The Texas Longhorns resume their 2014 season with a trip to Kansas to take on the Jayhawks.
Texas is looking for a crucial victory to begin Big 12 play, as they begin a tough stretch of games against Kansas, Baylor and Oklahoma in the coming weeks.
Records:
Kansas: 2-1
Texas: 1-2
Last Meeting: Texas won 35-13 in 2013
Key Stat: After allowing just 94 total yards to North Texas, the Longhorns have allowed an average of 436 yards per game in losses to BYU and UCLA.
Kansas Outlook: The Jayhawks are 2-1 with wins over Southeast Missouri State and Central Michigan, but an ugly loss to Duke.
While their play to date doesn't show a strong team, they may be catching Texas at the right time to collect a third victory - and first in the Big 12.
Freshman running back Corey Avery has been impressive with 213 yards rushing and a touchdown on 46 carries.
Along with De'Andre Mann (212 yards on 35 carries), the duo have helped Kansas average 200 yards per game on the ground.
Texas Outlook: Despite not playing in nearly two weeks, Texas had a lot going on since their close loss to UCLA.
Quarterback David Ash officially hung up his cleats as his latest concussion forced him out of action. Meanwhile, coach Charlie Strong dismissed another player, this time tackle Kennedy Estelle.
Things have not gone smoothly for the Longhorns since their opening win against North Texas, but they will have to move on with Tyrone Swoopes as their starter heading into a tough Big 12 schedule.
What to watch for: It seemed like a foregone conclusion, but with the announcement that David Ash will retire, Swoopes is officially the starter for Texas for the foreseeable future.
The Longhorns need to get something going offensively with him at the helm. If the bye week re-energized this team, they can rely on the defense to keep this game low-scoring enough to give the offense a chance to get things in-sync.
What they're saying:
Retired David Ash writes letter to Longhorn Nation (Burnt Orange Nation)
Texas dismisses tackle Kennedy Estell (Star-Telegram)
Prediction:
Kansas - 27 , Texas - 17
The Longhorns can use their latest adversity to rally and turn the season around, or let it doom them. For this week anyway, it may be tough if the bye week didn't do the trick in fixing the offensive woes.
It's difficult to tell how the Longhorns will respond, but until they show signs of life on the field, it's tough to put much confidence in them.
Back to the Texas Longhorns Newsfeed