Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Longhorns have an offense that is still in its infancy, and, as such, it wobbled on its first and second steps all night against Oklahoma State.

Through the first three quarters Saturday, with the OSU defense still relatively fresh, Texas made more than five yards on first down only four times in 17 tries.

By third down, however, Texas had found is footing and its stride. The Longhorns converted 9 of 17 third downs. That's not quite the 60 percent clip the offense had boasted coming into the game. But add to that a 3-for-3 effort on fourth down and the numbers are there.

Of course it was the last of those conversions -- a fourth-and-6 -- that proved to be the biggest. But it might have been the 11 previous conversions that allowed the final fourth-down conversion to work.

First, Texas had confidence because it had been there and done that.

"You have got to see it and see it happen out there on the field," said co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin. "When the entire offense came out there [on the final drive], I thought those guys had poise. They seemed to operate really flawlessly in what we were giving them play-wise."

Second, Oklahoma State, because of what had happened on previous conversion attempts, did not have confidence.

"It really does grind on you, particularly the fourth-down play," said OSU defensive coordinator Bill Young. "The offense played well enough to keep us in the game, and if we make that stop, we win."

The Cowboys didn't make that play or plenty of others. On four of Texas' five scoring drives it was 5-of-7 in converting third downs. After the two misses on third down, Texas went for it on fourth down and kept the drive alive.

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STILLWATER, Okla. -- The way Mack Brown tells it, Texas had Oklahoma State right where the Longhorns wanted it. The Longhorns were up one, OSU was driving, time had become a factor and the entire crowd against them. Yep, perfect position, said Brown.

"I told them that this was perfect," the Texas coach said. "We told the defense that if they held them to a field goal, we would win the game. We told the offense the same thing. You’re going to hold them to a field goal, and you’re going to win the game."

The defense did hold. But the offense very nearly didn't hold up to its end of the bargain. Texas faced a fourth and six in its own territory before David Ash hit D.J. Grant for a 29-yard gain. But once that first down was secure, Brown was secure in the win.

"Usually, in those one-minute drills that we’ve been so good at, if you make the first first-down, you get it," he said. "The first one is the hardest one. The crowd’s against you, everybody is pumped up and the players were jacked up."

Speed thrills
Texas realized fairly quickly it could not keep up with the Oklahoma State fast-paced offense. So to counteract things, the Longhorns decided to speed the Cowboys up on defense as well.

"That’s why we increased our tempo at the same time and tried to wear them out," Brown said. "Possession was the difference in the end. They couldn’t score because they didn’t have the ball. We weren’t scoring as fast as they were, but we were pounding them and pounding them and our offensive line took over the last few drives."

Texas scored on three of its last four possessions and had 280 of its 440 yards in the second half.

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STILLWATER, Okla. -- This time, there was no time for David Ash to lean on his running game. A go-ahead touchdown drive with seven runs and two short passes didn't put Texas ahead for long enough, and down two points, Texas had 2 minutes, 34 seconds to become the first team to win in Stillwater since Oklahoma won a Big 12 South title at Boone Pickens Stadium in 2010.

The Longhorns sideline wasn't lacking for confidence in the eventual 41-36 victory over Oklahoma State that sent Texas to 4-0 and, most likely, into the top 10.

Texas coach Mack Brown was clear with his defense on the previous drive: "Hold them to a field goal, and we're going to win the game," he said.

"We were going to win the game," running back D.J. Monroe said. "That's just our mentality."

Ash stared a fourth-and-6 in the face with the Cowboys crowd louder than it had been all night. With three receivers on his left, Ash dropped back and hit D.J. Grant over the middle for a 29-yard gain on a play he admitted after the game was his first read all along.

The Cowboys were taking away the sidelines and his check-down throws to running backs. He had to get adventurous and test the middle of OSU's defense.

"It was not a time to be scared to make a mistake," Ash said. "It was a time to give it everything you had."

Two plays later, Ash indulged receiver Mike Davis, who, earlier in the night, begged him for a another chance after dropping what would have been a long touchdown grab. Blanketed by a future NFL cornerback in Justin Gilbert, Ash let it fly. Davis hauled in a jump ball for a 32-yard gain down to the 5-yard-line and Texas was officially in position to log the biggest victory for the program since a Big 12 title win at Cowboys Stadium over Nebraska all the way back in 2009.

"He will not be under any more pressure than this, and he couldn't have done this this time last year. He's really grown up," Brown said. "He's the leader of this football team."

When it was over, Brown joined his quarterback for a triumphant trot past a delirious pocket of Texas fans in the northeast corner of the stadium. Both flashed a "Hook 'Em" hand sign on their way to the locker room with a feeling that has been all too unfamiliar in Austin these past few years.

One drive to win a game, and Texas' quarterback led it to victory.

"It's a lot of fun. When you grow up and learn the position, it's what you dream of. What you lay down at night thinking about," Ash said. "Joe Montana, Joe Cool. Tom Brady. The guys that did it in the clutch."

Texas' brand-new quarterback grew up Saturday night. It's one thing to stay calm in blowouts against New Mexico or even on the road at Ole Miss. It's another to do so on the road against a team that beat you at home in each of the past two seasons on the way to 23 wins in two years. It's another to do so against that team facing a game-deciding drive when the probability of a loss is high.

Ash's teammates couldn't stop talking about his poise and composure in the difficult, frenzied environment.

"He stayed real composed the whole time and that's how we like him," Monroe said. "We don't like him to get all frustrated. We like him to stay the David Ash that we know: quiet, calm and collected."

He finished 30-of-37 for 304 yards, and three touchdowns, just one fewer touchdown than he threw all of last season.

"The four games this year, he's been near perfect," Brown said. "He's run the offense well and he didn't get flustered tonight, even with the sacks, because we didn't do as many things up front well offensively."

He also threw his first interception of the season, but he bounced back to lead the Longhorns to a pair of go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter, including the final one that clinched the win. After the interception, Texas scored touchdowns on three of its final four drives.

"Last year, he had bad body language. He was hard on himself," Brown said. "He moved on, forgot it and left it alone."

Texas was better off for it on Saturday night, and the scoreboard showed the evidence.

"He's a lot more mature, and he makes better reads," said receiver Jaxon Shipley, who caught all three of Ash's touchdown passes. "He's always had a great arm, but he's making a lot better decisions this year."

That will lead to plenty more outcomes like Texas saw Saturday, and maybe even a few more heroics.

Texas survived a back-and-forth 41-36 thriller in Stillwater, Okla., to move to 4-0 on the season.

It was over when: Oklahoma State wide receiver Charlie Moore was knocked out of bounds on the final whistle. The Cowboys took a 36-34 lead with 2:34 left in the game, but Texas came right back with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to secure its biggest victory of the season yet.

Game ball goes to: David Ash delivered his signature moment as quarterback of the Longhorns, leading Texas on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive to win the game. During the final drive, Ash coolly hit D.J. Grant on fourth-and-6 for a 29-yard first down, and lofted a pass to Mike Davis 32 yards to the Oklahoma State 5-yard line.

Stat of the game: Texas was lethal on third and fourth downs. The Longhorns converted 9 of 17 third downs, and all three of their fourth-down attempts, including Ash’s crucial completion to Grant. Texas has been tremendous on third down all season and Saturday night was no different.

Unsung hero of the game: Ash’s favorite target, Jaxon Shipley, had only five receptions. But three of them went for touchdowns. Shipley burned the Cowboys secondary twice for scores in the first quarter, then went up and snagged his third touchdown on a jump ball to give the Longhorns a 28-20 lead in the third quarter.

What it means: Texas’ victory sets up a showdown with undefeated West Virginia in Austin next weekend. The winner could be in the driver’s seat in what’s becoming a wide-open Big 12 race.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Texas coach Mack Brown was curious to see how his team reacted against a solid Big 12 team. In the first half, the answers were mixed. Offensively Texas was solid. Defensively the struggles from Ole Miss continued.

Stat of the half: After scoring a combined 35 points in the first quarter, all these two teams could only manage three points in the second quarter. Oklahoma State clearly struggles in second quarters. The Cowboys failed to score against Arizona in that loss and only scored three against Texas. This was the first time that Texas has failed to score in the second quarter.

Player of the half: Oklahoma State running back Joseph Randle has devastated Texas in the run game. The junior took his first handoff and went 69 yards for a touchdown. Randle had 103 yards in the first quarter and continued to carve up Texas in the second, finishing with 147 yards and a touchdown. Oklahoma State had 168 rushing yards in the first half.

What's working for Texas: David Ash has continued to play with poise. The sophomore has directed two scoring drives and been accurate on most of his downfield passes. Ash, who has two touchdown passes, should have had another, but a 40-yard toss was dropped by Mike Davis in the end zone.

What's not working for Texas: The Longhorns are once again failing to tackle. Both of Oklahoma State's first half touchdowns came as a result of missed tackles by safety Adrian Phillips. The first was the 69-yard run by Randle. Phillips had Randle wrapped up at the 48, released hum and watch him run the next 52 yards. On the next touchdown, Phillips hit receiver Josh Stewart at the 23 but bounced off, getting injured on the play. Stewart scooted into the end zone from there.

What Texas needs to do to stay ahead: Continue to get a rotation of fresh players in on defense. The Longhorns are down four potential starters on that side of the ball. Defensive tackle Brandon Moore (virus) and linebacker Jordan Hicks (hip) did not make the trip. Phillips was hurt in the game. Defensive tackle Desmond Jackson also was hurt. Texas has had to use true freshman Malcom Brown at defensive tackle and little-used junior Kyle Kreigel.

Carter Strickland and Sean Adams preview the Longhorns' first Big 12 Conference game Saturday when Texas travels to Oklahoma State.

David Ash didn’t know what was coming last year.

As a result at times he didn’t know what hit him. Or, for that matter, who to hit with the ball.

In 2011, when faced with a blitz Ash completed just 52 percent of his passes and threw three picks against no touchdowns. Ash has faced 17 blitzes to date and is hitting 69 percent of his passes, has two touchdowns and is averaging 9.4 yards per throw.

Against Ole Miss, Ash was blitzed six times and connected on all six passes with a touchdown.

Co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin said the difference now is that Ash understands and reacts more quickly because of that understanding. Harsin can tell Ash "gets it" by the phone conversations that take place between the two after each series. Last year, Ash would ask Harsin to slow down or repeat himself. Now Ash is giving Harsin the info before the coach can spit it out.

"David is throwing it to the right guys," coach Mack Brown said. "Now we're getting more explosive plays like we needed. So that's the biggest thing. Don't change who you are. Let's keep getting better, keep growing as an offense. But let's don't go out there and act like we have to get 685 yards each week to win. Let's just get enough yards to win."

The yards may come slightly easier than anticipated against Oklahoma State, especially if the Cowboys decide to blitz. Arizona completed 56.6 percent of it passes when OSU sent five or more. That number dipped only slightly -- 47 percent-- when OSU blitzed on third down.

HornsNation reporter Sean Adams and Longhorn Network analyst Ahmad Brooks debate who is the best team in the Big 12.

Texas typically gets down early to Oklahoma State.

And, aside from the last two years the Longhorns have been able to come back late.

There was 2004 and the 35-7 deficit before scoring 49 unanswered points for the win. Three years later was the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in school history when Texas, down 21, scored 24 points and had 311 fourth-quarter yards.

But the talent and times have changed. Texas can no longer just turn it on against an inferior team. The Cowboys have closed the gap. They did it by getting better players out of Texas.

There are 66 Texans on the OSU roster. Six players in this game, two from Texas and four from OSU, hail from North Shore (Houston). Because of the abundance of Texans on the OSU roster, Brown is concerned about allowing OSU to dictate the emotions at the start of the game.

"You need to get a faster start," coach Mack Brown said. "They get so emotional about this game, and the only thing that I can say is because of all the Texans on their team. There are guys that are going to play well against their in-state university."

Oklahoma State has been efficient on 3rd down, but that will be put to the test against a tough Texas team.