After taking an absolute kick to the gut in a 41-7 home loss to BYU last week, the Texas Longhorns (1-1) looked to rebound in Arlington against a #12 UCLA Bruins (2-0) team looking to separate itself as the class of the Pac-12.
A Defensive Showdown: Both defenses came out slugging in the opening 10 minutes, with both teams trading punts after moderately-successful offensive series. UCLA would grind out some daylight on their next drive, taking 15 plays to gain 61 yards before settling for a 47-yard Ka'imi Fairbairn field goal.
UCLA QB Brett Hundley would injure his left arm on that series (his return listed as probable), so Jerry Neuheisel, son of former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel, was forced into action.
Figuring Out The Ground Game: As Hundley was walked to the locker room after fumbling two practice throws on the sideline, Texas began to establish their running game. Keying their offensive efforts on RB Malcolm Brown, the Longhorns embarked on a ten-play, 62-yard drive that ended in a game-tying field goal.
With the offensive line finally starting to provide some push in the ground attack, QB Tyrone Swoopes was able to find some time to work in the pocket. This led to...
Tyrone Swoopes' Big Drive: The sophomore Texas QB went 6-for-8 for 67 yards on a 14-play, 62-yard drive that took the clock all the way down to just over two minutes left in the first half.
Connecting with M.J. McFarland on a two-yard score, Swoopes capped off a drive that displayed both his set of intangibles and his impressive athletic ability (3 rushes for 12 yards).
Stat To Keep An Eye On: 182 yards - Texas' much-maligned offense didn't exactly set the world on fire in the first half, but they did outgain a UCLA attack that has been held in high esteem ever since last year's impressive aerial showcase.
Top Performers:
Texas: QB Tyrone Swoopes - Using both his legs and his arms, Tyrone Swoopes led the Longhorns on their biggest possession of the 2014 NCAA season so far. Win or lose, Swoopes seemed to grow up before our very eyes with a confident, poised scoring drive against the heavily-favored Bruins.
UCLA: RB Jordon James - His 20-yard burst on UCLA's second drive put them in position for their only three points of the game. He only had two rushes for 26 yards to his credit in the first half, but his big play counted as the most crucial play for UCLA's offense.
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