TEXAS VS. SAN JOSE ST.
Records: Texas 0-1, SJSU 1-1.
Series history: First meeting.
Key players: Texas — QB Shane Buechele, WR Reggie Hemphill-Mapps, CB Holton Hill; San Jose State — QB Montel Aaron, WR Bailey Gaither, LB Frank Ginda.
Who has the edge
Offense — San Jose State. The Spartans are averaging 28 points through two games. Texas put up 41 in its season-opening loss to Maryland but only 20 on offense, with defense and special teams supplying three touchdowns. The Spartans already have proved they can run the football, too, averaging 190 rushing yards through two contests, while the Longhorns’ ground game was anemic in their opener, with running backs Kyle Porter and Chris Warren III combining for a meager 52 yards on 14 carries (3.7 yards per carry).
Defense — Even. The new Texas defense looked a lot like the old Texas defense — an observation that applies to almost everything the Horns did in their first game after booting former coach Charlie Strong for Tom Herman. They gave up 30 points in the first half to Maryland, which finished with 482 total yards. Defense and special teams did, however, make up for most of their deficiencies — and nearly bailed out their hapless offense — with three big plays. Hill returned an interception and a blocked field goal for TDs, and Hemphill-Mapps returned a punt 91 yards for a score.
Special teams — Texas. Hill’s 65-yard score off the blocked field goal attempt cut Maryland’s first-half advantage to a more manageable 27-14. Hemphill-Mapps moved the Horns closer in the second half, with his long punt-return TD cutting their deficit to 30-27. Punter Michael Dickson did his job well, too, averaging 58 yards on two punts. The bad news is K Joshua Rowland looked inept on his two field-goal attempts, missing a 42-yarder before his low-lying 44yard try was blocked.
Notable: Hemphill-Mapps, a redshirt freshman from Manvel, was a bright spot for Texas. In addition to his spectacular punt return for a TD, he also hauled in seven receptions for 69 yards. … San Jose State went 11-2 and beat Bowling Green 29-20 in the Military Bowl in 2013 but finished at or under .500 each of the past three seasons.
About Texas: Herman tried to downplay fan and media expectations in the preseason, saying they are what their 5-7 record in 2016 says they are. That attempt failed to dampen most people’s enthusiasm, but he was right. The Horns (0-1) committed 11 penalties for 117 yards and couldn’t slow Maryland or make big plays of their own when it counted. The offensive line couldn’t protect Buechele, who was sacked five times, or support the ground game, which averaged only 3.2 yards per carry. In short, they’re still a 5-7 team right now.
About San Jose State: The Spartans (1-1) helped Strong start his South Florida tenure on the right foot, falling 42-22 to the Bulls on Aug. 26. But the young Spartans, who also have a new coach in Brent Brennan, rebounded last week, rallying for an early 6-0 deficit to upend Cal Poly 34-13. The Spartans piled up 482 yards, including 271 on 52 rushes (5.2 yards per carry). Running back Zamore Zigler led the way, rushing for 121 yards and one TD.