Double Coverage 2017-11-10

THE DAILY TEXAN PRESENTS

DOUBLE COVERAGE VOLUME 12 ISSUE 10 | 10 NOV 2017

6116/UT Athletics; Process color 6116/UT Athletics; Process color

2

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017

STAFF PICKS TRENTON DAESCHNER

STEVE HELWICK

DREW KING

MORGAN KUEHLER

WILLS LAYTON

VANESSA LE

DALTON PHILLIPS

KESHAV PRATHIVADI

MICHAEL SHAPIRO

COIN FLIP

Last Week's Record

5–5

8–2

6–4

7–3

6–4

6–4

6–4

4–6

8–2

7–3

5–5

Texas vs.

Kansas

Texas 21-7

Texas 38-7

Texas 42-6

Texas 21-0

Texas 52-0

Texas 42-7

Texas 24-7

Texas 34-7

Texas 57-6

Texas 30-13

Kansas

No. 3 Notre Dame vs.

No. 7 Miami (FL)

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

No. 8 TCU vs.

No. 5 Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

TCU

Stanford vs.

No. 9 Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington

Washington

Stanford

Washington

Stanford

Washington

No. 12 Oklahoma State vs.

No. 24 Iowa State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State

Iowa State

No. 11 Ohio State vs.

No. 13 Michigan State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Ohio State

Michigan State

No. 1 Alabama vs.

No. 18 Mississippi State

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

No. 2 Georgia vs.

No. 10 Auburn

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Auburn

No. 23 West Virginia vs.

Kansas State

West Virginia

Kansas State

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

Kansas State

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia

Kansas State

No. 25 Iowa vs.

No. 6 Wisconsin

Iowa

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Iowa

Overall Record

62–28

65–25

67–23

65–25

62–28

57–33

60–30

56–34

66–24

63–27

47–43

The Daily Texan presents

EDITOR’S

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 10 | NOVEMBER 10, 2017

Texas is running out of time. With only three games left in the season, head coach Tom Herman and his Longhorns must win two games in order to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2014.

Although West Virginia and Texas Tech will prove to be tough opponents down the stretch, Texas will confidently enter this Saturday’s match against Kansas, a team that sits at the bottom of the Big 12 rankings.

DOUBLE COVERAGE DOUBLE COVERAGE EDITOR .............................. Vanessa Le DESIGN EDITOR ............................... Maya Haws-Shaddock PHOTO EDITOR ............................................. Gabriel Lopez COPY EDITOR ............................................ Morgan Kuehler COVER PHOTO ............................................... Gabriel Lopez WRITERS Alex Briseño

Trenton Daeschner

Steve Helwick

Drew King

Wills Layton

Dalton Phillips

Keshav Prathivadi

Michael Shapiro

photos by gabriel lopez daily texan staff

ALEX BRISEÑO

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017

OPPONENTS TO WATCH

By Steve Helwick @s_helwick

CARTER STANLEY QUARTERBACK, #9

Stanley suffered an injury in the 38-9 loss to Baylor last weekend, but the quarterback may be ready to go come 5 p.m. in Austin on Saturday. The sophomore quarterback famously left Texas fans with a bitter taste in their mouths near the end of the 2016 season, when Stanley captained two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to lead Kansas to its first victory over Texas since 1938.

With Washington State transfer Peyton Bender starting the season under center, Stanley didn’t receive many in-game reps until recently. In his first start of the season, the Vero Beach native threw for a career-high 418 yards and one touchdown, falling 30-20 to archrival Kansas State. But Stanley has beaten just one FBS team in his career, the same one he’ll face at Darrell K Royal Stadium in Week 11.

KHALIL HERBERT RUNNING BACK, #10

Herbert tore apart West Virginia’s defense with a 291-yard outing on the ground on Sept. 23. His career day resulted in the best rushing performance of 2017, a mark which has since been shattered by Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate.

But in that game, Herbert showed his true potential. He has found the end zone just four times this season, and all of his touchdowns have been recorded in his two 100-yard games. After a stretch of limited carries, Herbert got back on track in Week 10, earning 71 yards on 10 carries versus Baylor. But the sophomore running back experienced a truly special moment in his first year as a Jayhawk — scoring Kansas’ final touchdown in the monumental upset over Texas.

STEVEN SIMS JR. WIDE RECEIVER, #11

Just like Herbert, Sims rattled off a breakout performance with mind-boggling numbers. In the loss in Lawrence to Kansas State, Sims earned 233 receiving yards on nine catches, including a 60-yard touchdown pass during Kansas’ comeback effort in the fourth quarter.

Sims, after a highly productive 2016 campaign, leads Kansas in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns for the second-consecutive season. The junior receiver from Houston is on a hot streak of his own, collecting 16 catches for 275 yards in the past two weeks. Sims ran in the twopoint conversion to cut Kansas’ deficit to three points during the Jayhawks’ last FBS victory, the win over the Longhorns in 2016.

DORANCE ARMSTRONG JR. DEFENSIVE END, #2

Armstrong ranked second in the Big 12 a season ago by tallying 10 sacks in just 12 games suiting up for Kansas. The junior defensive end — also a Houston native — has forced three fumbles in two consecutive seasons, constantly acting as a force on Kansas’ most star-studded position group: its defensive line. Armstrong forced a conference-best 20 tackles for loss in 2016 and he has already recorded eight stops behind the line of scrimmage this season.

Armstrong’s pass rushing will be key against Texas’ offensive line, which allowed a season-high seven sacks at TCU last Saturday. The 6-foot-4 defensive end is no stranger to winning battles in the trenches against the Texas defensive line, as he recorded two sacks in last November’s contest against the Longhorns.

photos courtesy of university of kansas athletics

5

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017 COLUMN

2017 same old song barring drastic improvement

By Michael Shapiro @mshap2

shortcomings on that side of the ball. The burnt orange running backs have proved to be pedestrian regardless of whom is in the game, with Texas’ top four backs running for a combined 2.3 yards per carry.

And with both freshman Sam Ehlinger and sophomore Shane Buechele spending much of the year on the mend, the Longhorns’ passing attack has been inconsistent.

Neither quarterback has been able to gain a hold of the starting position, and questions marks will surround the depth chart each week through the rest of the season.

So where does that leave the Longhorns with three games remaining? With a stout defense and manageable schedule ahead (including two home games against teams under .500) Texas could win out, and enter bowl season at 7–5. But such a subpar

offense may very well tank the Longhorn defense and cause Herman and company to limp to a disappointing 5–7 campaign.

Once August rolls around next year, the potential disparity in record won’t be significant. The Longhorns will enter the season with an impressive recruiting class, and an added year of Herman’s system. Big things will be expected.

At this point, the priority for Texas should be the health of its team, most notably Ehlinger and Williams, and building the next core of the Longhorns’ future. A bowl appearance may boast spirits heading into the offseason, but it will have little impact on the future of the program. The Longhorns failed to reverse its culture in 2017. Now their focus must be laying the groundwork for 2018 and beyond.

katie bauer| daily texan staff

Head coach Tom Herman stands on the sideline of the field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Herman and the Longhorns will head back home to face Kansas this Saturday.

It’s been three years since former head coach Charlie Strong spoke to reporters following Texas’ fifth loss of the season, telling the media five losses in a year “will never happen in this program again.” The sentiment came off Texas’ second straight losing season, and Strong’s first after replacing Mack Brown at the end of the 2013 seasons.

Fast-forward four seasons and one head coach, and Strong’s proclamation looks absurd in hindsight. Since the beginning of Strong’s tenure in August 2014, Texas has gone 20–26, with first-year head coach Tom Herman sporting a 4–5 record heading into this Saturday.

Herman entered the programs with high hopes, looking to reverse the program’s culture in his first season. After three straight losing seasons, Herman’s found a program lacking the intensity necessary to compete in the Big 12.

“Losing has to be awful,” Herman said in July during Big 12 Media Days. “You can never get used to losing. That’s one of the biggest maybe downfalls for a lot of teams is you get used to losing ... It’s not just ‘oh, well, we’ll get them next week.’ No, it’s ‘the

sky is falling’ type stuff.”

But for as much confidence as Herman could instill in his team before the season opener, it hasn’t been enough to overcome Texas’ personnel issues, especially on the offensive end. The problems have been most glaring on the offensive line, which Herman noted at his press conference on Monday. Texas has spent all of conference play without All-American left tackle Connor Williams, and currently starts freshman Derek Kerstetter at right tackle. It’s an inexperienced unit, one that has too often failed to protect its quarterbacks.

“Fixing the problem (on the offensive line) is probably a very tall order to expect in three weeks,” Herman said on Monday.

“I think the biggest thing that we can do as a staff is mask the deficiencies as best we can. I think that comes in getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hands quicker. It comes in, you know, not maybe asking our offensive linemen to block anybody oneon-one; is to try to set up as many double teams as possible in the run game.”

Texas’ offensive line struggles have exacerbated the Longhorns’ other

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angel ulloa | daily texan staff

Dodge City, Kansas

And just like that, Johnson’s career began –– in Dodge City, Kansas, population of 27,453. The transition from high school to community college isn’t always easy, but Johnson said he knew what he had to do.

“It was a pretty hard step coming from high school to junior college,” Johnson said. “But it made me mature fast enough to know that I had to do what I had to do and get to the next level and that’s what I did.”

Johnson spent the next two years trying to get to the next level as he started at linebacker for the Dodge City Conquistadors. Thomas said both his linebacker and team saw success.

In Johnson’s two seasons in Kansas, Dodge City Community College finished 9–3 and 7–4, respectively. And in addition to the record-breaking seasons, Johnson was named No. 1 Junior College linebacker.

“He’s a tremendous athlete –– an athlete that doesn’t come around all that often,” Thomas said. “He’s an incredibly gifted individual from an athletic standpoint and a super charismatic and likable person on and off the field.

We had a good experience with him.”

Division I programs across the country took notice and all of a sudden, Johnson no longer needed coaches to email video clips of his performances. It even caught the attention of one program in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

From Crimson to Burnt Orange

Johnson’s success eventually caught the attention of Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Johnson committed with plans on returning to play football in the south.

Thomas said Saban would call and FaceTime Johnson to check up on Alabama’s commit’s status to make sure there were no bumps along the way.

“He was committed to Alabama for probably six months, if not more than that,” Thomas said. “There was a lot of schools that stayed in pursuit of him in case he didn’t make it there or something happened.”

And something did happen. Johnson was forced to reopen recruitment after decommitting from Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide due to academic requirements which prevented the linebacker from playing for any team in the SEC. “When it got down to crunch time after he decommitted from Alabama, him and me had a pretty long conversa-

tion one night,” Thomas said. “He called me, it might have been the night before signing day. He was on the fence about what he wanted to do so we talked down a list of the pros and cons of all the situations.”

Johnson wasn’t a heavily recruited player out of high school, so the recruiting process was a new one. But Johnson wasn’t just deciding on what school to commit to. He was also ultimately deciding, where he wanted his last shot at Division I football to be. USC and Ohio State were on the table, but Thomas said it really came down to two schools: Arizona State and Texas.

“Basically, after what happened when I was at Dodge City as far as me having to decommit from Alabama, I had to find a new home,” Johnson said. “It was pretty difficult.

Once I set aside the schools I was interested in and took my visits, it was pretty much obvious that Texas was the place for me.”

Johnson’s Arrival

After two seasons at Dodge City Community College, Johnson finally arrived at Texas to play Division I football for the Longhorns. Senior linebacker and team captain Naashon Hughes briefly talked about Johnson’s

contributions to t more time telling Hughes said Jo es and quickly br High School. Hug speed too, but littl Alabama state titl 10.59 seconds –– “I was telling h ‘I run a 10.5 no bl right, you’ve pro I knew he wasn’t me, ‘Yeah, he ran city, I’m a track g his speed.”

Johnson’s speed ery level, whethe Royal-Texas Mem lege transfer has a This time, it’s aga Although Johns mouth as his team loss to the Jayhaw

OHNSON’S JOURNEY

By Alex Briseno @AlexxBriseno

It all started with one email.

Junior linebacker Gary Johnson hasn’t always worn a burnt orange jersey with ‘Texas’ embroidered across his chest. He hasn’t even always been a part of Division I football, either.

Johnson’s college career started when his high school coach in Alabama sent a mass email to several junior college head coaches across the country back in 2015.

The email left Douglas High School and traveled 965 miles straight to Dodge City Community College. It didn’t take long — in fact, all it took was a mere glimpse — for head coach Gary Thomas to know Johnson had something.

“Obviously you could watch about the first five plays of the film and figure out he was a little different,” Thomas said. “We called him. I think he had a few people in the mix that day, but we ended up signing him.”

the Longhorn defense, but he spent the story of the first time they met. ohnson walked into one of his classrought up his track days at Douglas ghes tried telling Johnson he had some le did Hughes know, Johnson won the le in the 100 meter dash with a time of with no blocks. him I can run a little bit. He was like, locks,’” Hughes said. “I was like, ‘Alobably got me beat by a little bit’ ... t lying because then the coaches told a 10.5 no blocks.’ ... I’m from a track guy. I was like OK, he’s for real about

d has impressed his teammates at ever in Dodge City or inside Darrell K morial Stadium. Now, the junior colanother chance to showcase his speed. ainst Kansas. son doesn’t have the same taste in his mmates after Texas’ heart-wrenching wks last year, he still knows what that

loss meant as he watched the game unfold in Lawrence, Kansas.

“I pretty much didn’t know what to think,” Johnson said. “Things happen. I just couldn’t wait to get there and help win next year.”

The junior will put on a burnt orange uniform for just the tenth time as Texas prepares to take on Kansas at 5 p.m. on Saturday in an attempt to not only avenge last year’s loss but also bring Texas one game closer to bowl eligibility.

As for Dodge City Community College, the 4–6 Conquistadors are set to host Hutchinson Community College at 1 p.m. Head coach Gary Thomas and his squad won’t finish with a 9–3 or 7–4 record like they did while Johnson was there, but Thomas still recognizes that those two years in Dodge City, Kansas were good for the both of them.

“We won a lot of football games while he was here,” Thomas said. “We won 16 games in the two years he was here. That was the most out of anybody in the conference at the time and the most wins this school has ever had in a two-year span. It definitely worked out well for us and it worked out for him as well.”

8

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017 OPPONENT FEATURE

Former Junior Olympian sprints toward NFL goal

By Steve Helwick @s_helwick

courtesy of katy lonergan

Junior defensive tackle Daniel Wise completes a tackle against TCU’s running back Darius Anderson. Kansas’ star pass rusher currently has four sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss with a quarter of his games still remaining.

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Daniel Wise’s prodigious athletic career rose to impressive heights at an early age. But Wise’s first successes at the national level occurred on the rubber polyurethane rather than a grassy turf.

The junior defensive tackle, while in elementary and middle school, qualified for several events in the Junior Olympics including the 800-meter and the 1500-meter races. The former long distance runner was a member of the cross country team in middle school and upon entering high school, he continued to pursue track and field by throwing the shot put and the discus.

Using the myriad of skills acquired from cross country, track and even wrestling, Wise’s multisport talents ended up creating a powerful, quick-footed Division I defensive tackle for the Kansas Jayhawks.

“Obviously, there’s high energy in football,” Wise said on. “You’re always running around toward the ball. Long distance helps you pace yourself.”

Although Wise’s athletic career first gathered momentum in track and field, his family displays an impressive lineage of football players. His father Deatrich was drafted as a defensive tackle by the Seattle Seahawks in 1988 and his brother Deatrich Jr. — a former Arkansas defensive end — just entered professional football six months ago when the New England Patriots selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

“Seeing (my brother) get drafted, seeing all the emotion that played into that was important, and hopefully I’ll get that call as well,” Wise said on his family’s continued success in the sport. “Our dad was our football coach.

He watched us grow up and taught us the game.”

Given Wise’s success on the field at Kansas, receiving that call is a realistic goal after his collegiate career concludes in Lawrence. In 2016, he was an All-Big 12 selection by the Associated Press after recording three sacks and nine tackles for loss.

But those respectable numbers have only ballooned in this 2017 season.

The Jayhawks’ star pass rusher currently has four sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss with a quarter of his games still remaining.

“Yeah, he’s a pretty versatile guy at that position,” head coach David Beaty said. “You don’t see it very often. You might see a (defensive end) that you might be able to move inside every now and then to a six technique, even a four and a three-down front sometimes. But this guy, being a defensive tackle and moving him to a rush end and being able to do that, that’s pretty unique.”

Before following in the footsteps of his older brother and father to the NFL, Wise plans to make the most of his experience as a Jayhawk, and he currently plays a large leadership role on the Jayhawks’ defensive line. He also embraces his off-the-field endeavors, as one of his primary objectives before leaving campus is completing his communications degree.

“He’s grown up so much from the first time that we ever met him,” Beaty said. “He’s turned into a real pro, and he’s turned into the leader. He’s really taken over that leadership role for our football team which is good to see.

And he’s a productive guy. Right? And he cares about KU. That’s one of the things that I love about him most, he truly cares about this university.”

B O

9

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017

W IN S IF

TEXAS

Nearly a year has passed and not much has changed for Texas and Kansas.

The Longhorns finished fifth in total offense and seventh in total defense in the Big 12 at the end of the 2016 season. The Jayhawks finished ninth and tenth, respectively.

Texas was 5–5 heading into its game against Kansas, with three conference wins. The Jayhawks had just one win — Rhode Island.

On paper, the Longhorns should have trounced Kansas. Yet, the Jayhawks won in overtime, 24-21.

This season, the Longhorns have dropped to sixth in total offense but have risen to third in total defense in the Big 12. Kansas remains at ninth and tenth, respectively.

Texas once again has three conference wins. The Jayhawks have one win all season.

On paper, the Longhorns should trounce Kansas. The similarities are foreboding.

But this team is different. This team shut down some of the top of f e n s e s in the nation. This team pushed multiple ranked opponents into overtime.

This team is better. It has outscored opponents by an average of 7.2 points per game, up from 0.4 points last year. That’s after coming off a 21-point loss to No. 8 TCU, Texas’ largest defeat this season.

The Jayhawks are still a beatable team. The Longhorns win this game if they refuse to let the past haunt them.

LO S ES IF

On the opening play of Texas’ final drive in overtime last year against Kansas, former Longhorn running back D’Onta Foreman carried the ball for no gain. On second down, then-freshman quarterback Shane Buechele was intercepted by then-freshman defensive back Mike Lee for the third time of the day.

Texas’ offense hasn’t improved much since then. Against the Horned Frogs last week, Texas had its worst offensive output of the season, mustering just seven points.

Buechele completed 21 of 44 passes for 254 yards and a score, but also lost 23 yards on the ground. The team combined for nine rushing yards total, another season-low.

The Longhorns are favored to win this week by 33.5 points. But to cover that spread, they actually need to score at least 34 points, something the team has only done four times this year. ig nore Offensive coordinator Tim Beck might as well the run game and call a passing play every time this week. The Jayhawks have allowed the 13th-most passing yards in the nation this year, and nothing good tends to come from Texas’ backfield.

Still, while Kansas may be the second-worst defense in the conference, it’s better than being the worst defense in the conference. It’s only slightly worse than being the third-lowest scoring offense in the conference, where the Longhorns reside.

Texas loses this game if it simply can’t score more points.

katie bauer | daily texan staff

angel ulloa | daily texan staff

HEISMAN WATCH B A K ER MAYFI EL D O K LAH OMA Q UAR TER BACK , # 6

It was Bedlam in Stillwater, Oklahoma this weekend. 114 points and 1,446 yards later, the Sooners prevailed against Oklahoma State powered by a mammoth effort from Mayfield, who threw for 598 yards and six total touchdowns.

The 62-52 win marked two consecutive games for Mayfield with at least five total touchdowns.

In what was easily the best Heisman performance of the season, the redshirt senior established himself as the premier quarterback in college football. Mayfield outdueled his rival Heisman candidate, senior quarterback Mason Rudolph, on Saturday and added another quality win to his Heisman resume.

The road doesn’t get any easier for the Sooners, though. Oklahoma will welcome TCU to Norman, Oklahoma in what could very well be a Big 12 Championship game preview.

Expect both teams to utilize their offensive firepower to take the match.

By Keshav Prathivadi @kpthefirst

SAQ U O N B A R K LEY P EN N S TAT E R UN N IN G B AC K, #26

For the second consecutive week, Barkley was held to under 100 rushing yards.

The junior back rushed for 63 yards on 14 carries in a 27-24 loss at Michigan State.

After checking in at No. 2 two weeks ago, the Nittany Lions’ playoff hopes are now in jeopardy.

Once again, Penn State showed that it could not win a game by being one-dimensional, only emphasizing the importance of Barkley in all phases of the game. If the Nittany Lions fail to give the ball to the junior back, who is second in the nation with 1,761 all-purpose yards, trouble could ensue in Happy Valley.

The Nittany Lions will have a chance to bounce back when they host Rutgers this weekend. Barkley and Penn State open as 31-point favorites on the game, so don’t expect this one to be much of a competition.

B RYC E LOVE S TAN FO R D R UN N IN G BAC K, #2 0

After returning from a hamstring injury, Love had yet another slow day at the office. The junior back had 69 rushing yards on the night, with 52 coming on a touchdown run in a scrappy 24-21 loss to Washington State.

Love, for the most part, had been running free on defenses this season. But after sitting out last week and being bottled up by a tough Washington State defense, Love fell behind in the rushing race. He still averages 9.6 yard per carry, good for the top spot in terms of yards per carry.

It only gets tougher for Love and the Cardinals from here — the No. 12 Washington Huskies will pay a visit to Palo Alto, California in what looks to be the perfect opportunity for Love to show off his Heisman pose.

KHA LIL TATE A RIZONA QUA R TERBACK, #1 4

Another Heisman sleeper this year has been Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate, who has quietly stolen the show in Arizona after coming on as the backup quarterback a month ago.

The sophomore quarterback threw for 146 yards and rushed for another 161 in a 49-35 loss to USC. Despite the loss, Tate has accrued 2,017 total yards, eight passing touchdowns, and nine rushing scores this season, and leads the country in yards per carry with 11.4. As Tate continues his slow yet steady rise into the Heisman conversation, expect his name to be right there with Mayfield come time the finalists are announced.

The Wildcats will play host to Oregon State this weekend, in what looks to be a game tilted heavily in the Wildcats’ favor. Expect Tate and three-touchdown favorite Arizona to have a smooth night at the office.

10

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017

KEY MATCHUPS

By Dalton Phillips @Dalton_Tweets

Q UAR TE R B AC K ADVANTAGE : T EXA S

The Longhorns’ offensive line struggles to protect whichever quarterback happens to be healthy that game.

Sophomore Shane Buechele appears to

have reclaimed the starting role after posting a 254-yard performance against the best defense in the Big 12. Moving from TCU to the conference-worst Jayhawks, Buechele will likely shine as Texas appears poised for another

home blowout.

Sophomore quarterback Carter Stanley holds the reins to the worst Big 12 offense in recent memory. The Jayhawks dropped nine points in a 38-9 blowout loss to Baylor, one week after Texas crushed that same Bears team in Waco by 31 points. Kansas is averaging just 19 points per contest, and after posting 21 total yards against TCU earlier this season, the threat of a shutout in Austin is real.

R UN N IN G B AC K ADVAN TAGE: TEXAS

It seems wrong to give Texas the edge in anything related to the running game. The Longhorns had 26 rushes for an unbelievable nine yards against TCU and sit at seventh in the Big 12 in rushing offense. The team has gone through a number of running backs in its search for a fit, but the beat-up offensive line makes production up the middle hard to come by.

Texas’ advantage is more of a testament to the truly woeful Kansas team that sits at the bottom of the conference in total offense and second to last in rushing offense. Sophomore running back Khalil Herbert leads the Kansas ground game with 615 yards in eight games, and ran for 71 yards on 10 tries against Baylor.

WID E R EC EIVER ADVAN TAGE: TEXAS

Shane Buechele connected with 11 different receivers against TCU —

the third week in a row a Longhorn quarterback has found 10 or more receivers in a contest. Sophomore wide receiver Lil’ Jordan Humphrey finished with 109 yards, including a career high 42-yard reception. This deep and talented group continues to be limited by the struggles on and around the line.

Junior wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. has managed to put up big numbers all season amidst a floundering offense. Sims earned 210 total yards against Baylor, including 157 on kick returns and another 42 receiving. Unfortunately for Kansas the worst has yet to come, as the team faces off with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State after Texas in its last two matchups of the season.

DEFENSE A DVA NTAG E: TEXA S

Texas’ defense continues to exceed expectations. Despite a stellar performance against TCU, including eight forced three-and-outs, the other side of the ball simply cannot produce. With as well as the Longhorn defense is playing, Kansas may be facing its third shutout in five games.

Redshirt junior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr. is a defensive juggernaut.

His 12.2 tackles per game ranks third in the nation and first in the Big 12, and his 2.2 tackles for loss per game are the second-highest in the country. Dineen’s individual brilliance still fails to cover the many holes of the porous Kansas line.

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017

K E YS TO T HE GAM E

By Wills Layton @willsdebeast

DEVELOP SOME KIND OF OFFENSIVE CONSISTENCY

Last season, the Longhorns had to beat TCU on Thanksgiving in order to become bowl eligible after blowing a golden opportunity with an upsetting loss to Kansas in Lawrence. In what became the final game of former head coach Charlie Strong’s Texas career, the Longhorns lost, 31-9.

Much like in last year’s game, the Longhorn offense looked listless and inefficient versus the Horned Frog defense this past weekend. Sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele connected on some deep throws but struggled to consistently lead the offense to the end zone. The running game continued to struggle, gaining only nine yards throughout the entire contest.

Kansas has struggled against every Big 12 team it has faced, losing each game by more than 10 points. With the Longhorns hosting, this is the perfect opportunity to fine-tune the offense and pick up the fifth victory of the season, with two games left to play.

SCORE POINT S, CREATE FIELD POSITION ON DEFENSE

With the offense struggling the way it has been recently, the Longhorn defense must pick up more of the slack. The best way to achieve this is through turnovers returned for touchdowns or setting of the offense with excellent field position.

Junior punter Michael Dickson has done a masterful job flipping the field this season with booming punts, which has resulted in him being named a Ray Guy Award weekly honor twice this season. The defense must keep opposing offenses wherever the punts land to stop momentum and create a short field for opposing punters to work with.

Playmakers such as juniors DeShon Elliott and Holton Hill have proven capable of scoring touchdowns on the defensive side of the ball. In the case of Elliott, one of those scores gave the Longhorns momentum versus USC earlier this season. If Texas hopes to make a bowl game this season, the defense will have to score more points than it already has.

gabriel lopez | daily texan staff

FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION TO JOSHUA ROWLAND

Junior kicker Joshua Rowland’s 47-yard field goal attempt during the second quarter of last weekend’s game was a play that seemingly defined the season for Texas.

Rowland’s aim was perfect, but the kick didn’t have enough juice and landed just short of the goal.

Rowland has had a terribly inconsistent season, making only half of his kicks. While the kicking issues may not be a game-killer versus the Jayhawks, it could become a major factor against teams such as West Virginia and Texas Tech.

With the season coming to a close, and the Longhorns being two games away from bowl eligibility, it is very possible that the entire season comes down to a single kick.

Longhorn nation cannot be comfortable with Rowland in that situation.

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GAMES

TO WATCH

By Steve Helwick @s_helwick

NO . 1 3 MI C HIGA N S TAT E AT N O . 11 O H IO S TATE SAT U R DAY, 11 A . M . , FOX

After a chaotic Week 10 in the Big Ten, the entire conference — with the exception of Wisconsin — possesses multiple losses. But there is still plenty on the line for Michigan State and Ohio State, who will battle for a likely Big Ten Championship Game berth on Saturday morning. The Spartans, led by quarterback Brian Lewerke, have vastly improved from their 3–9 record from a season ago and have knocked off two top-10 teams this season en route to a 7–2 record. Ohio State, also 7–2, collected its second loss after getting annihilated in Iowa by a feisty Hawkeyes team. The Buckeyes’ 31-point defeat stands as their worst loss since last year’s College Football Playoff, but they will look to rebound at the Horseshoe on Saturday with quarterback J.T. Barrett leading the high-powered offense.

N O . 2 G E O RG IA AT N O . 10 AU B U R N SAT U R DAY, 2 : 3 0 P. M . , C B S

It’s the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, an SEC tradition dating back to 1892.

Second-year head coach Kirby Smart and his defensive mind have vaulted the Bulldogs near the top of the rankings, and the Bulldogs look to stay perfect on the road in this rivalry game. Auburn last downed Georgia in 2013, when the Tigers completed a miracle pass on fourth-and-18 to win the game on a 73-yard touchdown pass. Given Georgia’s dominance this year, Auburn might need a little luck again, but the Tigers have been a whole different animal at home this season and remain undefeated at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The 9–0 Bulldogs look to break this trend, equipped with star running back Nick Chubb on the offense.

NO . 3 NO T R E DA M E AT N O . 7 M IA M I (FL) SAT U R DAY, 7 P. M . , A B C

The 1988 game between the two traditional powers, both in the top 10 at the time, was dubbed “Catholics vs. Convicts.” The Fighting Irish won by one point and rode the momentum to a national championship. Ranked at No. 3, Notre Dame once again has sights of a national title on its mind, pulverizing its competition by double-digits in all eight victories this season. Running back Josh Adams — 1,191 rushing yards — has been one key factor in Notre Dame’s quick turnaround into a contender. But Miami’s defense stifled Virginia Tech last week and has forced 20 turnovers this season.

The player that perpetrates the turnover is rewarded with a gold “Turnover Chain,” a piece of jewelry Mark Richt’s defenders all hope to don at Hard Rock Stadium this Saturday night.

N O . 8 T C U AT N O . 5 O K LA H O M A SAT U R DAY, 7 P. M . , FOX

Oklahoma scored 62 points last weekend, while TCU allowed just 7. Either Oklahoma’s dominant offense or TCU’s stout defense will have to give in this Big 12 showdown — a potential preview of the upcoming Big 12 Championship Game. The Sooners earned another statement victory in Stillwater, Oklahoma, sliding past their archrival Oklahoma State by a score of 62-52, with a Heisman-esque performance from redshirt senior quarterback Baker Mayfield. If there’s any unit that can put a damper on Mayfield’s Heisman campaign, it’s the TCU defense. Led by outside linebacker Travin Howard, the Horned Frogs are sixth in the nation in both yards allowed per game (284) and points allowed per game (13.9).