NOVEMBER 2016
27
Can Texas get back on track?
CONTENTS FEATURES
27
FOOTBALL
MIND MATTERS
The season-opening win against Notre Dame seems like a dream — a moment that many fans would like to hang on to as the 2016 season continues to unfold. Since Horns Illustrated proudly announced, “Texas is Back,� the Longhorns dropped from the Top 25 ranks and into a slump many couldn’t have predicted. Steve Habel takes a closer look at the losses against California, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma and gives his take on what went wrong in.
34
FOOTBALL
INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
Shane Buechele has the weight of the entire Burnt Orange Nation on his shoulders — but the freshman quarterback has yet to falter. Despite the amount of pressure that comes with being the Longhorns’ signalcaller, he remains cool, calm and collected. Steve Habel takes us behind the stats to learn more about Buechele and how he continues to impress, week in and week out.
DEPARTMENTS
LEADING OFF
SPIRIT OF THE MONTH - Cuyler Duncan
MARK YOUR CALENDAR ROUNDUP MEDIA VOICES THE HABE ON THE HORNS IN SEASON - Cross Country and Soccer
DON BENDER
FINAL SCORE
COVER PHOTO: PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
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PATRICK MEREDITH/UN IV. O F TEXAS
LEADING
OFF
Texas’ 41-7 win over a much-improved Miners team before a crowd of 92,863 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium was solid, if not spectacular. Yes, it took a while to become the runaway victory that most expected, but the easy win showcased the Longhorns’ overall talent and depth. The Longhorns’ defense allowed one big play but limited the UTEP attack to just 208 yards. Only 58 of those yards came in the second half. Texas experimented with young defensive players, throwing a bit of everything at the Miners, and was able to dominate — exactly the kind of performance the Longhorns needed to produce against an obviously overmatched opponent. “Coach (Charlie Strong) talked about how teams often look past an opponent like this after winning a huge game,” Texas safety Kevin Vaccaro said after the game. “We started off slow, but we kept it together.”
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ROUNDUP
BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS
NOVEMBER 2016
SWING QUEENS: Texas women’s golf fired a third-round 286 to win the Lady Paladin, led by freshman Emilee Hoffman’s medalist
honors, at the Furman University Golf Club. The Longhorns’ victory marks the first under head coach Ryan Murphy and the first since 2011, when the squad won the Betsy Rawls Invitational. Hoffman’s medalist honors mark the first time a Texas player has won an event since Bertine Strauss won the PING/ASU Invitational in spring 2015. Hoffman carded a third-round 70, following a record-breaking 65 on the first day and a 73 on day 2 to finish 6-under par. Her final score of 210 is the fourth lowest in Texas history. Junior Sophia Schubert also posted a top-five finish after firing a third-round 73. She made two birdies and three bogeys to finish 2-under par for the tournament. Freshman Greta Völker finished under par with a third-round 71 to tie for 15th, marking her second straight top-15 finish. She tied for 10th at the Longhorns’ first tournament. As a team, Texas finished with an 873 at 11-under par, two strokes ahead of runner-up Furman on its home course.
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NOVEMBER 2016
STAND BY YOUR MAN
THE DEPARTED
MOVING ON: Kai Locksley will transfer after this season.
IN CHARLIE WE TRUST: Despite the recent downturn in the season, the players continue to stand behind Charlie Strong and the program.
C
HARLIE STRONG HAS taken a lot of flack recently. Many have called for the third-year head coach’s job in recent weeks after the team dropped three straight. But the team made a statement in its 27–6 win over Iowa State — the Longhorns still support their head coach. “We were playing for Charlie and each other,” sophomore linebacker Breckyn Hager said. “We’re tired of the crap. We love that man and we want to keep him in house.” Strong made a crucial decision before the game against Oklahoma, taking over the defensive play-calling duties from defensive coordinator Vance Bedford. The defense struggled while giving up 672 yards to Oklahoma. But the unit showed some much-needed progress against the Cyclones with eight sacks and six points allowed. “We scored and we didn’t allow them to go score — [that’s] what’s been happening,” Strong said. “We can build from this one.” While Strong’s job security has come into question recently, the team insists that there’s still time to turn the season around. Strong said he’s not worried about the outside criticism — he just wants to see the team win. Still, the Longhorns know each victory will make a difference for their head coach. “Every night we’re playing for that man,” freshman quarterback Shane Buechele said. “Everybody on our team loves coach Strong and we try to show it every time.”
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FORMER GILMAN (MD.) QUARTERBACK Kai Locksley left the Texas football team and intends to transfer after the season. Locksley — a two-time All-Metro second-team selection — redshirted last season and switched to wide receiver this offseason. He hasn’t recorded a catch in Texas’ six games, and Strong cited playing time in Locksley’s decision to leave the program. Locksley initially committed to Florida State over Texas and Maryland, where father Mike Locksley was serving as the Terps’ offensive coordinator. The four-star dual-threat quarterback recruit switched his pledge to Texas just days before national signing day in 2015.
Breckyn Hager
NOVEMBER 2016
PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD FROM TOP RIGH T: BETH ANY WALTER/UN IV. OF TEXAS , PATRIC K MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS, BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF T EXAS, PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS, S USAN S IGMON/UN IV. OF TEXAS , PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
GETTING DEFENSIVE
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SIDELINED: Charlie Strong took the defensive reigns from Vance Bedford after the Oklahoma State game.
EAD COACH CHARLIE Strong has gone through eight different assistants since he arrived on campus in 2013. And after taking over the defense from now former defensive coordinator Vance Bedford, Strong has now demoted his original offensive and defensive coordinators in a three-year span. “You have to change with the game and do what you think is best for the program,” Strong said. “That’s what I’ve been trying to piece together and make sure we do what’s best.” And while taking over the play calling may help Texas’ withering defense — the team ranks last in the Big 12 in points allowed — it signals a bigger problem: Strong is backed against a wall. He said he doesn’t think the move is a desperate measure for a desperate time. But without any coordinators left to take the fall, the burden to fix the Longhorns’ woefully inadequate defense falls solely on Strong’s shoulders. “It’s not this big desperation all of the sudden,” Strong said. “I’ve done it before and I can see where I can help us. Sometimes you feel like you need new energy and eyes, and [I’m] hoping this will be a good move for that.” The program found itself in a similar position last year heading into the Red River Rivalry. The Longhorns entered the matchup coming off a 50–7 loss at then-No. 4 TCU, stirring up skepticism in the national media regarding Strong’s future. After the much-needed win against Iowa State, Strong has to sustain his success.
ROOKIE ON A ROLL
FRESHMAN MICAYA WHITE earned recognition as the Big 12 Freshman of the Week for the fourth time in five weeks in early October. White is the third player in Texas volleyball history to be named Freshman of the Week four or more times, joining Haley Eckerman (2011-14) and Michelle Kocher (2008-11). Eckerman earned the honor four times and Kocher five. In the Longhorns’ road wins over Oklahoma and Kansas State, White topped the Big 12 in points, averaging 5.89 in two matches. She ranked second in the conference in kills with 5.11 and ranked in the top 10 in service aces and digs. She posted two double-doubles on the week with 26 kills and 12 digs at Oklahoma and 20 kills and 16 digs at Kansas State.
ON THE RISE: Micaya White is the third player in school history to earn Freshman of the Week honors four or more times. NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 15
NOVEMBER 2016
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
T
TOP 10: The Texas women’s basketball team earned two top-10 rankings for the 2016-17 season.
HE TEXAS WOMEN’S basketball program, coming off one of the best seasons in program history in 2015-16, earned top-10 rankings in a pair of preseason publications. Lindy’s Sports ranked the Longhorns No. 8, while Athlon Sports’ preseason preview issue rated Texas No. 10. Both publications are currently for sale on newsstands.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2015-16 SEASON INCLUDED:
Most victories (31) since the 1987-88 campaign
GREAT SCOTT!
SOPHOMORE HARRISON SCOTT toppled the highest-ranked opponent of his career and rallied to claim the men’s singles title at the John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic. The 71st-ranked Scott came from behind to post a 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory over Kentucky’s 15th-ranked William Bushamuka. Bushamuka is the highest-ranked student-athlete to fall victim to Scott in the Canadian’s one-plus seasons with the Longhorns. Prior to this match, Scott’s highest-ranked victory was a win over Ohio State’s 45th-ranked Hugo Di Feo in the third round of the 2016 NCAA Championships. “I had to be mentally tough and keep my cool out there,” Scott said. “[Bushamuka] was serving really big, and I had a hard time returning his serve. I knew I needed to keep battling out there and I would get my chance. I waited, I had my chance, and I went for it.” Scott and Bushamuka traded a few service breaks apiece before going to a first-set tiebreaker, where Bushamuka prevailed 7-3. Neither player relinquished his serve in the second set, which also progressed to a tiebreaker. Bushamuka led 4-0 in the tiebreaker before Scott captured the next seven points to win the set. Scott broke Bushamuka’s serve for 3-2 in the third set and polished off the ensuing three games to finish off the victory. “It was a tremendous effort from Harrison,” Texas head coach Michael Center said. “This is a testament to his competitiveness, and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Deepest run in the NCAA Tournament (Elite Eight) since the 2002-03 season Tied for the most Big 12 Conference victories (15) in program history Posted the third-best start to a season in program history (16-0)
Finished second in the Big 12 Conference regular season, marking the program’s highest finish in league play since 2004-05 Played in the Big 12 Tournament Championship Game for the second consecutive season Earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history, marking the school’s highest seeding since a No. 1 seed in 2004 Played host to NCAA First and Second Rounds for the first time since the 2010 campaign Texas returns eight letterwinners from last year’s 31-5 team, including All-Big 12 Conference selections Ariel Atkins and Brooke McCarty. The Longhorns welcome the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class (according to ESPN.com) that includes freshmen Joyner Holmes, Alecia Sutton and Jada Underwood. 16 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
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Harrison Scott
JIM S IGM ON/UNIV. OF TEXAS , SU SAN SIG MON/UNIV. OF TEXAS
Recorded an 11-0 mark in regular-season nonconference play for the second consecutive year. Last season marked the first time in school history that the Longhorns have recorded back-to-back undefeated regular-season nonconference schedules
NOVEMBER 2016
HIS BEST SHOT
A
LL-AMERICAN CODY Gribble (2009-13) earned his PGA Tour card after finishing in 19th place, heading into the Web.com Tour Championship. The Championship, canceled due to Hurricane Matthew, was the final tournament of the fourtournament playoff series. The top-25 money leaders from the four events earn a PGA Tour card. Gribble will begin playing on the tour in 2017. He’s the second member of Texas’ 2012 National Championship team to play on the PGA Tour after Jordan Spieth earned his card in 2013. “It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Gribble said. “I was on the outside of the fence last year so it was nice to have a few things go my way. It’s been a roller coaster this year. I was playing great, and then I missed a lot of cuts. I was looking forward to playing this week and improving my number, but everything worked out.”
GOING PRO: Cody Gribble earned his PGA Tour card this fall.
JIM S IGM ON/UNIV. OF TEXAS
NO OUTSIDERS ALLOWED
THE BIG 12 finally decided finally against expanding from 10 teams. Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Big 12 Board of Directors Chairman David Boren said it wasn’t the right time to increase the size of the conference. “We had a candid meeting which showed a great deal of strength in the conference,” Boren said. “We have a strong commitment from every single member of the board to the cohesiveness and stability of the conference.” The meetings were devoted strictly to discussing the idea of expansion in general, and no specific schools were voted on during the discussions, according to Boren. There were 11 finalists to join the conference, including Houston, BYU and Cincinnati. Bowlsby said he was content with the Big 12’s current makeup and the
decision against expansion was a reinforcement of the Board’s confidence in the Big 12. “Ten presidents came together in unity and came to the same conclusion,” Bowlsby said. “We like the competition model we have with the full round robin. We do a great job in competing at the highest level, and this decision in part was a celebration. It was an endorsement and reinvestment in the strength of the 10 we have.” While the conference has taken expansion “off the agenda” for the time being, Boren made it clear expanding from 10 members was a future possibility. “Gathering this information has not been a waste of time,” Boren said. “Down the road, who knows? Circumstances change.” NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 17
NOVEMBER 2016
UP AND COMING
CALENDAR NOVEMBER 2016 FOOTBALL 5: at Middle Tennessee State, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 1:30 p.m. 12: at Louisiana Tech, Ruston, La., 2:30 p.m. 19: at Texas A&M, College Station, TBA 26: vs. Charlotte, 6 p.m.
SOCCER 2-6: Conference USA Tournament, Charlotte, N.C., TBA
VOLLEYBALL 4: vs. Florida Atlantic, 6 p.m. 6: vs. Florida International, 1 p.m. 10: at Charlotte, Charlotte, N.C, 5 p.m.
A
12: at Rice, Houston, 1 p.m. 18-20: Conference USA Tournament,
Gino Littles
Lucas O’Brien
Houston, TBA
M & W CROSS COUNTRY
W BASKETBALL THE UTSA WOMEN’S basketball team went through a down year in the 2015-16 season as the Roadrunners finished 10-19 overall and 6-12 in Conference USA. This season, the team returns all but four players from last year’s team and welcomes five newcomers. November offers a manageable schedule for the Roadrunners as they opened Nov. 11 against Angelo State and also play former conference rival UT-Arlington. UTSA will also host two tournaments in the early part of the season, the UTSA Thanksgiving Classic and the Rae and Craig Blair Memorial Tournament in December. UTSA will open their conference schedule on New Year’s Day at UTEP.
FOOTBALL JOSIAH TAUAEFA WAS named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week in mid-October. He’s the first UTSA player to earn a weekly award this fall. 18 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
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Tauaefa’s excellent start to his first season as a Roadrunner continued in the 55-32 home victory against Southern Miss. The redshirt freshman linebacker racked up a game-high 12 tackles — the third doubledigit effort of his debut campaign — and he added the first interception of his career late in the fourth quarter when the Golden Eagles were threatening to make it a one-score game. The Corinth native has a team-leading 58 stops this year, which tops all freshmen in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and his 11.6 tackles per game ranks third nationally. Tauaefa, who spent his redshirt year as a defensive end, made the transition to linebacker this past spring.
COURTESY JEF F HUEH N/UTSA ATH LETICS , JEFF HUEH N
11: NCAA South Central Regional, FTER A DISMAL 5-27 season, longtime coach Brooks Thompson will not lead the UTSA men’s Fayetteville, Ark., TBA basketball team this year. 19: NCAA Championships, Terre Haute, Ind., TBA Enter first-time head coach Steve Henson. Henson joined the Roadrunner program after serving as an assistant coach with the M BASKETBALL Oklahoma Sooners. 11: at Fresno State, Fresno, Calif., 9 p.m. 13: at Oregon State, Corvallis, Ore., 4 p.m. “I’m pleased with our guys,” Henson said following the first practice of fall camp. 16: at Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Ill., 7 p.m. “They’re chomping at the bit. Their effort was great and their enthusiasm was terrific.” 19: vs. Prairie View A&M, TBA 22: at Lamar, Beaumont, 7 p.m. From the start, Henson’s new attitude was well received by the players. Senior center 25: vs. Texas State, 7:30 pm Lucas O’Brien, who’s entering his fifth season with the Roadrunners, is ready for a new W BASKETBALL beginning. 11: vs. Angelo State, 7 p.m. “I’m excited for this season and what’s to come,” O’Brien said. “I can’t wait to see what happens.” 13: at UT Arlington, Arlington, 2 p.m. Also returning this year is junior guard Gino Littles, who echoed O’Brien’s sentiments about the new 16: vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 7 p.m. 20: at Oregon, Eugene, Ore., 4 p.m. coaching staff. 25: vs. Northern Colorado, 4:15 p.m. “Coach Henson is a defensive guy,” Littles said, “and the defense will win us games.” 27: vs. Tulane, 2:15 p.m. 29: vs. Abilene Christian, 7 p.m. Defense was an issue in recent years for the Roadrunners, with the offense not faring much better. Both were key areas of concentration leading into the season. The Roadrunners are currently without Christian Wilson, who led the team in scoring last season. UTSA has yet to announce when or if he’ll return. Even without Wilson, the team is following in the footsteps of the UTSA football program by relying on its entire roster to contribute. The UTSA men’s basketball team opened its 2016-17 season with an exhibition game against Arkansas Tech on Nov. 7. “We spoke to the players during the offseason about this day and setting a tone,” Henson said.
NOVEMBER 2016
ALL IN
CALENDAR NOVEMBER 2016 M GOLF 1: Duck Commander Intercollegiate, El Dorado, Ark., All Day
VOLLEYBALL 4: at Arkansas State, Jonesboro Ark., 6 p.m. 6: at Little Rock, Little Rock, Ark., Noon 11: at Louisiana, Lafayette, La., 6:30 p.m. 12: at ULM, Monroe, La., 6:30 p.m. 18-20: SBC Tournament Quarterfinals, TBA
CROSS COUNTRY 11: NCAA South Central Regional, Fayetteville, Ark., 11 a.m. 19: NCAA Championships, Terre Haute, Ind., 10 a.m.
M BASKETBALL
U
CAN YOU DIG IT?: Taylor Murata is now 9th on UTA’s freshman single-season digs list.
12: vs. Texas Southern, 7:30 p.m. 14: vs. Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn., 7 p.m. 16: at Florida Gulf Coast, Fort Myers, Fla., 6 p.m. 18: at Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark., TBA 21: vs. St Francis Ill., 7 p.m.
23: vs. Mount St. Marys, 7 p.m. T ARLINGTON VOLLEYBALL dropped its first Sun Belt Conference match of the season against 26: at Fordham, Bronx, N.Y., 4 p.m. Coastal Carolina on Oct. 1. The match knocked the Mavericks down to 9-10 overall and 3-1 29: at Texas, Austin, TBA in league play and snapped a five-match win streak. Coastal Carolina took home the win after W BASKETBALL sweeping its way through a Texas road trip. 12: vs. UTSA, 2 p.m. UTA held onto a steady lead through the first set until the Chanticleers’ five-point run 16: at Western Kentucky, Bowling Green, Ky., 7:05 p.m. fueled a 17-15 advantage that would later evolve into a 25-21 win. 20: vs. Wichita State, 5 p.m. The Mavericks increased their intensity for a competitive second frame, and three kills 26: vs. San Diego State, South Orange, from junior Qiana Canete lifted UTA to an 11-10 lead. However, more polished hitting from N.J., 10:30 a.m. 27: SHU Thanksgiving Classic Round 2, the Chanticleers kept them in control to win 25-19. Four and 5-point runs throughout the South Orange, N.J., TBA third set paved the way for Coastal Carolina’s final win, 25-15. “We certainly need to pick up road wins when we can,” head coach Diane Seymour said after the match. “It was great for us to pick up those two and there’s nothing wrong with coming home this weekend and going 1-1. We’re still on the upside of it at conference play and headed in the right direction.” Despite the loss, Madelyn St. Germain reached a career-high 10 digs. Canete registered 10 kills, seven digs and hit at a clip of .385. In addition, Taylor Murata surpassed Shelley Williams and Olaya Pazo for ninth place on UTA’s freshman single-season digs list. Murata added 18 to her collection during the match, bringing her career total to 327.
COURTESY EL LMAN PHOTOGRAPH Y
CROSS COUNTRY SENIOR CRAIG LAUTENSLAGER was named the Sun Belt Conference Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week after clinching the win at the Ken Garland Invitational at the University of North Texas. He’s the second UTA runner to win these honors. Lautenslager finished first in a field of 51 runners, crossing the finish line of the four-mile course in 19:55.2, a full eight seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. After redshirting last season, Lautenslager was competing in his first race since the 2014 NCAA South Central Regional. In the team standings, UTA finished second in a field of six.
TRACK & FIELD UT ARLINGTON SENIOR Tobi Fawehinmi jumped 7.01 meters (23 feet) to earn fifth in the long jump for Team USA at the 2016 Paralympic
Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Fawehinmi finished second among the American jumpers, behind gold medalist Roderick Townsend, whose leap of 7.41 meters established a new Paralympic record. Fawehinmi was competing in the Paralympic Games for the second time, after finishing fifth in the triple jump and 10th in the long jump in 2012. The 2016 Games didn’t include the triple jump, which is Fawehinmi’s specialty. He set a world record for Paralympic athletes in the event in May, when he jumped 50 feet, 11.5 inches (15.53 meters) at the 2016 NCAA West Preliminary Round. “We’re incredibly proud of Tobi and all he has accomplished,” head coach John Sauerhage said. “To be able to watch him compete on that stage wearing a Team USA jersey was an experience we will never forget.” NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 19
NOVEMBER 2016
A PICTURE OF HEALTH: Cuyler Duncan, a former Silver Spur, was living life to the fullest before he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
I
N JUNE, DOCTORS gave Cuyler Duncan only weeks to live. Today he’s beating the odds and figuring out how to manage life with cancer. The Texas native and lifelong Longhorn was diagnosed with stage 4, grade 3 neuroendocrine Carcinoma. After receiving the diagnosis, Duncan and his family packed up their lives in Portland, Ore., to move back in with family in Austin. They needed their support system to fight this cancer. This isn’t something you fight alone. When describing his cancer journey, Duncan never used the term “I”; instead he always used “we.” Not only did Duncan have the support of his family, friends and colleagues, but also of the Longhorn community nationwide. He credits this “we” with his miraculous turnaround. “It’s definitely a “we” — it’s not just me fighting this alone,” Duncan said. “It’s a group effort and we’re all sharing the ups and downs. It’s empowering to know you’re not alone.” Duncan grew up all around the state, including in El Paso, Dallas and Houston, before attending The University of Texas from 1997 to 2002. While at Texas, Duncan was a member of the Silver Spurs, and in his senior year, he had the honor of handling Bevo. At the season opener against Notre Dame, Duncan walked out with the Spurs during the presentation ceremony for Bevo XV. “I felt blessed to have been a part of it,” Duncan said about the ceremony. “For a split second, I forgot that I was sick. It felt like old times and all the worries washed away for a minute.” What started out as a stretch goal — living long enough to see Texas take on Notre Dame in the 2016 season opener — became a reality. Against all odds, Duncan’s health improved. Back in May 2016, Duncan was feeling what he described as the best that he’d ever felt. He had just moved to Portland, Ore., with his family. He loved to run and was living life to the fullest. Then he started to slow down and became more exhausted than ever before.
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WIDE RECEIVER LIMAS Sweed caught eight receptions for 65 yards in the Longhorns’ 2005 BCS National Championship win over USC. Prior to winning the national title, Sweed played wide receiver and free safety for Brenham High School. He finished his senior season with Class 4A Second-Team All-State honors. As a redshirt freshman, Sweed quickly rose to the starting receiver role in 2004. He finished the season with 23 catches for 263 yards but no touchdowns. As a sophomore, Sweed had his most memorable play as a Longhorn, when he caught the game-winning touchdown against Ohio State. He finished the year with 36 catches for 545 yards and five touchdowns, in addition to helping Texas secure its fourth national championship However, his best performance was during his junior year when he hauled in 46 passes for 801 yards and 12 touchdowns. Sweed played only seven games his senior year after injuring his wrist, which caused his draft stock to fall slightly. That didn’t stop the Pittsburgh Steelers from selecting Sweed with the 53rd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Sweed finished the season with six catches for 64 yards. He also won a championship ring in the Steelers’ 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. After he spent the next two NFL seasons battling injuries, the Steelers released Sweed in August 2011. He then moved on to play in the Canadian Football League but decided to forgo the opportunity to stay close to family. In 2014, Sweed took a job as a middle school football coach in Kyle, Texas.
CUYLER DUN CAN, COU RTES Y UT ATHLETICS PH OTOGRAPH Y
CUYLER DUNCAN
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
NOVEMBER 2016
CUYLER DUN CAN
A FIGHTING SPIRIT: When doctors gave him only weeks to live, Duncan refused to accept his prognosis.
At first, he attributed the exhaustion to stress; but as severe abdominal pain set in, he realized something was terribly wrong. On June 21, Duncan received the news — cancer. As described by his doctor, Duncan had multiple tumors on his liver. Duncan and his family immediately returned to Texas, where he directly went to the MD Anderson emergency room. Just one week earlier, he had been healthy in Portland; now his liver was failing. Because of the cancer’s aggressive nature, doctors recommended an emergency round of chemotherapy that had an equal chance of killing him as it did of saving him. The end goal was to restore some liver function in order to start a treatment plan. Despite these efforts, Duncan’s liver continued to get worse. His prognosis came down to days and maybe weeks to live — anything more would be considered a miracle. His doctors eventually sent him home with hospice. Yet, Duncan couldn’t accept his prognosis. He was determined to live as long as possible, and established the goal to make it to Texas’ season opener against Notre Dame. “It’s a fluke to me because I’m such a healthy guy,” Duncan said about his cancer. “To manifest itself the way it did — I couldn’t believe it. Maybe there’s a chance there will be some incredible fluke on the other side of it all.” Duncan started alternative treatments. He went to the extreme regarding his diet, he slept and exercised more — he basically tried everything to increase his chances of survival. “I thought, ‘This isn’t going to fly. I’ve got to do something,’” Duncan said. During his fight against cancer, people from all aspects of his life started to reach out. Prominent members of the Longhorn community started sending messages and prayers. Duncan received a message and visit from former quarterback Vince Young. Former Longhorns Mack Brown, Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, Huston Street and current linebacker Malik Jefferson were just a handful of the people who sent letters, videos and words of encouragement.
The Flaming Lips, Lance Armstrong, Roger Staubach and even President Barack Obama contacted Duncan to offer support. The outreach worked. Duncan started to feel better. He kept meeting personal goals and gaining his strength back. He and his wife sought additional testing and a second opinion. The news was positive — Duncan’s liver function had improved significantly. His markers went from “off the chart” back to “we’re not going to die tomorrow.” Duncan called off hospice and on Aug. 12, he started his regular chemotherapy treatment. The three treatments he’s had so far seem to be working. His most recent scan showed his tumors have shrunk by at least 30-50 percent and his liver function was returning to normal levels. His doctor also indicated that the scan showed his cancerous cells were less active than the normal cells, meaning they were dead or dormant. “The impact is incredible,” Duncan said. “I attribute my improved health to everyone who supported me. It was extremely spiritual for my family and me when all those people reached out. It gave me a sense of, ‘I’m not going to give up. I can’t give up — there’s a lot of people pulling for me and I’m not going down without a fight.’” Duncan wants to inspire others fighting cancer. He wants others to know that despite the odds, there’s always a chance — even if it’s only 5 percent. “I received a message of hope in the face of a very daunting outlook,” Duncan said. “Other people can feel the same and they need to find their support system. They need to find the thing that will help them get better because you can get better.” Duncan realizes he may never fully recover. He’ll always have cancer, but his family is working to get to the point where they can live a normal life. He has a ways to go, but thanks to the support of his family, friends and the Longhorn community, he’s optimistic. “If you can accept the fact that your body created the cancer cells, then you can also accept the fact that your body can eliminate those same cancer cells,” Duncan said. “It’s empowering and I live like that everyday. I live with purpose. I hope to pass on a message that people can fight and every minute you’re here is worth fighting for.”
TEXAS STRONG: Duncan attributes his miraculous turnaround to alternative treatments and the support from the Texas community. NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 21
A TEAM EFFORT: The Texas offense will not allow the defense to take full responsibility of the team’s recent losses.
BALANCED ACCOUNT N THE FIRST half of the 49-31 loss to Oklahoma State, Texas accounted for 390 yards of total offense and scored four touchdowns. Despite the robust production, Texas faced a 37-25 deficit to thanks to the Cowboys’ 14 points in the final 5:05 of the half. For the second consecutive game, Sterlin Gilbert saw his offense rush over 300 yards (329 yards on 50 attempts). D’Onta Foreman (148 yards, two touchdowns and 8.7 yards per carry) and Chris Warren III (106 yards, 10.6 yards per rush) led the effort, each going over the 100-yard mark for the second time in two games. Against Oklahoma State, Gilbert’s offense established a new seasonhigh mark with 568 total yards. But for the second game in row, it wasn’t enough. While onlookers point fingers at a defense that allowed 555 yards and at a special teams unit that kept tripping over its own feet, all parties involved on the offensive side of the ball are only looking in the mirror when it comes to placing blame. “You look across the board and know what our job is,” Gilbert said. “Our job is to score points and we have to do a great job of that. Whatever that number might be, we have to execute at a high level and score more than the competition.”
I
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Shane Buechele enjoyed a solid outing throwing the football (21-for33, 239 yards, one touchdown and one interception), but later indicated the job he did wasn’t good enough. The offense has trust in the defense, Buechele said, and mistakes like the interception he threw are things he said can’t happen regardless of what the defense is doing. “We should’ve scored more points than we did,” Buechele said. “It shouldn’t have to come down to what the defense gives up. It should come down to how many points we score.” The Longhorns didn’t score much in the second half due in large part to the two studs in the backfield not being available. Warren suffered a knee injury and didn’t return after halftime while Foreman succumbed to an abdominal injury late in the third quarter. “That affects you,” Gilbert said of the injuries to the team’s two bruising backs. “You look at those guys skill-wise and then with their execution, it definitely affects you.” On the other hand, Buechele said losing Foreman and Warren shouldn’t have caused the offense to stop functioning properly. “It was towards the end and you’re down, so you have to start throwing the ball and moving the ball,” Buechele said. “When those guys go down, it’s rough. Those guys are great backs, but Kyle Porter can do those things too.”
PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
THE TEXAS OFFENSE TAKES A HARD LOOK IN THE MIRROR AFTER THE LOSS TO OKLAHOMA STATE
JOHNNY WALKER REVIEW THE FORMER LONGHORN GIVES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE STATE OF THE TEXAS FOOTBALL TEAM
JOHNNY WALKER'S RESUME • Played football and baseball at Texas from 1987 to 1990 • Two-time All-Southwest Conference • Caught the game-winning reception to beat Oklahoma in 1989 Dorian Leonard
• Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1990 (4th round)
PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
“
THE BIGGEST THING FOR THE TEAM IS TO PLAY LIKE IT DID AGAINST IOWA STATE. THEY HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AS A COHESIVE UNIT AND LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS — AND PLAY TO THEIR ATHLETIC ABILITY.
”
Horns Illustrated: What’s your assessment of the season thus far? Johnny Walker: Shane Buechele has done a phenomenal job of running the offense, even as a true freshman. That young man will be successful now and in the future at Texas. On the defensive side of the ball, Texas faces some difficulties. The defense has talent; but for whatever reason, the unit hasn’t been able to play together. The high-octane, no-huddle offenses expose gaps in this defense. HI: Which players have surprised you? JW: Dorian Leonard. He’s come out of nowhere. Some players may not look great on paper, but when you turn on the lights and they get on the field — they’re gamers. That’s Leonard. He’s a consistent playmaker. As far as the defense — I was surprised Malik Jefferson isn’t dominating as much as we thought he would. It’s not because of the effort — the effort is there. HI: What do you attribute to the defense’s success against Iowa State?
JW: The defense’s talent is phenomenal. However, guys need to start stepping up and playing football. Texas has great defensive backs, but they need to start making plays. When you become passive and start sitting back in zone coverage, you detract from your athletic ability. The guys are young and they’re trying to protect them from tough situations, but this is Texas. Every game, there will be a tough situation, but you have to go out and play. We saw more man coverage against Iowa State and an aggressive defense. To me, that’s a sign Texas is moving in the right direction. HI: What is the key for Texas to become bowl eligible? JW: In my mind, the players need to absolutely love their head coach. Even with all the negativity in the media and around the program, the players continue to stand behind Charlie Strong — 100 percent. The biggest thing for the team is to play like it did against Iowa State. They have to come together as a cohesive unit and live up to expectations — and play to their athletic ability. NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 23
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Prior to the AT&T Red River Showdown, head coach Charlie Strong announced he’d take over the defensive play-calling duties from defensive coordinator Vance Bedford. Here’s how Longhorn fans reacted to the news on the Horns Illustrated Facebook page:
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THE HABE ON THE HORNS
FINDING THEIR DIRECTION AFTER FOUR LOSSES, TEXAS IS CERTAINLY NOT BACK
T
HE BIG-ENOUGH-to-read-it-from-the-street headline of the October 2016 edition of this magazine — which was sent to press right after the first two games — proclaimed that Texas was back. However, based on the recent four losses, the notion was clearly hasty and enthusiastically hopeful. Six contests into the 2016 campaign and the Longhorns have more losses than wins, rose into and then fell from the top 25 and continue to struggle on defense. In the wake of crushing early hopes for this season, fans and pundits alike have called for the firing of Texas head coach Charlie Strong. The view here is that any move to remove Strong and his staff — even with the four losses against Cal, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Kansas State — would be a gigantic mistake. Such a decision would send the wrong message to the players Strong and his staff corralled and brought to the 40 Acres to revive the Texas program. Let’s look at the first five games of the season pragmatically rather than emotionally on our collective sleeve. Heading into the year with a schedule that included three ranked teams in their first five games, did anyone other than die-hard fans hold out hope the Longhorns would fare better than 3-2? Yes, the season-opening win against Notre Dame was thrilling, but in the weeks since the Fighting Irish have proved to be underachievers, at best. A home victory over Texas-El Paso was all but a given, but tough road games against California and Oklahoma State and the neutral-site showdown with Oklahoma in Dallas proved a little too much for the Longhorns, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The players understand the urgency of learning from their mistakes. The coaches continue to instill an aggressive confidence in a youthful, prideful and error-prone team. I won’t sit here and tell you that all is well with Texas. The defense still has gaping technical holes and freshman quarterback Shane Buechele is still learning the ins and outs of being a college quarterback. The bottom line is that these things take time. Many would point to the rapid success by Houston’s head coach Tom Herman, who’s lost just two games in his season-and-a-half tenure, as an example of how teams can rise above the fray in an accelerated manner. But Houston isn’t playing the talented teams that Texas is on a week-in, week-out basis. Let’s take a step back and let the season play out. If by Nov. 25 the Longhorns are not a better team than they were in 2015, then it might be time for a change at the top. Between then and now it would be foolish to give Strong, his staff and his players anything less than the benefit of a doubt. 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. NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 25
TEXAS MISSTEP: Despite running for 148 yards and two touchdowns, D’Onta Foreman and the Texas offense couldn’t stay ahead of Oklahoma State.
MIND MATTERS AFTER THREE CONSECUTIVE LOSSES, THE LONGHORNS NEED TO REFOCUS AND FIND THEIR STRIDE AGAIN
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PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
TEXAS @ CALIFORNIA
HERE’S NO WAY that Texas’ 50-43 loss to California on Sept. 17 can be considered anything but a step backward for the Longhorns’ suggested resurgence within the world of college football. What 50,448 fans in California Memorial Stadium and a red-eyed nationwide viewership discovered (or was it reaffirmed?) was that the Longhorns can’t stop anyone defensively — save for the occasional team like UTEP. And with the game against Cal in the balance late in the fourth quarter, Texas folded,
SEPT. 17 [50-43] finally doomed by defensive breakdowns, bad execution and poor coaching decisions. The record will show that Cal quarterback Davis Webb, who transferred to the East Bay after failing to keep his job at Texas Tech, hit Chad Hansen on a 12-yard touchdown pass for the deciding score with 3:41 to play. It was one of five touchdowns for Webb (four throwing and another on the ground), who connected with nine different receivers for 396 yards through the air. Texas got the ball back with plenty of time to move to the tying score, with two timeouts to help in that cause. But suddenly the passing lanes that were open earlier in the game no longer
existed, and three plays netted next to nothing, forcing Texas to punt and rely on its defense. That was a pipe dream. Cal picked up nine yards in two runs and allowed the Longhorns to burn those two clock stoppages. Then, needing only a yard to gain a first down and put the game away, Cal running back Vic Enwere shot through a huge hole in the Texas line and raced into the end zone with a meaningless touchdown that added insult to the Longhorns’ injury. But Enwere dropped the football somehow slipped out of Enwere’s left hand at the 1-yard line and was ruled a fumble. Officials huddled and looked at the replay and decided that the loose ball, which had been picked up by Dylan NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 27
PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
Haines, rolled into the end zone but was not immediately recovered, basically denying the Longhorns any kind of unlikely, last chance. “This is a tough and disappointing loss,” Texas head coach Charlie Strong said after the game. “We gave up too many big plays on defense. We had our chances on offense and turned it over a couple of times. In our first road game, we expected to play better. We had to have our team more prepared, and we didn’t.” Texas defensive tackle Paul Boyette, Jr. summed things up even more succinctly. “It wasn’t a talent issue,” Boyette said. “It wasn’t a scheme issue. We didn’t execute the game plan. Guys have to learn their assignments.” The loss overshadowed a monstrous night by Texas’ D’Onta Foreman (157 yards on 21 carries) and Chris Warren III (18 totes for 119 yards). Both scored two touchdowns as the Longhorns amassed 307 yards on the ground and 568 yards of total offense on 90 snaps (both season-highs). Cal countered with 507 yards of total offense and Enwere’s 110 yards on 18 carries. The Golden Bears’ defense forced two turnovers; Texas forced none. The first half was a back-and-forth offensive exhibition as the two teams racked up a combined 68 points and 596 yards of total offense. Texas got two first-quarter rushing touchdowns from Warren (from four and 12 yards) and another on the ground by Foreman that covered four yards and a lengthy stretch of his arm to reach the ball across the goal line. The Longhorns also got a 41-yard scoring pass from freshman quarterback Shane Buechele to Jacorey Warrick. Buechele just threw the ball into a spot in the end zone and let the mercurial Warrick run past two defenders to catch it. Texas’ Trent Domingue then added a 38-yard field goal, and precocious freshman defensive back Brandon Jones flew in from the edge of the line to block a Cal punt that rolled out of the end zone for a safety. It was Jones’ second punt block in the past two games. The Golden Bears scored first on a picturesque 29-yard touchdown pass from Webb to Jordan Veasy. Cal then added a pair of short touchdown runs from Enwere before another 29-yard scoring strike for Webb, this time to Melquise Stovall. California turned two Texas turnovers into touchdowns. The final one was a 23-yard connection from Webb to Hansen that handed the Golden Bears a 35-33 lead at intermission. The Longhorns had a chance to take the lead on the final play of the first half but Domingue’s
SHINING MOMENT: Head coach Charlie Strong congratulates Brandon Jones for his second blocked punt of the season.
Dylan Haines
Connor Williams
Breckyn Hager
53-yard field goal attempt was wide right. He missed another, from 49 yards away, on Texas’ first possession of the third quarter. The attrition and injuries that came from the two teams’ offensive pace in the first half took over and resulted in a scoreless third quarter. But on the Longhorns’ initial offensive snap of the fourth quarter, Foreman burst through a huge hole in the middle of the Cal line and sprinted 47 yards for the touchdown, allowing Texas to regain the advantage at 40-35. And, as expected, the Golden Bears woke from their quarter-long slumber and put together a 76-yard, nine-play drive to take the
Sterlin Gilbert
lead right back. Webb used a little sleight of hand to fool the Longhorns on a 1-yard touchdown run and then a little more on a reverse pitch to Hansen for a two-point conversion. Texas tied the game with 5:29 to play on Domingue’s 35-yard field goal but all that did was hand the ball back to Webb and the talented Cal offense, which seemed to have all the answers when the game was on the line. “Texas did a great job of executing its game plan, but all week long we wanted to be tougher, and we did that tonight,” Webb said. “The credit is due to our offensive line and our coaching staff that helped us prepare this week.” NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 29
IN THE SPACE of three weeks, across three time zones against a pair of talented but middling teams, the Texas Longhorns went from trending upward to sliding back. After another disheartening loss on the road — this time a 49-31 defeat on Oct. 1 to Oklahoma State — Texas needed to find some way to reposition a train that had clearly come off the rails, and had to do it quickly. The loss was the first for Texas in Stillwater since 1997, snapping an eight-game win streak for the Longhorns on the plains just east of the Indian Meridian. Before a crowd of 53,468 at Boone Pickens Stadium, the Longhorns did some things well against the Cowboys. Texas ran the ball effectively (329 yards and four touchdowns on 50 carries) and constantly pressured Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph. In fact, the Longhorns sacked him three times. Foreman ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns, while Warren III went for another 106 yards on the ground. Unfortunately, both running backs suffered an injury during the game. Buechele passed for 239 yards and a touchdown despite feeling the effects of a rib injury he sustained Sept. 17 in Texas’ loss to California. Short-yardage quarterback Swoopes had two touchdowns while running the “18 Wheeler” package. But those positives were all but erased by a porous defense that allowed 555 total yards — an average of 7.8 yards per play — and forced zero turnovers. Four of Oklahoma State’s six touchdowns came on plays of 30 or more yards, including touchdown passes of 54 and 52 yards. The other
TIME TO GET DEFENSIVE: The defense allowed 555 total yards against Oklahoma State and forced zero turnovers. 30 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
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OCT. 1 [49-31]
two came on the heels of a 37-yard pass and an interception that allowed the Cowboys to start a drive at the Texas 1-yard line. “We can’t play the way we did in the first half and expect to win a football game, especially in an environment like this,” Strong said. “We still have work to do. We still have a long way to go. When you have two weeks to prepare for it and you [still] give up the throws they had … we have to get this fixed.” Rudolph passed for 392 yards and went 19of-28 — an average of 20.6 yards per completion. Justice Hill had 135 yards on 25 carries for Oklahoma State and Jalen McCleskey hauled in four passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns. “[Oklahoma State] didn’t do anything we didn’t expect,” Texas secondary coach Vance Bedford said. “When you don’t get takeaways, you have a difficult time winning a ball game. We need to think about making plays — we missed five or six sacks in the first half.” The Cowboys flexed their muscles early on, driving for touchdowns on their first two possessions. The first, a nine-play, 75-yard march was culminated by Hill’s 30-yard scoring run; the second came on a 54-yard pass from Rudolph to James Washington on a crossing route at the end of a six-snap, 68-yard drive. Poor tackling and bad pursuit angles aided both scores by the Cowboys. Texas responded on its second possession with its own six-play drive for a touchdown, with 55 yards of the march covered on a nifty pass from Buechele to Dorian Leonard. Swoopes covered the final two yards with a run around the right side out of the 18 Wheeler power package. The Longhorns got within a point on a 22-
Paul Boyette Jr.
yard Foreman run up the middle at the 1:25 mark of the first quarter. Unfortunately, Texas kicker Domingue’s extra point attempt was blocked by the Cowboys’ 310-pound defensive tackle, Vincent Taylor, who also picked up the bouncing ball and carried it 42 yards before pitching it, option-style, to Tre Flowers. Flowers, escorted by a handful of teammates, took it all the way to the end zone for two points and a 16-13 Oklahoma State lead. It’s the second time this year that Texas has a blocked PAT returned for points for the opposition. Texas’ power running game gave the Longhorns a 19-13 lead at the 10:13 mark of the second quarter as Swoopes ran over an Oklahoma State defender and through another on a 13-yard touchdown. But Domingue had another PAT blocked, stunting the Texas momentum. The Cowboys found some offensive magic on their next possession, covering 80 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with two plays: a 37-yard screen pass hookup from Rudolph to Washington, followed two snaps later by a gutsy 10-yard touchdown run by Rudolph. Texas tight end Andrew Beck’s first catch of the season turned into a 39-yard touchdown and a 25-23 Longhorn lead. Remember Beck? The Cowboys obviously didn’t, because they didn’t even bother covering him on the pass from Buechele. Then Domingue had a third PAT blocked, this time by Lenzy Pipkins. Like clockwork, the Cowboys made good on their turn on offense as Rudolph’s 36-yard touchdown pass to McCleskey, which came one snap after a 34-yard hookup from Rudolph to Jhajuan Seales, handed Oklahoma State a 30-25 lead with 5:05 to play in the first half. McCleskey and Rudolph teamed up again in the waning seconds of the second quarter
PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
TEXAS @ OKLAHOMA STATE
on a 52-yard catch and run that expanded the Cowboys’ lead to 37-25. Rudolph’s throw, which was delivered under pressure from the Texas rush, was punctuated by McCleskey’s you-can’ttouch-me move to avoid two tacklers. Each team ended up with the same amount of total yards — 390 — in the first half, but each arrived at that total differently. Texas had a more balanced attack, with 205 rushing yards and 185
more through the air, while Oklahoma State got the majority of its work (310 yards) via the pass. Oklahoma State added to its lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Barry Sanders Jr., two plays after Jordan Sterns intercepted Buechele on an ill-advised pass to the right flat. But Foreman bolted through the Cowboys’ defense for a 62yard touchdown run on the Longhorns’ ensuing possession to keep Texas within reach, at 43-31,
PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
TEXAS VS. OKLAHOMA (@ DALLAS) IF YOU LOOK at the AT&T Red River Showdown as a heavyweight fight, Texas — no matter how bad it looks coming into its annual rivalry game with Oklahoma — always has a puncher’s chance. That notion was illustrated Oct.8 inside the Cotton Bowl when a capacity-plus crowd of 92,100 fans watched as No. 20 Oklahoma traded haymakers with the Longhorns on its way to a 4540 victory. This game, however, was more about who would be the last man standing rather than one squad actually being better than the other. The loss marked the third straight for the reeling Longhorns, who were once ranked as high as 11th in the country. Texas — save for a glorious six-day period in September when it beat Notre Dame and Texas-El Paso — has disappointed its fans and continues on a mindnumbing, downward path. Oklahoma had its own difficulties coming into the 111th edition of its series with Texas, losing two games (albeit to top-10 teams) in the season’s first five weeks and suffering a truckload of injuries in the process. The Sooners also had a burr under their collective saddle after the Longhorns handed them their only loss of the 2015 regular season. As a result, they had to watch Strong don the famous Golden Hat trophy and smile like the Cheshire Cat. Record performances from prior weeks can all but be tossed out when Texas and Oklahoma square off. The heightened intensity of the game, the hoopla of its surroundings and the expectations of the two teams’ rabid fan bases mean anything can happen at the Red River Showdown. And such was the case on Oct. 8. When Oklahoma needed to control the clock with the game in the balance in the fourth quarter, the Sooners opted for a recipe of 3-yard runs and short passes rather than flashy, deep throws. The decision resulted in indefensible jabs that stung and kept the game going rather than wild swings that could leave them open for a counterpunch. The focus of that late-game strategy was
with 4:08 to play in the third quarter. Oklahoma State kicker Ben Grogan, who also had a PAT blocked in this game, padded the Cowboys’ lead to 46-31 with a 26-yard field goal with 11:54 to play. He added another one just five minutes later from 24 yards out at the end of a 61-yard, eight-play drive in which the Texas defense looked like it finally figured something out — albeit much too late.
OCT. 8 [45-50]
TEXAS STAMPEDE: The Longhorns went into Red River Showdown prepared to take down Oklahoma.
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PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
Charles Omenihu
workhorse Samaje Perine, who ran for 214 yards on 35 carries, nine of which came on the decisive drive. For good measure, the Sooners’ Baker Mayfield passed for 390 yards and three touchdowns. Dede Westbrook hauled in 10 passes for a 232 yards — the highest number of yards ever recorded by an Oklahoma player and the most receptions ever for a Sooners player in the history of the series. Mayfield’s 390 yards on 22-of-31 passing was also the most by a Sooners quarterback in the series. With Texas trailing by just eight points with 10:34 to play, Oklahoma chewed up 7:58 of the clock on a 15-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a 39-yard field goal by Austin Seibert. The Longhorns scored quickly, taking just 51 seconds to move to D’Onta Foreman’s 22-yard touchdown run that cut the lead to 45-40. A twopoint conversion attempt failed, and Oklahoma corralled the ensuing onside kick. “We were able to control the ball when we had to,” Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said. “We fought all the way to the end. We had guys down at the start of the game and even more as the game went on. We’re still searching for consistency, but we made the plays we had to at the end of the game.” The Texas defense and some shoddy clock management by Oklahoma gave the Longhorns one more chance, but they needed to move 90 yards in 17 seconds with no timeouts. Unfortunately, the Longhorns couldn’t produce a miracle. “It’s not a desperate situation, but when you’ve lost three games in a row you need to win,” Strong said. “Defensively, we have to get better. We have to make teams drive on us. The big plays really hurt us today.” Buechele was 19-of-39 for 245 yards and three touchdowns for the Longhorns while Foreman racked up 159 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
Texas entered the game having forced just one turnover in its first four games, but safety Dylan Haines grabbed two interceptions in the first seven minutes of the first quarter. Haines returned the second interception to the Oklahoma 13-yard line, and after three plays and a penalty pushed Texas back to the 16, Domingue booted through a 33-yard field goal to give Texas a 3-0 lead with 5:21 to play in the first quarter. A fumble by Foreman at the Texas 16-yard line later in the quarter garnered a short-field situation for Oklahoma, and the Sooners made the best of the opportunity, needing just three plays to move to a 2-yard touchdown run by Perine. A pair of 15-yard penalties by Oklahoma on the same play accounted for nearly half of Texas’ 69-yard scoring march on its ensuing possession, as Foreman powered over from the 1-yard line for a 10-7 Longhorns’ lead 39 seconds into the second quarter. Mayfield hit Westbrook on a 71-yard bomb for a touchdown to return the Sooners to the lead, at 14-10, with 4:02 to play in the second quarter. It was the longest scoring pass play by the Sooners in the history of the rivalry. Domingue cut that lead to 14-13 on the final play of the half and the end of Texas’ most sustained drive of the first two quarters. Texas reassumed its lead on its first possession of the third quarter as Buechele hit Devin Duvernay on a 63-yard touchdown pass. Duvernay, the track star who originally committed to Baylor but flipped to Texas, before being released from his commitment in the wake of the scandal in Waco, was wide open behind the Sooners’ defense. It took Oklahoma just 58 seconds to answer, driving 79 yards in three plays to a 42-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to Westbrook that gave the Sooners a 21-20 advantage. Buechele went right back to the deep ball on the Longhorns’ next possession, finding Leonard
on another touchdown bomb, this one from 45 yards away as Oklahoma defender Justin Thomas lost the ball in the sun. Mayfield scampered for a 4-yard touchdown run at the end of an eight-play, 75-yard march that put the Sooners back in front at 28-27 seven minutes into the third quarter. The big play on the drive was a 51-yard catch-and-run from Mayfield to Dahu Green after Texas cornerback Kris Boyd stopped covering Green long enough to create some space for the play to take place. Westbrook kept getting open and Mayfield kept finding him for touchdowns. They hooked up for the third time on a 47-yard scoring connection at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter. Just when the Sooners looked like they were ready to take control of the game, Joe Mixon muffed a punt that was recovered by Texas’ Boyd at the Oklahoma 23-yard line. But then Oklahoma’s Will Sunderland intercepted Buechele at the 7-yard line to quell the Longhorns’ scoring chance. Perine, who’s from the Austin suburb of Pflugerville but was never offered a scholarship by the Longhorns, added to the Oklahoma lead with a 3-yard touchdown run with 11:53 to play. But the Longhorns refused to relent, driving 67 yards in six plays, the final one a 10-yard touchdown pass from Buechele to Armanti Foreman that cut the Oklahoma lead to 42-34 with 10:34 left in regulation. “You go out and want to win every game, and that’s the attitude I have,” Strong said. “Whether it’s OU, or whomever it is, my goal is to win every game. I told our players we have seven games left and we just have to continue to work, get better and go get ‘em. There’s no reason why we can’t .”
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INTO THE SPOTLIGHT NEASY LIES THE head that wears a crown.” William Shakespeare likely didn’t pen that phrase with a college quarterback in mind, but then again, he never set foot inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium with 102,000 screaming fans demanding something special from the player set up behind center. However, for freshman quarterback Shane Buechele, “uneasy” may not be the right word to describe his demeanor on the field. 36 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
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After an offseason battle with senior Tyrone Swoopes, Buechele earned the starting spot — and was notified exactly one day prior to Texas’ season opener against Notre Dame. Buechele was impressive to a fault, leading the Longhorns to a touchdown on his first possession and eventually to a 50-47 overtime win against the Fighting Irish. The game against Notre Dame was a historical milestone for the Longhorns. Buechele became the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Texas in a season opener since Bobby Layne in 1944. Buechele was also just the ninth true freshman to start at
quarterback in a game in school history and the first since David Ash in 2011. In Texas’ 41-7 win over UTEP the following week, Buechele became the first true freshman quarterback to ever start the first two games of a season at Texas. Through the Longhorns’ first five games (which produced a 2-3 record due mostly to a porous defense) Buechele amassed 1,204 passing yards while setting a Texas true freshmen record for passing in a season. He threw for 200 or more yards in four of his first five games and 11 touchdowns. Buechele took the majority of the snaps
PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
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ONLY A FRESHMAN, SHANE BUECHELE IS THE LEADING MAN FOR THE TEXAS OFFENSE
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PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS
TEAM PLAYER: Shane Buechele may be the Longhorns’ leading man, but he’s quick to share his success with the team.
through the first part of the season, coming out only when the Longhorns turned to Swoopes for the power-running 18-Wheeler package. He also took a seat on the sideline during the lopsided win against UTEP and when he was dinged up early on during Texas’ loss at California. So far, Buechele isn’t feeling the pressure. “I go out there every day and play the game that I love,” he said. “I’m thankful for the guys that took me in and made me calm.” PRIMED FOR SUCCESS Buechele was a four-star recruit and a two-time all-state quarterback at Lamar High School in Arlington. He passed for 6,379 yards and 73 touchdowns and rushed for 1,805 yards and 21 scores during his prep career. “As a player, Shane was a calm, composed, nothing-rattles-him fearless competitor,” said Laban DeLay, Buechele’s head coach at Lamar. “But at the same time, he’s a character-type of kid.” Buechele was a three-time all-state honoree as a high school player and received scholarship offers from 11 different schools before signing with the Longhorns. He enrolled early at Texas to make sure he had the upper hand in both college and football. He quickly turned heads with his performance in the Longhorns’ truncated spring game, when he threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns in just one half of football. “Shane always had a confidence, but he respects his teammates,” Texas head coach Charlie Strong said. “Some guys are cocky; they rub you the wrong way and guys don’t want to associate with them. They’re just hoping they fall on their face. “But with Shane, all the players respect him,” Strong continued. “He could handle [starting at quarterback], like this stage wasn’t too big. Sometimes there’s a player that comes through that’s a special player, and he’s one of those.” Buechele is the son of former Major League Baseball player Steve Buechele, who played for the Rangers, Cubs and Pirates as a third baseman between 1985 and 1995. Growing up in a family led by a professional athlete primed Buechele for the rigors and expectations of the spotlight. “Growing up in a pro sports environment and going to games was always fun,” Buechele said. “But when you’re actually playing in front of 100,000 people, it’s different. At the start of the [Notre Dame] game I just took it all in, saw everything and that helped. It calmed me down knowing the fans were behind me.”
He doesn’t come off as a guy with an ego or that wants to make it all about him. He wants to work to get better, and the success he’s had won’t faze him. - Charlie Strong
A NEED FOR SPEED Buechele thrives in the attack championed by Texas offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert. “In high school I ran something similar, but not nearly as fast as we do here,” Buechele said. “Our coaching staff does a great job with preparation and repetition with the tempo that we do, and that’s what makes our offensive tempo and execution [successful].” Starting a true freshman at quarterback is always a risk, but so far that risk has produced plenty of rewards. Buechele is not big (6’1” and 191 pounds), but he has a big arm and he isn’t afraid to air out the ball. He also clearly has the mind to calmly operate a fast-paced offense. Asked if Buechele has exceeded his expectations, Gilbert said he grades his young quarterback on his progression and the proficiency of the Texas offense. “Shane continues to get better,” Gilbert said. “We know he can play; anticipate for him to do well and compete at a higher level.”
A big part of Buechele’s talent set is the lateral quickness that makes him hard to tackle in the backfield. He’s very effective on zoneread plays where he can take the edge or cut back inside if he faces over-pursuit from the defense. But what makes Buechele special is his ability to throw a ball with velocity and placement without needing perfect footwork. Sometimes it takes only a millisecond for a passing window to open or for coverage to break down — exploiting those opportunities has been key to Buechele’s early success. STAYING HUMBLE Buechele might be the best Texas quarterback since Colt McCoy — he even worked out with the Longhorn legend and current Washington Redskins signalcaller for two weeks this summer — but he remains humble. “With Shane, I don’t think [the spotlight] bothers him at all,” Strong said. “He’s one of those guys that will stay true to who he is. He has a good, strong family — they’ll help him manage that. “But I don’t think with Shane, you’ll need to help him manage it,” Strong continued. “He doesn’t come off as a guy with an ego or that wants to make it all about him. He wants to work to get better, and the success he’s had won’t faze him.” Buechele will likely stay calm and levelheaded as he continues to develop. “I’m not even the big man on campus,” he said. “I’m just another student and just another athlete. “Colt told me how the spotlight of being the Texas quarterback can be crazy,” Buechele added. “He told me to stay calm and have trust in your players and your coaches, and to stay humble and keep working hard.”
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IN SEASON
SUPPORT SYSTEM: The Texas cross country team is pushing forward together as a cohesive unit this season.
TEXAS SWAGGER
JIM S IGM ON/UNIV. OF TEXAS
THE TEXAS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM IS RUNNING ON CONFIDENCE THIS SEASON
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PPONENTS CAN’T QUESTION the confidence of the Texas cross country team. The Longhorns’ swagger will make it difficult for both the men and the women to stay under the radar this year. With opponents keeping a close eye on his teams from now until the postseason, head coach Brad Herbster continues to push his point on three things:
“Win the one-on-one battles with the people next to you; make your opponent quit and make them know they are not in this race with you; and dominate the last 2K of the race.” With this in mind, the Longhorns plan to make the 2016 season a memorable one. THE MEN Texas handily won its first two meets of the season, including the annual home Texas Invitational. During that race, sophomore Alex Rogers
took first overall, sprinting away from the pack at the end. Until that point, the Longhorns ran together, positioning themselves ahead of the field. Texas took the top six individual spots for a perfect score of 15 points to win the entire invitational. “Chemistry makes a difference if you know your teammate is going to go to the well for you,” Herbster said about the team camaraderie. Despite the victory, the men quickly regrouped after the race to discuss areas of improvement. NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 43
THE WOMEN Though they run separate races, the men and the women are not only on the same page, they’re immersed in the same book. Both teams 44 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
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A WINNER’S MENTALITY: After winning the Texas Invitational, Alex Rogers immediately looked for ways to improve before the next race.
“We sat down and talked about what we needed to fix,” Rogers said. “Getting it right in practice allows us to carry those changes over with confidence. “I’m confident in what we can do,” he added. “There’s nothing fancy about running fast anymore. You just need to get out there. It’s about guts and I know my Texas boys have that. We want it more.” Rogers recalled pangs from underperforming in his final race last season and, because of that, rededicated himself to a new training regimen. The experience has taught him how to extract power from negative experiences. “Alex showed great confidence,” Herbster said after the Texas Invitational. “When you compete hard, but stay within your zone, you can do something special.” Rogers and the Longhorns faced their first true test of the season on Sept. 30, when they raced ranked opponents for the first time of the season. The men finished 13th in the field, with Rogers leading the team with a 19th-place finish. As a unit, the Longhorns didn’t finish where they wanted, but evaluating what went right and what went wrong will only prepare them for the next race. “We’re disappointed with the results,” Herbster said. “That’s not the results we’re looking for with that group. We have to do a better job of finishing races. We have the pieces. They look good in practice. We just have to transfer that over to the races.” The Longhorns still bested Florida State, which was tied with Texas for the No. 30 spot in the nation. “We are more confident in ourselves,” Rogers said. “Even if we don’t live up to our expectations, we will live up to — and exceed — those that others have set out for us.” The team is still relatively young, which has lowered expectations outside the program, but as Rogers points out, that was the case last season. The difference is that this squad has had a year together to coalesce. “The younger class has definitely risen up to more of a leadership role — not to say the older guys haven’t as well, but we have too,” he said. “So it’s not just two people leading the team, everybody on the team is a leader and we all have something to bring to the table.” With this confidence, the men plan to improve their national standing throughout the remainder of the season.
Chemistry makes a difference if you know your teammate is going to go to the well for you. - Coach Brad Herbster
Sandie Raines
first, Lloyd in second and Abby Guidry in third at the Texas Invitational. The team has the depth this season, which was crucial with Raines and Hannah Grubb out for the Notre Dame Invitational. “We’ve been working so hard as a team,” Lloyd said. “We want to have [Raines and Grubb] back, we need them, but we need to stay positive. We’re still Texas and we can do it.” The Longhorns raced at the Penn State Open Oct. 14 and competed at the Big 12 Championship Oct. 29 in Lubbock. The NCAA South Central Regional Championships are scheduled for Nov. 11 in Fayetteville, Ark., and the NCAA Championships are set for Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Ind.
BETH ANY W AL TER/UNIV. OF TEXAS
Meghan Lloyd
share the same exact goals for the 2016 season. “It’s about being patient with each other,” Herbster said. “You don’t have to grind workouts, it’s not about beating your teammate at practice. You need to concentrate on what you’re doing and not let your surroundings distract you.” Herbster’s guidance is why the term “togetherness” keeps coming up with the entire team. And together, working as a unit, the Longhorns can find confidence to push ahead of their opponents. For sophomore Meghan Lloyd, staying
confident last year was difficult as the team had a large freshman class. Those feelings started to go away deep into the season, and it has seemingly dissolved this fall. “It doesn’t help if your confidence is pushed down,” Lloyd said. “It’s important to not be down on yourself. We communicate with each other about how we feel and what’s going on. We’re all so close with each other.” Tearing through the course to take the top six spots individually as well, the women’s team netted a perfect 15 points led by Sandie Raines in
Despite missing two of their key runners, the women still finished 16th out of 23 teams. Mary Beth Hamilton led the way for the Longhorns, finishing 75th. Only 12 seconds separated Hamilton from Texas’ fifth finisher, which was the best spread in the field. Close communication continues to be key to the Longhorns’ success this season. “It’s more intimidating if you have a couple girls packed up racing together,” Lloyd said. “It’s an individual sport but we’re there to help each other. I couldn’t do half these workouts without these girls by my side pushing me.” LOOKING AHEAD A larger goal started coming into focus for Rogers as he spoke proudly of where he thinks this cross country program will be in the future. “I don’t know exactly when, but when we get the whole team to have just one good day it will echo across the country and people will start shaking in their boots. It could be the day before nationals, or it could be a year from now. “But that day will come,” he continued. “They’re starting to know that name, and that is Texas.” NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 45
IN SEASON
GUT INSTINCT: Monique Iannella had to trust her instincts when she chose Texas over Harvard, Vanderbilt and Hofstra.
TAKING ON THE WORLD HE RECRUITING PROWESS of the Texas soccer coaching staff has a sizable reach — extending, literally, to the other side of the world. The Longhorns’ firstever Australian soccer player, Monique Iannella, transferred from Melbourne to play for Texas this year. Iannella’s international play and her whipsmart instincts on and off the pitch netted her offers from premier collegiate programs from coast to coast. However, due to long study hours, (she plans to attend law school after graduation), and competing at the highest levels, Iannella didn’t have time to come to the U.S. for campus visits. Instead, she had to 46 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
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rely on those she trusted and of course, her instincts. Those instincts pushed Texas head coach Angela Kelly and her staff above the competition and secured the defensive ace’s cross-global trek to Austin. “I had offers from different colleges but I didn’t have time to come over and look at them,” Iannella recalled. “I talked to the coaches, and I felt good about the experience of the Texas staff. They’re amazing.” Winding down her last semester in Melbourne, she knew she had a tough choice as she decided where to attend stateside. Along with Texas, she received offers to play for Hofstra, Vanderbilt and Harvard. But Kelly’s career as a player, coach and ambassador, along with her highly touted staff,
which includes Keeley Dowling, Lance Key and Kristine Lilly, shined like a star for Iannella. One final conversation with the Texas head coach confirmed Iannella’s final decision. “From talking to the coaches and with the people I trust, Texas sounded like they had great coaches,” she said. Kelly and her staff relied on film, phone calls and the word of respected coaches in Iannella’s recruitment. One of those coaches was Carl Junot, a former member of the national team who coached in San Antonio and at Harvard. Junot grew up in San Antonio with Key but currently resides and coaches in Melbourne. “There was a lot of trust there,” Kelly said about the relationship between Junot and Key. “That gave us the ability to make a quicker
BETH ANY W AL TER/UNIV. OF TEXAS
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TEXAS’ CULTURE AND REPUTATION PULLED IN THE PROGRAM’S FIRST-EVER AUSTRALIAN SOCCER PLAYER
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decision [on recruiting and pursuing Iannella] than if there had been no history.� Junot first notified Texas of Iannella’s intention to play in America and believed the culture on the 40 Acres was a perfect match. “As you stay in the game — now coaching 20 years and playing the 18 before that — you build these types of relationships all over the world,� Kelly said. “[Junot] knew the U.S. climate and the game, and immediately touched base with us. He said he had a young lady that fit the role.� Kelly wanted one of the top collegiate defenders in the world on her squad, but even beyond that was Iannella’s character. During the recruitment process, Kelly honed in on Iannella’s goals and found a driven, determined woman. “We wanted to know more about her character, first and foremost, and her willingness to pursue excellence in the classroom,� Kelly said. “She’s focused. “I love that she’s coming in with the maturity of a junior,� she added, “and we never discount the fact that she’s from halfway around the world.� From playing in Las Vegas and Hawaii in years past, as well as Vietnam and China, the Melbourne star wasn’t worried about moving
away from home. This type of transition is difficult for most players but Iannella has smoothly integrated into the team. “Everyone’s great and we get along so well,� she explained. “The culture is different, but in terms of how everyone gets ready and interacts, it’s the same thing.� Kelly points to the leadership of this year’s team, including Julia Dyche and Isabelle Kerr, as instrumental in bringing this team together. “Everything is based on respect,� Kelly said. “We respect the game, authority, our teammates and most importantly, ourselves. Our leaders and group are doing a good job staying within the ‘us and the ‘we.� The family culture of this year’s squad is instrumental in Iannella’s transition to both living and playing in the U.S. Since her life is now following a completely different timeline than her family and friends back home, Iannella leans on her teammates both on and off the field. “It’s difficult with the time difference but I message my mum at least once a night,� Iannella said. “Whether she’s available to reply is a different story. It’s disjointed and hard to have an actual conversation. Fortunately I’ve made really good friends on the team.� Iannella’s teammates still have plenty to learn about the 20-year-old Australian, including her talents outside the boundaries of the soccer field. Iannella was also a star in tennis, track & field, swimming and touch football. And while she’s fine with people learning about her potential in other sports, she would rather keep quiet about her singing and dancing prowess. She won multiple national championships in jazz, ballet, tap, and contemporary and lyrical dancing. “I didn’t love performing when I was a kid, but I would win and I obviously like winning,� she said with a laugh. “I didn’t mind doing it, but I don’t like doing it in front of people I know. “Soccer is a passion,� she added. “I enjoy singing and dancing at certain points but it’s not what I want to do.� Her passion for soccer, as well as her determination and athleticism, are now beginning to shine at Texas. “We’re grateful,� Kelly concluded. “As competitive an environment as we’re in, we have to look out for the entirety of the team. We need to make sure this young lady from across the world is doing OK off the field and she’s responding well. I think she’s enjoying our culture and appreciating the differences. I enjoy having her on the team.�
Horns Illustrated (ISSN 1096-2573), Volume 23, Number 6. Copyright Š 2016 by Texan Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Published seven times a year (monthly in January/February, March/April, May/June, July-September, October, November and December) in the United States by Horns Illustrated, 9417 B Solana Vista Loop, Austin, TX 78750. 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, one year basic rate, $39.00. 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. (855) 246-7677. Publisher disclaims all responsibility to return unsolicited editorial matter, 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 mentioned EJ PDA ł ?PEKJ KN OAIE ł ?PEKJ =J@ NA=H LH=?AO KN persons living or dead is coincidental. Single copies: $4.95 in U.S. NOVEMBER 2016 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 47
FINAL SCORE
STOMPING OUT THE COMPETITION
PATRICK MEREDITH/UN IV. O F TEXAS
The Texas football team’s first road test of the season resulted in a shootout, as the then-No. 11 Longhorns fell to California on Sept. 17, 50-43. The Golden Bears scored first, driving down the field to take a 7-0 lead in the game’s opening minutes. The Texas offense, led by freshman quarterback Shane Buechele, quickly responded with a 53yard drive. With the Longhorns 16 yards from the end zone, senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes handed the ball to running back Chris Warren III, who steamrolled several Cal defenders on his way to the end zone, putting Texas on the board and evening the score at 7 apiece.
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