Compiled by Steve Habel, Senior Contributing Writer
AUSTIN, Texas — Here are some notes and quotes from Texas coach Tom Herman’s press conference Monday in advance of the Longhorns’ Oct. 5 game at West Virginia:
• Herman had an update on several players who could see action this Saturday in Morgantown, saying: “(Safety) B.J. (Foster) practiced Sunday, so I would put him as probable. (Wide receiver) Collin (Johnson) and (safety) DeMarvion (Overshown) are[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] going to try to practice Tuesday as it stands right now, and we will know a lot more about their status after tomorrow’s practice.
“(Running back) Jordan Whittington is just now starting to run on the ground. I don’t know that this weekend is out of the question, but we’re certainly not expecting him to be cleared for this one.”
• Texas is 18-5 (.783) all-time in Big 12 Conference road openers. The Longhorns have won both of their league road openers under Herman, defeating Iowa State in 2017 and Kansas State last season.
• West Virginia enters this weekend with a 3-1 record (1-0 in Big 12 play) and is coming off a 29-24 victory Sept. 21 over Kansas. Both the Mountaineers and Longhorns are coming off bye weeks.
• The Longhorns head into Saturday’s game at West Virginia ranked 11th in the Associated Press poll and 12th in the Amway Coaches poll. That marks the first time since 2012 that Texas enters a game in the first week of October ranked among the nation’s top 12.
• Texas trails West Virginia, 5-3, in the all-time series and is 3-4 against the Mountaineers since it joined the Big 12 prior to the 2012 season.
• Saturday will mark the Longhorns’ first game played outside of the state of Texas this season. Overall, 10 of UT’s 12 regular-season games will be contested inside the state of Texas. The Horns will leave the Lone Star State only once more again to face Iowa State Nov. 16.
“A lot of these young guys — it will be the first time they get on an airplane to go to a game,” Herman said about his younger players. “It will be the first time we are in a true ‘hostile’ environment for them, and this venue is a very difficult one to play in.
“We were there two years ago. At the end of the day, these guys have played a lot of football. When the ball is kicked off, where you’re playing the game is irrelevant, if we choose to make it that way. To allow an opposing crowd or the fact that you’re on the road affect your play, that’s a choice that you make, and hopefully most of our guys choose opposite of that.”
• The Mountaineers are led by first-year head coach Neal Brown, who won 35 games in four seasons at Troy prior to taking the job at WVU.
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