The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
West Virginia
No. 15/15 Football preview: No. 12/10 West Virginia [Nov. 3, 2018]
10.29.2018 | Football
The Longhorns return home for a first-place battle with the Mountaineers on Saturday afternoon.
No. 15/15 Texas (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) vs. No. 12/10 West Virginia (6-1, 4-1 Big 12)
November 3, 2018
Where: Austin, Texas
Stadium: Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium
Time: 2:40 p.m. CT
TV: FOX (Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft)
Radio: Longhorn IMG Radio Network (Craig Way, Roger Wallace, Quan Cosby)
Spanish Radio: Longhorn IMG Radio Network (Dr. Rubén Pizarro-Silva, Jesus Mendoza)
Live stats: hookem.at/FootballLiveStats
All-time series: WVU leads 4-3
COMPLETE GAME NOTES
The Opening Kickoff
• The University of Texas returns home to face West Virginia on Saturday in a matchup of first-place teams in the Big 12 Conference. Both schools enter with 4-1 conference records, tied atop the standings with Oklahoma.
• Kickoff is set for 2:40 p.m. CT on FOX from inside Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium. Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst) and Jenny Taft (sideline) will have the call.
• Texas enters the game with a record of 6-2 overall. The Longhorns are ranked No. 15/15 following a 38-35 loss at Oklahoma State Saturday night, which ended a six-game winning streak.
• No. 12/10 WVU comes in at 6-1 overall, coming off a 58-14 victory over Baylor last Thursday night. The Mountaineers' lone loss of the season came at Iowa State, a 30-14 setback to the Cyclones on Oct. 13.
• The Longhorn IMG Radio Network broadcast with Craig Way (play-by-play), Roger Wallace (analyst) and Quan Cosby (sideline) can be heard on Sirius channel 113, XM channel 200 and app channel 954 in addition to the local affiliates listed on page two.
• The Longhorns' Spanish language radio broadcast, Cadena Deportiva, can be heard in Austin and Dallas, or online at TexasSports.com. Dr. Rubén Pizarro-Silva (play-by-play) and Jesus Mendoza (analyst) are on the call.
• Longhorn Network's broadcast begins at 12:30 p.m. with Texas GameDay. The two-hour pregame show will feature interviews, stories and analysis surrounding Saturday's game. After the game, LHN broadcasts Texas GameDay Final, with postgame interviews, analysis and highlights.
• Saturday's game will mark UT's annual Veteran's Recognition Game. Frank Denius will be honored posthumously as the Veteran of the Game. His son and daughter will represent him on the field for the coin toss. Additionally, Gen. Lawson Magruder, the new chairman of the Veterans Committee, replacing Denius, will be the honorary captain of the game.
• There will be a pre-game flyover with four T-38s from the Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas.
• Additionally, the Army Golden Knights Parachute Team will enter the stadium from above prior to kickoff and land on the playing surface of DKR.
• The AFCA Coaches Trophy will be available for photos on Bevo Blvd. and also appear on the sidelines during the game.
• Bevo Blvd. will feature a 'combine' area where fans will be able to test themselves with a vertical jump, ball toss and more interactive games.
The All-time Series
• Texas and West Virginia meet for the eighth time on the gridiron Saturday afternoon. UT is 3-4 all-time against WVU.
• The schools first met in 1956 and resumed the series in 2012 when the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 Conference. Each school has won three games in the six meetings as Big 12 Conference foes.
• Last season, Texas gained bowl eligibility with a 28-14 win on the road in Morgantown.
• WVU has won three of the four previous meetings played in Austin, including a 24-20 win in 2016.
Home Field Advantage
• Texas enters Saturday's game with a perfect 4-0 record inside Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium in 2018.
• The 4-0 start at home marks UT's best start at home since 2016 when they were also 4-0. The Longhorns have not gone undefeated at home since the 2009 season.
Taking Care Of The Ball
• Prior to a third-quarter interception against Baylor, Texas had gone 295 consecutive offensive plays without a turnover. Their last turnover had been in the third quarter of the USC game.
• UT has had four turnover-free games so far in 2018 (TCU, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State).
Ehlinger By The Numbers
• True sophomore Sam Ehlinger has completed 158-of-249 passes for 1,817 yards, 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions so far in 2018. He has added 277 yards and eight scores on the ground.
• For his career, he has completed 316-of-524 for 3,732 yards, 24 TD and nine interceptions.
• Ehlinger's 3,732 career yards are 11th-most in school history, with Shea Morenz's (1993-94) 3,774 yards in sight. Only nine QBs in school history have passed for at least 4,000 yards in their career.
• He has attempted 210 straight passes without an interception, a new school record. Major Applewhite's 156 straight in 1999 was the previous school record.
• Ehlinger became the first Longhorn QB since Colt McCoy in 2008 to have at least two TD passes and one rushing TD in three consecutive games (Tulsa, USC, TCU).
Two-Headed Monster
• Junior wide receivers Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Collin Johnson have combined for 92 receptions, 1,273 yards and nine touchdowns so far this season.
• Forty-two FBS teams have at least one receiver with 45-plus catches so far this season, but Texas is one of just eight to have two receivers with 45-or-more catches.
• The eight schools are TEXAS, Ball State, Colorado, Hawaii, Ohio State, Old Dominion, Texas Tech and Washington State.
• Just 24 times in school history has a UT pass catcher had 50-or-more receptions in a season. Humphrey (46) and Johnson (46) are on pace to become just the eighth WR duo to both eclipse that mark in a season (also 1998, 1999, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014).
First Timers
• Fourteen Longhorns have made their first career starts through the first seven games: Calvin Anderson (Maryland), Kobe Boyce (Tulsa), Chris Brown (TCU), Anthony Cook (Oklahoma State), Samuel Cosmi (Tulsa), Brennan Eagles (Maryland), B.J. Foster (Oklahoma), Ta'Quon Graham (Maryland), Keaontay Ingram (Oklahoma State), D'Shawn Jamison (Oklahoma State), Jeffrey McCulloch (Kansas State), Caden Sterns (Maryland), Josh Thompson (Tulsa) and Tre Watson (Maryland).
• Twenty-one Longhorns have made their first career appearances so far this season: Calvin Anderson (Maryland), Kobe Boyce (Maryland), Ryan Bujcevski (Maryland), Anthony Cook (Maryland), Samuel Cosmi (Maryland), Hank Coutoumanos (Baylor), Cameron Dicker (Maryland), Brennan Eagles (Maryland), Montrell Estell (Tulsa), Chris Fehr (TCU), B.J. Foster (Maryland), Jalen Green (Tulsa), Keaontay Ingram (Maryland), D'Shawn Jamison (Maryland), Cort Jaquess (Oklahoma), Reese Leitao (Maryland), Justin Mader (Maryland), Joshua Moore (Maryland), Jordan Pouncey (TCU), Caden Sterns (Maryland) amd Tre Watson (Maryland).
Sterns A Thorpe Award Semifinalist
• True freshman safety Caden Sterns has started each of the first eight games, totaling 33 tackles, four interceptions, a blocked field goal and a pass breakup.
• He had two interceptions against TCU and was named Thorpe Award Player of the Week, as well as Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, for his effort.
• He also has interceptions against Tulsa and Baylor, while his blocked field goal against USC was returned for a touchdown by Anthony Wheeler.
• He was the first true freshman at UT with two interceptions in a game since DeShon Elliott (2015) and just the third ever (Chris Carter, 1993).
• His four interceptions are tied for the most among true freshmen in school history with Quandre Diggs (2011) and Chris Carter (1993).
• Sterns is the first true freshman defensive back at Texas to start eight games in a season since 2015 when Holton Hill started the final eight.
• He is the first true freshman defensive back to start each of the first eight games of his career since Blake Gideon started all 13 at safety in 2008.
Omenihu Changing The Game
• Defensive end Charles Omenihu has had a huge impact in changing games the last four weeks. After totaling just one sack and one quarterback hurry in the first four games, Omenihu has 6.0 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries in the last four games.
• Against Kansas State, Omenihu had five tackles, three for loss and two sacks (one forcing a safety).
• Against Oklahoma, he had three tackles, two for loss and a sack.
• In the win over Baylor, he totaled three tackles, two for loss, two sacks and a monstrous four quarterback hurries.
• Saturday against Oklahoma State, Omenihu had six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
The Ingram Impact
• True freshman RB Keaontay Ingram leads the Longhorns with 455 rushing yards on 77 carries (5.9 ypc) this season.
• He picked up his first career start on Saturday at Oklahoma State and tallied 52 yards rushing, 30 yards receiving and his first career receiving touchdown.
• Ingram is looking to become just the 16th Longhorn freshman in school history with a 500-yard season. He would become just the 10th true freshman to do so with 45 more yards in 2018.
• The last Longhorn freshman with a 500-yard season was QB Jerrod Heard in 2015 (556). The last Longhorn freshman running back to do so was Johnathan Gray (701 yards on 149 attempts) in 2012.
