Texas Longhorns

HornsNation is counting down the top five moments of Texas’ 2012 season this week.

Play No. 5

The game: Geno Smith and West Virginia had been untouchable. The quarterback was a Heisman candidate who, through four games, had yet to throw an interception and had been sacked only four times. West Virginia was 4-0 coming into the game, and that put a scare into the traditional powers with the thought that the Mountaineers might be national title contenders. Texas represented their first big test of the season.

The play: Texas was trailing 21-14 but had momentum and had stuffed WVU for minus-4 yards on its two previous plays. Smith dropped backed to pass from the his own nine but never had time to get rid of the ball. Instead, defensive end Alex Okafor got into the backfield, sacked and, more importantly, stripped the ball from Smith. Bookend Jackson Jeffcoat fell on the ball in the end zone and Texas tied the game at 21 in the second quarter. The play electrified the largest home crowd in Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium history and the stadium shook as the 101,851 in attendance jumped in the stands.

The play was also a portent of thing to come. Okafor sacked and stripped Smith again in the fourth quarter. This time the defense was not able to fall on the ball and score. Instead, Chris Whaley's fumble recovery gave Texas the ball at the WVU 12. Lamentably, Texas’ offense failed to produce points in what proved to be the drive that determined Longhorns’ losing fate.

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Longhorns, who in 2012 did not beat a team that finished in the BCS top 25, will get one final shot in the postseason, against No. 13 Oregon State. And given who Oregon State beat -- only one team ranked in the BCS top 25, No. 17 UCLA, and that was in week two -- it might be Texas' best chance to pull off a win. A look at the matchup in the Valero Alamo Bowl:

1. What’s your initial reaction to the matchup?
Texas just secured its ninth win. Seriously, Oregon State is pretty much like Cal last year, a decent team in a conference that only had two good teams. Now the same could be said for the Big 12. But Texas has too much talent and speed to lose this game.

2. Which team in the Big 12 does Oregon State most resemble?
It is fair to compare Oregon State to Baylor of the last three weeks. That’s because the Beavers overall have a much better defense than the Bears showed in the first nine weeks of the year. Baylor has a better pass offense and really a better overall offense with Lache Seastrunk. But Oregon State has the ability to spread the field, throws the ball well and has a decent run game to go with that attack.

3. What’s the most intriguing individual matchup?
Storm Woods vs. the Texas defense. Woods averages 75 yards a game and is a solid back in the Pac-12. Texas has turned solid backs into great backs this season. If the Texas defense cannot contain Woods, then quarterback Sean Mannion is going to have few problems moving the ball down the field with play action.

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Sean Adams and Carter Strickland from HornsNation recap Texas’ 33-7 win over Iowa State.

While Texas addresses issues at quarterback, the real question is can the Longhorns stop Seth Doege and the Red Raiders.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Justin Blackmon isn’t walking through that door. Dez Bryant isn’t walking through that door. But that doesn’t mean Oklahoma State’s receiving corps is lacking the kind of talent necessary to test Texas’ touted secondary.

After a week of evaluating what the Cowboys' passing attack has to offer in the face of losing Blackmon and quarterback Brandon Weeden, Texas secondary coach Duane Akina sees plenty of challenges.

“There’s not a Dez or a Blackmon, but the staff has done a great job, I think, of utilizing their weapons and their running backs,” Akina said. “It’s still a well-conceived system. Without Dez or Blackmon, it has not hurt their offensive numbers.”

The Cowboys’ top two wideouts this season are inside receivers. Blake Jackson, a junior college transfer, leads the team with 217 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, he provides some matchup challenges.

Then there’s the receiver who will likely be J.W. Walsh’s favorite target. Josh Stewart, Walsh’s go-to receiver during their high school days at Denton (Texas) Guyer, leads OSU in receptions with 19, good for 208 yards and two scores.

And don't forget the big guy on the outside who takes Blackmon’s place, Tracy Moore. The senior has 1,195 career receiving yards and 12 career touchdowns.

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