Sep 12, 2015; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Jerrod Heard (13) and wide receiver John Burt (1) react against the Rice Owls during the first quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Has Texas reached the point where it’s ready to hold up moral victories?
The Longhorns almost erased a 21-point deficit against California on Saturday. In fact, it appeared almost certain the Longhorns would tie the game after quarterback Jerrod Heard rambled 45 yards for a touchdown with 1:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.
But mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be kickers.
Longhorns’ kicker Nick Rose shanked the extra point wide right, and Cal recovered the ensuing onside kick and held on for a 45-44 victory.
Perhaps not wanting to get down on his team and keep things positive, Texas coach Charlie Strong focused on the offensive performance. He gave Heard a rave review in his second career start.
“The amazing performance by Jerrod was just unbelievable,” Strong said. “You see the loss and you don’t want that to be overshadowed because he played an unbelievable game.”
Indeed, Heard rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 364. As a team, the Horns piled up 650 yards. Even considering that the Bears are not a defensive iron wall — Cal gave up 511.8 yards per game last season — that’s a big step in the right direction.
However, Texas still hasn’t played a complete game against a quality opponent this season. The Longhorns surrendered 548 yards and, of course, 45 points. Also troubling for Horns fans was that Cal came out of halftime and scored 21-straight.
But Strong even stayed positive regarding the porous defensive effort.
“I look at the plays that hurt us and they’re plays that can be fixed,” Strong said. “If we get those things straight, then we’re going to be okay. But we have to get it fixed and get it fixed right away.”
Texas will face a different type of challenge when it hosts Oklahoma State on Saturday. If Heard can continue to produce at a prolific rate against a tougher Cowboys defense, the Horns might have something more than a moral victory.
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Jerrod Heard gave Texas fans some solace following a stinging 45-44 loss to Cal. Although the Horns lost after failing to convert a PAT at the end, Heard was phenomenal. He rushed for 163 yards and three TDs and also passed for 364 yards. Suddenly, Big 12 defenses have a reason to worry about Texas’ offense.
–DE Shiro Davis posted Texas’ only sack against Cal, dropping Bears QB Jared Goff for a 14-yard loss. Davis added another tackle for a loss of three yards, making the most of his five total tackles.
–WR Daje Johnson continued to be a difference-maker for the Horns. He caught five passes for 145 yards. Cal punted away from Johnson and the Bears averaged only 33 yards per punt as a result. Johnson is Texas’ most feared player, outside of Heard, by opposing defenses and special teams units.
