Compiled by Steve Habel, Senior Contributing Writer
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas will host No. 20 Kansas State on Saturday in a key Big 12 Conference contest at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The winner still has a chance to play for the league championship, while the loser is all but eliminated from the big game in Arlington, Texas.
Here are some notes and quotes from[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] the preparation for Saturday’s game:
• Texas is 9-10 all-time against the Wildcats. The Longhorns defeated K-State, 19-14, last year in Manhattan. Kansas State is one of only two Big 12 schools with a winning record against Texas, but the Longhorns hold a 7-3 advantage in games played in Austin.
• The Longhorns’ injury report is much improved from previous weeks. “Safeties Caden (Sterns) and B.J. (Foster), DeMarvion (Overshown), linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch and running back Jordan Whittington are all cleared,” Texas coach Tom Herman said. “We’ll see how much they’re capable of going on Saturday and how much we’ll need them.”
• Herman has had great success coming off of bye weeks during his career. After an off week, Herman’s teams are 4-1, including 1-0 so far in 2019, thanks to a 42-31 triumph over West Virginia in Morgantown in October.
•Including Herman’s two years at Houston, his teams have averaged 36.6 points per game and allowed 21.6 (plus-15.0 ppg). At Texas, three of Herman’s four wins after a bye week have come by 10-or-more points.
• Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando on getting some of his key players back from injury: “When you have experience and you have guys that really understand the package, they make stuff right … Eventually what’s going to end up happening is these kids are going to show up and play huge.”
• Texas is 18-1 during Herman’s tenure as coach when outgaining its opponent. The Longhorns have done so five times (4-1 overall) in 2019, in victories over Louisiana Tech, Rice, Oklahoma State and Kansas, and last in their loss to TCU. UT also has had great success when outrushing its opponents under Herman. Texas is 17-2, including 11-1 in its last 12, when outrushing its opponent.
• Texas defensive end Malcolm Roach: “Everything that we’re still looking forward to is still out there. We’re just taking it one game at a time. Continue to work hard. Continue to try to lead this team and go 1-0 every week.”
• Nine different Texas receivers have scored touchdowns this season; in total, 14 different players have scored points in 2019.
• Kicker Cameron Dicker is UT’s top scorer with 69 points so far this season, followed by wide receiver Devin Duvernay (48 points) and quarterback/running back Roschon Johnson (32 points)
• Texas is one of five schools in the country with three players who have scored at least five receiving touchdowns this season. Alabama, LSU, North Carolina and Washington State are the others.
• One of the keys to success in the Herman era has been UT’s ability to score points off turnovers, while limiting opponent points after turnovers of their own. Since 2017, Texas has forced 60 turnovers while scoring 208 points off of them.
• The Wildcats have 25 rushing touchdowns, including 11 over the past two weeks, after tallying only 20 rushing scores a year ago.
• Kansas State coach Chris Klieman: “I just think our guys are getting better as the weeks have gone on. As you get late in the season, you get beat up a lot and you hope all those extra reps you’ve had with those younger guys are starting to pay off because a lot of those guys are starting to get a chance to play now.”
• The K-State defense enters the week ranked highly in many statistical categories, including third-down defense (second in the nation at 25.0 percent), first downs allowed (12th, with 128), passing yards allowed (18th, with 186.3), scoring defense (26th, with an average of 20.4) and pass efficiency defense (27th, 117.5).
• The Wildcats have given up just four passing touchdowns through eight games this season, which is tied with Ohio State, Kentucky and Penn State for the fewest touchdown passes allowed this season by any team in the country.
• With the win over Kansas last week, Kansas State became bowl-eligible for the 22nd time in school history. Since 1990, K-State has qualified for the postseason 21 times.
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