Survive and Advance
Elijah Rodriguez and Tyrone Swoopes celebrate. (Will Gallagher/IT)
WELLS: 5 Quick Thoughts – Texas 23, KSU 9
AUSTIN — Against a backdrop of rough rains, winds, and just bad weather forcing the University of Texas to play in front of seemingly hundreds of fans, Texas needed to follow up the Oklahoma victory from two weeks ago with solid play.
They did.
Charlie Strong addressed the elephant on the field before the game, “I told them so what it’s wet. You want me to move the clouds? I can’t move the clouds. Go play.”
The question going into the game was about the Texas team, especially the freshmen, staying focused on the game against Kansas State and not the rain, the temperature, or the environment.
The answers came in the form of the phrase I will steal from the NCAA Basketball Tournament, ‘Survive and Advance’.
“Even with the weather and then managing special teams, we established the run and wanted to stay with it,” said Strong.
“We utilized the run-game real well,” said starting quarterback Jerrod Heard. “In the 2nd quarter, the ball felt like it was five pounds and was hard to throw.”
Even backup quarterback Tyrone Swoopes who was responsible for three touchdowns on the day, all on the ground, understood that throwing options would be limited,”The balls were so heavy that we couldn’t sling it around very much but we were able to run the ball.”
Jerrod Heard. (Will Gallagher/IT)
Texas jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first half after a Nick Rose 36-yard field goal and two Swoopes scores but then struggled to move the ball after Kansas State made halftime adjustments.
“At first the throwing was shaky but then we saw Kansas State throwing it so that probably opened stuff up,” said Daje Johnson, Texas’ leading receiver against Kansas State.
While KSU made it interesting pulling the score to 16-9 in the third quarter, a Dylan Haines interception in the 4th sealed the game for Texas. Swoopes third and final TD sealed the game for the Longhorns at 23-9.
It was ugly. There are still serious questions about the Texas passing game but making a determination based on today is silly.
Johnathan Gray. (Will Gallagher/IT)
Texas needed to win. Texas needed a win over a team that had beat them six of the last seven times that they have played.
Texas got the win and has to turn the page.
Now the biggest game left on the schedule is the next one. It’ll be against a well-coached Iowa State team.
The 1-game season that played out today, played out in favor of Texas.
For a team that was 1-4 three weeks ago, that is all you can ask. Iowa State is 4-4 and marching towards a bowl game. Both will have plenty on the line next Saturday.
Halloween in Ames just got scarier.
