Star-Telegram.com: College Sports

Texas faces tumultuous road to stay No. 1

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:45 CDT

JIMMY BURCH

For the Texas Longhorns, the easy part is over.

They’ve gone from under-the-radar to top of the mountain in the college football world, thanks to Sunday’s rise to No. 1 in the weekly polls.

Now, comes the hard part: staying there.

That might prove tougher than outlasting Oklahoma, last week’s No. 1 team, in Saturday’s emotional meat grinder that resulted in Texas’ 45-35 victory in the Red River Rivalry.

Moments after his Longhorns (6-0, 2-0 in Big 12) walked off the Cotton Bowl turf with an upset in hand, coach Mack Brown made it clear he was thrilled by what he’d seen in Dallas, but knew he needed to turn the page, emotionally, to what he called an "even bigger" matchup this week against No. 11 Missouri (5-1, 1-1).

Brown said the victory over Oklahoma "puts us in a different place and, now, we’re looking at a bigger goal."

Brown did not utter the phrase "national championship," but it was clearly implied. As it should be. The Longhorns, considered the fourth-best team in the Big 12 on most preseason ballots, have blown away those meager expectations during the first half of the season.

But unbridled success comes with a price: the target Texas will wear, from this day forward, as a frontrunner in the national title chase. The No. 1 ranking is a heavy burden and one that no Texas team has carried during the regular season since Oct. 13, 1984.

Although the Longhorns won the 2005 national championship, that team never earned a No. 1 ranking until knocking off top-ranked Southern California 41-38 in the Rose Bowl to claim the top spot in the postseason poll. Throughout the summer and into last week, current Longhorns rallied around their underdog status and cited it as a motivational tool.

They’ll need something else to stoke the emotional embers, starting Saturday against Missouri (7 p.m. in Austin), because the nation’s top-ranked team cannot be viewed as an underdog. Not when it is outscoring opponents by an average margin of 47-15, as the Longhorns are doing, and featuring the nation’s most accurate passer, quarterback Colt McCoy (79.4 completion percentage).

Brown issued a statement Sunday that served, in part, as a warning to his players.

"Every week, we’re seeing teams learn the hard way that the only poll that matters, or lasts, is the final one. No one remembers who was No. 1 after six weeks last year," Brown said in his statement. "If we’re No. 1 in late January, it becomes a statement."

Bingo. That is why the next three weeks loom as the most dangerous of the season for the Longhorns. Not only is Texas coming off an emotionally draining victory over rival Oklahoma, it must follow by meeting a talented Missouri team in a must-win situation after the Tigers’ stunning 28-23 home loss to Oklahoma State.

That would be the same eighth-ranked Cowboys (6-0, 2-0) who visit Austin on Oct. 25, one week after Missouri. Texas follows that matchup with a Nov. 1 visit to No. 7 Texas Tech (6-0, 2-0).

For Orangebloods feeling starry-eyed in the wake of the OU upset, or players tempted to think they’ve cleared the season’s steepest hurdle on the road to the Big 12 title game, Brown offered a pointed rejoinder.

"Any more, the winner of this game doesn’t have an automatic bid to the conference championship game," Brown said of the Red River Rivalry. "This league’s too good. ... Even if you win, you’ve got to go back to work."

This week, the Longhorns will report to work with 39 of a possible 65 first-place votes in The Associated Press poll cast for them, rather than No. 2 Alabama (26 first-place votes). In the coaches poll, Texas received 44 first-place votes, well ahead of No. 2 Alabama (14) and No. 3 Penn State (3).

Brown, however, knows the recognition can be fleeting.

In his Sunday statement, he said: "Being ranked No. 1 shows respect for what we’ve accomplished through the early part of the season, but nobody really knows who is No. 1 at this point. Our team has just played well for six weeks and we know more about where we are today than we did last Sunday. But we have a long way to go and a lot of room to improve."

If the Longhorns do not continue improving, another team could be atop the polls next week. That’s why the hardest part of Texas’ journey during a potential mountaintop season — staying ahead of the pursuers — is just beginning, thanks to Saturday’s upset of Oklahoma.

Fate of UNT stadium is in student voters’ hands this week

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:15 CDT

By TROY PHILLIPS

DENTON — An 8 percent voter turnout during a 2006 student election at the University of North Texas is believed to be the university’s largest in decades. Starting today and going through Friday, that could change.

UNT students head to the polls either in person or online today. A referendum on the fall ballot asks them to approve or reject a proposed semester-hour athletic fee to help fund a new football stadium.

If a new fee leads to a new stadium, UNT officials believe their football program and other athletic programs will only thrive. If students vote down the fee, there’s fear that losing football could continue too long for the program to survive or remain viable.

Some answers to questions relevant to the referendum:

What will UNT students vote on this week?

Other than normal homecoming elections, students will vote on a proposed $10 per-semester hour athletic fee to help fund up to half of the cost of a proposed new football stadium. If approved, the fee would not be assessed until the stadium is built, likely no earlier than 2011. The fee would max out at $300 per year.

What fees do UNT students currently pay for athletics?

A portion of a $14 per-semester hour fee for "student services" funds the athletic department, which takes a fluctuating $3-$5 per hour from the student-services fee pool each year. If a new $10 fee is implemented, the student-services fee will fall from $14 to $11 per hour.

Why does UNT need a new stadium?

Fouts Field, the football team’s current stadium, is 56 years old, suffers from faulty plumbing and electrical systems, and is too old to be retrofitted for suitable handicapped accessibility. Drainage/plumbing under the stadium originating at the campus makes excavating cost-prohibitive and structurally untenable, officials say. Fouts lacks hospitality or meeting areas and has substandard locker rooms. Currently, 14,000 end-zone seats added in 1995 are too far from the field because of the track surface.

Why are students being asked to help pay for a new stadium?

Until 2003, student fees didn’t help fund a new athletic facility on UNT’s campus for more than 50 years. The Board of Regents-approved master plan, now almost five years old, calls for a new stadium on the south side of Interstate 35E to complete the athletic "footprint." Fouts’ current site is wanted for new academic, fine arts and parking facilities. With the students’ commitment, UNT officials say major donors, corporations and sponsors will be more easily convinced to help finance a bulk of the stadium’s cost.

What do opponents say about the proposed athletic fee?

While few, if any, are opposed to building a new stadium, they don’t want students paying for any of it. They cite rising tuition and other student financial hardships, a struggling football program that doesn’t deserve their money, and desire for investment in other departments or campus infrastructure. Student fees, however, can’t fund the latter two areas, as per state law.

How could a new stadium help UNT or its football program?

Fee opponents say this can’t be measured quantifiably or qualitatively, and is a flawed argument in support. The latter argues better football recruits will build a consistent winner, regional, state and/or national exposure, as well as increase game attendance and revenue. Intended or not, UNT’s reputation benefits from a more competitive football program, supporters say. Opponents argue football neither enhances nor detracts from the value of a UNT degree, so the student investment isn’t worth it.

What about other schools?

In the Sun Belt Conference, where UNT competes, eight schools have athletic-specific student fees. Six have general fees that send a portion to athletics. Fees are either per-hour or a flat rate each semester or year. Currently, only Troy, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe send less student-fee money to athletics than UNT ($45-$75 per full-time student each semester). Middle Tennessee charges a general fee of $59 per hour (maximum $699 per semester) to help offset debt on a recent stadium overhaul and other facilities.

Texas State (below Bowl Subdivision) and Lamar (no football program) have fees larger than UNT’s. Texas State students approved doubling the current $10 per-hour athletic fee over five years. Lamar students approved a new $8.75 per-hour fee to help revive football, last played at the university in 1989.

ONLINE: meangreensports.com

Junior linebacker making a name for himself at TCU

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:55 CDT

By MERCEDES MAYER

Senior Robert Henson likes to call junior Daryl Washington the future of linebacking at TCU.

The future is needed now as the Horned Frogs prepare to face No. 9 BYU on Thursday night with the inside track to the Mountain West Conference title on the line.

Washington had a breakout game just in time for the Cougars’ visit to Fort Worth.

Washington had a sack and two tackles for losses, a fumble recovery and an interception in TCU’s 13-7 road win against Colorado State on Saturday.

"TCU always has good linebackers, and Daryl is going to keep that going for us," Henson said. "He’s a smart player, athletic — he’s more athletic than me and Jason [Phillips], honestly."

The Frogs, ranked No. 24 in the USA Today poll, lead the country with 28 sacks, and 12 players have recorded at least one sack.

That will come in handy because BYU quarterback Max Hall has been sacked just twice this season.

Getting pressure on Hall and showing him different defensive looks will be a key for the Frogs.

"You have to [try to get to Hall], but not any more than any other game," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "And not at the expense of giving up long touchdown passes."

TCU had three sacks against SMU and four each against Oklahoma and San Diego State. All three are predominantly passing teams like BYU.

Looking ahead

BYU (6-0, 2-0 Mountain West Conference) has won 16 consecutive games, the nation’s longest winning streak. The Cougars also will be the highest-ranked opponent to play at Amon G. Carter Stadium since TCU lost to No. 3 Texas A&M 59-3 in the 1993 regular-season finale.

Oklahoma, ranked No. 2 at the time, is the only other ranked opponent TCU (6-1, 3-0) has played this season. Gary Patterson hopes his team learned a few lessons from the 35-10 loss to the Sooners.

"It allowed us to understand the speed we have to have to play with a team with the ability of BYU," Patterson said.

Room to improve

Scoring. Saturday’s 13-7 win over the Rams was TCU’s first victory without at least 20 points since it beat Texas Tech 12-3 in 2006.

The Frogs had lost five in a row since that win when scoring less than 20. Until Saturday, TCU had at least 26 points in each of its wins this season.

"You’ve got to score points," Gary Patterson said. "This group [BYU] scores 37 points a game, so we’ve got to score points."

Injury update

TCU quarterback Andy Dalton (right knee) practiced Sunday night. Gary Patterson said he’ll see how Dalton progresses this week to determine whether he’ll start — or even play — but "right now he’s looking better."

Oklahoma weighing options at middle linebacker

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:55 CDT

By MIKE JONES

Oklahoma was exploring several options Sunday to compensate for the loss of middle linebacker and leading tackler Ryan Reynolds because of a season-ending knee injury suffered against Texas, coach Bob Stoops said.

The most likely is to move weakside backup Austin Box to the middle. Another would be to move starter Travis Lewis inside and elevate Box, but Stoops said Lewis is playing too well for that.

"Shoot, Travis had [19] tackles [against Texas], so [moving Box] is likely what we will do," Stoops said.

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said Brandon Crow, who replaced Reynolds four minutes into the third quarter Saturday, and seldom-used transfer Mike Balogun are in the picture as he tries to solidify a 2-deep at both positions.

Box was penciled in as the weakside starter before a minor August knee injury opened the door for Lewis. Venables said Box (a 6-foot-2, 220-pound redshirt freshman) should be able to make the move.

"If someone can do it, I would say he can," Venables said. "Someone is going to do it and be ready to play [Saturday against Kansas]."

The Sooners (5-1, 1-1) remained in the top 10 on Sunday in both polls (No. 4 AP, No. 6 USA Today). Stoops said many possibilities remain.

"In the end, it’s always disappointing to invest so much and end up losing [to Texas]," he said. "But everyone realized after watching everyone else play that it isn’t that easy to go undefeated.

"There is half a season left and a lot of good teams out there. Chances are everyone else could have the same thing happen to them. Heck, the national champion last year [LSU] had two losses. There is a lot of football left."

No. 16 Kansas at No. 4 Oklahoma 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Norman, Okla.

TV: WFAA/8

Radio: KKGM/1630 AM

Records: Kansas 5-1, 2-0

Big 12; Oklahoma 5-1, 1-1

Running game still important aspect to winning

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:45 CDT

trae Thompson

If you want to survive, you’d better have balance.

This weekend served as a reminder again that while passing might be pretty, you’d better be able to run the ball if you hope to be successful.

Texas had an equal number of rushing and passing attempts (35) against Oklahoma, and exposed the Sooners as highly one-dimensional, holding them to 48 yards rushing in a 45-35 victory.

The day’s other notable games further proved this point: In Oklahoma State’s 28-23 upset of No. 3 Missouri, the Cowboys outrushed the Tigers 187-64, led by running back Kendall Hunter’s 154 yards and one touchdown. Florida also held LSU’s Charles Scott to 35 yards rushing and outgained the Tigers 265-80 on the ground in a 51-21 victory at the Swamp.

"We knew they wanted to come in and play physical," Gators defensive tackle Lawrence Marsh said. "They have a couple of good running backs and a strong offensive line, but our gameplan was to stuff the run and we stuck with it. We focused on penetration and getting off blocks, and that disrupted their running plays."

Kansas had struggled with the run, but that’s changed with the emergence of Jake Sharp, who had a career-high 31 carries for 118 yards in the Jayhawks’ 30-14 win against Colorado.

"The more carries I get, the more confidence I get," Sharp said. "Confidence and rhythm is everything. It gives me the confidence that we, as an offense collectively, can run the ball, and we can pound it when we need to or run around the outside."

Growing up

If you’re a Notre Dame fan, you have to be encouraged with the gradual improvement this year. But the Fighting Irish (4-2) are still maturing, as they showed in a 29-24 loss at North Carolina.

"They are starting to get it," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. "This is not the same team that everyone saw at the beginning of the year. This team is starting to get it."

Commodores fall

Vanderbilt (5-1) stumbled this weekend with a 17-14 loss at Mississippi State (2-4).

"We played well at times. We did not play well enough to win the game," said linebacker Patrick Benoist, a Southlake Carroll graduate. "We did not underestimate Mississippi State. They just played hard."

In the mix?

Big 12 quarterbacks might be the favorite for the Heisman Trophy, but you might have to factor Michigan State running back Javon Ringer, who continues to put up big numbers, finishing with 124 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-20 victory against Northwestern.

Construction project

It can’t be easy to be a Michigan fan right now. The Wolverines lost to Toledo at home 13-10, and are now 2-4.

Weekend of college football offers plenty of lessons

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:45 CDT

Three things we learned

1Florida quarterback Tim Tebow plays quite well when motivated, finishing with 210 yards passing and two touchdowns in a 51-21 win over LSU.

2Wake Forest might be right in the thick of the ACC race, but will fall short if the offense only manages 12 points like it did in Thursday’s 12-7 win against Clemson.

3Things are looking up for Minnesota, which became bowl-eligible with a 27-20 win over Illinois and is now 6-1.

Three things to watch

1TCU plays host to BYU on Thursday, and the Horned Frogs’ secondary will have to contain a Cougars passing attack that averages a little more than 320 yards per game.

2Will Oklahoma, which rushed for 48 yards against Texas, make any major changes in its running game?

3Can Texas’ defense replicate its performance against Oklahoma this week when Chase Daniel and Missouri come to town on Saturday?

Big 12 trends are starting to come to the surface

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:45 CDT

Key number

862Rushing yards by Oklahoma State RB Kendall Hunter, more than the total for five Big 12 teams: Texas Tech (859), Nebraska (812), Iowa State (791), Texas A&M (754) and Kansas (744).

Moving up

South Division contenders

At the midpoint of the season, the league’s only remaining undefeated teams are

No. 1 Texas (6-0, 2-0), No. 7 Texas Tech (6-0, 2-0) and No. 8 Oklahoma State (6-0, 2-0).

Moving down

Mizzou’s dream season

The Tigers (5-1, 1-1) cannot afford another loss if they want to remain in the national-title hunt, which makes Saturday’s game at top-ranked Texas a must-win proposition.

Key games

No. 11 Missouri at No. 1 Texas. A clash of quarterbacks with Heisman Trophy credentials earns a prime-time ABC telecast.

No. 16 Kansas at No. 4 Oklahoma. The Sooners seek to rebound from their Red River Rivalry loss against the North Division leader.

No. 7 Texas Tech at Texas A&M. The Red Raiders can post their first 7-0 record since 1976, when Tech started 8-0 and finished 10-2.

Texas Longhorns No. 1 in both polls

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:23 CDT

Texas Longhorns put the top down with upset of Oklahoma Sooners

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:45 CDT

By JIMMY BURCH

DALLAS — Conventional football wisdom suggested Texas’ best chance to upset top-ranked Oklahoma rested Saturday on the schemes and shoulders of first-year defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.

Instead, the fifth-ranked Longhorns turned conventional thinking upside down. They chose to match the high-scoring Sooners offense haymaker for haymaker in the Cotton Bowl and could be the new No. 1 team in today’s college football polls as a result.

Led by quarterback Colt McCoy, who threw for 277 yards and, unlike Oklahoma counterpart Sam Bradford, didn’t have a turnover, the Longhorns upset the Sooners 45-35 to remain in control of their destination in both the Big 12 race and the national title chase.

Texas (6-0, 2-0 in Big 12) is a co-leader in the South Division standings, one game ahead of Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1), because the Longhorns’ offense scored on eight of its first 11 possessions against an OU squad that ranked 11th nationally, and tops among Big 12 schools, in total defense. Unveiling some fresh offensive wrinkles, most notably a set with three receivers to one side of the field and a lone wideout to the other, McCoy repeatedly connected with seniors Jordan Shipley (11 catches, 112 yards) and Quan Cosby (nine catches, 122 yards) to keep the chains moving.

Eventually, that created running room for tailback Chris Ogbonnaya, who gained 80 of his career-high 127 rushing yards in the fourth quarter, when Texas turned a 35-30 deficit into a 45-35 cushion with touchdown drives of 74 and 80 yards.

Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis said the seeds for his team’s pedal-to-the-metal game plan were planted in a Monday meeting, when coaches decided they needed to embrace the possibility of a shootout.

"In this league, you look around at the number of quarterbacks that can light you up. You’d better not go into a ballgame thinking you’re going to win it 17-14," Davis said. "We felt ... that, if we did not do something a little bit different, we would not be in position to be in a shootout."

So Texas turned to the four-receiver alignment, which the Longhorns had not used previously, and — in Davis’ words — "put the game in Colt’s hands." McCoy delivered, especially on four consecutive scoring drives that followed the departure of Oklahoma linebacker Ryan Reynolds, who suffered a season-ending knee injury with 11:18 left in the third quarter.

When Reynolds departed, OU led 28-20 and Texas was moving the ball. The ’Horns went 89 yards on that touchdown march, followed by subsequent scoring drives of 42, 74 and 80 yards. The final drive of that sequence, which boosted the lead to 45-35, included a 62-yard run by Ogbonnaya that Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables called "a back breaker."

"Three straight drives, they worked us," Venables said. "And the big plays killed us. I thought all of our guys played really hard. Texas just played better."

In the process, the Longhorns rallied twice from 11-point deficits and outscored the Sooners 15-0 in the final 7:37. Cody Johnson, Texas’ 255-pound goal-line back, capped fourth-quarter drives with two of his three touchdowns.

The go-ahead score, a 1-yarder, followed a 37-yard strike from McCoy to Shipley and was accompanied by a juggling, 2-point conversion grab by Cosby. Johnson’s final TD followed Ogbonnaya’s 62-yard burst, giving Texas its largest lead and inspiring a defense that admittedly needed a boost because it surrendered 389 passing yards and five TD passes to Bradford.

"Seeing Colt and the offense as excited as they were, that just sparked us," said Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle, who had a sack and a tackle on consecutive plays to snuff out the Sooners’ last meaningful drive with 2:31 remaining. "We usually give them the momentum. It was different this game."

But it worked, with some help from the Sooners. Oklahoma failed on a fake punt and threw two interceptions, both picked by Texas freshman safety Earl Thomas. Afterward, OU coach Bob Stoops admitted he second-guessed some of his game-management decisions but said Texas "did a better job down the stretch, when they had to."

Texas coach Mack Brown said the Longhorns’ victory answered questions for more than national pollsters.

"Everyone has questioned this team, including me," Brown said. "I don’t know how good we are. But you can win a lot of sporting events when you play together, like a team. We did that. And if we don’t keep playing like a team, we will lose."

But that did not happen Saturday, when Texas threw conventional wisdom out the window en route to a victory in the Cotton Bowl.

Feisty, ornery Colt McCoy proved he can win these big games

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:46 CDT

By JENNIFER FLOYD ENGEL

DALLAS — Shocking was how everybody described Saturday’s developments at the Cotton Bowl.

And frankly, watching No. 5 Texas come back, again and again, before finally disposing of No. 1 Oklahoma in a 45-35 victory was a little stunning. What it wasn’t was the most stunning development of the day, considering:

1. Mack Brown out-Stooped Bob Stoops, including a fiery Tomahawk Chop-looking celebration after Texas stopped a fake punt and by calling a gutsier game.

2. The Cotton Bowl actually looks pretty good, and ...

3. It turns out Longhorns offensive coordinator Greg Davis is not an idiot after all. He also hated his conservative game plans of Red River Rivalries past. I know, right? Who knew he agreed with all of his angry Longhorns detractors?

"Colt’s in a different place," Davis said, by way of explanation for why he went Air Greg on Oklahoma.

And Texas QB Colt McCoy certainly has the feel of a guy who is nothing like he was a year ago. He looks bigger and stronger, for starters, like a real football player, not a kid. His face still screams "card me" at R-rated movies, though. His play also has evolved, patient and assured. He plays confidently, as if he knows that this is his team and it’s in good hands.

Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford entered Saturday’s game with the Heisman hype and status as The Best QB In The Big 12. And he actually had himself one heck of a game, passing for 387 yards and five touchdowns. Former Cowboys GM Gil Brandt has been watching football for a long, long time and noted, in his memory, he had never seen two college QBs playing at this level in any game.

Colt was just a little better and, by being so, has to surpassed Bradford as the Heisman front-runner alongside Mizzou’s Chase Daniel, as well as putting the national championship on the table as a real possibility.

So does Colt feel different?

"Do I?" he asked. "I have to feel different, being a leader on this team on offense. We’re down, three-and-out, three-and-out, they look to somebody. They’re looking at me."

What they found staring back at them a year ago was a kid who was getting beat up physically and a little mentally. He became frustrated at times, trying to do too much, hanging in too long in an attempt to do big. And questions followed, dogging him this off-season.

Did Mack choose the right QB?

Was this kid special?

Can they win with him?

A weaker kid crumbles under this pressure. Not Colt. And you almost admire him more for being knocked down and getting back up, like a QB throwing for a game-winning touchdown after a day loaded with sacks and interceptions. He has proven himself to be much tougher than people thought and thereby a much more formidable opponent.

"Nobody has ever questioned Colt in our building," Mack said. "He obviously has gotten better and better and better. We always felt like he could be really good."

What he showed Saturday was special potential. Dare I say, Vince potential?

He had help, of course, from his BFF Jordan Shipley, who hauled in everything in his vicinity as well as chipping in a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. And this Longhorns defense also looks to be as-good-as-advertised under Will Muschamp, who looks a lot like a younger Mike Leach. And certainly Davis helped by not using his "scared game plan" that he usually brings to Dallas with him.

Colt was the difference, though.