Game 9 Snapshot: Texas travels to No. 10 TCU in biggest test of season

By Steve Habel/Senior Editor

AUSTIN, Texas — Here are a few of the things to watch for as the Longhorns (4-4 overall, 3-2 in Big 12 play) hit the road to play No. 10 TCU Saturday in Fort Worth. Kickoff is at 6:15 p.m. CDT.

NOTES, QUOTES, PLAYERS TO WATCH

• Sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele passed for 256 yards and a touchdown and ran 28 yards for another score against Baylor in his third start of the season, but in no way does that guarantee that he will earn another start this week against TCU. Freshman Sam Ehlinger, who missed the Baylor game with a concussion, has started [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]five games at signalcaller this year, and has been cleared to return to practice.

• Junior punter Michael Dickson is a leading candidate for the 2017 Ray Guy Award, a season after becoming UT’s first finalist for the prestigious award. Dickson has punted 44 times this season and is third nationally with an average of 48.4 yards per punt. The Longhorns’ net average of 44.95 is the best in the country. Of his 44 punts, 21 of them have been more than 50 yards, while 17 have been downed inside the 20.

• Linebacker Malik Jefferson tied for the team lead against Baylor with eight tackles, four of which came on third downs as Texas held the Bears to just 4-of-18. He added 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in the game.

SERIES HISTORY: Texas and TCU meet for the 88th time Saturday. UT holds a 62-24-1 edge over the Horned Frogs, including a mark of 27-10 in Fort Worth. The Longhorns will try to snap a three-game losing streak to TCU. Their last win against the Frogs came on the road in 2013. Texas coach Tom Herman never has faced TCU in his coaching career, while TCU coach Gary Patterson is 4-2 against Texas.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “We can see the other side of the wall right now. We’ve actually got a little sunlight coming in through it right now after what we were able to do in Waco. So now … yeah, my confidence is at an all-time high, and I think our players’ is, too.” – Texas coach Tom Herman on his team’s confidence level after eight games.

GAME BREAKDOWN

Scouting the running game: Texas finally threw caution to the wind and allowed freshman running backs Toneil Carter (70 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries) and Daniel Young (seven carries for 60 yards and a touchdown) to carry the rushing load. Yes, the Texas offense is working behind a makeshift offensive line because of injuries up front, but finding a consistent running game from its backs is paramount. How this group improves in the coming weeks will have a lot to say about the Longhorns’ ability to continue to move forward and earn a spot in a bowl game.

Scouting the passing game: Buechele passed for 256 yards and a touchdown and threw a needless interception in the end zone against Baylor. Buechele and Ehlinger are both adept at passing the football and spreading the wealth — 10 different players caught passes last week for the Longhorns.

Scouting the run defense: Texas surrendered just 31 rushing yards to Baylor last week on 37 attempts, an average of just 0.8 yards per carry. The Longhorns are 12th nationally, and second in the Big 12, behind TCU, in yards allowed on the ground per game (109.6) and teams that try to make yards on the perimeter against Texas are usually swallowed up by the defense’s pursuit.

Scouting the pass defense: Texas had three sacks against Baylor and now has 19 for the season. Safety DeShon Elliott had another interception (his FBS-leading sixth of the season) and returned it for a touchdown (his second touchdown on an interception return this year). Texas allowed Baylor just 218 yards passing, 52 of which came on one play.

Scouting the special teams: Texas junior kicker Joshua Rowland converted an 18-yard field goal but had another attempt blocked and is now 7-of-13 on the season. Dickson punted six times Saturday against Baylor, averaging 44.5 yards per punt. His net average was 40.3, as he allowed just one return while downing three inside the 20.

DRAFT PROSPECTS

• Left tackle Connor Williams: Herman said Monday that Williams, who suffered a left knee injury late in the first half against USC and is undergoing rehab of his sprained MCL, a torn meniscus and sprained PCL, is now participating in football drills and could be back in the lineup as soon as the Nov. 11 home game versus Kansas.

• Nose tackle Poona Ford: He had just one tackle against Baylor and dominated the middle of the defensive line for the eighth straight game, spearheading the Longhorns’ interior defense.

• Linebacker Malik Jefferson: Jefferson leads the team with 76 tackles, including 54 solo stops. He also has gotten after the quarterback, with team highs of 8.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, and five quarterback hurries. Against Oklahoma State, Jefferson set a career-high and led Texas with 14 tackles. He has paced the Longhorns in tackles in seven of their eight games.

ROSTER REPORT

• Freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger and sophomore center Zach Shackelford have cleared concussion protocol and are back practicing with the team. Both are expected to play and likely start Saturday against TCU.

• Freshman running backs Toneil Carter and Daniel Young now are listed as “or” starters along with junior Chris Warren III and sophomore Kyle Porter.

• Carter (head) and junior defensive back P.J. Locke (ankle) did not practice with the team Sunday and their availability for the TCU game is yet to be determined.

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