User:Johntex/Sandbox4

The 2007 Texas Longhorn football team (variously "Texas" or "UT" or the "Horns") represented The University of Texas at Austin in the college football season of 2007–2008. The team was coached by head football coach Mack Brown, who received the 2005 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award for "Coach of the Year".[1] The Longhorns play their home games in Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (DKR), which during 2006–2008 is undergoing some renovations to improve older sections as well as to add extra seating capacity.[2]

The Longhorns entered the 2007 season ranked third in the all-time list of both total wins and winning percentage.[3] A 2007 pre-season ranking by ESPN writer Mark Schlabach had the Longhorns ranked eighth,[4] while College Football News had Texas ranked third.[5] The Longhorns came into the season ranked fourth in both the Coaches Poll[6] and AP Poll.[7]

During the summer leading into the season; five players were disciplined for legal infractions, another was suspended for NCAA rule violations, and a coach underwent surgery for cancer.[8] Additional player suspensions happened during the season.[9] The Longhorns’ scheduled games against two opponents they had never faced previously: Arkansas State University and University of Central Florida (UCF). [10] The Longhorns narrowly achieved a victory in their home opener with Arkansas State.[11][12][13] For their first road game of the season, the Longhorns were the inaugural opponent for the UCF Knights in their new stadium.[14] Games against Texas Christian University (TCU) and Oklahoma (OU) were anticipated as ranking in the top 20 games to watch during the season.[15] The Longhorns lost conference games to the Kansas State Wildcats,[16] the Oklahoma Sooners,[17] and the Texas Aggies.[18] They hung on to avoid upset attempts by lower-ranked Nebraska and Oklahoma State, the latter-game involving a 28-point fourth quarter comeback by the Horns.[19] UT concluded their season with a 10–3 record by winning the 2007 Holiday Bowl against the Arizona State Sun Devils, another first-time opponent for Texas.[20] The Horns finished the season ranked tenth in the AP poll[21] and in the USA Today coaches poll.[22]

Before the 2007 season Mack Brown became the head coach of the Texas Longhorns for the 1998 season.[23] Through 2006, he had a win/loss record of 93–22 and the best winning percentage (80.9%) of any football coach in Longhorn history. The 2004 team had the first Bowl Championship Series win for any Texas team[24] and the 2005 team won the National Championship (the fourth for the UT football program).[25] The 2006 team had 9 wins and 1 loss through 2006 November 4 but starting quarterback Colt McCoy was injured in the 11th game and Texas lost the final two regular season games in 2006, including a 12–7 home loss to division rivals Texas A&M.[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] This took the team out of contention for the conference championship,[34] as well as the national championship.[26][35]

Between the 2006 regular season and the bowl season, back-up quarterback Jevan Snead transferred to another school,[36] and Longhorn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik accepted the head-coaching job at Iowa State University.[37] The Longhorns ended up accepting a bowl invitation to the Alamo Bowl against the unranked University of Iowa Hawkeyes, who had finished in eighth place in the Big Ten Conference.[38] Colt McCoy was cleared to play for the Horns[39] and led Texas through a back-and-forth affair to a 26–24 win.[40] The attendance for the 2006 Alamo Bowl was 65,875, which established a new record for the most people to gather in San Antonio to view a sporting event.[40][41] The Longhorns finished the season with a record of 10 wins to 3 losses and received a final-ranking of 13th in the nation by both the Associated Press AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll[42]

Texas entered the 2007 season ranked third in the all-time list of both total wins and winning percentage.[3] They were ranked in the Top 10 by numerous pre-season polls. For instance, a pre-season ranking by ESPN writer Mark Schlabach had the Longhorns ranked eighth;[43] Rivals.com ranked them ninth;[44] College Football News[45] and Real Football 365[46] both ranked Texas third. The Longhorns came into the season ranked fourth in both the Coaches Poll[6] and AP Poll.[7]

Facilities and equipment Following the final home game of 2006, construction workers demolished the north end of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. This section was rebuilt to make the lowest seats closer to the field while planning for luxury boxes and an upper-deck.[47] The lower deck was ready for 2007, while the upper deck and luxury boxes are planned to be ready for 2008.[47] The modifications put the north end zone seats thirty yards closer to the field of play. This results in several game day changes, such as Smokey the Cannon moving to the south end-zone near Bevo.[48] The Longhorn football helmets for 2007 featured a decal of a Texas bluebonnet. The flower was chosen to honor President Lyndon B. Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson and the Johnson family. Brown said that President Johnson used to enjoy discussing football with former UT coach Darrell K. Royal, while the first lady was known for her conservation efforts, particularly the spread of native wildflowers.[49] For the second straight year, UT merchandise products were the top-selling products among clients of Collegiate Licensing Company.[50] UT entered into a marketing arrangement with Bluetooth SIG to deploy Bluetooth kiosks throughout the stadium. These kiosks broadcasted free game-day information to Bluetooth-enabled cell-phones in the stands.[51]

Practices and pre-season injuries The Longhorns played their 2007 Spring Jamboree Scrimmage on 2007 March 31[52] and reported for fall practice on 2007 August 5.[53] A public scrimmage scheduled for 2007 August 18 was canceled due to safety concerns related to the weather and to ongoing stadium construction. With rain expected over the weekend and no working pumps to help remove water from the field, Brown held a closed practice indoors instead.[54] During fall practices receivers Limas Sweed, Billy Pittman, and Jordan Shipley received injuries. Sweed suffered a sprain to his left wrist on 2007 August 15.[55] Pittman sprained his left shoulder during practice on 2007 August 17. Head UT trainer Kenny Boyd said, "We will continue to evaluate [Pittman] and monitor his progress in hopes of getting him back in time for the season opener."[56] Jordan Shipley had to limit his practice due to a strained hamstring. The receiver position was considered one of the deepest positions on the team; coaches said veteran players Quan Cosby (Texas' second-leading receiver) and Nate Jones performed well in training camp. Coach Brown said that he expected to be able to play three freshman receivers in 2007: Brandon Collins, Malcolm Williams and James Kirkendoll.[56] On 2006 August 29 Brown announced that Sweed was "probable"[57] for the season opening game, but that Shipley was "doubtful".[57]

Coaches The University of Texas Board of Regents voted unanimously to raise Brown's salary by $300,000, bringing his annual compensation to $2.81 million and keeping him among the five highest paid coaches in the sport. The package also includes up to $3 million in bonuses, including "$100,000 if he wins the Big 12 Championship and $450,000 for a national championship, as well as bonuses based on the percent of players who graduate."[58] At the time, Brown's contract extended through the 2016 season and included buy-out clauses should another school attempt to hire Brown.[58]

Greg Davis was the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach; Davis was in his tenth season at Texas.[59] Duane Akina was the defensive coordinator, taking the position vacated by Gene Chizik when he left the program. Akina performs his job on the sidelines while Larry Mac Duff provided input from the press box.[60] UT running backs coach Ken Rucker announced in August that he had prostate cancer and that he would have surgery 2007 August 27. He coached until just prior to surgery and returned to the team before the end of the season.[61] Rucker's health concern coincided with player incidents that created Brown's most tumultuous off-season since arriving at Texas.[62]

Player suspensions The school suspended a total of seven players for at least a portion of the season. Six were suspended for alleged illegal activities, and one for a violation of National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) rules. Defensive end Henry Melton and linebacker Sergio Kindle were both arrested during the summer on charges of driving while intoxicated.[63][53][61] Freshman defensive tackle Andre (Dre) Jones (who had not yet played for Texas but did join spring practices) and former UT player Robert Joseph were charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Jones was one of the team's most highly touted recruits; his high school football career honors included Prep All-American, three-time all-state selection, first-team All-American by Parade Magazine, and Texas 4A Defensive Player of the Year by the Texas Sports Writers Association[63][53][64][65] The University suspended Tyrell Gatewood indefinitely after he was arrested on two drug possession charges.[66][67] James Henry was arrested on third-degree felony charges of "obstruction or retaliation and tampering or fabricating physical evidence."[68][69][70][71][72]

The University of Texas suspended Billy Pittman for three games because he violated NCAA rules when he accepted the use of a friend's car over the summer.[73] Coach Brown[62] and University of Texas President William Charles Powers Jr. issued statements concerning the important of team discipline and zero tolerance policy for infractions.[9]

Recruiting Texas’ 2007 recruiting class was rated by Scout.com as third-best in the nation, behind Florida and USC. [92] Of their picks for the top 100 incoming freshman, Texas signed #8 Tray Allan (Offensive Lineman), #14 Curtis Brown (Cornerback), #30 Andre (Dre) Jones (Defensive Tackle), #31 John Chiles (Wide Receiver), and #81 Russell Carter (Defensive End).[93] Carter made the pre-season roster as a Defensive End while Chiles was listed as a quarterback.[94] Jones was suspended from the team due to legal trouble.[63][53][64][65]

Game notes Arkansas State The game marked the first meeting between Texas and Arkansas State,[10] a NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision team from the Sun Belt Conference. Pre-game media attention played upon the fact that both schools won national football championships in 1970. At that time, Arkansas State played in the NCAA small college football division as a member of the Southland Conference.[95] The 1970 Indians defeated Central Missouri State University in the Pecan Bowl, held in Arlington, Texas to complete an undefeated season, 11–0.[96] UT also won the 1970 championship in NCAA large college division.[97] UT's next national championship came in 2005, a year that Arkansas State finished the regular season as Sun Belt Conference champions with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses. Arkansas State went to the New Orleans Bowl and lost to The University of Southern Mississippi. The game was played in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina.[98] It was Arkansas State's first bowl invitation since the trip to the 1970 Pecan Bowl and the Indians did not get invited to a Bowl Game in 2006.[99]

Both schools entered the game with a level of controversy attached to their teams. Arkansas State was facing criticism over their team name. They were nicknamed "Indians" in honor of the Osage Nation that inhabited the area until the 1800s. The NCAA enforced restrictions on the use of Indian mascots, saying that they were derogatory to American Indians.[100][101] In 2008, the Indians changed their name to the Red Wolves.[102][103]The University of Texas was dealing with player suspensions, and also passed a large pay raise for Mack Brown one week prior to the game. As part of the package, Brown received a $100,000 special payment on the completion of the game. The Austin American Statesman anticipated this would equate to $854 per play.[104]

Two days prior to the game, Las Vegas casinos favored Texas by 39 points.[105] Sportswriters John Bridges and Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman predicted that the Longhorns would have a big lead early in the game and that true-freshman quarterback John Chiles would enter the game in the second or third quarter as the back-up to Colt McCoy. Red-shirt freshman quarterback Sherrod Harris was on the injured list so he was not expected play.[106] Those predictions were off the mark as the Indians almost kept up with the Horns and McCoy stayed in for the entire game.[11]

Texas scored a touchdown on their first possession and Arkansas State answered with a field goal. Texas made another touchdown to end the first quarter. Neither team scored in the second quarter. Texas scored seven points in the third quarter while Arkansas State was scoreless. In the fourth quarter, Arkansas State scored ten points to pull within eight points of Texas. With approximately one minute left to play, Arkansas State attempted an onside kick. They recovered the ball, but a controversial illegal formation penalty forced them to re-kick. On the re-kick, Texas recovered the ball and was able to run out the clock to preserve a 21–13 win. Colt McCoy threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions; he also made two punts. Jamaal Charles accounted for the third touchdown.[12]

Starting defensive end Brian Orakpo injured his right knee during the game. According to Scout.com, replays of the injury showed Orakpo was a "was the victim of an apparent chop-block."[107] Officials did not call a penalty on the play.[108] The team reported that Orakpo would not need surgery but that it was uncertain when he would return.[109]

Kirk Bohls was among the commentators who was unimpressed by the Longhorns performance; he said "if this becomes the pattern, look for a 7–5 season."[13] Earlier in the day, Appalachian State won an historically significant upset victory over Michigan.[110] Bohls alluded to that victory in saying, "Here's pretty much the extent of the good news: thank goodness Texas wasn't playing somebody really good like Appalachian State."[13]

On 2007 September 5, Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts said he was told by the Big 12 Conference's supervisor of football officials that game officials wrongly overturned ASU's recovery of the onside kick. He said the Big 12 Conference Supervisor of Officials told Arkansas State that there had been no illegal formation, that no penalty should have been called, and that Arkansas State should have been awarded possession of the football. A Big 12 Conference spokesman said he could not confirm or deny that such a conversation took place and that any such conversation would be confidential.[111]

TCU This was the first meeting for the former Southwest Conference (SWC) rivals since the conference disbanded following the 1995 season.[112][10] Texas held a 60–20–1 (win-lose-tie) record vs. the TCU Horned Frogs.[10] Their most recent meeting had been a 27–19 Longhorn victory.[113] Since the Southwest Conference broke up, TCU had won 4 conference titles: two in the Western Athletic Conference (1999 & 2000), one in Conference USA (2002), and one in the Mountain West Conference (2005).[114]

In their annual season preview magazine, CBS SportsLine.com selected two Longhorn games (the other was the game against OU) as ranking in their 17 “must see” games for 2007. In choosing this game, the writers observed, “TCU’s biggest game of the [2007] season. Remember what they did to Oklahoma a few years ago?” [15] They also selected TCU as one of the potential “BCS Busters” for 2007, saying, “The Horned Frogs will have one of the best defenses in the nation with nine starters back on a squad that allowed only 12.3 points per game last year, including a 12–3 victory over Texas Tech. Garry Patterson has made the Horned Frogs one of the best non-BCS schools in the nation, but unlike Utah and Boise State, they had not received the opportunity to play in a Bowl Championship Series bowl. If TCU can get past Texas on Sept. 8, it might finally be time for the Horned Frogs to invade the BCS party.” [115]

Texas' narrow win versus Arkansas State in week one, together with TCU's victory over Big12 Baylor, fueled even more speculation that the 2007 Horned Frogs might have a chance at an upset victory over the Longhorns.[13][116] Texas dropped three places to number seven in the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, while TCU moved up three places to number nineteen.[117][118] One day prior to the game, Las Vegas casinos picked Texas to win by 9½ points.[119]

Both teams were scoreless in the first quarter. In the second quarter, TCU's Torrey Stewart faked a blitz, then dropped back and caught an interception from Colt McCoy. Stewart ran in for a touchdown near a large section of TCU fans. Later in the quarter, McCoy threw a pass that was tipped by a defender and then intercepted by David Roach. The Longhorn defense kept the Horned Frogs out of the end zone but the Frogs scored on Chris Manfredini's 19-yard field goal. The first half ended with TCU leading 10–0.[120] The Longhorns first second-half drive culminated in a 33-yard touchdown pass to Nate Jones. TCU's fumble gave Texas good field position but the Longhorns were stopped on the two-yard line and settled for a game-tying field goal. The Horns held TCU to seventeen yards of offense and no first downs in the quarter.[120]

In the fourth quarter, Colt McCoy set up the go-ahead score with a scramble to the TCU one-yard line. Vondrell McGee scored a touchdown two plays later. Texas' next possession resulted in a second field goal by Ryan Bailey. The Longhorn defense held TCU to three-and-out but TCU's punter fumbled the ball and Brandon Foster ran the ball in for a touchdown to make 27 straight points for Texas. The Frogs came back and scored 37-yard field goal by Manfredini and then attempted an onsides kick but Texas recovered the ball. UT's Jamaal Charles made a 39-yard rushing touchdown for the game's final score. Texas won 34–13.[120] The attendance for the game, 84,621, was the third-largest crowd ever to watch a TCU football game.[75]

UCF This was the first meeting between the Longhorns and the UCF Knights.[10] The team had been known as the "Golden Knights"; on 2007 April 12, UCF announced that "Golden" would be dropped from the nickname, and a new logo was unveiled 2007 June 14.[121] Texas was the first opponent in the Knights new stadium, Bright House Networks Stadium,[14][122] and the game was the first of three scheduled meetings between the schools.[14] The Knights opened their season with an upset of North Carolina State; the victory was their second victory over a BCS opponent and the first time for the Knights to beat a BCS school since 2000. They followed the win with a week off, giving them two weeks to prepare for Texas.[123] It was the sixth time for the Longhorns to play in Florida and their first appearance in the sunshine state since 1965. The number six-ranked Longhorns were the highest rank team the Knights had ever played. UCF coach George O'Leary said prior to the game, "When you talk about elite teams, Texas is an elite team from an athletics, traditions and overall standpoint."[122]

Several Longhorn players missed the game due to injuries or suspensions. Starting defensive end Brian Orakpo missed his second straight game as a result of suffering a knee sprain against Arkansas State. Starting offensive tackle Adam Ulatoski was listed as doubtful. Backup quarterback Sherrod Harris was also injured and had not seen action since spraining his knee on 2007 August 12. Wide receiver Jordan Shipley was upgraded to probable for play[124] and was in the game.[125] Defensive end Henry Melton, linebacker Sergio Kindle and receiver Billy Pittman were serving the last game of three-game suspensions.[73] On 2007 September 13 Tyrell Gatewood joined Andre Jones and Robert Joseph in receiving an indefinite suspension due to alleged illegal activities.[67][63][53][64][65]

The weather forecast called for a chance of thunderstorms and a 91 °F (33 °C) temperatures[124] to greet the sell-out crowd.[126] The day prior to the game, sports books in Las Vegas picked Texas to win by 18 points.[127] The UT team was delayed in getting to Orlando because of mechanical issues first with their charter plane and then with their buses; as a result the team did not get a full walk-through of the stadium.[128]

UCF received the opening kick-off in their end-zone and took a touchback.[129] The ESPN announcers thought the player might have crossed out of the end zone, but the play was not reviewed.[130] UCF was not able to get a first down and they punted the ball to Texas. The Horns drove inside the UCF 20-yard line before being stopped on fourth-and-short. Texas elected to fake a field goal and made the first down.[129][130][131] Time had apparently expired off the play clock, but no delay of game penalty was called.[130] Texas was not able to score the touchdown and they settled for a field goal. On their second possession, the Knights drove the ball for a touchdown and a four point lead.[129][130][131] Shortly thereafter, lightning was spotted near the stadium and both teams were sent into their locker rooms.[130] Play resumed after approximately fifteen minutes;[130][132] had the game been cancelled, NCAA rules require at least three quarters to be played in order for a game to be official.[133] Texas' drive culminated in a six-yard touchdown pass to Nate Jones. When the first quarter ended the Longhorns had a three point lead and the Knights had the ball. In the second quarter, the Longhorns and the Knights each fumbled inside the UCF ten-yard line. Texas scored ten points in the quarter to UCF's three. The score at half-time was 20–10 Texas.[129][130][131] Texas began the scoring in the third quarter with a 49-yard field goal. UCF needed just five plays to reply with a touchdown and cut Texas' lead to 23–17. After two punts by the Horns and one by the Knights, UCF turned the ball over on downs. On the next play, McCoy threw an interception and UCF's drive culminated in a touchdown to give the Knights a 24–23 lead with 13:38 left in the game. The Longhorns scored two field goals and a touchdown to regain the lead. The Longhorns attempt at a two-point conversion failed, making the score 35–24.[129][130][131] This decision was later criticized by commentators who said that the decision allowed UCF a chance to tie the game.[134][135] According to a probability model, a team should only try for two points in that situation if they believe they have at least an 85-90% of success.[136] With 2:14 remaining, Longhorn Jamaal Charles committed his second fumble of the game. UCF recovered the ball and completed a touchdown and a two-point conversion to cut Texas' lead to 35–32 with 35 seconds remaining. When the Knights were unable to recover their onsides kick attempt, Texas was able to run out the clock and preserve their three-point victory.[129][130][131] Jamaal Charles of Texas rushed 22 times for 157 yards and Kevin Smith of UCF rushed 27 times for 150 yards for UCF. McCoy completed 68% of his passes for a total of 227 yards; UCF's Kyle Israel completed 35% of his passes for a total of 133 yards. Texas ran 47 passing plays and 43 rushing plays to UCF's 26 plays passing and 41 rushing attempts.[125] Sportswriter Fred Goodall quipped, "Thanks to Central Florida, it may be a while before Texas accepts another offer to open someone's new stadium."[76] McCoy's 47 passing attempts tied a UT single-game record. His 32 completions set a new school record, besting the 30 completed by Vince Young during the 2006 Rose Bowl and by Major Applewhite during two 1999 games.[137] UT cornerback Brandon Foster was named the Big 12’s defensive player of the week. For the second week in a row, Foster scored a touchdown on defense. Foster was recognized by the conference the previous week for his special teams work, making him the first Longhorn to get back-to-back conference honors since running back Hodges Mitchell in 2000.[138]

Kicker Ryan Bailey tied a school record with five field goals tying a school record. That made him seven-of-nine for the season-to-date. UT relied more on the kicking game than the year before; during the 2006 season, the Longhorns did not attempt their ninth field goal until the tenth game. Greg Davis remarked, "I appreciate Ryan Bailey, but I don't like him to score 17 points."[139]

Rice Prior to the 2007 season, Texas and Rice had competed in football on 89 prior occasions. The series, which began in 1914, is the fourth oldest (by number of games) in Texas history.[140] The two schools were once conference foes in the Southwest Conference[112][141] and the rivalry has continued despite the usual mismatch in ability on the field (66 Texas wins vs. 21 wins for Rice, with one tie).[10] This was alluded to by President John F. Kennedy when he compared the challenge of going to the moon to the challenge faced when the Rice Owls played Texas.[142] Rice coach David Bailiff hopes to use this speech to motivate his team. The coach distributed wristbands bearing the letters "BIH". The letters stand for the phrase "Because it's hard". Bailiff explains that Rice plays Texas for the same reason he intends to build Rice's expectations of winning. "Because it's hard," he says, "It is hard here. But it's not impossible."[143] Over the 45 years since Kennedy made his speech, the Owls are 2–42–1 against Texas.[113] This includes the sixth longest streak of one college football team winning over another team.[144]

In addition to continuing a traditional rivalry, playing Rice in a "home and away" series allows for Texas to play games in Houston, Texas, a city that is an important recruiting base for UT,[145] along with having a significant Texas Exes alumni population.[146] Texas won the 2006 game, 52–7.[113]

After their narrow victory over the UCF Knights, the Longhorns remained in sixth place in the coaches’ poll and dropped from sixth place to seventh place in the Associated Press poll. Jeff Sagarin, whose computer rankings are used as a component of the BCS rankings, had the Longhorns at number twelve coming into this game. Sagarin's system had Rice ranked as the worst team in Division I-A and 181st in the country behind many I-AA teams.[147] Four days prior to the game, Las Vegas favored UT by 39 points.[148] The Longhorns suspended James Henry prior to the game[71] and three Longhorn players, Billy Pittman, Henry Melton, and Sergio Kindle, were able to rejoin the team after serving three game suspensions. Brian Orakpo missed his third straight game due to an injury received in the opener.[139] The Rice Owls came into the game 0–3 after losing the previous week to Texas Tech by a score of 59–24.[149]

The Longhorns started the game on offense and had no success on their first drive; on the first play Colt McCoy threw an incompletion and on the second play Jamaal Charles fumbled the ball to the Owls. The Texas defense held Rice to a field goal attempt, which was no good. Texas scored a touchdown on a 13-play drive which included converting a 4th-and-two situation.[150] The Longhorns extended their lead to 41–0 before Rice scored a touchdown with 18 seconds left in the first half.[151] In the second half, Texas scored two touchdowns and one field goal and Rice scored one touchdown. Texas won 58–14.[77]

McCoy completed 20 of his 29 passing attempts, accumulating 333 yards through the air.[150] For the first time in the season, he did not throw an interception.[152] McCoy and most of the Longhorn starting players were replaced by backups after the first drive of the second half.[150] True freshman quarterback John Chiles made his first college appearance in the first quarter. He came onto the field beside McCoy and then McCoy trotted out to a slot receiver position. Chiles never looked to pass; he ran up the middle for no gain. He came out of the game after that play and came back in the third quarter as McCoy's replacement. On that drive, Chiles lined up in the zone read offense and led the Longhorns 80 yards to a touchdown, carrying the ball 4 times for 49 yards.[153] He also threw one incomplete pass (one of two he threw in the game) and handed off to Vondrell McGee three times for thirty-one yards.[150] Redshirt freshman Sherrod Harris came in to replace Chiles for the final two drives of the game.[150] Chiles' strong performance immediately led to media speculation as to how the Longhorns can get him more playing time.[152][154]

McGee was the game's leading rusher with 8 carries for 80 yards. Jamaal Charles rushed 14 times for 72 yards and John Chiles ran 9 times for 72 yards.[77] Limas Sweed was the leading receiver with 5 catches for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns[77] as he set a new career high for receiving yards.[155][156] Sergio Kindle injured his knee and defensive end Eddie Jones injured his shoulder, but neither injury was thought to be serious.[157]

The Marching Owl Band, a scatter band known for satirizing opposing schools, used their half-time performance to poke fun at the legal woes facing some UT players. The band, wearing dark sunglasses, opened with the theme from Dragnet. Three members dressed as Longhorn football players ran around the field being chased by other band members carrying cardboard police cars. The Rice announcer narrated: "In the two years since the MOB last visited Austin, your team's demeanor — and misdemeanor — has changed. Buy a program at today's game. It includes Mack Brown's wrist-slap Top 10 and a photo guide to the next episode of 'America's Most Wanted."[158][159]

Kansas State Texas first played Kansas State in 1913 and held a record of 5–4–0 in the series prior to 2007.[10] Since the Kansas State Wildcats belong to the north division of the Big 12 Conference, Texas plays KSU two out of every four years.[160] In the 2006 meeting, #4 ranked Texas was favored by 16 points over an unranked Kansas State team;[161] Colt McCoy was injured early in the game and KSU went on to defeat Texas 45–42.[162] This defeat snapped the Longhorns 17 win streak on the road as well as the national-best 21-game conference winning steak.[26] Texas dropped in the AP Poll from #4 to #11 and from #5 to #13 in the BCS rankings.[163] Since the inception of the BCS in 1998, no team has entered the championship game with more than one loss,[164] so Texas' chances of repeating as national champions were considered eliminated after taking this second loss on the season.[26][35] The 2006 game also has the distinction of being the most points ever scored by a UT team in a losing effort.[113]

One day prior to the 2007 game, Las Vegas casinos picked Texas to win by 15 points.[165] Kansas State got the ball to start the game and scored a touchdown on their opening drive. Texas answered with a touchdown on a drive that featured John Chiles in alongside Colt McCoy for some of the plays. The first quarter ended with the score tied 7–7.[166]

In the second quarter, Kansas State took a 24–14 lead[166] and Colt McCoy was injured and headed to the locker room just before the end of the half. McCoy came back as the Longhorn quarterback at the start of the third quarter.[167] Texas was never able to erase the point deficit and lost 41–21.[166] With about two minutes left in the game, McCoy again headed to the locker room early and Chiles led the Longhorns' last drive.[167]

McCoy threw for 200 yards and had four interceptions[166] during his worst performance of his college career.[167] Sports Illustrated selected him as one of the season's 10 "Most Disappointing College Players" and noted that he his nine interceptions thrown so far in 2007 were already two more than he threw in the entire 2006 season.[168] Kansas State had no turnovers and scored 21 points on defense and special teams.[166] They scored one touchdown on a punt return, one on a kick return, and one on an interception. Previously, Texas had never allowed all three types of scores in a single season.[167] The 41 points were the most scored against Texas in Austin since UCLA handed the Longhorns a 66–3 loss in 1997,[169] and it was the worst home defeat in the Mack Brown era at Texas.[170] Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated listed several factors contributing to the Longhorns struggles. He cited the off-field problems as evidence that no UT player has been able to show the superior leadership skills of Vince Young. Mandel said that McCoy, still only a sophomore, had not been able to completely fill that gap and that McCoy's play had not been as good as during 2006. He also said part of the blame was to be placed on an offensive line that lost several starters and has not been able to consistently protect McCoy. Finally, he noted that the running game had been "equally inconsistent".[170] For the Wildcats, the win over UT was the first road victory over a top–ten team in school history.[171]

Oklahoma The game against the 2007 Oklahoma Sooners football team marked the 102nd meeting of the Red River Shootout, which has been called one of the greatest sports rivalries.[172] It is the second longest running rivalry for the Longhorns, behind the one with Texas A&M.[10] Prior to 2007 Texas led the series 57–39–5,[10] including the last two consecutive wins. The last match-up was a 28–10 Longhorn victory.[113] Since 1929 the game has been held at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas typically in mid-October with the State Fair of Texas occurring adjacent to the stadium.[173]

In the week prior to facing the Oklahoma Sooners, UT fans conducted their traditional Torchlight Parade and Rally.[174][175] The rally first took place in 1916 prior to a game versus Texas A&M, but since 1986 it has been an annual event held exclusively during the week prior to the Texas–OU game.[176][177] Another annual tradition is the running of game balls by the schools' Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs.[178][179] Each school's ROTC program uses a relay running system to run one game ball all the way from their respective campus to Dallas. Once there, they participate against each other in a football scrimmage, with the winner taking home a rivalry trophy and bragging rights.[178][180]

CBS Sportsline.com listed the game as sixth on the list of games to watch during the 2007 season: “The annual Red River Shootout in Dallas will once again feature two top-ten teams with the winner being the front-runner for not only a Big 12 title but a factor in the national title picture. The game will also feature one of the best match-ups of the year with Limas Sweed and Billy Pittman of the Longhorns facing against Oklahoma’s excellent secondary.” [181] Like Texas, Oklahoma suffered a defeat one week before the Red River Shootout; at one point they had a 17 point lead over the Colorado Buffaloes before ultimately losing. Texas fell to number 16 in the coaches poll and number 19 in the AP poll; OU fell to number 10 in both polls. This marked Texas' 114th straight week to be ranked in the AP poll, longest active streak in the country[182] and tying the school record.[183] The Longhorns had been ranked 142 straight weeks in the coaches poll. That was the longest UT streak in any poll and the country's longest active streak in the coaches poll.[183] The morning of the Red River Shootout, oddsmakers favored Oklahoma to win by 12–13 points.[184]

The game was a back-and-forth affair that was ultimately won by Oklahoma 28–21. OU's freshman quarterback, Sam Bradford, was 21–of–32 for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns. UT's McCoy was 19–of–26 for 324 yards and two touchdowns.[185] That was the most passing yardage against an Oklahoma team since the 2004 National Championship game vs. USC.[186] McCoy threw one interception and Jamaal Charles lost a fumble inside the Oklahoma five yard-line on what would otherwise have been a touchdown scoring run.[185] For the second straight week, the Texas defense did not cause any turnovers.[187]

McCoy, who suffered a concussion the previous week, played the game with his throwing arm bandaged from mid-forearm to biceps. He held up physically despite taking four sacks[188] and a blind-side late hit after one play had been whistled dead.[187][185][189] With the loss, Texas opened conference play 0–2 for the first time since 1956, when they were in the Southwest Conference and one year before Darrell Royal became head coach of the Longhorns.[185] A bright spot for the Horns was tight end Jermichael Finley who caught four passes for 149 yards.[185] Jamaal Charles ran for 79 yards and John Chiles carried once for four yards. Counting the sacks to McCoy, Texas had a total of 61 yards rushing.[190]

Receiver Limas Sweed left the game early because he re-injured his left wrist. He later ad surgery to tighten the ligaments in the wrist[191] but the injury ended the college-career for the senior all-conference receiver.[192] NFL scouts had projected that Sweed would be an early pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. The Austin American-Statesman reported "Quan Cosby likely will move to Sweed's spot at split end, with Nate Jones moving to flanker. The Longhorns likely will decide between Billy Pittman and Jordan Shipley at slot receiver when Texas is in its base, three-receiver set."[192] Sweed was a candidate for the Biletnikoff Award and the Maxwell Award in 2007. ESPN Scouts Inc. listed him among their Top 10 professional prospects and Mack Brown said he still believes Sweed will play professional ball after the surgery.[91] Defensive end Aaron Lewis fractured his elbow in the game and was taken out of the lineup indefinitely.[191][192] The Austin American-Statesman reported "A depth chart issued Monday shows Lamarr Houston moving to Lewis' spot at power end, with Brian Orakpo regaining his starting job at quick end. The Longhorns have been dealing with injuries at defensive end all season."[192] Fullback Luke Tiemann also required surgery to repair a broken wrist,[192] but was expected to miss only two games.[191] Jeff Duarte of the Houston Chronicle made note of Charles' fumble, McCoy's interception and the low rushing yardage. He said, "the Texas Longhorns went back and forth with Oklahoma for most of the game Saturday before eventually succumbing to the same problems that have taken them from a Top 10 ranking to the verge of dropping out of the national polls for the first time in seven years."[193] The win kept the Sooners in position to win the south division of the Big12 Conference and could even allow them back into the national championship race.[188] Asked to assess his personal performance after the loss to Kansas State, Colt McCoy said, "I think I've had some bad luck, I'm definitely a better quarterback, definitely more experienced -- I've just had some bad luck. Things that can go the wrong way, have gone the wrong way -- tipped balls and that stuff."[170] He also said there was room for improvement, "Teams are blitzing us a lot more. We've handled it well for the most part, but there's so many things we can do better... If you ask every person on this offense, they'll tell you there's something individually they can do better."[170] After the loss to Oklahoma, Mack Brown said he did not want to hear about bad luck, "By saying we're unlucky is just a cop-out, this game isn't about luck. If you knock balls loose you should get on them. If you tip balls in the air you should catch them. We're not going to have any excuses." Brown cited the lack of big plays on defense, particularly the lack of forced turnovers, as a problem for Texas. Both Brown and Greg Davis hinted that Jamaal Charles could face less playing time as a result of his problems hanging onto the ball.[17] Charles said that he felt a deep remorse over his fumbles and feels that he was the biggest reason the team lost to Oklahoma. Texas running backs coach Ken Rucker and former Longhorn quarterback Earl Campbell had worked previously with Charles on his ball handling. Greg Davis said he wants to get the ball to Charles "in space", on pitches and passes, instead of in heavy traffic up the center.[194]

Iowa State Texas first played Iowa State in 1979 and the Longhorns had won all six match-ups coming into the 2007 season.[10] Their last meeting in 2006 concluded with a 37–14 Texas victory.[113] The Cyclones football team was coached by Gene Chizik who was co-defensive coordinator for Texas from 2005–2006.[37] Like Texas, the Cyclones were 0–2 in conference play, but they had only a 1–5 record overall. Their lone victory of the season had been against Iowa when they made a game-winning 28-yard field goal with :01 remaining.[195] As with Kansas State, Texas plays the Cyclones two out of every four years as part of the Big 12 Conference schedule.[160]

Despite losses to Kansas State and Oklahoma, Texas remained in the Top 25 coming into the game with Iowa State. The Horns were number 22 in the USA Today coaches poll and number 23 in the Associated Press media poll. Texas extended its nation-leading streak in the coaches poll to 143 weeks and its nation-leading streak in the AP poll to 115 weeks.[196] Mack Brown said that he would not change the game plan in facing Chizik but that he would need to adjust sideline signals and snap counts since they were known to the former Texas co-coordinator.[195][197] The Austin American-Statesman predicted that Iowa State's quarterback Bret Meyer and wide receiver Todd Blythe would pose the biggest threat for the Longhorns.[198] The paper also called the Cyclones the worst team in the Big12 north and predicted that Texas would be 2–2 in conference play after facing Iowa State and Baylor, the worst team in the south division.[199] The Daily Texan reported that the game offered an opportunity for Gene Chizik to get a "signature win" if his team could beat Texas.[200] Two days prior to the game, oddsmakers favored Texas to win by 16 points.[201]

The Longhorns were in control almost from the very beginning and they routed Iowa State 56–3, the worst loss for the Cyclones since 1997.[202][203] Iowa State got the ball to start the game and made a first down with a pass from Bret Meyer to Todd Blythe. The UT defense prevented them from gaining another first down and the Cyclones punted from their own 37 yard-line; Texas took over at their 42 yard-line.[204] On the first play from scrimmage, Colt McCoy scrambled away from a blitz and saw that Jordan Shipley had broken off his route and was 10 yards behind any Cyclone defender. Shipley caught the pass from McCoy and sped away from the Cyclones to score a 58 yard touchdown.[205] From that point, the Longhorns never relinquished the lead. They led 14–3 at the end of the first quarter and 28–3 at halftime.[204]

The Longhorns initially ignored the running game and played most of the first quarter in the spread offense.[206] The offensive line provided great protection for Colt McCoy,[203] who called most of the plays without huddling and directed the Longhorns to touchdowns on his first five series.[204] He completed 23 of 30 passes for 298 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions.[204] His most athletic play came early in the third quarter when he evaded three defenders on a play from the Cyclones' 20-yardline. He twisted around and managed to stay upright long enough to throw a pass to Nate Jones in the end zone. He capped off his performance by making his first rushing touchdown of the season,[202] a career-long, 44 yard run in the third quarter. The play was designed to be a screen pass to the fullback. Mack Brown said, "Colt was as good today as I've ever seen him."[205] Brown also praised McCoy for taking on more of a leadership role with the team.[207] The Austin American-Statesman said, "Colt McCoy is shedding his sophomore slump. In the past two games, he is 42 of 56 passing for 622 yards with six passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and just one interception. That translates to a quarterback rating of 200.1."[206] The passing game worked so well for Texas that they did not call a rushing play until the third offensive possession, which occurred early in the second quarter.[205] On that possession for Texas, Brown sent-in "The Storm",[208] which was his nickname for the all-freshmen, second-team offense headed by John Chiles[208] Besides Chiles The Storm included Montre Webber, James Kirkendoll, Blaine Irby, Vondrell McGee, and an all-freshman line of Michael Huey, Buck Burnette, Kyle Hix, Tray Allen and Britt Mitchell.[206] The series resulted in a punt — the only time Texas had the ball in the first half without scoring.[204] The Longhorns planned this appearance ahead of time and it was a morale boost for players who had not had much playing time up to that point. Mack Brown, "We also felt like we had not finished the last two games in the fourth quarter like we wanted to and we thought that putting more players in the game earlier would help us with energy in the fourth quarter."[208]

Jamaal Charles, who had committed several fumbles during the season, did not touch the ball until more than half-way through the second quarter. When he came into the game, he rushed on three straight plays, including a three-yard touchdown run.[206] Texas coaches said that Charles’s lack of first-quarter carries was not related to the fumbles and was not intended to convey any sort of message.[209] Greg Davis said, "That had more to do with the game plan than Jamaal, It wasn't for any other reason." Brown commented on the new emphasis on passing early in the game, "We've decided we're going to do whatever gets points. If they spread out, we'll run it. If everybody is going to line up, we're going to throw it and we're going to throw it every time."[210] The Longhorns' success in passing the ball eventually made room for the running game. John Chiles led the Longhorns with 54 yards on 9 carries. McCoy rushed for 50 yards, while Jamaal Charles carried the ball 7 times for 44 yards. The Longhorns finished with 514 total yards – 298 via the air, 216 on the ground.[205] The Longhorns made three turnovers, including two interceptions, without surrendering any themselves. Brandon Foster intercepted a pass from Bret Meyer and returned it for a 39 yard touchdown. Deon Beasley also picked off Meyer, who had a poor showing for the day; along with the two interceptions he completed only 17 passes for 111 yards.[205]

The blow-out could have been worse. Towards the end of the third quarter McCoy came out for good and Chiles scored Texas' final touchdown of the day on an 11–yard run. The 'Horns might have scored again in the fourth quarter were it not for an intentional delay of game penalty.[204] When the Longhorns failed to score on that drive, the Cyclones took over but were unable to keep the ball. Henry Melton forced a fumble, which was recovered by back-up linebacker Dustin Earnest at the Cyclones' 21 yardline. Brown prevented his team from scoring points by ordering the third-team quarterback, Sherrod Harris, to take a knee.[205] Chizik said of Brown, "He's all about class. He could have made it a lot worse. He just said [after the game], 'Hang in there.'"[211] The loss puts the Cyclones at 1–6, and they were expected to be underdogs in each of their final 5 games.[211]

Texas fullback Antwan Cobb sprained his left anterior cruciate ligament late in the game and was out for the rest of the season. He was playing tailback at the time of his injury. Cobb's injury left the Longhorns without a true fullback, although they had not utilized the position often in 2007. The only other fullback on the team, Luke Tiemann, was expected to miss one more week with a wrist injury. Mack Brown said that Chris Ogbonnaya, the second-team tailback, would move to fullback for the Baylor game. Freshman tight end Blaine Irby had taken some practice at fullback and could also be used in that position. Cobb scored a touchdown on his very first play with the Longhorns (pictured), a 16-yard pass against Arkansas State.[212] Robert Killebrew was benched after committing two&nbps;personal foul penalties,[213] a consistent problem for him in the 2007 season.[206] Without a veteran fullback, Texas planned to either run the ball out of the shotgun formation or simply focus on the passing game.[203]

Representatives from the Holiday Bowl were in attendance. One of them said, "We’d love to have Texas, but they’re still hoping to wind up at the Fiesta Bowl."[214][206] In order to reach the Fiesta Bowl, Texas needed Oklahoma to loose two games to allow Texas into the Big12 Conference Championship game, which Texas would then have to win. Another possibility would have been Oklahoma making it to the National Championship game and Texas being selected for an at-large BCS bid. ."[214]

Baylor The game against Baylor was played in Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas, approximately 100 miles (161 km) north on Interstate 35 from Austin.[215] Because home UT games are usually a sell-out, games against Baylor have found numerous Texas fans driving to Waco to watch the game.[216]

The Longhorns first played the Baylor Bears in 1901 and faced them annually during the days of the Southwest Conference. In the 96 meetings through 2006, Texas' record with the Bears was 70 wins, 22 losses, and 4 ties. This is Texas' third-longest rivalry by number of games: only Oklahoma and Texas A&M have faced Texas more often on the football field.[10] Texas won the 2006 meeting 63–31.[113] In the week prior to the game, Baylor assistant coach Eric Schnupp was charged with a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct and reckless exposure. He allegedly urinated on the bar of a Waco nightclub.[217] He was suspended indefinitely from the program.[218] Schnupp played football for the University of Miami from 1995–2000 and coached at West Texas A&M University before become the offensive line and tight ends coach for the Bears.[219] Baylor's starting quarterback, Blake Szymanski, was questionable for the game because of a mild concussion he suffered in the game against Kansas.[220][221] Szymanski is ranked third in the list of touchdown passes by a Baylor quarterback, with a total of fifteen.[220] Although Szymanski has been physically cleared to play, back-up quarterbacks Michael Machen and John David Weed were sharing snaps in practice and Baylor coaches said any one of them could get the start against Texas.[221] Two days prior to the game, oddsmakers favored Texas to win by 25 points.[222]

The game was initially a close fought contest; Texas led by only a touchdown when Deon Beasley intercepted a pass with nine minutes left at the Baylor 43.[223] Texas scored two more touchdowns to outlast the Bears in a 31–10 victory.[224] Texas accumulated 293 passing yards, all by McCoy, compared to 284 by Machen and Weed of Baylor. Vondrell McGee was the leading rusher for Texas, contributing 57 of the team’s 177 yards. Baylor’s Jay Finley was their leading rusher but the Bears were held to only 8 yards rushing overall because of the sacks provided by the Texas defense.[225] It was the tenth straight victory for UT over Baylor.[223]

Nebraska Texas first played the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 1933 and the Longhorns held a 7–4–0 record though 2006.[10] Nebraska won the first meeting by the lopsided score of 26–0. As with Kansas State and Iowa State, Texas plays the Cornhuskers two out of every four years as part of the Big 12 Conference schedule.[160]

Since their first meeting, the series has included a number of upsets and close calls. In 1960 a #4 ranked Longhorn squad was upset by an unranked Nebraska team, 14–13. In 1996 an unranked Texas team defeated #3 ranked Nebraska (who were also the defending national champions) 37–27 to win the inaugural Big 12 Conference football championship and deprive the Cornhuskers a shot at repeating as national champions. In 1998 an unranked Texas team beat #7 Nebraska 20–16.[10]

In 1999 the two teams met twice. In the regular season, #18 Texas beat #3 Nebraska by 24–20. However, #3 Nebraska beat #12 Texas in the Big 12 Championship game, 6–22. In 2002 the Longhorns were ranked #7 and they went to Lincoln, Nebraska to play an unranked Nebraska team.[10] In front of the largest crowd in Nebraska history (78,268) the 'Horns snapped the Huskers’ national-best 26-game winning streak at Memorial Stadium by a score of 27–24.[226] Most recently, in the 2006 game, #5 Texas faced #17 Nebraska on a snowy day in Lincoln. The Longhorns were trailing and needed a field goal by walk-on kicker Ryan Bailey (with just 23 seconds remaining in the game) to win 22–20.[227][10] On the morning of the game, oddsmakers favored Texas to win by 21 points.[228] The weather forecast called for a high of 76 degrees and plentiful sunshine with winds NNE at 10 to 15 miles per hour.[229] Texas stuck with their passing game for three quarters and was trailed Nebraska most of the way; the Cornhuskers led 17–9 to start the fourth.[230] ESPN reported, “Once Texas figured out it should be running against one of the nation's worst run defenses, things turned out all right for the Longhorns.” [231] The Longhorns may have switched to running game almost by chance. McCoy took a hard hit as he scrambled outside the pocket and was shaken up badly enough to leave the game for a play. John Chiles came in at quarterback; his one play, a zone-read handoff to Jamaal Charles, produced 24 yards. According to ESPN, “suddenly Texas had figured out how to beat a Cornhuskers' team that had been steamrolled on the ground in recent weeks. Texas only threw three passes in the fourth quarter.”[231]

Once Texas switched to the zone read offense, they quickly started gaining yards and points. Charles ran for a career-high 290 yards, including 216 yards and three long touchdown runs in the fourth quarter. His tally also set a new record for rushing against the Cornhuskers, surpassing the old record of 247 yards by Oklahoma’s Billy Simms. Charles explained "It was my time to show everyone what I can do. When I saw a hole, I blasted through it."[231] Texas finished with 181 yards passing and 364 yards rushing; Nebraska had 315 yards passing and 132 yards rushing.[232] The running back was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week.[233] The game was a milestone for one coach and a millstone for another; it was the 100th win for Mack Brown at Texas; and it put more pressure on beleaguered Nebraska coach Bill Callahan. Brown remarked on his victory, “A hundred is nice. I knew the game was going to come down like it did. It didn’t surprise me. They made sure that I’ll remember it the rest of my life.”[231] Callahan was fired five weeks later.[234]

Oklahoma State From 1916 through 2006, Texas had played the Oklahoma State Cowboys football (OSU) program 21 times and held a 19–2–0 record.[10] Texas came into the 2007 game with a nine game active winning streak against OSU. The Cowboys' only two victories occurred in 1944 and 1997.[113] In the 1997 game, the OSU fans took down their own goal posts[235] after the Cowboys pulled off a 42–16 win over the defending Big 12 Conference Champion Texas.[113]

Since then, Texas had won every game, but most have been close-fought contests. The Horns won the 1998 game 37–34 on a Kris Stockton field goal with 3 seconds left.[235][236] In 2000, Texas trailed 7–3 before scoring 39 unanswered points.[237] In 2001, Texas trailed by 10 points in the first quarter but ultimately won 45–17.[238] Texas made an interception to preserve a 17–15 win in 2002. [239] In the 2007 game Oklahoma State took an early lead in the game and led 35–14 at the start of the fourth quarter. For the fourth time in five years, the Longhorns staged a big rally to win the game. This time, Texas overcame a twenty-one point fourth quarter deficit to win by three points as time expired in the game.[240] It was the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in Texas Longhorn history.[241] The day before the 2007 game, oddsmakers favored Texas to win by 3 points.[242] The pre-game festivities included an appearance by Challenger, the first Bald Eagle ever trained to free-fly into sports stadiums, and a fly-over by four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Oklahoma Air National Guard’s 138th Fighter Wing piloted by Oklahoma State alumni.[19] For the fourth time in five years, the Longhorns staged a big rally to win the game. This time, Texas overcame a twenty-one point fourth quarter deficit to win by three points as time expired in the game.[240] It was the biggest fourth quarter comeback in Texas Longhorn history.[241]

Fox Sports selected Jamaal Charles and Jacob Lacey as their player-of-the-game for Texas and Oklahoma State, respectively.[243] Charles averaged 11.3 yards per carry.[244] ESPN remarked, "For the second straight week, Jammal Charles led a late charge for the 15th-ranked Longhorns. He scored two of his three touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Texas (No. 14 AP) outscored Oklahoma State 24-0 in the final 15 minutes."[240] OSU's leading rusher was Dantrell Savage with 102 yards and 1 touchdown on 23 carries. McCoy was 20 of 28 passing attempts for 283 yards. He had one touchdown pass and three interceptions; he also rushed for 105 yards.[240] Zac Robinson was 30 of 42 for 427 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions. Robinson's passing yardage broke the school record, previously held by current head-coach Mike Gundy. Together, the teams had 1,170 yards of offense.[83] The 594 yards allowed by Texas was the most in the 2007 season.[245][246] Oklahoma State ran 87 plays and used 35:11 minutes of ball possession, compared to 70 plays and 24:49 for Texas.[83]

The Longhorns suffered several injuries according to the Austin American-Statesman, "Center Dallas Griffin left the game with a knee injury, linebacker Jared Norton left with a right shoulder injury and Eddie Jones left with a shoulder injury. Brandon Foster injured his chest in the third quarter, and Drew Kelson left the game with a left knee injury."[247] The paper reported that the loss of Griffin may have contributed to several mistakes in snapping the ball to McCoy and that UT might not have been able to win had any of the bobbles ended up being turnovers for Texas.[247]

Texas Tech The series with the Texas Tech Red Raiders began in 1928 and the Longhorns' record through 2006 was 42–14–0.[10] In the 2006 contest, #5 ranked Texas barely came away with a 35–31 win over an unranked Texas Tech team.[113] Two days before the 2007 game, oddsmakers favored Texas to win by 6½ points.[248] Speculation continued about what bowl game might select Texas. Various media predictions included the Gator Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Holiday Bowl. The Holiday Bowl executive director Bruce Binkowski said they would be very interested in pitting Texas against the USC Trojans, whom Texas defeated in the 2006 Rose Bowl. A BCS bowl was also still mentioned as a possibility, with Sports Illustrated saying the Orange Bowl could take Texas.[249]

Texas Center Dallas Griffin injured his anterior cruciate ligament against Oklahoma State and was out for the season. Griffin was a senior, meaning his career with the Longhorns ended due to the injury.[250] Backup defensive end Eddie Jones and reserve safety Drew Kelson were definitely out for the game against Texas Tech. Linebackers Jared Norton and Sergio Kindle were listed as "questionable" and "probable", respectively.[251]

The Red Raiders were 7–3 on the season and 3–3 in the Big 12 after beating Baylor 37–7 in their most recent game. Quarterback Graham Harrell passed the 4,000-yard had passing mark for the second season in a row, becoming the fifth quarterback in NCAA Division I-FBS (formerly Division I-A) to have multiple 4,000-yard seasons.[252] The Austin American-Statesman reported, "Defensively, Texas must hope that the injured are quick healers because it's a given that the Longhorns will need every available body against the Red Raiders. Texas Tech fields the most dynamic passing offense in the country, and the Red Raiders also stay on the field an average of 77.3 plays per game. Tech further frustrates a defense by often going for fourth downs. They've been successful on 14 of 23 fourth-down attempts this season. A year ago, Tech was one of three on fourth downs in a 35-31 loss to Texas."[250]

With the game falling on Veteran's Day weekend, a pre-game ceremony honored veterans and commemorated the 60th year of Texas' ROTC program. Four army helicopters from Fort Hood overflew DKR after the national anthem. It was also Senior Day for Texas, with 25 players making their last home game appearance. As a group, they had a 42–6 record coming into the game, which represented the third-highest win total for any Texas class.[253] The temperature at kickoff was 84 degrees.[254]

On the first series, the Horns scored a touchdown on a pass from McCoy to Shipley. Their defense held Tech to a field goal. Texas' offensive tackle Tony Hills injured his leg and left the game on a cart. Texas scored another touchdown on a run by Vondrell McGee to create a 14–3 lead at the end of the first quarter. Tech's Graham Harrell threw a touchdown pass and Texas answered with a rushing touchdown. On the ensuing kick, Texas used a pooch kick which was tipped by a Texas Tech player. The Longhorns' special team recovered the ball to set up a short field for their offense to rush for another touchdown. Tech brought the game to 28–20 with another touchdown. Texas drove into field goal range but tried to throw a touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining in the half. The pass was intercepted for a touchback and the Red Raiders ran a short play to run out the half.[255]

Jammal Charles and tight end Jermichael Finley were injured in the second half but were able to return. In the fourth quarter, McCoy was on the sidelines nursing a cut on his head but he did not miss any snaps due to the injury. McCoy threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more. Both teams kept running their first team offense until late in the game; they combined for 47 points in the final 12 minutes[256] and each scored a touchdown within the final two minutes of play.[255] Tech attempted two onside kicks in an effort to come from behind, but Texas recovered both kicks.[256]

During his post-game press conference, Texas Tech's Mike Leach used most of his time to rail against the officiating crew for incompetence and bias.[257][84] He speculated that the officials may have favored Texas because the head official lived in Austin, because they were incompetent, or possibly because the conference wanted Texas to appear in a BCS bowl because of the increased appearance fees that such a bowl generates for the conference.[258][259] Jim Vertuno of the Associated Press wrote "Leach was upset officials disallowed two Tech touchdowns in the third quarter. The first was overruled when video replay clearly showed the receiver let the ball hit the ground. On the next play, a touchdown pass was negated by a holding penalty. Leach also wanted, but didn't get, a flag for roughing the quarterback."[259][260] The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported, "Big 12 policy prohibits coaches from commenting publicly about game officials, so Leach’s actions leave him open to reprimand, fine or worse."[84] ESPN reported, "Leach's rant will likely draw a fine from the league and possibly a suspension."[261] The Big 12 fined Leach $10,000, the largest fine in conference history.[262]

The win ensured that 2007 would be the 10th straight season the Longhorns won 9 or more games, a record streak for the Horns. Including Mack Brown's final 2 seasons at North Carolina, Brown became the only coach in the nation to lead his program to 9 or more victories in 12 straight seasons.[263]

Texas A&M This game marked the 114th meeting between the Aggies and the Texas Longhorns and was the fourth year as part of a multi-sport rivalry called the Lone Star Showdown. The football rivalry began in 1894 and continues to be the longest-running rivalry for both the Longhorns and the Aggies; it is the third most-played rivalry in Division I-A college football.[264] Texas A&M comes into the 2007 contest with a 35–73–5 record.[10] Since the series began in 1894, the game has traditionally been played on Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving weekend.[265] The 2007 game marks the fourteenth straight game to be scheduled the day after Thanksgiving.[265]

The 2005 game was the poorest performance of that season by the Longhorns, both offensively and defensively. On offense, Vince Young had only 162 yards of offense, his lowest output of the season.[266] UT running backs Henry Melton and Ramonce Taylor also received criticism for their tendency to run side-to-side instead of down-field.[267][268] On defense, the Longhorns held A&M to only 118 yards passing but gave up 277 yards rushing; the highest allowed by the Longhorns all season.[266]

The 2006 meeting was the first time in eight years that both teams entered the game with at least eight wins coming into the match-up.[269] A&M prevailed 12–7 over the Longhorns in Austin, Texas, rushing for 244 yards against the nation's then-top-ranked rush defense.[270][271] As a result of a tragic accident in 1999, the Aggies were no longer allowed to hold a school sponsored version of their traditional Bonfire[272] but the unofficial "Student Bonfire" was lit on the evening of 2007 November 20.[273] Texas A&M also hosted its annual Maroon Out on game day.[274] During the week before the game, the Longhorns held their traditional Hex Rally.[275][276]

A&M head coach Dennis Franchione spent much of the season being criticized for his coaching performance.[277] Criticism intensified in late September as it became known that Franchione had been selling a secret email newsletter to athletic boosters who paid $1,200 annually for team information that Franchione has refused to release to the public. The newsletter, called "VIP Connection", had been written by Franchione's personal assistant, Mike McKenzie, and included specific injury reports and Franchione's critical assessments of players.[278] On 2007 October 2 Franchione apologized in front of A&M football players and expressed his love for the job and the university, and his desire to "elevate the program to its highest level". A&M players also expressed their support for Franchione as a coach.[279] On 2007 October 11 Texas A&M officials issued a "letter of admonishment" and Franchione was instructed to no longer employ "any staff members that could be construed as representing Texas A&M or providing information or reports relative to his position as head coach at Texas A&M". Consequently, the writer of the newsletter, Mike McKenzie, was fired. The A&M athletic director stated that the incident would be included in Franchione's "performance review" at the end of the season.[280][281][282]

The Aggies scored on their opening possession with a 35-yard touchdown with a screen pass from Stephen McGee to Mike Goodson. The Longhorns mustered two first downs, but were forced to punt. Texas A&M ended their subsequent drive three plays later with a punt of their own. The Longhorn team again successfully penetrated into Texas A&M territory, but Mack Brown opted to call a pooch punt by Colt McCoy on fourth down and four from the Aggie 37-yard line. The Aggies answered with an eighteen-play drive that stalled on the UT-14 yardline and the Aggies had to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Matt Szymanski.[18]

The second quarter started with the Longhorns driving only six yards and being forced to punt again. The Aggies continued to press their advantage and drove down the field until Stephen McGee threw an ill-timed pass that was intercepted by Deon Beasley at the Longhorn 25. Two first-downs later, Texas was forced to punt and pinned Texas A&M on their own five yard line. Stephen McGee led the offense with several long passes and the Aggies drove to the Texas 5 but again were held short on 3rd down. On 4th and three, the Aggies faked the field goal and the placeholder, T.J. Sanders, ran the ball in for his first career touchdown giving the Aggies a 17–0 lead. The Longhorns started their next drive on their own 20 where Colt McCoy threw a pass to Jamaal Charles that went 62 yards. The drive stalled and the Longhorns had to settle for a field goal and went to halftime trailing their arch rival 17–3.[18]

The third quarter started with promising drives by both teams that ended when the ball was intercepted. Brandon Foster ran the Longhorn interception back to the A&M 8-yard line and Texas scored a touchdown on the next play to pull the Longhorns within seven points. The Aggies drove to the Texas 34 yard line, but the drive stalled out and Texas took over on downs as the fourth down attempt failed. Colt McCoy fumbled a few plays later to give the ball back to Texas A&M. Five plays later, Stephen McGee scampered into the end zone for a five-yard touchdown to put the Aggies up 24–10. The Longhorns took little time to answer with a touchdown of their own. Quan Cosby returned the following kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown to pull Texas within seven once again. The next drive started on the Aggie 49, courtesy of a 42 yard kickoff return by E.J. Shankle that nearly went for a touchdown. The quarter ended on a seven yard pass to Mike Goodson.[18]

The final quarter of play began with A&M still moving the ball. Stephen McGee threw a 44-yard pass to Mike Goodson for a touchdown to put the Aggies ahead by a score of 31–17. The Longhorns again went three-and-out and were forced to punt. The Aggies went down the field quickly and scored another touchdown with a 66-yard pass completion to Earvin Taylor to put Texas A&M up by 21 points. Colt McCoy fumbled the ball two plays later but A&M was forced to punt the ball away three plays later. McCoy and the Longhorn offense drove the length of the field on two passes each for over 25 yards and a touchdown taking only a 99 seconds off the clock. The Aggies lost seven yards over the next three plays and were forced again to punt. The Longhorns drove 73 yards from their own 27, converted two fourth downs, and scored a touchdown. Ryan Bailey missed the extra point but left the Longhorns only down by eight points. The Aggies took possession on their own 33 and ran the clock out to win the game 38–30.[18]

During the postgame celebration, ABC commentator Jack Arute asked Dennis Franchione whether he would be back with the team the following year. Coach Franchione responded by asking the announcer to let the players enjoy their victory. At the beginning of the subsequent press conference, Coach Franchione announced his resignation effective immediately. Shortly thereafter, Texas A&M announced that Defensive coordinator Gary Darnell would lead the Aggies in their bowl game.[283]

Holiday Bowl The Longhorns concluded their season in the 2007 Holiday Bowl on 2007 December 27 vs. the Arizona State Sun Devils. With the loss to Texas A&M, the Longhorns fell out of contention for a BCS bowl; their bowl situation would be decided largely by the play of other Big 12 teams. Number four Missouri beat number two Kansas to win the Big 12 North Division.[284] Missouri rose to the top spot in the BCS rankings[285] prior to facing Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game. Oklahoma won the game to become the Big 12 Conference champion and secure their berth in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. Even though Missouri defeated Kansas, won their division, and outranked Kansas in the BCS standings (number 6 compared to number 8)[286] the Orange Bowl selected Kansas instead of Missouri to play in the 2008 Orange Bowl. BCS rules do not provide for all the highest ranked teams to be automatically included in BCS games; considerable discretion is given to the individual bowls in choosing among eligible teams. The Tigers were invited to play in the 2008 Cotton Bowl; the Cotton Bowl having first pick of Big 12 teams after the BCS bowls have made their selections. The Holiday Bowl had the next selection and they chose Texas.[287][263][288][289] Arizona State University was ranked number 11 in the BCS standings; they completed a 10–2 regular season and won a share of the Pac-10 Conference Championship. The Sun Devils finished the regular season ranked number 11 in the final BCS rankings, number 11 in Coaches poll and number 12 in the AP rankings while Texas was number 19 in the BCS and number 17 in both the coaches and AP rankings.[288] The Sun Devils were eligible for a BCS bowl themselves, but like Missouri, ASU was left out of the BCS selections.[290]

Texas dominated the first quarter and set two Holiday Bowl records. The Longhorns' first score, on a two-yard pass from Colt McCoy to nose tackle Derek Lokey, was the quickest in game history at 13:39 remaining in the quarter. The Longhorns scored 21 points — two more than the previous record SMU scored against BYU in 1980. Texas’ defense forced two turnovers and held the Sun Devils scoreless for the period.[291] The game included one of the most bizarre plays of the football season.[292][293][294] ASU’s Rudy Carpenter fumbled the ball as ASU was close to scoring a touchdown.[295] Chris Jessee, a member of the Longhorns football operations staff and Mack Brown’s step-son, stepped onto the field and may or may not have touched the ball as it bounced near the sideline. The ball was recovered by Texas, seemingly preventing an ASU touchdown. However, fter a twelve minute review, the officials awarded the ball to Arizona State; the Sun Devils scored a touchdown on the next play.[292][293][296] The Longhorns won the game 52–34. The 52 points were the most ever scored by the Longhorns in their 47 bowl games.[294] Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle called the Holiday Bowl the "biggest victory of the season in what could serve as a springboard for a preseason Top 10 ranking next season."[294]

After the season Two Longhorns were named to All-American lists. Marcus Griffin was selected to the ESPN list[297] and Tony Hills was selected by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.[298]

Several players were mentioned in connection with the 2008 NFL Draft. In November Jamaal Charles said he would return for his senior season rather than enter professional football in the NFL.[299] Sources reported in December 2007 that Charles and Jermichael Finley had filed paperwork with the NFL to evaluate how high they might be drafted if they decided to enter professional football in the NFL Draft instead of returning for their senior season. Quan Cosby, who spent three years in professional baseball, was reported to be still deciding whether to file the paperwork. Defensive tackle Roy Miller said he would definitely be back for his senior season. Mack Brown did not comment about specific players but said, "We always try to help our guys get as much information as possible when it comes to the NFL. We encourage and help them go through the process... All of our underclassmen have told us they will be coming back, but if you're playing well enough to be considered an NFL prospect, going through the process can only help you better understand it and realize what you need to work on to improve your status."[300] Charles said he would not go pro unless he was predicted to be chosen in the first round of the draft.[301][302] After the Holiday Bowl Charles said, "Right now, I’m probably coming back. I didn’t think I did that good in the game. Next year maybe I’ll be up for the Heisman. I will come back."[303] From 2000–2007 the Longhorns have had seven players taken in the Top 10 draft picks by the NFL, more than any other school.[302]

On 2008 January 2 Charles announced that he would leave Texas for the NFL. Despite skipping his senior year, Charles ranks fourth in the list of total-rushing yards by a UT player, behind Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, and Earl Campbell, with 3,328 yards. Williams and Campbell each won the Heisman Trophy in their senior season. With Charles' departure, quarterback Colt McCoy becomes the leading returning rusher for the Longhorns.[304] Tight end Jermichael Finley also declared he would forgo his senior season to enter the NFL.[305] On 2008 January 2 the Longhorns announced that defensive co-coordinator Larry MacDuff would not return for the 2008 season[304] and Akina was demoted to "Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs".[306][307] The Longhorns hired Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator; he will also coach UT's linebackers.[308] Muschamp was defensive coordinator at Auburn and will make a $425,000 salary at Texas.[306] Running backs coach Ken Rucker transferred to a newly created position with the athletic department where he will act as a liaison to high school athletic programs. On 2008 January 16 Texas replaced Rucker by hiring former UT quarterback Major Applewhite.[309]