No. 3/5 Football preview: No. 24/24 Kansas

Texas (4-0, 1-0) vs. Baylor (4-0, 1-0)

September 30, 2023
Where: Austin, Texas
Stadium: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
TV: ABC (Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath)
Radio: Longhorn Radio Network (Craig Way, Roger Wallace, Will Matthews)
Spanish Radio: Longhorn Radio Network (Dr. Rubén Pizarro-Silva, Arturo Mata or Jesus Mendoza)

THE OPENING KICKOFF
• The University of Texas continues its 131st season of football on Saturday when the Longhorns welcome Kansas to open the home portion of the Big 12 Conference schedule.
• Texas is ranked in the top five of both the AP (No. 3) and Coaches (No. 5) polls for the first time since 2010 (Week 2).
• Last week, Texas (4-0) defeated the Baylor Bears, 38-6, in the Big 12 Conference opener in Waco.
• The Longhorns are 4-0 on the year, the first time UT has been unbeaten through four games since 2012.
• Kansas enters the weekend with a 4-0 mark after defeating BYU at home 38-27 in their first Big 12 contest of the year.
• The Jayhawks improved to 4-0 for the second year in a row.
• Texas (No. 3/5) and Kansas (No. 24/24) will meet as ranked opponents for the first time in series history.
• The Horns are 18-9 in Big 12 home openers and 2-0 under Steve Sarkisian (2021 - 70-35 over Texas Tech; 2022 - 38-20 over West Virginia).
• The week five matchup will be the Longhorns' third home game of the season, while the Jayhawks will be playing their second road game of the year.
• Texas currently boasts 940 all-time wins, the fifth-most in college football history. UT holds an all-time record of 940-390-33 (.702).

Series History vs. Kansas
• Texas is set to face off with Kansas for the 22nd time in program history on Saturday and for the 11th time in Austin.
• The Longhorns are 17-4 against Kansas all-time and 9-1 when the teams square off in Austin.
• Texas topped Kansas in Lawrence last season, 55-14.
• Saturday's game will mark the first time Kansas will be Texas' opponent for the Big 12 Conference home opener.
• UT's .810 winning percentage against the Jayhawks is its best against any current member of the Big 12 Conference.
• The Longhorns own a 17-2 advantage over the Jayhawks during the Big 12 Conference era with both losses coming in overtime (2016, 2021).
• Texas heads into a game against Kansas as an undefeated team for the fourth time in series history (1938, 2005, 2009).

A Texas Win Would ...
• Be Texas' 941st victory all-time, the fifth-winningest program in college football history.
• Give Steve Sarkisian his 64th victory as a head coach and 18th at Texas in his 111th career game as a head coach.
• Improve Texas to 5-0 for the first time since 2009.
• Mark the first 5-0 start for a Steve Sarkisian led team.
• Be the Longhorns' 150th victory in Big 12 Conference play and improve their all-time conference record to 150-79.

Big Man Touchdowns
• Junior DL Byron Murphy II caught a 1-yard touchdown pass to cap the Longhorns' first touchdown drive against Wyoming, the first reception and touchdown of his career.
• Murphy became the fourth Longhorn lineman to score a touchdown on offense.

Longhorn Lineman Offensive Touchdowns

Byron Murphy II, DT, vs. Wyoming, 2023

1-yard TD reception from Quinn Ewers

Sam Cosmi, OT at West Virginia, 2019

12-yard lateral from Sam Ehlinger
First-ever Longhorn offensive lineman rushing touchdown

Luke Poehlmann, OT, at Baylor, 2011

Tackle-Eligible
3-yard TD reception from Case McCoy
First-ever Longhorn offensive lineman touchdown reception

Derek Lokey, DT, vs. Arizona State (Holiday Bowl), 2007

2-yard TD reception from Colt McCoy
First-ever Longhorn defensive lineman with an offensive touchdown

X-Factor
• Junior WR Xavier Worthy is one of the premier wide receivers in the Big 12 and the nation.
• For his career, Worthy has hauled in 141 receptions for 1,993 yards and 24 touchdowns.
• 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 punt.
• 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.
• Worthy's 12.3 career punt return average ranks third among active FBS players (Phillip Brooks, K-State 14,2; Kool-Aid McKinstrey, Alabama - 14.0).
• 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 10 wins in 14 starts during his first two seasons on the Forty Acres.
• 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.
• He extended his streak of consecutive passes without an interception to 228, the second-longest streak in program history, 80 behind record-holder Sam Ehlinger.
• Surpassed 3,000 career passing yards, the 16th Longhorn to accomplish the feat.
• Ranks 14th all-time in UT history with 3,210 passing yards, moving ahead of Tyrone Swoopes and Bobby Layne.
• Had a passing and rushing touchdown for the third time this season and second straight game.
• Ewers threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third in the Longhorns' win over Wyoming.
• It was his third consecutive game with multiple touchdowns passes and eighth in his career, while also marking the fifth game in which he accounted for at least three touchdowns.

Sanders is a Sensation
• Junior TE Ja'Tavion Sanders has a dominating performance at Baylor, catching five passes for 110 yards.
• He became the first Longhorn tight end in program to have two 100-yard receiving games in his career.
• The Denton, Texas native has 268 receiving yards this season with 169 yards (63%) coming after the catch.
• Has caught at least five passes in a game twice this season and 10 times over the last 17 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.
• For his career, Sanders ranks seventh all-time among Longhorn tight ends in touchdowns (6), sixth in receptions (66) and eighth in receiving yards (881).

Jonathon on the Spot
• Sophomore RB Jonathon Brooks performance out of the backfield has been critical to the Longhorn success in the 2023 season.
• Brooks registered his second consecutive 100-yard rushing performance and third of his career in the victory over Baylor.
• At Baylor, he carried the ball 18 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns and also had an 18-yard reception.
• Brooks has a 40-yard touchdown run to open the scoring for Texas at Baylor. Of his 11 career touchdowns (nine rushing, two receiving), four have been for 34 or more yards (two rushing, two receiving).
• 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.

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 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 11 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 29 career games, registering 52 tackles (24 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.

Jahdae All Day
• Senior DB Jahdae Barron's impact in the defensive backfield can be felt throughout the team.
• Against Wyoming, Barron had a 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.

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Players Mentioned

Jahdae Barron

Jonathon Brooks

Quinn Ewers

Jaylan Ford

Byron Murphy II

Ja'Tavion Sanders

Xavier Worthy

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics