Texas stumbles and tumbles to No. 3 before showdown with Oklahoma in Dallas

Texas tumbles to No. 3 before Oklahoma game

AUSTIN, Texas — This was not how Texas wanted to head into its annual border showdown with Oklahoma.

A 38-14 win over Colorado exposed more flaws than it fixed, then the Longhorns on Sunday fell a spot in the Associated Press rankings to No. 3.

Small consolation for Texas: the Sooners dropped a spot too, to No. 20, even after Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford returned from a shoulder injury to lead a 33-7 win over Baylor.

If the voters weren’t impressed by the Longhorns, it’s because Texas (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) trailed the Buffaloes 14-3 in the second quarter. And a running game the Longhorns spent two weeks trying to improve looked worse than before. The Buffaloes, a team that came in giving up more than 200 yards a game on the ground, held Texas to 46 yards on 25 carries.

Oh, and the Sooners give up an average of 54 yards per game.

“I’m not very happy right now,” offensive coordinator Greg Davis said after the game.

Improving those numbers won’t be easy. Tailbacks Vondrell McGee (shoulder) and Tre’ Newton (mild concussion) both left the game with injuries. McGee, the starter, averaged just 2 yards per carry before he left the game.

“We’ve got work to do there,” center Chris Hall said.

The lone bright spot for the Texas running game Saturday night was a 12-yard touchdown run by Fozzy Whittaker for the game’s final score. Whittaker also has struggled with injuries this season but could start against the Sooners.

Even though quarterback Colt McCoy had 267 yards with typically efficient 32 of 39 passing, Texas coach Mack Brown said he was determined to establish a tough running game, even to the point of being stubborn about it.

“We don’t want to get in a game where we put so much pressure on Colt that he has to throw every play. We’d like to have some runs,” Brown said.

Given Colorado’s woes this season, Texas likely expected to be looking forward to the Sooners by halftime. Instead, the Buffaloes slowed Texas into a grind-it-out sort of game that kept the Longhorns out of the end zone until McCoy hit Jordan Shipley with a 39-yard touchdown pass right before halftime.

Texas managed just 313 total yards, their lowest of the season and 200 yards below its average. When the first two drives of the third quarter stalled without reaching midfield, there were boos from the crowd of 101,000.

There were some mitigating moments to an otherwise frustrating night. The Longhorns scored three touchdowns in the second half on special teams and defense.

Ben Wells returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, Earl Thomas returned an interception for 92 yards for another score and Shipley’s 74-yard TD on a punt return put Texas up 31-14.

Thomas’ interception return was the longest at Texas since 1936.

“It hasn’t happened like that for me since probably Pop Warner. I had to throw my head back because I was getting a little tired,” Thomas said.

Overall, the Texas defense put up another dominant performance, allowing Colorado just 127 total yards, 66 on the first drive of the game. The Buffaloes’ second touchdown came after a McCoy fumble gave Colorado the ball at the Texas 6.

By the end of the game, the boos had turned into chants of “Beat OU!” Even so, the Longhorns didn’t feel like talking about the Sooners just yet.

“I’m going to enjoy this Colorado win all the way until (Sunday) afternoon,” Hall said.