The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
TCU
Football set for Saturday showdown at No. 10/12 TCU
10.30.2017 | Football
The Longhorns will take on the Horned Frogs Saturday night on ESPN.
Texas notes | TCU notes | Big 12 notes
The Opening Kickoff
• Texas Football looks to continue its winning ways on the road in Big 12 Conference play, as the Longhorns travel to Fort Worth to take on the TCU Horned Frogs Saturday night at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
• The Longhorns enter Saturday's game at 4-4 overall, 3-2 in the conference and coming off a 38-7 victory at Baylor. UT is 2-0 in true road games in Big 12 play in 2017.
• TCU comes into the game off their first loss of the season, 14-7, at Iowa State. The Horned Frogs are 7-1 overall and tied atop the Big 12 standings at 4-1.
National Game Coverage
• Saturday's game will kickoff at 6:15 p.m. CT and is set to air on ESPN. Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analysis) and Allison Williams (sideline) will call the action.
• Longhorn Network's Texas GameDay show begins two hours prior to kickoff. Following the game, LHN will also host Texas GameDay Final with interviews and analysis.
• A Longhorn IMG Radio Network broadcast with Craig Way, Roger Wallace and Quan Cosby can be heard nationally on Sirius channel 132, XM channel 199 and online channel 953.
Longhorns Continue Difficult Schedule
• Saturday's game marks the third Top 12 team the Longhorns will have played in the last four games.
• Including Saturday's game at TCU, the Longhorns will have played one of the nation's toughest schedules over the last seven weeks.
• That stretch began with a double-overtime loss at No. 4/4 USC (No. 17/17 this week) before the Longhorns traveled to play Iowa State on the road in Ames. UT defeated the Cyclones, who are ranked No. 14/16 in this week's polls, 17-7.
• From there, UT has also played Kansas State, No. 12/12 Oklahoma (now No. 8/9), No. 10/11 Oklahoma State (now 11/10) and will play at No. 10/12 TCU this weekend.
The All-Time Series
• Texas and Texas Christian meet for the 88th time on Saturday.
• The Longhorns hold a 62-24-1 edge over the Horned Frogs, including a mark of 27-10 in Fort Worth.
• Texas looks to snap a three-game losing streak to TCU. The Longhorns' last win, and also their last win at TCU, came in 2013.
• Tom Herman has never faced TCU in his head coaching career. Gary Patterson is 4-2 against Texas.
A Dominant Defense
• The Longhorns' defense has put up incredible numbers over the last seven games, including during the first five games against Big 12 Conference opponents.
• After allowing 51 points in the season opener, Texas is allowing just 16.7 points per game over the last seven, which includes three overtime games (two double overtime).
• The UT defense is allowing just 354.9 yards per game since the season opener, and just 369.0 yards per game in five Big 12 games.
• The dynamic defense has started up front with stopping the run, as the Longhorns are allowing just 87.7 rushing yards per game over the last seven games, while holding four opponents under 100 yards.
• The Longhorns rank seventh nationally in third-down defense (.261), second nationally in fourth-down defense (.143) and are first nationally with five defensive touchdowns scored.
• Texas held Baylor to just seven points on Saturday, the Bears' lowest output since scoring just three against Texas A&M in 2009, a span of 100 games.
• The Longhorns also held Oklahoma State to 13 points in overtime a week before, snapping their streak of 35 straight games having scored at least 20 points, which had been the nation's longest streak. It was the Cowboys' lowest scoring output since scoring seven against UT in 2014.
A Texas Win Would...
• Improve the Longhorns' record to 5-4 on the season and 4-2 in the Big 12 Conference.
• Mark their third straight road victory in Big 12 Conference play. It would be the first time since 2013 that UT has started 3-0 on the road in conference play.
• Be Texas' first win over TCU since 2013.
• Extend the Longhorns' lead in the all-time series to 63-24-1, including a mark of 28-10 all-time in Fort Worth.
• Make Tom Herman 27-8 (.771) in his head coaching career and 5-4 at UT.
Head Coach Tom Herman
• Tom Herman is in his first season at Texas and his third season overall as a head coach. He is 4-4 thus far at UT and 26-8 overall as a head coach. The Longhorns are currently 3-2 in the Big 12 Conference.
• In just three seasons, Herman has guided his teams to a record of 6-3 against Top 25 opponents, 3-2 against Top 10 foes and a 2-1 record against teams inside the Top 5.
• Herman led Houston to a 13-1 record and a win in the Peach Bowl during his first season. He was just the fourth head coach in NCAA history with at least 13 wins in a rookie season (Chris Petersen, George Woodruff, Walter Camp) and just the fifth to win the first 10 games of his career (Petersen, Woodruff, Camp and Larry Coker).
Going The Other Way
• Through eight games, Texas has returned four interceptions for touchdowns, which is tied for the third-most in school history for a single season. The Longhorns have totaled 10 interceptions this season.
• DeShon Elliott and Holton Hill have each returned two interceptions for a touchdown in 2017.
• Hill started the season off with a 31-yard return against Maryland. The very next week he returned an interception 45 yards to the house against San Jose State.
• For a third straight game, a Longhorn returned an interception for a TD as DeShon Elliott returned one 38 yards to the house at Southern California.
• This past weekend at Baylor, Elliott intercepted one on the third play of the game and returned it 43 yards to the end zone.
Non-Offensive Touchdowns
• Texas has scored six non-offensive touchdowns in 2017 after scoring zero in 2016.
• Holton Hill has three of the six this season and now has four career non-offensive TDs. This season, he has interception returns of 45 (SJSU) and 31 yards (Maryland). He also returned a blocked field goal 65 yards for a score against Maryland.
• DeShon Elliott has two, as he returned an interception 38 yards on the road against USC and 43 yards at Baylor.
• Reggie Hemphill-Mapps has one, returning a punt 91 yards to the house against Maryland.
• The season opener against Maryland marked the first time since Oct. 10, 2009, that UT had scored three non-offensive TDs in a game.
Points Off Turnovers
• One of the Longhorns' biggest areas of improvement in 2017 has come in its quick change offense and defense following turnovers.
• Through eight games, Texas' defense has allowed opponents to score just seven points off 11 Longhorn turnovers. In contrast, the Texas offense has scored 58 points off 14 turnovers forced thus far.
• In comparison, last season, UT's defense allowed opponents to score 68 points off 23 Longhorn turnovers, while the offense scored just 41 points all season off 20 opponent turnovers.
• Through eight games last season, UT had also committed 11 turnovers, but allowed 44 points (37 more) off of them. Conversely, the UT defense had forced 11 turnovers (three less) through eight games a season ago, leading to just 10 Texas points (48 less).
First Time Starters
• Twelve Longhorns have made their first career start through the first eight games of the season: TE Cade Brewer (Oklahoma), RB Toneil Carter (Iowa State), OL Terrell Cuney (K-State), QB Sam Ehlinger (SJSU), TE Garrett Gray (Maryland), WR Reggie Hemphill-Mapps (K-State), WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey (Maryland), LB Gary Johnson (K-State), OL Derek Kerstetter (Iowa State), TE Kendall Moore (SJSU), OL Denzel Okafor (K-State) and RB Kyle Porter (Maryland).
First Time Players
• 24 Longhorns have made their first career appearances so far in 2017. Eight true freshmen (marked *) and seven redshirt freshmen (marked ^) have debuted.
• Maryland: LB Marqez Bimage*, TE Cade Brewer*, LB Demarco Boyd^, DL Jamari Chisholm, DL Ta'Quon Graham*, WR Reggie Hemphill-Mapps^, OL Patrick Hudson^, LB Gary Johnson, K Joshua Rowland, DS Kaleb Smith, DB Josh Thompson* and RB Daniel Young*
• San Jose State: OL Austin Allsup, RB Toneil Carter*, QB Josh Covey, DB Jarmarquis Durst, QB Sam Ehlinger*, TE Kendall Moore and OL J.P. Urquidez^
• USC: DB Chris Brown^
• Iowa State: OL Derek Kerstetter*
• Baylor: WR Davion Curtis^, DB Donovan Duvernay^, WR Philipp Moeller
Youth Is Served
• Texas' youth has shined through in the starting lineup this season. UT's last two recruiting classes (true/redshirt freshmen and true sophomores) have combined to make 55 starts this season, including 45 on the offensive side of the ball.
• At QB, true freshman Sam Ehlinger has five starts, while true sophomore Shane Buechele has three.
• At RB, true sophomore Kyle Porter has three starts, while true freshman Toneil Carter has two.
• At WR, true sophomores Collin Johnson and Lil'Jordan Humphrey have six, redshirt freshman Reggie Hemphill-Mapps has two and true sophomore Devin Duvernay has one.
• True freshman TE Cade Brewer has two starts.
• On the offensive line, true sophomore Zach Shackelford has started six games at center, true freshman Derek Kerstetter has started five games at right tackle and true sophomore Denzel Okafor has started four at left tackle.
• On defense, true sophomore Brandon Jones has started all eight games at safety while true sophomore Malcolm Roach has started two at DE.
Forcing Turnovers
• Texas forced three turnovers for the second time this season in Saturday's win over Baylor. The Longhorns had two fumble recoveries and an interception.
• Through eight games in 2017, Texas has already come up with 14 turnovers (10 interceptions, four fumble recoveries). Last season through eight games, the UT defense had 11 turnovers (seven fumble recoveries, four interceptions).
• Texas' turnover margin this season is plus-three.
Getting Off The Field
• The Texas defense has been successful at getting the opponents' offense off the field this season and limiting their opportunities to score points.
• The Longhorns are allowing opponents to convert just 30-of-115 (.261) attempts on third down, seventh-best nationally. Combined with fourth down attempts, the Longhorn defense is allowing opponents to convert just 32-of-129 (.248).
• The Texas defense is averaging 4.9 three-and-outs per game, as 39-of-112 (.348) opponent drives have ended without a first down.
• This has been quite a turnaround from 2016, when the Longhorns allowed opponents to convert 72-of-189 (.381) attempts on third down and 8-of-17 (.471) on fourth downs.
Turning Up The Heat
• After a slow start to the season in which the Longhorns only recorded two sacks and five tackles for loss the first two games, the UT defense has found success in pressuring the opponents in the backfield over the last six games.
• The Longhorns had three sacks and 10 tackles for loss in Saturday's win against Baylor.
• The 10 tackles for loss are not only the most this season for the Longhorns, but the most since recording 11 in a win over Baylor last season. Texas also had games of 14 (Iowa State) and 11 (UTEP) during the 2016 season.
• Through eight games, the UT defense has 19 sacks and 46 tackles for loss.
Rushing Defense Is Stout
• Texas' rush defense has been stout since the first week of the season, allowing just 87.7 yards per game on the ground over the last seven, and just 100.2 yards per game on the ground against Big 12 Conference opponents.
• Against Baylor on Saturday, Texas allowed just 31 rushing yards on 37 attempts (0.84 ypc). It was the fourth time this season that UT has held an opponent under 100 yards rushing in a game.
• The Longhorns held SJSU, USC and Iowa State under 100 yards rushing in three straight games. That stretch marked the first time since the first three games of the 2010 season that a UT defense had accomplished that feat.
• The 10 rushing yards allowed vs. Iowa State were the eighth-fewest by a Longhorn defense in the last 10 seasons.
• Texas has held seven straight opponents under their season average for rushing yards and total yards.
Pedigree For Success
• Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando is in his third season under Tom Herman and his 13th straight season as a defensive coordinator. He has found success at each of his four previous stops as the DC: UConn (2005-10), FIU (2011-12), Utah State (2013-14) and Houston (2015-16).
• Like in seasons past, Orlando is proving once again the ability to put together one of the nation's toughest defenses. The Longhorns have been prolific at disrupting the quarterback and forcing turnovers, including turning those into points so far in 2017.
• The Longhorns currently rank seventh-best nationally in third down defense and are 12th in rushing defense. Orlando's unit has dramatically improved in scoring and total defense, as well, and leads the nation in defensive touchdowns after the Longhorns did not have any last season.
• In his first season at UH, his defense led the nation with 35 takeaways, while finishing eighth nationally in rushing defense (108.9 ypg) and 20th in scoring defense (20.7 ppg). Last season, Orlando's defense finished 13th in total defense and fourth in rush defense. They were also third nationally with five defensive touchdowns and allowed just 23.5 ppg.
Dominant 'D' Against Nation's Best
• The Longhorns' defense faced the nation's leading offense in back-to-back games when they played Oklahoma in the annual AT&T Red River Showdown followed by Oklahoma State the next week.
• Against Oklahoma, the Sooners entered averaging 587.0 yards and 44.6 points per game. UT held them to 518 yards, including just 293 yards over the final three quarters of play. OU managed just 29 points in the game, including nine in the second half.
• Against Oklahoma State, the Cowboys entered averaging 48.8 points per game, while the Longhorns' defense held them to 10 in regulation and a total of 13 points with the overtime period.
• The Cowboys were averaging 610.7 yards per game, but managed just 428 yards and 4.8 yards per play in the game.
• Oklahoma State had scored in all 24 quarters entering the game, but the UT defense held them scoreless in both the second and third quarters.
• OSU QB Mason Rudolph did not have a touchdown pass, despite entering the game having thrown for 19 through the first six games of the season. OSU finished 129.2 passing yards below their season average.
• UT held Oklahoma State to just 5-of-18 (.278) on third downs in the game. The Cowboys' offense came in having converted 40-of-73 (.548) third downs through the first six games of the season.
• The 13 points allowed marked Oklahoma State's lowest output since scoring seven against UT in 2014. It snapped a streak of 35 straight games having reached at least 20 points, which was the nation's longest entering the game.
Elliott A Thorpe Award Semifinalist
• Safety DeShon Elliott, a junior from Rockwall, Texas, was recently named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which annually honors the nation's best defensive back. He has also won two Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week awards this season, following performances at both USC and Iowa State.
• Against USC, Elliott had seven tackles, two interceptions, two pass breakups and a TFL.
• Against Iowa State, he had six tackles, a sack and two interceptions. For his efforts in that game, Elliott was also named the Jim Thorpe Award National Player of the Week.
• He followed that up with six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one-half sack and one interception against Kansas State.
• Elliott had six tackles and a forced fumble against Oklahoma, before following that up with another forced fumble and a fumble recovery against Oklahoma State.
• Last week against Baylor, Elliott had his second pick-six of the season and tied for the team lead with eight tackles.
• On the season, Elliott is tied for third on the team with 40 tackles (32 solo). He leads the nation with six interceptions and has 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He has two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three pass breakups.
Elliott An Interception Machine
• DeShon Elliott leads the country with six interceptions, which is tied for seventh-most in school history for a single season.
• He has returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season, tied with teammate Holton Hill and five others for the most in a single season in school history.
• Elliott had an interception in three straight games (2 at USC, 2 at Iowa State, Kansas State) and also tallied one at Baylor last weekend.
• His six interceptions are the most in a single season at Texas since Earl Thomas set the school record with eight during the 2009 season.
• He is just the ninth UT player in the last 60 seasons to register two multi-interception games in a season.
• Elliott became the first UT player since 1947 to record two interceptions in back-to-back games.
• Since 1947, Elliott joins Chris Carter (1993-96) as the only two players with three multi-interception games in their careers. Elliott also had two interceptions against Kansas in 2015.
• Elliott was the first player since Thomas in 2009 with an interception in three straight games. Thomas had an interception in four straight games during that season, totaling five picks in those games.
Top Of The Hill
• Junior cornerback Holton Hill continues to impress in the 2017 season. He is second on the team with 47 tackles and also has two interceptions, five pass breakups and a forced fumble.
• He had arguably the best game of his career against Maryland, becoming the first FBS player in the last 10 seasons to record a pick-six and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in the same game.
• He has two interceptions returned for a touchdown this season. The first was 31 yards against Maryland in the season opener, while he returned one 45 yards against SJSU.
• He also has a blocked field goal return for a touchdown this season, as he returned one 65 yards to the house against Maryland. That marked UT's first blocked FG return for a touchdown since 2002.
• He is just the second player in school history (Brandon Foster, 2007) to score three non-offensive touchdowns in the same season, and the only player in school history to have three in a two-game span.
Did You Know?
• Holton Hill became just the third player in school history to return an interception for a touchdown in back-to-back games. He joins Greg Brown (2000) and Alan Lowry (1971).
• Prior to Hill, the program had last returned an INT for a TD in back-to-back games in 2007.
Bonney Has The Ball
• Junior defensive back John Bonney picked up his first start of the season on Saturday at Baylor, as the Longhorns started the game in their dime package.
• Bonney made it count, recording three tackles, one-half sack and the first two fumble recoveries of his career.
• Bonney became the first UT player since Sam Acho in 2009 versus Louisiana Monroe (108 games) to record two fumble recoveries in the same game.
• He pounced on the first one, which was forced by Holton Hill, and then returned the second one 13 yards to the Baylor 16 (forced by Charles Omenihu).
Jefferson Leading The Defense
• Junior linebacker Malik Jefferson was a highly touted recruit out of high school and has made 26 career starts to date.
• Saturday against Baylor, Jefferson tied for the team lead with eight tackles, four of them coming on third downs as UT held the Bears to just 4-of-18. He added 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in the game.
• On the season, he leads the team with 76 tackles, including 54 solo tackles. He also has gotten after the quarterback, with team highs of 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and five quarterback hurries.
• Against Oklahoma State, Jefferson set a career high and led UT with 14 tackles.
• Before his new career high, Jefferson had twice totaled his previous career high of 11 tackles earlier this season (USC, Oklahoma).
• As a freshman, Jefferson was named a freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and USA Today. He made 61 tackles and seven TFL in 2015.
• Last season, Jefferson totaled 62 tackles, 8.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks to earn second-team All-Big 12 recognition from the Associated Press.
• This summer he was named a preseason All-American by Sporting News, preseason All-Big 12 and is on the watch lists for the Bednarik Award, the Nagurski Trophy and the Butkus Award.
Hager In Attack Mode
• Defensive end Breckyn Hager made his first start of the season and the sixth of his career Saturday at Baylor.
• He registered two tackles for loss and totaled five solo tackles in the 38-7 win.
• A week prior against Oklahoma State, Hager set a career-high with two sacks and also had a QB hurry.
• The son of Britt Hager, UT's all-time leading tackler, he has now totaled 12 tackles on the season and is third with five tackles for loss. He also has three sacks (tied for second), three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.
• Last season, Hager finished with 64 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.
Boyd Steps Up
• Junior cornerback Kris Boyd was faced with a tough task against Oklahoma State's receiving corps. The Gilmer, Texas, native responded with a career-high 13 tackles and two pass breakups.
• Boyd, who has started seven games this season opposite Holton Hill at cornerback, has totaled 37 tackles, a team-high nine pass breakups and one interception.
Built Ford Tough
• Nose tackle Poona Ford (Hilton Head, S.C.) continues to be a menace in the middle of the Longhorns' defense during his senior season. He has totaled 17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a blocked kick and a pass breakup in 2017.
• He has emerged as not only one of the Longhorns' leaders, but also one of their best defensive players.
• Despite playing on the interior defensive line, Ford finished fourth among UT defenders with his 54 tackles a year ago.
• He added 5.5 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two blocked extra points.
• He was named second-team All-Big 12 by ESPN.com and was also tabbed honorable mention All-Big 12 by the league's coaches.
• This season he has been named preseason All-Big 12 and is also on the Senior Bowl watch list.
• He started the 2017 season with three tackles against Maryland. He also blocked a field goal which Holton Hill returned 65 yards for a touchdown.
• The blocked FG was Ford's third career blocked kick. He also blocked two extra points a season ago.
Buechele By The Numbers
• Sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele started his 15th career game Saturday at Baylor. He completed an efficient 27-of-34 (.794) passes for 256 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 42 yards and a score in the game.
• In making three starts and four total appearances so far in 2017, Buechele is 82-of-114 (.719) for 813 yards and four touchdowns. He has also rushed for 108 yards and two scores.
• In his first start of the season against Maryland, he was 34-of-52 for 375 yards and two touchdowns. He set new career highs for passing yards, completions and attempts in that game.
• His 375 yards passing were 11th-most in school history for a single game and the second-most by a sophomore (Chris Simms, 383).
• A native of Arlington, Texas, Buechele has now passed for 200 yards in 12-of-15 games that he has started and has two career 300-yard games. His twelve 200-yard games are tied with Vince Young for the sixth-most in school history.
• In just 15 starts, he has passed for 3,771 yards, good for 10th-most for a career in school history.
• Buechele has thrown a touchdown pass in 14-of-15 games he has started and has eight career multi-touchdown games.
• He has been named to the watch lists for both the Maxwell Award and Davey O'Brien Award this offseason.
Ehlinger's Got Game
• True freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger is rewriting the freshman quarterback records early on in his tenure, just one season after teammate Shane Buechele did the same for the Longhorns.
• In five starts, Ehlinger has passed for 1,419 yards and rushed for 265. He is tied for fastest in school history (with seven others) to reach 1,000 passing yards (four games) in a season.
• After passing for 380 yards and rushing for 107 against K-State, Ehlinger passed for 278 and rushed for 110 against Oklahoma. He is the first freshman QB in school history (true or redshirt) to rush for 100 yards in back-to-back games, and just the third freshman QB to do so multiple times in a season (Vince Young, 2003; Jerrod Heard, 2015).
• His 278 passing yards against Oklahoma were a UT true freshman record in the Red River Showdown. He was just the third-ever true freshman to start at QB for the Longhorns against Oklahoma, joining Buechele (2016) and Bobby Layne (1944).
• Ehlinger became just the fourth player (seventh time) to pass for 275 yards and rush for 100 in a game against Oklahoma. He joins Vince Young (Nov. 6 & 13, 2004) as the only players in school history to do so in back-to-back games. Colt McCoy joins Ehlinger and Young as the only three players to have two games with 275 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in their careers.
• Ehlinger made his first career start in Texas' 56-0 win over San Jose State, and has now made five starts, fourth-most among true freshman QBs in school history. He became the fourth true freshman to start at quarterback for the Longhorns since 1980 and just the 10th in school history.
• In combination with Buechele last season, the 2016-17 seasons mark just the second stretch in school history in which a true freshman has started at QB for UT in consecutive seasons. The 'Horns started a true freshman at the position in at least one game from 1976-79 also.
• Ehlinger was 15-of-27 for 222 yards and a touchdown in his debut. He also rushed for 48 yards and guided the Texas offense to 623 total yards.
• In leading Texas to double-overtime on the road at No. 4/4 USC, Ehlinger finished 21-of-40 passing for 298 yards and two touchdowns.
• His 380 passing yards against K-State were the 10th-most in school history and the most ever by a true freshman quarterback.
• Ehlinger has now passed for 200 yards in all five games and has gone over 300 yards once.
• He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in four-of-five games and has two multi-TD games.
Johnson A Threat
• After totaling 24 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman, wide receiver Collin Johnson leads the team with 36 catches for 571 yards.
• Johnson had a monster game against No. 4/4 USC in week three, catching seven passes for 191 yards - fourth-most in school history.
• He also had 125 yards against Maryland and currently has two career 100-yard games, both of which came early in 2017.
Connor Williams Suffers Injury
• Junior All-American left tackle Connor Williams sustained an injury in the Longhorns' game against USC.
• He suffered a sprain of his MCL and PCL and also a meniscus tear. There is no timetable for his return at this point.
• Williams had started 26 of a possible 27 contests to date in his career, including 13 consecutive, before the injury.
• Last season, Williams was a consensus first-team All-American, just the fourth sophomore in UT history to receive first-team All-America honors (Hub Bechtol, 1944; Russell Erxleben, 1976 and Earl Thomas, 2009) and second sophomore (Thomas) to earn consensus honors.
• Throughout the offseason, Williams was recognized as a preseason All-American by the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, College Football News and Athlon Sports.
• Additionally, Williams was named to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Outland Trophy, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and was also named preseason All-Big 12.
Offensive Line Stepping Up
• The Longhorns have dealt with a number of injuries that have impacted continuity on the offensive line.
• In addition to Williams, who missed his fifth straight game on Saturday, several other Longhorn offensive linemen have missed time this season: Patrick Hudson (last six games), Jake McMillon (one game), Elijah Rodriguez (eight games) and Zach Shackelford (two games).
• The Longhorns returning starter at tight end and one of the Horns' best run blockers Andrew Beck has missed all eight games this season as well, while TE Garrett Gray has missed six straight. That brings Texas' total to 36 games missed by offensive linemen and tight ends through just eight games.
Dickson A Ray Guy Award Candidate
• Junior punter Michael Dickson, a native of Sydney, Australia, is a leading candidate for the 2017 Ray Guy Award, a season after becoming UT's first-ever finalist for the prestigious award.
• Dickson, who was named Big 12 Conference Special Teams Player of the Year, set a school record with an average of 47.4 yards per punt.
• Prior to the 2017 season, Dickson was named a preseason All-American by Athlon Sports, preseason All-Big 12 and a member of the Ray Guy Award watch list.
• Dickson has punted 44 times this season and is third nationally with an average of 48.4 yards per punt. The Longhorns' net average of 44.95 is the best in the country.
• Of his 44 punts, 21 of them have been more than 50 yards, while 17 have been downed inside the 20.
• Dickson has twice been named Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week, following both his performances at Iowa State and versus Oklahoma.
• Against Iowa State, he punted seven times with a net average of 46.2 yards while against Oklahoma he punted five times and averaged a school-record-tying 55.0 yards per punt.
• Against Oklahoma State, Dickson punted a career-high 11 times and averaged 50.9 yards per punt.
• Of Dickson's four punts from OSU territory, he downed two inside the 10 and pinned the Cowboys at an average field position of the 11-yard line.
• Of his seven punts from UT territory, Dickson averaged 57.9 yards per punt (55.9 net) and flipped the field from an average of the UT 23 to a starting field position for the Cowboys of the OSU 21.
• Dickson punted six times Saturday against Baylor, averaging 44.5 yards per punt. His net average was 40.3, as he allowed just one return while downing three inside the 20.
