Tag: Will Howard stats

Letter to Texas Football: Play your game

Play loose, but stay focused. It’s a new season for Texas football following the bye.

Texas has a great chance to win on Saturday. If they made the changes they should have over the bye week, the Longhorns will look like a much better team than they did against Oklahoma State.

Prior to the Oklahoma game I opined that if Texas played like they have for most of the season they would win. Texas won convincingly.

I feel similarly about this game. In general, if Texas plays like they played in the seven games before Oklahoma State, the Longhorns have all the ability to win.

Steve Sarkisian will be tasked with bringing a team that is focused but loose as they enter a tough road environment. If they do the following things, Texas should stay alive in the Big 12 race.

Will Texas be aggressive or play it safe defensively this week?

The primary objective must be stopping Deuce Vaughn.

The Texas Longhorns defense will have its hands full when they face the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday. Coming off a dominant 48-0 win, Chris Klieman’s team should have the Longhorns’ full attention.

Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense will be asked to slow down the K-State attack. To do so, they will need to slow running back Deuce Vaughn.

Vaughn’s ability is well documented. Last week he ran for 158 yards on 22 carries. The short speedster is adept at making plays as a rusher and receiver.

Regardless of the method taken by the Texas defense, stopping the elite talent figures to be the primary objective for the unit. The only question is, will Texas make Adrian Martinez or Will Howard beat them through the air or concede the run?

Saturday’s game is a huge opportunity for Kwiatkowski and his defensive staff. With a strong performance, the defense could help lift the team back into the Big 12 championship race.

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Looking at what Texas will face against No. 13 Kansas State

Will Howard threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns against Oklahoma State.

The Kansas State Wildcats present another huge opportunity for the Texas football program this week. They also pose a significant threat to the Longhorns’ bid for a Big 12 title appearance.

Presently, the Wildcats sit at 6-2 with one loss in conference play. Texas is currently 5-3 with two conference losses.

Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman has done a great job building a contender this season. Behind a strong defense and running game, Klieman’s team is playing as well as any other team in the conference.

K-State backup quarterback Will Howard played well in relief of an injured Adrian Martinez against Oklahoma State. Howard completed 21 of 37 pass attempts for 296 yards and four touchdowns. Whether or not he plays or Martinez returns, the Wildcats will be able to fall back on a strong running game.

Deuce Vaughn led the K-State rushing attack with 158 yards on 22 carries against Oklahoma State. He will figure to play a significant role in his team’s offensive attack against Texas.

Here are a few challenges Texas will need to account for this week.

Five reasons Texas should beat Kansas State

Transitive property of math has no bearing in Texas vs Kansas State.

The Texas Longhorns will have a difficult battle with the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday. In fact, K-State is perhaps the hottest team in the conference following a 48-0 win over Oklahoma State.

As you might imagine, some interpret Kansas State’s dominant win to mean they should clobber the Longhorns on Saturday. Considering the unpredictable nature of this college football season, it would be foolish to count on that result.

Texas had a similar win this season. The Longhorns defeated the Oklahoma Sooners, 49-0. In their next game, Texas barely escaped an upset against Iowa State, 24-21.

As for Kansas State, Chris Klieman’s team has had its fair share of inconsistency. The Wildcats lost 17-10 at home against the Tulane Green Wave.

Each team’s style will determine the specifics of this fight. Given how the teams have matched up in the past and how they are built, Texas should put up a much better fight than Oklahoma State did on Saturday.

Let’s identify five reasons Texas can win against Kansas State.