The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Houston
No. 8/8 Football preview: at Houston
10.16.2023 | Football
The Longhorns will play the Cougars on Saturday for the first time since 2002.
Texas (5-1, 2-1) vs. Houston (3-3, 1-2)
October 21, 2023
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: TDECU Stadium
Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
TV: FOX (Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman)
Radio: Longhorn Radio Network (Craig Way, Roger Wallace, Will Matthews)
Spanish Radio: Longhorn Radio Network (Dr. Rubén Pizarro-Silva, Arturo Mata)
THE OPENING KICKOFF
• The University of Texas continues its 131st season of football on Saturday when the Longhorns meet Houston for the 26th all-time meeting and first time since 2002 and the first time as conference opponents since 1995.
• Texas (No. 8) is ranked in the AP Top-10 for the sixth consecutive week, the longest single-season stretch for the Longhorns since 2009.
• The Longhorns (5-1, 2-1) had a bye last week. In Texas' last game, the Longhorns fell to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas, 34-30.
• Houston enters the weekend with a 3-3 overall record and 1-2 Big 12 mark in Big 12 play. Last week, the topped West Virginia at home, 41-39, for the Cougars' first-ever Big 12 victory, winning on a 49-yard touchdown pass as time expired.
• Texas currently boasts 941 all-time wins, the fifth-most in college football history. UT holds an all-time record of 941-391-33 (.701).
Series History vs. Houston
• Texas and Houston will square off against Houston for the 26th time in series history and first time since 2002.
• The Longhorns lead the all-time series 16-7-2 with a 7-3-1 mark in Houston.
• The Horns last played in Houston in 2001, a 53-26 victory in which Chris Simms threw for 311 yards three touchdowns, B.J. Johnson caught four passes for 124 yards and one score and Ivan Williams rushed 19 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
• Texas has won each of the last seven meetings, including three-straight in Houston.
• Former Southwest Conference foes, the Longhorns and Cougars squared off every year from 1976-95.
• The Longhorns are 12-7-1 against the Cougars as conference opponents with a 6-3-1 record in Houston.
A Texas Win Would ...
• Be Texas' 942nd victory all-time, the fifth-winningest program in college football history.
• Give Steve Sarkisian his 65th victory as a head coach and 19th at Texas in his 113th career game as a head coach.
• Mark the first 6-1 start for a Steve Sarkisian led team.
• Give Texas a 3-1 start to conference play for the second-straight year.
Third Season of Sarkisian Era
• Texas Football Head Coach Steve Sarkisian is in his third season at the helm of the Longhorns and his 10th season as a head coach overall.
• Last season, the Texas offense ranked 24th in the nation and third in the Big 12 Conference with 34.5 points per game, the fourth-straight top-25 scoring output for a Sarkisian-led offense.
• The offensive showing also marked the eighth top-25 scoring offense in Sarkisian's career.
• Marked the seventh time a Sarkisian offense averaged at least 34 points per game.
• Bijan Robinson rushed for 1,580 yards in 2022, marking the 11th consecutive year a Sarkisian offense (as head coach or offensive coordinator) has had a 1,000-yard rusher.
Offensive Explosion
• Texas exploded for 661 yards of offense against Kansas in the Big 12 Conference home opener.
• The 661 yards were the sixth-most in program history and the most since totaling 689 yards against UTEP in 2020.
• UT's 661 yards were the most in a Big 12 game in program history, topping the previous mark of 658 in 2016 against Texas Tech.
• Texas rushed for 336 yards and threw for 325 yards in the victory over Kansas. It marked the seventh time in program history the Longhorns rushed and passed for over 300 yards in the same game and the first time since 2021 against Texas Tech.
• The Longhorns have tallied at least 500 yards of offense in each of the last three games, equaling the longest stretch in UT history for the first time since 2018.
• It marks the sixth time in program history that the Longhorns have tallied 500-plus yards in three consecutive games with the other instances occurring in 1968, 1969, 2005, 2007 and 2018.
Air and Ground Assault
• Texas' offensive effort against Kansas was highlighted by the second-ever game with a 300-yard passer, 200-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in program history.
• In the victory over Kansas, Quinn Ewers passed threw for 325 yards, Jonathon Brooks rushed for 217 yards and Adonai Mitchell tallied 141 receiving yards.
• The only other 300-200-100 game in Texas history came in 1999 when Major Applewhite threw for 328, Hodges Mitchell rushed for 204 and Montrell Flowers recorded 111 yards receiving in a 38-28 win over Oklahoma.
• In addition to the efforts of Ewers, Brooks and Mitchell, Xavier Worthy posted 93 receiving yards and CJ Baxter collected 67 rushing yards.
• The following week in Dallas against Oklahoma, the Longhorns notched the program's second-ever game with a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and two 100-yard receivers and first in the Red River Rivalry.
• Ewers threw for 346 yards and Brooks rushed for 129 yards, while Jordan Whittington tallied a career-high 115 receiving yards and Worthy added 108 yards.
• The previous 300-100-100x2 game occurred against Ole Miss in 2012: David Ash - 326 pass; Malcolm Brown - 128 rush; Mike Davis - 124 rec; Marquise Goodwin - 102 rec.
Air and Ground Assault
• Texas' offensive effort against Kansas was highlighted by the second-ever game with a 300-yard passer, 200-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in program history.
• In the victory over Kansas, Quinn Ewers passed threw for 325 yards, Jonathon Brooks rushed for 217 yards and Adonai Mitchell tallied 141 receiving yards.
• The only other 300-200-100 game in Texas history came in 1999 when Major Applewhite threw for 328, Hodges Mitchell rushed for 204 and Montrell Flowers recorded 111 yards receiving in a 38-28 win over Oklahoma.
• In addition to the efforts of Ewers, Brooks and Mitchell, Xavier Worthy posted 93 receiving yards and CJ Baxter collected 67 rushing yards.
• The following week in Dallas against Oklahoma, the Longhorns notched the program's second-ever game with a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and two 100-yard receivers and first in the Red River Rivalry.
• Ewers threw for 346 yards and Brooks rushed for 129 yards, while Jordan Whittington tallied a career-high 115 receiving yards and Worthy added 108 yards.
• The previous 300-100-100x2 game occurred against Ole Miss in 2012: David Ash - 326 pass; Malcolm Brown - 128 rush; Mike Davis - 124 rec; Marquise Goodwin - 102 rec.
Special Teams Magic
• Texas converted a fake punt on a 25-yard rush by WR Jordan Whittington in the first quarter.
• Kitan Crawford blocked an Oklahoma punt in the end zone that was recovered by Malik Muhammad for Texas' first TD of the game.
• The blocked punt resulted in the second non-offensive TD of the season (Jerrin Thompson INT vs Wyoming).
Complimentary Football
• Texas ranks eighth in ESPN's College Football Power Index with an overall rating of 87.3. The Longhorns rank 15th in offensive efficiency (80.1) and sixth in defensive efficiency (86.0) and are one of only five teams nationally (Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ohio State) that rank among the top-15 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
• Texas is one of only six FBS programs to rank in the top-25 in total offense (13th/486.5) and total defense (25th/323.3). The others are Liberty, Louisville, Miami, Oregon and UCLA.
• The Longhorns are one of only 10 FBS schools (and seven Power 5 programs) scoring at least 35 points (35.0) and allowing fewer than 17 points (16.3) per game. The list also includes Air Force, Georgia, Liberty, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Penn State.
X-Factor
• Junior WR Xavier Worthy is one of the premier wide receivers in the Big 12 and the nation.
• On the year, he has caught a Big 12-leading 34 receptions for 453 yards and three touchdowns. His ranks third in the conference in receiving yards (453), fourth in receptions per game (5.7) and receiving yards per game (75.5) rank fourth and fifth in touchdowns (three).
• Eight of his 34 receptions are for at least 20 yards, including a pair of 44-yard touchdown catches and two 39-yard receptions.
• Worthy was everywhere on the field against Oklahoma, registering season highs with eight receptions and 108 yards.
• It marked the sixth time in his career that Worthy eclipsed the century mark, the 10th-most in program history.
• For his career, Worthy has hauled in 156 receptions for 2,194 yards and 24 touchdowns.
• The Fresno, Calif. native has caught a pass in all 31 games he has played, tied for the fifth-longest streak in program history (Jordan Shipley), and his 156 career receptions are the 10th-most for a Longhorn.
• His 2,194 receiving yards rank 11th all-time in program history, 85 behind Kwame Cavil (1997-99).
• He ranks third in UT history in touchdown receptions and is just one of four Longhorns to haul in at least 20 touchdown catches.
• He ranks fifth among active players at 70.8 receiving yards per game for his career (Jacob Cowing, Arizona - 77.8; Rome Odunze, Washington - 76.4; Troy Horton, Colorado State - 72.2; Malik Nabers, LSU - 71.7).
• Worthy's 11.9 career punt return average ranks fifth among active FBS players (Dee Williams, Tennessee - 18.8, Cooper DeJean, Iowa - 14.3; Phillip Brooks, Kansas State - 13.7; Kool-Aid McKinstrey, Alabama - 12.8).
• His 24 career receiving touchdowns are tied for third-most among active FBS wide receivers.
• Worthy leads all active Big 12 players in career touchdowns (24) and receiving yards (2,194), while his 156 career receptions are second (Phillip Brooks, Kansas State - 160).
• Against Kansas, Worthy had seven receptions for 93 yards and became the 11th Longhorn to reach 2,000 career receiving yards.
• At Baylor, he caught 3 passes for 31 yards and one touchdown while also returning three punts for 48 yards, including a career-long 40-yard return.
• He followed his 40-yard punt return with a career-long 35-yard pass completion to Ja'Tavion Sanders, the second pass and completion of his career.
• His fourth-quarter touchdown reception against Wyoming sparked the Longhorns' offense after catching the ball on the Texas 46-yard line, breaking a tackle at the 40, and racing down the right sideline to score the first of Texas' three unanswered touchdowns.
• The 44-yard touchdown reception was his sixth career TD catch of 40 or more yards.
• Against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Worthy had five receptions for 75 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown reception early in the second quarter.
• The 44-yard score was the ninth career reception of at least 40 yards and the fifth touchdown of 40-plus yards.
Quinn in Command
• Sophomore Quinn Ewers has led Texas to 11 wins in 16 starts during his first two seasons on the Forty Acres.
• Ewers currently ranks in the top-20 nationally in completion percentage (15th - 69.6%), yards per attempt (15ht - 9.26), passing efficiency (16th - 163.8), and passing yards per game (18th - 284.0), while rankings 21st in total offense (294.0).
• In the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma, Ewers threw for 346 yards and one touchdown on 31-of-37 passing.
• He connected on a string of 19 consecutive passes against OU, breaking Colt McCoy's record of 18 straight against Oklahoma State in 2008.
• His 31 completions equaled a career high and are tied for the 10th most in a game in UT history.
• The 300-yard passing game was the fifth of his career, the fifth-most in UT history, and third of the season, tied for sixth-most for a Longhorn.
• It marked his second consecutive 300-yard passing game, the first Longhorn with back-to-back games of 300 passing yards since Sam Ehlinger in 2009 (vs. Kansas, at TCU).
• Ranks 11th all-time in UT history with 3,881 passing yards, moving ahead of Case McCoy and Chea Morenz in UT's all-time rankings.
• Ewers connected on 25-of-35 passes for 325 yards and one touchdown in the Horns' victory over Kansas, while also rushing seven times for 40 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-long 30-yard run.
• He also rushed for a touchdown in his third consecutive game, the first Texas QB to accomplish the feat since Sam Ehlinger in 2018 (Tulsa, USC, TCU).
• Tallied his third-straight game with a passing and rushing touchdown and the fourth of his career.
• Marked the sixth game in which he accounted for at least three touchdowns.
• Had his streak of consecutive passes without an interception ended at 245, the second-longest streak in program history (Sam Ehlinger, 308).
• In the Horns' win at Baylor, he completed 18-of-23 passes for 293 yards and one touchdown and added five carries for 16 yards and another score.
• Surpassed 3,000 career passing yards, the 16th Longhorn to accomplish the feat.
• He had a standout performance in week two at Alabama, earning Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, Maxwell Player of the Week, Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week honors after completing 24-of-38 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns to guide the then-11th-ranked Longhorns to a 34-24 victory over then-No. 3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
• In the fourth quarter against the Crimson Tide, Ewers connected on 6-of-7 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
• He connected for three touchdown passes for the second consecutive game and fourth time in his career.
• Ewers opened the 2023 campaign completing 19-of-30 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for another score in the victory over Rice.
Jonathon on the Spot
• Sophomore RB Jonathon Brooks' performance out of the backfield has been critical to the Longhorns' success in the 2023 season.
• Ranks fourth in the nation this season in rushing yards per game (121.0 ypg) and sixth in all-purpose yards (141.17 ypg), leading the Big 12 Conference in both categories, and ranks ninth nationally in rushing yards (726). He also leads the conference in rushing touchdowns (6) and total touchdowns (7), while ranking second in rushing yards per carry (6.72) and third in rushing yards.
• For his career, the Hallettsville, Texas native is averaging 6.7 yards per carry, rushing 159 times for 1,066 yards with 12 touchdowns.
• Brooks went over the century mark against No. 10 Oklahoma with 129 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries (5.9 ypc).
• His fourth quarter touchdown against the Sooners had tied the game at 27-27.
• Oklahoma had entered the game ranked 28th in rushing defense, allowing 105.2 yards per game.
• Brooks was dominant in the Texas victory over Kansas, posting his first career 200-yard rushing game, totaling 218 yards on 21 carries (10.4 ypc) with two touchdowns.
• His 218 yards were the fourth-most over for a Longhorn versus an AP-ranked opponent.
• Brooks registered his third consecutive 100-yard rushing performance and fourth.
• Brooks had a 54-yard touchdown run in the win over Kansas. Of his 13 career touchdowns (11 rushing, two receiving), five have been for 34 or more yards (three rushing, two receiving).
• Rushed for multiple touchdowns in his second consecutive game and third time in his career.
• At Baylor, he carried the ball 18 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns and also had an 18-yard reception.
• He had a career day in the victory over Wyoming, establishing career bests with 21 carries for 164 yards (7.8 ypc) while adding the eighth rushing touchdown of his career.
• During Texas' two fourth-quarter scoring drives against the Cowboys, Brooks rushed for 107 yards on eight carries, including a 61-yard run.
• Against Alabama, he rushed a career-high 14 times for 57 yards and one touchdown.
• Brooks has scored a touchdown in three-straight games (2 rushing, 2 receiving) dating back to the Alamo Bowl against Washington when he had a rushing and receiving touchdown.
• He proved to be a dual threat in the win over Rice, rushing 12 times for 55 yards and catching a pair of passes for 42 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown reception, the longest reception of his career.
• For his career, Brooks is averaging 6.8 yards per carry, rushing 137 times for 937 yards with 11 touchdowns.
Sanders is a Sensation
• Junior TE Ja'Tavion Sanders had a dominating performance at Baylor, catching five passes for 110 yards.
• He became the first Longhorn tight end in program history to have two 100-yard receiving games in his career.
• For his career, Sanders ranks seventh all-time among Longhorn tight ends in touchdowns (6), sixth in receptions (68) and eighth in receiving yards (904).
• The Denton, Texas native has 291 receiving yards this season with 178 yards (61.2%) coming after the catch.
• Has caught at least five passes in a game twice this season and 10 times over the last 19 games.
• Sanders registered his first career 100-receiving yard performance in the victory over Alabama, catching five passes for 114 yards, including a career-long 50-yard reception that set up the Longhorns go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter.
• Sanders' 100-yard receiving performance was the second for a Longhorn against the Crimson Tide, joining Jordan Shipley who had 122 yards on 10 receptions in the 2009 BCS Championship Game.
• His 50-yard reception was the 12th-longest for a Texas tight end in program history.
• He kicked off the 2023 season hauling in two passes for 44 yards against Rice, including a 44-yard touchdown reception in which he caught at the Rice 36-yard line and out-sprinted the Owl defenders to the end zone.
• The 44-yard reception was the longest of his career and was the sixth touchdown of his career, the seventh-most for a Texas tight end.
Ford Foundation
• Senior LB Jaylan Ford emerged as one of the top defenders in the nation in 2022, earning All-American honors from the Associated Press and first-team All-Big 12 accolades from the league's coaches and the AP.
• Ford equaled his season high with eight tackles (three solo) and one tackle for loss - his team-leading eighth of the season - against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
• It marked his fourth-straight game with at least seven tackles and fifth consecutive game with one tackle for loss.
• In the Big 12 home opener against Kansas, he tallied a team-high seven tackles (five solo), one tackle for loss and one quarterback hurry.
• Ford collected a team-high eight tackles (four solo), one tackle for loss and one interception against Baylor.
• The interception against the Bears was the sixth of his career, fourth-most among Texas linebackers in program history.
• All six of his interceptions have led to Texas scoring drives (five touchdowns, one field goal).
• He has become a takeaway machine for the Longhorns, collecting eight over the last 13 games, including all six of his interceptions.
• The Frisco, Texas native tallied seven tackles (four solo), including one tackle for loss, in the Horns win against Wyoming, bringing his total tackles to over 200 for his career.
• Against Alabama, Ford tallied five tackles (two solo) with one tackle for loss in the victory.
• He opened the 2023 season right where he left off last season, registering five tackles (one solo) and intercepting one pass.
Murphy on a Mission
• Junior DL Byron Murphy II has appeared in 31 career games, registering 56 tackles (26 solo), 10 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks during his three seasons on the Forty Acres.
• He was a menace in the middle of the line for Texas against Baylor, collecting four tackles (all solo) and establishing career highs with three tackles for loss and two sacks.
• Murphy played a critical role in UT's first touchdown drive against Wyoming, catching a 1-yard pass from Quinn Ewers to give the Longhorns their first lead of the game.
• It marked the first reception and touchdown of his career as he became the fourth Texas lineman ever to score an offensive touchdown.
• On the defensive side of the ball, Murphy tallied two tackles and had one QB hurry in the win.
• At Alabama, he was helped spearhead a defensive front that registered nine tackles for loss, five sacks and four quarterback hurries.
• Last season, Murphy recorded a career best with 26 tackles and had eight games with at least two tackles.
• He had a standout performance at Texas Tech, tallying a career-high five tackles with four solo tackles.
• Murphy recorded a sack for a 7-yard loss in the shutout victory over Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown.
Jahdae All Day
• Senior DB Jahdae Barron's impact in the defensive backfield can be felt throughout the team.
• The Austin native registered 11 tackles (five solo) with one tackle for loss in the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma.
• Barron tallied three solo tackles, including a tackle for loss, and recovered a fumble that led to a Texas touchdown.
• Against Wyoming, Barron had a then-season-high 11 tackles (six solo), 0.5 TFL and one pass breakup in the win, including four third-down plays to force fourth down - three tackles and one pass breakup.
• At Alabama, Barron set the tone for the day, intercepting a pass to shut down the Crimson Tide's first drive and returning it 16 yards to set up Texas' first score.
• Barron added four tackles (three solo) in the win in Tuscaloosa, including a third-down tackle that forced an Alabama field goal.
• In 2022, Barron tallied a career-high 78 tackles (43 solo) including a team-leading 11.5 tackles for loss while adding two interceptions, one quarterback hurry, three pass breakups, one fumble recovery and two defensive touchdowns (INT, FR).
• He became the first FBS defensive back since 2000 to register double-digit tackles for loss, one fumble return for a touchdown and one interception return for a touchdown in the same season.
• Posted at least five tackles in eight games last season, including three double-digit performances.
• The pair of non-offensive touchdowns gave him three for his career, two shy of Michael Huff's UT record.
