GOING BOWLING
Horns headed to Houston for Texas Bowl; Aggies in Belk Bowl
Texas knew it was going bowling, and the Horns had a spring in their step when practice began on Friday, coach Tom Herman said. For the vast majority of this roster, bowl practice was something totally new.
The opponent and location were still unknowns, but it probably didn’t matter.
“Guys were flying around, they were excited to be a part of the postseason, excited to play football,” Herman said Sunday. “I think the sting is gone already and we’re looking forward to this.”
On Sunday, Texas learned it will face Missouri in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 in Houston. The Longhorns lead the all-time series against the former Big 12 foe 17-6. This will be the first bowl game for both programs since the end of the 2014 season.
The Longhorns (6-6) plodded through a dreary night in Houston three years ago as Arkansas captured a 31-7 Texas Bowl victory. That was the only bowl game UT would make in three years under Charlie Strong, who gave way to Herman in November 2016.
The Tigers (7-5) have also gone through a coaching change since their last bowl experience — a 33-17 win over Minnesota in the Citrus Bowl.
This year, Missouri started 1-5 but has since won six straight against sub-.500 teams, prompting school officials to talk about a contract extension for coach Barry Odom.
“When you win a bowl game, they call you a champion,” Herman said. “We’ve got an opportunity now to play for a championship and send these seniors out the right way. But also develop our program and get a lot of momentum headed into the offseason.”
The Texas Bowl is run by the