Texas vs. Oklahoma State Football 2009
No. 3 Longhorns, No. 13 Cowboys Battle for 1st Place in Big 12 South
The No. 13-ranked Cowboys will face the No. 3 Longhorns in a Big 12 Conference football showdown Saturday, Oct. 31, at Stillwater, Okla. At stake in the 8 p.m. EST game will be first place in the Big 12 South Division.
Texas (7-0 overall, 4-0 Big 12) will carry an 11-game winning streak into the contest, which will be telecast by ABC. The Longhorns own the nation’s third-longest winning streak, behind Florida and Iowa.
Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-0) has won five in a row since being upset 45-35 by Houston the second week of the season. The Cowboys lost 1,500-yard rusher Hunter to an ankle injury during that Sept. 12 game, and 1,500-yard receiver Bryant was sidelined a week later because of an NCAA violation.
Hunter could be back soon, but Bryant won't. The NCAA ruled this week that the junior All-American – suspended for allegedly lying to NCAA investigators – will remain ineligible for the rest of the season.
But Mike Gundy's Cowboys have kept winning – without Bryant, without Hunter, and without other injured players. And if they win Saturday, they'll be alone atop the Big 12.
Not that doing so will be easy. Texas holds an all-time series lead of 21-2 over Oklahoma State, and has won the last 11 meetings. Last year, Mack Brown's Longhorns held on for a 28-24 victory at Austin, Tex.
Longhorns Top FBS in Scoring
One week after the Longhorns won that Oct. 25, 2008 game vs. Oklahoma State, they fell to Texas Tech 39-33. Texas hasn't lost since.
There have been some tight ones, like the 34-24 victory over Texas Tech on Sept. 19, and the 16-13 win over Oklahoma on Oct. 17. But overall, the Longhorns have done a pretty good job of keeping things under control.
Texas is the highest-scoring team in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision at 41.86 points per game, and is outscoring is opponents by an average of four touchdowns per game. Last week, they pounded Missouri, 41-7.
Texas' Shipley Stars as Receiver, Return Man
Texas is averaging 438.1 yards per game, and a good deal of them come from receiver Jordan Shipley. The senior has made 58 catches for 713 yards, ranking fourth in the FBS in receptions and eighth in yards per game (101.86). He's caught five touchdown passes.
Shipley has also scored twice on punt returns, and ranks ninth in the FBS in with a 15.4 average. D.J. Monroe, meanwhile, is the No. 2 kickoff returner in the FBS with a 39.4-yard average. Like Shipley, he's returned two kicks for touchdowns.
Another special teams standout is Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence, who has connected on 14 of 16 field goal attempts. His average of two field goals per game ranks him second in the FBS.
Colt McCoy Completing 71 Percent of Passes
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy has completed 182 of his 254 passes for a stellar percentage of 71.7 percent. The senior has thrown for 1,806 yards and 14 TDs, but he's also tossed eight interceptions.
While Shipley is his top target, McCoy has also gone frequently to Dan Buckner (31 caches, 334 yards, 4 TDs), John Chiles (24 catches, 222 yards, 3 TDs) and James Kirkdendoll (22 receptions, 209 yards).
The Longhorns have utilized a variety of running backs. Vondrell McGee (49 attemps, 275 yards, 2 TDs) and Tre' Newton (214 yards, 3 TDs) are the leading rushers, and Cody Johhnson has a team-high five TDs. But Foswitt Whittaker (157 yards, 3 TDs) has carried the heaviest load in the last two games.
Texas Defense One of Best.
The Texas defense ranks No. 2 in the FBS in total defense (235.6 yards per game) and No. 9 in scoring defense (13.6 points per game). The Longhorns are forcing three turnovers per game.
Linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy leads Texas with 45 tackles, and also has seven tackles for loss and five pass breakups. Safety Early Thomas rates among the FBS leaders with five interceptions and nine pass breakups, and cornerback Curtis Brown has broken up 10 passes.
Other leaders include linebacker Emmanuel Acho (8 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles), end Sergio Kindle (7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks), end Sam Acho (8 tackle for loss, 5 sacks) and tackle Lamarr Houston (8 tackles for loss).
Robinson, Toston Lead Cowboys Offense
Oklahoma State is averaging 417.6 yards per game, and ranks seventh in the FBS in scoring offense at 37 points per contest. Quarterback Zac Robinson has been highly efficient, completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,547 yards and 12 TDs.
Last week, Robinson was 23-for-27 passing for 250 yards and three TDs in a 34-7 victory over Baylor. He threw no interceptions, and still has only four on the season.
Keith Toston has more than held his own after becoming OSU's primary back. He's rushed for 606 yards and six TDs, averaging 5.5 hards per carry, and he's also caught 19 passes for 199 yards. Another option is Beau Johnson, who's run for 249 yards and five TDs. He ran for 93 yards vs. Baylor.
Sophomore Hubert Anyiam has been the top receiver since Bryant's suspension. He's made 25 catches for 306 yards and two TDs. Nineteen of the catches came in the last two games.
Oklahoma State's Cox Tops FBS in Passes Defended
Oklahoma State's defense has been solid while yielding 20 points and 352.1 yards per game. Linebacker Donald Booker has been the catalyst, leading the team with 52 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks.
Cornerback Perrish Cox has battled a shoulder injury, which caused him to miss a game. But he's intercepted a pass and broken up 11 others, and his average of two passes defended per game rank him first in the FBS.
The cast also includes safety Lucien Antoine (43 tackles, 5 tackles for loss), linebacker Patrick Lavine (38 tackles, 3 interceptions), linebacker Andre Sexton (35 tackles) and defensive lineman Ugo Chinasa (3.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks).
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