantage.

Provided one final drive, the 'Cats faced a fourth-and-26 from their own 15-yard line, but Huebner's deep ball to Andre Davis fell incomplete allowing the Horns to secure a big league victory.