PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Sam Ehlinger, a sophomore, has taken every snap at the position this year after he and junior Shane Buechele split the starting position last season. He finished 15-of-33 for 223 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 35 yards and another score in the win over USC. Ehlinger played well overall, taking a handful of chances downfield against the Trojan defense that produced big plays while running 17 times when the defense bailed out in coverage.
–WR Collin Johnson, a junior, led the team with six catches for 79 yards against USC but has not yet had the big game Texas fans have been looking for. Johnson is the huge, fast, downfield target that the Longhorns need to help open up the offense and is due for a breakout season. The 6-foot-6 receiver can go over or through most of the defensive backs that are covering him. He now has 13 catches for 175 yards combined in the first three games.
–LB Gary Johnson, a senior who came to Texas last year after playing in junior college, has already asserted himself as the Longhorns’ do-everything linebacker and be one of the team’s leaders. Johnson registered six tackles, four for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry in the win over USC, after which he was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. 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.
–CB Kris Boyd has the skills to be a true shutdown corner — as long as he can keep his emotions in check. At 6-foot and 195 pounds, Boyd has the size to take on and stop most of the receivers that will line up across from him. Boyd had an interception, five tackles and a pass break up against USC and has 16 stops, a sack and four pass breakups for the season.
SERIES HISTORY: Texas leads TCU 62-25-1. The Longhorns own a record of 33-14-1 all-time against the Horned Frogs in Austin. Texas looks to snap a four-game losing streak to TCU. The Longhorns’ last victory over TCU at home came in 2007, a 34-13 win. Texas won 24 straight over TCU from 1968-91, but TCU’s current four-game streak is tied for their longest ever against the Longhorns.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Because of where we’re at culturally and with the leadership on this team, moving past the first game was actually not as difficult as probably many people think. It really wasn’t. I think our guys were ready to learn and move on, just like we’re ready to learn and move on this week, from a win.”– Texas coach Tom Herman on how the team has improved from the Week 1 loss to Maryland.
