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 29-for-36 for 207 yards with a touchdown in the win on the road over always feisty Kansas State. Ehlinger played well overall and has now thrown for at least 200 yards in all 11 of his starts as a Longhorn, a streak former Texas quarterbacks Clot McCoy and Vince Young did not achieve.
–WR Collin Johnson, a junior, had four catches for 51 yards against Kansas State, including a huge third-down conversion late in the fourth quarter. With every game Johnson is closer to producing the really big one that the Longhorns have been looking for from him. Johnson is the huge, downfield 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 that are covering him. He now has 25 catches for 350 yards and three TDs combined in the first five 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 a team-high seven tackles in the win over Kansas 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. No player on the Longhorns has been harder to predict over the past three seasons than Boyd, who 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 a pass breakup and four tackles against Kansas State and has 19 stops, a sack, and interception, and eight pass breakups for the season.
SERIES HISTORY: Texas leads Oklahoma, 61-46-5.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I was standing on the sideline and I did not know until after the game that we just ran the clock out and got it with six and a half minutes and they had a timeout left. Or that we converted a third down and then a third and nine from (quarterback Sam) Ehlinger to (wide receiver) Collin (Johnson), and all those things that when you then look back on it you’re like, wow, those are some pretty big moments.” — Texas coach Tom Herman on how he was focused on each play during the Kansas State game
