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AUSTIN — The Texas Longhorns finally made their case as legitimate national title contenders with their 41-14 rout of Oklahoma State on the road. They were rewarded in the polls and the BCS standings by leapfrogging Alabama and moving back into the No. 2 spot.
“I told them that it looked like they had gotten respect,” Texas coach Mack Brown said.And without another ranked opponent remaining on the schedule — and with a non-conference opponent Central Florida visiting Saturday — many have the Longhorns penciled in for the national championship game.You can bet that none of them is in the Texas locker room. As cliché as it may sound, the Longhorns are focusing only on Central Florida.“We had a huge team meeting [Sunday] just to say, ‘Hey, don’t relax, don’t give up, there’s till a long road ahead of us, lots of games to play and lots of room for improvement,’” quarterback Colt McCoy said. “I really feel like the attitude on our team is really good and wants to get better.” According to Brown, that attitude starts with the team’s senior leadership.“It’s their team. They have some input, they have ownership in their team without taking over,” Brown said. “So we’re constantly asking our guys [for] ideas.”The latest came from senior defensive end Sergio Kindle in the form of dog tags that read “Texas Swagger.”“A lot of people might think it means cockiness or something like that, but it basically means that we are Texas and no matter what, no matter who, we’re going to come to play,” Kindle said. “We know how it felt to get complacent last year. I’m pretty sure nobody on the team wants to have that feeling again.”His teammates have definitely bought into the idea for UCF. “Without winning that game, the dreams and goals of this team, we can’t really obtain them,” defensive tackle Ben Alexander said.It’s Johnson, for nowThe new, slimmed-down Cody Johnson has impressed coaches enough that he’s listed as the starter at tailback for Saturday’s game. Fozzy Whittaker, who started the last three games, is listed as a co-starter but, if Brown had to decide today, Johnson would get the nod.“He’s protecting the ball and he’s a powerful runner,” Brown said. “What we’re all about right now is that 4-yard run to make sure we can stay ahead of the chains, and that’s something that he does very well.”Johnson came into preseason camp weighing about 260 pounds but is now closer to 240. His improved lateral quickness and breakaway speed has complemented his power running style. Johnson had nine carries for 31 yards and two short touchdown runs against Oklahoma State. Whittaker only had six carries for 16 yards but was more involved in pass protection. “We’re just going to continue to let those guys battle and see how it shakes out,” offensive coordinator Greg Davis said. “They’re both, in our minds, starters.”Field-goal successWhile Colt McCoy’s touchdown numbers are down from a year ago, one Longhorn is seeing his point production skyrocket.Kicker Hunter Lawrence has made 16 of 18 field goals and missed just one inside 50 yards. He leads the Big 12 in scoring at 10.5 points per game and is tied for the most points scored by any kicker in the nation. The Longhorns attempted just 14 field goals in all of 2008.That doesn’t mean he has the starting job locked down. Texas coaches still chart kicks in practices. If Lawrence has a bad week, fellow senior Ryan Bailey is waiting in the wings.“I don’t think Ryan’s missed a kick all year in practice, either,” Brown said. “That’s the kind of competition we’ve got in this team and what makes this team good. It also keeps pressure on Hunter to make sure he makes every kick.”Injury updateCornerback Aaron Williams is listed as day-to-day with a right knee injury he suffered in the first quarter against Oklahoma State. Williams, the starting nickel back, injured his knee when he collided with safety Earl Thomas.Tackle Mason Walters (foot) and defensive tackle Calvin Howell (concussion), both true freshmen, are out for Saturday’s game. Brown said the decision to redshirt them will be made when both are back at full health.Baylor time setKickoff for Texas’ game against Baylor in Waco on Nov. 14 has been set for 11 a.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports Net.
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