2008 Texas Longhorns Season

2008 Texas Longhorns Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Texas Longhorns

Jan. 5
2009 Fiesta Bowl
Texas 24 … Ohio State 21
The defensive battle turned into a heart-stopping thriller over the final few minutes as Colt McCoy finished off a 78-yard drive in the final 1:42 with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Quan Cosby with :16 to play. Ohio State had taken the lead on a 15-yard Dan Herron scoring run with 2:05 to play as part of a Buckeye run of 15 straight fourth quarter points after a rough third quarter. OSU slowed the game down in the first half on the way to a 6-3 lead, helped by an Anderson Russell interception to stop a late UT drive, but the third quarter was all Texas as McCoy ran for a 14-yard score and hit Cosby for a seven-yard touchdown to cap off two long drives. Ohio State’s final shot to score was stopped by a Brian Orakpo sack and a broken up Hail Mary attempt.
Player of the Game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 41-of-59 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, and he ran seven times for 27 yards and a score, and WR Quan Cosby caught 14 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Ohio State - Passing: Todd Boeckman, 5-11, 110 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Chris Wells, 16-106. Receiving: Brian Robiskie, 5-116
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 41-59, 414 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Ogbonnaya, 11-42. Receiving: Quan Cosby, 14-171, 2 TD
Inside The Box Score ...  5 Thoughts on the Fiesta Bowl … Quarter-by-Quarter, Play-by-Play Game Notes … Ohio State CB Chimdi Chekwa made 11 tackles, all solo. … Texas fourth down conversions: 3-of-4 … Rushing yards: OSU 203 – UT 72 … Punts inside the 20: OSU 4 – UT 0 … Average yards per carry: OSU 5.2 – UT 2.6 … Terrelle Pryor completed 5-of-14 passes for 66 yards, ran for 78 yards on 15 carries, and caught a five-yard touchdown pass … Texas WR Jordan Shipley caught 10 passes for 78 yards.

- 2008 Texas Preview
- 2007 Texas Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 8-4
2008 Record: 12-1

Aug. 30 Florida Atlantic W 52-10
Sept. 6 at UTEP W 42-13
Sept. 13 OPEN DATE
Sept. 20 Rice W 52-10
Sept. 27 Arkansas W 52-10
Oct. 4 at Colorado W 38-14
Oct. 11 Oklahoma (Dal) W 45-35
Oct. 18 Missouri W 56-31
Oct. 25 Oklahoma State W 28-24
Nov. 1 at Texas Tech L 39-33
Nov. 8 Baylor W 45-21
Nov. 15 at Kansas W 35-7
Nov. 22 OPEN DATE
Nov. 28 Texas A&M W 49-9
Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 5 Ohio State W 24-21

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 10-2
2007 Record: 10-3

Sept. 1 Arkansas St W 21-13
Sept. 8 TCU W 34-13
Sept. 15 at UCF W 35-32
Sept. 22 Rice W 58-14
Sept. 29 Kansas State L 41-21
Oct. 6 vs. Oklahoma L 28-21
Oct. 13 at Iowa State W 56-3
Oct. 20 at Baylor W 31-10
Oct. 27 Nebraska W 28-25
Nov. 3 at Oklahoma St W 38-35
Nov. 10 Texas Tech W 59-43
Nov. 23 at Texas A&M L 38-30
Holiday Bowl
Dec. 27 Arizona State W 52-34

Nov. 27
Texas 49 … Texas A&M 9
Texas had few problems getting the big win needed, including the style points, as Colt McCoy ran for scores from 14 and 16 yards out and he threw two touchdown passes on the way to a 28-3 lead. The backups dominated in the second half as Cody Johnson ran for two scores from one and 23 yards out and QB John Chiles barreled in from two yards away. Texas A&M was stopped for -22 rushing yards and only got into the end zone in the fourth quarter on a 33-yard Jeff Fuller catch.
Player of the game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 23-of-28 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran 11 times for 49 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Texas A&M - Passing: Stephen McGee, 16-24, 207 yds
Rushing: Jorvorskie Lane, 5-10. Receiving: Jeff Fuller, 5-81, 1 TD
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 23-28, 311 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Cody Johnson, 8-102, 2 TD. Receiving: Brandon Collins, 6-103, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It might not have been Oklahoma’s obliteration of Texas Tech, but Texas dominated Texas A&M in every way possible. The defensive line came up with six sacks and was able to stop every early drive, even with the Aggies were able to move the ball a bit, and Colt McCoy and the offense moved at will converting on 14-of-17 third down chances. The one down side was the beating McCoy took. A&M sold out to hit him, but that didn’t matter. This was a statement game, and Texas came through.

Nov. 15
Texas 35 … Kansas 7
Texas didn’t have any problems KU as Colt McCoy ran for a four-yard score and hit Quan Cosby on a nine-yard touchdown pass and Brandon Collins for a 36-yard score. Kansas was down 21-0 when it got its only points on a seven-yard Dexton Fields touchdown catch in the third quarter. Vondrell McGee started off the scoring for UT on a 14-yard run. KU finished with just 47 rushing yards.
Player of the game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 24-of-34 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran 16 times for 78 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Kansas - Passing: Todd Reesing, 25-50, 258 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jocques Crawford, 7-42. Receiving: Dezmon Briscoe, 9-115
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 24-34, 255 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Colt McCoy, 16-78, 1 TD. Receiving: Quan Cosby, 6-70, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... 35-7. Was that enough against Kansas to impress everyone? Yeah, the style points were there. To win in dominant fashion on the road against a good, fired up team like KU was showed just how focused and just how good the Longhorns are. Even without Brian Orakpo, the defensive front got into the backfield without a problem, while Colt McCoy did whatever he wanted to after getting ten days to throw. Basically, the team did nothing to show that it doesn’t deserve a spot in the Big 12 title game.

Nov. 8
Texas 45 … Baylor 21
Colt McCoy threw five touchdown passes including two to Quan Cosby from 35 and 26 yards out, and Ryan Palmer took a Robert Griffin pass 22 yards for a touchdown as Texas had to battle early on. Griffin ran for 101 yards and a touchdown and hit Kendall Wright for a 55-yard score to tie it at 14, and then came the Griffin pick six to spark a run of 31 straight points until Jay Finley tore off a 40-yard touchdown run late in the fourth. Texas held the ball for 38:19 and outgained the Bears 494 yards to 272.
Player of the game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 26-of-37 passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions, and he ran eight times for 21 yards.
Stat Leaders: Baylor - Passing: Robert Griffin, 6-19, 71 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Robert Griffin, 13-101, 1 TD. Receiving: Kendall Wright, 3-50, 1 TD
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 36-37, 300 yds, 5 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Foswhitt Whittaker, 15-77. Receiving: Quan Cosby, 8-111, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Texas appeared to suffer a wee bit of an intensity hangover in the first half against Baylor, and then Ryan Palmer turned everything around with his pick six that appeared to wake the Horns up. Colt McCoy got plenty of time and produced when he had to in the second half to make the game a blowout, and the defense tightened up. Robert Griffin got his rushing yards, but the Longhorns didn’t allow anyone else to do anything. The defensive front, especially Roy Miller, did a good job of picking up the slack with Brian Orakpo out.

Nov. 1
Texas Tech 39 … Texas 33
Graham Harrell connected with Michael Crabtree for a 28-yard touchdown with one second left on the clock as Texas Tech fought back to pull off the biggest win in school history. The Red Raiders got up 19-0 starting out with a safety on the first Texas offensive play, and Baron Batch ran for a three-yard touchdown and Harrell hit Eric Morris for an 18-yard touchdown. Texas struggled to get back, but was able to get a field goal at the end of the first half and got a spark on a 45-yard Jordan Shipley punt return for a score early in the second. Tech got the momentum back with an 18-yard interception return for a touchdown from Daniel Charbonnet, but Texas wasn’t done. Colt McCoy hit Malcolm Williams for a 37-yard touchdown late in the third, and hooked up with Williams again for a 91-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth. Texas was able to finally take the lead on a four-yard Vondrell McGee touchdown run with 1:29 left to play, but after a big kickoff return from Jamar Wall, Texas Tech had a short field to work with. With 11 seconds to play, Texas appeared to have a sure interception, but Blake Gideon let the ball slip through his hands allowing Tech one final shot.
Player of the game: Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell completed 35-of-52 passes for 476 yards and two touchdowns, and WR Michael Crabtree caught 10 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 20-34, 294 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Foswhitt Whittaker, 6-42. Receiving: Malcolm Williams, 4-182, 2 TD
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 35-52, 476 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Shannon Woods, 15-71. Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 10-127, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Texas won’t use any excuses for the loss to Texas Tech, and everyone will say and do all the right things to get the mindset right, but the loss of star DE Brian Orakpo affected the defense while WR Quan Cosby might have made a big difference. Yes, the defense ramped things up a bit without Orakpo, but when the line desperately needed a pressure on Graham Harrell, it didn’t come up with the heat. Texas Tech could lose to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. If the Longhorns take care of business, they could still be playing for the Big 12 title.

Oct. 25
Texas 28 … Oklahoma State 24
In an excellent game, Texas had to hold on after getting up 21-7 on 14-yard touchdowns from Jordan Shipley, on a catch, Vondrell McGee, on a run, and 17-yard Quan Cosby scoring grab, while Oklahoma State hunt around on a 23-yard Kendall Hunter run. And then the Cowboys made things interesting with a nine-yard Bo Bowling touchdown catch late in the first half and a one-yard Keith Toston run late in the third, but down four and with a 4^th-and-6 on their own 30 with just under three minutes to play, a short pass went nowhere. However, Texas wasn’t able to put the game away after getting down to the one. With 33 seconds to play, OSU was able to move out to midfield, but a Hail Mary pass was betted away and the Longhorns survived. Texas outgained Oklahoma State 504 yards to 416.
Player of the game: Texas WR Jordan Shipley caught 15 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown and ran once for 17 yards,
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 17-26, 199 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 18-161, 1 TD. Receiving: Brandon Pettigrew, 8-83
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 38-45, 291 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Colt McCoy, 10-41, 1 TD. Receiving: Jordan Shipley, 15-168, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Don’t dismiss the win over Oklahoma State or think there’s a chink in the armor because it was a tough game. The Cowboys are the real deal with talent and plenty of athleticism, and Texas passed the test. The defense did a nice job of limiting the big pass play, and while there were some problems against Kendall Hunter and the OSU running game, allowing 217 yards, the D stiffened when it had to. Now comes the Texas Tech showdown, and after the last three weeks, the Longhorns should be ready.

Oct. 18
Texas 56 … Missouri 31
Texas came out roaring jumping out to a 35-0 first half lead on a Colt McCoy six-yard touchdown run, a 32-yard Malcolm Williams touchdown catch, a 13-yard Jordan Shipley touchdown catch, and two Chris Ogbonnaya scoring runs from nine and 10 yards out. Missouri chipped away a little bit with Derrick Washington running for a two-yard score and Chase Coffman catching a 13-yard scoring pass, but Texas kept on rolling as McCoy ran for a second touchdown and the Longhorn backups kept on scoring. In all, Texas outgained Missouri 591 yards to 348.
Player of the game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 29-of-32 passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns and ran 11 times for 23 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 31-41, 318 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jimmy Jackson, 4-17 & Derrick Washington, 7-17, 1 TD. Receiving: Chase Coffman, 12-140, 1 TD
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 29-32, 337 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chris Ogbonnaya, 13-65, 2 TD. Receiving: Jordan Shipley, 8-89, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Talk about humming on all cylinders, Texas was perfect against Missouri. Forget about any sort of letdown after the Oklahoma game, Colt McCoy only missed on three of 32 passes, the offense converted 10-of-12 third down chances, and the defense held Mizzou to just 30 rushing yards. There were eight penalties, but that’s nitpicking. The Longhorns did everything they could’ve dreamed of. And now it’s on to the next challenge: Oklahoma State. If they play as well they have over the last two weeks, no one’s touching this team.

Oct. 11
Texas 45 … Oklahoma 35
In a wildly fun game with each offense throwing haymaker after haymaker, Texas overcame an early 14-3 deficit thanks to a 96-yard kickoff return for a score and a 25-7 second half run to close out the game. Cody Johnson ran for three short scores and Shipley caught a two-yard touchdown pass for the Longhorns, while Sam Bradford threw five touchdown passes including three to Manuel Johnson and a 52-yarder to Jermaine Gresham. The 80 combined points were the most ever in the 103 times the two teams have played.
Player of the game: Texas WR Jordan Shipley caught 11 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, and he returned two kickoffs for 112 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 28-35, 277 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Chris Ogbonnaya, 15-127. Receiving: Jordan Shipley, 11-112, 1 TD
Oklahoma  - Passing: Sam Bradford, 28-39, 387 yds, 5 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Chris Brown, 7-29. Receiving: Juaquin Iglesias, 7-92
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The knock on Texas going into the OU game was a potential lack of playmakers compared to the diversified Sooners. While Colt McCoy was terrific, his supporting cast more than helped the cause. OU finished with just 48 rushing yards, while Chris Ogbonnaya ran for 127 of UT’s 161 yards on the ground. Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby were every bit as good as the OU receivers. Defensively the pass rush was fantastic and the run defense was better. Now the expectations have been upped. This is now a national title or bust season.  

Oct. 4
Texas 38 … Colorado 14
Chris Ogbonnaya took a pass 65 yards for a touchdown and ran for 13-yard score on the way to a 28-0 Texas lead. Colorado ended the run with a seven-yard touchdown catch from Jake Behrens following an interception from Cha’Pelle Brown, but Texas answered immediately with a four-play, 71-yard drive finishing off with Cody Johnson’s second short touchdown run of the game. Colorado didn’t get on the board again until garbage time with a 28-yard catch from Patrick Williams.
Player of the game: Texas RB Chris Ogbonnaya ran nine times for 71 yards and a touchdown, and caught six passes for 116 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 23-30, 262 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Chris Ogbonnaya, 9-71, 1 TD. Receiving: Quan Cosby, 9-71
Colorado - Passing: Cody Hawkins, 13-33, 118 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Rodney Stewart, 12-27. Receiving: Patrick Williams, 4-50, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Lookahead, schmookahead. Texas took care of business against Colorado from the opening snap with Chris Ogbonnaya making a few big plays in space, while Colt McCoy was Colt McCoy. The biggest plus was that McCoy wasn’t the leading rusher, getting just 11 carries, but it’s not like the running backs became workhorses. The defense remained great at getting into the backfield with three sacks, but the O line gave up four. Even so, considering the Oklahoma game is on everyone’s mind, this was a great game to get through. Colorado might not be great, but it’s still a tough team at home.

Sept. 27
Texas 52 … Arkansas 10
Colt McCoy ran for two second quarter touchdowns and threw three scoring passes, including two to Jordan Shipley, in the blowout win. The Longhorn defense held the Hogs to 191 yards of total offense and only allowed a 30-yard second quarter Shay Haddock field goal. The Arkansas touchdown came on an 80-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Antwain Robinson with 2:20 to play. The UT defense also got into the act with an 81-yard interception return for a score from Aaron Williams.
Player of the game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 17-of-19 passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran nine times for 84 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 7-13, 138 yds
Rushing: Michael Smith, 13-42. Receiving: D.J. Williams, 4-39
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 17-19, 185 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Colt McCoy, 9-84, 2 TD. Receiving: Jordan Shipley, 8-83, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Colt McCoy has to be the front runner for the Heisman. It's early, way early, but no one in America is coming close to doing what No. 12 is. He still has yet to be tested by a real team, Arkansas hardly counts, but he's been stunningly accurate and consistent. It helps that the offensive line is giving him time to throw. Meanwhile, the defense deserves credit for being a brick wall. The secondary came up with a fantastic game as Arkansas didn't get anything going deep and failed to come up with a meaningful third down play. Now the real fun begins: at Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri.

Sept. 20
Texas 52 … Rice 10
Colt McCoy was unstoppable both as a passer and a runner connecting with Jordan Shipley on touchdown passes from 30 and 60 yards out and running for an eight-yard score on the way to a 24-3 halftime lead. McCoy kept the offense going in the third quarter with a five-yard scoring pass to Quan Cosby and a 46-yard touchdown play to Chris Ogbonnaya. Rice gave up 600 yards of total offense and gained 318, including 17 on the ground, and it only managed a 15-yard Jarett Dillard touchdown catch late in the third.
Player of the game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 19-of-23 passes for 329 yards and four touchdowns, and ran eight times for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Rice - Passing: Chase Clement, 25-37, 254 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Chase Clement, 14-20. Receiving: Jarett Dillard, 9-158, 1 TD
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 19-23, 329 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Colt McCoy, 8-83, 1 TD. Receiving: Quan Cosby, 7-90, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Is anyone in America playing better than Colt McCoy? Granted, Texas hasn’t played anyone yet, but McCoy is picking everyone apart. The problem is that it’s all about him as a running back hasn’t stepped up to become a star yet. There’s no reason for McCoy and backup QB John Chiles to get 18 of the team’s 44 carries in a layup over Rice. Now comes the date with Arkansas, which should be another blowout if the Longhorns play as well as they’ve been over the first few weeks.

Sept. 6
Texas 42 ... UTEP 13
UTEP took a 6-0 lead on two Jose Martinez field goals, and then Colt McCoy took over. The Longhorn QB threw three first half touchdown passes and hit Jordan Shipley on a 15-yarder in the fourth. UTEP held on to the ball for 36:41, but only managed a 12-yard Trevor Vittatoe touchdown pass to Tufick Shadrawy in the second quarter to go along with the two field goals. The Texas defense added a 26-yad fumble recovery for a score to finish off the scoring after the Shipley touchdown catch.
Player of the game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 20-of-29 passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: UTEP - Passing: Trevor Vittatoe, 25-46, 267 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Terrell Jackson, 17-94. Receiving: Jeff Moturi, 5-51
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 20-29, 282 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Foswhitt Whittaker, 12-72. Receiving: Quan Cosby, 8-154, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It was another blowout win, but for the second week in a row the pass defense was less than tight. It didn't matter, UTEP's offense wasn't going to come up with the big numbers needed to be a threat to pull off the win, but soon the secondary will have to start producing with all the top quarterbacks coming up on the slate. Of course, at the moment, Colt McCoy is playing better than anyone. He's making everyone around him better despite the lack of a superstar back to take the pressure off.

Aug. 30
Texas 52 ... Florida Atlantic 10
Texas dominated Florida Atlantic from the start with an early 14-0 lead off two long drives, and the onslaught never stopped. Colt McCoy three three touchdown passes to three different receivers, and he ran for a two-yard score. FAU managed 10 first half points highlighted by a 20-yard Rob Housler touchdown catch late in the first half, but it was all Texas in the second half. Texas outgained FAU 503 yards to 292.
Player of the game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 24 of 29 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns, and he led the team with 103 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Stat Leaders: Florida Atlantic - Passing: Rusty Smith, 15-31, 253 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: DiIvory Edgecomb, 4-19. Receiving: Jamari Grant, 4-93
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 24-39, 222 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Colt McCoy, 12-103, 1 TD. Receiving: Blaine Irby, 7-62, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Colt McCoy played a near perfect game against Florida Atlantic doing everything right from finding the right receiver, taking off when he had to, and looking like a leader who can carry the team. The rotation at running back worked, but in a perfect world, McCoy isn't the team's leading rusher. For one game at least, the the pass defense wasn't bad. It allowed 253 yards to Rusty Smith, but the Owls had abandoned the running game from the start.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Aaron Williams DB 6-1  175  Round Rock, Texas (McNeil)  H.S. Coach: Robert Wilcox
Prep All-American, all-state, all-district and all-CenTex selection who saw action on both sides of the ball ... named a Parade All-American ... also tabbed second-team USA Today All-USA and second-team EA Sports All-American ... played in the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl ... tabbed the state’s top-ranked cornerback by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football ... a first-team member of Dave Campbell’s Super Team ... versatile two-year letterman and starter who saw action at DB, WR and QB ... tallied 277 tackles, five INTs, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, two blocked kicks, over 600 all-purpose yards and 14 TDs in his final two years as a prepster ... named first-team 5A all-state by The Associated Press and the Texas Sports Writers Association as a senior ... also earned 14-5A all-district and all-CenTex honors that year ... also voted captain by his teammates ... posted 141 tackles, 10 sacks, three INTs and two blocked kicks ... rushed 34 times for 257 yards (7.6 ypc) and 14 TDs ... also made eight receptions for 99 yards (12.4 ypc) and completed two passes for 37 yards ... returned six kickoffs for 218 yards (36.3 ypr) and one TD ... his 36.3 ypr led the district ... tabbed first-team all-district and second-team all-CenTex and all-county as a junior ... recorded 136 tackles, five TFL, two INTs and two fumble recoveries ... also a two-year letterman in baseball and track and field.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Nolan Brewster

DB

6-1

195

Littleton, Colo. (Mullen)

Nolan is a sideline to sideline player that gives great effort on every down. He can play either safety or linebacker and has the instincts, toughness and reactions to attack the line of scrimmage or can use his athleticism and anticipation to be effective in coverage. Brewster has a lot of the same qualities you'll find in a John Lynch type player. He plays smart, is always around the ball and can finish. Son of Minnesota Head Coach Tim Brewster and brother Clint has committed to play QB for the Golden Gophers.

Dan Buckner

WR

6-4

213

Allen, Texas (Allen)

Buckner has great size and very good hands. He can make the tough catch and runs with power and some elusiveness in the open field. Buckner is good in the air and is a dangerous weapon in the red zone. He is big, strong and has good speed as well. As a sophomore Buckner caught 22 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns.

Rest of the Class

Emmanuel Acho	LB	6-2	215	Dallas, Texas (St. Mark's)
Mark Buchanan	OL	6-6	285	Austin, Texas (Austin)
Brock Fitzhenry	WR	5-9	171	Giddings, Texas (Giddings)
Blake Gideon	DB	6-1	197	Leander, Texas (Leander)
D.J. Grant	WR	6-3	205	Austin, Texas (LBJ)
DeSean Hales	WR	5-11	185	Spring, Texas (Klein Oak)
Antoine Hicks	WR	6-2	193	Arlington, Texas (Timberview)
Jeremy Hills	RB	6-0	187	Houston, Texas (Alief Elsik)
Jarvis Humphrey	DT	6-2	290	Cedar Hill, Texas (Cedar Hill)
Dravannti Johnson	LB	6-2	237	Nederland, Texas (Nederland)
D.J. Monroe	DB	5-9	165	Angleton, Texas (Angleton)
Tre' Newton	RB	6-0	193	Southlake, Texas (Carroll)
Luke Poehlmann	OL	6-6	260	Brenham, Texas (Brenham)
Kheeston Randall	DT	6-5	267	Beaumont, Texas (Kelly)
Ryan Roberson	RB/LB	5-10	210	Brenham, Texas (Brenham)
David Snow	OL	6-4	280	Gilmer, Texas (Gilmer)
Justin Tucker	PK	6-1	171	Austin, Texas (Westlake)

2007 Recap

Recap: After back-to-back three-loss seasons since winning the national championship in 2005, some have begun wondering if complacency has crept into the Texas program.  Although the Longhorns won 10 games, few were of the quality variety, and the program lost to Kansas State and Texas A&M for the second straight season.  It took until December before Texas really had a statement moment, pounding No. 12 Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl to finish an up-and-down year ranked in the top 10.

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Jamaal Charles

Defensive Player of the Year: S Marcus Griffin

Biggest Surprise: The ease with which the Longhorns handled the Sun Devils in San Diego was a mild surprise, considering how they’d struggled with lesser opponents throughout the year.  Charles was typically explosive, but it was the nifty feet of QB Colt McCoy, who ran for 84 yards and a touchdown, that really ignited UT’s 52-point outburst.    

Biggest Disappointment: McCoy.  Rather than building on his Freshman All-American season, he regressed, throwing seven fewer touchdown passes and 11 more interceptions than a year ago.  He did, however, rush for 424 yards and four touchdowns, most of it late in the year, a wrinkle in the offense that we’ll see more of in 2008.

Looking Ahead: With Oklahoma winning the last two Big 12 titles, and Texas slipping a bit, 2008 shapes up as an important year for the ‘Horns and head coach Mack Brown.  The offseason got off to a nice start when the program hired defensive coordinator extraordinaire Will Muschamp, who’ll be asked to fix a broken defense that’s been especially leaky against the pass the last two years.