Scoop27
10-10-2013, 09:24 AM
By Mark Rosner - American-Statesman Staff
The Longhorns had just minimized the damage after Iowa State drove inside their 5-yard line, holding the Cyclones to a field goal with less than four minutes remaining last week.
Texas, down 30-24, had a chance to avoid a defeat that might’ve elevated the stock prices of moving companies at a time when Mack Brown tries to hang on to his job. As the Longhorns gathered for one last possession, Case McCoy walked into the huddle with a look that belied his modest accomplishments over the years.
Related Photo
Backup quarterback Case McCoy (6) will make his ninth career start Saturday against Oklahoma, replacing David Ash, who continues to be slowed by concussion symptoms. McCoy has played in two past Red River Rivalry games.
“Case just has this grin on his face,” recalled Mason Walters, the right guard.
Then, McCoy led the Longhorns on 20-play, 75-yard drive to the winning touchdown, finishing it off himself with a 1-yard touchdown sneak on third-and-goal, enabling the Longhorns slip out of Ames with a 31-30 victory.
“He’s confident in what he does,” Walters said. “He has moxie. People feed off him.”
Related Links
Longhorns notebook: Horns will have Johnson field punts
McCoy might be a mere 4-4 as a starter at Texas, but he has directed a winning touchdown drive on the Longhorns’ final possession in each of his last three seasons — at Texas A&M (27-25, in 2011), at Kansas (21-17) last year and at Iowa State last week.
The Longhorns are banking that McCoy, who will make his third start this season Saturday against Oklahoma, will make the memories of those games work for him as he takes on a bigger task, replacing David Ash in the Red River Rivalry game against the 12th-ranked undefeated Sooners.
“I think Case will feed off the fact that he went into A&M and beat A&M the last time we played,” head coach Mack Brown said. “I think his last drive the other night helps that. He’ll take a lot of confidence out of that game.”
Perhaps, but the circumstances of those other games were different than what he’ll face Saturday. A&M finished 7-6 in 2011 and ended up firing its coach, Mike Sherman. Kansas ended up 1-11 last season. Iowa State is 1-3 now.
Oklahoma ranks sixth nationally in scoring defense and ninth in yards allowed.
McCoy and Oklahoma have a history. The Longhorns have lost three straight to Oklahoma, the last two by 55-17 and 63-21 scores. McCoy, alternating with Ash in 2011, was sacked three times, twice losing fumbles. Last year, McCoy played at the end of a blowout, throwing two touchdown passes in the final five minutes.
McCoy must excel at more than last-minute drives or mop-up duty for the Longhorns to be competitive against Oklahoma. Still, if nothing else, he’s unlikely to exhibit fear of the Sooners.
“He has what you call the ‘it factor,’” Longhorns wide receiver Mike Davis said. “He’s gonna make plays. And he’s a leader.”
On the other hand, McCoy lacks a strong arm, flings the ball side-armed, and has taken risks as if he were channeling Brett Favre.
Indeed, turnovers have ruined some of McCoy’s best statistical games.
Against Baylor in 2011, he completed 24 of 39 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns. But he also was intercepted four times, and the Longhorns lost, 48-24.
Last year at Kansas State, McCoy was 26 of 34 – connecting on 17 in a row at one point – for 314 yards. But he was picked off twice, both returned inside the Longhorns’ 10-yard line that set up Wildcats touchdowns. Kansas State won, 42-24.
This season McCoy has completed 62 of 102 without an interception. Brown said McCoy learned from those damaging mistakes in 2011 and 2012.
“We’ve told him, ‘You need to manage the game. You can’t continue to turn the ball over and win.’” Brown said. “He’s done a good job protecting the ball.”
Major Applewhite, the Longhorns’ co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, said McCoy doesn’t take the same risks he once did.
It’s a matter of “understanding when to take his chances, where’s the best place for this ball,” Applewhite said. “If I’m going to take a shot with it, where do I need to put it?”
McCoy doesn’t always make the proper decision. Presented at Iowa State with plays that allowed him the option to pass or hand the ball to one of his backs, McCoy too often chose the former.
Brown defended those choices after the game, but altered his stance after watching tape.
Iowa State put more defenders at the line of scrimmage after Johnathan Gray’s 45-yard touchdown run early in the game, but still …
“We still have to be able to block people and run when they put too many people in the box,” Brown said. “We’ve had a little talk with (McCoy). No question that it is a RUN-pass option.”
McCoy’s older brother, Colt, was on teams that beat Oklahoma three of his four seasons as Texas’ starting quarterback from 2006-09. Case hopes to defeat the Sooners on Saturday for the first time. He regards it as a legacy game for him.
“I’d lie if I said it wasn’t,” McCoy said. “This could be the game I remember the rest of my life.”
RED RIVER RIVALRY
Texas vs. 12-Oklahoma, 11 a.m. Saturday, Cotton Bowl, ABC, 1300, 98.1
A CASE HISTORY
Case McCoy, who’ll make his ninth career start on Saturday, has played in two career Red River Rivalry matchups with Oklahoma:
2011: Alternating with David Ash, McCoy was 9 of 16 for 116 yards. He was sacked three times and lost two fumbles in a 55-17 Sooners victory.
2012: Replacing Ash late, McCoy was 5 of 8 for 102 yards, throwing TDs to Mike Davis and John Harris in the final five minutes of OU’s 63-21 win.
The Longhorns had just minimized the damage after Iowa State drove inside their 5-yard line, holding the Cyclones to a field goal with less than four minutes remaining last week.
Texas, down 30-24, had a chance to avoid a defeat that might’ve elevated the stock prices of moving companies at a time when Mack Brown tries to hang on to his job. As the Longhorns gathered for one last possession, Case McCoy walked into the huddle with a look that belied his modest accomplishments over the years.
Related Photo
Backup quarterback Case McCoy (6) will make his ninth career start Saturday against Oklahoma, replacing David Ash, who continues to be slowed by concussion symptoms. McCoy has played in two past Red River Rivalry games.
“Case just has this grin on his face,” recalled Mason Walters, the right guard.
Then, McCoy led the Longhorns on 20-play, 75-yard drive to the winning touchdown, finishing it off himself with a 1-yard touchdown sneak on third-and-goal, enabling the Longhorns slip out of Ames with a 31-30 victory.
“He’s confident in what he does,” Walters said. “He has moxie. People feed off him.”
Related Links
Longhorns notebook: Horns will have Johnson field punts
McCoy might be a mere 4-4 as a starter at Texas, but he has directed a winning touchdown drive on the Longhorns’ final possession in each of his last three seasons — at Texas A&M (27-25, in 2011), at Kansas (21-17) last year and at Iowa State last week.
The Longhorns are banking that McCoy, who will make his third start this season Saturday against Oklahoma, will make the memories of those games work for him as he takes on a bigger task, replacing David Ash in the Red River Rivalry game against the 12th-ranked undefeated Sooners.
“I think Case will feed off the fact that he went into A&M and beat A&M the last time we played,” head coach Mack Brown said. “I think his last drive the other night helps that. He’ll take a lot of confidence out of that game.”
Perhaps, but the circumstances of those other games were different than what he’ll face Saturday. A&M finished 7-6 in 2011 and ended up firing its coach, Mike Sherman. Kansas ended up 1-11 last season. Iowa State is 1-3 now.
Oklahoma ranks sixth nationally in scoring defense and ninth in yards allowed.
McCoy and Oklahoma have a history. The Longhorns have lost three straight to Oklahoma, the last two by 55-17 and 63-21 scores. McCoy, alternating with Ash in 2011, was sacked three times, twice losing fumbles. Last year, McCoy played at the end of a blowout, throwing two touchdown passes in the final five minutes.
McCoy must excel at more than last-minute drives or mop-up duty for the Longhorns to be competitive against Oklahoma. Still, if nothing else, he’s unlikely to exhibit fear of the Sooners.
“He has what you call the ‘it factor,’” Longhorns wide receiver Mike Davis said. “He’s gonna make plays. And he’s a leader.”
On the other hand, McCoy lacks a strong arm, flings the ball side-armed, and has taken risks as if he were channeling Brett Favre.
Indeed, turnovers have ruined some of McCoy’s best statistical games.
Against Baylor in 2011, he completed 24 of 39 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns. But he also was intercepted four times, and the Longhorns lost, 48-24.
Last year at Kansas State, McCoy was 26 of 34 – connecting on 17 in a row at one point – for 314 yards. But he was picked off twice, both returned inside the Longhorns’ 10-yard line that set up Wildcats touchdowns. Kansas State won, 42-24.
This season McCoy has completed 62 of 102 without an interception. Brown said McCoy learned from those damaging mistakes in 2011 and 2012.
“We’ve told him, ‘You need to manage the game. You can’t continue to turn the ball over and win.’” Brown said. “He’s done a good job protecting the ball.”
Major Applewhite, the Longhorns’ co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, said McCoy doesn’t take the same risks he once did.
It’s a matter of “understanding when to take his chances, where’s the best place for this ball,” Applewhite said. “If I’m going to take a shot with it, where do I need to put it?”
McCoy doesn’t always make the proper decision. Presented at Iowa State with plays that allowed him the option to pass or hand the ball to one of his backs, McCoy too often chose the former.
Brown defended those choices after the game, but altered his stance after watching tape.
Iowa State put more defenders at the line of scrimmage after Johnathan Gray’s 45-yard touchdown run early in the game, but still …
“We still have to be able to block people and run when they put too many people in the box,” Brown said. “We’ve had a little talk with (McCoy). No question that it is a RUN-pass option.”
McCoy’s older brother, Colt, was on teams that beat Oklahoma three of his four seasons as Texas’ starting quarterback from 2006-09. Case hopes to defeat the Sooners on Saturday for the first time. He regards it as a legacy game for him.
“I’d lie if I said it wasn’t,” McCoy said. “This could be the game I remember the rest of my life.”
RED RIVER RIVALRY
Texas vs. 12-Oklahoma, 11 a.m. Saturday, Cotton Bowl, ABC, 1300, 98.1
A CASE HISTORY
Case McCoy, who’ll make his ninth career start on Saturday, has played in two career Red River Rivalry matchups with Oklahoma:
2011: Alternating with David Ash, McCoy was 9 of 16 for 116 yards. He was sacked three times and lost two fumbles in a 55-17 Sooners victory.
2012: Replacing Ash late, McCoy was 5 of 8 for 102 yards, throwing TDs to Mike Davis and John Harris in the final five minutes of OU’s 63-21 win.