Three offensive key players for the Texas Longhorns on Saturday

For the Texas Longhorns to stay on track to challenge for a Big 12 Championship, they will need these three players to guide them Saturday.

Jake Smith, Wide Receiver

Ricardo B. Brazziell-USA TODAY Sports

It hasn’t been the season for Jake Smith that many have envisioned, including himself. After finishing second on the team in touchdown receptions a season ago, he was expecting to replace Duvernay as the next slot receiver to make a name for himself. His hamstring injury has put a damper on things, plus he didn’t have the greatest start in the game against Texas Christian. After back to back wins, is he on an upward trajectory?

I feel like I am starting to get the hang of it more. I feel like I still hadn’t full adjusted to the speed of the game. Just because last year I played significant minutes but not a ton obviously behind Devin [Duvernay]. – Jake Smith on getting on track

Last week against Oklahoma State, Smith had a huge catch in the game. His touchdown reception gave Texas the lead, eventually they would need overtime to get the win. He will need to be on his game this week to try and help take the load off the defense to win this game for the Longhorns.

“It meant a lot,” Smith said about his touchdown. “It definitely gave me a boost to my confidence. Just to be able to have an opportunity to make a play like that in such a crucial point in the game was huge for me. More importantly I was just happy I was able to do that for the team. It was an even better play by Sam [Ehlinger] because he had a lot of guys coming after him. He was able to escape the pocket on that one. It was a great job by him too.”