The 15th ranked Texas Longhorns will travel to Provo, Utah to try and even out their series with the BYU Cougars in the second game of the season. Coming off a 19-16 loss at Virginia in Week 1, the Cougars’ offense is sure to be an entirely different team, making this a true test for the Texas defense.
The last match-up came in 2011 when the Longhorns pulled out a 17-16 win over the Cougars at DKR Stadium. Some look at it as just another win, but it was much more than that for Mack Brown and his team. In the midst of their rebuilding era, it was Texas’ first win against the Cougars, having lost in their only other match-ups in ‘87 and ‘88.
This week it’s all about the Texas defense. Although it gave up 346 yards of offense to New Mexico State in Week 1, they held the Aggies to just 104 yards on the ground. BYU’s offense will be keeping the ball with Hoffman, Apo and Falslev for the passing game, but chances are we won’t see too much of that. More often than not it’ll be going to sophomore running back Jamaal Williams who rushed for 144 yards against Virginia. Texas vowed to play a better defense this season, and if it focuses on tackling well and stopping BYU’s run game, this match-up could turn out favorable for the men in Burnt Orange.
However, Texas has a lot to unleash offensively as well. Quarterback David Ash threw two interceptions in the first half of the New Mexico State game, but came back strong with two touchdowns in the remainder of the half after the Aggies' only score of the game. They also set a school record with 715 yards of total offense, a great bit of momentum to come into Week 2. With most of the scoring done in the second half, the Longhorns proved they could score quickly with their new, up-tempo offense.
Two key players to watch on the offense besides Ash are sophomore running back Daje Johnson and quarter back-turned-running back Jalen Overstreet. Both are a force to be reckoned with, and the BYU defensive line surely knows it. If Ash can continue to handle the adversity as he did last week, Johnson is sure to turn up with some big plays and Overstreet will be there to provide the depth and toughness Texas has been looking for.
Texas' Daje Johnson runs for a 24 yard touchdown against the New Mexico State Aggies on August 31, 2013.
If all comes together, the Longhorns will leave Provo with one more in the win column and some great momentum coming into Week 3 at they host Ole Miss back in Austin. Check out the Week 2 match-up at 7 pm ET/6 pm CST on ESPN 2 or Watch ESPN. Hook ‘Em!
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