This time, he has no excuse.
None. Texas coach Mack Brown has won at least nine games for seven years running. One game a year has kept his tormentors swirling in his hair like the black cloud of bats that pour out from under Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge every summer night.
Brown’s second-ranked Longhorns (4-0) have lost to Oklahoma five straight years, their longest skid in 30 years. The last time they lost six straight to OU was 1952-57. You’ve heard the reasons. Texas had the better talent, the better recruiting classes, but not the better coach.
It wasn’t completely true. Oklahoma has had a lot of talent the past five years.
However, this year its talent is young and has gone through major growing pains. Texas is on a roll with the nation’s best rushing attack (310.0 ypg), the third highest-scoring attack (46.8) and a major victory over a national title contender at Ohio State.
Oklahoma (2-2) may have come of age Saturday in its 43-21 rout of Kansas State. Still, Texas has better talent at nearly every position. Don’t believe it? Let’s break it down:
Quarterback
It’s two Heisman Trophy candidates here. The difference is Oklahoma freshman Rhett Bomar may not be a contender for two more years.
In the meantime, Texas’ Vince Young has become a big-game player after engineering stirring wins over Michigan in the Rose Bowl and Ohio State in Columbus. He’ll still make mistakes, his passing form isn’t very good and he has four turnovers in the past two games. However, he has matured this season.
Bomar is improving, but is 94th nationally in pass efficiency and will experience his first Oklahoma-Texas game.
Edge: Hook ’em, Horns.
Running back
Take out the Tulsa game and Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson has rushed for a sloth-like 172 yards on 53 carries and three touchdowns in three games. Now he is playing on a sprained ankle.
Texas’ Jamaal Charles, a true freshman, is this year’s Peterson without last year’s hype. Charles’ 111.8 yards per game is second in the Big 12, and he’s averaging 8.1 yards per carry. Also, he’s not alone. When Charles rests, in comes another true freshman, 270-pound Henry Melton, who has five TDs and a 6.4-yard average. Never thought I’d say this about Peterson going against true freshmen but …
Edge: Hook ’em, Horns.
Receiver
An Oklahoma wideout has yet to catch a TD pass. Then again, the whole team has caught only one TD pass. One reason Young struggled occasionally with his passing a year ago was because Texas’ receivers were mediocre. But sophomore Limas Sweed has improved, as his winning TD catch at Ohio State will attest, and sophomore Billy Pittman has a 63-yard TD catch, one of four by the wide receivers.
Edge: Hook ’em, Horns.
Offensive line
Here’s the biggest difference: In the preseason, The Sporting News ranked Texas’ line as the best in the nation with four starters back plus center Lyle Sendlein, who started half the season. For Oklahoma, Peterson didn’t lose a whole second on his 40 time. The Sooners lost three starters from last year, and starting right tackle Brandon Braxton is one of three true freshmen getting significant time on the line. Center Chris Chester is a converted guard, and Bomar has been sacked nine times.
Edge: Hook ’em, Horns.
Defensive line
Oklahoma has contained Young with its dynamite defensive ends, but its top three are gone. In are junior college transfer J.C. Ah You and Calvin Thibodeaux, coming off knee surgery. Between them they have two sacks. The interior line is good, and OU is third nationally in rush defense (65.4 ypg).
Texas’ D-line has combined for 20 tackles for loss, six more than Oklahoma, but Texas is only sixth in the Big 12 in rush defense at 108.0.
Edge: Hook ’em Horns.
Linebackers
This is a little-known but highly touted Oklahoma trio that was part of a unit that got lit up by UCLA for 397 yards. But it came back last week to hold Kansas State’s Thomas Clayton, the Big 12’s top rusher, to 8 yards on 12 carries.
Aaron Harris hasn’t made anyone forget Derrick Johnson in Texas, but Harris was Big 12 defensive player of the week this week and tackled Troy Smith for the safety that clinched the win at Ohio State. These are two rapidly improving units.
Edge: Boomer Sooner.
Secondary
What’s scarier, starting a redshirt freshman quarterback in the Texas game or two true freshman safeties? Oklahoma will find out. Reggie Smith and Nic Harris try to solve Young while one cornerback, sophomore D.J. Wolfe, is a converted running back.
The Sporting News gave Texas’ secondary its No. 1 preseason ranking. UT is seventh nationally in pass defense.
Edge: Hook ’em, Horns.
Special teams
Oklahoma’s Garret Hartley is 5-for-7 on field goals, and Texas newcomer David Pino hasn’t missed in five attempts with a long of 42. Texas’ Aaron Ross has returned a punt 88 yards for a TD.
Edge: Hook ’em, Horns.
In light of all this, if Brown loses this year, may the state of Texas have mercy on his soul.
Florida’s “Urban myth”?
That’s what they’re calling Florida’s offense as new coach Urban Meyer faces some of the first heat of his career. In games against Tennessee and Alabama, Florida scored one touchdown. Chris Leak has gone from a potential Heisman Trophy candidate to a liability who can’t run.
Turns out Meyer’s spread offense relies – no, must have – a fast quarterback to run the option. Turns out Leak is slower than anyone thought. In 44 attempts, he has 1 net yard. His leading rusher, DeShawn Wynn, averages only 60.2 ypg. With Andre Caldwell out for the year and the veteran line not adjusting to the offense, Florida’s offense is in big trouble.
“It’s not a spread offense right now,” Meyer told the Gainesville Sun. “We’re throwing the ball much more downfield than we ever have.”
Trojans’ secondary hurting
That crack in USC’s Trojan horse keeps widening. The secondary, decimated by injuries and suspensions, received more bad news when backup safety Kevin Ellison tore knee ligaments Saturday and is out for the year. He follows starting cornerback Terrell Thomas on the knee-surgery scrap heap. Freshman Will Harris is practicing at safety and cornerback after returning from ankle surgery, and cornerback Mozique McCurtis has returned from stomach surgery.
USC is ranked 92nd in pass defense at 262.5 yards per game, in part because opponents are playing catch-up. But the opposition is completing nearly 59 percent of its passes. It’s not all bad news. New cornerback John Walker intercepted two passes to help save the day at Arizona State.
Footnotes
Is South Florida that good or is Miami doing it with mirrors? In 15 drives Saturday, the Hurricanes produced only three touchdowns and two field goals. … Tennessee is banged up. QB Rick Clausen wore a protective boot this week to go with tendinitis in his left foot and a bruised throwing shoulder. Tailback Gerald Riggs, the SEC’s No. 2 rusher, also has a sore shoulder. Tennessee’s next best tailback, Arian Foster, is averaging 17.5 ypg. … Visiting law professor Jill Gaulding chastised Iowa for painting the visitors’ locker room pink, saying it upholds stereotypes of women and gays. Iowa students responded by attending Saturday’s game against Illinois in pink T-shirts.
John Henderson can be reached at 303-820-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com.
