TEXAS/BAYLOR
Can the Longhorns’ struggling offense finally break out?
Records: Texas 3-4, 2-2 Big 12; Baylor 0-7, 0-4. Series history: Texas leads 76-26-4.
Key players: Texas — QB Sam Ehlinger, LB Malik Jefferson, S DeShon Elliott; Baylor — RB JaMycal Hasty, WR Denzel Mims, LB Clay Johnston
Offense — Even.
Even. Is Ehlinger the answer? It’s hard to say what the solution is for the Longhorns’ ailing attack at this point, and now he could miss time with a head injury. The Longhorns are still averaging more points and yards than Baylor, but the Bears looked like the better offense last week, at least in the fourth quarter against West Virginia behind their freshman quarterback from Austin, Charlie Brewer, who nearly led Baylor to its first win after burning his redshirt.
Defense — Texas.
The Longhorns may have forgotten how to score, but they’re steadily climbing the FCS defensive ranks. They’re 24th in run defense (120.9) and 47th in scoring defense (23.0), and they played like one of the top units in college football last week, holding Oklahoma State’s top-ranked offense to 13 points and 428 total yards.
Special teams — Even.
Texas can punt the ball. Good thing, too, because they’re doing a lot of it these days. All-American punter Michael Dickson averaged 50.9 yards on 11 punts against Oklahoma State. K Joshua Rowland made good on his only field-goal attempt, converting from 22 yards, but Baylor K Connor Martin is the better option. He’s 14-of-16 this season, including 12-of-14 in the last four games.
Notable:
Former Texas coach Charlie Strong saved his job (at least until that ugly Kansas loss) by beating Baylor 35-34 last season. The Bears were 6-0 at the time, and that setback started their ongoing slide. They’ve lost 13 of their past 14 games, with the
lone win over Boise State in the Cactus Bowl. QB Shane Buechele threw for 291 yards and two TDs, and RB D’Onta Foreman, who’s now running for the Texans, rushed for 252 yards and two scores.
About Texas: The Longhorns are back … under .500 after an inept offensive performance against Oklahoma State. They managed only 281 yards and 13 first downs, and Ehlinger threw an interception in OT when all the Horns needed to do was make a FG to force a second overtime. The offensive line is a mess, the running backs are MIA, and Armanti Foreman leads Texas with three receiving TDs, despite not playing in the last three games, which makes Derrick Foreman, D’Onta and Armanti’s dad, really, really mad.
About Baylor: The Bears are neck-and-neck with Texas for moral victories after rallying against West Virginia. Brewer almost led a comeback from a 24-6 deficit but was sacked on a two-point conversion attempt with 17 seconds left in a 38-36 loss. Fellow freshman Trestan Ebner had five receptions for 109 yards and two TDs.
Jason McDaniel