Horns Illustrated

Tyrone Swoopes played a key role in the win against Baylor.

DECEMBER 2015

CONTENTS FEATURES

UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOOTBALL

The Texas football team ended the 2015 season earlier than most expected. The Longhorns missed postseason play for the ďŹ rst time since 2010 after accumulating the highest number of losses since 1997. With all that said, the team still ended the campaign on a high note, defeating Baylor in the ďŹ nal game of the season. Senior editor Steve Habel recaps the ďŹ nal three games, highlighting where fans can expect to see improvement in 2016.

TAKING THE LEAD MEN’S BASKETBALL

This basketball season, fans will see the same cast playing on the Erwin Center oor — with the exception of a new leading man. In his ďŹ rst season as the Longhorns’ head coach, Shaka Smart looks to bring together a group of veteran players and a trio of freshmen under his wing, all while facing the pressure to produce a winning season. Will everything come together in time for conference play?

ALL FOR ONE GOAL WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The 2014 season was one ďŹ lled with accomplishment and disappointment. After making its deepest tournament run in 11 years, the women’s basketball team lost to soon-to-be champion UConn. This season, the Longhorns are ready to take the next step, past the Sweet 16 and hopefully into the national title game. With the majority of its starters returning, along with a mix of talented freshmen, Texas is ready to win — and reach its ultimate goal of bringing home a national title.

LEADING OFF

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

ROUNDUP

SPIRIT OF THE MONTH - Orange Jackets

MEDIA VOICES

THE HABE ON THE HORNS

IN SEASON - Soccer

FINAL SCORE

COVER PHOTO: PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS

4 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. OF TEXAS

DEPARTMENTS

COVERING UT SPORTS SINCE 1994 AUSTIN CORPORATE OFFICE: 512-626-8513 SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1-855-246-7677 E-MAIL: INFO@HORNSILLUSTRATED.COM

WEBSITE: WWW.HORNSILLUSTRATED.COM FACEBOOK: facebook.com/hornsillustrated TWITTER: @Hornsillus INSTAGRAM: horns_illustrated ADVISORY BOARD RICK G ROSS — TEX AN ME DIA TOM BUCK LEY — UT F ACULTY STEW ART RAMSER — RAMSE R M E DIA PUBLISHER J AMES SCHLEICHER ART & DESIGN DIRECTOR J OHN ANTON SISBREÑO LE AH ALISE R OPEN-LOOK BUSINESS SOLUTIONS MANAGING EDITOR CARISSA J EANSONNE (UT-AUSTIN, BA ’10) SENIOR EDITOR STEV E HABEL SECTION EDITOR TAY LOR G RAF F T CONTRIBUTORS STEPHEN W HITAK ER STEV E LANSDALE SARA BETH PURDY BLANCH E SCH AE FE R PHOTOGRAPHERS DON BENDER J ESSE DR OH E N COPY EDITORS DACIA RIV ERS RY AN BR IDGE S HABEAB K URDI ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR LISA REILEY (UT-AUSTIN, B FA ’97) ADVERTISING DIRECTORS RANDY MALTZ (UT-AUSTIN, BA ’91) RANDY @HORNSILLUSTRATE D.COM KELLY WONDERLIN K ELLY @HORNSILLUSTRATE D.COM TECHNICAL DIRECTOR DIGITAL MARKETING & SALES TERRY MIDDLETON SUBSCRIPTIONS DIRECTOR K ELLY W ONDERLIN INF O@HORNSILLUSTRATED.COM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ERIC SORENSEN REGIONAL DIRECTORS S OUTH C ENTRAL TE X AS SAN ANTONIO: J OHNNY WALKE R (UT-AUSTIN, BA ’ 98) S OUTH EAS T TE XAS HOUSTON: BRANDON ASSUNCAO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: ALLY SON WATSON MAILING AD D RE S S P. O. BOX 50069 AUSTIN, TX 78763 COPYRIGHT© 2015 BY TEXAN MEDIA, L.L.C. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR PART IS PROHIBITED. HORNS ILLUSTRATED IS NOT AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.

6 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 7

8 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

ALL PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: PATRICK M EREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS

LEADING

OFF

Texas volleyball defeated Kansas State 3-1 (31-33, 25-12, 25-19, 25-12) on Nov. 21 in its last regular-season home match. The victory clinched at least a share of Texas’ fifth-straight Big 12 Conference title. With the win, the Longhorns have either won or shared nine Big 12 titles and 22 conference championships in program history. Senior Amy Neal and junior Chiaka Ogbogu led Texas with 18 kills each, a career-high mark for Ogbogu on a .643 hitting percentage. Neal also contributed a seasonhigh 15 digs for the Longhorns for her eighth double-double of the season. As a team, the Longhorns hit .386 for their second-highest mark of the season and highest in conference play.

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 9

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 11

PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. OF TEXAS

DECEMBER 2015

ROUNDUP TIPPING POINT: Junior Brianna Taylor scored a team-high 16 points to lead Texas to a 79-52 victory over Hampton on Thanksgiving Eve at the Frank Erwin Center. Coming off a career-best game against Rice, Taylor scored 16 points on a 6-for-9 shooting effort from the field. Even more impressive, senior Imani Boyette’s 13 points pushed her career total over the 1,000 mark. She also totaled a game-high eight rebounds, two steals and three blocks. Boyette became the 38th player in Texas’ decorated history to reach the 1,000-point milestone, giving her 1,009 for her career. Texas shot 47.7 percent (31-of-65) on the night while holding Hampton to 35 percent (21-of-60) from the field and scoreless from behind the arc. Texas outrebounded the Lady Pirates 47-34.

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 13

OVERCOMING SHAKA'S FIRST THE GREAT WALL

T

A ROLE MODEL TO LOOK UP TO: The team met with NBA legend Yao Ming while in Shanghai. 14 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

BETH ANY W AL TER/UNIV. OF TEXAS

HE LONGHORNS TIPPED off for the season opener against the Washington Huskies in Shanghai, China, this November. While this was a historic game for college basketball, it’s one Texas would like to forget. Although Texas was an 11-point favorite heading into the contest, the Huskies upset the Longhorns 77-71. Junior Isaiah Taylor led the team with 27 points, but the other 10 players scored fewer than seven points each. Overall, the team knocked down only 19 of its 73 field goal attempts and two of its 15 3-point attempts. Texas wasn’t alone in its struggles. Washington knocked down only 25 of its 72 field goal attempts and three of their 20 3-point attempts. The two teams’ stats were almost identical — no one could get a good shot off. Members of the media who attended the game in Shanghai said the arena was set up strangely and depth perception was an issue. Coach Shaka Smart said the depth-perception excuse is just that — an excuse. Another complaint Smart heard was about the rims. Smart said both teams shot badly, but regardless, he expected more from his team. “I would rate our performance a two out of 10,” Smart said. “The last thing we want to do is allow one game to define how we feel about our team.” While the trip to China was clouded by the loss, the team still enjoyed its time there. None of the players or coaches had been to China before. They spent some time sightseeing, going to McDonald’s and meeting former NBA player Yao Ming.

SENIOR GUARD JAVAN Felix had two open looks from beyond the arc with time running down to take the lead against Washington. Both shots, however, clanked off the rim, earning the Longhorns a 77-71 loss in the season opener. But his first two shots of Texas’ home opener ended differently. Felix drilled a 3-pointer to give Texas a lead over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi after trailing 10-8 in the early minutes. Minutes later, Felix again drained a shot from deep, giving the Longhorns a 14-10 lead and sparking the offense to a 67-56 win—Shaka Smart’s first victory as the Longhorns’ head coach. Felix finished the night with 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting and received the game ball from Smart. He immediately gave the ball back to Smart before the rest of the team mobbed the coach. “This is something he’ll remember, the team will remember and the university will remember,” senior forward Connor Lammert said.

DIVE MASTERS

HE TEXAS DIVERS wrapped up the UT Diving Invitational with three wins over a three-day period. The men captured two wins, while the women placed at least two athletes in the top 10 each day. The men jumped right in on the first day of competition with the 1-meter event. Senior Cory Bowersox placed second and junior Sean O’Brien took third. The Longhorns then filled three of the top four places in the men’s 3-meter event the following day. Junior Mark Anderson won with a score of 458.15. Bowersox came in second and O’Brien took fourth. O’Brien earned heavy applause from spectators and judges for his perfect-10 score from one judge on his back twoand-a-half somersault. Anderson won the platform event on the final day of competition with 451.95 points. Diving coach Matt Scoggin said the team’s performances reflect months of meticulous practice. The Longhorn women saw their share of victories as well. Senior Meghan Houston won the 1-meter event and freshman Meghan O’Brien took fifth place. Houston trailed California freshman Phoebe Lamay for most of the finals but pulled away with her fifth dive, a reverse one-anda-half somersault. “I knew it was close,” Houston said. “I told myself to relax and do that dive like I do in practice, and I knew it was going to be there.”

FROM TOP LEF T: B ETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS, JIM S IGMO N/ UNIV. OF TEXAS, JIM SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS

T

SOLID GOLD: Mark Anderson won two events at the UT Diving Invitational, including the 3-meter and platform events.

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS

TEXAS VOLLEYBALL WON sole possession of its fifth-straight Big 12 Conference title with its 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-17) defeat of Oklahoma in Norman. The victory marked the fourth conference championship title for seniors Molly McCage, Amy Neal and Kat Brooks. The group is the second senior class in program history to achieve the feat. For the Longhorns, the championship brings up the program’s Big 12 title count to nine, and overall conference titles to 22. Junior Paulina Prieto Cerame matched her career-high 21 kills on a .439 hitting percentage while Neal also finished in double digits with 15 kills, hitting .444. Freshman Yaasmeen Bedart-Ghani posted a career-high seven blocks and junior Chiaka Ogbogu finished with six. As a team, Texas hit .367 and limited the Sooners to .173. The Longhorns finished their regular season with a 25-2 record for their 24th season with 25 wins or more.

TAKING THE FIFTH: The Texas volleyball team brought home its fifth consecutive Big 12 title this season. DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 15

DOWN BUT NOT OUT: After a disappointing end to the cross country season, the Texas distance runners look forward to redemption during the upcoming track & field campaign.

EXAS' SEASON-LONG GOAL was to qualify for the NCAA championships. Both teams competed at the E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ky., with hopes of earning a national crown. Unfortunately, both teams fell short of their goal. The women — who ran a 6,000-meter race — finished last of 31 competing teams. The men faced a similar fate, first hovering in the middle of the 10,000-meter race but later falling to 31st. Head coach Brad Herbster said Texas must rebound from its pair of last-place finishes. “We didn’t accomplish what we set out to accomplish,” Herbster said. “We’re young, but now we must cross over from being young to being good.” Only three of the 14 Longhorn contenders had raced in the national championship event before, but Herbster said youth isn’t an excuse for a last-place finish. Senior Connor Ward was the first Longhorn to cross the line in the women’s race at 192nd place. She finished more than two minutes behind Notre Dame senior Molly Seidel, the race’s top finisher. Redshirt freshman Jacob Pickle’s 106th-place finish was the best Texas performance in the men’s race. New Mexico dominated the women’s field en route to an 80-point victory. The men’s race was much closer, as Syracuse edged defending champion Colorado by nine points for the NCAA title.

T

16 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

BRING IT ON

SOREN HESS-OLESEN WAS in the middle of a singles match with a TCU player when he heard a group of 10 Horned Frog fans behind him. After every point, they called him “Esben” — the name of his twin brother who plays at UNC. “It was funny so it didn’t bother me,” the former Texas tennis player said. “If you can embrace it, you can use it to your advantage.” Big 12 schools said goodbye to traditional tennis fan etiquette and hello to cheering, screaming and heckling during match play toward the end of last season, prompting Hess-Olesen’s experience. College tennis is experiencing a decline. Since 1970, about 600 varsity tennis programs have folded. To keep its fans, the Big 12 shortened matches last season with no-ad scoring. “The NCAA had relaxed its rules and the ITA coaches association endorsed a more fan-friendly tennis environment as a way to generate additional interest,” said Bob Burda, the Big 12 associate commissioner for communications. “Prior to the start of last year, our coaches met annually during the offseason, so they recommended the adoption of the ITA rules.” The change worked. Matches are now more spirited, with fans bringing posters, painting their bodies and cheering loudly. Hess-Olesen played under the decorum policy last season in the rules’ inaugural year. “Overall, I think it’s a good idea,” HessOlesen said. “Tennis isn’t a big sport in college, and we have to do everything we can to save it and make it more interesting for spectators.”

FROM TO P LEFT: BETH ANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS, SUSAN SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS

NO LOOKING BACK

TEXAS' OWN IRON MAN O JACOB BREMER, every second of a triathlon matters. He constantly reminded himself of that as he prepared for the Austin Ironman 70.3 U.S. Collegiate National Championship race. The kinesiology graduate student didn’t know, however, that the race would be a four-hour, 48-minute adventure that crowned him a national champion. “It was a grueling event,” Bremer said. “The bike course was no joke, and it was hilly and very windy out. But just seeing everyone out there on the course helped motivate me because we were all in it together.” The Ironman 70.3 spans the distance that its namesake suggests: 70.3 miles. Athletes complete a 1.2-mile swim and 56-mile bike ride

T

capped off with a half-marathon run (13.1 miles). The race takes a physical toll on competitors, presenting unexpected obstacles. During the biking leg, a police officer directed Bremer and a few other riders the wrong way. They found themselves separated from the course by almost two miles. The accident seemed like a death sentence to Bremer’s chances at winning. “You can’t win the event on any one of the legs,” Bremer said. “But you can certainly lose on one of the legs if you’re not careful.” But Bremer was able to adapt to racing conditions and make up the time in his run. Bremer’s win in Austin automatically qualifies him for the World Championship competition in Australia next September.

WHAT'S NEXT?

THE BIG 12 Conference office announced the 2016 league football schedule, and based on Texas’ schedule, the Longhorns will have a chance at retribution.

2016 TEXAS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

BETH ANY W AL TER/UNIV. OF TEXAS

DATE TEAM SEPT. 3

NOTRE DAME

SEPT. 10

UTEP

SEPT. 17

AT CALIFORNIA

OCT. 1

AT OKLAHOMA STATE

OCT. 8

VS. OKLAHOMA (DALLAS)

OCT. 15

IOWA STATE

OCT. 22

AT K-STATE

OCT. 29

BAYLOR

NOV. 5

AT TEXAS TECH

NOV. 12

WEST VIRGINIA

NOV. 19

AT KANSAS

NOV. 24

TCU DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 17

CALENDAR DECEMBER 2015 M BASKETBALL

2: at Texas State, San Marcos, 7 p.m. 8: at Texas, Austin, 7 p.m. 12: vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 2 p.m. 16: vs. East Central Oklahoma, 11:30 a.m. 19: vs. Utah Valley, 5 p.m. 22: vs. Cal Poly, 7 p.m. W BASKETBALL

SHINING MOMENTS N NOV. 1 the UTSA volleyball team traveled to Miami, Fla., to take on Florida International University. The Roadrunners went into the match sporting an all-time program mark of 599 wins and 494 losses. A win against Florida International would make the Roadrunner volleyball team the first in any sport at UTSA to reach 600 wins. The Roadrunners took the first set from the Panthers (25-17) but Florida International took the second set past set point before winning 27-25. UTSA rebounded in the third set, overpowering the Panthers 25-9 and reaching its 600 milestone with a 25-17 win in the fourth set. The Roadrunners finished the regular season with a mark of 22-8 and 13-3 in Conference USA. Overall, as of Nov. 15, the program had an all-time record of 604-495 and 252152 in various conferences. UTSA hosted this year’s Conference USA tournament, where the Roadrunners were the No. 2 seed. The UTSA volleyball program was started in 1983 but it wasn’t until the arrival of Laura Neugebauer-Goff in 2002 that the program really took off. In the 19 seasons before Goff arrived at UTSA, the program went 349-308 overall and 94-72 as members of the Southland Conference. In that time UTSA made only one trip to the NCAA tournament (in 2000). Since Goff took over in 2002, the Roadrunners have gone 255-186 (as of Nov. 15) in three different conferences. The Roadrunners have also made two trips to the NCAA tournament, once in 2010 and again in 2013.

O FOOTBALL

THE 2015 SEASON was one to forget for the Roadrunner football team. A tough nonconference schedule put the Roadrunners in a 0-4 hole that they couldn’t climb out of during conference play. On Nov. 14 UTA made the trip to Charlotte, N.C., to face the Charlotte 49ers for the first time ever. The Roadrunners 18 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

entered the game with a 1-8 overall record and 1-4 record in Conference USA. UTSA overcame a halftime deficit of 7-0 and outscored the 49ers 27-20 in the second half. However, Charlotte forced overtime with

a tying field goal just one minute before the end of regulation. The Roadrunners won the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense first. The Roadrunners’ choice paid off as the defense intercepted a pass on second and goal from the UTSA 3. UTSA took possession and charged to the Charlotte 5 where on fourth-and-3 the Roadrunners made a 22-yard field goal to win 30-27. UTSA improved to 2-1 alltime in overtime games. The previous two had come at home in the inaugural 2011 season, a win over Georgia State and a loss against South Alabama.

COURTESY JEF F HUEH N/UTSA

IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN: The UTSA volleyball became the first sports team in school history to reach 600 wins this past November.

3: at Texas State, San Marcos, 7 p.m. 13: at Oklahoma, Norman, Okla., 2 p.m. 15: vs. Howard Payne, 7 p.m. 19: vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 2 p.m. 21: vs. UT-Arlington, 7 p.m. 28: vs. Texas Southern, 2 p.m. 30: vs. Bowling Green, Noon

UTA ROUNDUP CALENDAR DECEMBER 2015 M BASKETBALL

1: at Texas, Austin, 7 p.m. 3: vs. North Texas, 7 p.m. 5: at UTEP, El Paso, 8:05 p.m. 8: vs. Bradley, 7 p.m. 21: vs. Sul Ross State, 7 p.m. 30: vs. Georgia State 7:15 p.m. W BASKETBALL

Erick Neal

Kevin Hervey

AGAINST ALL ODDS HE UT ARLINGTON men’s basketball team picked up what some pundits are calling the biggest win in program history Nov. 20 when the Mavericks knocked off Ohio State 73-68 in Columbus, Ohio. The victory marked the first time in school history that the Mavericks have beaten a Big Ten team. Sophomore forward Kevin Hervey led the UTA offense with 18 points, while guard Erick Neal added 17 and forward Faith Pope scored 11. Hervey also had seven rebounds, while Neal added a team-leading three assists. The Mavericks enjoyed a 46-37 rebounding edge, led by nine from Drew Charles and eight by Jorge Bilbao. The Mavericks and Buckeyes each turned the ball over for 13 times, but UTA was more than twice as efficient after those turnovers, holding a 19-8 edge in points off turnovers. “It’s unbelievable — I’m so proud of our guys,” UTA head coach Scott Cross said after the game. “They played their heart and soul out. At halftime we were playing really well and our guys stepped up. Most of all we defended and rebounded, and that’s why we won this basketball game.” Hervey said the Mavericks knew coming into the game that the Buckeyes would enjoy advantages in size and athleticism, and that if UTA was going to pull off the upset, it would be because of intense focus on fundamentals. “We knew coming in this team was going to be bigger than us and stronger than us,” Hervey said. “We wanted to box out and do it the fundamental way, and that’s what we came in and did.”

T COURTESY EL LMAN PHOTOGRAPH Y/UTSA

VOLLEYBALL

SENIOR HITTER STACEY Koch was named to the Sun Belt Conference Second Team. “I’m so happy for Stacey to get this type of recognition,” UTA coach Diane Seymour said. “She has been a mainstay in our lineup for a long time and for her to be recognized as one of the top 16 players in the Sun Belt is recognition that she has worked hard for and deserves.” Koch entered the Sun Belt Conference Tournament ranked seventh in the league in attack percentage (.300) and ninth in kills per set (3.14). She also established career highs in kills (330), kills per set (3.14), total blocks (99), block assists (94) and blocks per set (0.94). She is the 26th UTA player to earn all-

conference honors since Seymour took over as the Mavericks’ coach.

IMPACT PLAYER: Stacey Koch (middle) earned conference honors after establishing several career highs in 2015.

1: at Stephen F. Austin, Nacogdoches, 7 p.m. 3: at Kansas State, Manhattan, Kan., 7 p.m. 13: vs. Western Kentucky, 2 p.m. 19: at Houston Baptist, Houston, 1 p.m. 21: vs. UTSA, 6 p.m. 30: vs. Georgia State, 5 p.m.

BASEBALL

THE UT ARLINGTON baseball team got a glimpse of its future with the signing of four players — including three pitchers — during the early signing period. Head coach Darin Thomas and his staff announced the signing of the following players: infielder Zach Cook (Marcus High School, Flower Mound), left-handed pitcher Dylan Easterling (Plano East, Murphy), right-handed pitcher Thomas Schroder (Arizona Western College, Tucson, Ariz.) and right-handed pitcher Cody Wernli (Allen). Perfect Game rated Cook as the No. 6 middle infielder in Texas going into his senior year. He’s the team captain for the Marauders and has earned Perfect Game honorable mention honors during his high school career. The 6-foot4, 190-pound Easterling ranks as the No. 7 lefty prospect in Texas on Perfect Game’s list. The Mavericks’ only JUCO signee is the 6-foot-5, 205-pound Schroder, who posted a 6-3 record with 63 strikeouts in 11 appearances, including 10 starts, for the Matadors as a freshman. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Wernli earned all-district honors at first base as a junior, but enters his senior season at Allen High School as the No. 19 right-handed pitcher in Texas, according to Perfect Game.

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 19

ROUNDUP

20 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

MEDIA VOICES

FRONT and CENTER

FROM TOP L EFT: PATRICK M EREDITH/UN IV. OF TEXAS , BETHAN Y WALTER/UNIV. OF TE XAS

TEXAS NEEDS TO BRING IN HELP IN ORDER TO BEEF UP ITS OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE LINES

ILL TAYLOR DOYLE be the hardest departing senior to replace heading into the 2016 season? This is a fair question considering he started for the final time at center against Baylor. The Longhorns have young talent locked in at almost every position on the roster expect for the offensive line. By no means is that a knock against Connor Williams or Patrick Vahe, but Doyle’s and Sedrick Flowers’ departures (Flowers had 25 starts after the final game this season) leave two spots where there are no clear replacements. The only player who’s likely to keep the same starting spot next season is Williams at left tackle. Vahe could move to right guard or to center, Kent Perkins may occupy one of the guard spots and Tristan Nickelson will enter the spring with the inside track on the starting right tackle job. The point is that as key as it is for head coach Charlie Strong to hire the right play-caller to coordinate the offense, and while Jerrod Heard coming into his own is hugely important to Texas’ success, the offensive line improving is just as big of a factor. With that in mind, Strong mentioned that he’s one recruiting class away from having the roster where he’d like it. As it relates to 2016, the Longhorns are loading up in the trenches to have what many would consider a successful haul. “You always recruit the big guys for your offensive and defensive line,” Strong said. “We have to get us more big guys at those two positions.”

W

The defensive line was a disappointment this season. Heading into the final game of the season, Texas allowed 450.2 yards per game, on pace to be the worst year ever for a Longhorn defense in terms of yards allowed per game. When thinking about a turnaround, you need to focus on the veteran talent. Bryce Cottrell, Paul Boyette and Hassan Ridgeway give Texas three senior starters. Naashon Hughes will be a third-year starter at Fox end. There’s no excuse with that much seniority for the line to not improve, and likewise for the defense as a whole not to make strides. Recruiting for the future is important on the defensive line, especially at tackle. Offensively, the Longhorns could pull from their current pool of talent, which includes Brandon Hodges, Elijah Rodriguez and true freshmen Ronnie Major and Garrett Thomas. “Once we continue to build those two positions, then we’ll be in place to get where we need to go,” Strong said. That’s not ideal in what will be a crucial third year of Strong’s tenure. The Longhorns will try to find answers during spring camp. Starting two true freshmen for a second straight season, however, could be a real possibility. That proposition makes Doyle an unlikely valued asset about to walk out of the door and speaks to the amount of growth still needed up front.

TIME TO STEP UP: Players like Elijah Rodriguez will need to come up big to create a solid offensive line next season.

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 21

JOHNNY WALKER'S RESUME • Played football and baseball at Texas from 1987-90 • Two-time All-Southwest Conference • Caught the game-winning reception to beat Oklahoma in 1989 • Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1990 (4th round)

22 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

MEDIA VOICES

SU SAN S IGMON/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

A STORIED CAREER: Ricky Williams is one of the most decorated running backs in program history.

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 23

Social Buzz I wish we celebrated Thanksgiving every day. It’s crazy what being thankful for everything you have can do for you and all around you. — Paulina

DID YOU KNOW? 143K FACEBOOK LIKES /hornsillustrated Our “Reach” was over

Prieto (@PaulinaPrieto_9)

This was a fall season of lunges. Now for a winter of bounds, then followed closely by a spring of running and finally, a summer of fun. — Trey

Hardee (@treyhardee)

1 MILLION Averaged over

60K VISITS PER DAY OVER 80K POST CLICKS

How does a car yielding to pedestrians and bikes make sense? They should totally yield to the two-ton death machine. — Dax

1300+ 2500+

INSTAGRAM followers Horns_Illustrated

Hill (@daxhill)

That’s a W... proud of my boys for fighting through adversity. — Malik

Jefferson (@Official_MalikJ)

Views on the YouTube Channel last month

hornsillustrated.com/

HAS OVER 120K FANS IN TEXAS READ BY FANS IN 152 COUNTRIES IN 2014

#HookemHorns #BrotherandSister #TexasFight — @leighbert19

24 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

I’m thankful for football and these fine fellas! And for season tickets under the overhang. And beer in the stadium. And for Dede babysitting! #LonghornFootball — @chelsealietz

DECEMBER 2015

That Texas sewed across the jersey means something. — DeShon

#HookEm #Christmas with @jaime_dickerson and a few of my favorites. — @ayden_dallas

Elliott (@DeShonElliott)

Behind enemy lines but still feeling great after yesterday’s win in Waco! — @inittobennett

CL OCK WIS E F ROM TOP RIGHT:ALL TWITTER PHOTOS COURTESY TWITTER.COM, AL L O THER PHOTOS COURTEST INSTAGRAM.COM AND RESPECTIVE PHOTOG RAPHERS.

during the week of 9/7 - 9/14

BETHAN Y WALTER/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

MEET THE T-ASSOCIATION

THE HABE ON THE HORNS

The T-Association is an organization made up of former varsity athletics letter winners. An additional designation for the T-Association members is the T-Ring, which is awarded to an athlete who lettered for 2 or more years, who did not compete the last 2 years of eligibility anywhere other than The University of Texas and who graduated from college. David McWilliams, former Longhorn head football coach, currently serves as the executive director for the T-Association. T-Association Mission - The T-Association’s mission is to create and maintain an enhanced atmosphere and structure whereby UT student-athletes become lifetime members of The University of Texas Athletics family and are welcomed, involved and encouraged to participate during and after their college tenure. TAPN Mission - The Letter Winner’s Professional Network exists to unite the members of the T-Association on a professional level by providing networking opportunities and a database of contacts, thereby furthering the opportunities, community, education and success of Longhorn Letter Winners.

Let the Good Times Roll

CONTACT INFORMATION: t-association@ athletics.utexas.edu 512.471.6864

OW COMES THE time of year for Texas fans to turn their attention away from the football field (wasn’t that easy?) and to the great things happening at the Frank Erwin Center. Here, among the cranes and construction chaos caused by the building of the new medical school, is where the Longhorn basketball teams will give us some thrills through the cold winter months. The play of the surging women’s team was the talk of the 40 Acres through the first week of December. The Longhorns went to Knoxville on Nov. 29 and knocked off old nemesis Tennessee, and many expect them to be a constant presence in the top 25 this season. Texas advanced to the Sweet 16 last year before falling to top-ranked and eventual national champion Connecticut. The game marked the Longhorns’ deepest run in the NCAA tournament since the 2003-04 season. Head coach Karen Aston likes the team she forged for this season. Texas was picked in a preseason poll to finish second in the Big 12 behind defending champion Baylor. “We have an exciting group of young players,” Aston said. “We talked about youth and inexperience but it’s something that should not be an excuse this year. We have a good mix of older players that really understand the grind of the Big 12 Conference. I’m pleased with where our program is right now.”

BASKETBALL SEASON HAS FINALLY ARRIVED.

FIRST WATCH: Plenty of eyes will be on Javan Felix and the Longhorns this season, thanks to first-year coach Shaka Smart.

N

On the men’s side, the Longhorns are suffering through some growing pains under the new coaching staff led by the indefatigable Shaka Smart. “Our guys want to be successful and they want to win,” Smart said. “Everyone needs to relax and understand that this is a process. If one or two plays or a half don’t go our way, we’re not going to throw the process in the trash.” The conference selected the men’s team to finish fourth in the stacked Big 12 league, and the Longhorns have plenty of work to do to maintain their status. After enduring trips to China and the Bahamas, the men will continue nonconference play as they face the likes of top-ranked North Carolina and Connecticut before the real grind of the league schedule kicks in. The feeling here is that the women’s team has a good chance of reaching the Final Four if it continues to improve and gets a good draw in the NCAA bracket (one away from facing Connecticut so early, please). The Texas men are more of a rebuilding project, but Smart’s team will play hard every game and well enough to beat some teams they likely shouldn’t. Once they get into the NCAA Tournament, anything is possible. Just sayin’, ya know?

The Habe is Steve Habel, Horns Illustrated’s senior editor. He was the magazine’s first staff member, in 1994 and has covered Texas sports ever since. DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 25

FINDING THEIR STRIDE: Led by several outstanding performances from key players such as Chris Warren, the Texas football team regrouped after losses to West Virginia and Texas Tech to defeat Baylor.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS THE 2015 FOOTBALL SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE EARLIER THAN EXPECTED.

PATRICK MEREDITH/UN IV. O F TEXAS

TEXAS at WEST VIRGINIA 20-38 F THE FAT lady wasn’t singing about the Texas football team’s bowl chances after its 38-20 loss to West Virginia on Nov. 14 at Milan Puskar Stadium, she was dressed in her oversize gown and waiting in the wings to take the stage. At times, the Longhorns looked HEGA PDA >AOP PA=I KJ PDA Ĺ‚ AH@ >QP PDAU SANA @KKIA@ >U Ĺ‚ RA PQNJKRANO =J@ = handful of untimely penalties. Combine those mistakes with indecisive play calling and a rapidly improving Mountaineer team and the Longhorns found themselves on the cusp of missing a postseason game for the second time since 2010. “We played hard today but we didn’t do a good job of taking care of the ball and that cost

I

us,� head coach Charlie Strong said. “We have two more to play. We have to learn from this and get better.� Texas outgained West Virginia 439-379 and in every offensive category. But the Longhorns also allowed the Mountaineers 257 rushing yards and, again, couldn’t make the plays when they needed to the most. “We moved the ball well — we had almost 300 yards rushing — and they never stopped us,� Strong said. “We stopped ourselves. You can’t make mistakes like we did and expect to beat a good football team.� The Longhorns continued their yearlong struggle on the road, dropping their fourth “true� road game of the season. Texas has now been outscored 150-30 in games away from

home or at a neutral site and has been outgained by an average of 204 yards in those four games. 1AT=O CKP KJ PDA >K=N@ ł NOP QOEJC = U=N@ pass from quarterback Jerrod Heard to tight end =HA> HQEAPP PK OAP PDA P=>HA BKN = U=N@ ł AH@ goal by Nick Rose. The Longhorns led 3-0 at the ĥ I=NG KB PDA ł NOP MQ=NPAN The Longhorns then all but handed West Virginia seven points and the momentum when D’Onta Foreman dribbled a handoff from Heard on a sweep left. The fumble was scooped up by Mountaineers’ linebacker Jared Barber, who rumbled untouched 42 yards for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead with 3:39 left in the opening quarter. Foreman immediately atoned for his mistake, streaking away on a 65-yard DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 27

Peter Jinkens

D’Onta Foreman

ALL PHOTOS TH IS PAGE: PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. OF TEXAS

IN THE HUNT: The Longhorns needed the win against West Virginia to secure a position in a bowl game. Unfortunately, due to a series of untimely mistakes, Texas lost to the Mountaineers 20-38.

touchdown run on the ensuing offensive snap for a 10-7 Texas lead. At that point, it looked as though the Longhorns were the better team and could have their way with West Virginia. But the second quarter belonged to the Mountaineers, with a heaping of help from the mistakes made by Texas. After a punt pinned the Longhorns back at their own 1-yard line and 19 yards of offense in six snaps, Texas punter Michael Dickson couldn’t kick the team out of trouble and West Virginia took charge at its own 44-yard line. The Mountaineers took eight plays to march 56 yards to a 1-yard scoring plunge by fullback Elijah Wellman that handed West Virginia a 1410 lead with 8:17 to play until halftime. Texas responded with a good drive marshaled by Tyrone Swoopes, driving from its own 21 to the West Virginia 25. Unfortunately the Longhorns’ short-yardage quarterback BQI>HA@ SDEHA >AEJC P=?GHA@ EJ PDA >=?GĹ‚ AH@ The Mountaineers took advantage of the turnover, as quarterback Skyler Howard hit Jovon Durante with a perfectly executed 53yard bomb to push the West Virginia lead to 21-10 at the half. “That play hurt us because we had a chance to go to the half with the game 14-10 if we had scored,â€? Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford said. “The West Virginia defense just made a few more plays than we did.â€? The Longhorns showed some life on the opening drive of the third quarter, moving 80

yards in 15 plays to a 5-yard touchdown pass from Heard to Daje Johnson that cut the West Virginia advantage to 21-17. But the possession used 6:21 of the clock, a scenario that would’ve been advantageous if the Longhorns were ahead rather than behind. With 1AT=O† OPUHA KB NQJ Ĺ‚ NOP KBBAJOA EP†O D=N@ BKN PDA team to come from behind. Doing so means it’s EILAN=PERA PD=P 1AT=O ?=J OSEP?D PDA Ĺ‚ AH@ SEPD great punting or force turnovers to create shortĹ‚ AH@ ?D=J?AO The clock worked even more against Texas when West Virginia added a touchdown on an 8-yard pass by Howard to Daikiel Shorts and a U=N@ Ĺ‚ AH@ CK=H >U 'KOD )=I>ANP KJ PDA Ĺ‚ NOP play of the fourth quarter. The Longhorns took advantage of a short Ĺ‚ AH@ =BPAN = >=@ LQJP PK I=N?D EJPK PDA NA@ VKJA >QP D=@ PK OAPPHA BKN = U=N@ /KOA Ĺ‚ AH@ CK=H with 9:24 to play. Points are points, but the kick left Texas two scores behind with the time ticking away. Any chance for a Texas comeback was extinguished by West Virginia on the following possession. The Mountaineers took over after Heard threw his second interception of the game and drove eight plays in 48 yards to Howard’s 2-yard touchdown run to boost their lead to 38-20. “We can only continue to battle,â€? Strong said. “We have two more left and we just have to work to get better. We still have a chance.â€?

Paul Boyette Jr.

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 29

QUARTERBACK SCRAMBLE: Paul Boyette Jr. and the Texas defense had troubles keeping the Texas Tech offense at bay.

F YOU'RE AN enthusiast of offensive football, with yards aplenty and teams running up the score, Texas Tech’s 48-45 victory over Texas on Thanksgiving night was right up your alley. If you’d rather see stout defense and a grind-it-out-yard-by-yard style, we certainly hope you enjoyed your PQNGAU OPQBĹ‚ JC =J@ LQILGEJ LEA =O SAHH as the day off from work. With his team mired in a season that ended as its worst in 60 years, head coach Charlie 0PNKJC FQOP S=JPO PK Ĺ‚ J@ OKIA OPUHA Â… =JU OPUHA in fact — that could lead to winning games again. “It was disappointing,â€? Strong said after the loss. “Our guys played hard and they competed.â€? Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes — who was knocked out of last year’s game with a concussion — got his revenge against the Longhorns this season. He passed for 372 yards and a touchdown while leading an offensive attack that racked up 665 yards. With his guidance, the Red Raiders ended their regular season with a victory and a guaranteed spot in the postseason.

I

30 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

Texas Tech got 173 yards and two touchdowns from running back DeAndre Washington as part of a rushing attack that NKHHA@ PK U=N@O =J@ Ĺ‚ RA PKQ?D@KSJO The Red Raiders came into the game as the No. 2 offensive team in the nation, and their 7.4 yards per play and 16.9 yards per catch showed just how explosive they can be. “You can match score with score by running the football,â€? Strong explained. “It’s a matter of limiting their possessions and being physical at the point of attack. We gave up too many big plays.â€? Running back Chris Warren III’s 276 yards and four rushing touchdowns paced the Texas offense. The Longhorns rushed for 403 yards >QP @E@J†P D=RA PDA Ĺ‚ NALKSAN PK GAAL QL SEPD Texas Tech, especially at the end of the wild game. The loss eliminated Texas from bowl consideration and guaranteed the Longhorns their highest number of losses since 1997. 1AT=O CKP KJ PDA >K=N@ Ĺ‚ NOP KJ = U=N@ Ĺ‚ AH@ CK=H >U +E?G /KOA KJ PDA Ĺ‚ NOP OJ=L KB PDA second quarter. 1AT=O 1A?D PKKG FQOP = Ĺƒ =OD =J@ = HKP KB HQ?G

to answer via a 65-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to Jakeem Grant. Mahomes’ pass was targeted for wide receiver Devin Lauderdale but was underthrown and landed in the hands of Texas cornerback Holton Hill. Lauderdale knocked the ball out, up in the air and right to Grant, who caught it in stride and sprinted down the sideline for the score. 1DA /A@ /=E@ANO =@@A@ = U=N@ ł AH@ CK=H >U H=UPKJ %=Pł AH@ OET IEJQPAO H=PAN PK LQOD their lead to 10-3. Texas responded with its own big play as Warren — who was in the game only because of injuries to Johnathan Gray and D’Onta Foreman — took a handoff, shrugged off one tackle at the line, another 15 yards down the ł AH@ =J@ =JKPDAN U=N@O BNKI PDA HEJA KB scrimmage to complete a 91-yard touchdown run. The run by Warren is the longest for a freshman running back in school history. But any momentum the Longhorns may have gained from Warren’s record-setting run disappeared later in the second quarter when Mahomes rammed into the end zone from a yard out. The score came at the end of a 34yard drive that began when Texas tight end

JIM S IGMO N/UNIV. OF TEXAS

TEXAS vs. TEXAS TECH 45-48

FROM TOP L EFT: BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS, PATRICK M EREDITH/UNIV. OF TE XAS

NO. 1 FAN: Celebrity Matthew McConaughey offers Caleb Bluiett some encouraging words after a fumbled catch led to a Red Raider touchdown.

Caleb Bluiett fumbled after a catch. Texas Tech had a 17-10 lead at halftime thanks to 329 yards of total offense and by holding the injury-depleted Longhorns to only 170 yards — just 32 of which came through the air. 1DA OA?KJ@ D=HB >AC=J =O PDA ł NOP D=HB ended — with the Texas offense sputtering against the supposedly porous Texas Tech defense. After the Longhorns squandered their ł NOP LKOOAOOEKJ KB PDA PDEN@ MQ=NPAN 1AT=O 1A?D NKHHA@ U=N@O KJ LH=UO EJ EPO ł NOP @NERA and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run by Washington. The touchdown expanded the Red Raiders’ lead to 24-10. Texas answered again on Warren’s second touchdown run of the game, this one from 21 yards out, which came two plays after a Texas Tech fumble at its own 28-yard line. %=Pł AH@ U=N@ ł AH@ CK=H PD=P S=O set up by a 59-yard pass from Mahomes to Lauderdale was a small victory for the Texas defense even though it moved the Tech lead to 27-17. The positive vibe was even stronger after Daje Johnson’s 54-yard kickoff return allowed the Longhorns to begin their next drive at the Tech 40-yard line. Texas then had some real momentum when Warren rolled around right end and pushed his way into the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown that pared the Red Raiders’ lead to 27-24 with more than a quarter left to play. Alas, the Texas Tech offense again rose to the challenge, moving 75 yards in seven plays to a 16-yard touchdown run by Washington. Then the pendulum swung back to the Longhorns as Warren ripped off 51 yards on three carries before backup quarterback Tyrone Swoopes went to the 18 Wheeler formation KJ BKQN OPN=ECDP OJ=LO 1DA ł J=H LH=U HA@ PK = 1-yard touchdown plunge that brought Texas to 34-31 with 11:10 to play.

Swoopes (98 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries) sprinted through a gaping hole in the Texas Tech line on the Longhorns’ ensuing possession and rambled untouched for a 46yard touchdown that gave Texas a 38-34 lead with 7:54 remaining. If fans thought that Texas Tech would go away after losing the lead, they simply don’t know the Red Raiders. Mahomes engineered a six-play, 75-yard drive that was highlighted by a picturesque over-the-shoulder catch by Grant. The drive was punctuated by a 1-yard touchdown run by Justin Stockton, giving Tech a 41-38 lead with 6:18 to play. After stopping Texas on its next possession, Grant sprinted, untouched, for 40 yards on a trick play straight into the end zone that built the lead to 48-38. The score should’ve been the Ĺ‚ J=H LEA?A KB PDA /A@ /=E@ANO† SEJJEJC LQVVHA But the Longhorns got another huge kickoff return from Johnson that led to Warren’s fourth touchdown run of the game, this time an 8-yarder. Texas Tech then recovered the Longhorns’ bouncing onside kick and ran out the clock on the game, while simultaneously taking away Texas’ chances at making a bowl game. “The future is bright,â€? Strong said. “I know what’s ahead and what’s good is that these players now understand just how hard they have to go play, and that they have to play like that for 60 minutes.â€?

Tyrone Swoopes DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 31

TEXAS at BAYLOR 23-17 OMETIMES THE DIFFERENCE between winning and losing football games comes down to understanding your team’s limitations and taking advantage of the chances you’re given. That was the formula used — and used well — by Texas to upset 12th-ranked Baylor 23-17 on Saturday at McLane Stadium in both teams’ regular-season finale. The Bears, bloodied but unbowed, will head to their sixth consecutive bowl game. The Longhorns, on the other hand, will bus back to Austin and stay there, as everyone around the team tries to figure out how a squad that can beat two of the nation’s best (Oklahoma and Baylor) couldn’t win enough games to qualify for the postseason. “I’m still scratching my head about that, too,” head coach Charlie Strong said after the game. “It’s all about attitude, preparation and maturity. We weren’t able to bring the same level of intensity to each game and I don’t know why.” In this win, the Longhorns (5-7) built an early lead on the foundation of Baylor’s mistakes and the injury to the Bears’ starting quarterback. Texas then played well enough

S

HAPPY DAYS: The Longhorns rushed the field after upsetting then-No. 12 Baylor in the final game of the regular season.

fourth-down conversions. Texas’ defense set the tone for the game on Baylor’s opening possession, stopping the Bears on a fourth-and-1 play at the Texas 30. The Longhorns took just three plays to move into the lead as quarterback Tyrone Swoopes found Caleb Bluiett behind the Baylor defense. The defensive end-turned-tight end rumbled down the right sideline 57 yards for a touchdown. The Longhorns used an 11-play, 61-yard drive on their ensuing possession to produce a

PATRICK MEREDITH/UN IV. O F TEXAS

in the final moments to walk out of Baylor’s opulent new home with its first win in the series since 2012. The stat sheet shows that Baylor, playing with the third-string quarterback as the starter and then with a wide receiver or running back behind center after the quarterback was injured, outgained Texas 479-307, with 395 of the Bears’ yards coming on the ground. But the Bears also had four turnovers (the Longhorns had none) and were just 6-of-21 on third-and

32 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

ALL PHOTOS TH IS PAGE: PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. O F TEXAS

23-yard field goal by Nick Rose, giving Texas a 10-0 advantage. The points were nice but the Longhorns could’ve had more — Swoopes’ third-down pass in the end zone to John Burt went right through the receiver’s hands. Later in the quarter Texas freshman safety PJ Locke hammered Baylor quarterback Chris Johnson during an option run and forced a fumble that, after a scrum in the pile, was claimed by the Longhorns’ Anthony Wheeler at the Baylor 33. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Baylor gave Texas the ball at the Baylor 18, and three plays later Swoopes rolled through the Bears’ defense for a 9-yard touchdown run. After Rose’s PAT kick pushed the Texas lead to 17-0 and, with Johnson knocked out of action by Locke’s hit, the game was there for Longhorns’ taking. Texas added to its lead with a 53-yard Rose field goal with 2:01 to play in the half while Baylor kicker Chris Callahan missed twice, from 40 and 53 yards, respectively, allowing the Longhorns to take a 20-0 lead to halftime. Baylor was completely out of sync in the first half but still had more total yards than Texas (205-190), more rushing yards (16397) and more plays (46-37). The difference, however, was that the Bears had three turnovers while Texas had none. “We knew the situation with the offense and at halftime the defense knew it was up to us to get them good field position,” Baylor defensive end Jamal Palmer said. “We tried to come together but we just came up a little short.” The first half belonged to the Longhorns, but Baylor owned the third quarter. The Bears, in a brilliant move by coach

Art Briles because he didn’t have a genuine quarterback, went to the Wildcat formation. The move allowed the Bears to move 69 yards in eight plays (all runs) to a 20-yard touchdown by Johnny Jefferson that cut the Texas lead to 20-7 with 10:27 to play in the quarter. On Baylor’s next possession, the Bears mixed things up a bit and took 18 plays to drive 82 yards to a 24-yard field goal by Callahan at the 2:47 mark of the third quarter. The Texas lead was down to 20-10 and, suddenly (and perhaps predictably) the Bears were the ones who had the momentum and the control of the game. The Bears stopped Texas on fourth-and-1 at the Baylor 39 early in the fourth quarter and took over with the short field and all the mojo. Lynx Hawthorne, the Bears’ wide receiver-turned-quarterback, directed Baylor to a nine-play, 61-yard drive that culminated in his rollout keeper and 8-yard touchdown with 9:40 to play. Just like that, Baylor had cut the Texas lead to 20-17 and it looked like the Longhorns — who had everything going their way in the first half — were going to cough up the bit. But the Longhorns did just enough down the stretch to hold on. They added to their lead with a 37-yard Rose field goal with 3:59 to play that eliminated the chance of overtime — something Texas wanted no part of — and forcing Baylor score a touchdown to win. After Rose’s kick, the Bears had two chances to drive to the win. The first ended when Texas’ Poona Ford stripped the ball from Jefferson and fell on it at the Baylor 43. The second, started with the Bears on their own 4-yard line with no timeouts, and ended on the turf near the Longhorns’ end zone after DeShon Elliott knocked down the pass on the game’s final play. “Our guys will be pumped up from this game and it will be motivation for next season,” running back Johnathan Gray said after playing his final collegiate game. “They play hard and they’re going to be hungry. You can tell that the younger players have developed football awareness and are maturing.”

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 33

LEADING MAN: The stage is set for Shaka Smart to bring together the Longhorns under his winning philosophy.

TAKING THE LEAD WITH SMART LEADING THE WAY, THE LONGHORNS LOOK TO COME TOGETHER IN TIME FOR CONFERENCE PLAY

T

34 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

bring together the Texas cast quickly if the Longhorns want to see victories on a regular basis, a conference title and continuous trips to the NCAA Tournament. ļ1DA >ECCAOP ?D=HHAJCA EJ UKQN ł NOP UA=N is always implementing your philosophy — your way of doing things,” Smart said.“People want to use the word ‘culture’ because whether you’re taking over a veteran team or a younger team, whether you’ve brought in new guys or it’s mostly returning guys, everyone is new to what you’re going to do at that new institution. “So we have to work on getting on the same page — players, coaches, everyone that’s part of our program. We need to be connected around one goal and connected around a process for accomplishing that goal.” Smart, late of Virginia Commonwealth University, where he took the mid-major Rams to the Final Four in 2011, has been one of the

best college basketball coaches over the past few seasons. He walked onto the 40 Acres and took charge of an extremely talented roster — at least on paper. This year’s team is made up of nine of the 11 players from last season’s unit which won 20 games and advanced to the NCAAs. The Longhorns are facing higher expectations and, in a sense, demands compared to years past. THE LONGHORNS ARE STOCKED WITH TALENT Junior point guard Isaiah Taylor, the Longhorns’ leading scorer from 2014-15, decided to forgo the 2015 NBA draft and stay in college another season, bringing back with him explosive scoring and leadership. Taylor isn’t a great shooter, but he led the team with 13.1 points on top of his 4.6 assists per game last season. He can play fast and he’ll

BETH ANY WAL TER/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

HE TEXAS MEN'S basketball program is like that longrunning television show that recently decided to change the lead actor. Think about the original CSI and Law & Order, or Two and a Half Men (if you consider that show worth watching). While the show is still good, it takes time to adjust to the new dynamics. The same scenario will play out in the Erwin Center, as well as arenas from Shanghai to the Bahamas and throughout the Midwest this season. The Longhorns switched out their leading man, running out longtime coach Rick Barnes for Shaka Smart — a younger, hipper and more “it” man. Fans and pundits will judge the move over time. Smart, who basically inherited the same set of players from last season, will need to

TOP L EFT: PATRICK MEREDITH/UN IV. OF TEXAS , ALL OTHER PHOTOS THIS : PAG E BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS

get the chance to show that off under Smart’s “process.â€? Äź&O=E=D Ĺ‚ J@O = S=U PK CAP KBB PDA LKEJP CQ=N@ position quite a bit in practice,â€? Smart said. “And we have some other guys that can handle the ball and play that point guard position, but he’ll start there, unless something crazy happens.â€? He’s joined on the roster by senior centers Cameron Ridley and Prince Ibeh, senior guards Demarcus Holland and Javan Felix, junior guard Kendal Yancy and senior forward Connor Lammert. Ridley and Ibeh are the traditional post players who can grab rebounds and block shots. Ridley is a solid interior scorer and a big reason Texas led the nation in blocked shots last year. Ibeh averaged just 10.6 minutes per game during his junior year, but he’s a defensive menace. A huge piece of the Longhorns’ puzzle will be Ridley’s play — he can dominate at times and disappear at others. “Cameron has been a good basketball player for a long time,â€? Smart said. “He’s had a good offseason from the standpoint of extra work conditioning-wise and buying into the plan.

“There’s nothing we’ve asked him to do that he hasn’t yet done from a work standpoint,â€? the coach added. “Now it’s a matter of asserting himself on the court and being as aggressive as he can without fouling — that’s the key.â€? Ridley said the new staff has instilled a bit of HKOP ?KJĹ‚ @AJ?A =IKJC PDA LH=UANO “We’ve improved a lot — this staff is ?KJĹ‚ @AJP OK EP I=GAO QO IKNA ?KJĹ‚ @AJP ‡ PDA 6-foot-10â€?, 290-pound Ridley said. “Coach Smart lets us play and be free. He doesn’t put any restrictions on our game. That gets us ready to do what we have to do to score.â€? Fans can expect to see the rest of the veteran players step up this season as well. Lammert can stretch the defense, and he knocked down 26 3-pointers last season. Despite his shooting ability, he’s tough on the glass. #AHET EO PDA IKOP LNKHEĹ‚ ? O?KNAN KB PDA >QJ?D while Holland can handle the ball quite well. If he gets a chance to take more shots, Holland will prove that he’s a decent shooter and overall scorer. Yancy started 18 games as a sophomore and adds a little more strength to the perimeter. His outside shooting has been streaky, but he’s

capable of scoring 10 points per game. Junior forwards Shaquille Claire and Jordan Barnett will vie for playing time as well. Äź K=?D 0I=NP SEHH Ĺ‚ J@ = S=U BKN ARANUKJA to play and he’s going to do what he has to do to get everyone on the court,â€? Ridley said. “There are times where it’s too fast for me and Prince [Ibeh], and he takes us out and puts the smaller group in. He knows what he’s doing. “This system is more fun,â€? he continued. “We have a lot of athleticism and the way he wants us to play helps show how good we are. The whole coaching staff is always pumped up and enthusiastic.â€? Also in the fold are a trio of brilliant and much-ballyhooed freshman players — guards Eric Davis Jr. and Kerwin Roach Jr. and guard/ forward Tevin Mack — all of whom are expected to be a solid part of the Longhorns’ rotation. Texas is a lot bigger up front than Smart’s teams at VCU, which may affect the way the new Longhorns’ staff employs its “havocâ€? style, which includes a baseline-to-baseline defense and attack. “One thing that’s maybe a misnomer about our teams at VCU is that we didn’t have good players up front,â€? Smart said. “We just played

GUARDED TERRITORY: Junior guard Isaiah Taylor returns as the Longhorns’ leading scorer from last season — a position on the team he plans to keep. DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 35

Cameron Ridley

Connor Lammert

Javan Felix

Prince Ibeh

Demarcus Holland

season begins Jan. 2 at Texas Tech. 1DA EC EO =NCQ=>HU PDA IKOP @EBĹ‚ ?QHP conference in college basketball, and Texas will likely struggle on the road. Once it comes time for conference play, the Longhorns will have DKIA =J@ =S=U C=IAO =C=EJOP Ĺ‚ RA PA=IO PD=P were ranked in the Associated Press’ preseason Top 30. Texas was picked by the league’s coaches PK Ĺ‚ JEOD BKQNPD EJ PDA EC >ADEJ@ PKL RKPA getter Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa State. “Obviously, the stakes are higher [during conference play] — the crowds are louder and everyone’s more into the game,â€? Smart added. “And, as a new coach in the Big 12, I need to know what this league’s all about, particularly on the road.â€? Smart will do what is best for this group. At the least, there’s depth in Austin and that means Texas can rotate its players in order to keep the defensive intensity up. And that’s a good thing; Smart wants to play as fast as he can and he has the depth to do it. The Longhorns have the talent on paper to be one of the best teams in the Big 12. The proof will be in the pudding and will come down to how quickly Smart and his veteran squad can pull it all together. “Coach Smart believes in us,â€? Roach said. “He tells us to go out there and play the way we know how to play, so we just go out there and ball. He always preaches to us about being ready.â€?

Kerwin Roach Jr.

ALL-STAR CAST: Fans will see the same set of faces on the Erwin Center floor this season, along with a trio of talented freshmen.

THE SCHEDULE IS DAUNTING In nonconference play, Texas has a tough row to hoe with contests against preseason No. 1 North Carolina (at home), versus Connecticut (at home), against Texas A&M (in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas) at Stanford and against Washington in China. “We have to do a great job establishing who we are in November and December,� Smart said. “The same things go into winning when you’re playing a nonconference team that goes into winning when you’re in league play.� The key to the season, Smart said, is to have all the pieces in place when January (and the Big 12 campaign) rolls around. The Longhorns have a dozen nonconference games before the Big 12 36 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

BETH ANY WAL TER/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

a very fast-paced style where the guards made a HKP KB LH=UO EJ PDA KLAJ Ĺƒ KKN “At Texas we’re fortunate in that we have a lot of big guys that can be good players for us and contribute to our success,â€? Smart added. “We also have a lot of perimeter guys that we can play with, with great depth. If those guys can buy into the system of playing with great aggressiveness, enthusiasm and togetherness, then we’ll have a chance to do some big things.â€?

TAKING DOWN THE COMPETITION: The Longhorns rolled past Northwestern State on Nov. 18. Brianna Taylor joined two other players with double figures in that game.

ALL FOR ONE GOAL EFORE THE SEASON opener against UTSA, head coach Karen Aston said her team needed to get under the lights. Practices and scrimmages gave her an idea of the Longhorns’ potential, but Aston couldn’t truly predict what would happen SDAJ 1AT=O PKKG PDA ?KQNP BKN EPO ł NOP C=IA this season. Three weeks later, Aston isn’t speculating anymore. The Longhorns are 7-0 and sitting at the No. 6 spot in the nation as of Dec. 11.

B

38 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

“We needed to get under the lights and get the crowd in the stands,â€? Aston said after Texas defeated UTSA 90-53 on Nov. 14. “The freshmen got a taste of [real college play] because it’s different. It’s different when it’s real.â€? Texas put on a show in the season opener =C=EJOP 210 #KN PDA Ĺ‚ NOP PEIA OEJ?A !A?AI>AN 2013, the Longhorns scored 90 points. Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty reached career highs with 22 points and seven rebounds. Senior center Imani Boyette recorded

her 28th career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Of the 12 players who saw game action, six scored in double digits. Aston utilized the team’s depth, and three freshmen got valuable game time. Texas’ blowout win set the tone for how the team hopes the rest of the season will unfold. Texas is coming off its deepest NCAA championship run in 11 years. The Longhorns return a key group of veteran players and welcome a promising freshman class. The team has high hopes for a championship this year.

PATRICK MEREDITH/UN IV. O F TEXAS

FUELED BY HIGH EXPECTATIONS, TEXAS FOCUSES ON ONE GOAL — WINNING

BETH ANY WAL TER/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

“We want a Big 12 Championship, because we were so close to winning the tournament last year,â€? senior guard Brady Sanders said. “We want to make it further than the Sweet 16. Although [making the Sweet 16] was a huge goal, once you get a little of it, you want the whole thing. Those goals are in our mind when we go into practice every day.â€? Sanders knows what it’s like to feel a championship slip out of reach. She was a starter on last year’s team all the way through the postseason — she’s missed only missed one game her entire collegiate career. She experienced the 75-64 loss to then-No. 6 Baylor EJ PDA EC D=ILEKJODEL Ĺ‚ J=H 0DA BAHP 1AT=O† season crash to a halt with the heartbreaking 105-54 loss to No. 1 UConn in the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Championship. Despite those losses, Texas players gained valuable experience that will carry over into this season. Aston said the losses served as a learning experience because Texas got a good look at the best teams in the country. She said it gives the players a standard to reach for this year. “We have a good mix of older players that understand the grind of the Big 12 conference,â€? Aston said. “Even though we fell short [last season], it was great for them to be in that atmosphere and know what that felt like to be in a championship game.â€? The veteran players will be central to Texas’ push for a championship this season. Sanders, Boyette, junior guard Brianna Taylor, junior center Kelsey Lang and senior guards Empress Davenport and Celina Rodrigo all played vital roles on the team last year. Sanders, Davenport, Boyette, Taylor and Rodrigo started all three NCAA Championship games. 1AT=O Ĺ‚ JEODA@ PDA LKOPOA=OKJ SEPD PD=P starting lineup.

SEASONED LEADERSHIP: Brady Sanders and five other upperclassmen will play key roles in Texas’ drive for a championship this season. DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 39

GOAL KEEPERS: Texas brings to the court this season a mix of highly talented veterans and frosh players who are ready to live up to their preseason hype.

Brooke McCarty

Celina Rodrigo

Jordan Hosey

Karen Aston

40 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

Kelsey Lang

The returning players’ stats jump off the page. Boyette is a force to be reckoned with — ODA HA@ 1AT=O EJ >HK?GO SEPD =J@ ł AH@ CK=H percentage at .561. She scored 86 points and snagged 62 rebounds in postseason play. She ł JEODA@ PDA OA=OKJ =O PDA EC 0LKNPOLANOKJ of the Year. Lang led the Longhorns with 359 total points, 218 total rebounds and averaged 13.5 points per game. Sanders led the team in assists last year with 108 and an average of 3.2 per game. Davenport was a close second with 88 assists and an average of 2.7 per game. She scored double-digit points 11 times last season. Rodrigo is the all-time active leader for Texas in career assists with 314. Taylor scored double digits seven times and ranked fourth on the team in rebounds with 134. But the stats aren’t everything. The veteran players bring energy and a special presence on the court. They’re also stepping up as leaders for the freshman class. Davenport says Aston encourages the seniors to lead the team on and off the court and take an active role in practice. As a two-year starter, Sanders is embracing her role as a leader.

Empress Davenport

“I’m like the old lady on the team — I’ve owned that role,” Sanders said. “I want to be there for the young ones and give them someone to look to in practice. Their work ethic is great. When they need to do better, I feed them that advice.” The younger players are starting to contribute on the court. Lack of talent won’t be a problem for Texas, but the freshmen lack experience. Aston said game time is crucial to their development. Early season nonconference games are a perfect opportunity to expose the freshmen to game environments. “It’s time for the players to get into game action, and look at what we need to do, what we need to improve on, where our strengths and weaknesses are and give some young players a chance to get under the lights,” Aston said. The freshmen are taking advantage of their playing time. Freshman guard Lashann Higgs scored 11 points in her collegiate debut against UTSA. Freshman forward Jordan Hosey grabbed eight rebounds. Both players saw action in Texas’ 86-33 win over Northwestern State on Nov. 18. “We have an exciting group of young

ALL PHOTOS TH IS PAGE: PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. O F TEXAS

Imani Boyette

?KJĹ‚ @AJP =J@ =NA >QEH@EJC KBB PDA ?NEPE?EOI “That’s always been the narrative of Texas — they can’t score and the guards can’t shoot,â€? Boyette said. “We focused on that in the offseason so that no one can say that anymore. I’m trying to make sure that I’m an offensive threat. I’ve always been able to score, but I haven’t necessarily made that my primary objective until recently.â€? Texas’ offense is in good hands. WNBA legend Tina Thompson joined Texas’ coaching staff in May after ending her professional career in 2013 as the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer.

HIGHER LEARNING: Facing a bit of a learning curve, freshman Lashann Higgs is stepping up to the challenge and simply taking it one game at a time. 42 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

She’s a two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time WNBA champion. The players are taking Thompson’s coaching LDEHKOKLDEAO PK DA=NP 1DA PA=I EO NAĹƒ A?PEJC DAN insights on the court, especially for the post players. “I’m excited for the opportunity to use the information, skills and lessons that we get from some of the best coaches in the country,â€? junior forward Sara Hattis said. “It’s been a huge help with Tina Thompson here. As a post player, she works a lot with us, so hearing her insight, her coaching theories and her advice is huge – not only for me but for the rest of the post players.â€? Thompson isn’t the only new addition to the team. Texas recently signed the No. 3 recruiting class. The Longhorns are sitting in the spotlight and poised for a breakout season. With expectations high, Aston said keeping the players focused is key. Texas went through highs and lows last year, but Aston is emphasizing maintaining an even keel throughout the season this year. The players are focusing on their goals and making sure they’re prepared for each game. They embrace the pressure, but also remember how it crippled them last season. “We got distracted last season,â€? Boyette said. “We had big expectations, we had some failure and we had to re-adjust. All of that pressure can sometimes be distracting, but we’re trying to use the time we have left to prepare.â€? The Longhorns have individual goals as well — to stay out of foul trouble, improve rebounding and scoring. But winning is the ultimate team goal. Keeping that collective goal in mind helps unite the players on the court. It helps them focus on the game and ignore outside forces. “We all just want to win,â€? Sanders said. “That’s one thing that’s special about this team. Winning outweighs all the personal goals. Most people might want their points, their stats ‌ >QP PDEO PA=I EO QJOAHĹ‚ OD EJ PD=P OAJOA ‡ Texas looked for those wins with a slate of nonconference games in December. The Longhorns took on Mississippi State at home Dec. 2 and then traveled to Little Rock on Dec. 6. Texas returned to Austin to face Stanford on Dec. 13 and Canisius on Dec. 16. The team also played Arkansas in Oklahoma City for the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Dec. 20. Texas faces its last nonconference foe at home Dec. 27 against Sam Houston State. The Longhorns began Big 12 conference play Dec. 30 at West Virginia. “I don’t want to lose a game at home my senior year — without a doubt, I do not want to lose on that court,â€? Sanders said. “The rankings give us some excitement at the beginning of the season. With this team, it’s all about taking it day-by-day, trying to get good practices consecutively and to have little goals within our big goals that just keep us focused throughout the season.â€?

ALL PHOTOS TH IS PAGE: PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. O F TEXAS

players — the best mix that we’ve had since I’ve been here,â€? Aston said. “We have talked about youth and inexperience, but it’s something that @AĹ‚ JEPAHU ODKQH@ JKP KN SEHH JKP >A =J AT?QOA this year.â€? Higgs adds buzz to Texas’ roster as one of the most highly touted recruits of the 2015 class. She was the No. 7 overall recruit and the No. 3 guard in the nation, according to ESPN. com. Higgs says adjusting to the collegiate game has been life changing. She focuses on playing the best she can and tries not to pay attention to outside pressure placed on the team. Aston said Higgs is a dynamic and coachable player, who still has much to learn. “You don’t have to say a lot to her because she’s pretty hard on herself,â€? Aston said. “There will be times when she’ll have to learn patience as she’ll take some shots that aren’t very good.â€? The learning curve is all part of the process. The sophomores have a year under their belts and know what to expect in big games. The juniors and seniors have settled into consistent levels of production. Texas has depth and skill at every position and weapons on offense and defense. “We have a scoring threat from every position,â€? Boyette said. “We’ve been working on that, and it’s nice that any and everybody can come out and score.â€? The Longhorns’ scoring ability faced criticism last year, and Aston said shooting is still one of the biggest hurdles the team will face coming into this season. However, Texas’ dynamic bench adds another dimension to the offense. Aston said the Longhorns have more Ĺ‚ NALKSAN =J@ =NA ODKKPEJC IKNA =CCNAOOERAHU from the perimeter. The players are more

IN SEASON

PILLARS OF STRENGTH: The Texas soccer players stood together this season, displaying strength and discipline, as they took on some of the toughest competition in Division I soccer.

THE GOAL STANDARD ANGELA KELLY AND HER 2015 SQUAD SET A NEW STANDARD FOR THE TEXAS SOCCER PROGRAM

HEN THE 2015 season started, Texas head coach Angela Kelly had two different points of view. On one hand, she was unsure about what kind of season was in store for her team, particularly on the defensive end of the Ĺ‚ AH@ 1DA )KJCDKNJO D=@ = OPAHH=N CK=HGAALAN EJ Abby Smith returning for her senior season, but Kelly had to replace three of the four defenders who started in front of Smith in 2014. On the other hand, Kelly has a track record of building winners, and she saw no reason that

W

44 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

Texas shouldn’t fall into that category. Prior to her arrival in Austin, she built the Tennessee program into a Southeastern Conference power, guiding the Lady Vols to four straight SEC Eastern Division titles, three straight SEC regular season titles and four SEC tournament championships. While in Knoxville, she was named conference Coach of the Year three times. Kelly also played collegiately at the University of North Carolina, which for years was considered the unquestioned heavyweight in women’s college soccer. In other words, Kelly knows what a winning program looks like, and how to build one.

Part of her approach is having her team play the best competition possible. She did it at Tennessee, and she has done it at Texas. Three KB PDA )KJCDKNJO† Ĺ‚ NOP Ĺ‚ RA C=IAO PDEO OA=OKJ were against nationally ranked opponents: then-No. 5 North Carolina, then-No. 18 Ohio State and then-No. 14 UCLA. Texas went 1-1-1 against the trio of marquee opponents, but Kelly said the learning experience was as valuable as the results. “I’m a big believer in doing that,â€? Kelly said about organizing a tough nonconference schedule. “If you want to be one of the best teams, you have to play the best teams. We

ALL PHOTOS TH IS S PREAD: BETHANY WAL TER/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

A HISTORY OF WINNING: Angela Kelly knows what it takes to build a winning program. Under her guidance, Tennessee won four conference championships.

brought in Virginia (in 2012, when the Cavaliers were ranked 10th in the country). We lost the game, but it was important for the players to see how the big dogs play. To become a team like that, you have to see their attention to detail, the way they prepare, their intensity. You can talk about those things all you want, but seeing them, and the results they bring, is much more effective.â€? 1AT=O SAJP EJ EPO Ĺ‚ NOP PDNAA C=IAO this year, shutting out Miami 1-0 in the opener, falling 2-0 to the Tar Heels and then battling the Buckeyes to a scoreless draw. The shutouts against Miami and Ohio State were an indication of things to come for Smith, who began the 2015 campaign with 24 career shutouts. She KJHU JAA@A@ Ĺ‚ RA @QNEJC DAN OAJEKN OA=OKJ PK PEA the school’s all-time record. In their fourth game, the Longhorns went on PDA NK=@ BKN PDA Ĺ‚ NOP PEIA PDEO OA=OKJ 1AT=O HKOP 2-0 to UC-Santa Barbara. Kelly understandably was disappointed with the result but said the game served as something of a springboard for her team, which bounced back two days later with a road win at UCLA. “Going on the road to California and beating UCLA ‌ that’s hallowed ground for women’s soccer,â€? Kelly said. “They were national champions two years ago and there’s a real aura of prestige there. So after not getting a favorable result, we went down the 101 and got a tremendous result. We had to regroup from the disappointing result at Santa Barbara and we did. UCLA was a great team, with tremendous players that anyone would love to have. It’s tremendously hard to win anywhere on the road, but to do it there ‌ that was a great win for us.â€? 1DA )KJCDKNJO Ĺ‚ JEODA@ PDA JKJ?KJBANAJ?A portion of their schedule with a record of 3-23, which included Smith’s third shutout of the season in a 0-0 draw against Little Rock.

1AT=O SKJ BKQN KB EPO Ĺ‚ NOP OET EC C=IAO the highlight of which was a dramatic, 2-1 victory in double overtime in Lubbock against then-No. 17 Texas Tech. That game, coupled with the win at UCLA, validated to Kelly that the program, while not at the level she envisioned, is headed in the right direction. “That game was like the UCLA game,â€? she said. “We were able to do the same thing at Texas Tech that we had done at UCLA. Winning

in this conference is so hard to do, and winning on the road is always hard. But this is three times in a row now that we have beaten Texas Tech and they have a tremendous program. “For me, the foundation has been laid,â€? she continued.“The culture and climate of our training, the competitiveness, the understanding of how to win — that’s all in place. When you take over a program, that’s one of the biggest battles. Coaches say they want to win, but sometimes they don’t know how to get there. We know how to get there. We know how to build a program. We’re headed in the right direction.â€? &J PDA )KJCDKNJO† Ĺ‚ J=H DKIA C=IA = victory over Montana, Smith picked up her sixth shutout, giving her 30 in her career — one more than Dianna Pfenninger had for the team during her tenure from 2005-08. Kelly was understandably enormously proud of Smith’s accomplishments and didn’t mince words when it came to her senior netminder. “Abby is the best goalkeeper in the country,â€? Kelly said. “What I’m most proud of for Abby is that she has become more technical. Her closing speed is bar none. She has come up with huge saves and she organizes the back. She has become such a great leader. She understands that to be the consummate leader, she has to >A?KIA OAHĹƒ AOO =J@ ODA @E@ PD=P 0DA >A?=IA the glue of this team, and that’s sometimes @EBĹ‚ ?QHP PK @K SDAJ UKQ†NA JKP =NKQJ@ PDA PA=I for every part of every training session.â€?

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 45

POWER FORWARD: Redshirt freshman Mikayla Flores ranked second on the team this season with 10 points on three goals and four assists.

46 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

Abby Smith

ALL PHOTOS TH IS S PREAD: BETHANY WAL TER/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

&B 0IEPD†O IKOP OECJEĹ‚ ?=JP OP=PEOPE?=H accomplishment is her shutout record, she also managed to do something few, if any, goalkeepers have ever done. For the third time since her arrival in Austin, Smith scored a goal on a punt. “She has scored three goals,â€? Kelly said. “I ?D=HHAJCA UKQ PK Ĺ‚ J@ =JU CK=HEA =P =JU HARAH who has done that.â€? If Smith was the headliner, the 2015 team also saw the emergence of other key players, especially on the offensive end where a pair of freshman forwards led the team in scoring. Alexa Adams ended the year atop the stat sheet with 16 points on six goals and four assists, BKHHKSA@ >U *EG=UH= #HKNAO SDK Ĺ‚ JEODA@ second with 10 points on three goals and four assists. That the two were so effective in their debut seasons at Texas did not come as a huge surprise to their coach. “The way in which we recruit, we try to Ĺ‚ J@ LH=UANO SDK D=RA PN=EPO SA @KJ†P S=JP to play against,â€? Kelly said. “Each player we decide to go after has some attribute we don’t want to see in the opposition, whether it’s their

speed, the way they make runs, how they strike a ball. But we have some young players — Alexa, Mikayla, Kayra Dollas — who have a lot of talent. They need some seasoning, and that takes some time, but you can see when you watch them play that the talent is there. They’re a big part of the reason the future here is so bright.â€? Despite all of the young talent on the Texas roster, that bright future remains a work in progress. In addition to Smith, Kelly and her OP=BB Ĺ‚ J@ PDAIOAHRAO B=?A@ SEPD PDA P=OG KB replacing several other key seniors, including IE@Ĺ‚ AH@AN )EJ@OAU *AUAN =J@ (AHOAU 0DEIIE?G who tied for third on the team in scoring with AECDP LKEJPO =J@ BKNS=N@ IE@Ĺ‚ AH@AN D=JP=HA Campbell. Texas ended its season with a record of B=HHEJC EJ PDA Ĺ‚ NOP NKQJ@ KB PDA EC tournament to Kansas. Kelly acknowledged that it’s never easy to see the end of a season, but that the young returning talent and the progress made in the process of learning how to win has her excited about what lies ahead. “It’s hard to say goodbye to any senior class and this one is special, too,â€? Kelly said. “But

Alexa Adams

I’m excited about the talent we have coming back, and the talented players we’re bringing in. One thing we want to do in recruiting is to Ĺ‚ J@ LH=UANO SDK =NAJ†P FQOP CKK@ LH=UANO =J@ good athletes, but players who really want to be Longhorns. The players coming in are both of those — very talented players and excited to be Longhorns. “Once the culture and foundation are set, the sky’s the limit.â€?

Horns Illustrated (ISSN 1096-2573), Volume 22, Number 9. Copyright Š 2015 by Texan Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Published nine times a year (monthly in January, February, March/April, May, June, July, October, November and December) in the United States by Horns Illustrated, 1505 Ridgecrest Drive, Austin, TX 78746. Subscription inquiries: Send new or renewal notices or change of address (send both old and new addresses) to Horns Illustrated, P.O. Box 50069, Austin, TX 78763. Allow 6-8 weeks for change of address. Subscription problems: Call 855-246-7677. Subscription costs: U.S. and its possessions, oneyear basic rate, $49.95. Periodicals Postage Paid =P QOPEJ 1AT=O =J@ =@@EPEKJ=H I=EHEJC KBł ?AO POSTMASTER – send address changes to Horns Illustrated - P.O. Box 50069, Austin, TX 78763. Tel. (512) 626-8513. Publisher disclaims all responsibility to return unsolicited editorial mat-ter, and all rights in portions published vest in publisher. Letters to Horns Illustrated magazine or its editors are assumed intended for publication in whole or in part without permission from the writer. Any similarity between persons or places IAJPEKJA@ EJ PDA ł ?PEKJ KN OAIE ł ?PEKJ =J@ NA=H places or persons living or dead is coincidental. Single copies: $4.95 in U.S.

DECEMBER 2015 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 47

FINAL SCORE

Angelo Pizzo, the writer of famous sports movies “Rudy” and “Hoosiers,” made his directorial debut in a new movie about the college football player who inspired the war on cancer. Called “My All American,” the movie centers on Freddie Steinmark, described as having gritty skill and unyielding faith while playing for Texas. Overlooked as a high school running back, Steinmark took the national spotlight in what was dubbed the game of the century between Texas and Arkansas. The game garnered so much national interest that it was even attended by then-President Richard Nixon. Shortly after that game, Steinmark went to see a doctor about a searing pain in his left leg, and he was diagnosed with cancer. The malignant tumor was so aggressive that doctors amputated his leg less than a week later. Steinmark, known to friends and family as a fighter, defied everyone’s expectations as he battled cancer for 18 months. In the months that followed Steinmark’s death on June 7, 1971, the nation’s grief turned to determination, and Nixon declared the war on cancer. A short time later, Congress passed the National Cancer Act, marking the largest effort the U.S. had made to fight cancer at the time.

48 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

DECEMBER 2015

COURTESY UT ATHLETICS PHOTOG RAPHY

TACKLING CANCER