The fifth-ranked Texas Longhorns open up Big 12 play on the road this weekend, as they invade Boulder to take on the Colorado Buffaloes.
Mack Brown's Longhorns have certainly looked the part of a national title contender in the first third of the season, routing all four of their opponents thus far, including a 52-10 thrashing of Arkansas last week. In fact, the team has also posting 52-10 wins over Florida Atlantic and Rice as well.
Looking to bring a halt to Texas' momentum is a Colorado team that has been better than advertised this season. Dan Hawkin's squad is 3-1 on the year with wins over Colorado State (38-17) and West Virginia (17-14 OT) on its resume'. However, the team was unable to close out its non-conference schedule with a perfect mark, falling to Florida State last week in Tallahassee, 39-21.
The Longhorns own a narrow 9-7 edge in the all-time series with the Buffaloes, but have won three straight and five of the last six meetings, overall. The series is tied in Boulder (3-3), but Texas has won the last two meetings at Colorado.
The Longhorns have excelled on the offensive side of the football this year, showing the ability to pick up huge gains both on the ground and through the air thus far. The team is averaging over 200 yards in both areas, with 205.2 yards rushing and 276.8 yards passing.
Quarterback Colt McCoy has thrust his name into the Heisman race with a sensational start. He is completing an astounding 80 percent of his passes this season, for 1,018 yards, with 14 TDs and just one INT in 100 pass attempts. In addition, the 6-3 junior also paces the team in rushing, averaging 8.2 yards per carry, with four TDs. Those reaping the most rewards from McCoy's strong play have been senior wideouts Quan Cosby (23 catches, for 345 yards, three TDs) and Jordan Shipley (20 catches, for 321 yards, six TDs).
The Texas offense has really helped its cause by playing mistake free football for the most part, something Coach Brown is very aware of.
"Offensively, one of the great things we're doing is that we have really good ball security. Our first team offense has given up one fumble and only one interception after four games."
The Texas defense hasn't been tested this season and the numbers certainly reflect that. The team is completely shutting down opposing ground games, with foes averaging a mere 52.5 rushing yards per game. The team has also not allowed a single rushing score on the year.
All-American candidate Brian Orakpo has been a real force along the defensive line, including a pair of sacks in the win over Arkansas last week. A 6-4, 260-pound senior, Orakpo now has six sacks to pace the Longhorns, to go along with eight TFLs and a pair of forced fumbles. In all, Texas has really gotten upfield and disrupted things for the opposition, amassing 36 TFLs and 16 sacks in the first four games.
Colorado's offense struggled against the Seminoles last time out, collecting just 278 yards, while converting a mere 4-of-15 third-down opportunities. On the season, the offense has not been overwhelming in terms of production, averaging 340.5 yards per game. Still, there is balance, starting with QB Cody Hawkins, who is completing 64 percent of his passes, for 808 yards, with nine TDs. Josh Smith (17 receptions, for 204 yards, three TDs) and Scotty McKnight (16 receptions, for 178 yards, one TD) are the top options down the field.
The backfield is extremely young, but freshmen Rodney Stewart (5.6 ypc) and Darrell Scott (3.8 ypc) give the ground game potential. Coming into this game, Colorado is averaging 138.5 ypg on 3.8 ypc.
Coming right back and trying to match up with an offensive juggernaut like Texas certainly presents a test for Colorado's defense. Coach Hawkins knows the challenge that is in front of his team.
"It's hard, it's very hard; there's only so much you can do. You have to mix things up, you have to be able to run the football and be able to have a package that is able keep them off balance to some degree, if you possibly can. At the end of the day it comes down to man-on-man battles, to some degree. That will be part of the realities that we'll face on Saturday."
The Buffs have struggled a bit in stopping the run, allowing 172.0 yards per game. The pass defense has been much better, limiting foes to a mere 163.0 ypg.
Linebacker Jeff Smart and defensive back Ryan Walters are tied for the team- lead in tackles with 38 stops apiece. Smart gets help in the linebacking corps from Brad Jones (25 tackles, four TFLs, two sacks) and Shaun Mohler (25 tackles, one TFL). Walters is aided in the secondary by Cha'Pelle Brown (34 tackles).
