THE FIRST KICKOFF
• The University of Texas’ 130th football season resumes on Saturday as the Longhorns open Big 12 action against Texas Tech at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.
• In the first meeting between the two programmes, Texas (2-1) defeated UTSA 41-20 last week.
• Texas Tech (2-1) enters Saturday’s game hoping to rebound from a 27-14 setback at No. 16 NC State.
• Texas will face Texas Tech on the road for the first time this season, while Texas Tech is 2-0 at home.
• Texas will play its 13th conference game on the road on Saturday. The Horns are 9-3 when starting Big 12 play on the road, winning the previous two games and nine of the last ten.
• Texas has 930 all-time wins, which is tied for seventh most in college football history. UT’s all-time record is 930-386-33. (.701).
The Ultimate Series
• In the all-time series between the schools, Texas leads Texas Tech 54-17 and has won 11 of the previous 13 meetings.
• Texas holds the longest winning streak by either side (8 games) and the largest margin of victory (51 points) in series history, with the Longhorns 5-0 heading into Saturday’s game.
• It would be Texas’ 931st victory all-time, making it the fifth-winningest programme in college football history. • It would be Steve Sarkisian’s 54th victory as a head coach and his eighth at Texas.
• Improve Sarkisian’s overall and Big 12 record at Texas to 8-8.
• It will be UT’s sixth consecutive victory in Big 12 Conference openers. • It will be Steve Sarkisian’s fourth victory over teams from the state of Texas, bringing his record in such games to 4-2. (TCU 1-0, Texas Tech 1-0, UTSA 1-0, Baylor 0-2).
• Texas Football Head Coach Steve Sarkisian enters his second season as head coach of the Longhorns and his eighth season as a head coach overall. Last season, the Texas offence ranked 18th in the US and second in the Big 12 Conference with 35.5 points per game, the third consecutive top-18 scoring output for a Sarkisan-led attack. Sarkisian’s offensive performance was also his seventh top-30 scoring offence in his career. Bijan Robinson carried for 1,127 yards in 2021, becoming the 10th player in a Sarkisian-coached system to do it.
The DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium shines brightly.
• The Texas-Alabama game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium drew a record-breaking crowd of 105,213 people, breaking the previous record of 103,507 set in 2018 in the Longhorns’ victory over USC. • It was the 30th game in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium history to draw more than 100,000 people. For the first time since 102,498 Longhorn fans filled the house for UT’s 24-10 victory over Iowa State in 2018, Texas gathered more than 100,000 people to a home game.
Getting a Crowd
• A week after breaking the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium attendance record, the Longhorns gathered 102,520 fans, the third-largest crowd in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium history and the 31st audience of 100,000 or more.
• This is the first time Texas has drawn over 100,000 spectators in consecutive games since 2018.
• The cumulative attendance of 207,733 (105,213 vs. Alabama; 102,520 vs. UTSA) during the previous two games is the stadium’s highest two-game total.
• With four home games remaining, Texas has generated multiple 100,000-plus audiences in a season for the first time since 2018 (three games) and the second time since 2013.
Austin has the attention of college football.
• The game between Texas Football and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10, will be the most-watched college football game of 2022, with about 10.6 million viewers tuning in on FOX.
• The telecast averaged 10,595,000 viewers on FOX, peaked at nearly 15.1 million people, and was the network’s fourth-most watched regular season college football clash in history.
• It was the 30th game in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium history to draw over 100,000 spectators.
• In addition to breaking attendance records at the Forty Acres, FOX College Football stated that the game was the most streamed regular season college football or NFL game in FOX Sports history.
• College GameDay’s live broadcast from the Lyndon B. Johnson Library Lawn received the most views in almost a decade for the pregame show.
• The show averaged 2,104,000 million viewers, a 26% increase over the Week 2 total in 2021.
• 2.7 million people watched the last hour of the performance, which was televised live from inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT.
• ESPN College GameDay’s 2.1 million viewers were the most for a Week 2 total since 2010 and the highest for a September broadcast since 2016.
Touchdowns on Defense
• Texas has established a practise of scoring non-offensive touchdowns, recording at least one in 13 of the past 14 seasons.
• Keilan Robinson scored on a D’Shawn Jamison blocked punt to finish up the Horns’ first possession of the season opener against ULM.
• Jamison scored a defensive touchdown with a 69-yard interception return against ULM in the third quarter, giving UT several non-offensive touchdowns in a season for the fourth time in six years.
• Jahdae Barron intercepted a ball against UTSA at the Roadrunner 44-yard line and returned it for the first interception return of his career, giving UT a third for the 2022 season.
• Last season, Josh Thompson had a 27-yard interception return against Texas Tech, giving the Longhorns a non-offensive score for the sixth consecutive season.
• D’Shawn Jamison’s 100-yard kickoff return against Oklahoma State in 2020 was his second of the season, helping the Longhorns rally from an 11-point hole over the sixth-ranked Cowboys.
• Thompson’s touchdown was the first non-offensive touchdown scored by the Texas defence since Anthony Wheeler’s 38-yard fumble return in the 2017 Texas Bowl.
• It was the first interception return for a touchdown since DeShon Elliott’s 43-yard return for a score at Baylor in 2017.
• The touchdown marked UT’s 79th interception return for a touchdown.
• UT matched for the most non-offensive touchdowns in the country with eight in 2017. It was their most since they had 11 in 2009.
• The Texas defence came up big in the team’s 20-19 loss to Alabama in week two, the first meeting between the two teams since the 2010 BCS Championship Game.
• Texas’ defence restricted Alabama’s high-powered offence to 20 points, just the third time in the previous eight seasons that Alabama has been stopped to 20 points or fewer. … Alabama ran for 94 yards on 12 rushes in the first half, with 81 of those yards coming on one play.
• After the 81-yard run, Alabama was forced to punt on each of the following six drives.
Locating the End Zone
• In the Longhorns’ season opener against ULM, Keilan Robinson returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, D’Shawn Jamison returned an interception for a touchdown, and the Texas offence scored three rushing and two passing touchdowns. • It was the first time Texas scored a touchdown on offence, defence, and special teams since the season opener against Maryland in 2017. Holton Hill had a 31-yard interception return and returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the 2017 game, and Reggie Hemphill-Mapps scored on a 91-yard punt return. Shane Buechele threw two touchdown passes to Armanti Foreman and Collanti Johnson and ran in another.
Bijan Robinson, Heisman Trophy Candidate
• When it comes to running backs, Texas has a strong Heisman heritage, with two of the greats – Earl Campbell (1977) and Ricky Williams (1998) – hailing from the Forty Acres.
• Furthermore, the Longhorns have had ten running backs or fullbacks rank in the top ten in Heisman Trophy voting, most recently D’Onta Foreman in 2016. Campbell, Williams, Billy Vessels (1952), Billy Simms (1978), and Barry Sanders are all current Big 12 Conference running back/tailback Heisman Trophy winners (1988).
• The previous three Heisman Trophy winners were sophomores or juniors: Reggie Bush (2005), Mark Ingram (2009), and Derrick Henry (2012). (2015).
By the Numbers: Robinson
• This season, Bijan Robinson has been one of the top performers in the FBS, ranking fifth in total touchdowns (6) and scoring (12.0 ppg), sixth in points scored (36) and seventh in rushing touchdowns (5), while also ranking 16th in all purpose yards per game (147.67) and rushing yards per game (147.67). (103.7).
• He leads the Big 12 Conference in all-purpose yards per game, scoring, total points scored, and total touchdowns, while ranking second in running touchdowns, yards per game, and total touchdowns (311). Robinson also ranks third in the league in running yards per carry (6.10) and yards per reception (6.10). (18.86).
• Robinson has a track record of not only making people miss and gaining difficult yards, but also of breaking big plays as a rusher and receiver. Robinson has 31 plays (22 rushes/9 catches) of 20 yards or more in his career, including seven of 50 yards or more (all runs).
• This offseason, Robinson concentrated on maintaining his speed for 90 yards (rather than the 40-yard sprint), and his GPS speed was 22.3 mph. His long-play ratio has improved much more in his last 15 games. During that time, he has 26 plays of 20 yards or more (18 rushes/8 catches), including five 50-yard runs. In that 15-game timeframe, he has 303 plays (265 rushes/38 catches), or a play of 20-plus yards every 12 plays on average. • In three games this season, he has five plays (3 rushes/2 receptions) of 20-or-more yards, including touchdown runs of 78 yards and 41 yards.
• In 10 games last season, he had 12 plays of 20 yards or more (9 rushes/3 catches), including two of 50 yards or more, with five touchdowns.
Mr. Versatility • A dual threat, Robinson is one of three players in Texas history to have at least 100 running yards and 50 receiving yards in multiple games. With three such games in his career (12/5/20 against. Kansas State – 172/51; 9/4/21 vs. Louisiana – 137/54; 9/25/21 vs. Texas Tech – 103/73), he trails only Longhorn Legend Cedric Benson’s four, with Eric Metcalf adding two.
• Since 2020, his three games of 100 running and 50 receiving yards have been the most among current players in Power 5 Conferences, and he is the only Power 5 Conference player to accomplish the feat several times during that time period. The three games are also more than any other team has had since 2020, with individuals rushing for 100 yards and catching for 50 yards on two occasions at Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Oregon.
Everything About Zay
· Sophomore wide receiver Xavier Worthy began his 2022 season with a strong performance against ULM and a great performance against No. 1 Alabama to surpass 1,000 career receiving yards and go closer to 100 career catches.
• Worthy had four receptions for 41 yards in the Longhorns’ 41-20 victory over UTSA, bringing his career total to 73 and extending his receiving streak to 15 games.
• Worthy had five receptions for 97 yards against Alabama, including a diving 46-yard catch at the end of the first quarter.
• He had two catches for 24 yards versus ULM, as well as three punt returns for 33 yards, including a career-long 21 yard return, and one run for seven yards. Worthy was a standout performer on the Forty Acres last season, shattering decades-old Texas records and setting a new bar for Longhorn freshman.
• In 2021, Worthy set Texas freshman single-season receiving records for catches (62), yards (981) and touchdowns (12), as well as single-game records for receptions (14), yards (261) and touchdowns (12). (3, twice).
• He was voted the Big 12 Conference’s Offensive Freshman of the Year and received All-Big 12 First Team accolades, the only freshman among the conference’s first- and second-team picks.
The Ford Foundation
• Junior Linebacker Jaylan Ford was a force against UTSA, recording career highs with 15 tackles, 10 solo tackles, and his first forced fumble. • He had a breakout performance against No. 1 Alabama, posting a team-high 10 tackles (six solo), two tackles for loss, and one sack, helping keep the Crimson Tide to 20 points. • He had at least one tackle in five of the last six games of the season, including two against Kansas State in the season finale. • He had a career-high 12 tackles (seven solo) against Oklahoma State. • Ford had at least six tackles in each of the final three games of the season, recording six against Kansas, five at West Virginia, and six (all solo) against K-State.
DeMarvion has been called.
• Senior LB DeMarvion Overshown has emerged as a leader and proven big-play maker on the Forty Acres. Overshown recorded 10 tackles (four solo) in UT’s win over UTSA, his third career game with 10 or more tackles. He also had a pass break up and a half-tackle for loss. • He led Texas with eight tackles (six solo) and two tackles for loss in the opener against ULM, helping the defence restrict the Warhawks to 10 yards or fewer on six of their first ten possessions, allowing the Longhorns to score just 20 points.
Adeline is a research journalist working performing her duties as chief editor at this news station. She is a talented writer and comes up with facts everybody wants to know.
