1994 Texas - TCU
Texas improves to 3-0 after 34-18 road victory
Johnny Ludden
Daily Texan Staff
FORT WORTH -- Texas glanced at its past Saturday against Texas Christian
and saw a promising future.
Looking like some Texas teams of years past, the Longhorns used an
aggressive, attacking defense and a strong running game to convincingly
beat the Horned Frogs 34-18 and improve to 3-0 for the first time since
1985. Since the creation of the Cotton Bowl in 1937, Texas has started the
season 3-0 27 times and gone on to make it to a bowl game in all but seven
of the seasons.
Texas' 20th straight win in a Southwest Conference opener, however, was
dimmed by a knee injury to junior wide receiver Mike Adams. Adams, who
strained ligaments in his right knee when he was gang-tackled on a 6-yard
punt return late in the third quarter, will miss the Longhorns' biggest
test of the season Saturday when they face No. 5 Colorado in a nationally
televised game at 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.
Texas head coach John Mackovic said Sunday that Adams will have an MRI
(magnetic resonance image) done in the next couple of days to determine the
seriousness of the injury.
"Later in the week, we'll have a little better idea of whether it will
be two weeks, six weeks or eight weeks," Mackovic said.
The Longhorns, who moved up from No. 13 to 11th in the USA Today/CNN
coaches' poll, but slipped from 15th to No. 16 in the Associated Press
poll, showed few lapses from their off week.
Texas' offensive line, buoyed by the return of tackle Dominic Bustamante
and guard Corby Brooks from injuries, paved the path for Priest Holmes (107
yards, 22 carries) and Rodrick Walker (106 yards, 17 carries) to become
Texas' first 100-yard duo since Holmes and Adrian Walker broke the century
mark against Houston in 1992. Holmes also became the first Longhorn to rush
for 100 yards in three straight games since Jam Jones in 1980.
"Texas looked like a well-rested football team, and we looked like a
team that has played every week since the first of September," TCU head
coach Pat Sullivan said. "When you are bigger and stronger, as well as
being rested, like Texas was, it makes things tough."
The third-largest crowd (44,821) in Amon Carter Stadium history showed
up to witness Saturday's game. The Longhorns gave them a reason to go home
early.
Texas jumped out to a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter on a
24-yard touchdown pass from Shea Morenz to Lovell Pinkney and a pair of
1-yard scoring runs by Holmes.
"We should have blown TCU out in the second half. We had plenty of
opportunities," Texas left tackle Blake Brockermeyer said. "The scoreboard
didn't really indicate what the final score should have been."
Texas' defense held TCU tailback Andre Davis, who entered the game
averaging an SWC-high 149.7 yards, to just 38 yards rushing. The Longhorn
defensive front, led by end Tony Brackens, also pressured TCU quarterback
Max Knake into overthrowing his receivers all night. Knake, who completed
22 of 47 passes for 284 yards with one touchdown, had his string of 131
straight passes without an interception end in the fourth quarter when
Bryant Westbrook picked off his second interception of the year. Tremaine
Brown and Chris Carter also had interceptions in the final quarter.
"I think we proved we're a defense to be reckoned with," Texas defensive
end Thomas Baskin said. "But we're still going to have to improve for
Colorado.
"There's no question about it. If we don't, we're going to get hurt."
The Longhorns started their scoring when Morenz, who completed 16 of 28
passes for 169 yards and two TDs with no interceptions, hooked up with
Pinkney on a 24-yard out pattern in the right front corner of the end zone
with 4:14 left in the first quarter. Pinkney, playing in his first game of
the year, had to beat TCU defensive backs Manvel Hopes and Charles
McWilliams before hauling in the pass. The junior split end also set up the
scoring play when he turned a 10-yard catch on a crossing route into a
30-yard gain. He finished the game with four catches for 79 yards.
"We didn't match up well against the UT offense," TCU linebacker Chris
Piland said. "The defense missed assignments early on, and we let them get
out to a big lead."
TCU's Matt Moore muffed a pooch kick by Texas' Phil Dawson on the
ensuing kickoff, and Longhorn reserve cornerback Taje Allen recovered at
the Horned Frogs' 21-yard line.
TCU's Mikyha Martin was whistled for pass interference on Adams on the
next play to set up first and goal at the 5-yard line, and Holmes dove in
from 1 yard out three plays later to give Texas a 14-0 lead with 1:23 left
in the first quarter.
"[The kickoff recovery] may have been the biggest play," Mackovic said.
"It gave us a good opportunity, a good chance to score early."
Holmes also capped a 65-yard drive on Texas' next possession with a
1-yard score, giving Texas a commanding 21-0 advantage with 7:32 left in
the first half.
The Frogs trimmed the lead to 24-10 midway through the third quarter on
a 29-yard scoring pass-and-run from Knake to John Washington.
Texas, however, killed any TCU hopes of a comeback on its next
possession when Morenz, given plenty of time by his offensive line, rolled
out and found Eric Jackson wide open in the left of the end zone for a
16-yard scoring strike.
Dawson nailed a 42-yard field goal to go along with his previous
34-yarder with 2:44 remaining in the third quarter to put Texas up 34-10.
The Horned Frogs added a 1-yard TD run by fullback Koi Woods and a
two-point conversion by Davis late in the fourth quarter to account for the
final score.
The win helped rub out the memories of TCU's players dancing all over
the field and hanging on the goal posts after their 23-14 upset win over
Texas at Amon Carter two years ago.
"I heard about that all week," Texas linebacker Jason Reeves said. "I
don't see them dancing now."
Texas 34, TCU 18
TEXAS 14 10 10 0 --34
TCU 0 3 7 8 --18
Tex -- Pinkney 24 pass from Morenz (Dawson kick)
Tex -- Holmes 1 run (Dawson kick)
Tex -- Holmes 1 run (Dawson kick)
TCU -- FG Reeder 34
Tex -- FG Dawson 34
TCU -- Washington 29 pass from Knake (Reeder kick)
Tex -- E. Jackson 16 pass from Morenz (Dawson kick)
Tex -- FG Dawson 42
TCU -- Woods 1 run (Davis run)
A -- 44,821
Tex TCU
First downs 22 14
Rushes-yards 55-196 22-54
Passing 169 284
Return Yards 131 83
Comp-Att-Int 16-28-0 22-47-3
Punts 6-39 6-44
Fumbles-Lost 3-3 0-0
Penalties-Yards 12-108 9-93
Time of Posession 35:18 24:42
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Texas: Holmes 22-107, Walker 17-106, Kemp 4-10, Coleman 3-4,
Morenz 6- -10, Brown 3- -21. TCU: Davis 15-38, Woods 6-16, Cullors 1-0.
Passing -- Texas: Morenz 16-28-169. TCU: Knake 22-47-284.
Receiving -- Texas: Pinkney 4-79, E. Jackson 2-32, Kemp 2-19, C. Jackson
2-14, Bradley 2-12, Lucas 2-10, Walker 1-2, Harrison 1-1. TCU: Woods 7-85,
Brasfield 4-53, Davis 4-25, Washington 3-103, Tucker 2-15, Collins 2-3.