’Horns getting back to health

Their egos AUSTIN, bruised by two losses in the last three games, the Texas Longhorns hope they are finally getting back some healthy players to help turn their season around.

Among the key players expected back Saturday against No. 20 Kansas State is All-Big 12 safety Caden Sterns, who hasn’t played in four games because of a leg problem

The Longhorns (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) desperately need help for a pass defense that ranks No. 127 out of 130 teams nationally. Sterns can cover a lot of ground in pass coverage and in run support.

“Like you saw most of last season, he’s got a knack for football and he doesn’t mind throwing his body around,” coach Tom Herman said Monday. “He’s going to study every tendency of receiver splits and backfield sets and translate those studies into gaining a half step or a step on plays.”

Sterns has such an impact on the defense that he’s still the team’s third-leading tackler with 29 despite not playing in a month.

Other defensive players Herman hopes to have healthy are safety B.J. Foster, one of the team’s biggest hitters who has been playing with a sore neck and shoulder, and defensive back DeMarvion Overshown, who has two sacks but has missed four games this season with a back injury.

But those players may not fix everything.

Texas still struggles to rush the quarterback. Foster and Overshown have been in and out of the lineup at different times this season and another big hit or hard tackle could send them back to the sideline.