Sports Roundup: Texas is Back!!

By in Sports on October 12, 2018 at 11:59 am | No Comments

You Know It Has to Be Football First

Welp. Texas is good again. After a heart-attack inducing last-second win over Oklahoma on Saturday in Dallas, Texas is ranked No. 9, 3-0 in Big 12 play, and 5-1 overall. Texas hasn’t been in the top 10 since [checks notes] President Obama’s first term?!

Anyway, just give Texas the national championship trophy already, am I right people? OK, back to reality.

It was a great weekend for young men who grew up just west of Austin, as Westlake’s Sam Ehlinger accounted for five touchdowns and Lake Travis’ Cameron Dicker booted a 40-yard field goal to win the game. Fellow Westlake alum Breckyn Hager also recovered a fumble and said a lot of things after the game and this week.

All the Awards

When you put up 48 on the No. 7 team in college football on the national stage, the rest of the country tends to notice. Longhorns won a lot of awards this week after taking down Oklahoma. Let’s start with Sam Ehlinger, because the list is long. The sophomore quarterback, who looked very excited to score touchdowns and wear the big gold hat, was named Walter Camp Player of the Week, Davey O’Brien “Big 8” of the week, Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week, Manning Award Star of the Week, Maxwell Award Player of the Week, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Player of the Week, and co-Big 12 Player of the Week with—who else?—fellow Longhorn Cameron Dicker. Whew. That’s a lot of awards.

He was also added to the Maxwell Award watch list, given annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the best player in college football. If Ehlinger wins, he’d join Tommy Nobis, Ricky Williams, Vince Young, and Colt McCoy as winners of the award, which is … not too shabby, huh?

Dicker, who happens to play a position that rhymes with his last name, was named Groza Award Star of the Week.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey was named to the Hornung Award Honor Roll, which celebrates the most versatile player in college football. Folks, this guy is versatile. Originally a running back coming out of Southlake Carroll, Humphrey generally splits out as a wide receiver—his 35 receptions for 535 yards leads the Longhorns this season—but he also takes direct snaps, as he did on Saturday, when he threw a jump-pass touchdown to fellow wideout Collin Johnson. He was also added to the Biletnikoff Award watch list, given annually to the best wide receiver in college football. No Longhorn has ever won the award.

Coach Tom Herman even got in on the awards action. He was named to the Dodd Trophy midseason watch list, given to the college football coach who excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. Mack Brown won the award in 2008.

Don’t Talk to Me About ACL

Every year, it seems, one weekend of the Austin City Limits music festival falls during a Texas home game, and the student section is particularly bare. Breckyn Hager, Collin Johnson, and Andrew Beck are having none of that, and filmed pleas to Texas fans to show up in droves for Saturday’s game against Baylor. If Texas wins it will be 6-1 for the first time since … can you guess? Keep thinking. That’s right, 2009, when Texas played in the BCS National Championship Game. This may be a game you want to attend, just saying.

The Other Football

Red River Showdown Part Deux

After losing 2-1 to No. 16 West Virginia on Sunday, Texas Soccer takes on Oklahoma in Austin on Friday night, in an important Big 12 matchup, solely because Texas always wants to beat the Sooners.

Oh, Canada!

The Canadian national team whooped Cuba on Monday, 12-0, and two Longhorns were part of that win. Freshman Emma Regan got her first cap, and fellow freshman Julia Grosso got her seventh. Canada moved to the top of Group B in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship.

Women’s Basketball

We’re Number … Two?

The Big 12’s 10 coaches—makes a lot of sense, right?—voted on the top teams in the conference this week, and Texas finished No. 2, after Baylor. The Lady Bears are very good, and finished 33-2 last year, so no complaints here, especially with the following news …

Ouch

Junior guard/forward Joyner Holmes underwent surgery on Thursday to repair her right ankle, which was injured during Monday’s practice. There is no timetable for her return. After winning Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Holmes missed the first 10 games of her sophomore season with a university rules violation, and is looking to bounce back in a big way this year.

With Honors

If you thought the football team won a lot of awards this week … you were right. But also the women’s basketball team was tabbed for a ton of their own:

Danni Williams was named the Big 12 Conference Preseason Newcomer of the Year, Charli Collier was named the Big 12 Conference Preseason Co-Freshman of the Year, Lashann Higgs and Joyner Holmes were named to the 10-member Preseason All-Big 12 Team, and Jatarie White and Williams earned Honorable Mention Preseason All-Big 12 recognition.

Volleyball

Jayhawkin’

After sweeping Iowa State at home last weekend, and despite a mighty effort from Micaya White (16 kills, 3 digs, 2 blocks), the No. 4 Longhorns fell to the Kansas Jayhawks, 3-1, in Lawrence. This was Texas’ first Big 12 loss in the last 25 matches.

Swimming & Diving

We’re Number One! And Four!

Men’s swimming and diving, coming off its fourth—fourth!—straight national title, was ranked No. 1 on Wednesday by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America. Eddie Reese is good.

Women’s swimming and diving were ranked No. 4 by the CSCAA, after winning the Big 12 and finishing top-6 in the NCAAs last season.

Photo courtesy Texas Athletics.

 
 
 

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