Never Retreat, Never Surrender | A Texas Longhorns Dynasty

[St. Francisco]

WEEK ONE


..


TEXAS A&M AGGIES (0-0, 0-0)
VS.
#2 TEXAS LONGHORNS (0-0, 0-0)

Key offensive playmakers Malcolm Brown and Jaxon Shipley are gone, but quarterback David Ash has returned for a final season, and is in complete control of the starting spot for the first time in his career. The senior gunslinger had his fair share of issues, throwing two interceptions in a shaky first half, but he more than made up for that by leading the offensive effort with 342 passing yards and four touchdowns as the 2nd ranked Longhorns overcame Texas A&M in an offensive shootout for the second straight season.

The two picks aside, David Ash was nothing short of magnificent under center, completing 16 of 21 passes for 342 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. Ash took advantage of an Aggies defense that was caught over-pursuing multiple times, throwing TD passes of 72, 36, 40, and 53 yards. His go-to man was third-year sophomore Cayleb Jones, who had five catches for 127 yards and a touchdown, while true sophomore tight end Raishaun Blanco had 113 yards and two scores on four receptions. Senior Miles Onyegbule only had two catches on the day, but one of them went 70 yards for a touchdown near the end of the first quarter when the talented wide receiver got behind the defense on a play action pass. On the ground, the Longhorns didn't miss Malcolm Brown much at all, as new offensive workhorse Joe Bergeron carried the ball 28 times for 180 yards and a touchdown, averaging 6.4 yards per touch. Backup runningback Jonathan Gray didn't see much playing time, but did gain 66 yards off six carries. As for the defense, senior safety Sheroid Evans led the effort with twelve tackles, one sack, and an interception. As a unit, the defense recorded six sacks and forced two turnovers, and allowed just 16 points in six redzone trips despite giving up 495 yards of total offense.

On the other side of the ball, the Aggies looked primed for a big time upset at halftime, trailing just 17-13, but injuries to their offensive playmakers doomed them in the end. Senior QB Jameill Showers completed 9 of 12 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 58 yards before being forced to leave the game with a strained shoulder after being sacked for the fifth time on the day. Junior Johnny Manziel took over, completing 10 of 16 passes for 106 yards and an interception, and rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown, but he could not lead his team to a victory down the stretch. As for the ground game, junior runningback Brandon Williams rushed for 60 yards off 13 carries before also leaving the game with a mild concussion, effectively ending the team's effort to establish a strong ground presence aside from their scrambling quarterback. Texas A&M's defense recorded three sacks and two interceptions, but also allowed 568 yards of total offense and five touchdowns in the loss.

With a victory over their hated rivals in the bag to kick off the season, the Longhorns will now turn their attention to next week when they host the Florida State Seminoles in their 2014 conference opener. The Seminoles finished last year with a disappointing 3-9 (2-7) record, but are hoping for a major turn-around in 2014 with seniors Clint Trickett (QB), Devonta Freeman (HB), and Jarred Haggins (WR) leading the offensive effort.

Texas A&M Aggies at #2 Texas Longhorns
Aug 31, 2014	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Texas A&M Aggies (0-1, 0-0)	3	10	10	3	26
#2 Texas Longhorns (1-0, 0-0)	10	7	7	17	41

Team Stats Comparison
	TA&M	TEX
Total Offense	495	568
Rushing Yards	228	226
Passing Yards	267	342
First Downs	22	20
Punt Return Yards	0	0
Kick Return Yards	0	156
Total Yards	495	724
Turnovers	2	2
3rd Down Converstion	10-16 (62%)	7-12 (58%)
4th Down Conversion	2-3 (66%)	1-1 (100%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	6-1-3 (66%)	3-2-1 (100%)
Penalties	2-20	5-50
Posession Time	19:03	17:35

[St. Francisco]

Week 2 Slider Changes: The first thing that popped out to me was a common complaint many have about coach mode sliders, and that was QB accuracy and deep bombs. User QB accuracy is already set at 0, so I moved WR catching from 50 to 40, hoping that I'll see more drops to balance this out. On the CPU side, I reduced QB accuracy from 20 to 15, and WR catching from 80 to 75 at halftime, and noticed a good amount of improvement. I had a pretty easy time running the ball as well, but I'm gonna wait and see before making any changes there.

[St. Francisco]

WEEK TWO


.....


FLORIDA ST. SEMINOLES (0-0, 0-0)
VS.
#2 TEXAS LONGHORNS (1-0, 0-0)

Saturday's Big XII opener in Austin presented a clear case of one team truly beating themselves. Despite outgaining the Seminoles in total offensive yardage, the #2 Longhorns were upset by unranked Florida State thanks to two untimely turnovers and zero points scored in three redzone trips, putting an end to the team's hopes of another unbeaten regular season.

Senior QB David Ash completed 15 of 28 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two costly interceptions for the second time this season. Despite only playing two games so far, Ash has already thrown four picks after being picked off just eight times all of last year. His go-to man through the air was senior Miles Onyegbule, who had a team-leading five catches for 65 yards, while Cayleb Jones caught four balls for 50 yards and a touchdown. Other noteworthy performances included true sophomore tight end Raishaun Blanco with four receptions for 56 yards, and backup runningback Jonathan Gray, who had a 44-yard TD reception in the first quarter. On the ground, Joe Bergeron rushed for 139 yards off 21 carries, averaging 6.6 yards per touch, but was ineffective in the team's three redzone trips. Defensively, Texas recorded four sacks and an interception, but also allowed 20 points in four redzone trips, and nearly four yards per carry on the ground.

On the other side of the ball, the Seminoles started their road to redemption off with a bang after finishing with a disappointing 3-9 record last year. Senior quarterback Clint Trickett completed 13 of 30 passes for 231 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while senior Jarred Haggins led the receiving corps with five catches for 101 yards and a TD. But the ground game is where Florida State truly excelled, as senior Devonta Freeman led the effort with 100 yards off 18 carries, and backup runningback James Wilder, Jr. (pictured above) carried the ball 13 times for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Florida State's defense gave up 416 total offensive yards, but held strong when it mattered the most. In three redzone trips, the Seminoles recorded two interceptions and also stuffed a 4th down goal line run to keep the Longhorns scoreless inside the 20. The win was a big one for the team, but there will be little time to celebrate as Florida State heads home to host #12 Oklahoma next week.

After plummeting to #15 in the newest polls, the Longhorns will look to make a statement next week when they travel to face off against North Texas (0-1, 0-0) in what should be an easy victory for the team.

Florida State Seminoles at #2 Texas Longhorns
Sep 6, 2014	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Florida State Seminoles (1-0, 1-0)	7	10	7	3	27
#2 Texas Longhorns (1-1, 0-1)	7	3	7	0	17

Team Stats Comparison
	FSU	TEX
Total Offense	387	416
Rushing Yards	156	188
Passing Yards	231	228
First Downs	21	17
Punt Return Yards	12	81
Kick Return Yards	41	107
Total Yards	440	604
Turnovers	1	2
3rd Down Converstion	5-13 (38%)	5-13 (38%)
4th Down Conversion	0-1 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	4-2-2 (100%)	3-0-0 (0%)
Penalties	2-10	14-100
Posession Time	30:57	29:03

[St. Francisco]

WEEK THREE


.....


#15 TEXAS LONGHORNS (1-1, 0-1)
VS.
NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN (0-1, 0-0)


LONGHORNS SHAKE OFF SLOW START IN 35-21 WIN
IT WAS A TIE BALLGAME WITH 16 MINUTES TO PLAY, BUT TEXAS FINISHED WITH 14 UNANSWERED POINTS

Victory belongs to the Texas Longhorns for the second time this season, but there won't be much celebrating back in Austin after the team barely managed to escape against sub-par competition. Despite putting up nearly 500 total offensive yards and not committing a single turnover, the Longhorns found themselves in a 21-21 tie near the end of the third quarter. Fortunately, the team finished strong with 14 unanswered points to secure their second win of the season. David Ash had his best game of the season, completed 14 of 27 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns, but most importantly, no interceptions. His go-to man was senior Miles Onyegbule, who had six catches for 114 yards and two scores, while second-year freshman and slot receiver Seth Williams had a 47-yard TD reception for the first collegiate score of his career. On the ground, Joe Bergeron was phenomenal once again, rushing for 146 yards and a touchdown off 21 carries for an incredible average of 6.9 yards per touch. Backup runningback Jonathan Gray only had nine carries, but did manage 31 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Texas recorded three sacks, one interception, and limited the Mean Green to seven points in three redzone trips. Through the first three games of 2014, the Longhorns have recorded 13 sacks, ranking them 2nd best in the nation behind USF, who has had 15 sacks in just two games. With the first leg of their 2014 season out of the way, the Longhorns will get a week of rest before travelling north to take on the Iowa State Cyclones (0-2, 0-0) in what the team hopes will be it's first conference victory of the year.

#15 Texas Longhorns at North Texas Mean Green
Sep 13, 2014	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#15 Texas Longhorns (2-1, 0-1)	7	7	14	7	35
North Texas Mean Green (0-2, 0-0)	7	7	7	0	21

Team Stats Comparison
	TEX	UNT
Total Offense	477	327
Rushing Yards	221	140
Passing Yards	256	187
First Downs	18	18
Punt Return Yards	21	22
Kick Return Yards	82	192
Total Yards	580	541
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Converstion	8-15 (53%)	8-18 (44%)
4th Down Conversion	0-1 (0%)	1-1 (100%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-2-0 (100%)	3-1-0 (33%)
Penalties	11-72	6-68
Posession Time	30:13	29:47

[St. Francisco]

AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK FOUR-

[St. Francisco]

WEEK FIVE


.....


#11 TEXAS LONGHORNS (2-1, 0-1)
VS.
IOWA ST. CYCLONES (1-2, 0-0)


GROUND GAME PUNISHES CYCLONES IN 45-7 VICTORY
TEXAS RACKED UP 275 RUSHING YARDS AND THREE TOUCHDOWNS IN THEIR 3RD WIN OF THE SEASON

While the defense was busy stifling Iowa State on nearly every offensive drive, the Longhorns went back to their bread and butter offensively: the ground game. Led by Joe Bergeron and Jonathan Gray, #11 Texas managed nearly 300 rushing yards in their most convincing victory of the season, a 45-7 decision over the Cyclones to give the team their first conference win of 2014. Bergeron put up big numbers in the first half, rushing for 131 yards and a touchdowns off 16 carries for a ridiculous average of 8.1 yards per touch. But Gray was just as impressive in the final 30 minutes, carrying the ball 16 times for 101 yards and two scores to lead the offensive effort. David Ash was less impressive under center, but still effective, completing 9 of 20 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. Connor Brewer came in with the 2nd team offense late in the game, and completed 3 of 5 passes for 45 yards and a score. Leading the receiving corps was true sophomore tight end Raishaun Blanco, who had four catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. In his second year as the team's starter at tight end, Blanco is quickly making a big impact as he currently leads the team with 15 catches for 286 yards and three scores on the year, which nearly matches his season total from all of last year (29 catches for 291 yards and 4 TDs in 2013). Defensively, the Longhorns were just as impressive, recording one sack, one interception, limiting the Cyclones to 250 yards of total offense, allowing zero redzone trips, and not giving up a touchdown until their 2nd team defense came on the field in the fourth quarter. With their confidence restored, the Longhorns will stay on the road next week to face off against Kansas (1-3, 0-3), who have suffered three straight double-digit losses to conference opponents coming into this game.

#11 Texas Longhorns at Iowa State Cyclones
Sep 27, 2014	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#11 Texas Longhorns (3-1,1-1)	7	14	3	21	45
Iowa State Cyclones (1-3, 0-1)	0	0	0	7	7

Team Stats Comparison
	TEX	ISU
Total Offense	439	250
Rushing Yards	275	108
Passing Yards	164	142
First Downs	24	10
Punt Return Yards	60	21
Kick Return Yards	64	104
Total Yards	563	375
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Converstion	6-12 (50%)	4-15 (26%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	5-5-0 (100%)	0-0-0 (0%)
Penalties	4-42	12-87
Posession Time	33:39	26:21

[St. Francisco]

WEEK SIX


.....


#10 TEXAS LONGHORNS (3-1, 1-1)
VS.
KANSAS JAYHAWKS (1-3, 0-3)

Every season, there are a handful of games on Texas' schedule that can be circled in the summer as guaranteed wins for the team. This was one of those games. Up against a struggling Kansas team who had been blown out by Oklahoma State (33-14), Baylor (41-6), and TCU (24-20) coming into this contest, the Longhorns put little thought into improving to 4-1, 2-1 on the season. But an explosive second quarter by the Jayhawks, a solid performance by senior quarterback Turner Baty, two untimely Texas turnovers, and a 42-yard field goal as time expired all conspired to hand the Longhorns their second loss of the season in a stunning defeat over a top ten team.

Kansas' success on Saturday can be attributed to the play of senior quarterback Turner Baty, who completed 17 of 32 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Baty has played mistake free football at the helm of the offense, completing 53% of his passes for 1,079 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions this season. Leading the receiving corps was senior tight end Trent Smiley with five catches for 70 yards, while senior Jacorey Shepherd caught five passes for 62 yards, and true freshman Steve Wright racked up 48 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions. The ground game was also highly efficient, as runningbacks Tony Pierson and Marquis Jackson combined for 174 yards and a score off 29 carries, averaging 6.2 yards per touch. Defensively, Kansas allowed 406 total offensive yards and 31 points in five redzone trips, but also recorded one sack and two crucial turnovers that turned the tide of the game in the second quarter. With a renewed sense of confidence in tow, the Jayhawks will stay at home next week to host #15 Florida State (5-0, 5-0) in what they hope will be another dramatic upset of a Big XII foe.

On the other side of the ball, the Longhorns overcame a 24-10 deficit at halftime by scoring 14 unanswered points, but couldn't stop the Jayhawks from putting together one last offensive drive that landed them in field goal range with seconds left on the clock. David Ash had his fair share of struggles on the day, completing 48% of his 27 passes for 242 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also scored a touchdown on the ground, and lost a fumble. His go-to man was sophomore Cayleb Jones, who had four catches for 73 yards, while receiving leader Raishaun Blanco at tight end was limited to just one reception for three yards on the day. On the ground, Joe Bergeron rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown off 19 carries, and backup runningback Jonathan Grey added 51 yards and a score off nine carries. Texas' defense recorded three sacks and forced a turnover, but also allowed 409 yards of total offense, and a season-high 34 points to a team that ranked 108th coming into the game with a pitiful average of 20.5 points per game.

After suffering their second loss of the season to an unranked opponent and plummeting thirteen spots to #23 in the latest polls, the Longhorns return home from a three-game road stretch next week to host the Kansas State Wildcats (1-3, 0-2). Texas has not played at home since losing to Florida State 27-17 in week two, and are hoping for better fortune this time around. This will be the fourth straight game for Kansas State facing a ranked team, and might be their fourth straight loss if the Longhorns have anything to say about it. The Wildcats have just one win on the season, a 42-24 decision over winless UTSA (0-4, 0-0) in their season opener, but their punishing ground game led by the three-headed attack of runningbacks DeMarcus Robinson and Jarvis Leverett as well as junior QB Tavarius Bender ranks 7th nationally with an average of 255 rushing yards per game.

#10 Texas Longhorns at Kansas Jayhawks
Oct 4, 2014	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#10 Texas Longhorns (3-2, 1-2)	10	0	7	14	31
Kansas Jayhawks (2-3, 1-3)	7	17	0	10	34

Team Stats Comparison
	TEX	KU
Total Offense	406	409
Rushing Yards	164	170
Passing Yards	242	239
First Downs	19	23
Punt Return Yards	26	17
Kick Return Yards	131	89
Total Yards	563	515
Turnovers	2	1
3rd Down Converstion	5-12 (41%)	3-11 (27%)
4th Down Conversion	1-1 (100%)	1-1 (100%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	5-4-1 (100%)	2-2-0 (100%)
Penalties	9-75	5-50
Posession Time	27:49	32:11

[St. Francisco]

WEEK SEVEN


.....


KANSAS ST. WILDCATS (1-3, 0-2)
VS.
#23 TEXAS LONGHORNS (3-2, 1-2)


LONGHORNS RETURN TO FORM VS. KANSAS STATE
TEXAS CONTROLLED THE BALL FOR AN UNBELIEVABLE 40 MINUTES IN THEIR 38-10 VICTORY

One week after suffering one of their worst upsets in recent memory, Texas returned to form at home with a beatdown of the Wildcats, who are still winless inside the conference. The Longhorns controlled the clock for an impressive 40 minutes, racking up 538 total offensive yards and five touchdowns with no costly turnovers. Leading the charge was their punishing ground game, which accounted for 64 plays, 373 yards, and three touchdowns. Joe Bergeron led the charge with 160 yards and a score off 23 carries, backup Jonathan Gray carried the ball 20 times for 128 yards, and sophomore fullback Luke O'Neal had 15 yards and a score off three carries. With 856 yards and five touchdowns through six games, Bergeron currently leads the Big XII in rushing yards, and is 3rd nationally. Through the air, David Ash was efficient in his limited throws, completing 11 of 18 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 50 yards off 12 carries. As for the defense, the Longhorns recorded four sacks, forced one turnover, limited the Wildcats to 222 total offensive yards, and allowed just two successful conversions on eleven 3rd down attempts. But the win came with a bit of bad news as the team lost starting right tackle Shelton Fisher with a torn bicep. Fisher will miss the remainder of the regular season, but could return in the postseason. Taking his place in the starting lineup will be sophomore Camrhon Hughes. Next week, it's the date that Texas and Oklahoma circled in their calendars on January 1st as the 2014 Red River Rivalry gets underway in Dallas. Stay tuned for our full preview of the biggest game on the schedule.

Kansas State Wildcats at #23 Texas Longhorns
Oct 11, 2014	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Kansas State Wildcats (1-4, 0-3)	7	0	3	0	10
#23 Texas Longhorns (4-2, 2-2)	7	17	14	0	38

Team Stats Comparison
	KSU	TEX
Total Offense	222	538
Rushing Yards	149	373
Passing Yards	73	165
First Downs	10	30
Punt Return Yards	15	21
Kick Return Yards	102	18
Total Yards	339	577
Turnovers	1	0
3rd Down Converstion	2-11 (18%)	11-16 (68%)
4th Down Conversion	1-1 (100%)	0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1-1-0 (100%)	7-5-1 (85%)
Penalties	7-44	5-57
Posession Time	19:54	40:06

[St. Francisco]

LONGHORNS ADD FIRST NINE RECRUITS OF THE 2014 SEASON
It's been a slow year for Texas as far as recruiting is concerned this season, but after inviting nearly all of their sixteen targets to watch the team demolish Kansas State in Austin, the Longhorns landed nine commitments. First up at wide receiver, the team added four-star prospects Paul Ellis of Conway, Florida, and Jason Mayes of Hershey, PA as the only offensive recruits to commit to the team so far. The Longhorns have a wealth of talent at the position, but will be graduating three of their seven wide receivers at the end of the season. Unfortunately for the team's newest recruits, three of the remaining four players are freshmen, which does not body well for chances at early playing time. Still, Ellis and Mayes are both talented prospects, and will certainly find themselves near the top of the pecking order in their later years. Defensively, the Longhorns landed seven commitments this week. At defensive end, four-star prospect Chris Goolsby of Highland Park, Texas has joined the team. Goolsby is ranked as the third best defensive end in this recruiting class, but with a wealth of young talent at the position, he will almost certainly redshirt in 2015 before finding his way into the starting lineup by year three or four. At linebacker, three-star prospects Lance Austin of Shenandoah, Louisiana and Blake Russell of University Park, TX have joined the Longhorns, but will likely spend the majority of their collegiate careers adding depth to the position near the bottom of the depth chart.

The biggest name to commit was five-star prospect Josh Harvey of Owasso, Oklahoma, who is ranked as the 2nd best recruit in the nation behind runningback Will Lamb, who commited to Georgia. Harvey's blend of speed, and talent in both man and zone coverage made him a coveted recruit for many teams, but the Longhorns beat out suitors like USC, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and South Carolina for his services. Texas is a young team at the position, so Owasso will probably start near the bottom of the depth chart and redshirt in his first year, but there's little doubt that he'll rise to the top rather quickly and become a key cog of the Longhorns defense. Finally, the team added three recruits at safety in four-star prospects Anthony Weeks of Niles, OH, Brad Lee of Convington, Tennessee, and three-star prospect Lamar Fuller of College Station, Texas. Freshmen Chris Fogle and Willie Singletary are the heirs apparent for the starting jobs that will be vacated at the end of this season by seniors Josh Turner and Sheroid Evans, but the depth behind them is nearly non-existant. Weeks and Lee will occupy the backup jobs, and will look to take over in three or four years, while Fuller will provide depth.

[St. Francisco]

[St. Francisco]

WEEK EIGHT


....


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

When it comes to college football rivalries, it doesn't get much better than Texas vs. Oklahoma. Played annually in the crossroads of Dallas, Texas, orange and red pack the seats to witness sixty minutes of gridiron war. This year, fans were treated to yet another exciting installment in the Red River Rivalry, as the Longhorns came from behind to take down unranked Oklahoma in overtime behind an opportunistic defense, and an unstoppable rushing attack.

Despite trailing for the majority of the final three quarters, #20 Texas found a way to save their conference title hopes in the end. Senior QB David Ash continued to struggle with his accuracy, completing just 18 of 35 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown, but he didn't throw a single interception. Leading the receiving corps was tight end Raishaun Blanco, who had nine catches for 71 yards, while senior Miles Onyegbule caught five balls for 80 yards. Naturally, the majority of the offense's success came on the ground, where star runningback Joe Bergeron rushed for a season-high 183 yards and three touchdowns off 31 carries, averaging 5.9 yards per touch, while backup Jonathan Gray added 45 yards off nine carries. The Longhorns put up over 400 total offensive yards, and managed 31 points in five redzone trips, but did struggle with a 33% conversion percentage on 3rd downs. Fortunately, they converted all four of their 4th down attempts to keep some of those drives alive. As for the defense, Texas allowed 454 total offensive yards and tied their season-high by allowing 34 points, but they also recorded three crucial turnovers. Senior Tevin Jackson (OLB) led the charge with six tackles and two picks, including one interception in overtime that sealed Oklahoma's fate.

As for the Sooners, senior QB Blake Bell completed 61% of his 42 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns, but also threw two costly interceptions that turned the tide of the game in the end. Bell also led the rushing effort with 64 yards off 15 carries. His go-to man through the air was junior Trey Metoyer, who had a team-high 12 catches for 151 yards. Junior tight end John Philip Hughes also had a big day with six receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns, while senior Lacolton Bester caught six balls for 54 yards and a score. Oklahoma's defense recorded one sack and forced a fumble, but couldn't bottle up Texas' punishing ground game. With four losses on the season, the Sooners will look to right the ship next week when they play host to San Jose State (3-2, 1-1) before taking a bye week.

Next week, the Longhorns will look for their first three-game winning streak of the season when they travel west to take on Texas Tech (2-4, 0-4) in what is a must-win game if Texas hopes to remain in the Big XII title chase. Losers in four of their last five games, and all of them by double digits, the Red Raiders are winless inside the conference this season. The blame for that can be pinned on an underachieving offense than ranks 107th in points per game (21.5), 90th in total offense (366), and 115th with a turnover differential of -8.

Oklahoma Sooners at #20 Texas Longhorns
Oct 18, 2014	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
Oklahoma Sooners (3-4, 2-4)	0	17	10	7	0	34
#20 Texas Longhorns (5-2, 3-2)	3	10	7	14	3	37

Team Stats Comparison
	OKLA	TEX
Total Offense	454	410
Rushing Yards	103	237
Passing Yards	351	173
First Downs	26	24
Punt Return Yards	13	6
Kick Return Yards	96	144
Total Yards	563	560
Turnovers	3	1
3rd Down Converstion	5-10 (50%)	6-18 (33%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0 (0%)	4-4 (100%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	6-3-2 (83%)	5-4-1 (100%)
Penalties	10-75	9-132
Posession Time	27:18	32:42

[St. Francisco]

Fun fact: Through the first seven games of the season, Texas' offensive line has allowed just eight sacks, ranking them 7th in the nation. A feat that is made even more impressive by the fact that the team has just one senior starting on the o-line.

[St. Francisco]

AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK EIGHT-

[St. Francisco]

ASHLEY, KINIRY HEADLINE WEEK NINE COMMITMENTS FOR LONGHORNS
After bringing in a host of commitments last week, Texas added four more in week nine, included two five-star prospects. First up is five-star prospect Travis Ashley, a middle linebacker out of Sweetwater, Tennessee who is ranked as the top linebacker in this recruiting class, and the #10 recruit overall. Ashley chose the Longhorns over SEC powerhouse schools Alabama and Georgia. With seniors Steve Edmond and Aaron Benson departing the team at the end of this season, Ashley will get a chance to come in as a true freshman and compete for the starting job alongside freshman Joey Whaley, who will be the only middle linebacker with any experience on the roster. The Longhorns also landed five-star athlete prospect Freddy Kiniry of Zachary, LA, who is ranked as the 12th best recruit in this class, and the top recruit coming out of Louisiana. Kiniry's skill set will most likely land him on the offensive side of the ball, either at runningback or wide receiver. And with three recruits already committed at wide receiver, runningback is the most likely destination. Texas also grabbed a commitment from four-star prospect Michael Harvey of Lakewood, Washington, who is now the third wide receiver to commit to the team this season. Four-star prospect Melvin Johnson of Colby, KS is also on board, and stands a good chance at competing for the second starting spot at defensive tackle as a true freshman next season.

[St. Francisco]

WEEK NINE
-RIVALRY GAME-





#18 TEXAS LONGHORNS (5-2, 3-2)
VS.
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS (2-4, 0-4)


GRAY SAVES THE DAY IN 31-17 ROAD WIN
JONATHAN GRAY RUSHED FOR 174 YARDS AND 2 TDS TO PROPEL TEXAS TO VICTORY

Tied at 17 midway through the fourth quarter, the Longhorns seemed bound and determined to lose their third game of the season. But backup runningback Jonathan Gray would have none of that, scoring 14 unanswered points on the ground in the last seven minutes to put Texas permanently ahead in their crucial 31-17 victory over Texas Tech to stay in the conference title race. Senior runningback Joe Bergeron only carried the ball three times for 17 yards before leaving the game with a sprained ankle, an injury that coaches say will not keep him out of next week's action. But he did miss the remainder of this contest, and Gray did not disappoint in his relief role, rushing for 174 yards and two scores off 30 carries for an average of 5.8 yards per touch. David Ash was less impressive, completing 18 of 35 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns, but also throwing two interceptions that kept the Red Raiders in the game until the very end. Leading the effort in the receiving corps was senior Miles Onyegbule, who had five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Longhorns recorded five sacks, forced three turnovers, and limited Texas Tech to just 76 rushing yards all day. Now 0-5 inside the conference, the Red Raiders will stay at home next week to host Memphis (3-4, 2-2) before diving back into their Big XII schedule with games against West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma to end the season. As for the Longhorns, they are now tied for the lead in the Big XII west after TCU and Baylor both lost in week nine. In their next game they will play host to the Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-3, 1-3), who average just 104 rushing yards per game and have a turnover differential of -9, but offset that with their 8th ranked passing attack and 14th ranked defense. The Cowboys opened their season with a 52-24 win over Kansas, but have not beat an opponent with a winning record since then.

#18 Texas Longhorns at Texas Tech Red Raiders
Oct 25, 2014	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#18 Texas Longhorns (6-2, 4-2)	7	0	10	14	31
Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-5, 0-5)	0	10	0	7	17

Team Stats Comparison
	TEX	TTU
Total Offense	425	365
Rushing Yards	208	76
Passing Yards	217	289
First Downs	25	15
Punt Return Yards	0	9
Kick Return Yards	65	109
Total Yards	490	483
Turnovers	3	3
3rd Down Converstion	9-17 (52%)	4-12 (33%)
4th Down Conversion	1-2 (50%)	0-3 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	6-4-1 (83%)	2-1-0 (50%)
Penalties	5-35	11-75
Posession Time	36:07	23:53