Texas Longhorns defense picks apart OSU quarterback

By BLAKE HURTIK

Special to the Star-Telegram

STILLWATER, Okla.—The Texas Longhorns may have rolled into Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday night, but their defense’s reputation arrived days earlier.

Texas’ recent penchant of knocking opposing quarterbacks out of games had the local media abuzz about the importance of Oklahoma State protecting its prized signal caller, Zac Robinson. The Longhorns even wore their swagger around their necks on dog tags made by defensive end Sergio Kindle that read "Texas Swagger."

Fortunately, Robinson left the game injury free and escaped without being sacked. It was his stat sheet that took the biggest hits.

The Longhorns intercepted Robinson four times—twice for touchdowns—in their 41-14 rout of the Cowboys.

Robinson came into the game leading the Big 12 in passer efficiency (158.3) and with the fewest interceptions (three). After completing just 15 of 28 passes for 143 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions, maybe Robinson would have preferred exiting the game early.

Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp wanted to focus on shutting down OSU’s run game after giving up 217 rushing yards to the Cowboys last season.

"They’re a running team and we wanted to put the ball in the quarterback’s hands," Muschamp said.

The strategy worked. With a strong push from the front four and a secondary that studied enough film to be able to sit on routes, the Longhorns didn’t let Robinson find his rhythm.

He completed just four of his first 10 passes. The 10th attempt ended up in his own end zone after cornerback Curtis Brown picked it off and returned it 77 yards to give Texas a 17-0 lead in the second quarter.

Brown worked his way into perfect position on OSU receiver Dameron Fooks’ hitch route and took advantage when Fooks tripped.

It was even sweeter because Brown fulfilled his road roommate Earl Thomas’ prediction that Brown would have an interception for a touchdown.

"We were talking about it in the hotel this morning," Brown said. "When I saw [the ball], I said, 'I gotta go.’ "

And Thomas knows a thing or two about pick-sixes.

If Brown’s pick served as a demoralizing blow to the Cowboys, Thomas’ was the one that iced the game. With Texas holding a 27-7 lead early in the second half, the Cowboys needed a score to have any chance of getting back into the game. Their next drive did end up with a touchdown—just another for Texas.

Thomas took back a Robinson pass for 31 yards and the score. The pick was his sixth on the year and second touchdown return of the season. The Longhorns have an NCAA-best nine non-offensive touchdowns.

"We try to put it into the end zone as much as possible," said Thomas, who now has as many interceptions in 2009 as the Longhorns had as a team in 2008.

Thomas showed his versatility by playing the majority of the game from the nickel corner position, moving over from safety after Aaron Williams went out with a knee injury. Oddly, he injured his knee on a collision with Thomas that shook both players up, but Thomas never left the field.

"He didn’t even blink," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "He just said I’m not coming out."

Safety Blake Gideon and cornerback Chykie Brown also got in on the interception action. Gideon brought down his fourth interception of the year and Brown grabbed his second. Gideon looked to have a chance to score too, but fell well short of the end zone after a 31-yard return late in the third quarter. Thomas kidded him about his inability to take it all the way.

"Blake had kind of a little slow juke," Thomas said. "I don’t know what that was about."

The game was especially sweet for Thomas, Gideon and Curtis Brown a year after they had a nightmarish Halloween weekend against Texas Tech and caught heat in the Texas loss.

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