TB Cody Johnson moves to top of UT's depth chart

AUSTIN — Texas tailback Cody Johnson moved to the top of the Longhorns’ depth chart Monday, and the Longhorns plan to give the 250-pounder ample opportunities to showcase himself Saturday against Baylor.

“We’d like to get him 15 or 20 carries and see if he can move the pile as the game goes on,” said coach Mack Brown. “Big guys need to carry it more.”

Johnson, primarily a short-yardage and goal-line back in the team’s first nine games, is slated to become the fourth different tailback to start this season for No. 2 Texas (9-0, 5-0 in Big 12), which meets Baylor (4-5, 1-4) at 11 a.m. Saturday in Waco. The Longhorns also started four different tailbacks in games last season.

Brown said Johnson (5-foot-11, 250 pounds) earned the promotion with last week’s effort in a 35-3 victory over Central Florida, which included touchdown runs of 20 and 13 yards. The 20-yard burst was the longest run of the season for Johnson, who has averaged 3.8 yards per carry -- lowest among Texas’ tailback candidates -- but leads the team in rushing touchdowns with nine.

Johnson replaces Fozzy Whittaker, who lost a fumble against Central Florida and was listed Monday as a second-teamer, on equal footing with Tre Newton, a redshirt freshman from Southlake Carroll. Johnson ended spring drills as a candidate to start before reporting to fall camp in excess of 260 pounds. He has been as low as 242 pounds this season but was listed at 250 on Monday’s depth chart.

“He’s always had good vision and good feet. And he’s got his weight down now,” said offensive coordinator Greg Davis, who acknowledged that the team’s lackluster ground game remains his “No. 1 concern” heading down the stretch.

Six different players, including quarterback Colt McCoy, have rushed for at least 110 yards this season. But the leading rusher remains Vondrell McGee (275 yards, two TDs), who has not played since getting three carries against Missouri on Oct. 24.

“We’re going to get in a situation at some point where we’ve got to be able to run the ball better,” Davis said. “That’s my biggest concern.”

McCoy nearing mark

A victory against Baylor would give quarterback Colt McCoy his 42nd career triumph as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback, tying the NCAA record held by Georgia’s David Greene. McCoy, 41-7 as a starter at Texas, said it would be “very special” to match Greene because he considers it a team honor.

“That’s one of the coolest things for a quarterback … because I just want to win,” McCoy said. “I’ve said that since I started playing as a freshman. That’s truly a team [achievement]. We’ll celebrate that as a team.”

Moving up

Texas fell to No. 3 in this week’s BCS standings, sliding behind Alabama. But the Longhorns moved to the top of the NCAA list in two notable statistical categories: total defense (230.8 yards per game) and point differential. Texas has outscored opponents 369-112 this season, a differential of 28.6 points per game. TCU ranks second in point differential, at 26.2 points per game.

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