Players to watch, key matchup for Texas football against Kansas State

By Steve Habel, Senior Contributing Writer

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Longhorns will try to get back on track and stay in the running for a chance to play for the Big 12 championship when they host No. 20 Kansas State Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. CST.

The Longhorns (5-3 overall, 3-2 in Big 12 play) have[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] lost two of their past three games while K-State (6-2 overall, 3-2 in Big 12) play, under first-year coach Chris Klieman, has won three in a row and always has been a tough opponent for Texas.

Here are a few of the players and matchups worth watching in a game that will go a long way toward determining the Longhorns’ postseason:

Players to watch
Quarterback Sam Ehlinger: We all know that Texas goes as Ehlinger goes, and the junior signal caller is hoping to rebound from his worst performance of the season. Ehlinger threw a career-high four interceptions in the Longhorns’ Oct. 26 loss to TCU, but only two of those could be blamed entirely on him. Still, he has to be better this week, especially because the Wildcats’ ball-control offense will limit the Longhorns’ opportunities, making each possession a precious one. We predict that Ehlinger will rise to the task, but he will not throw for 300 yards.

Wide receiver Brennan Eagles: Eagles did not play in the TCU game after missing practice for personal reasons the during preparation for that game and was missed. He is the Longhorns’ true downfield threat and has caught 19 passes for 367 yards and five touchdowns through seven games. He ranks in the top 30 nationally with an average of 19.3 yards per reception this season. Two of Eagles’ touchdown catches have been in excess of 50 yards, a 55-yard reception against LSU and a 73-yard score against Oklahoma State. We expect Ehlinger to take at least two deep shots to Eagles in this game, including perhaps one very early on, to help set the tone and open up the K-State defense for underneath routes.

Nose tackle Keondre Coburn: The man in the middle of the Longhorns’ defense has not been flashy this season but he has improved with every game. With Kansas State set on running between the tackles to shorten and control the game, Coburn must stand his ground and occupy the two blockers he will draw in order for the Texas linebackers and safeties to make plays before significant yardage is made in the middle. This will be the kind of game in which Coburn can shine, and we are expecting his best game of the season from him.

Safety Caden Sterns: He has missed the past four weeks with a knee injury and has been cleared to play against Kansas State. But the Texas defense needs more than just Sterns in the secondary to improve. Let’s not be foolish enough to think the Longhorns are going to see marked improvement overnight just because he’s back on the field. Yes, Sterns will be a stabling factor, and he will make his share of plays, but he needs to guard against trying to do too much, too soon.

Key matchup
The Texas offensive line against the Kansas State front six — the team that controls the line of scrimmage always wins games that are this evenly matched. Texas has to be able to open holes for the run game and protect Ehlinger, especially if he is trying to make plays downfield past his first read. The Longhorns’ past three opponents have done a better job of owning the trenches, and that has led to two losses and a seat-of-the-pants, last-minute win over Kansas. It’s time for this unit to reassert itself.

Wild card
Texas needs to establish its offense early to keep the Wildcats from controlling the game, and that means getting its offense on the field first if possible and making the most out of every first-half possession. The prediction here is the first team that can build a 14-point lead will win this game.
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