Horns prepared to defend mobile Terrapins QB
Passers who run had some success against UT in 2016.
Every week this fall, we’re looking at a specific number that’s tied to Texas football.
Today’s notable number is one.
One is the number worn at Texas by junior receiver John Burt. Tom Herman has one career game against a Big 12 opponent on his head coaching résumé, Houston’s 33-23 win over Oklahoma in 2016. And only one Long- horns defensive player — tackle Poona Ford — started every one of UT’s 12 games last year.
One also is the number of quarterbacks who rushed for 100 yards against Texas in 2016.
Aided by a 50-yard carry and a hurdle over UT safety Dylan Haines, Baylor’s Seth Russell ran 21 times for 138 yards in a 35-34 loss in Austin last year. Russell was recruited out of high school as a dual-threat quarterback, but that was only the second 100-yard game of his college career.
Texas ranked 76th nation- ally against the run last year, but opposing quarterbacks averaged only 2.8 yards per carry. Kansas State’s Jesse Ertz (78 yards), TCU’s Kenny Hill (78 yards) and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer (77 yards) found some success, and the Horns surrendered nine touchdowns on quar- terback rushes. Forty-one sacks, however, kept those rushing numbers in check.
Texas’ resolve against mobile quarterbacks will be tested immediately this season. Maryland will start sophomore Tyrrell Pigrome. UT defensive coordinator Todd Orlando expects to see freshman Kasim Hill play a bit as well, but the Longhorns game-planned for Pigrome, a three-star recruit who ran for 1,349 yards during his senior year in high school. He was labeled an “athlete” during the 2016 recruiting cycle; the Alabama native averaged 4.1 yards in his 62 carries as a freshman last year for the Terrapins and completed 37 of his 71 pass attempts.
“He’ll be able to throw the football,” Orlando said. “It’s not going to be one of these things where he’s not going to be able to throw a hitch or throw a takeoff. He’s going to be able to do that, so we’ve got to be ready for both of them, but he’s more of a runner.”
To prepare for the 5-foot11, 196-pound Pigrome, Texas turned to its scout team. Reserve quarterback Josh Covey, who originally walked on to the team as a receiver, provided the defense with some looks. Sophomore run- ning back Tristian Houston also lined up at quarterback.
“We have a couple guys on our scout team that basically do the same thing that he does and mimic his runs and basically are Pigrome. The scout team guys have been giving us a great look,” senior linebacker Naashon Hughes said.
“Basically right now we have a running back playing quarterback,” nickel back P.J. Locke III said. “He’s doing a hell of a job playing quarterback, pretend- ing to be No. 3 (Pigrome) because No. 3, he can go. It’s going to be a game to watch.”
Pigrome won’t be the only quarterback on Texas’ sched- ule who can run. USC’s Sam Darnold, Baylor’s Anu Solo- mon and TCU’s Hill all were listed as dual-threat quar- terbacks in high school. Ertz was the No. 58 prostyle quarterback in the 2013 class, according to 247Sports’ composite rank- ings, but he led Kansas State last year with 1,012 rush- ing yards. ber ing colm Roach will give Mary- land nightmares on the edge. Book him for two sacks and a forced fumble in Texas’ 38-17 win.
2. Which Big 12 team will finish quite differently from the preseason media poll?
Bohls: Oklahoma State, picked to be conference runner-up, will beat preseason favorite Oklahoma in Bedlam to finish atop the regular-season standings.
Golden: The media got it wrong with Oklahoma State. The Cowboys will win the conference by beating the Sooners — twice.
3. What do you like most about Kansas State’s Bill Snyder?
Bohls: That he’s still going strong at 77 despite a bout with throat cancer. The Wildcats, coming off a 9-4 season with rugged quarterback Jesse Ertz and a strong offensive line, are legitimate Big 12 contenders. Keep an eye out for them.
Golden: That he never made excuses and always had his teams ready to play. His teams have never been flashy but rarely have you seen them unprepared or undisciplined.
4. Will Kansas win four games this season?
Bohls: Yes. The Jay- hawks will sweep their nonconference games against Southeast Missouri, Central Michigan and Ohio and then beat either Texas Tech or Baylor at home, or Iowa State on the road, for their first season with that many wins since they went 5-7 in 2009. Are five wins too much to dream?
Golden: No. Almost, but not quite. The Fighting David Beatys will go 3-9 with wins over Southeast Missouri, Central Michigan and Iowa State but will lose a couple of close ones, preventing them from doubling their win total from a year ago.
5. Texas Tech has lost four games the past two years despite scoring more than 50. Will there be more of that in 2017?
Bohls: No. But that’s less of an endorsement of the Red Raiders’ horrendous defense than it is a nod to the absence of first-round draft pick Pat Mahomes running the offense. I like Nic Shimonek, but he’s no Mahomes. I expect little improvement defensively.
Golden: It won’t, because there’ll be a dropoff at quarterback. The Red Raiders will give up 50 points several times, but the offense won’t be able to keep up in those games.
6. Will Iowa State, which went 3-9 last year, pull off an upset?
Bohls: The Cyclones always do. It could well be their Thursday night home game with Texas, but I’ll tab a road win over Baylor.
Golden: Not this year. The Cyclones will give Iowa a real tussle in their second game but won’t pull an upset this time around.
7. Which Central Texas product in the Big 12 will have the best season?
Bohls: Doesn’t it have to be Baker Mayfield? After all, he’s been a topfour Heisman finalist two years running and will have to do even more behind the best offensive line in the country since Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine are gone.
Golden: Mayfield will end up in New York City for the third straight year for the Heisman ceremony. Not bad for a former walk-on.
8. Will Matt Grier, West Virginia’s transfer from Florida, be among the Big 12’s top three quarterbacks?
Bohls: No. The league’s top three will be Mayfield, Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph and Kansas State’s Ertz. But Grier could be knocking on that door; he’ll have to produce big because of heavy losses on the Mountaineers’ defense.
Golden: Grier is a topfive quarterback in this conference, but he won’t outperform Rudolph, Mayfield or Ertz.
9. What’s keeping TCU from rejoining the ranks of the elite?
Bohls: A top quarterback. Kenny Hill is far too inconsistent, even if he has playmakers all around him.
Golden: You can’t win in the Big 12 without a bigtime playmaker at quarterback. Andy Dalton and Trevone Boykin were terrific performers in Fort Worth. Hill is too inconsistent to make the Frogs a real contender for the conference title.
10. What’s the one thing that could keep Oklahoma from the CFP?
Bohls: The Sooners’ schedule. Oklahoma has to travel to Columbus in the second week to take on Ohio State and has to play on the road against Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Texas (in neutral site Dallas). Oh, and growing pains for first-year head coach Lincoln Riley.
Golden: The Cowboys are loaded on offense with triplets Rudolph, James Washington and Justice Hill, and they’re poised to take over the league. Meanwhile, the Sooners have to replace playmakers Perine, Mixon and Dede Westbrook, not to mention legendary head coach Bob Stoops.