Longhorns hopeful for return of Sterns, Foster to bolster pass defense

By Steve Habel, Senior Contributing Writer

AUSTIN, Texas — The beleaguered Texas defense, which has been a combination M*A*S*H unit and finishing school for advanced secondary play over the past month, is likely to get a boost this week with the return of some key players for the season’s stretch run.

Texas coach Tom Herman said Monday that barring any setbacks this week in practice,[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] Caden Sterns, B.J. Foster and DaMarvion Overshown all should play Saturday against improving and dangerous Kansas State, which is ranked No. 20 in the nation by the Associated Press and No. 22 in the Amway Coaches Poll.

Sterns, named the Big 12’s Best Freshman (Defense) in 2018, would be the most important returnee. He has missed four games with a knee injury sustained Sept. 21 in UT’s win over Oklahoma State. Since then, the Longhorns have gone 2-2 and are 127th in passing yards allowed out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

“Just that experience, that level of confidence and his ability to be disruptive back there are things that we’ll be happy to have back,” Herman said when asked what he expects Sterns to bring to the field in his return. “Like you guys saw most of last season, he’s got a knack for the football. He doesn’t mind throwing his body around at all. Extremely smart football player.”

Foster also is an important cog in the Texas defense’s plan against K-State, especially with his ability to support the run and make game-changing plays with his physicality

Herman said linebacker Jeff McCulloch was on track during last week’s open date to be back for the game against the Wildcats, but that he has had a setback in his rehab from a shoulder injury in the past few days. McCulloch is also important to the run defense.

“We’re going to try like heck to get McCulloch back into practice,” Herman said Monday. “He has not practiced. (He) was on a really good trajectory with the strength in that shoulder, but it didn’t quite keep progressing.”

On the offensive side, freshman running back Jordan Whittington, “practiced yesterday and practiced Wednesday and Thursday of last week,” Herman said, and is considered probable to play against Kansas State after being out since the first week of the season with a sports hernia.

Herman will have to gauge the need to have Whittington participate rather than save his redshirt, which the talented back will lose if he plays in four of more games.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. The Longhorns can’t afford to lose again if they want any chance at a Big 12 championship.

“We’ve left the margin of error very slim,” Herman said about UT’s Big 12 title hopes. “That’s OK. We know we’re on the ropes, but you can fight your way off the ropes, or you can tell your trainer to throw in the towel.”
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