2012 Record: 9-4 (5-4 in Big 12)
Head Coach: Mack Brown (150-43 at Texas, 236-117-1 All-Time)
Four Year Trend: 8.75 wins and 4.25 losses
Last Bowl Game: 2013 Alamo Bowl: beat Oregon State 31-27
Stadium: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX (capacity = 100,119)
Home Field Advantage: ranked 14th out of 69 BCS teams
Schedule Glimpse:
Out of Conference: 8/31 vs New Mexico St, 9/7 vs BYU, 9/14 vs Ole Miss
Toughest Home Games: 9/21 vs Kansas St, 10/12 vs Oklahoma (at Cotton Bowl), 11/16 vs Oklahoma St
Toughest Road Games: 10/26 at TCU, 12/7 at Baylor
Statistical Snapshot:
Stat to Fear: allowed opponents to score on 91.38% of red zone trips (last in Big 12)
Stats to Cheer: had 34 sacks in 2012 (1st in Big 12), scored TDs on 68.84% of red zone trips (1st in Big 12)
Advanced Stats (Football Outsiders 2012 FEI Ranking): 17th out of 124 teams
Personnel:
Phil Steele's Returning Starters: Offense: 10, Defense: 9, Special Teams: 1
Key Defensive Returnees: LB Steve Edmond (89 tackles), LB Jordan Hicks (55 tackles in 2011), DE Jackson Jeffcoat (63 tackles in 2011), S Adrian Phillips (68 tackles), CB Quandre Diggs (53 tackles)
Key Offensive Returnees: QB David Ash (2699 yds pass, 67.3% completions, 19 TD, 8 INT), RB Jonathan Gray (701 yds rush, 4.7 ypc, 3 TD), RB Joe Bergeron (567 yds rush, 4.4 ypc, 16 TD), RB Malcolm Brown (324 yds rush, 5.3 ypc, 4 TD), WR Jaxon Shipley (59 rec, 6 TD), WR Mike Davis (57 rec, 7 TD)
Top 2013 Recruits: G Darius James, OT Kent Perkins, OT Desmond Harrison, WR Jake Oliver, OC Jake Raulerson
Inside Scoop with Aaron of Horn Sports:
CFBZ: Texas has been inching back up the ranks since the dreadful 2010 season. What are the biggest keys for them to take the next step this year?
Horn Sports: On offense the Longhorns need to find their equilibrium, plain and simple. David Ash is the unquestioned leader and quarterback of this team and expectations are high for him this season. Ash will command a new hurry-up offense and for it to be effective all parts of the offense need to click. The entire Texas offensive line returns, which is a huge plus. The running game, led by sophomore Johnathan Gray and juniors Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron must find a rhythm early on in the season – but they need to stay healthy to make it happen. The trio played good but not great last season splitting time and dealing with injuries. Texas hasn't had a 1,000 yard rusher since Jamaal Charles in 2007 but expect Johnathan Gray to end the streak in 2013 if he stays healthy.
Defensively Texas needs to play smart football. Last year they were gouged and exploited week after week by just about every team they played. It was an embarrassing year for the players and for DC Manny Diaz and they are hungry to prove that last year was an anomaly. We lost Kenny Vaccaro and Alex Okafor but this team is full of guys with talent that can step up and fill the void. Cedric Reed will start at DE along with Jackson Jeffcoat and if both stay healthy, the d-line should be pretty stout. Despite losing Vaccaro expect the secondary to be mean and stingy with junior Quandre Diggs leading the charge.
CFBZ: Over the last few years, Texas has lacked that "big play" guy. Who can fit that role on this team?
If I had to mention another name for a "breakout" player it would have to be running back Johnathan Gray. Gray was the 2011 High School National Gatorade Player of the Year and owns the all-time high school touchdown record. It's only a matter of time before he establishes himself as a force and this year could be that year.
CFBZ: Oklahoma will always be the biggest game on the schedule for Texas. What are the next biggest games for the Horns this season?
Outside of the Sooners, the TCU and Oklahoma State games are ones to keep an eye on. TCU is quickly rekindling the rivalry the two had in the old Southwest Conference after beating Texas in Austin last season. I think the Longhorns leave Fort Worth with a win but QB Casey Pachall and DE Devonte Fields will make it tough on the Horns. Fields wreaked havoc on us last year in Austin and Pachall, even with missing most of last season is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference. Also, this no news flash but Gary Patterson is one of the best coaches and talent scouts in the Big 12. Make no mistake this is a HUGE game for both schools. Expect this game to break a new attendance record at Amon Carter Stadium and expect TCU to be fired up and ready to play.
Former Oklahoma State QB Wes Lunt transferred after last season but Mike Gundy still has a several capable quarterbacks that will thrive in the Cowboys spread offense. It doesn't really matter if Gundy goes with J.W. Walsh or Clint Chelf, the offense will be quick and prolific. Texas knows that and every Big 12 team knows it. OSU has a new offensive coordinator but the system isn't changing. Guys like RB Jeremy Smith and WR Josh Stewart are playmakers and both will eat your lunch if you turn your head. Smith gouged us for a couple of TDs and some serious yardage last time he came to Austin and Stewart racked up more than 1200 receiving yards in 2012. Oklahoma State is a serious threat to win the Big 12 and the Longhorns will not take this game lightly despite winning in Stillwater last year.
CFBZ: What will make the 2013 season a success in your eyes?
Horn Sports: For Texas it's pretty simple. A Conference Championship and BCS Bowl Berth are the goals and expectations for this football team – anything less will be a disappointment. Texas has a favorable schedule and more experience on both sides of the ball which make the goal very achievable. A win over Oklahoma is implicit in the conference championship goal. Another loss to OU this year and things get ugly really fast
Verdict:
Is this the year that Mack Brown gets Texas back to the top of the Big 12? From 2001 to 2009, the Longhorns had double-digit victories every year. Then 2010 happened and the Longhorns bottomed out at 5-7. Since then they've grown to eight wins in 2011 and 9 wins in 2012.
Last year the offense was the best since Colt McCoy's tenure as the Longhorns averaged 35.7 ppg in David Ash's sophomore campaign. Ash improved his completion percentage from 56.6% to 67.3% and increased his TDs from 4 to 19. As he gets more familiar with the offense he should keep getting better. Texas has the best group of RBs in the Big 12 and one of the best groups in the country. Johnathan Gray, Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown all return and there isn't a senior in the trio. The Longhorns return two very solid receivers in Mike Davis and Jaxon Shipley. What they'd like to see is someone step up as a big-play threat and the most probable suspects are Daje Johnson, Cayleb Jones and Kendall Sanders (Jones and Sanders are suspended for the opener). The OL returns everybody and also returns 124 starts which is the most in the Nation. The offense looks like it is primed for a breakout season.
The defense gave up 29.2 ppg last season, which is the most I can remember Texas ever giving up. The defense gave up 4.62 ypc on the ground and a league worst 29 rushing TDs. The defensive line returns everybody except DE Alex Okafor (who had 12.5 sacks) but must overcome it's inconsistencies from 2012. The LB corps should be much improved this season with Jordan Hicks back. The DBs lose Kenny Vaccaro but everybody else returns. Overall, Texas loses two key players off of it's defense (Okafor and Vaccaro) but it's hard to believe that they won't be better this season.
The Longhorns have a couple of tough out of conference foes early as they travel to BYU and host Ole Miss but if they are truly "back" those should be wins. Last year they lost in conference to WVU by three, TCU by seven and then they got blown out by OU and lost by two scores at Kansas State. This year I think they have a favorable schedule (at least as much as it can be in the Big 12) but it won't be easy. In 2012, I wasn't that sold on the Longhorns and thought they would go 8-4. This year I feel better about them as David Ash looks like he's settling in on offense. If the defense can get back to it's roots then this Texas team could win the Big 12. I'm not sure they are quite ready for that but they will be a factor.
Prediction: 10-2
Previous 2013 Pre-Season Previews:
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
