DC 2018-10-26

T H E D A I L Y T E X A N P R E S E N T S

Double Coverage VOL. 13 ISSUE 8 | OCT 26, 2018

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texan

staff picks

Alex Briseño

Ross Burkhart

Kirsten Handler

Steve Helwick

Robert Larkin

Wills Layton

Kihwan Lee

Keshav Prathivadi

Donnavan Smoot

CJ Vogel

LAST W E E K’S R E C O R D

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No. 6 Texas at Oklahoma State

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Oklahoma State

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No. 9 Florida at No. 7 Georgia

Georgia

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Florida

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No. 18 Iowa at No. 17 Penn State

Iowa

Penn State

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Penn State

No. 14 Washington State at No. 24 Stanford No. 16 Texas A&M at Mississippi State

Washington Washington State State

Stanford

Washington Washington State State

Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi Texas A&M Texas A&M State State State

Penn State Penn State Penn State Penn State

Stanford

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Texas A&M Texas A&M Texas A&M

Penn State

Washington Washington State State Texas A&M

Mississippi State

No. 21 South Florida at Houston

Houston

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No. 12 Kentucky at Missouri

Kentucky

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Purdue at Michigan State

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Michigan State

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Purdue

Michigan State

Purdue

Arizona State at USC

USC

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Arizona State

USC

Baylor at No. 13 West Virginia

West Virginia

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OV E R AL L R E C OR D

47-23

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49-21

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PRESENTS

DOUBLE COVERAGE Vol. 13, Issue 8 Friday, Oct. 26, 2018

Double Coverage Editors Alex Briseño & Ross Burkhart Design Editor...................................Kendall Jordan Photo Editor.......................................Angela Wang Copy Editor....................................Kirsten Handler Cover Photo...........................................Ryan Lam

Fresh off a perfectly timed bye week, No. 6 Texas will travel to Stillwater for a primetime game against Oklahoma State. From here on out, every game is important for the Longhorns, and their success Saturday might just depend on the health of Sam Ehlinger’s shoulder.

ALEX BRISEÑO & ROSS BURKHART

Writers Robert Larkin Wills Layton Steve Helwick

Editor’s Note

CJ Vogel Donnavan Smoot Cameron Parker

3

october 26, 2018 BETTING

Buy or sell: where to bet in week 9 B Y C A M E R O N PA R K E R @camerondparker

After a bye last week, I’m back to make y’all some money. I’m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I’m just a college student who watches too much college football and places bets he can’t afford — like most of y’all. This weekly column is where I will give you my best bets for the week in college football. I am not responsible for any money lost.

Record: (2-2)

#18 Iowa vs #17 Penn State

Last year, Penn State traveled

to Iowa City as a fourth-ranked team with College Football Playoff aspirations in mind. The Nittany Lions escaped, 21-19, with the line favoring them by 11. This time around, Penn State enters this game with two losses and an outside shot of making the Big Ten Championship. However, Iowa — with its only loss coming against Wisconsin — is a better team than the 2015 squad that made it all the way to the Big Ten title game before losing to Michigan State. Penn State is in no position to be a touchdown favorite against any team after squeaking

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past Indiana last week. It’s tough to put any faith in either of these teams, but count on Iowa to keep it close, just like the Hawkeyes did last year.

Pick: Iowa (+6.5)

#19 Oregon vs Arizona

Two weeks ago, I picked the Wildcats against Utah. I would like to thank Kevin Sumlin for teaching me the valuable lesson that he has no idea what he’s doing. Now, not being able to misuse Khalil Tate might help out Arizona, but Rhett Rodriguez

looks to be just as ineffective as his dad was at Arizona. Oregon’s loss might have dashed any Pac-12 playoff hope, but they still have Justin Herbert at quarterback and that’s enough to beat a below-average Arizona squad.

Pick: Oregon (-9.5)

#21 South Florida vs Houston For the second straight year, Charlie Strong will play against Houston with a 7–0 team, and just like last year, Houston will put an end to the Bulls’ undefeated season. While you can

make an argument that last year’s USF team deserved to be undefeated and ranked, you can’t for this year’s team. USF is 2–5 against the spread so far, failing to cover their last two matchups against Tulsa and Connecticut, two of the worst teams in college football. Houston’s only loss has been at the hands of a Texas Tech team who, dare I say it, might be better on the defensive side rather than on the offensive side. Historically, Charlie Strong has fielded teams that play up and

BETTING

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down to their opponents, but this Houston team will be too much to keep up with.

Pick: Houston(-7.5)

Florida International (-3.5)

vs Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky is part of the bottom dwellers in the C-USA with Rice and UTEP. The Hilltoppers were embarrassed against Charlotte and lost to FCS Maine at home.

Meanwhile, FIU joins UAB as the only undefeated teams in conference play. 3.5 points is right in the Vegas zone,

which usually tells me to stay away, but this is a no-brainer.

Butch Jones led FIU to its first bowl game since 2011 in his first season as head coach and now has this program turned around. WKU on the other hand? Not so much.

Pick: Florida International(-3.5)

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Games to watch Texas Tech Saturday, 11 a.m., ESPN2 Is there a better way to start your Saturday than by watching two Big 12 offenses battle in Ames? Iowa State never met an upset it didn’t like. The Cyclones have proof, ending West Virginia’s undefeated season two weeks ago behind freshman quarterback Brock Purdy. Meanwhile,

no. 9 Florida Saturday, 2:30 p.m., CBS It’ll be the first World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party since 2008 where both rivals are ranked in the top 10. Florida, 4–7 a season ago, has turned its program 180 degrees in year one of the Dan Mullen era. Led by a relentless defense that allows 16.6 points per game, the

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Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 In his two years at South Florida, Charlie Strong has posted a 17–2 record, and one of those two losses occurred against Houston last October. D’Eriq King’s rushing touchdown with 11 seconds left handed a ranked Bulls squad their first loss of the season. This year, King has massively improved in the passing department

no. 18 iowa Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ESPN Penn State and Iowa never fail to provide us with thrillers. In 2017, Trace McSorley guided the Nittany Lions down the field, sealing the game with a strike to Juwan Johnson on the final play of a 21-19 win. This season, the Hawkeyes are flying under the radar. One minute away from defeating Wisconsin and

no. 14 washington state Saturday, 6 p.m., Pac-12 Network Accessing Pac-12 Network is no easy task, but do whatever you can to find a stream of this high-stakes conference showdown. After flying its flag at College GameDay for 15 straight years, Washington State finally hosted the show in Pullman last Saturday and topped off the unforgettable day with a 34-20 win over Oregon.

at

B Y S T E V E H E LW I C K @s_helwick

iowa state

Texas Tech gunslinger Alan Bowman, back from a lung injury, is more than capable of 400-yard passing days. In fact, he threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns in a 32-point win over Kansas last week. The victory placed the 5–2 Red Raiders just outside of the AP Poll. One more win will likely launch Tech into the Top 25, but a follow-up win in Ames is no simple task.

at

no.7 georgia

Gators have knocked off LSU and Mississippi State for their third 6–1 start in four years. Florida’s journey to the SEC title game goes through a powerhouse program in the Georgia Bulldogs, the reigning SEC champion. The Bulldogs won the last edition of the rivalry, 42-7, and Kirby Smart’s team desperately needs a win if they hope to qualify for the playoff in back-to-back years.

at

houston

with 23 touchdowns and three interceptions, hoping to become the spoiler of yet another undefeated South Florida season. South Florida’s 7–0 record has been anything but graceful, but Strong’s team has proved it knows how to win in crunch time. With star running back Jordan Cronkrite (143.3 rushing yards per game) on the field, the Bulls have emerged victorious in four one-possession games this year.

at

no.17 penn state

preserving an undefeated record, defensive end Parker Hesse and the Hawkeyes are still alive in a competitive Big Ten West race. For Penn State, this game’s about righting the ship again. James Franklin’s team lost two straight heartbreakers before narrowly beating Indiana, so this game in Happy Valley provides a perfect opportunity to redeem the season.

at

no. 24 stanford

Transfer Gardner Minshew has been a pleasant surprise in Mike Leach’s offense this year and ranks second in the nation in passing yards.

When Minshew is off the field, Stanford’s star wideout J.J. Arcega-Whiteside will be rivaling the Cougars’ 18th ranked passing defense.

Third in the FBS in receiving touchdowns, the strong-armed 6-foot-3-inch receiver will play a vital role to keep Stanford in the rankings.

5

october 26, 2018

big 12 power rankings

BY CJ VOGEL

@cjvogel3

NO.1

Texas Longhorns For the first time in what seems like forever, the Texas Longhorns remain in the top spot in the Big 12 Power Rankings. The Longhorns are coming off a much needed bye week and are hoping Sam Ehlinger’s shoulder injury has subsided. As for Tom Herman, he will be tested once again with a night game in Stillwater.

NO.5

Iowa State Cyclones Following a slow start to the season, Iowa State is finding its groove rather quickly. The Cyclones are back to .500 following a massive victory at home over West Virginia. A suffocating defense shut down an elite Mountaineer offense, holding them to just 14 points.

Iowa State will have another test this week with a matchup against Texas Tech at home.

NO.7

Oklahoma State Cowboys The worst offensive performance of the year could not have come at a worse time for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys put up just 12 points and will now face one of the Big 12’s best defenses this week against the Longhorns. At 1–3 in the conference, it is rather difficult to imagine Oklahoma State finishing the season with a positive record, with Texas, Oklahoma and West Virginia still on the remaining schedule.

NO.9

TCU Horned Frogs As if losing quarterback Shawn Robinson to injury wasn’t bad enough, the Horned Frogs were embarrassed by Oklahoma on their own turf Saturday.

To add insult to injury, star play maker KaVontae Turpin was dismissed Tuesday because of off-the-field issues. The 3–4 Horned Frogs do not have much to look forward to for the remainder of the season.

NO.2

Oklahoma Sooners The Sooners rebounded nicely after a loss to Texas in the Red River Showdown with a complete domination of an ailing TCU team in Fort Worth. Kyler Murray is still putting up numbers worthy of Heisman Trophy consideration as the Sooners eclipsed 49 points in a game for the fourth time this season. A new defensive coordinator should help turn around a struggling defense, which would make the Sooners even more dangerous in the second half of the season.

NO.3

Texas Tech Red Raiders The Red Raiders find themselves with their highest ranking this season, coming in at the No. 3 spot, after putting together a complete game against Kansas in their 48-16 victory at home.

NO.6

Kansas State Wildcats A phenomenal defensive performance puts the Wildcats back on the winning side of things after a 31-12 victory over Oklahoma State. Kansas State allowed the Cowboys just 184 passing yards and dominated the battle for time of possession.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, their next opponent is No. 8 Oklahoma.

NO.8

Baylor Bears Baylor is in the middle of a very daunting portion of its schedule, having to take on West Virginia this week following a loss to Texas. Luckily, the Bears are coming off a bye week and will be well-rested for their second consecutive road game against a ranked opponent.

NO.10

Kansas Jayhawks Kansas remains at the bottom of the Big 12 Power Rankings following its fourth consecutive loss. Despite a good start to the season, the Jayhawks have seen their season crumble in the past four weeks.

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NO.4

West Virginia Mountaineers It seems as though every year a top 10 team heads into Ames, Iowa, and leaves without a victory. This year, it was West Virginia. The Mountaineers suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Cyclones, 30-14.

West Virginia’s high-powered offense stuttered for the second week in a row, and this time it could not escape defeat.

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DOUBLE COVERAGE

BY ROBERT LARKIN @r_larkintexas

opponents to watch RUNNING B ACK

W IDE R ECEIVER

LINEBACKER

DEFENSIVE END

Justice Hill, No. 5

Tyler Wallace No. 2

Justin Phillips, No. 19

Jordan Brailford, No. 94

When asked about Oklahoma State’s biggest threats during his press conference on Monday, Texas head coach Tom Herman pointed to running back Justice Hill and added a short, but apt description.

“This guy’s a stud,” Herman said.

Hill has certainly garnered attention as one of the Big 12’s best running backs during his time in Stillwater. After claiming the conference rushing title last season, the Tulsa, Oklahoma, native earned first team All-Big 12 honors.

Hill possesses the attributes of a game-breaking running back — with dynamic speed, elusive cutting ability and sharp quickness. But even more impressive has been his transition into becoming a reliable option for the Oklahoma State offense.

Oklahoma State has developed a reputation for producing elite receivers in recent years, and many believe wide receiver Tylan Wallace to be the next player in that bunch. During his second season in Stillwater, Wallace has broken out as one of the premier playmakers in the conference.

Through seven games, the Fort Worth, Texas, product has recorded 40 receptions for 718 yards and four touchdowns.

But what makes Wallace’s presence on Saturday so important? It’s because while the Longhorns boast a tough defense, their secondary can be taken advantage of. In each of Texas’ seven games this season, they’ve given up at least one pass play of 40 yards or more. And Wallace is certainly talented enough to expose any lapses in the Texas defensive backs and continue that trend.

One Cowboy who has undergone significant improvement under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is senior Justin Phillips. Specifically, Phillips has excelled in run support, collecting 53 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss this season. That tackle total has already surpassed his tally from last season.

When Oklahoma State faced Texas last season, he had the best game of his season. He recorded a season-high seven tackles against the Longhorns during the Cowboys’ 13-10 overtime victory. If Phillips can produce a similar performance this weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma State will be much more effective in handling the Longhorn ground game.

In his fourth season with the Cowboys, redshirt junior Jordan Brailford has improved to become one of the best defensive players in the Big 12. After recording five sacks and 11 tackles for loss last season, Brailford has already collected eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss through seven games in 2018. Those figures put him as the conference leader.

Brailford failed to record a sack in the Cowboys’ last game against Kansas State, but he will look to rebound this weekend against a Texas team he performed well against in 2017. In that matchup, he recorded six tackles and 1.5 sacks. But this is an improved offensive line for the Longhorns — one that ranks third in the Big 12 in sacks allowed. Brailford will face two formidable offensive tackles in Samuel Cosmi and graduate transfer Calvin Anderson, and his success against them will determine how well Oklahoma State rushes the passer on Saturday.

photo copyright devin wilbur | o’colly and reproduced with permission

photo copyright adam luther | o’colly and reproduced with permission

7

october 26, 2018

Keys to the game:

Texas is ranked sixth in the country, and sophomore Sam Ehlinger is recovering from an AC sprain in his shoulder. That’s great news for the Longhorns, who look to continue their dominance over Big 12 teams this season. With five games left before a potential berth in the Big 12 Championship for the first time since 2009, each game is of vital importance and cannot be overlooked.

Before Texas looks ahead to a huge matchup against a ranked West Virginia team at home, they first have to get through Oklahoma State on the road. Here are the keys to the game for Texas:

Monitor the health of Sam Ehlinger

Oklahoma State B Y W I L L S L AY T O N @willsdebeast

Since Week Two, Ehlinger has been everything Longhorn faithful could have dreamed of. A victory in the Red River Rivalry, six straight wins, and a top ten ranking, all thanks to efficient quarterback play among other factors. However, two weeks ago against Baylor, Ehlinger suffered a shoulder injury, forcing the team to throw Shane Buechele into the fire to pick up the home victory.

The difference in play was clear. The offense struggled to move the ball with Buec-

Heisman watch

hele. While Buechele is a competent backup who can come in and win games for the Longhorns, they’ll need Ehlinger completely healthy for the rest of the season if they want to make a splash. Ehlinger is expected to start Saturday barring any setbacks, according to Tom Herman. The Cowboys bring a weak secondary so expect Texas to throw the ball downfield early and often.

Establish the run game early

Graduate transfer Tre Watson and freshman Keaontay Ingram have combined to form one of the best rushing duos in the Big 12. Against Baylor, Ingram rushed for over 100 yards for the first time in his Texas career while Watson tacked on an additional 41 yards to the team’s rushing total.

The Cowboys defense has been an issue all season, giving up over 290 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns to Kansas State.

With Ehlinger not at 100 percent health, the Longhorns will need to use a very similar blueprint in order to establish tempo and take the burden off of Ehlinger’s shoulder. Literally.

If the team wants to successfully run the ball against Oklahoma State then both Ingram

B Y D O N N A VA N S M O O T

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Get after the quarterback

The Longhorn defense gave fans a scare last week when they allowed the Baylor Bears to drive down the field with a few minutes to go and almost score a touchdown as time expired. While the defense has been largely stellar this season, they’ve shown vulnerability early in games.

Way back in Week One, Maryland added points at will in the first half against the Longhorns, scoring on the very first drive of the season and moving effortlessly down the field for 30 minutes. If Oklahoma State is able to score on Texas right out of the gate, that could mean trouble for an offense with an injured quarterback.

The Texas defense can make the job easier on itself by sacking and pressuring senior quarterback Taylor Cornelius into making mistakes. If the defense can force the quarterback into making game-altering mistakes, the Longhorns should be able to pick up the win on the road.

@Dsmoot3D

The Heisman race is ever-evolving. This week, some candidates lost stock while others made a push toward regaining their relevance. Here’s how some of the top candidates fared last week:

#13 Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback, No. 1 Alabama

Every week, Tua Tagovailoa performs to a level that makes great quarterbacks look good and good quarterbacks look helpless.

With Tagovailoa, it isn’t about the numbers, which are still astonishing — it’s about the manner in which he gets those numbers. He is overwhelmingly efficient to the point that he still hasn’t played in the fourth quarter all season.

This week against Tennessee, he threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns, bringing his totals on the season to 2,066 yards, 25 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Barring injury, or an unlikely collapse in performance, Tua Tagovailoa will win this year’s Heisman trophy.

#1 Kyler Murray, quarterback, No. 8 Oklahoma albert lee

and Watson will need to see an abundance of carries to establish the run game and open up lanes for receivers.

Any other year, Kyler Murray would be the leading

candidate for the trophy. He has his Sooners at 6–1 and has 25 passing touchdowns and only three interceptions. He has been electric through the air and on the ground. The future Oakland Athletic is able to extend plays with his feet, and keep his eyes downfield. Against TCU, Murray was spectacular, throwing for 213 yards and four touchdowns with an 80 percent completion rate.

#7 Dwayne Haskins, quarterback, No. 11 Ohio State

The sophomore quarterback had a strong game through the air last Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to translate to a win. Ohio State was routed, 49-20 — by Purdue. In the losing effort, Haskins threw for a school record 470 yards but only managed two touchdowns. Haskins was given every opportunity to put up those numbers, throwing the ball an astonishing 73 times. Although Haskins has the numbers — 30 touchdowns and five interceptions — the loss to Purdue means he has lost some of the sizzle and appeal usually carried by a Heisman contender. Right now, he is still poised to be in New York for the Heisman ceremony, but he’s trailing the rest of the pack.

#10 Ed Oliver, defensive lineman, Houston Oliver once again showed his dominance against Navy. The stout

defensive lineman earned a sack in Houston’s 49-36 win on the road.

Usually, Oliver’s work doesn’t show on the stat sheet like other candidates, but he has a sack in two of the last three games. He’s become nationally recognized as one of the top three defensive players in the country this season. Against Navy, Oliver avoided a knee injury after being chopped blocked in his right knee. Luckily for him, he is still healthy and will have a chance to put his stamp on this season when No. 21 South Florida makes its way to Houston this weekend.

#23 Jonathan Taylor, running back, Wisconsin

Once a preseason favorite, Taylor has started to pop back up on the radar. He has been fairly consistent this year, rushing for over 100 yards in every game. Taylor could be higher on the list if it wasn’t for his low production in terms of touchdowns. He has had four games with no endzone trips. Those numbers could be offset by the sheer fact that as a pure runner, Taylor is showing to be the one of the best in the nation. Along with the string of 100-yard games, his yards per carry haven’t dropped below 4.5 this season. Taylor is climbing the ranks once again and making a solid case for himself down the final stretch of the season.

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