Texas A&M counting on Nick Starkel to end slump against Mississippi.
MORGANTOWN, W.V. — Tom Herman cannot pinpoint what exactly his team loves about playing away from Royal-Memorial Stadium. Maybe it is because they are free from the bounty of distractions and hometown pressure Austin offers. Or maybe they derive strength from boos cascading down from the surrounding seats.
What Texas’ coach does know is he likes their attitude, whatever the reason behind it may be.
“I think the guys are champin’ at the bit,” Herman said. “For whatever reason, this team likes road games. I like that about them. They play a little freer, a little looser. That’s a good thing.
“I just think we have a confident energy, more than a nervous energy. I don’t have anything tangible to point to other than the overall pregame mood as I see it.”
UT rarely has fallen flat on the road, even in the failures. It handled Iowa State and Baylor, lost to fourthranked Southern Cal in double overtime and would have knocked 12th-ranked Oklahoma out of playoff contention had it not been for Heisman favorite Baker Mayfield’s fourth-quarter heroics at the Cotton Bowl.
A 24-7 loss to 10thranked TCU at Amon G. Carter ranks as the most egregious black mark. Still, the Horned Frogs are undefeated at home and boast a defense manhandled only by Mayfield this season.
But here is what Herman doesn’t like: As close as Texas (5-5, 4-3 Big 12) has come all season, it has yet to score an upset. It has not defeated a ranked opponent. It has never bested the “better” team.
Another chance
Saturday’s game against West Virginia (7-3, 5-2) at Milan Puskar Stadium affords the Longhorns one final chance to do just that. Even Charlie Strong managed to shock two top-10 foes (No. 10 Notre Dame, No. 8 Baylor) in his final season.
“I think where we’re at is not where we had hoped to be,” Herman said. “We’ve got to win one that we’re not supposed (to) … The biggest next step is we’ve got to win one of these road games against a Top 25 team that most people would think we don’t have a chance at doing.”
Thunderstorms are expected to fill the skies over Morgantown throughout the day. And honestly, an assist from the thunder god Zeus might be the only thing capable of completely stopping the Mountaineers’ offense, especially with UT down two key cogs in nickelback P.J. Locke (ankle) and cornerback Holton Hill (suspended).
Quarterback Will Grier ranks second nationally in passing touchdowns (34) and third in passing yards (3,440). Only Mayfield and Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett have accounted for more points this season. Receivers Gary Jennings, Ka’Raun White and David Sills all rank among the top 25 in receiving yards, while Sills’ 18 touchdown receptions pace the country. Running back Justin Crawford has added 899 yards and eight scores on the ground.
“We’ve got to protect our corners a little bit,” Herman said. “I think we’ve done a good job either clouding them at times or if they’re in a deep third, having somebody in the flat underneath. There’s been some man-toman situations and there will be again, but I think you’ve got to be mindful a little bit of protecting them and knowing that if one of those guys go down, we trained John Bonney all week. He’s a guy that has experience at corner. So, he’d be the next man up, so to speak. But I’m confident in Kris (Boyd) and Davante (Davis).”
West Virginia may be slowed, but it won’t be stopped. In its last two games against opponents not named Kansas and Baylor, Texas averaged 8.5 points and 273 yards of offense per game. That isn’t going to cut it.
Making the key plays
The return of All-America left tackle Connor Williams should help, especially in the run game. But Shane Buechele or Sam Ehlinger or both need to make plays, and their most talented receivers — Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Collin Johnson, Reggie Hemphill-Mapps — need to manufacture yards after the catch.
Fail to do that and UT will return to Austin needing to beat Texas Tech in order to gain bowl eligibility for the first time since 2014.
“I think it will be perceived on what we do in the next two games,” defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. “I think that’s what it comes down to. There were a lot of close ball games where we didn’t come through. What we do in the next two weeks will really say what direction we’re heading in.
“We’re talking about West Virginia but I know what’s really on people’s minds. I get that part of it. I’m not naive. It’s going to be a collection of these last two ball games that will really put a stamp on the season.”