PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Sam Ehlinger, a sophomore, has become the unquestioned leader of the Longhorns offense. He was 12-of-15 for 137 yards and a touchdown in the win over Iowa State while adding 32 yards and another score on the ground before re-injuring his right (throwing) shoulder on the next-to-last play of the second quarter and sitting out the second half. He continues to build on his school-record and Big 12 Conference 295 consecutive passes without throwing an interception, besting Major Applewhite’s previous school mark of 156 set in 1999.
–WR Collin Johnson, a junior, returned from a knee injury that kept him out against Texas Tech and caught three passes for 55 yards in the win over Iowa State. With every game Johnson is continuing his role as the go-to receiver that the Longhorns have been looking for. Johnson is the huge, intermediate target that the Texas needs to help open up the offense because the 6-foot-6 receiver can go over or through most of the defensive backs. He has 53 receptions for 730 yards and five TDs combined in the first 11 games.
–LB Gary Johnson registered a team-high seven tackles and a sack that was a stop for a loss in the win over Iowa State. At 6-foot and 230 pounds, Johnson might be a little undersized to be a constant run stuffer, but he plays bigger than his size and hits as hard as anyone in college football. Johnson will make some plays this season where he will come from the far side of the field to force a turnover.
–CB Kris Boyd had five tackles, a tackle for a loss, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry in the win over Iowa State. He has 49 stops, a sack, 2.5 tackles for a loss, an interception, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble and 14 pass breakups for the season.
SERIES HISTORY: Texas leads Kansas 14-3. The Longhorns have won 14-of-15 matchups since becoming Big 12 Conference foes but lost in overtime the last time these two schools met in Lawrence.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I would argue that we’re overachievers at this point when you look throughout the landscape of our conference. We’ve got some pretty good players, but we’ve got a lot of guys that know how to play team football, and we’re overachieving. That’s the sign of progress is when your culture can take over and win some games. We’ve got some young talent that we’re developing, so I’m excited about our progress.” — Texas coach Tom Herman, about the progress of his team.
