Never Retreat, Never Surrender | A Texas Longhorns Dynasty

[St. Francisco]

WEEK EIGHT


....


#2 OKLAHOMA SOONERS (5-0, 3-0)
VS.
#20 TEXAS LONGHORNS (4-2, 2-2)

The highest-scoring offense in the nation took the field in Dallas on Saturday. Texas' response?

No problem.

Led by a defensive unit that is quickly proving be be one of the most formidable in the country, the Longhorns stunned #2 Oklahoma with a hard-fought 20-7 victory, extending their win streak to three games and keeping the team alive in the Big XII title race.

Enough can't be said about the defense, who smothered Oklahoma's potent offensive attack. They allowed just 244 yards of total offense, seven points in four redzone trips, and recorded two sacks and an interception in the victory. But there was also hopeful signs at quarterback, where junior Case McCoy had his best game of the season, completing 15 of 29 passes for 184 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Jaxon Shipley was contained by Oklahoma's secondary as he caught just two balls for 12 yards, but senior tight end D.J. Grant made up for his absence, recording nine catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. As for the ground game, Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron evenly split 34 carries, combining for 172 yards and a touchdown in the win.

"It's great to see this team really find it's identity," said interim head coach Major Applewhite after the game. "It was a work in progress early in the season, but the offense has finally started to come together as a unit. Case [McCoy] is becoming more comfortable in the pocket, and the ground game is opening up opportunities for him. And that defense...it's one of the best units playing right now, in my opinion."

Blake Bell would likely agree with Applewhite, as he completed just 13 of 36 passes for 149 yards and threw an interception in the team's first loss of the season. Meanwhile, the Sooners' normally stout rushing attack was limited to just 95 yards and a touchdown off 27 carries, an average of 3.5 yards per touch. Oklahoma also had issues on 3rd down, converting just five of their sixteen tries, but their biggest downfall came in the redzone, where they walked away scoreless in three of their four attempts. The Sooners' defense performed admirably, recording one sack and an interception as they limited Texas to two touchdowns, but a lack of points generated by their own offense ultimately sealed their fate.

With back-to-back wins against undefeated conference opponents in the bag, the Longhorns will hit the road next week for a three-game stretch. Their first opponent will be Baylor (3-4, 1-3), who proved they should not be taken lightly after stunning #9 TCU with a 27-24 overtime victory on the road this week for their first Big XII victory of the season. Senior wide receiver Terrance Williams is the undisputed leader of the offense, and currently leads the conference with 41 catches for 728 yards and six touchdowns.

#2 Oklahoma Sooners at #20 Texas Longhorns
Oct 13, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#2 Oklahoma Sooners (5-1, 3-1)	0	7	0	0	7
#20 Texas Longhorns (5-2, 3-2)	3	14	3	0	20

Team Stats Comparison
	OKLA	TEX
Total Offense	244	376
Rushing Yards	95	192
Passing Yards	149	184
First Downs	15	21
Punt Return Yards	20	27
Kick Return Yards	85	30
Total Yards	349	433
Turnovers	1	2
3rd Down Converstion	5-16 (31%)	7-17 (41%)
4th Down Conversion	0-2 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	4-1-0 (25%)	2-2-0 (100%)
Penalties	8-40	7-43
Posession Time	27:36	32:24

[St. Francisco]

WEEK NINE


.....


#14 TEXAS LONGHORNS (5-2, 3-2)
VS.
BAYLOR BEARS (3-4, 1-3)


BAYLOR NO MATCH FOR SURGING LONGHORNS
A LOPSIDED 34-10 WIN HAS GUARANTEED THAT THE TEAM WON'T FINISH WITH A LOSING RECORD

Since Case McCoy took over the starting role at quarterback in week five, the Longhorns have not lost a game. But his hold on the starting spot has been tenuous at best...until now. Against the Bears, McCoy completed 65% of his 32 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns, all but cementing his role as the team's starting QB for 2012. No one player stood out amongst the wide receivers, as Mike Davis, Jaxon Shipley, and tight end D.J. Grant all had at least four catches and 50+ yards through the air. Groundwise, Malcolm Brown continued to impress, rushing for 144 yards off 24 carries for an average of six yards per touch. Meanwhile, backup runningback Joe Bergeron carried the ball 14 times for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Texas' defense was also impressive once again, recording three sacks and an interception as they limited Baylor to 234 total offensive yards, one touchdown, and allowed just three successful conversions on twelve 3rd down tries. Heading into the final stretch of conference play, the Longhorns find themselves one game back of Oklahoma for the outright lead in the Big XII West. Next week, they'll look to keep pace as they stay on the road to face floundering Kansas (3-5, 0-5), who have have lost five of their last six games after starting the season 2-0. All five losses have come against ranked conference opponents.

#14 Texas Longhorns at Baylor Bears
Oct 20, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#14 Texas Longhorns (6-2, 4-2)	10	7	7	10	34
Baylor Bears (3-5, 1-4)	7	3	0	0	10

Team Stats Comparison
	TEX	BAY
Total Offense	452	234
Rushing Yards	204	125
Passing Yards	248	109
First Downs	30	19
Punt Return Yards	28	5
Kick Return Yards	69	160
Total Yards	549	399
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Converstion	7-13 (53%)	3-12 (25%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	4-2-2- (100%)	1-1-0 (100%)
Penalties	9-103	9-111
Posession Time	36:17	23:43

[St. Francisco]

AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK NINE-

[St. Francisco]

FIVE-STAR PROSPECT WILLIAMS HEADED TO TEXAS
The gem of the 2012 recruiting class has made his commitment to Texas official in week nine, as five-star prospect Seth Williams of Tumwater, Washington announced his intentions to suit up in burnt orange next season. Ranked #16 in the nation, and #1 in Washington state, Williams will certainly be a valuable asset to the team for the next handful of years. As an athlete, Williams' skill set will likely translate best to either runningback or wide receiver. Given how crowded the receiver position is, his destination will probably be in the backfield, where it will be a 2-3 year wait before he can compete for the starting job. But when he does crack the lineup, his skills will give him the ability to power the ball down the middle, escape defenders with his speed, and be a receiving threat out of the backfield.

[St. Francisco]

WEEK TEN


.....


#11 TEXAS LONGHORNS (6-2, 4-2)
VS.
KANSAS JAYHAWKS (3-5, 0-5)


TURNOVERS DOOM KANSAS IN EMBARRASSING LOSS
THE DEFENSE FORCED SIX TURNOVERS AND SCORED A TOUCHDOWN IN A LOPSIDED 52-10 WIN

The Longhorns' -8 turnover differential has been one of their biggest issues all season, but Kansas' -11 turnover differential was even more troublesome. Up against #11 Texas, it continued to be a major problem as the Jayhawks fumbled the ball five times and threw an interception in a crushing 52-10 loss. For the third straight week, the defense allowed just one touchdown in sixty minutes of play, and limited the Jayhawks to 284 yards of total offense. Leading the charge was junior DeMarco Cobbs (OLB), who recorded six tackles, 1.5 sacks, and returned a fumble 23 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to help his team jump out to a 31-0 lead in the first half. As for the offense, Case McCoy performed well when the team decided to go through the air, completing 9 of 16 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. McCoy also put the first points on the scoreboard in the opening quarter when he broke free for a 40-yard rushing touchdown. Speaking of the ground game, Malcolm Brown rushed for 95 yards off 14 carries before being pulled due to the team's large lead. True sophomore Joe Bergeron finished the game, carrying the ball 18 times for 79 yards and three touchdowns. Next week, the Longhorns begin a three-game Texas tour to end the season with a trip to Lubbock, where they will face off against rival Texas Tech (3-4, 2-3). The Red Raiders' passing game has been dominant as ever this year, but it has been perfectly offset by their non-existant ground game, and a defense that has struggled mightily to contain opposing runningbacks. With Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron coming to town, it could be a recipe for disaster.

#11 Texas Longhorns at Kansas Jayhawks
Oct 27, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#11 Texas Longhorns (7-2, 5-2)	7	24	7	14	52
Kansas Jayhawks (3-6, 0-6)	0	3	7	0	10

Team Stats Comparison
	TEX	KU
Total Offense	361	284
Rushing Yards	247	117
Passing Yards	114	167
First Downs	16	16
Punt Return Yards	15	26
Kick Return Yards	63	150
Total Yards	439	460
Turnovers	1	6
3rd Down Converstion	5-11 (45%)	3-11 (27%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0 (0%)	1-2 (50%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	5-4-0 (80%)	1-0-0 (0%)
Penalties	14-150	8-78
Posession Time	31:30	28:30

[St. Francisco]

#4 TULSA CLINCHES BIG EAST SOUTH DIVISION
With three games left to play, #4 Tulsa (9-0, 7-0) has clinched the south division of the Big East, and is guaranteed a spot in the conference's inaugural conference championship game. This is the Golden Hurricane's first year in the Big East.


GRANT NOMINATED FOR MACKEY AWARD
Senior TE D.J. Grant has been named as one of twelve finalists for the John Mackey Award. Grant has 25 catches for 324 yards and four touchdowns through nine games this season. Named for the Pro Football Hall of Famer, the John Mackey Award is presented annually to the nation's top tight end.


WALTERS NOMINATED FOR OUTLAND TROPHY
Junior RG Mason Walters has been named as one of twelve finalists for the Outland Trophy. Walters has recorded 11 pancake blocks, and given up just two sacks through nine games this season. The Outland Trophy is given annually to the nation's best offensive lineman by the Football Writers Association of America.


EDMOND NOMINATED FOR BUTKUS AWARD
Sophomore MLB Steve Edmond has been named as one of twelve finalists for the Butkus Award. Edmond has recorded 39 tackles (ten for a loss), two sacks, one interception, four pass deflections, forced one fumble, and recovered two fumbles through nine games this season. Named after one of the greatest defenders of all time, the Butkus Award is presented annually to the nation's top college linebacker.


JORDAN NOMINATED FOR GROZA AWARD
Freshman K Nick Jordan has been named as one of twelve finalists for the Lou Groza Award. Jordan has hit 14 of his 19 (73%) attempted field goals with a long of 44 yards, and 27 of 28 (96%) extra point attempts through nine games this season. The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the nation's top placekicker by the Palm Beach Sports Commission.


MONROE NOMINATED FOR MOSS AWARD
Senior WR D.J. Monroe has been named as one of twelve finalists for the Randy Moss Award. Monroe has returned 58 kicks and punts for 715 yards through nine games this season. Named for the former Marshall wide receiver, the Randy Moss Award is presented annually to the nation's top kick/punt returner.

[Ravin]

Every week you seem to have a new #1 team in the Nation, and then the following week they get owned by an unranked team.

[St. Francisco]

Every week you seem to have a new #1 team in the Nation, and then the following week they get owned by an unranked team.

Yeah, it's been a wild and wacky season. Tulsa may have a chance at that national title berth.

[St. Francisco]

WEEK ELEVEN
-RIVALRY GAME-





#10 TEXAS LONGHORNS (7-2, 5-2)
VS.
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS (4-4, 3-3)

In 1996, the University of Texas and Texas Tech University began the annual tradition of the Chancellor's Spurs, a travelling trophy awarded to the winner of the two team's annual rivalry game. For eight of the last nine years, that trophy has resided in Austin...but now it has a new home. Capitalizing off three turnovers, the Red Raiders used their high-flying passing attack and a surprisingly effective ground game to upset the #10 team in the country with a 26-21 victory.

Senior quarterback Seth Doege had his fair share of accuracy issues, completing just 45% of his 42 passes, but still threw for 309 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. That yardage was spread evenly among four targets, who all had at least four catches and 60+ yards. But the ground game is where the team truly surprised, as junior runningback Eric Stephens rushed for 72 yards off 12 carries, a noteworthy accomplishment on a team criticized for their lack of a rushing attack. Texas Tech's defense was perhaps the most instrumental part of the team's victory, recording three sacks and forcing three key turnovers. Junior Will Smith (MLB) led the charge with three tackles and two interceptions.

As for the Longhorns, turnovers continued to be an issue for the team. Junior QB Case McCoy completed 17 of 28 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions in the loss. His go-to man was senior tight end D.J. Grant, who was nearly unstoppable through the air with seven catches for 161 yards. On the ground, the dynamic duo of Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron combined for 132 yards and a touchdown off 30 carries, but that wasn't enough to overcome the offense's mistakes. Texas' defense recorded three sacks and an interception, but also allowed 428 yards of total offense, and 26 points in five redzone trips.

A third loss inside the conference has all but knocked the Longhorns out of contention for a spot in the Big XII title game, but a high-profile bowl game is still very much in reach. The team will have 13 days to prepare for their next rivalry game as they host Texas A&M (5-4, 3-4), one of four recent additions to the SEC.

#10 Texas Longhorns at Texas Tech Red Raiders
Nov 3, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#10 Texas Longhorns (7-3, 5-3)	0	7	7	7	21
Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-4, 3-3)	10	10	6	0	26

Team Stats Comparison
	TEX	TTU
Total Offense	454	428
Rushing Yards	149	119
Passing Yards	305	309
First Downs	18	20
Punt Return Yards	25	21
Kick Return Yards	112	112
Total Yards	591	561
Turnovers	3	1
3rd Down Converstion	9-15 (60%)	11-19 (57%)
4th Down Conversion	0-1 (0%)	0-1 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-1 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	3-3-0 (100%)	5-3-2 (100%)
Penalties	8-65	6-45
Posession Time	29:27	30:33

[St. Francisco]

AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK TWELVE-

[St. Francisco]

#16 GEORGIA TECH CLINCHES ACC COASTAL DIVISION
With two games left to play, #16 Georgia Tech (9-1, 7-1) has clinched the coastal division of the ACC, and is guaranteed a spot in the conference championship game. In the seven-year history of the ACC title game, Georgia Tech has made an appearance twice, but has never won.


#2 USC CLINCHES PAC-16 SOUTH DIVISION
With one game left to play, #2 USC (9-1, 8-1) has clinched the south division of the PAC-16, and is guaranteed a spot in the conference championship game. USC last won the conference title in 2008.


#3 SOUTH CAROLINA CLINCHES SEC EAST DIVISION
With two games left to play, #3 South Carolina (9-1, 8-1) has clinched the east division of the SEC, and is guaranteed a spot in the conference championship game. In the 20-year history of the SEC title game, South Carolina has made one appearance, but has never won.

[St. Francisco]

WEEK THIRTEEN





TEXAS A&M AGGIES (5-5, 3-5)
VS.
#20 TEXAS LONGHORNS (7-3, 5-3)

On Saturday, the Aggies did not come knocking on Texas' door...they kicked the damn door off it's hinges, shit on the carpet, and burned the house down. And while sophomore quarterback Jameill Showers had his way with the Longhorns' defense, Case McCoy had one of the most miserable performances in Texas history, resulting in a devastating 44-6 loss in the Lone Star Showdown.

Enough can't be said about the play of Jameill Showers, who simply embarassed Texas for sixty minutes. He completed 21 of 43 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, completing passes to seven different players. Leading the receiver corps was senior Ryan Swope, who had seven catches for 70 yards. But Showers impressed the most with his legs, leading the ground game with 126 yards and two more scores off 20 carries for an average of 6.3 yards per touch, racking up 331 all-purpose yards and scoring four of the team's five touchdowns on the day. Meanwhile, runningbacks Christine Michael and Ben Malena added another 96 yards and a touchdown off 21 carries. And while the offense was having their way, Texas A&M's defense was an immovable object, recording six sacks, two turnovers, and limiting the Longhorns to a season-low 128 total offensive yards.

As for the Longhorns, there was little reason to celebrate on Saturday as they suffered back-to-back losses for the second time this season, and it happened against two in-state rivals no less. After showing marked improvement over the last few weeks, Case McCoy put in what might be the worst performance by a quarterback in Texas' storied history, completing just two (TWO!) of his 15 attempted passes for 17 yards, finishing the day with a QB rating of 22.8. The ground game didn't fare much better, with Malcolm Brown, Joe Bergeron, and true freshman Daje Johnson combining for 103 yards off 27 carries. For the second time this year, the Longhorns' offense failed to score a touchdown in a game, converted just three of fifteen 3rd down tries, and scored three points in two redzone trips. Defensively, Texas recorded no sacks, one turnover, and allowed 41 points in seven redzone trips, most of those points coming in the 4th quarter.

"It's embarassing," said head coach Major Applewhite after the game. "I'm embarassed to be this team's coach today, and every player on that field should be embarassed. We didn't represent this great university today...we looked like a group of 3rd string kids off a pop-warner team. We got our asses kicked, plain and simple, from start to finish. The only good thing to happen was when the game ended. Now we have to try and put this one behind us, and finish strong."

It's sure to be five long days of practice for the team as they prepare for their 2012 season finale on the road against TCU (6-4, 4-4), one of the newest members of the Big XII conference. Hoping to finish with an 8-4 record and at least one win in the state, the Longhorns will surely be fired up to take on the Horned Frogs, who have had their fair share of struggles this season thanks to their 102nd ranked defense, but have also fielded a 2nd ranked offense that averages 459 yards per game.

Texas A&M Aggies at #20 Texas Longhorns
Nov 17, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Texas A&M Aggies (6-5, 3-5)	7	10	3	24	44
#20 Texas Longhorns (7-4, 5-3)	3	3	0	0	6

Team Stats Comparison
	TA&M	TEX
Total Offense	445	128
Rushing Yards	226	111
Passing Yards	219	17
First Downs	27	10
Punt Return Yards	34	21
Kick Return Yards	16	155
Total Yards	495	304
Turnovers	1	2
3rd Down Converstion	10-17 (58%)	3-15 (20%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	7-5-2 (100%)	2-0-1 (50%)
Penalties	5-35	8-58
Posession Time	36:25	23:35

[St. Francisco]

With Tulsa's loss to UCLA, the national title race is essentially down to five teams: #1 Oklahoma (9-1), #2 USC (10-1), #3 South Carolina (10-1), #4 Nebraska (10-1), and #5 Oregon (11-1). Keep an eye out in the games of interest to see who comes out on top.

[St. Francisco]

TEXAS WRAPS UP RECRUITING CLASS WITH FINAL TWO COMMITMENTS
With just twelve spots open on the roster next season, the Longhorns' 2012 recruiting class was always going to be a small one. This past week, the team added the final two pieces. Four-star prospect Brandon Capps (OLB), a Texas native, is one of the most outstanding recruits landed, and will add to Texas' deep linebacker corps. He was ranked 87th overall, and 5th among outside linebackers in the country. The team's three starters are relatively young, so Capps will almost certainly redshirt next season, but he could have a chance at a starting spot in 2014. The Longhorns also added four-star prospect Paul Hall of Richland, WA, the #2 overall recruit coming out of the state. Hall joins a receiver corps that will still be crowded next season despite losing three players to graduation, and will face an uphill climb to break into the starting lineup anytime in the near future.

[St. Francisco]

FIVE GAMES IN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND BECOME OFFICIAL
Week thirteen saw several teams clinch their respective divisions, making the conference championship weekend picture much clearer. Here are a look at the five games set in stone (the Big East north is the only BCS division not yet clinched).

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: #23 Virginia Tech (9-2, 7-1) vs. #15 Georgia Tech (10-1, 8-1)

BIG XII CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: #8 Kansas St. (8-2, 7-2) vs. #1 Oklahoma (9-1, 7-1)

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: #18 Michigan St. (7-3, 6-2) vs. #4 Nebraska (10-1, 8-0)

PAC-16 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: #5 Oregon (11-1, 8-1) vs. #2 USC (10-1, 8-1)

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: #6 Alabama (8-3, 6-2) vs. #3 South Carolina (10-1, 8-1)


WESTERN MICHIGAN CLINCHES MAC TITLE
With one game left to play, Western Michigan (9-2, 7-1) has clinched the MAC conference championship. The Broncos last won the conference title in 1988.


ARKANSAS ST. CLINCHES SUN BELT TITLE
With one game left to play, Arkansas State (9-2, 6-0) has clinched the Sun Belt conference championship. This marks the second straight year that the Red Wolves have won the conference title.


OHIO CLINCHES NEC TITLE
With one game left to play, Ohio (10-1, 6-0) has clinched the inaugural NEC conference championship.