UT on pause
» Longhorns halt activities after three positive tests.
AUSTIN — All football activities at Texas remained paused Monday — including a decision on coach Tom Herman’s future — as the program awaits further test results after three players and two staff members turned up positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.
All five members of the program tested negative last Friday and traveled to Manhattan, Kan., for Saturday’s game against Kansas State. The Texas athletics medical staff sent the entirety of the team home Sunday, where it will remain until at least Tuesday as more tests are conducted.
As of Monday evening, this Saturday’s game between Texas (6-3, 5-3 Big 12) and Kansas (0-9, 0-8) at Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence had not been postponed or canceled.
“We’ve got to stay positive, no pun intended there,” Herman said during Monday’s Big 12 coaches teleconference. “What I have been told by our medical staff is everything we’re doing right now is merely precautionary. We’re wanting to make sure with a couple of extra cases — extra positives that we haven’t had, quite frankly, all year — this is not a trend throughout the team, that this is a couple of isolated incidents. If that holds to be true, then our plan is to play this weekend.”
Herman’s job security has been the subject of much speculation, which ramped up when it was reported late Sunday that former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer reportedly turned down a lucrative offer to coach the Longhorns, citing health reasons. Meyer, a three-time national champion coach who has an 187-32 career record, twice has resigned from positions at Florida and Ohio State amid health issues and investigations into his teams.
Herman said the coming week is his main concern.
“I’m worried about the pause that we’re on right now,” Herman said. “I’m worried about our kids. I’m worried about making sure they’re OK mentally. I’m worried about making sure they’re OK physically. And my stress level right now is just getting back on the field and preparing for Kansas.”
Herman said he has not asked Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte for a vote of confidence.
“That’s a question for another person,” Herman said. “I can’t speak for anybody but myself and our team. We’re excited to be prepared to play Kansas, and hopefully, we get that opportunity.
“Right now, everybody is at home and trying to do our best to game-plan to play Kansas as scheduled. But as far as that’s concerned, that’s not a question I can answer.”
Del Conte is an engaging presence on Twitter who often tweets out highlights and congratulations to all Texas teams, with football an obvious central focus. But the Texas AD has been less active on social media of late and has not offered the same public backing he extended over the past couple seasons to other Longhorns coaches such as men’s basketball’s coach Shaka Smart.
Texas torched Kansas State 69-31 at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium in the team’s most dominant performance of the season. And with one regularseason game remaining against the winless Jayhawks, Herman seems assured of securing at least one more win before a decision is made about his future.
Kansas coach Les Miles, whose team’s struggles with COVID-19 prompted the initial postponement of the game scheduled for Nov. 21, believes the game will be played.
“Yes, I think there’s still a good chance,” Miles said Monday during the teleconference. “That’s what we need to have happen.”
Texas is 31-18 under Herman and 22-14 against Big 12 competition, including a loss to Oklahoma in the 2018 conference championship game. The Longhorns have pulled in three straight top 10 recruiting classes, though this year’s class ranks No. 17 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big 12.
And while Herman does have a 10-win season and Sugar Bowl victory under his belt, the team’s failure to live up to expectations since then caused fans and, more importantly, boosters to sour on Meyer’s former offensive coordinator at Ohio State.
But with the program’s primary replacement target now off the board, Del Conte has not made a decision on whether to retain Herman for a fifth season.
Ehlinger, Ossai earn recognition
Texas senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger on Monday was named a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award for the nation’s top quarterback and Wuerffel Trophy, presented to the player who “best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.”
Among Big 12 quarterbacks this season, Ehlinger ranks first or second in passing efficiency (149.9), passing touchdowns (25), points responsible for (202), points responsible for per game (22.4), total offense (309.8) and yards per pass attempt (7.86). Overall he has competed 184 of 306 passes for 2,406 yards, 25 touchdowns and five interceptions this season.
Junior Joseph Ossai was named a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which honors college football’s top defensive player.
Playing as hybrid linebacker/defensive end this season, Ossai has recorded 55 tackles, 16 tackles for loss (second-most nationally), five sacks, three forced fumbles, one recovery, two pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.