By Steve Habel, Senior Contributing Writer

AUSTIN, Texas –Texas is ready to take a big step forward when it travels to take on TCU this weekend.

The No. 15 Longhorns (5-2, 3-1 in Big 12 play) head north to Fort Worth to square off with the wounded but dangerous Horned Frogs (3-3, 1-2 in Big 12) on Saturday afternoon at Amon G. Carter Stadium, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m.

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Here are a few of the players and key game strategy we will be watching for against the Horned Frogs, who have lost two straight conference games, but could turn around their entire season with a win over the Longhorns:

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wide receiver Devin Duvernay

TCU’s defense excels at taking away an opponent’s outside receivers, making the work of Duvernay in the slot even more important than usual for the Longhorns.

Texas is buoyed by the fact that Duvernay has been its best player not named Sam Ehlinger this season. Duvernay leads the country in receptions (61) and receptions per game (8.7), and he has caught 17 passes (20 targets) on third down, 14 of which resulted in first downs for Texas.

He was a midseason addition to the Biletnikoff Award’s watch list for the nation’s top receiver. Through seven games, Duvernay has amassed 627 yards and scored six touchdowns. We expect nine catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns for Duvernay against TCU.

Tight end Cade Brewer

Brewer will be another weapon for the Longhorns to call on in the middle of the field, be it on a short possession catch to keep drives alive, or on a quick-hit strike, like the 51-yard catch-and-run he hauled in from Ehlinger in the fourth quarter against Kansas to set up a touchdown.

Brewer, who is also an excellent blocker in the run game, has caught 10 passes this year for 149 yards and a TD this season. His 14.9 yards per reception ranks second among Longhorn receivers with at least 10 catches this season.

“We know what Cade can do,” Texas head coach Tom Herman said.

Look for Ehlinger to find Brewer this week when the Longhorns are in the red zone, and a five-catch performance for 50 yards could be in the offing.

Cornerback Jalen Green

Green was considered the Longhorns’ best cornerback in the preseason and had been drawing the  coverage of the opposition’s best receiver when he suffered a shoulder injury in the win over Oklahoma State. He’s been out for the past three games and returns to the field this week to try to stymie the production of Horned Frogs’ burner Jalen Reagor, one of the most dangerous receivers in the conference. Expect Reagor to use crossing routes to try to escape Green, but we think the Texas cornerback will be more than up to the task. How Green plays in run support might be a different matter.

Kicker Cameron Dicker

Dicker the Kicker nailed a 33-yard game-winner last week against Kansas and the expectation here is that the TCU game will be a close one that might come down to the sophomore’s mostly reliable right foot.

Dicker has made 26 of his 35 career field goal attempts and is 6 for 8 in 2019. Earlier this year, Dicker booted a 57-yard field goal against Rice that was the longest made kick by a Longhorn since Jeff Ward’s 57-yarder at Texas A&M on Nov. 28, 1985, and he is also tied for the longest field goal in the FBS this season.

KEY MATCHUP

The Texas defensive front-six versus the TCU offensive line

The Longhorns are still in the hunt for sacks and have to put pressure on the Horned Frogs’ freshman quarterback Max Duggan, especially early on, to help their beleaguered and injury-depleted secondary. If Texas can’t get to the quarterback, it needs to hurry him into making poor throws, and Duggan will have to step up and make plays if the Longhorns bring the heat.

WILD CARD

Herman has been quick to explain how his team gets the opponent’s best game every week, and one would be hard to argue that with the way almost all the Longhorns’ contests have gone down this year.

Any thought of a walkover against TCU should be quickly dispelled, with the Horned Frogs expected to pull out all the stops to help save their season. Texas will have to counter with its best game — something it hasn’t been able to produce in the past month, even as it has won three of its four outings.

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