The Lone Star Update
Photo Credit: Lone Star Live
College football has returned to the Lone Star State. Twelve of the thirteen FBS teams located in Texas opened their seasons this past Saturday (SMU played in Week 0 against Nevada). Here’s a recap of the action across the Texas football landscape.
Baylor Bears (1-0)
Baylor def. Tarleton State 45-3
Baylor took a commanding 21-point lead in the first quarter of the season opener and never looked back, running away with a 45-3 victory against the Tarleton State Texans. Dequann Finn, the transfer QB from Toledo, showed off both his arm and his legs in the matchup. He broke the game open with a shifty 39-yard touchdown run and went on to add two more scores through the air later. In total, Finn threw for 192 yards on 14/22 passing but did have two interceptions, including an end zone pass that was picked off by Tarleton State cornerback Kasyus Kurns. Finn had 46 yards on the ground, but the majority of the rushing game was split between junior Richard Reese (18 ATT, 82 YDS) and sophomore Dawson Pendergrass (17 ATT, 62 YDS, TD). The Baylor defense stifled the Texans, allowing only nine first downs and 181 all-purpose yards all game. Linebacker Keaton Thomas shined with four solo tackles and a pick-six. Baylor begins the season 1-0 but has a much harder challenge in store as they travel to Salt Lake City to face Utah (1-0), who enter week two ranked eleventh.
Houston Cougars (0-1)
UNLV def. Houston 27-7
It was Viva Las Vegas for the UNLV Rebels, who took down the Houston Cougars 27-7. Houston starting quarterback Donovan Smith struggled to get things going as he threw two picks and was sacked six times. Sophomore Ui Ale took over halfway through the fourth quarter and saw far greater success, going 7/8 with 74 passing yards and the only Cougar touchdown. Houston’s rushing attack left something to be desired as well; they gained 38 net yards on the ground. Conversely, UNLV pounded the rock, putting up 195 total rushing yards. The Rebels jumped ahead 14-0 in the first half. Junior defensive back AJ Haulcy hauled in a pick in the third quarter for Houston, but Smith threw an interception on the resulting drive. The Cougars find themselves 0-1 after an ugly start to the season and now have a date with fifteenth-ranked Oklahoma in Norman.
North Texas Mean Green (1-0)
North Texas def. Southern Alabama 52-38
After a tight first half, the UNT Mean Green erupted for a statement third quarter en route to an opening weekend victory. North Texas quarterback Chandler Morris threw for 415 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for two, earning himself AAC Offensive Player of the Week. His top receiver, senior Damon Ward Jr., had two scores on twelve receptions and 230 receiving yards, the second highest of any receiver this season. On the other side, South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez had a monster game himself, throwing for 432 yards and three touchdowns. His 432 passing yards only ranked lower than Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders (445). UNT went down 14-19 at the half, with their two scores coming off a Morris rushing touchdown and Ward’s first TD reception. In the third quarter, though, the Mean Green took off, putting up 28 points. Juwaun Price blocked a punt for the final score of the third quarter, and after holding off the South Alabama Jaguar attack, the Mean Green won the non-conference matchup. Their next game will be against the 1-0 SFA Lumberjacks.
Rice Owls (0-1)
Sam Houston def. Rice 34-14
Sam Houston Bearkats (1-0)
Sam Houston def. Rice 34-14
The Bearkats traveled to Houston and upset the Owls 34-14 on Saturday. Sam Houston struck fast, scoring on the first play of their second drive as Hunter Watson found Qua’Vez Humphries for a 67-yard score. Watson had a clean game, avoiding any picks while throwing 16/27 with 229 yards in the air and 57 on the ground. Shortly after the long touchdown, defensive back David Fisher snatched a Rice pass and returned it for a pick-six and a 14-0 start. It was one of two interceptions Owls quarterback EJ Warner threw. The Rice offense struggled mightily in the run department, gaining only 47 yards on the ground. Sam Houston, on the other hand, ran for 178 yards and a touchdown from redshirt junior John Gentry. The Bearkats’ offense had issues preventing the Owl pass rush, as Watson was sacked seven times. Sam Houston went up 24-7 at half and never looked back, beating Rice in their first matchup in over three decades. The Rice Owls will face off against Texas Southern next week, while Sam Houston will head to Orlando to take on the UCF Knights.
SMU Mustangs (2-0)
SMU def. Houston Christian 59-7
The Mustangs narrowly beat Nevada in week zero but played no such games with Houston Christian. The dual quarterback threat of Preston Stone and Kevin Jennings combined for 226 passing yards and three touchdowns. However, the real story was the run game, as the new-age Pony Express galloped for 369 yards. Miami transfer Brashard Smith ran for 108 on nine attempts and scored twice. Derrick McFall (16 ATT, 69 YDS, TD) and Jennings (5 ATT, 54 YDS, TD) also contributed to the ground game. SMU started hot, scoring 28 points in the first quarter and tacking on another 14 before the half. They limited the Huskies’ offense to a single score, a passing touchdown late in the second quarter. The Mustang defense had three sacks and two picks, but the defensive highlight was a fumble recovery for a touchdown by the big defensive tackle Anthony Booker Jr. SMU sets their sights on BYU in hopes of a third straight win.
TCU Horned Frogs (1-0)
TCU def. Stanford 34-27
TCU narrowly bested the Stanford Cardinal in a Friday night thriller. After a sloppy start, the Horned Frogs righted themselves and posted 34 points against an improved Stanford defense. Quarterback Josh Hoover spread the ball to eight different receivers for a total of 353 passing yards. He primarily targeted Jack Bech (6 REC, 139 YDS, TD), JP Richardson (6 REC, 109 YDS), and Savion Williams (11 REC, 85 YDS, TD). Cam Cook got it done on the ground, averaging 4.1 yards per carry for 81 yards and a touchdown. Jamel Johnson was a stand-out on defense, tallying 11 tackles and forcing a fumble. Down 10-17 at half, TCU rallied in the third to take a 20-17 advantage. Stanford responded with seven minutes left in the fourth to pull ahead 24-20, but two straight Horned Frogs touchdowns and a defensive fourth-down stop put the game out of reach. TCU’s next matchup is against Long Island University, who fell 21-27 to UAlbany in week one.
Texas Longhorns (1-0)
UT def. Colorado State 52-0
They came, they saw, they conquered. To little surprise, the Longhorns bulldozed the Colorado State Rams. The fourth-ranked Longhorns impressed on both offense and defense, racking up 545 all-purpose yards on the way to 52 points and completely shutting out Colorado State. Junior Quinn Ewers began his Heisman campaign with 260 passing yards and three touchdowns on 74% passing. Arch Manning made his debut late in the game as well, throwing for 74 yards and picking up a touchdown in the air and on the ground. Junior receiver Matthew Golden, a Houston transfer, pulled in two touchdowns himself in his first game as a Longhorn. On the defensive front, UT limited the Rams to 74 passing yards all game. Defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau led the way with 8 tackles, while linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. had five takedowns and a tackle for loss. The Longhorns’ impressive roster will be tested with a road game at tenth-ranked Michigan in week two.
Texas A&M Aggies (0-1)
Notre Dame def. Texas A&M 23-13
The Aggies welcomed the seventh-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish to Kyle Field for a season opener but couldn’t come away with a win, falling 13-23. Connor Weigman and the Aggie passing attack struggled massively, as Weigman completed only 40% of his passes for 100 total yards and two interceptions. His receivers failed to get open all night, and the only touchdown A&M put up was the result of Le’Veon Moss’s 45-yard run. The Aggies’ defense held their own for most of the game, but Notre Dame’s balanced attack proved too much in the end. Texas A&M will look to bounce back next week against Appalachian State.
Texas State Bobcats (1-0)
Texas State def. Lamar 34-27
Texas State held off a late Lamar comeback for a 34-27 win. Transfer quarterback Jordan McCloud threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Ismail Mahdi dashed for 156 yards and a score. Senior Joey Hobert was the top Bobcat receiver with 91 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Texas State jumped out to an 18-0 lead at the half, thanks to touchdowns from Mahdi and receiver Jaden Williams, as well as a 40-yard field goal from Mason Shipley. Lamar surged early in the second half, bringing it within four with two touchdowns and a field goal of their own. However, the McCloud-Hobert battery gave the Lamar secondary all sorts of trouble, as the pair connected for two fourth-quarter touchdowns of over 30 yards. The Cardinals couldn’t recover, giving Texas State a 1-0 start to the season. The Bobcat defense combined for seven sacks and only surrendered 51 net rushing yards. They will face UTSA for an in-state battle on Saturday.
Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-0)
Texas Tech def. Abilene Christian 52-51 (OT)
In a shockingly close game, the Red Raiders defeated the Wildcats in an overtime shootout, 52-51. Behren Morton passed well, throwing 30-42 for 378 yards and five touchdowns. His competition shined too, as ACU quarterback Maverick McIvor went 36-51 for 503 yards and three touchdowns. His 503 passing yards is the second most among FCS quarterbacks and would lead all FBS programs. Texas Tech converted for a touchdown on their first three possessions, one such drive coming from a forced fumble by Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who had 13 tackles on the day. The Red Raiders entered the half up 32-21, and at the end of the third quarter remained ahead 39-28. However, a massive touchdown pass from McIvor and a 75-yard drive ending in a rushing touchdown set up ACU to tie the game on their final drive, a grueling 12-play, 71-yard drive capped by a 21-yard field goal by kicker Ritse Vaes to send the game to overtime. In overtime, Texas Tech converted on the touchdown via a 14-yard pass to receiver Caleb Douglas and opted for the PAT, which was successful. After Abilene Christian running back Isaiah crossed the plane for his third score of the game, the Wildcats attempted to go for two but came up short, giving Texas Tech a week one win. Tech will head northwest to take on Washington State in week two, where the defense will have to be much better if they hope to take down the Cougars.
UTEP Miners (0-1)
Nebraska def. UTEP 40-7
The UTEP Miners took a beating from the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday. Things looked steady through one quarter, as UTEP receiver Kam Thomas hauled in a 38-yard touchdown from Skyler Locklear to even the score at 7-7. Unfortunately, Nebraska would score the next 33 points, and UTEP was shut out for the remainder of the game. Locklear was 11-17 with both a pick and a touchdown. Thomas had 71 receiving yards on seven catches, and redshirt junior Jevon Jackson was the leading rusher with 32 yards. Linebacker Dorian Hopkins had an astounding 16 tackles for the Miners, giving him the most for any player that didn’t also play in Week 0. Teammate Kory Hopkins reached double-digit tackles as well, but the Nebraska offense still reached 507 all-purpose yards. UTEP will face Southern Utah for the Miners’ first home game of 2024 this week.
UTSA Roadrunners (1-0)
UTSA def. Kennesaw State 28-16
The two youngest FBS schools faced off Saturday, with the UTSA Roadrunners defeating the Kennesaw State Owls 28-16. Roadrunner gunslinger Owen McCown passed for 340 yards, securing three scores in the air. On the ground, McCown and the rest of the UTSA offense were less successful, only gaining 74 total yards, though McCown did run for another touchdown. UTSA found the end zone twice in the first quarter, via the arms and legs of the redshirt sophomore quarterback. Kennesaw State could only muster a field goal in either quarter of the first half, so a second passing touchdown to Devin McCuin of the Roadrunners put UTSA up 21-6 at half. An uneventful third quarter saw a singular field goal from Kennesaw State, and the fourth consisted of a touchdown from both sides. UTSA gave up five sacks to a much weaker Owls program, so a Texas State squad that collected seven sacks against Lamar could prove troublesome.
