PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Sam Ehlinger, a sophomore, had taken every snap at the position this year until suffering a sprained shoulder early in the Longhorns’ win over Baylor on Oct. 13. He was replaced by junior Shane Buechele — the duo split the starting position last season. Ehlinger was 4-of-5 passing for 35 yards in limited play in the win and has now attempted a school-record 168 consecutive passes without throwing an interception, besting Major Applewhite’s previous school record of 156 set in 1999. Ehlinger is on track to play this week on the road against Oklahoma State — if not, Buechele (who was 20 for 34 for 184 yards and a TD and an interception) will start.
–WR Collin Johnson, a junior, had 11 catches for 132 yards against Baylor, including a 44-yard TD pass from Buechele. 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 that are covering him. He now has 42 catches for 563 yards and five TDs in the first seven 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 one of the team’s leaders. Johnson registered a team-high 11 tackles, 1 1/2 of them for loss, in the win over Baylor. 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 in the win against Baylor and was not tested by the Bears’ game plan. He has 26 stops, a sack, an interception and nine pass breakups for the season. He and DB Caden Sterns were named semifinalists for the 2018 Jim Thorpe Award, it was announced Monday. The award is presented to college football’s top defensive back.
SERIES HISTORY: Texas leads Oklahoma State 24-8. The Cowboys have won three in a row in the series, including last season’s 13-10 overtime victory in Austin, Tex.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Any animal with ears can hear. It is a very unique human condition whether we choose to listen or not. And so that’s a big teaching point each and every week. You have the choice whether you want to listen to this or not. Our job as coaches is to eliminate human nature, is to be so focused on a singleness of purpose and a love and an accountability to each other that it’s almost impossible not to listen.” — Texas coach Tom Herman on how he gets the Longhorns to focus on each game each week.
