Texas Longhorns Versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys Game Preview

The Texas Longhorns, sitting at 4-5, will host the 12th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys in Austin this Saturday.  The Longhorns are coming off of a crushing 39-14 loss at Kansas State, while the 8-1 Cowboys beat the Baylor Bears 55-28.  

Not too many people are giving the Longhorns a chance to win this game.  The Longhorns have progressively gotten worse as the season has gone on and need to do something to help spark the team and get them to a victory. 

It looks like they are going to try a little something to help get things going on offense and will let backup quarterback Case McCoy play a few snaps during the game.

Will that be enough of a spark to get this team going?  Is there any remote chance that the Longhorns will win this game and inch closer to the six wins they need to be bowl-eligible (and try to fight to stay above .500) or will they lose this game and slip further down in the Big 12?

Let’s find out in this in-depth preview of the Texas Longhorns vs. the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

When the Longhorns have the Ball

Last week’s game against the Kansas State Wildcats was a bit of a disaster for the Longhorns offense. 

Not only did they score just 14 points but their quarterback, Garrett Gilbert, was also unable to lead the team like a quarterback should have. He also threw drive-killing interceptions that kept the Longhorns from scoring much-needed points.  

As previously stated, the Longhorns may try backup quarterback Case McCoy at times in this game.  What kind of year has McCoy had this season? 

McCoy has only attempted one pass so far this season, so he’s still very green when it comes to getting into the lineup.  The big question is: when will the coaching staff put him in and how long will he play?

Garrett Gilbert hasn’t had the best of luck by any means this year, but remember he is still young and still learning how to play at this level. Gilbert has attempted 351 passes, connecting on 206 of them for 2060 yards with seven touchdowns and 14 interceptions. 

His interceptions have come at the wrong time and have really hurt the Longhorns.

The Longhorns' leading receiver so far this season has been James Kirkendoll (37 catches for 461 yards and one touchdown) and he’s been there to help Gilbert out in tough spots.  Gilbert has been able to spread the ball around a bit this season, so there is no “one” receiver whom he really favors.  

Spreading the ball around is good, but with no true No. 1 wide receiver on the team, things can get difficult.  It can allow for the opposing team’s safeties to play the run more than the pass (allowing them to creep up into the box more).

Not having a No. 1 wide receiver doesn’t allow the quarterback a chance to get comfortable with someone in tight situations where he needs to have someone he can trust to catch the ball.

The Longhorns have been averaging 231 yards per game through the air, while the Cowboys have been letting teams gain around 272 yards per game.  It would appear as if the Cowboys would be a good team to pass against, but the Longhorns have struggled in that area often during the season.

Texas is averaging around 140 yards on the ground and hasn’t done too bad running the football.  Their leading rusher is Fozzy Whitaker with 64 rushes for 308 yards with an average of 4.7 yards per carry and three touchdowns. 

The Cowboys are allowing opposing teams to gain around 141 yards per game, so the Longhorns could have some success rushing the football.  That would give them a solid chance to win the game.

If the Longhorns want to win this game, they have to run the football and put McCoy or Gilbert in short and controlled passing situations to help keep their mistakes to a minimum. 

If they can do that and not turn the ball over, then the Longhorns have a solid chance of winning this game.

When the Cowboys have the Ball

Oklahoma State has been winning with balance on offense.  The good thing for them is that the Longhorns struggle with almost every aspect of an opposing offense's game, especially the rushing game. 

Texas is allowing opponents an average of 134 yards per game, while the Cowboys are gaining an average of 195 yards per game and love to keep the ball on the ground to control the ball and the clock.

Oklahoma State’s leading rusher is Kendall Hunter with 203 rushes for 1270 yards with an average of 6.1 yards per carry with 14 touchdowns. 

If the Longhorns can take Hunter out of the game, then they can focus on making the Cowboys win the game in other ways. This will help even things up and give the Longhorns a much better chance to win this game.

The Cowboys passing attack is led by quarterback Brandon Weeden.  Weeded has thrown 341 passes completing 229 with nine interceptions and 26 touchdowns.  The Cowboys are averaging 331 yards per game in the air while the Longhorns are allowing teams 132 yards a game through the air.  Something has to give here.

The leading receiver for the Cowboys is Justin Blackmon with 75 catches for 1285 yards and 15 touchdowns.  He’s tough to defend, so the Longhorns will have their work cut out for them.

Analysis

The Longhorns are facing another tough team with a good offense, which can cause the Longhorns a lot of trouble.  The defense will have to play an excellent game in order to overcome the kind of power that the Cowboys have on offense, but will their offense give them enough to help them out?

If the Longhorns cannot keep the ball on sustained scoring drives, then they will leave their defense exposed and in trouble.  The Longhorns offense has to do something in this game.

Perhaps running the ball would be a wise choice for Texas.  If they could just keep the ball on the ground and control the clock, they would have a great chance of winning this game.

Prediction

It’s going to be tough for the Longhorns to win this game.  Oklahoma State brings a lot of offensive power into this game and the Longhorns just don’t have a lot of ability to keep the Cowboys out of the end zone or get there themselves.

Texas will be inspired to try to win this game because they need victories to become bowl eligible but most importantly, they don’t want to be under .500 for the season. 

Can this kind of motivation and inspiration be enough to help the Longhorns win this game?

Oklahoma State 36, Texas 21