STILLWATER — Texas quarterback Jerrod Heard pulled the ball down Saturday night in Austin and bolted through an open seam in the California defense with speed so smooth he appeared to glide downfield.
Forty-five yards later, untouched, Heard reached the end zone with about a minute left to break the Longhorns' single-game record for total offense from one player with 527 yards.
Texas lost, 45-44, thanks to a missed PAT after that score. However, to the surprise of many, it proved the long-awaited answer to the Longhorns' quarterback quandary is a former second-string redshirt freshman.
Just don't count Oklahoma State quarterback J.