Tag: Horns Football

Three reasons Texas lost to Iowa State

A disappointing loss against Iowa State, a lot went wrong for the Longhorns. The offense struggled and two mental errors cost Texas.

For the fourth time this year, Texas is on the losing side in frustrating fashion. Suffering a soul-crushing defeat to Iowa State on Saturday, a lot went wrong for the Longhorns. Offensively struggling all game and a couple of mental errors is the difference between a disappointing season and one with potential still in sight.

Here are three reasons Texas lost to Iowa State:

The offense’s poor play

Throughout the season, the Texas offense has been a strong suit for the team and the defense was the reason for the losses. Against Iowa State, the script was flipped. The Longhorns punted the ball a total of nine times and eight of them were after the offense went three-and-out. The inability to move the ball was something Texas had not shown all season.

Running backs Roschon Johnson and Keaontay Ingram struggled, combining for 14 carries and 27 yards. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger had the same amount of rushing yards as the two combined but on 12 carries. Even when designed plays were called for Ehlinger to run it, he got stuffed.

Throwing the ball, Ehlinger only completed 55% of his passes. In the first half, he was only able to get out 12 attempts due to the constant three-and-outs. He has been the glue to this offense all year and when he does not play well, the entire offense suffers. That was evident in Saturday’s loss.

Deshaunte Jones’ 75-yard touchdown

Going into halftime, Texas finally got some momentum, scoring a touchdown in 30 seconds to cut the Iowa State lead to three before the break. Texas kicked the ball off to start the second half and ruined all the momentum they had built up. On the first play of the third quarter, Purdy escaped pressure by scrambling to his left, launched the ball downfield, and found a wide-open Deshaunte Jones.

Without this total collapse in the secondary, Iowa State is going for a game-winning touchdown instead of a field goal in their final drive. The Cyclone offense struggled the rest of the second half, kicking two field goals, punting the ball four times, and turning it over on downs once. If the Longhorn defense does not allow that touchdown, the game could have been different.

Jumping offsides on the field goal attempt

After scoring touchdowns on two straight offensive possessions, the Texas offense went three-and-out (again), giving Iowa State the ball back with three minutes left in the game. After a couple of big plays from Brock Purdy and a pass interference call against Caden Sterns, Texas stopped the Cyclone offense and forced a field goal with two minutes and 16 seconds left in the game. Theoretically, that would have been enough time for Ehlinger to go win the game for himself.

However, Joseph Ossai jumped offsides on the field goal attempt, giving Iowa State a fresh set of downs from the Texas 20. Using their timeouts on the previous three plays, the Longhorns had no way of stopping the clock to give themselves an opportunity to win the game. The Cyclones were able to drain the clock down to four seconds before Connor Assalley hit the game-winning field goal from 36 yards.

This loss was a detrimental one to the Longhorns who are nearly out of the Big 12 Championship discussion. A miracle would be required and is looking more and more unlikely. Beating Iowa State would have allowed the Longhorns to control their own destiny, but now can only play the role of spoiler to Baylor.

Texas will face Baylor on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CST on FS1.

AP poll: Longhorns unranked

Texas falls out of the AP top 25 poll after losing to Iowa State. After getting back into the top 25 last week, Texas only lasted one week.

Texas fell out of the AP poll Top 25 after losing on the road to Iowa State. The Longhorns stint in the top 25 only lasted one week after being ranked No. 22. 

Here is the new top 25:

1) Louisiana State

2) Ohio State

3) Clemson

4) Georgia

5) Alabama

6) Oregon

7) Utah

8) Oklahoma

9) Penn State

10) Florida

11) Minnesota

12) Michigan 

13) Baylor

14) Wisconsin

15) Notre Dame

16) Auburn

17) Cincinnati

18) Memphis

19) Iowa

20) Boise State

21) SMU

22) Oklahoma State

23) Appalachian State

24) Texas A&M

25) Virginia Tech

Others receiving votes:

Indiana 47, Iowa State 31, Virginia 23, Navy 13, Air Force 12, Pittsburgh 9, San Diego State 7, USC 6, Washington 6, Texas 4, Illinois 1

Georgia takes over in the top four, as they jump Alabama after narrowly defeating Auburn on the road. 

Oklahoma had an incredible comeback win against Baylor, being down as much as 28-3. The Sooners came back to win 34-31 and jumped up two spots to No. 8. The Bears surprisingly only dropped one spot to No. 13. 

Oklahoma State is the only other Big 12 team ranked, jumping up three spots to No. 22. Iowa State (31) and Texas (4) also received votes.

Texas will travel to face No. 13 Baylor on Saturday. 

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Amway Coaches Poll: Texas falls out

Texas lost a rough one to Iowa State on a game-winning field goal last night. It caused the Longhorns to fall out of the Amway Coaches Poll.

[jwplayer 2KXMSFL4-er0jUifI]

Iowa State beat Texas 23-21 last night on a game-winning field goal as time expired from Connor Assalley. It was the Longhorns fourth loss and dropped them out of the Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

Minnesota fell four spots to No. 11 after losing on the road to No. 20 Iowa. The Gophers and Baylor were two 8-0 teams that fell last night, as the 13th ranked Bears lost at home to No. 7 Oklahoma.

Below is the latest Amway Coaches Poll in its entirety, voted on by 65 FBS head coaches.

1) Louisiana State

2) Ohio State

3) Clemson

4) Georgia

5) Alabama

6) Oregon

7) Oklahoma

8) Utah

9) Penn State

10) Florida

11) Minnesota

12) Michigan

13) Baylor

14) Wisconsin

15) Notre Dame

16) Auburn

17) Cincinnati

18) Memphis

19) Boise State

20) Iowa

21) Southern Methodist

22) Appalachian State

23) Oklahoma State

24) Texas A&M

25) San Diego State

Schools dropped out

No. 21 Navy; No. 23 Texas; No. 25 Indiana

Others receiving votes

Virginia Tech 46; Air Force 43; Indiana 39; Navy 25; Virginia 20; Louisiana Tech 10; UL Lafayette 8; Pittsburgh 7; Southern California 3; Wake Forest 2; Temple 1; Kansas State 1

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Texas vs Iowa State: Game recap

Today’s loss to ISU drops Texas to 6-4 and out of the Big 12 title race. While the defense played well, the offense was not good enough.

With four seconds left in the game, Iowa State’s Connor Assalley hit a game-winning field goal, handing the Longhorns their fourth loss of the season. The Cyclones used Brock Purdy’s 354 yards to win 23-21.

The story of the game was Texas’ inability to move the ball on offense, especially in the first half. The Longhorns punted the ball nine different times, including eight three-and-outs. Only four of Texas’ drives lasted longer than three plays, three of which ended in touchdowns.

Sam Ehlinger completed 55% of his passes, going 22/40 with 273 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Devin Duvernay was clutch down the stretch, picking up first downs to keep Texas drives alive. He ended with a game-high nine catches and 107 yards.

Iowa State made a huge stop with three minutes left in the game, making Texas punt the ball back and giving them a chance to win. Lining up for a field goal with two minutes and 16 seconds left, Joseph Ossai jumped offsides, giving Iowa State a first down.

That penalty is ultimately what lost the game for Texas, giving Iowa State the ability to drain the clock out and hit the game-winning kick as the clock expired. The Cyclones move to 6-4 and above Texas in the Big 12 standings.

While the Longhorns are not eliminated from the Big 12 championship race, it is highly unlikely. The Longhorns would need to win out, have Iowa State to lose one more time to either Kansas or Kansas State, and have Baylor lose their final three games.

Texas closes the season out on the road to Baylor and at home against Texas Tech and is playing for a better bowl game at this point. It has been a rough season for the Longhorns and today’s game against Iowa State was their final chance to prove themselves.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Texas vs Iowa State: First half recap

An ugly first half for the Longhorns got saved by a Brennan Eagles touchdown. If Texas wants to win, the offense must step up and convert.

Until the final drive of the first half, it was an ugly start to the day for the Longhorns. Punting the ball five times, Texas went three-and-out four times and added a turnover on downs deep in Iowa State territory.

Luckily for the Longhorns, they were able to find some rhythm with under a minute to go in the first half, scoring on five plays in 30 seconds. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger found Brennan Eagles on a spectacular 14-yard touchdown.

Texas has really struggled running the ball, only gaining 33 yards on 17 attempts. Ehlinger was not throwing the ball downfield as he was 3/7 with 26 yards before the last drive in the half. The entire offense must step it up in the second half if the Longhorns want to win this game.

Besides the Iowa State touchdown, the Texas defense has an interception, forced two three-and-outs, and held the Cyclone offense to a field goal. Iowa State Brock Purdy is 16/23 with 116 yards and a touchdown. Iowa State has been decent running the ball, having 85 yards on 17 carries. The defense has not been the problem for the Longhorns and needs to continue what they have been doing.

Texas has a great opportunity to win against Iowa State if the offense is able to step up and make some plays. Texas’ defense was able to contain the Iowa State offense and keep them to 10 points. If they can do the same in the second half, they will set the Longhorn offense up to win the game and control their destiny in the Big 12.

Texas is facing Iowa State on FS1.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

WATCH: D’Shawn Jamison intercepts Brock Purdy

Texas has struggled early but was able to force an interception off of Brock Purdy. Texas is still losing to Iowa State in the 2nd quarter.

Early in the game, Texas has had a tough time moving the ball with the offense, but the defense has played well since letting up an early Iowa State touchdown.

On 1st and 10 from the Iowa State 31, D’Shawn Jamison was able to intercept Cyclone quarterback Brock Purdy to force the first turnover of the game.

Here is the highlight below:

Texas is still down to Iowa State, 7-0, in the middle of the second quarter.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Twitter prepares for the matchup against Iowa State

Texas travels to face Iowa State in a huge game for the Longhorns. Here is how Twitter is preparing for this afternoon’s matchup vs ISU.

Texas has a huge game this afternoon as they travel to Ames, Iowa to face Iowa State. Today is a must-win for the Longhorns as they must win out to make it to the Big 12 championship game. Coming in as underdogs, Texas has a lot to prove against the Cyclones.

Here is how Twitter is preparing for the matchup against Iowa State:

Texas faces Iowa State at 2:30 P.M. on FS1.

ESPN bowl projections: Matchups against historical programs

Currently at 9-3, Texas could end up anywhere this bowl season. ESPN projects the Camping World Bowl and the Alamo Bowl for the Longhorns.

Currently sitting at 9-3, which bowl game the Longhorns will make is still up in the air. They could go as high as the Allstate Sugar Bowl or they could end up as low as the Texas Bowl. According to ESPN’s bowl projections, Texas is somewhere in between there.

Here is a look at where ESPN thinks the Longhorns will be bowling:

First, Kyle Bonagura projects Texas to participate in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando, FL. Since 2015, it has been a bowl game between Big 12 and ACC teams. If the Longhorns were to play in the Camping World Bowl, it would be the first time they would participate in it. What sticks out is their opponent, Notre Dame. Two of the most historic programs of all time, both schools are in the top 10 in all-time wins in NCAA history.

Playing as recent as 2015 and 2016, the Fighting Irish and the Longhorns have played a total of 12 times, with Notre Dame leading the series 9-3. The latest game in 2016 is the infamous “Texas is back folks!” game when Tyrone Swoopes scored a touchdown to beat the No. 10 ranked Irish in Austin, 50-47.

With Mark Schlabach projecting both Oklahoma and Baylor to get spots in a New Year’s Six Bowl game, that would leave the second-best Big 12 bowl game, the Valero Alamo Bowl, open for the Longhorns. Texas has not played in the Alamo Bowl since doing it in back to back seasons in 2012 and 2013 when they played Oregon State and Oregon respectively. Playing Pac 12 opponents, Schlabach says Texas will face the Trojans of USC.

These two teams have a lot of recent history and if they met, would be playing each other for the third year in a row. The Longhorns lost a heartbreaker on the road in 2017, while they beat the Trojans by 23 at home last season.

As usual when talking about Texas and USC, you have to mention the 2006 Rose Bowl game for the National Championship. Widely considered the greatest college football game of all time, Texas fans will be remembering this game for the rest of their lives.

Even if the Longhorns are not able to make the most prestigious bowl game this season, these matchups could still be some fun ones. Especially when you are playing against historical blue blood programs like Notre Dame and USC.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Can Texas still make the Big 12 championship?

Even with losing twice, Texas is still alive for the Big 12 championship game. They’ll need to win out and get some help from other teams.

Despite losing the Red River Shootout to Oklahoma and losing on the road to TCU, Texas is still alive for the Big 12 championship. It has come down to three teams: Baylor, Oklahoma, and Texas. Here is a look at those three teams, how they have done this season, and what games they have remaining.

Baylor Bears 9-0 (6-0) Remaining games: Oklahoma, Texas, @Kansas

Baylor started the season out 3-0 in the nonconference, sneaking past Rice in their third game of the season, 21-13. In Big 12 play, the Bears have gone to double overtime with Texas Tech and triple overtime with TCU. Their impressive win of the season was a 31-12 road victory against Kansas State. All but two of their conference games have come down to one possession and have yet to make a statement. They can make that statement with a win against Oklahoma that would no doubt put them in the Big 12 championship game.

Oklahoma Sooners 8-1 (5-1) Remaining games: @Baylor, TCU, @Oklahoma State

After wrecking their way through Houston, South Dakota, and UCLA, Oklahoma came out firing in the Big 12, winning their first four games by an average of 28 points. That included a huge 34-27 win against Texas that seemed to put them in the driver’s seat in the conference. Then, a 48-41 loss on the road to Kansas State opened the doors up for teams like Texas to sneak back in. If the Sooners win out, not only are they still in contention for the Big 12 but the College Football playoff.

Texas Longhorns 6-3 (4-2) Remaining games: @Iowa State, @Baylor, Texas Tech

Starting the season out with now No. 1 LSU, Texas began the year 4-1 before coming across Oklahoma. The Sooners were able to take care of business in Dallas and the Longhorns have been struggling ever since. Losing to TCU and needing a game-winning field goal to get past Kansas and Kansas State is not what was envisioned for Texas this season. Despite all the struggles, the Longhorns are still in the race for the Big 12 championship game, they just need a little help.

That help will be determined based off of Saturday’s Baylor-Oklahoma matchup. One path is easier than the other for the Longhorns, but it may come at a cost. Here are the scenarios for Texas making the Big 12 championship:

Texas must win out

This is first and foremost the most important thing the Longhorns must do. If Texas loses any of its last three games against Iowa State, Baylor, or Texas Tech, they are more than likely done. It would still mathematically be possible, but odds are it will not happen. Texas’ schedule is the most difficult out of the three and faces an uphill battle.  Let’s assume the Longhorns are able to win against Iowa State so the other scenarios can play out.

If Oklahoma beats Baylor…

Then the Longhorns control their own destiny for the rest of the season. The Sooners would be in the driver’s seat to wear the home colored jerseys in the Big 12 championship game, but who they play would come down to Texas’ matchup against Baylor in Waco next week. It would become the most important matchup this season in the Big 12 for a couple reasons. If Texas were to win, a shot at a rematch against Oklahoma could save their season and propel them into another New Year’s Six Bowl. If Baylor were to win, they could avenge their loss against the Sooners and jump into the College Football Playoff. For any of that to happen though, Oklahoma must win in Waco Saturday night.

If Baylor beats Oklahoma…

Then the road becomes a lot more difficult. Baylor would become a lock to participate in the Big 12 championship, even if the Longhorns found a way to beat them next week. It would become a competition between Texas and Oklahoma. Each with two conference losses, if both teams are able to win out, the Sooners would get a rematch with Baylor at AT&T Stadium. Since Oklahoma beat the Longhorns back in October, they have the tiebreaker to get into the Big 12 championship. In order for Texas to get into the championship game, they would need to beat Baylor and Texas Tech, plus have Oklahoma lose one of their final two games against TCU and Oklahoma State.

Can they do it?

Yes, they can do it. As painful and weird as it may sound, Texas will most likely be cheering for Oklahoma to be beating Baylor Saturday night. Controlling your own destiny is easier than relying on TCU or Oklahoma State to beat Oklahoma. This would then set up a rematch of this year’s Red River Shootout. It would be the second year in a row these two teams met in the Big 12 championship game and would have College Football Playoff/Sugar Bowl implications on the line.

Texas will play Iowa State on Saturday at 2:30 P.M. CST on FS1, while Baylor and Oklahoma will play at 6:30 P.M on ABC.

Texas’ series history against Iowa State

Only meeting 16 times, Texas has dominated Iowa State. With ISU only winning twice, the stakes have been raised the past two years.

[jwplayer VOK15sqK-er0jUifI]

Texas plays a crucial road game against Iowa State and must win if they want to stay alive in the Big 12 championship picture. These two teams have a short history as they have only met a total of 16 times. The Longhorns dominated the begging of the series, winning seven straight. Even after an Iowa State win in 2010, Texas continued to win, beating the Cyclones seven out of the last eight.

Here is the series record between the Longhorns and Cyclones:

All-time series record: Texas leads 14-2-0

Largest wins: Texas 56-3 in 2007, Iowa State 24-0 in 2015

Latest Texas win: Nov. 17, 2018

Last season’s matchup with Iowa State was a ranked matchup as No. 13 Texas played host to the 18th ranked Cyclones. This was a strange game for the Longhorns, as both Sam Ehlinger and Shane Buechele got snaps.

Ehlinger was only able to play in the first half as he picked up a shoulder injury. Before he was forced to leave the game, he was able to get the Longhorns off to a strong start, scoring 17 points on five drives. He went 12-15 with 137 yards and a touchdown. He was also effective on the ground, having 32 yards and a touchdown.

Without Ehlinger, the Longhorns struggled, punting on four out of their six second-half drives. The other two ended with a Daniel Young fumble and a Shane Buechele 27 yards touchdown to Lil’ Jordan Humphrey. On the other hand, the Texas defense was outstanding, stopping an Iowa State offense that was averaging 427.2 yards over their five-game winning streak, to 210 yards. David Montgomery only ran for 33 yards as the Cyclones struggled running the ball.

The 24-10 win ended up being huge for the Longhorns as it was the reason they made it into the Big 12 championship game. Had Iowa State won the game, the Cyclones’ win against Kansas State the next week would have propelled them into the title game. Instead, Texas went on to beat Kansas and played in its first Big 12 championship game since 2009.

Latest Iowa State win: Oct. 31, 2015

2015 was a miserable year for the Longhorns and the matchup against Iowa State was no different. Going into the game, the Cyclones were 2-5, on a three-game losing streak, and allowing nearly 34 points a game on that streak.

Naturally, a Texas offense being led by Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard at quarterback put up a goose egg. Swoopes and Heard threw for 85 yards on 12-22 passing. The running game was not much better, as they averaged 3.7 yards per carry. Swoopes led the team in that category, rushing for 58 yards on 10 carries.

Iowa State’s offense pounded the ball on the ground, as they had 54 rushing attempts. They got 238 yards on those 54 attempts and added on two touchdowns. Running back Mike Warren had a career-high 32 carries with 157 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Joel Lanning was a mediocre 19-37 with 188 yards and a touchdown.

After defeating the Cyclones four years in a row, Texas shut out on the road, 24-0. It was their second time being shut out in two years after going a decade without it. Texas ended the season at 5-7, the first of back to back Charlie Strong 5-7 seasons.

Texas will play Iowa State on Saturday at 2:30 PM CST on FS1.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]