2006 Texas Longhorn football team
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin
in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head football coach was Mack Brown
, who received the 2006 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award for "Coach of the Year". The Longhorns (also known as Texas or UT or the Horns) play their home games in Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
(DKR), which during 2006 was undergoing some renovations to improve older sections as well as to add extra seating capacity
.
The 2006 team was the defending national champions since the previous year's team
won both the Big 12 Conference
championship and the National Championship. That was the program's second Big 12 Championship (27 conference championships total, including 25 in the Southwest Conference), and fourth consensus national championship in football. Their championship victory in the 2006 Rose Bowl
was also the 800th win for the program and the Longhorns entered the season ranked third in the all-time list of both total wins and winning percentage (.7143).
In 2006, the Longhorn's game against Ohio State University
in September was one of the most anticipated college football games of the regular season. Texas lost the game to Ohio State and completed the regular season with an overall record of 9 wins - 3 losses, and a 6-2 record in conference games. They were ranked 19th in the Bowl Championship Series
(BCS) rankings, issued prior to the bowl season
. The Longhorns ended their season with a victory in the 2006 Alamo Bowl
against the unranked, 6-6 Iowa Hawkeyes
to improve to an over-all record of 10 wins - 3 losses. They were ranked 13th in the final national rankings by both the Associated Press
AP Poll
and the USA Today Coaches Poll
As of May 1, 2007 seven players from this team had been drafted by professional football teams and two more had signed professional contracts as free agent
s.
Texas' biggest loss was the decision by quarterback Vince Young
, winner of the 2006 Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player award, to enter the 2006 NFL Draft
, where he was the #3 over-all pick and first quarterback selected. The Horns' had three options to replace Young: redshirt freshman
Colt McCoy
, true freshman Jevan Snead
, or true freshman Sherrod Harris. Prior to the season, Coach Brown announced that McCoy would be the starter with Snead also getting some game-time.
With the exception of Young, David Thomas
, Jonathan Scott, and Will Allen, Texas returned most of their key offensive players from 2005–2006, including fifth-year senior running back Selvin Young
, true sophomore running back Jamaal Charles
, receivers Quan Cosby
, Billy Pittman
, and Limas Sweed
and lineman Lyle Sendlein
, Kasey Studdard
, and Justin Blalock
. The defense lost starters Rodrique Wright
, Aaron Harris, Cedric Griffin
and Michael Huff
.
In most preseason rankings, Texas was listed in the top five. In the initial USA Today
Coaches' Poll, which is part of the Bowl Championship Series
formula for determining which two teams play for the National Championship, Texas was ranked number two. The same poll had Ohio State number 1, meaning that if both teams held their ranking until their 9 September 2006 match-up, it would be a rarely-seen early-season meeting of the two most highly ranked teams in the sport. The teams did keep their respective ranking until game day and played the earliest ever meeting of the #1 and #2 ranked teams.
See also 2006 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
underwent renovations just prior to the season. US$
15 million were allocated by the Board of Regents for stadium renovations. Stage one, which began on November 14, 2005, involved updating Bellmont Hall — which sits in the west end of the stadium — to meet newer safety codes set by the Austin Fire Department. Also included were water sealing the stadium and expansion of both the Centennial Room and eighth-floor press box
. $8 million was spent on audiovisual improvements, including a 7370 square feet (684.7 m²) high-definition
Daktronics
LED
scoreboard, nicknamed "Godzillatron
." At the time of its creation, Godzillatron was the first high-definition video screen in college sports and the largest high-definition video screen in the world, though it was quickly surpassed by a larger screen in Tokyo. It is still the largest high-definition video screen in collegiate sports.
A new temporary bleacher seating section was added behind the south endzone bringing the stadium's stated capacity to 85,123 for the 2006 season. In mid-July 2006, The University of Texas announced that Memorial Stadium was completely sold out for the upcoming 2006 season. For the first time, tickets would not be sold on an individual game basis.
Stage 2 of the project began just after the final home game, as the north end-zone was expanded to include luxury boxes and an upper-deck. The lower deck is planned to be rebuilt for 2007, while the upper deck is planned to be ready for 2008.
. The pre-game festivities included the traditional display of The World's Largest Texas Flag
. The version used in this game measured 75 feet (22.9 m) by 125 feet (38.1 m), and is the first of the flags to have the proper 3:5 ratio (shown).
Redshirt freshman quarterback Colt McCoy
made his college debut and threw a 60 yd (54.9 m). touchdown pass to Limas Sweed
one minute and eight seconds into the game. McCoy threw 12 of 19 for 178 yards (162.8 m) with 3 touchdowns through the air, two of them to Sweed. McCoy also ran for 38 yards (34.7 m) including a touchdown run. It was also the college debut of true freshman quarterback Jevan Snead
who completed 3 of 7 for 20 yards (18.3 m) with one interception. The offense had a 410 yards (374.9 m) game.
The defense held North Texas to one touchdown. Defensive End Aaron Lewis
recorded his first career forced fumble, fumble recovery, and touchdown in the same play. The defense held North Texas to 8 yards (7.3 m) rushing and 87 yards (79.6 m) passing.
The win extended Texas' streak to 21 games, the longest in the NCAA at the time. The game's attendance was 85,123, a new school record and the 34th consecutive sellout.
was one of the most anticipated college football games of the regular season. The two teams had combined for 1,576 victories in 231 total years of football prior to meeting with the Horns ranking third on the NCAA all-time victory list with 801 wins and the Buckeye's ranking sixth with 775.
Ohio State was ranked #1 with Texas #2 in both the Associated Press and the coach's poll. The 2006-09-09 game between Texas and Ohio State became a match-up of college football's #1 and #2 ranked teams for only the 36th time in NCAA history. The Longhorns were part of the 35th meeting of top-ranked teams when the 2005 Longhorns
defeated USC
in the 2006 Rose Bowl
.
Ohio State is only the second top-ranked team to ever play as a visiting football team in Austin, Texas
. The other was SMU
when then-No. 7 Texas beat the Mustangs 23-20 on 4 November 1950. Ohio State has participated in three No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups in school history and holds a record of three wins and no losses (2-0). The most recent such win for Ohio State occurred when they beat No. 2 Michigan in their annual matchup later that same season. Texas has a (4-0) record in No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups with all four previous victories coming en-route to national championship seasons. The last time UT played in a No. 1 vs. No 2. regular season game was a win over the top-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks
in one of the most famous games of the UT-AK rivalry. The game marked the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the regular season since 1996, when No. 2 Florida State beat No. 1 Florida 24-21. The September 9 meeting was the earliest for the #1 and #2 teams to ever face each other in any college football season.
On September 4, 2006, five days prior to the game, two UT players and one former UT player were arrested in Austin and charged for marijuana possession, a Class B misdemeanor. The two current players, Tarell Brown
and Tyrell Gatewood, were suspended from the team and did not play in the 9 September 2006 game against the 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
. Brown was also charged with a Class A misdemeanor weapons violation for being in possession of a firearm without a permit. Tarell Brown was listed as a starting cornerback and may have covered Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. in that game. Replacements included Ryan Palmer and Brandon Foster
, neither of whom had started a college game. The former player, who was the owner of the handgun, is former UT linebacker Aaron Harris.
"I think it will be one of the most exciting games in the history of this school," said Texas coach Mack Brown. He said he had listed Ohio State at the top of his ballot in the coach's poll prior to the game. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel
stated in a news conference that he cast his vote for Texas as the number one school coming into the game, but it was later revealed that his ballot listed Ohio State as number one.
Two United States Senators, Sen. Mike DeWine
, R-Ohio and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
, R-Texas, placed a wager
on the game. DeWine promised to deliver his wife's homemade chocolate-covered peanut butter Buckeye candies to Hutchison if Texas won, while Hutchison promised to give DeWine some Blue Bell
ice cream, made in Texas, if Ohio State won. In sports book betting in Las Vegas, Nevada
the day prior to the game, Texas was favored to win the game by 2 to 2½ points.
Ohio State won the game 24–7. The attendance was 89,422, the most people to ever watch a football game in the state of Texas.
Texas's loss made it unlikely that Texas would repeat as National Champions. Since the Bowl Championship Series
was formed in 1998, 11 of the 16 teams were unbeaten going into the game. The only time the national champion has not been unbeaten during that stretch was in 2003 when LSU
and USC
claimed a share of the title as each finished with one loss. Ohio State tackle Kirk Barton said "There’ll probably be two undefeated teams at the end of the road and if you’re not one of them you’re probably not going to be playing for the championship. So you’ve got to treat every game like it’s the Super Bowl
. You only get one opportunity."
Texas and Rice
met in 2006 for the 89th time. The series, which began in 1914, is the fourth oldest (by number of games) in Texas history.
Texas and Rice were once conference foes in the Southwest Conference, despite the usual mismatch in ability on the field (66 Texas wins vs 21 wins for Rice, with one tie). President
John F. Kennedy
compared the challenge of going to the moon
to the challenge faced when Rice played Texas. In addition to renewing 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, along with having a significant Texas Exes
alumni population.
The game was the first time Rice offensive coordinator Major Applewhite
faced his former college team, where he enjoys "cult legend" status. Applewhite was a quarterback for Texas from 1998 to 2001 and set 48 school records. Many of these still stand, including the longest pass play (97 yards), most touchdown passes in a career (60), career yards (8,353), consecutive passes without an interception (156) and most yards passing in a game (473). At Rice, Applewhite has taken the team away from the "Wishbone
" offense and moved them to a more modern, one-running-back formation similar to that used by Texas.
Rice won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half, allowing Texas to start the game on offense. Texas' opening drive used 7 rushing plays (no passes) and just over 3 minutes to drive 65 yards (59.4 m) for a touchdown. Texas followed up by scoring a touchdown on its second possession and a field goal on its third possession to earn a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Texas won the game 52-7.
Both teams scored in the first quarter. Iowa State opened the game on offense and failed to gain a first down, going "three and out" and punting to Texas. Texas scored a touch-down on the resulting drive. Iowa State was stopped again on its second possession. As Iowa State went to punt, the ball went out of the back of their end zone, resulting in a safety for Texas. Texas scored another touch-down on their second possession. Iowa State answered to make the score 7-16 as the first quarter ended. In the second quarter, Texas scored two touchdown and Iowa State scored one, to make the score 30-14 Texas at the half. Texas scored one more touchdown while holding Iowa State scoreless in the third quarter. At the end of the third quarter, the officials called a delay due to lightning in the area. When the game resumed, neither team scored in the fourth quarter, giving Texas a 37-14 win.
and Dish Network
. This was the first ever meeting of the Texas Longhorns and the Sam Houston State Bearkats and the first time Texas played a Division I-AA team in fourteen years.
Texas won the game 56-3.
The Longhorns and the 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team
met at the Cotton Bowl
in Dallas
for their annual rivalry game known as the Red River Shootout. This was the 101st meeting between the schools. Texas came into the game leading the series 56-39-5 overall and 44-35-4 at the Cotton Bowl. In 2005, the Longhorns broke a 5-year losing streak on their way to the national championship.
Three days prior to the game, UT fans conducted the traditional Torchlight Parade and Rally, terminating on the South Mall of the UT campus. The rally first took place in 1916 prior to a game versus Texas A&M; since 1986 it has been an annual event held exclusively during the week prior to the Texas-OU game. Another annual tradition is the running of game balls by the schools' Reserve Officer Training Corps programs. Each school's ROTC program uses a relay running system to run one game ball 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.
The teams alternate home and away each year, and this year the Sooners played host. They occupied the bench under the press box and wore their red home jerseys while Texas will wore their all-white road uniforms. The stadium, as usual, was split down the 50 yards (45.7 m) line with Sooner fans sitting on the south side of mid-field. The division is visually striking with a difference in crowd noise levels from one end of the stadium to the other. Beginning in 2007, the teams will alternate North and South ends of the field, giving the home team fans the seats adjacent to the tunnel leading to both teams' locker rooms. The game is worth an estimated USD 21 million in direct spending to the Dallas economy. The UT ticket office controls 37,000 tickets for the game, 7,000 of which were assigned to student season ticket holders plus another 2,000 assigned to students through a lottery. On e-Bay, tickets were selling for over $500.
As intense as the rivalry between the schools is, there were many factors tying the programs together in 2006. Texas head coach Mack Brown
was the Offensive Coordinator for the Sooners in 1984 (the Red River Shootout ended in a 15-15 tie that year). He is also the brother of UAB
head coach Watson Brown
, who lost to OU at the beginning of the 2006 season. Oklahoma Co-defensive Coordinator and defensive backs coach Bobby Jack Wright was an assistant coach at Texas from 1986 to '97. OU also had two Austin natives on their roster this season, QB Hays McEachern and WR Fred Strong. McEachern's father was the Texas quarterback in 1977 and 1978 and his mother was a Longhorn cheerleader.
With the two teams in the south division of the same conference, it is difficult for either team to win their half of the conference without winning this game although this did occur in the 2006 season. The winner of the game has a much greater chance to be the Big 12 South division champion and play in the Big 12 Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium
in Kansas City
. The game often has national title implications as well. Since 1999, the winner in of this rivalry game has gone on to the BCS National Championship on 3 occasions, the Sooners in 2000 and 2004, and the Longhorns in 2005. Prior to the game, the sports line in Vegas casinos was 4 to 41/2 points with Texas the favorite.
McCoy got his first win over a ranked team as well as his first come-from-behind victory when he threw 2 touchdown passes and led the Longhorns to a 28-10 win. He threw 11 completed passes in 18 attempts for a total of 108 passing, with no interceptions.
The 2 touchdowns by McCoy gave him 12 touchdown passes for the season, tied for third with Longhorn passer James Brown in the list of most touchdowns by a freshman. Despite a prediction by the UT student newspaper, The win gave Texas its second win in a row vs Oklahoma and 17th straight conference win.
Oklahoma outgained Texas 333 to 232 in total yards, but the Sooners turned the ball over five times to none by Texas. Four of Oklahoma's turnover occurred in the second half. Texas' Aaron Ross was credited with three of those turnovers, as he intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble for a touchdown. It was the first time since 1967 that Texas avoided making a turnover in the Red River Shootout. Oklahoma also suffered from penalties, committing 11 to the Longhorns' 3. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops
said after the game, "They made the plays and the turnovers, and we did not. Congratulations to them."
The attendance for the game, 76,260, was second highest for a Texas-OU game behind the 79,587 who saw the 2004 game. Fans in the Oklahoma end of the stadium were filing out to the State Fair of Texas
with more than seven minutes left and they were practically all gone with one minute remaining as the Longhorn fans chanted "Poor Sooners" and soon after, sang the Eyes of Texas. After the win, defensive end Brian Robison donned the Golden Hat
from the Red River Shootout winner's trophy. He also planted a Longhorn flag in the turf of the Cotton Bowl. When combined with the 2005 score, the Longhorns have outscored the Sooners 75-22 for the Longhorns' largest winning margin across a two-game stretch in the 101-game history of the rivalry.
Baylor quarterback Shawn Bell used play action and passed for a 67 yards (61.3 m) touchdown on the first play. Bell then ran down the field flashing the upside-down Hook 'em Horns
sign. Baylor added a field goal to outscore Texas 10 - 0 in the first quarter. Texas forced 3 turnovers in the second quarter, scoring touchdowns off each of them. Texas scored a fourth touchdown to take a 28 - 10 lead into half time. The two teams each scored 14 points in the third quarter while in the final quarter Texas scored 21 to 7 points by Baylor. The final score was Texas 63, Baylor 31.
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy threw six touchdown passes in the game, the most ever by a Texas quarterback. The previous record of 5 touchdown passes had been held by James Brown (set vs Baylor in 1994) and Chris Simms
(vs Oklahoma State in 2001). McCoy completed 21-of-32 attempted passes for a total of 275 yards (251.5 m), with one interception. The game moved McCoy from eighth to fifth in the list of quarterbacks by passing efficiency, and the 18 touchdown passes were the third most in the nation. Following the game, McCoy was selected as the Cingular All-America Player of the Week.
rankings of the year were issued on 15 October 2006. Along with the AP poll, the BCS rankings use the Harris Interactive Poll and a series of computer scores to rank teams. Texas had a number 5 ranking in both human polls, but a combined computer ranking of 15th meant that the Longhorns entered the BCS poll rankied ninth.
The 2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers
entered the game against Texas ranked 16 in both human polls and 19 in the computer rankings, for a total BCS ranking of 17th. Coming into the game, Texas was the third winningest program in college football, with 806 wins. Nebraska was fourth, having won their 800th game the previous weekend vs Kansas State. Only four teams have won 800 or more games: Michigan
, Notre Dame
, Texas, and now Nebraska. The game marked the first time for Texas to face a 800-win program since Texas broke through the 800 win barrier. The 2006 football season also marked the first time for four 800-win programs to play against each other; Notre Dame and Michigan played each other earlier in the season.
In terms of winning percentage, Texas ranked third at 71.52% while Nebraska ranked seventh at 70.57%. The two programs claim four national championships apiece. The environment at Lincoln has been considered one of the most hostile for an opposing team, due in part to the noise of the crowd.
Austin American-Statesman
columnist Kirk Bohls predicted that Nebraska might pull off an upset against the Longhorns. He said that "Texas isn't a great running team (only a good one).." that "Texas' pass defense is very suspect..." and that Longhorn kicker Greg Johnson had only kicked one field goal all year. Bohls also speculated that Nebraska might have more motivation because "Texas has had Nebraska's number for a while,... [Texas] knocked off the Huskers in the inaugural Big 12 football championship game at St. Louis to deprive Nebraska of a shot at another national title in 1996." In 1998, freshman quarterback Major Applewhite
led the Longhorns to a victory over the seventh ranked Cornhuskers, snapping their 47-home game winning streak. they also ended the Cornhuskers new, national-best, winning streak at 26 in 2002. Entering the 2006 game, Texas was the only team in the Big Twelve Conference with a winning record (6-4) vs. Nebraska. Texas led the series 5-1 since the formation of the Big Twelve, and they were 4-1 against Nebraska since Mack Brown came to Texas.
Prior to the game, the Las Vegas betting line was Texas by 5½ points. The game set a new stadium attendance record crowd of 85,187, the 280th consecutive sell-out at Nebraska. Before the game, Nebraska honored Mike Rozier
for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame
. The Nebraska players all touched a horseshoe as the entered Memorial Stadium
, which was referred to by a writer from The Daily Texan
as "perhaps the most polished in the Big 12." The game featured 36-degree temperatures, winds out of the north at 20 mi/h, rain, and snow flurries
Texas' Quan Cosby returned the opening kick-off to within the Nebraska 10 yards (9.1 m) line, and the Longhorns kicked a field goal. Nebraska scored a first quarter touchdown. Texas scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, but one of the two extra points was blocked, so the score at half-time had Texas ahead 16 to 7. Johnson also missed 2 field goals during the game, possibly at least in part due to leg cramps. Neither team scored in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter with Nebraska trailing by 6, Coach Callahan
called what seemed to be a sweep play similar to ones they had used earlier in the game. However, when running back Marlon Lucky
got the pitch, he threw a 25 yards (22.9 m) touchdown pass to Nate Swift
. The extra point gave Nebraska a one-point lead with 4:54 left in the game. Texas safety Aaron Ross took responsibility for over-pursuing on the run; "It was my fault. The receiver did a great job pretending like he was blocking, I came down to force on the run, and they beat us deep."
After Texas was forced to punt, Nebraska had to run out the clock to ensure victory. On first and second down, Brandon Jackson rushed twice for seven yards (6 m), bringing up a third down with three yards (3 m) to go on its own 36 yards (32.9 m) line and 2:23 remaining on the clock. Texas' defense had limited Nebraska's running offense to only 36 yards (32.9 m), far less than their 207.7 average, so Nebraska passed to NU receiver Terrance Nunn for a first down. Had the play ended there, Nebraska would likely have been able to run out the clock since Texas had no time-outs remaining. Before Nunn went down, Aaron Ross tackled him and used his helmet to cause a fumble that was recovered by Texas safety Marcus Griffin
at the Nebraska 44 yard-line with 2:17 left.
Colt McCoy led the Longhorns through the snow flurries to the Nebraska 5. With less than a minute remaining, Nebraska leading by one point, and the Horns facing fourth down, Texas needed a field-goal to win. Johnson had already missed three kicks (2 field goals and a blocked extra point) and he told Coach Brown late in the game that his leg was tightening up. Brown looked to walk-on Sophomore Ryan Bailey to attempt the kick. Bailey was not listed on UT's depth chart and coach Brown later admitted he wasn't sure whether Bailey had even been on the team as a freshman. Bailey had made only 10 kicks as a high-school kicker from Anderson High School in Austin, Texas and he had never attempted a kick for the Longhorns. The trip to Nebraska was only the second time he had ever been included in the travel roster, which is limited to 64 players. Before the kick, Brown told him "You're the luckiest guy in the world. You've got a chance to be Dusty Mangum
on your first kick." Mangum had scored the game winning field goal as time expired to lift the Longhorns to victory over the Michigan Wolverines in the 2005 Rose Bowl.
Nebraska Coach Callahan used his coach's challenge to have the officials review the preceding third down play. The play was allowed to stand as an incomplete pass, as called on the field. Brown gave Bailey a swat on the helmet and Bailey jogged onto the field and calmy made the field goal. Nebraska tried two end-zone passes, both incomplete, and Texas won the game by 2 points, 22-20. Bailey said afterwards, "Actually, the only thing I really remember about being on the field was when the offensive line turned around and said 'Let's just block for 1.3 seconds. Just give him a chance to get the ball off.'"
The win was Texas' 16th straight road game victory, extending a school record, and 19th consecutive win in conference play. The latter streak is the second longest in the country, following the conference game winning-steak of USC. The game was the first time for Colt McCoy to lead the Longhorns to a come-from-behind victory in the fourth quarter.
The Longhorns had several injuries during the game. Defensive starters Derek Lokey and Robert Killebrew
both had to leave the game due to leg injuries. Cornerback Tarell Brown was seen limping badly after the game and kicker/punter Greg Johnson aggravated a previous injury on his fourth-quarter field goal.
Eric Ransom, a writer for The Daily Texan, dubbed the game "the comeback on the prairie" and declared the game an "instant classic". Former Longhorn quarterback Vince Young
was on the sidelines for the first time since going to the NFL and he went to the Longhorn locker-room afterwards to congratulate the team on the win. Representatives from the Fiesta Bowl
, the game that normally takes the Big 12 Conference champion, were also on hand.
The media had speculated that Nebraska and Texas would win their respective conference divisions to play again in the Big 12 Conference Championship. This was echoed in post-game interviews as both teams voiced respect for the other. Texas coach Mack Brown said, "Nebraska is back, For them to keep coming back and back and back — they made big plays throughout the game to put themselves in a position to win." He continued, "As soon as they back away from it, they'll see that their program is back on track, one of the best in the country. And they'll be excited about a chance to go play somebody in (the Big 12 championship game). Hopefully, if we can keep playing, it might be us." Nebraska cornerback Cortney Grixby said of Texas, "They kept their composure. That's the mark of a champion. And that's what they are."
was listed questionable for the Texas Tech game. In addition, several defensive players had been playing with injuries. According to the Houston Chronicle
these include twin-brother safeties "Marcus Griffin (ankle) and Michael Griffin (ankle), tackle Frank Okam (knee), cornerbacks Tarell Brown (toe) and Aaron Ross (hand) and end Brian Robison (ankle)". Linebacker Drew Kelson has also been suffering from an ankle injury. The 2005&nbps;national championship team only had one game missed by a defensive starter due to injury, but the 2006 team already had thirteen missed games due to injuries or suspensions.
During Mack Brown's time at Texas, he has only lost six&nbps;road games in an opponent's stadium. The Red Raiders are the only team so far to have defeated the Longhorns twice in road games, and they have done so in four year increments with victories in 1998 and 2002. The 2002 game was lost by Texas 42-38, when defensive starters Derrick Johnson
, Kalen Thornton, Marcus Tubbs
and Nathan Vasher
were all injured. Texas' coaching staff said that injuries are not an excuse to lose a ball game. Mack Brown said, "It's still a loss. Nobody cares. I used to talk about injuries all the time, and it does nothing good for your team. Some years you have them, and some years you don't... We've still got a chance for everything after eight games, and that's unbelievable." The most recent two Tech-Texas games had not been close score-wise, with Texas winning 51-21 in Lubbock in 2004 and 52-17 in Austin in 2005.
Texas Tech entered the game with a potent passing offense led by Sophomore quarterback Graham Harrell
. He has completed 245 passes out of 356 attempts this year and he averages more than 313 passing yards per game. Just the previous week, he threw for 368 yards (336.5 m) and career -high six touchdowns in a 42-26 win over Iowa State and the Red Raiders are averaging 48.6 passes per game.
On the other side of the ball, the Longhorns were ranked 84th in pass defense this season, giving up 221.8 yards (202.8 m) per game. Tech senior defensive lineman Chris Hudler said Texas also possessed a powerful offense, "There is no room for error," he said. "Some teams you might be able to make mistakes and make up for them later. But they (Texas) have some of the best athletes in the country." Henry Melton
, previously known as a tailback used by the Longhorns in short-yardage situations, ended up being used in the game at defensive end in an effort to give Texas more depth on defense.
Four days prior to the game, the betting line in Las Vegas casinos was Texas by 11½ to 12 points. The game set a new attendance record for Texas Tech in Lubbock
, with 56,158 in attendance.
Texas Tech got off to a quick start, outscoring the Longhorns 21-0 in the first quarter. Harrell compiled 364 passing yards and three touchdown passes against the Longhorn pass defense during the first half. That was more yards passing than Texas had previously given up during an entire game in the course of the 2006 season to date. Texas responded by outscoring Texas Tech 21-10 in the second quarter so that Tech led by 10 points at half-time.
By the end of the game, Texas Tech had completed 519 yards (474.6 m) passing. This was only 14 yards (12.8 m) short of the record for most-ever passing yardage against the Longhorns which was set by David Klinger of the University of Houston in 1992. Never-the-less, Tech found themselves trailing 35-31 with 4:24 left in the game and facing fourth down at the Texas 15 yards (13.7 m) line. According to UT's Brian Robison, "We recognized from the [offensive lines] splits that it was going to be a quarterback sneak," Texas stopped Graham Harrell to take possession of the football. Texas in turn was facing a third down and five yards-to-go with one and a half minutes left in the game. McCoy dropped back to pass but was under pressure from the defense. He first ran right and then revered direction to break into the open for a 34 yards (31.1 m) gain before sliding down in the field of play. The clock started once the officials set the ball ready for play, and McCoy took a knee for the final snap to allow the clock to run out.
Playing with a busted lip since early in the game, Colt McCoy ended up with 256 passing yards and four touchdowns. He also contributed career-best 68 rushing yards, including the 33 yards (30.2 m) scramble that helped seal the victory. The win may have had added significance for McCoy since he grew up only two hours from Lubbock, attended Tuscola Jim Ned high school, and is dating a Texas Tech student who serves as a recruiter for the Red Raiders football team. Although McCoy has now completed 24 touchdowns (2 shy of the UT single season record) he is known for shunning the limelight, preferring to give credit to his coaches and team mates. Former Texas wide receiver Roy Williams
, who attended the game on the sidelines, said of McCoy "And you know what the scary thing is? He's not even good yet."
For Texas, coming back to win the game from a 21-0 deficit was the second biggest comeback win in school history and the biggest comeback ever in a road game. The Longhorns over came four turn-overs they committed during the win. For Texas Tech, the loss was only the third loss under Coach Leach when the Raiders held a lead at half-time. The 519 yards (474.6 m) passing by Graham Harrell was a career-best. Wide receiver arrett Hicks had nine catches and the most receiving yards in the game at 156, but he left the game with an apparent head injury early in the second half. After the game, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
interviewed fans and reported "Many agreed that it was the most exciting game of the year, citing the big crowd and enthusiasm in the stadium."
After one pass interference penalty against the Red Raider, Tech defensive back Darcel McBath threw his mouthpiece towards the officials. After the game, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach implied that there may have been mistakes made by the officiating crew. He said, "There were some things that happened in the course of the game, in particular the second half, that were outside of our control that I'm not able to comment on that were very detrimental to our effort." Leach sent Big Twelve Conference officials a video tape showing 18 calls, no calls, or other rulings that were disputed by Texas Tech. The disputed play-calls include plays accounting for more than half of the penalty yardage assessed against Tech as well the spot of the ball following a 14 yards (12.8 m) fourth down pass on Tech's penultimate drive of the game. The officials said that play came up less than a yard short of the first down marker, giving Texas the ball.
losing to the Oregon State Beavers
, Texas moved up one spot to #4 in the Associated Press and Coach's polls. According to Fox Sports
columnist Eric Moneypenny
, "...we're gonna be left with Ohio State or Michigan against Texas. Maybe West Virginia can stay the course and somehow stay above Texas in the standings, but it seems doubtful should Texas run the table and win the Big 12." Texas got no boost in the BCS rankings however, as they passed USC but were passed by idle Louisville
to remain at number seven in the BCS.
In each of the preceding four games, Texas trailed their opponent for at least part of the game and managed to come back to win. This includes fourth quarter come-backs against Nebraska and Texas Tech. The win over Texas Tech was the biggest road come-back in UT's history, and the second biggest come-back ever. The biggest was against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in 2004 in Austin.
The week prior to the 2006 game against Texas the Cowboys had scored 28 unanswered points in a come-from-behind upset of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The day of the game, the betting line in Las Vegas casinos favored then #4 ranked Texas by 16 points against an unranked 6-4 Kansas State team. Kansas State won the coin toss and elected to kick. The kick was a touchback and Texas made 4 first downs in a 10 play drive from the Texas 20 to the Kansas State 1, where Texas had their fifth first-down of the game. Two rushing plays by tailback Selvin Young were unsuccessful, as was a third down carry by red-shirt freshman quarterback Colt McCoy. On fourth down from the Kansas State 1 yard-line, Texas again opted to keep the ball in the hands of McCoy. He made the touchdown on a run up the middle, but was buried in a pile of defenders. McCoy came off the field holding his right shoulder and then was seen wincing in pain as trainers attended to him on the sideline. He was taken into the locker room for further evaluation and returned to the sideline in the first half, where he threw some warm-up passes. However, McCoy never re-entered the game and freshman quarterback Jevan Snead
played the rest of the game in McCoy's place.
Kansas State tied the game in the first quarter off of a 36 yards (32.9 m) touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Freeman
to wide receiver Yamon Figurs
. Jamaal Charles would regain the lead again for the Longhorns early in the second quarter with a one yard (1 m) touchdown run, however Kansas State quickly regained the lead in the second, with a surprising 21-14 lead at half-time off of a 32 yards (29.3 m) touchdown pass from Josh Freeman to running back James Johnson and an 8 yards (7.3 m) touchdown run from running back Leon Patton. Texas managed to briefly tie the game 21-21 three minutes into the third quarter off of a 5 yards (4.6 m) touchdown run from Selvin Young, one play after Michael Griffin blocked Kansas State punter Tim Reyer's punt and Tyrell Gatewood recovered. But on the Longhorns' next drive, Charles fumbled at Kansas State's 20, this would lead to the beginning of Kansas State's 21 straight points in a span of 3:06 to take a 42-21 lead. Kansas State's Ian Campbell
recovered the fumble, and it led to Leon Patton's 18 yards (16.5 m) halfback pass to wide receiver Cedric Wilson for a 28-21 lead. After Selvin Young fumbled on the second play of the Longhorns' next possession, and Campbell recovered again. Josh Freeman's 30 yards (27.4 m) pass to Yamon Figurs then put the Wildcats up 35-21. With the following possession by Texas, quarterback Jevan Snead threw three straight incompletions, leading to the Texas punt team coming onto the field, however Kansas State's John McCardle blocked Texas punters Greg Johnson's punt and Daniel Gonzalez recovered at the Kansas State 23. That led to Josh Freeman's 1 yard (0.9144 m) TD run to make it 42-21 lead.
Texas mounted a partial comeback near the end of the 3rd quarter with a 75 scoring drive that ended with an 18 yards (16.5 m) run by Jamaal Charles and a touchdown pass to Limas Sweed early in the 4th quarter to giving the Longhorns a chance, however Kansas State had other ideas as Kansas State kicker Jeff Snodgrass connected on a clutch 51 yards (46.6 m) field goal with 3:19 left to give the Wildcats some breathing room. Texas' Chris Ogbonnaya's 1 yard (0.9144 m) touchdown run with 1:36 left in the 4th quarter cut the Kansas State lead to 45-42, putting the Longhorns within a field goal's reach. With one minute forty-three seconds remaining in the game and Texas trailing 45-42, Texas attempted an onside kick. The kick was recovered by Kansas State wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who then caught a 6 yards (5.5 m) pass for a first down allowing Kansas State to run out the clock to win the game.
Following the game, Texas revealed that X-Rays, taken during the game, of McCoy's shoulder were negative. His injury was described as a pinched nerve or stinger
. UT trainer Kenny Boyd explained why McCoy did not re-enter the game: “After the injury, Colt experienced shoulder weakness and neck pain,” Boyd said. “When evaluating injuries, we look for return of normal strength and a reduction of pain before putting a player back into the game. Colt wasn’t released to play because his symptoms, including strength, did not improve.” His mother, Debra McCoy, confirmed the nature of the injury and said that the extra time off prior to the game against Texas A&M should give Colt a chance to recover. Colt McCoy said in a statement, "I'm really disappointed I wasn't able to be in there helping my teammates, but I'm going to be fine. The off week couldn't come at a better time. I'll do everything it takes to get back."
This defeat snapped the Longhorns 17 win streak on the road as well as the national best 21-game conference winning steak. Texas dropped in the AP Poll
from #4 to #11 and from #5 to #13 in the BCS rankings
Since the inception of the BCS in 1998 no team has entered the championship game with more than one loss, so Texas' chances of repeating as national champion were considered eliminated after taking this second loss on the season. The game has the distinction of being the most points ever scored by a UT team in a losing effort.
in college football and the game is part of a multi-sport rivalry call the Lone Star Showdown. It is the Longhorns' longest-running rivaly and Texas lead the series 73-34-5, including the last six in a row. During the week before the game, the Longhorns conducted their traditional Hex Rally
while the Aggies had an off-campus version of their traditional Bonfire
. and also staged a parade just prior to the game. The Longhorns announced that starting quarterback Colt McCoy, who was injured in the game against Kansas State, was cleared to play the game against the Aggies.
Since the series began in 1894 it has traditionally played on Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving weekend. The 2006 game marked the thirteenth straight game to be scheduled the day after Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day (one day prior to the game), the sports line in Vegas casinos had Texas favored by 13 to 13½ points while the weather forecast called for mostly sunny skies, a high near 81 °F (27.2 °C), and winds up to 15 mi/h from the South. 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. Going back to 1999 when UT lost the final three games of the season, the Longhorns had gone 87 games without losing back-to-back games. That was the longest active streak for any college or professional football team.
During 2006, the Texas A&M defensive coordinator
was Gary Darnell
who had been fired as defensive coordinator at the University of Texas under John Mackovic
.
For the third time during the season, the pre-game activities consisted of a military flyby
. Unlike the first two, which featured jets, this one was performed by AH-1 Cobra
helicopters from the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron HMLA-773 from Atlanta. Texas A&M won the coin toss and deferred, Texas elected to receive, and Texas A&M chose to defend the south end-zone. Kick-off was delayed while ABC side-line reporter Stacey Dales
did her pre-game report from the north end-zone. Soccer star Mia Hamm
was spotted in the audience rooting for Texas.
Texas's first drive of the game ended when Henry Melton was stopped on a fourth-and-one run at the Aggie eight-yard (7 m) line. The Aggies drove the ball the length of the field to score a touchdown, but missed on the extra point to leave the game at 6-0.
With about four minutes to play in the first half, McCoy connected with Limas Sweed for an apparent five-yard (5 m) touchdown pass. However, Sweed was flagged for a "questionable" pass interference call. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the refs "blew the call" as replays showed that both players were involved in some "hand checking while the ball was in the air, but neither player appeared to push or be guilty of interference". All three broadcasters working the game for ABC also spoke out against the penalty call. In an ABC half-time interview, Mack Brown said “I thought it was a bad call,” but added “There’s nothing we can do about that. We should’ve done a better job on third down.”
Immediately after the penalty, Colt McCoy threw an interception near the Texas A&M goal line and the Aggies were able to run out the clock to take the 6-0 lead into half-time. The zero score marked the first time the Longhorns had been held scoreless in the first half of play since the 2004 season.
The only score in the third quarter was a rushing touchdown by Jamaal Charles, his seventh of the season.
In the fourth quarter, Texas A&M made a long-drive that took up nearly nine minutes. Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee
had taken so many hard hits that he was throwing up during the game, but he managed to make an 8 yards (7.3 m) touchdown run with 2:32 left to play. A&M was unable to convert their two-point attempt after the touchdown.
With 1:21 seconds left in the game and Texas trailing 12-7, McCoy threw his third interception of the game. Following the change of possession and sometime near the whistle signalling the end of the play on the field, Aggie Kellen Heard knocked McCoy to the ground as McCoy walked along the field unbuckling his chin strap. Heard was ejected from the game as a result of the "cheap-shot late hit" and the Aggies were penalized fifteen yards (14 m). McCoy was later quoted as saying that the tackle had not been a cheap shot.
Texas A&M's coach Dennis Franchione
later apologized for what he called a "late hit" saying "We do not teach this type of play or condone it." Texas held the Aggies to three-and-out and used all three of their time-outs in order to preserve game time. Texas got the ball back with 48 seconds left in the game.
With 20 seconds remaining in the game, Colt was injured by a "vicious, stadium hushing tackle" as Aggies defensive end Michael Bennett connected with his helmet under McCoy's jaw just as McCoy released a pass. Replays showed both on television and in the stadium revealed the hit included "helmet-to-helmet" contact which, if intentional, is illegal in NCAA football. No flag was thrown on the play. When the replay was shown in the stadium, the Longhorn fans erupted in boos before lapsing back into silence as McCoy lay on the ground for 10 minutes before being taken off the field on a cart. Mack Brown said after the game "I didn't see it, but it sounded like 88,000 (fans) thought it was dirty." Fellow Longhorn Selvin Young said he thought the hit was clean calling it a "textbook hit". McCoy was taken to Brackenridge Hospital where he spent more than three hours undergoing an evaluation that included an X-Ray
, MRI, and a CAT scan. Longhorns trainer Kenny Boyd said the injury was a severe pinched nerve in McCoy's neck. Boyd said that McCoy was expected to make a full recovery, but no timetable was set for McCoy to return to play. Months later, the Big 12 announced that their officials failed to make the correct call and that a late hit penalty should have been called against A&M's Michael Bennett. Colt McCoy, in a November 2007 interview, stated that neither this nor the earlier Heard tackle had been cheap shots.
Following the injury to McCoy, back-up quarterback Jevan Snead threw an interception on his first play of the game. With the clock rolling on the change of possession, time expired without the Aggies needing to take a play.
The Aggies amassed 244 rushing yards against the nation's top-ranked rushing defense. Texas, normally a potent running team, produced only four rushing first downs and did not have a single run longer than nine yards (8 m). Jamaal Charles, in a later interview, stated "We were looking weak. We thought they'd let up because we're Texas."
The 12-7 victory was the first time for the Aggies to win in Austin in 12 years. "They shattered all our dreams," declared Longhorn defensive end Brian Orakpo.
The game was the 40th consecutive home sell-out for the Longhorns and Justin Blalock
became the first player in Texas history to start 50 consecutive game.
Rivalry. If the Oklahoma State Cowboys had defeated the Sooners, then Texas would still have played in the Big 12 Championship Game with a chance to play in the Fiesta Bowl
. That is because both the Longhorns and the Sooners would have had a 6-2 conference record, but the Longhorns would have won the tie-breaker by virtue of winning the head-to-head game against Oklahoma. Oklahoma won the game, however, so the next game for Texas would be their bowl bid, with speculation originally centering on the Cotton Bowl Classic or Gator Bowl
on New Year's Day
. The Holiday Bowl
and the Alamo Bowl
were also mentioned as possibilities.
Meanwhile, Longhorn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik
accepted the head-coaching job at Iowa State University and did not participate in coaching the Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl. Also, on 29 November 2006, the Austin American-Statesman
cited un-named sources saying back-up quarterback Jevan Snead
would transfer from Texas. On 1 December 2006, the Longhorns issued a statement confirming that Snead, along with sophomore defensive end Chris Brown and sophomore offensive tackle Greg Dolan, had left the team and would transfer to unspecified schools.
On 3 December 2006 Texas officially accepted a bid to play in the Alamo Bowl
against the unranked University of Iowa Hawkeyes, who were 6-6 overall and finished in eighth place in the Big Ten conference with only two conference victories. The Alamo Bowl is played in the 65,000-seat Alamodome
in San Antonio, Texas
on 30 December 2006. Offensive coordinator Greg Davis spoke about the prospects at quarterback, should Colt McCoy not be ready to play:
On December 21, 2006 Colt McCoy was cleared to play in the Alamo Bowl. McCoy did start and played the entire game for Texas. The game was a back-and-forth affair with the 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
largely dominating most of the first half and Texas the second. Texas won the game 26-24. The attendance for the game was 65,875, which established a new record for the most people to gather in San Antonio to view a sporting event.
AP Poll
and the USA Today Coaches Poll
They were ranked 19th in the Bowl Championship Series
(BCS) rankings, which were issued prior to the bowl season
.
Seven members of this team were selected by professional football teams in the 2007 NFL Draft
- Michael Griffin (number 19 overall), Aaron Ross (number 20 overall), Justin Blalock
(number 39 overall), Tim Crowder (number 56 overall), Brian Robison
(number 102 overall), Tarell Brown
(number 147 overall), Kasey Studdard
(number 183 overall). Lyle Sendlein
and Selvin Young
were not drafted but signed with NFL teams as free agents.
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head football coach was Mack Brown
Mack Brown
William Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...
, who received the 2006 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award for "Coach of the Year". The Longhorns (also known as Texas or UT or the Horns) play their home games in Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
-Major Expansions and Renovations:*1926 - "Horseshoe" built on the north end for US$125,000 raising capacity to 40,500*1948 - Two L-shaped sections added to the east and west stands, raising seating capacity to 60,130. General contractor for this work was Farnsworth & Chambers Inc...
(DKR), which during 2006 was undergoing some renovations to improve older sections as well as to add extra seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
.
The 2006 team was the defending national champions since the previous year's team
2005 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played...
won both the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
championship and the National Championship. That was the program's second Big 12 Championship (27 conference championships total, including 25 in the Southwest Conference), and fourth consensus national championship in football. Their championship victory in the 2006 Rose Bowl
2006 Rose Bowl
The 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series...
was also the 800th win for the program and the Longhorns entered the season ranked third in the all-time list of both total wins and winning percentage (.7143).
In 2006, the Longhorn's game against Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in September was one of the most anticipated college football games of the regular season. Texas lost the game to Ohio State and completed the regular season with an overall record of 9 wins - 3 losses, and a 6-2 record in conference games. They were ranked 19th in the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) rankings, issued prior to the bowl season
NCAA football bowl games, 2006-07
The 2006-07 NCAA College Football Bowl Games post-season schedule followed the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS regular season in college football. The NCAA divided Division I into two divisions for football in 1978. The top level, originally known as "Division I-A" and officially changed to the "Football...
. The Longhorns ended their season with a victory in the 2006 Alamo Bowl
2006 Alamo Bowl
The 2006 Alamo Bowl Game was a college football bowl game, part of the 2006–2007 bowl season of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The 2006 Alamo Bowl was played in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on December 30....
against the unranked, 6-6 Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...
to improve to an over-all record of 10 wins - 3 losses. They were ranked 13th in the final national rankings by both the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and the USA Today Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
As of May 1, 2007 seven players from this team had been drafted by professional football teams and two more had signed professional contracts as free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
s.
Leading into the 2006 season
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
, winner of the 2006 Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player award, to enter the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
, where he was the #3 over-all pick and first quarterback selected. The Horns' had three options to replace Young: redshirt freshman
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, true freshman Jevan Snead
Jevan Snead
Jevan Bryce Snead is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent...
, or true freshman Sherrod Harris. Prior to the season, Coach Brown announced that McCoy would be the starter with Snead also getting some game-time.
With the exception of Young, David Thomas
David Thomas (American football)
John David Thomas is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Jonathan Scott, and Will Allen, Texas returned most of their key offensive players from 2005–2006, including fifth-year senior running back Selvin Young
Selvin Young
Selvin Young is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
, true sophomore running back Jamaal Charles
Jamaal Charles
Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, receivers Quan Cosby
Quan Cosby
Quantwan Cosby better known as Quan Cosby is an American football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns...
, Billy Pittman
Billy Pittman
Billy Pittman is a former American football player. He played college football as a wide receiver for the University of Texas Longhorns from 2003 to 2007 and was the leading receiver on the 2005 Texas team that won the BCS National Championship.- High school career :He attended C.H. Yoe High...
, and Limas Sweed
Limas Sweed
Limas Lee Sweed, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Texas Longhorns. On April 26, 2008 Sweed was taken 53rd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 NFL Draft.-High school:Sweed attended...
and lineman Lyle Sendlein
Lyle Sendlein
Lyle Sendlein is an American football center for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
, Kasey Studdard
Kasey Studdard
Kasey Studdard is an American football offensive guard for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. The son of former Denver Broncos tackle Dave Studdard, he was drafted by the Texans in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, and Justin Blalock
Justin Blalock
Justin Christopher Blalock is an American football NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons. He played college ball as the right tackle for the Texas Longhorns under coach Mack Brown. He stands at 6'3.25" and weighs 320 lbs.-High school career:Blalock attended Plano East Senior High School, playing...
. The defense lost starters Rodrique Wright
Rodrique Wright
Rodrique Charles Wright is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Aaron Harris, Cedric Griffin
Cedric Griffin
Cedric Leonard Griffin is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.He was born in Natchez, Mississippi and graduated from Holmes High School in San Antonio, Texas. He played college football for The University of Texas Longhorns and was a stand-out...
and Michael Huff
Michael Huff
Michael Wayne Huff II. is an American Football Free Safety for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He played collegiately as a CB/S for The University of Texas Longhorns.-High school career:...
.
In most preseason rankings, Texas was listed in the top five. In the initial USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Coaches' Poll, which is part of the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
formula for determining which two teams play for the National Championship, Texas was ranked number two. The same poll had Ohio State number 1, meaning that if both teams held their ranking until their 9 September 2006 match-up, it would be a rarely-seen early-season meeting of the two most highly ranked teams in the sport. The teams did keep their respective ranking until game day and played the earliest ever meeting of the #1 and #2 ranked teams.
See also 2006 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
2006 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Three human polls and one formulaic ranking make up the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a National Championship title. That title is bestowed by one or...
Stadium renovations
Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial StadiumDarrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
-Major Expansions and Renovations:*1926 - "Horseshoe" built on the north end for US$125,000 raising capacity to 40,500*1948 - Two L-shaped sections added to the east and west stands, raising seating capacity to 60,130. General contractor for this work was Farnsworth & Chambers Inc...
underwent renovations just prior to the season. US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
15 million were allocated by the Board of Regents for stadium renovations. Stage one, which began on November 14, 2005, involved updating Bellmont Hall — which sits in the west end of the stadium — to meet newer safety codes set by the Austin Fire Department. Also included were water sealing the stadium and expansion of both the Centennial Room and eighth-floor press box
Press box
The press box is a special section of a sports stadium or arena that is set up for the media to report about a given event. It is typically located in the section of the stadium holding the luxury box. In general, newspaper writers sit in this box and write about the on-field event as it unfolds...
. $8 million was spent on audiovisual improvements, including a 7370 square feet (684.7 m²) high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
Daktronics
Daktronics
Daktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video board, scoreboards, digital billboards and related products. The company is best known for its electronic LED displays...
LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
scoreboard, nicknamed "Godzillatron
Godzillatron
"Godzillatron" or "Adzillatron" is the nickname given to the scoreboard at the University of Texas at Austin's Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The official name of the board has not yet been decided; it is simply referred to as the "Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Scoreboard" by the...
." At the time of its creation, Godzillatron was the first high-definition video screen in college sports and the largest high-definition video screen in the world, though it was quickly surpassed by a larger screen in Tokyo. It is still the largest high-definition video screen in collegiate sports.
A new temporary bleacher seating section was added behind the south endzone bringing the stadium's stated capacity to 85,123 for the 2006 season. In mid-July 2006, The University of Texas announced that Memorial Stadium was completely sold out for the upcoming 2006 season. For the first time, tickets would not be sold on an individual game basis.
Stage 2 of the project began just after the final home game, as the north end-zone was expanded to include luxury boxes and an upper-deck. The lower deck is planned to be rebuilt for 2007, while the upper deck is planned to be ready for 2008.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Result | AP Rank | Opponent | Game, Site | Coverage | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2, 2006 | 11am CT | W 56-7 | 3 | North Texas 2006 North Texas Mean Green football team -Schedule:-Texas:-SMU:-Tulsa:-Akron:-Middle Tennessee:-Florida International:-Arkansas State:-Troy:-Louisiana Tech:-Louisiana-Lafayette:-Florida Atlantic:-Louisiana-Monroe:... |
1 - Non-conference, Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium -Major Expansions and Renovations:*1926 - "Horseshoe" built on the north end for US$125,000 raising capacity to 40,500*1948 - Two L-shaped sections added to the east and west stands, raising seating capacity to 60,130. General contractor for this work was Farnsworth & Chambers Inc... · Austin, TX Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... |
FSN | 85,123 |
| September 9, 2006 | 7pm CT | L 7-24 | 2 | #1 Ohio State 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team representing the Ohio State University in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's head coach was Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium... |
2 - Non-conference, Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium · Austin, TX | ABC, ABC-HD | 89,422 |
| September 16, 2006 | 5pm CT | W 52-7 | 8 | @ | 3 - Non-conference, Reliant Stadium · Houston, TX | ESPN2, ESPN2-HD | 40,069 |
| September 23, 2006 | 2:30pm CT | W 37-14 | 7 | 4 - Conference Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... , Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium · Austin, TX |
ABC, ESPN | 88,972 | |
| September 30, 2006 | 6pm CT | W 56-3 | 7 | 5 - Non-conference, Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium · Austin, TX | FSN | 88,913 | |
| October 7, 2006 | 2:30pm CT | W 28-10 | 7 | @ #14 Oklahoma 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team The 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Big 12 Conference Championship... |
6 - Conference (Red River Rivalry Red River Rivalry The Red River Rivalry, commonly known as the OU-Texas Game or Texas-OU Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oklahoma Sooners football team of the University of Oklahoma and the Texas Longhorns football team of the University of Texas. The series is considered... ), Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl (stadium) The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,... · Dallas, TX Dallas, Texas Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... |
ABC, ABC-HD | 76,260 |
| October 14, 2006 | 6:00pm CT | W 63-31 | 6 | 7 - Conference, Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium · Austin, TX | TBS | 88,966 | |
| October 21, 2006 | 11:00am CT | W 22-20 | 5 | @ #16 Nebraska 2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bill Callahan and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.... |
8 - Conference, Memorial Stadium Memorial Stadium, Lincoln Memorial Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.... · Lincoln, NE Lincoln, Nebraska The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379.... |
ABC | 85,187 |
| October 28, 2006 | 6:00pm CT | W 35-31 | 5 | @ Texas Tech 2006 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team The 2006 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University in the college football season of 2006–2007. The team was coached by Mike Leach. The Red Raiders played their home games at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.... |
9 - Conference, Jones SBC Stadium Jones AT&T Stadium Jones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference.-Planning and funding:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium opened in 1947... · Lubbock, TX Lubbock, Texas Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University... (Chancellor's Spurs Chancellor's Spurs The Chancellor's Spurs is a trophy awarded to the winner of the in-state college football rivalry game between the Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech Red Raiders. The trophy is a set of spurs exchanged between the chancellors of the University of Texas System and Texas Tech University System... ) |
TBS | 56,158 |
| November 4, 2006 | 6:00pm CT | W 36-10 | 4 | 10 - Conference, Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium · Austin, TX | TBS | 89,036 | |
| November 11, 2006 | 7:00pm CT | L 42-45 | 4 | @ Kansas State 2006 Kansas State Wildcats football team The 2006 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the college football season of 2006. The team's head football coach was Ron Prince. 2006 was the first year for Prince who came to K-State from Virginia as their offensive coordinator... |
11 - Conference, KSU Stadium Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium is a stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Kansas State University Wildcats football team. It is named after head coach Bill Snyder and his family... · Manhattan, KS Manhattan, Kansas Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281... |
ABC | 47,933 |
| November 24, 2006 | 11:00am CT | L 7-12 | 11 | Texas A&M 2006 Texas A&M Aggies football team The 2006 Texas A&M Aggies football team completed the season with a 9-4 record. The Aggies had a regular season Big 12 record of 5-3.-Schedule:-Roster:-The Citadel:-Louisiana-Lafayette:-Army:-Louisiana Tech:... |
12 - Conference, Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium · Austin, TX | ABC | 89,102 |
| December 30, 2006 | 3:30pm CT | W 26-24 | 18 | Iowa 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team The 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2006 college football season. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium and were coached by Kirk Ferentz... |
13 Bowl game Bowl game In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating... , 2006 Alamo Bowl 2006 Alamo Bowl The 2006 Alamo Bowl Game was a college football bowl game, part of the 2006–2007 bowl season of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The 2006 Alamo Bowl was played in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on December 30.... at the Alamodome Alamodome The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S... in San Antonio, Texas San Antonio, Texas San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... |
ESPN | 65,875 |
North Texas
Texas opened their season against the North Texas Mean GreenNorth Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four...
. The pre-game festivities included the traditional display of The World's Largest Texas Flag
World's Largest Texas Flag
The World's Largest Texas Flag is a Texas flag used by the Alpha Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Omega , a national co-ed service fraternity, at the University of Texas at Austin in displays at football pre-game shows, at pep rallies, or for other purposes.-Field flag:The largest flag is used for...
. The version used in this game measured 75 feet (22.9 m) by 125 feet (38.1 m), and is the first of the flags to have the proper 3:5 ratio (shown).
Redshirt freshman quarterback Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
made his college debut and threw a 60 yd (54.9 m). touchdown pass to Limas Sweed
Limas Sweed
Limas Lee Sweed, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Texas Longhorns. On April 26, 2008 Sweed was taken 53rd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 NFL Draft.-High school:Sweed attended...
one minute and eight seconds into the game. McCoy threw 12 of 19 for 178 yards (162.8 m) with 3 touchdowns through the air, two of them to Sweed. McCoy also ran for 38 yards (34.7 m) including a touchdown run. It was also the college debut of true freshman quarterback Jevan Snead
Jevan Snead
Jevan Bryce Snead is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent...
who completed 3 of 7 for 20 yards (18.3 m) with one interception. The offense had a 410 yards (374.9 m) game.
The defense held North Texas to one touchdown. Defensive End Aaron Lewis
Aaron Lewis
Aaron Lewis, , is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and founding member of the rock group Staind, with whom he has released seven studio albums. He has since ventured into country music with his debut solo album, Town Line...
recorded his first career forced fumble, fumble recovery, and touchdown in the same play. The defense held North Texas to 8 yards (7.3 m) rushing and 87 yards (79.6 m) passing.
The win extended Texas' streak to 21 games, the longest in the NCAA at the time. The game's attendance was 85,123, a new school record and the 34th consecutive sellout.
Ohio State
The game against Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
was one of the most anticipated college football games of the regular season. The two teams had combined for 1,576 victories in 231 total years of football prior to meeting with the Horns ranking third on the NCAA all-time victory list with 801 wins and the Buckeye's ranking sixth with 775.
Ohio State was ranked #1 with Texas #2 in both the Associated Press and the coach's poll. The 2006-09-09 game between Texas and Ohio State became a match-up of college football's #1 and #2 ranked teams for only the 36th time in NCAA history. The Longhorns were part of the 35th meeting of top-ranked teams when the 2005 Longhorns
2005 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played...
defeated USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in the 2006 Rose Bowl
2006 Rose Bowl
The 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series...
.
Ohio State is only the second top-ranked team to ever play as a visiting football team in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. The other was SMU
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
when then-No. 7 Texas beat the Mustangs 23-20 on 4 November 1950. Ohio State has participated in three No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups in school history and holds a record of three wins and no losses (2-0). The most recent such win for Ohio State occurred when they beat No. 2 Michigan in their annual matchup later that same season. Texas has a (4-0) record in No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups with all four previous victories coming en-route to national championship seasons. The last time UT played in a No. 1 vs. No 2. regular season game was a win over the top-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
in one of the most famous games of the UT-AK rivalry. The game marked the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the regular season since 1996, when No. 2 Florida State beat No. 1 Florida 24-21. The September 9 meeting was the earliest for the #1 and #2 teams to ever face each other in any college football season.
Tarell Brown
Tarell Brown is a professional American football player for the San Francisco 49ers.-High school career:He played for North Mesquite High School in Mesquite, Texas. Tarell Brown played in the 2003 U.S...
and Tyrell Gatewood, were suspended from the team and did not play in the 9 September 2006 game against the 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team representing the Ohio State University in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's head coach was Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium...
. Brown was also charged with a Class A misdemeanor weapons violation for being in possession of a firearm without a permit. Tarell Brown was listed as a starting cornerback and may have covered Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. in that game. Replacements included Ryan Palmer and Brandon Foster
Brandon Foster
Brandon Foster is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He most recently attended training camp with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
, neither of whom had started a college game. The former player, who was the owner of the handgun, is former UT linebacker Aaron Harris.
"I think it will be one of the most exciting games in the history of this school," said Texas coach Mack Brown. He said he had listed Ohio State at the top of his ballot in the coach's poll prior to the game. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel is a gameday consultant for the Indianapolis Colts, and former collegiate football head coach at both The Ohio State University from 2001 to 2011 and at Youngstown State University from 1986 to 2000. Tressel is most notable for his time at Ohio State. He was hired by the...
stated in a news conference that he cast his vote for Texas as the number one school coming into the game, but it was later revealed that his ballot listed Ohio State as number one.
Two United States Senators, Sen. Mike DeWine
Mike DeWine
Richard Michael "Mike" DeWine is the Attorney General for the state of Ohio. He has held numerous offices on the state and federal level, including Ohio State Senator, four terms as a U.S. Congressman, Ohio Lt. Governor, and was a two-term U.S. Senator, serving from 1995 to 2007.- Biography :Born...
, R-Ohio and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
, R-Texas, placed a wager
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
on the game. DeWine promised to deliver his wife's homemade chocolate-covered peanut butter Buckeye candies to Hutchison if Texas won, while Hutchison promised to give DeWine some Blue Bell
Blue Bell Creameries
Blue Bell Creameries, founded in 1907, is the manufacturer of Blue Bell brand ice cream.Blue Bell sells its ice cream directly in only 20 states, mostly in the Southern United States, although Blue Bell ice cream has also been eaten aboard the International Space Station and at Camp David...
ice cream, made in Texas, if Ohio State won. In sports book betting in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
the day prior to the game, Texas was favored to win the game by 2 to 2½ points.
Ohio State won the game 24–7. The attendance was 89,422, the most people to ever watch a football game in the state of Texas.
Texas's loss made it unlikely that Texas would repeat as National Champions. Since the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
was formed in 1998, 11 of the 16 teams were unbeaten going into the game. The only time the national champion has not been unbeaten during that stretch was in 2003 when LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
and USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
claimed a share of the title as each finished with one loss. Ohio State tackle Kirk Barton said "There’ll probably be two undefeated teams at the end of the road and if you’re not one of them you’re probably not going to be playing for the championship. So you’ve got to treat every game like it’s the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. You only get one opportunity."
Rice
Texas and Rice
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
met in 2006 for the 89th time. The series, which began in 1914, is the fourth oldest (by number of games) in Texas history.
Texas and Rice were once conference foes in the Southwest Conference, despite the usual mismatch in ability on the field (66 Texas wins vs 21 wins for Rice, with one tie). President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
compared the challenge of going to the moon
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
to the challenge faced when Rice played Texas. In addition to renewing a traditional rivalry, playing Rice in a "home and away" series allows for Texas to play games in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, a city that is an important recruiting base for UT, along with having a significant Texas Exes
Texas Exes
The Ex-Students' Association of The University of Texas is the association of former students of the University of Texas at Austin....
alumni population.
The game was the first time Rice offensive coordinator Major Applewhite
Major Applewhite
Major Lee Applewhite is the Co-Offensive Coordinator and Running Backs Coach for the University of Texas. Prior to Texas, Applewhite served as offensive coordinator at Rice University under Todd Graham in 2006, and at the University of Alabama under Nick Saban in 2007...
faced his former college team, where he enjoys "cult legend" status. Applewhite was a quarterback for Texas from 1998 to 2001 and set 48 school records. Many of these still stand, including the longest pass play (97 yards), most touchdown passes in a career (60), career yards (8,353), consecutive passes without an interception (156) and most yards passing in a game (473). At Rice, Applewhite has taken the team away from the "Wishbone
Wishbone formation
The wishbone formation, also known simply as the ’bone, is an offensive formation in American football. The style of attack to which it gives rise is known as the wishbone offense...
" offense and moved them to a more modern, one-running-back formation similar to that used by Texas.
Rice won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half, allowing Texas to start the game on offense. Texas' opening drive used 7 rushing plays (no passes) and just over 3 minutes to drive 65 yards (59.4 m) for a touchdown. Texas followed up by scoring a touchdown on its second possession and a field goal on its third possession to earn a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Texas won the game 52-7.
Iowa State
Texas began conference play on 23 September 2006 vs the Iowa State Cyclones. This was the 6th match-up between the two teams and Texas had won all five previous games.Both teams scored in the first quarter. Iowa State opened the game on offense and failed to gain a first down, going "three and out" and punting to Texas. Texas scored a touch-down on the resulting drive. Iowa State was stopped again on its second possession. As Iowa State went to punt, the ball went out of the back of their end zone, resulting in a safety for Texas. Texas scored another touch-down on their second possession. Iowa State answered to make the score 7-16 as the first quarter ended. In the second quarter, Texas scored two touchdown and Iowa State scored one, to make the score 30-14 Texas at the half. Texas scored one more touchdown while holding Iowa State scoreless in the third quarter. At the end of the third quarter, the officials called a delay due to lightning in the area. When the game resumed, neither team scored in the fourth quarter, giving Texas a 37-14 win.
Sam Houston State
With the decision by the NCAA to allow teams to expand to a 12 game schedule, Texas added Division I-AA Sam Houston State to its schedule. The game was the first UT game since 2004 not to be televised nationally on broadcast or cable, though it was available on pay per view from DirecTVDirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
and Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
. This was the first ever meeting of the Texas Longhorns and the Sam Houston State Bearkats and the first time Texas played a Division I-AA team in fourteen years.
Texas won the game 56-3.
Oklahoma
The Longhorns and the 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team
2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Big 12 Conference Championship...
met at the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
for their annual rivalry game known as the Red River Shootout. This was the 101st meeting between the schools. Texas came into the game leading the series 56-39-5 overall and 44-35-4 at the Cotton Bowl. In 2005, the Longhorns broke a 5-year losing streak on their way to the national championship.
Three days prior to the game, UT fans conducted the traditional Torchlight Parade and Rally, terminating on the South Mall of the UT campus. The rally first took place in 1916 prior to a game versus Texas A&M; since 1986 it has been an annual event held exclusively during the week prior to the Texas-OU game. Another annual tradition is the running of game balls by the schools' Reserve Officer Training Corps programs. Each school's ROTC program uses a relay running system to run one game ball 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.
The teams alternate home and away each year, and this year the Sooners played host. They occupied the bench under the press box and wore their red home jerseys while Texas will wore their all-white road uniforms. The stadium, as usual, was split down the 50 yards (45.7 m) line with Sooner fans sitting on the south side of mid-field. The division is visually striking with a difference in crowd noise levels from one end of the stadium to the other. Beginning in 2007, the teams will alternate North and South ends of the field, giving the home team fans the seats adjacent to the tunnel leading to both teams' locker rooms. The game is worth an estimated USD 21 million in direct spending to the Dallas economy. The UT ticket office controls 37,000 tickets for the game, 7,000 of which were assigned to student season ticket holders plus another 2,000 assigned to students through a lottery. On e-Bay, tickets were selling for over $500.
As intense as the rivalry between the schools is, there were many factors tying the programs together in 2006. Texas head coach Mack Brown
Mack Brown
William Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...
was the Offensive Coordinator for the Sooners in 1984 (the Red River Shootout ended in a 15-15 tie that year). He is also the brother of UAB
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System...
head coach Watson Brown
Watson Brown
Lester Watson Brown is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Tennessee Technological University, a position he has held since 2007...
, who lost to OU at the beginning of the 2006 season. Oklahoma Co-defensive Coordinator and defensive backs coach Bobby Jack Wright was an assistant coach at Texas from 1986 to '97. OU also had two Austin natives on their roster this season, QB Hays McEachern and WR Fred Strong. McEachern's father was the Texas quarterback in 1977 and 1978 and his mother was a Longhorn cheerleader.
With the two teams in the south division of the same conference, it is difficult for either team to win their half of the conference without winning this game although this did occur in the 2006 season. The winner of the game has a much greater chance to be the Big 12 South division champion and play in the Big 12 Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. The game often has national title implications as well. Since 1999, the winner in of this rivalry game has gone on to the BCS National Championship on 3 occasions, the Sooners in 2000 and 2004, and the Longhorns in 2005. Prior to the game, the sports line in Vegas casinos was 4 to 41/2 points with Texas the favorite.
McCoy got his first win over a ranked team as well as his first come-from-behind victory when he threw 2 touchdown passes and led the Longhorns to a 28-10 win. He threw 11 completed passes in 18 attempts for a total of 108 passing, with no interceptions.
The 2 touchdowns by McCoy gave him 12 touchdown passes for the season, tied for third with Longhorn passer James Brown in the list of most touchdowns by a freshman. Despite a prediction by the UT student newspaper, The win gave Texas its second win in a row vs Oklahoma and 17th straight conference win.
Oklahoma outgained Texas 333 to 232 in total yards, but the Sooners turned the ball over five times to none by Texas. Four of Oklahoma's turnover occurred in the second half. Texas' Aaron Ross was credited with three of those turnovers, as he intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble for a touchdown. It was the first time since 1967 that Texas avoided making a turnover in the Red River Shootout. Oklahoma also suffered from penalties, committing 11 to the Longhorns' 3. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops
Bob Stoops
Robert Anthony "Bob" Stoops is the head coach of the University of Oklahoma football team. During the 2000 season, Stoops led the Sooners to an Orange Bowl victory and a national championship....
said after the game, "They made the plays and the turnovers, and we did not. Congratulations to them."
The attendance for the game, 76,260, was second highest for a Texas-OU game behind the 79,587 who saw the 2004 game. Fans in the Oklahoma end of the stadium were filing out to the State Fair of Texas
State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas . The fair season usually begins the last Friday in September and ends 24 days later. The fair is held at the historic Fair Park where it has been held since 1886. The 2012 State Fair of Texas will run from September 28th...
with more than seven minutes left and they were practically all gone with one minute remaining as the Longhorn fans chanted "Poor Sooners" and soon after, sang the Eyes of Texas. After the win, defensive end Brian Robison donned the Golden Hat
Red River Shootout trophies
There are three Red River Shootout trophies given to the winner of the annual Red River Shootout which is a college football rivalry game between The University of Texas Longhorns and the University of Oklahoma Sooners. The trophies are the Golden Hat, the Red River Rivalry trophy and the...
from the Red River Shootout winner's trophy. He also planted a Longhorn flag in the turf of the Cotton Bowl. When combined with the 2005 score, the Longhorns have outscored the Sooners 75-22 for the Longhorns' largest winning margin across a two-game stretch in the 101-game history of the rivalry.
Baylor
The Longhorns first played Baylor in 1901 and faced them annually during the days of the Southwest Conference. In the 96 meetings through 2006, Texas' record 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. The morning of the game, the betting line in Las Vegas was Texas by 27½ - 28 points.Baylor quarterback Shawn Bell used play action and passed for a 67 yards (61.3 m) touchdown on the first play. Bell then ran down the field flashing the upside-down Hook 'em Horns
Hook 'em Horns
Hook 'em Horns is the slogan and hand signal of The University of Texas at Austin. Students and alumni of the university employ a greeting consisting of the phrase "Hook 'em" or "Hook 'em Horns" and also use the phrase as a parting good-bye or as the closing line in a letter or story.The gesture is...
sign. Baylor added a field goal to outscore Texas 10 - 0 in the first quarter. Texas forced 3 turnovers in the second quarter, scoring touchdowns off each of them. Texas scored a fourth touchdown to take a 28 - 10 lead into half time. The two teams each scored 14 points in the third quarter while in the final quarter Texas scored 21 to 7 points by Baylor. The final score was Texas 63, Baylor 31.
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy threw six touchdown passes in the game, the most ever by a Texas quarterback. The previous record of 5 touchdown passes had been held by James Brown (set vs Baylor in 1994) and Chris Simms
Chris Simms
Christopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
(vs Oklahoma State in 2001). McCoy completed 21-of-32 attempted passes for a total of 275 yards (251.5 m), with one interception. The game moved McCoy from eighth to fifth in the list of quarterbacks by passing efficiency, and the 18 touchdown passes were the third most in the nation. Following the game, McCoy was selected as the Cingular All-America Player of the Week.
Nebraska
Aided by an Auburn victory against Florida, Texas moved up one spot to #5 in the AP poll following the win against Baylor. The first Bowl Championship SeriesBowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
rankings of the year were issued on 15 October 2006. Along with the AP poll, the BCS rankings use the Harris Interactive Poll and a series of computer scores to rank teams. Texas had a number 5 ranking in both human polls, but a combined computer ranking of 15th meant that the Longhorns entered the BCS poll rankied ninth.
The 2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers
2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bill Callahan and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska....
entered the game against Texas ranked 16 in both human polls and 19 in the computer rankings, for a total BCS ranking of 17th. Coming into the game, Texas was the third winningest program in college football, with 806 wins. Nebraska was fourth, having won their 800th game the previous weekend vs Kansas State. Only four teams have won 800 or more games: Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, Texas, and now Nebraska. The game marked the first time for Texas to face a 800-win program since Texas broke through the 800 win barrier. The 2006 football season also marked the first time for four 800-win programs to play against each other; Notre Dame and Michigan played each other earlier in the season.
In terms of winning percentage, Texas ranked third at 71.52% while Nebraska ranked seventh at 70.57%. The two programs claim four national championships apiece. The environment at Lincoln has been considered one of the most hostile for an opposing team, due in part to the noise of the crowd.
Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
columnist Kirk Bohls predicted that Nebraska might pull off an upset against the Longhorns. He said that "Texas isn't a great running team (only a good one).." that "Texas' pass defense is very suspect..." and that Longhorn kicker Greg Johnson had only kicked one field goal all year. Bohls also speculated that Nebraska might have more motivation because "Texas has had Nebraska's number for a while,... [Texas] knocked off the Huskers in the inaugural Big 12 football championship game at St. Louis to deprive Nebraska of a shot at another national title in 1996." In 1998, freshman quarterback Major Applewhite
Major Applewhite
Major Lee Applewhite is the Co-Offensive Coordinator and Running Backs Coach for the University of Texas. Prior to Texas, Applewhite served as offensive coordinator at Rice University under Todd Graham in 2006, and at the University of Alabama under Nick Saban in 2007...
led the Longhorns to a victory over the seventh ranked Cornhuskers, snapping their 47-home game winning streak. they also ended the Cornhuskers new, national-best, winning streak at 26 in 2002. Entering the 2006 game, Texas was the only team in the Big Twelve Conference with a winning record (6-4) vs. Nebraska. Texas led the series 5-1 since the formation of the Big Twelve, and they were 4-1 against Nebraska since Mack Brown came to Texas.
Prior to the game, the Las Vegas betting line was Texas by 5½ points. The game set a new stadium attendance record crowd of 85,187, the 280th consecutive sell-out at Nebraska. Before the game, Nebraska honored Mike Rozier
Mike Rozier
Michael Rozier is a former American collegiate and professional football running back who won the Heisman Trophy in 1983. He was born in Camden, New Jersey. Mike and his wife, Rochelle, an attorney, reside in South Jersey and together they have one son. Mike has two other children who reside in...
for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
. The Nebraska players all touched a horseshoe as the entered Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln
Memorial Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team....
, which was referred to by a writer from The Daily Texan
The Daily Texan
The Daily Texan is the student newspaper of the University of Texas at Austin. It is entirely student-run and independent from the university. It is one of the largest college newspapers in the United States with a daily circulation of roughly 30,000 during the fall and spring semesters and bills...
as "perhaps the most polished in the Big 12." The game featured 36-degree temperatures, winds out of the north at 20 mi/h, rain, and snow flurries
Texas' Quan Cosby returned the opening kick-off to within the Nebraska 10 yards (9.1 m) line, and the Longhorns kicked a field goal. Nebraska scored a first quarter touchdown. Texas scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, but one of the two extra points was blocked, so the score at half-time had Texas ahead 16 to 7. Johnson also missed 2 field goals during the game, possibly at least in part due to leg cramps. Neither team scored in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter with Nebraska trailing by 6, Coach Callahan
Bill Callahan (football coach)
William E. Callahan is the Assistant Head Coach for the New York Jets. He was formerly the head coach of the Oakland Raiders for the 2002-2003 seasons and for the University of Nebraska for the 2004-2007 seasons....
called what seemed to be a sweep play similar to ones they had used earlier in the game. However, when running back Marlon Lucky
Marlon Lucky
Marlon Lucky is an American football running back for the Omaha Beef of the Indoor Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Nebraska.-Early years:...
got the pitch, he threw a 25 yards (22.9 m) touchdown pass to Nate Swift
Nate Swift
Nate Swift is an American football player who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Nate was born in Hutchinson, Minnesota, on August 24, 1985. He played wide receiver for the University of Nebraska, where he set a school record for career receptions and finished second in season receiving yardage ,...
. The extra point gave Nebraska a one-point lead with 4:54 left in the game. Texas safety Aaron Ross took responsibility for over-pursuing on the run; "It was my fault. The receiver did a great job pretending like he was blocking, I came down to force on the run, and they beat us deep."
After Texas was forced to punt, Nebraska had to run out the clock to ensure victory. On first and second down, Brandon Jackson rushed twice for seven yards (6 m), bringing up a third down with three yards (3 m) to go on its own 36 yards (32.9 m) line and 2:23 remaining on the clock. Texas' defense had limited Nebraska's running offense to only 36 yards (32.9 m), far less than their 207.7 average, so Nebraska passed to NU receiver Terrance Nunn for a first down. Had the play ended there, Nebraska would likely have been able to run out the clock since Texas had no time-outs remaining. Before Nunn went down, Aaron Ross tackled him and used his helmet to cause a fumble that was recovered by Texas safety Marcus Griffin
Marcus Griffin
Marcus Kevin Griffin was born on January 4, 1985 in Austin, Texas. Griffin entered the 2008 NFL Draft, however he went unselected. Griffin was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings on April 28, 2008. Griffin was subsequently waived on June 30, 2008...
at the Nebraska 44 yard-line with 2:17 left.
Colt McCoy led the Longhorns through the snow flurries to the Nebraska 5. With less than a minute remaining, Nebraska leading by one point, and the Horns facing fourth down, Texas needed a field-goal to win. Johnson had already missed three kicks (2 field goals and a blocked extra point) and he told Coach Brown late in the game that his leg was tightening up. Brown looked to walk-on Sophomore Ryan Bailey to attempt the kick. Bailey was not listed on UT's depth chart and coach Brown later admitted he wasn't sure whether Bailey had even been on the team as a freshman. Bailey had made only 10 kicks as a high-school kicker from Anderson High School in Austin, Texas and he had never attempted a kick for the Longhorns. The trip to Nebraska was only the second time he had ever been included in the travel roster, which is limited to 64 players. Before the kick, Brown told him "You're the luckiest guy in the world. You've got a chance to be Dusty Mangum
Dusty Mangum
Dustin Ross Mangum is a former placekicker for the University of Texas at Austin's college football team from 2001 to 2004. Mangum, who began his college football career as a walk-on, is best known for capping UT's 2004-2005 season with a 37-yard game-winning field goal as time expired in the...
on your first kick." Mangum had scored the game winning field goal as time expired to lift the Longhorns to victory over the Michigan Wolverines in the 2005 Rose Bowl.
Nebraska Coach Callahan used his coach's challenge to have the officials review the preceding third down play. The play was allowed to stand as an incomplete pass, as called on the field. Brown gave Bailey a swat on the helmet and Bailey jogged onto the field and calmy made the field goal. Nebraska tried two end-zone passes, both incomplete, and Texas won the game by 2 points, 22-20. Bailey said afterwards, "Actually, the only thing I really remember about being on the field was when the offensive line turned around and said 'Let's just block for 1.3 seconds. Just give him a chance to get the ball off.'"
The win was Texas' 16th straight road game victory, extending a school record, and 19th consecutive win in conference play. The latter streak is the second longest in the country, following the conference game winning-steak of USC. The game was the first time for Colt McCoy to lead the Longhorns to a come-from-behind victory in the fourth quarter.
The Longhorns had several injuries during the game. Defensive starters Derek Lokey and Robert Killebrew
Robert Killebrew
Robert Winston Killebrew is a professional American and Canadian football linebacker free agent. He was signed by the Calgary Stampeders as a street free agent in 2009. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns.-Early years:...
both had to leave the game due to leg injuries. Cornerback Tarell Brown was seen limping badly after the game and kicker/punter Greg Johnson aggravated a previous injury on his fourth-quarter field goal.
Eric Ransom, a writer for The Daily Texan, dubbed the game "the comeback on the prairie" and declared the game an "instant classic". Former Longhorn quarterback Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
was on the sidelines for the first time since going to the NFL and he went to the Longhorn locker-room afterwards to congratulate the team on the win. Representatives from the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
, the game that normally takes the Big 12 Conference champion, were also on hand.
The media had speculated that Nebraska and Texas would win their respective conference divisions to play again in the Big 12 Conference Championship. This was echoed in post-game interviews as both teams voiced respect for the other. Texas coach Mack Brown said, "Nebraska is back, For them to keep coming back and back and back — they made big plays throughout the game to put themselves in a position to win." He continued, "As soon as they back away from it, they'll see that their program is back on track, one of the best in the country. And they'll be excited about a chance to go play somebody in (the Big 12 championship game). Hopefully, if we can keep playing, it might be us." Nebraska cornerback Cortney Grixby said of Texas, "They kept their composure. That's the mark of a champion. And that's what they are."
Texas Tech
The Longhorns come into the game at Texas Tech with several injuries on defense. Five days prior to the game, the Longhorns announced that starting defensive tackle Derek Lokey, injured in the Nebraska game, was out indefinitely with a broken left leg. Senior defensive end Tim Crowder said. "That's huge. He's the heart and soul of our defensive line. He didn't get a lot of credit, but he was the anchor." Lokey had 24 tackles and quarterback pressures and also spent some time at fullback. Luke Tiemann will take over Lokey's fullback duties while sophomore Roy Miller will start at Lokey's spot as nose tackle. Roddrick Muckelroy, who started the first three games at linebacker, was still out indefinitely due to a ruptured finger tendon. Linebacker Robert KillebrewRobert Killebrew
Robert Winston Killebrew is a professional American and Canadian football linebacker free agent. He was signed by the Calgary Stampeders as a street free agent in 2009. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns.-Early years:...
was listed questionable for the Texas Tech game. In addition, several defensive players had been playing with injuries. According to the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
these include twin-brother safeties "Marcus Griffin (ankle) and Michael Griffin (ankle), tackle Frank Okam (knee), cornerbacks Tarell Brown (toe) and Aaron Ross (hand) and end Brian Robison (ankle)". Linebacker Drew Kelson has also been suffering from an ankle injury. The 2005&nbps;national championship team only had one game missed by a defensive starter due to injury, but the 2006 team already had thirteen missed games due to injuries or suspensions.
During Mack Brown's time at Texas, he has only lost six&nbps;road games in an opponent's stadium. The Red Raiders are the only team so far to have defeated the Longhorns twice in road games, and they have done so in four year increments with victories in 1998 and 2002. The 2002 game was lost by Texas 42-38, when defensive starters Derrick Johnson
Derrick Johnson
-Kansas City Chiefs:Johnson started every game for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005, becoming the first Chiefs linebacker in 20 years to start all 16 games of his rookie campaign. He was subsequently awarded the Mack Lee Hill Award by the Chiefs...
, Kalen Thornton, Marcus Tubbs
Marcus Tubbs
Marcus Dwayne Tubbs is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 23rd overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.-Early years:...
and Nathan Vasher
Nathan Vasher
Nathaniel DeWayne Vasher is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
were all injured. Texas' coaching staff said that injuries are not an excuse to lose a ball game. Mack Brown said, "It's still a loss. Nobody cares. I used to talk about injuries all the time, and it does nothing good for your team. Some years you have them, and some years you don't... We've still got a chance for everything after eight games, and that's unbelievable." The most recent two Tech-Texas games had not been close score-wise, with Texas winning 51-21 in Lubbock in 2004 and 52-17 in Austin in 2005.
Texas Tech entered the game with a potent passing offense led by Sophomore quarterback Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
. He has completed 245 passes out of 356 attempts this year and he averages more than 313 passing yards per game. Just the previous week, he threw for 368 yards (336.5 m) and career -high six touchdowns in a 42-26 win over Iowa State and the Red Raiders are averaging 48.6 passes per game.
On the other side of the ball, the Longhorns were ranked 84th in pass defense this season, giving up 221.8 yards (202.8 m) per game. Tech senior defensive lineman Chris Hudler said Texas also possessed a powerful offense, "There is no room for error," he said. "Some teams you might be able to make mistakes and make up for them later. But they (Texas) have some of the best athletes in the country." Henry Melton
Henry Melton
Henry Melton is a defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He is an alumnus of the University of Texas...
, previously known as a tailback used by the Longhorns in short-yardage situations, ended up being used in the game at defensive end in an effort to give Texas more depth on defense.
Four days prior to the game, the betting line in Las Vegas casinos was Texas by 11½ to 12 points. The game set a new attendance record for Texas Tech in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, with 56,158 in attendance.
Texas Tech got off to a quick start, outscoring the Longhorns 21-0 in the first quarter. Harrell compiled 364 passing yards and three touchdown passes against the Longhorn pass defense during the first half. That was more yards passing than Texas had previously given up during an entire game in the course of the 2006 season to date. Texas responded by outscoring Texas Tech 21-10 in the second quarter so that Tech led by 10 points at half-time.
By the end of the game, Texas Tech had completed 519 yards (474.6 m) passing. This was only 14 yards (12.8 m) short of the record for most-ever passing yardage against the Longhorns which was set by David Klinger of the University of Houston in 1992. Never-the-less, Tech found themselves trailing 35-31 with 4:24 left in the game and facing fourth down at the Texas 15 yards (13.7 m) line. According to UT's Brian Robison, "We recognized from the [offensive lines] splits that it was going to be a quarterback sneak," Texas stopped Graham Harrell to take possession of the football. Texas in turn was facing a third down and five yards-to-go with one and a half minutes left in the game. McCoy dropped back to pass but was under pressure from the defense. He first ran right and then revered direction to break into the open for a 34 yards (31.1 m) gain before sliding down in the field of play. The clock started once the officials set the ball ready for play, and McCoy took a knee for the final snap to allow the clock to run out.
Playing with a busted lip since early in the game, Colt McCoy ended up with 256 passing yards and four touchdowns. He also contributed career-best 68 rushing yards, including the 33 yards (30.2 m) scramble that helped seal the victory. The win may have had added significance for McCoy since he grew up only two hours from Lubbock, attended Tuscola Jim Ned high school, and is dating a Texas Tech student who serves as a recruiter for the Red Raiders football team. Although McCoy has now completed 24 touchdowns (2 shy of the UT single season record) he is known for shunning the limelight, preferring to give credit to his coaches and team mates. Former Texas wide receiver Roy Williams
Roy Williams (wide receiver)
Roy Eugene Williams, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Chicago Bears. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions seventh overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, who attended the game on the sidelines, said of McCoy "And you know what the scary thing is? He's not even good yet."
For Texas, coming back to win the game from a 21-0 deficit was the second biggest comeback win in school history and the biggest comeback ever in a road game. The Longhorns over came four turn-overs they committed during the win. For Texas Tech, the loss was only the third loss under Coach Leach when the Raiders held a lead at half-time. The 519 yards (474.6 m) passing by Graham Harrell was a career-best. Wide receiver arrett Hicks had nine catches and the most receiving yards in the game at 156, but he left the game with an apparent head injury early in the second half. After the game, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, U.S. It is owned by the Morris Communications Company.-History:The Lubbock Avalanche was founded in 1900 by John James Dillard and Thad Tubbs. According to Dillard, the name "Avalanche" was chosen due to his desire that the...
interviewed fans and reported "Many agreed that it was the most exciting game of the year, citing the big crowd and enthusiasm in the stadium."
After one pass interference penalty against the Red Raider, Tech defensive back Darcel McBath threw his mouthpiece towards the officials. After the game, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach implied that there may have been mistakes made by the officiating crew. He said, "There were some things that happened in the course of the game, in particular the second half, that were outside of our control that I'm not able to comment on that were very detrimental to our effort." Leach sent Big Twelve Conference officials a video tape showing 18 calls, no calls, or other rulings that were disputed by Texas Tech. The disputed play-calls include plays accounting for more than half of the penalty yardage assessed against Tech as well the spot of the ball following a 14 yards (12.8 m) fourth down pass on Tech's penultimate drive of the game. The officials said that play came up less than a yard short of the first down marker, giving Texas the ball.
Oklahoma State
With the win over Texas Tech combined with the USC Trojans2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
losing to the Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
, Texas moved up one spot to #4 in the Associated Press and Coach's polls. According to Fox Sports
Fox College Sports
Fox College Sports is a group of three United States digital cable networks, FCS Atlantic, FCS Central and FCS Pacific owned by News Corporation, that specialize primarily in showing collegiate programming, live events, coaches shows & various DI, DII, & DIII content surrounding college athletics...
columnist Eric Moneypenny
Eric Moneypenny
Eric Moneypenny is an American comedian and writer.Moneypenny is currently a writer and performer for The Midnight Show , a popular monthly sketch comedy showcase at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, which has been called "a hot spot to watch simmering talent boil over into commercial success."...
, "...we're gonna be left with Ohio State or Michigan against Texas. Maybe West Virginia can stay the course and somehow stay above Texas in the standings, but it seems doubtful should Texas run the table and win the Big 12." Texas got no boost in the BCS rankings however, as they passed USC but were passed by idle Louisville
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
to remain at number seven in the BCS.
In each of the preceding four games, Texas trailed their opponent for at least part of the game and managed to come back to win. This includes fourth quarter come-backs against Nebraska and Texas Tech. The win over Texas Tech was the biggest road come-back in UT's history, and the second biggest come-back ever. The biggest was against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in 2004 in Austin.
The week prior to the 2006 game against Texas the Cowboys had scored 28 unanswered points in a come-from-behind upset of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Kansas State
The day of the game, the betting line in Las Vegas casinos favored then #4 ranked Texas by 16 points against an unranked 6-4 Kansas State team. Kansas State won the coin toss and elected to kick. The kick was a touchback and Texas made 4 first downs in a 10 play drive from the Texas 20 to the Kansas State 1, where Texas had their fifth first-down of the game. Two rushing plays by tailback Selvin Young were unsuccessful, as was a third down carry by red-shirt freshman quarterback Colt McCoy. On fourth down from the Kansas State 1 yard-line, Texas again opted to keep the ball in the hands of McCoy. He made the touchdown on a run up the middle, but was buried in a pile of defenders. McCoy came off the field holding his right shoulder and then was seen wincing in pain as trainers attended to him on the sideline. He was taken into the locker room for further evaluation and returned to the sideline in the first half, where he threw some warm-up passes. However, McCoy never re-entered the game and freshman quarterback Jevan Snead
Jevan Snead
Jevan Bryce Snead is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent...
played the rest of the game in McCoy's place.
Kansas State tied the game in the first quarter off of a 36 yards (32.9 m) touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Freeman
Josh Freeman
-2009:On November 8, 2009, Freeman started his first professional game at home against the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers won, ending an 11-game losing streak. He completed 14 out of 31 passes for 205 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and 1 INT, including a fourth down touchdown pass to rookie Sammie...
to wide receiver Yamon Figurs
Yamon Figurs
Yamon Figurs is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. Jamaal Charles would regain the lead again for the Longhorns early in the second quarter with a one yard (1 m) touchdown run, however Kansas State quickly regained the lead in the second, with a surprising 21-14 lead at half-time off of a 32 yards (29.3 m) touchdown pass from Josh Freeman to running back James Johnson and an 8 yards (7.3 m) touchdown run from running back Leon Patton. Texas managed to briefly tie the game 21-21 three minutes into the third quarter off of a 5 yards (4.6 m) touchdown run from Selvin Young, one play after Michael Griffin blocked Kansas State punter Tim Reyer's punt and Tyrell Gatewood recovered. But on the Longhorns' next drive, Charles fumbled at Kansas State's 20, this would lead to the beginning of Kansas State's 21 straight points in a span of 3:06 to take a 42-21 lead. Kansas State's Ian Campbell
Ian Campbell (American football)
Ian Cade Campbell is a former starting defensive end for Kansas State University. He is a former walk-on and two-time team captain for the Wildcats.-High school:Campbell went to high school at Cimarron High School...
recovered the fumble, and it led to Leon Patton's 18 yards (16.5 m) halfback pass to wide receiver Cedric Wilson for a 28-21 lead. After Selvin Young fumbled on the second play of the Longhorns' next possession, and Campbell recovered again. Josh Freeman's 30 yards (27.4 m) pass to Yamon Figurs then put the Wildcats up 35-21. With the following possession by Texas, quarterback Jevan Snead threw three straight incompletions, leading to the Texas punt team coming onto the field, however Kansas State's John McCardle blocked Texas punters Greg Johnson's punt and Daniel Gonzalez recovered at the Kansas State 23. That led to Josh Freeman's 1 yard (0.9144 m) TD run to make it 42-21 lead.
Texas mounted a partial comeback near the end of the 3rd quarter with a 75 scoring drive that ended with an 18 yards (16.5 m) run by Jamaal Charles and a touchdown pass to Limas Sweed early in the 4th quarter to giving the Longhorns a chance, however Kansas State had other ideas as Kansas State kicker Jeff Snodgrass connected on a clutch 51 yards (46.6 m) field goal with 3:19 left to give the Wildcats some breathing room. Texas' Chris Ogbonnaya's 1 yard (0.9144 m) touchdown run with 1:36 left in the 4th quarter cut the Kansas State lead to 45-42, putting the Longhorns within a field goal's reach. With one minute forty-three seconds remaining in the game and Texas trailing 45-42, Texas attempted an onside kick. The kick was recovered by Kansas State wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who then caught a 6 yards (5.5 m) pass for a first down allowing Kansas State to run out the clock to win the game.
Following the game, Texas revealed that X-Rays, taken during the game, of McCoy's shoulder were negative. His injury was described as a pinched nerve or stinger
Stinger (medicine)
In medicine, a stinger, also called a burner or nerve pinch injury, is a neurological injury suffered by athletes, mostly in high-contact sports such as ice hockey, basketball, rugby league football, rugby union, american football, wrestling, and roller derby...
. UT trainer Kenny Boyd explained why McCoy did not re-enter the game: “After the injury, Colt experienced shoulder weakness and neck pain,” Boyd said. “When evaluating injuries, we look for return of normal strength and a reduction of pain before putting a player back into the game. Colt wasn’t released to play because his symptoms, including strength, did not improve.” His mother, Debra McCoy, confirmed the nature of the injury and said that the extra time off prior to the game against Texas A&M should give Colt a chance to recover. Colt McCoy said in a statement, "I'm really disappointed I wasn't able to be in there helping my teammates, but I'm going to be fine. The off week couldn't come at a better time. I'll do everything it takes to get back."
This defeat snapped the Longhorns 17 win streak on the road as well as the national best 21-game conference winning steak. Texas dropped in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
from #4 to #11 and from #5 to #13 in the BCS rankings
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
Since the inception of the BCS in 1998 no team has entered the championship game with more than one loss, so Texas' chances of repeating as national champion were considered eliminated after taking this second loss on the season. The game has the distinction of being the most points ever scored by a UT team in a losing effort.
Texas A&M
This game marked the 113th meeting between Texas and the Texas AggiesTexas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
in college football and the game is part of a multi-sport rivalry call the Lone Star Showdown. It is the Longhorns' longest-running rivaly and Texas lead the series 73-34-5, including the last six in a row. During the week before the game, the Longhorns conducted their traditional Hex Rally
Hex Rally
Hex Rally was a pep rally at The University of Texas at Austin that occurred in the week prior to the annual football game between the Texas Longhorns and their in-state rivals, the Texas A&M Aggies.-History:...
while the Aggies had an off-campus version of their traditional Bonfire
Aggie Bonfire
Aggie Bonfire was a long-standing tradition at Texas A&M University as part of the college rivalry with the University of Texas at Austin. For 90 years, Texas A&M students—known as Aggies—built and burned a bonfire on campus each autumn...
. and also staged a parade just prior to the game. The Longhorns announced that starting quarterback Colt McCoy, who was injured in the game against Kansas State, was cleared to play the game against the Aggies.
Since the series began in 1894 it has traditionally played on Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving weekend. The 2006 game marked the thirteenth straight game to be scheduled the day after Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day (one day prior to the game), the sports line in Vegas casinos had Texas favored by 13 to 13½ points while the weather forecast called for mostly sunny skies, a high near 81 °F (27.2 °C), and winds up to 15 mi/h from the South. 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. Going back to 1999 when UT lost the final three games of the season, the Longhorns had gone 87 games without losing back-to-back games. That was the longest active streak for any college or professional football team.
During 2006, the Texas A&M defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
was Gary Darnell
Gary Darnell
Gary Brent Darnell is a former American college football player and coach. Darnell is native of Arkansas and an alumnus of Oklahoma State University, where he played college football...
who had been fired as defensive coordinator at the University of Texas under John Mackovic
John Mackovic
John Mackovic is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of United States national American football team, which was formed to compete in the American Football World Cup...
.
For the third time during the season, the pre-game activities consisted of a military flyby
Flypast
Flypast is a term used in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and other countries to denote ceremonial or honorific flights by groups of aircraft and, rarely, by a single aircraft...
. Unlike the first two, which featured jets, this one was performed by AH-1 Cobra
AH-1 Cobra
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois...
helicopters from the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron HMLA-773 from Atlanta. Texas A&M won the coin toss and deferred, Texas elected to receive, and Texas A&M chose to defend the south end-zone. Kick-off was delayed while ABC side-line reporter Stacey Dales
Stacey Dales
Stacey Dales, is a former Canadian basketball player and a current host on the NFL Network.-Basketball:...
did her pre-game report from the north end-zone. Soccer star Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm
Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom. Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female,...
was spotted in the audience rooting for Texas.
Texas's first drive of the game ended when Henry Melton was stopped on a fourth-and-one run at the Aggie eight-yard (7 m) line. The Aggies drove the ball the length of the field to score a touchdown, but missed on the extra point to leave the game at 6-0.
With about four minutes to play in the first half, McCoy connected with Limas Sweed for an apparent five-yard (5 m) touchdown pass. However, Sweed was flagged for a "questionable" pass interference call. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the refs "blew the call" as replays showed that both players were involved in some "hand checking while the ball was in the air, but neither player appeared to push or be guilty of interference". All three broadcasters working the game for ABC also spoke out against the penalty call. In an ABC half-time interview, Mack Brown said “I thought it was a bad call,” but added “There’s nothing we can do about that. We should’ve done a better job on third down.”
The only score in the third quarter was a rushing touchdown by Jamaal Charles, his seventh of the season.
In the fourth quarter, Texas A&M made a long-drive that took up nearly nine minutes. Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee
Stephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
had taken so many hard hits that he was throwing up during the game, but he managed to make an 8 yards (7.3 m) touchdown run with 2:32 left to play. A&M was unable to convert their two-point attempt after the touchdown.
With 1:21 seconds left in the game and Texas trailing 12-7, McCoy threw his third interception of the game. Following the change of possession and sometime near the whistle signalling the end of the play on the field, Aggie Kellen Heard knocked McCoy to the ground as McCoy walked along the field unbuckling his chin strap. Heard was ejected from the game as a result of the "cheap-shot late hit" and the Aggies were penalized fifteen yards (14 m). McCoy was later quoted as saying that the tackle had not been a cheap shot.
Texas A&M's coach Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
later apologized for what he called a "late hit" saying "We do not teach this type of play or condone it." Texas held the Aggies to three-and-out and used all three of their time-outs in order to preserve game time. Texas got the ball back with 48 seconds left in the game.
With 20 seconds remaining in the game, Colt was injured by a "vicious, stadium hushing tackle" as Aggies defensive end Michael Bennett connected with his helmet under McCoy's jaw just as McCoy released a pass. Replays showed both on television and in the stadium revealed the hit included "helmet-to-helmet" contact which, if intentional, is illegal in NCAA football. No flag was thrown on the play. When the replay was shown in the stadium, the Longhorn fans erupted in boos before lapsing back into silence as McCoy lay on the ground for 10 minutes before being taken off the field on a cart. Mack Brown said after the game "I didn't see it, but it sounded like 88,000 (fans) thought it was dirty." Fellow Longhorn Selvin Young said he thought the hit was clean calling it a "textbook hit". McCoy was taken to Brackenridge Hospital where he spent more than three hours undergoing an evaluation that included an X-Ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
, MRI, and a CAT scan. Longhorns trainer Kenny Boyd said the injury was a severe pinched nerve in McCoy's neck. Boyd said that McCoy was expected to make a full recovery, but no timetable was set for McCoy to return to play. Months later, the Big 12 announced that their officials failed to make the correct call and that a late hit penalty should have been called against A&M's Michael Bennett. Colt McCoy, in a November 2007 interview, stated that neither this nor the earlier Heard tackle had been cheap shots.
Following the injury to McCoy, back-up quarterback Jevan Snead threw an interception on his first play of the game. With the clock rolling on the change of possession, time expired without the Aggies needing to take a play.
The Aggies amassed 244 rushing yards against the nation's top-ranked rushing defense. Texas, normally a potent running team, produced only four rushing first downs and did not have a single run longer than nine yards (8 m). Jamaal Charles, in a later interview, stated "We were looking weak. We thought they'd let up because we're Texas."
The 12-7 victory was the first time for the Aggies to win in Austin in 12 years. "They shattered all our dreams," declared Longhorn defensive end Brian Orakpo.
The game was the 40th consecutive home sell-out for the Longhorns and Justin Blalock
Justin Blalock
Justin Christopher Blalock is an American football NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons. He played college ball as the right tackle for the Texas Longhorns under coach Mack Brown. He stands at 6'3.25" and weighs 320 lbs.-High school career:Blalock attended Plano East Senior High School, playing...
became the first player in Texas history to start 50 consecutive game.
Alamo Bowl
With their loss to Texas A&M, Texas looked North to the Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State Bedlam SeriesBedlam Series
The Bedlam Series refers to the athletics rivalry between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, of the Big 12 Conference...
Rivalry. If the Oklahoma State Cowboys had defeated the Sooners, then Texas would still have played in the Big 12 Championship Game with a chance to play in the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
. That is because both the Longhorns and the Sooners would have had a 6-2 conference record, but the Longhorns would have won the tie-breaker by virtue of winning the head-to-head game against Oklahoma. Oklahoma won the game, however, so the next game for Texas would be their bowl bid, with speculation originally centering on the Cotton Bowl Classic or Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
. The Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
and the Alamo Bowl
Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
were also mentioned as possibilities.
Meanwhile, Longhorn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik
Gene Chizik
Eugene "Gene" Chizik is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Auburn University football team, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Chizik's 2010 Auburn Tigers football team completed a 14–0 season with a victory over Oregon in the BCS...
accepted the head-coaching job at Iowa State University and did not participate in coaching the Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl. Also, on 29 November 2006, the Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
cited un-named sources saying back-up quarterback Jevan Snead
Jevan Snead
Jevan Bryce Snead is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent...
would transfer from Texas. On 1 December 2006, the Longhorns issued a statement confirming that Snead, along with sophomore defensive end Chris Brown and sophomore offensive tackle Greg Dolan, had left the team and would transfer to unspecified schools.
On 3 December 2006 Texas officially accepted a bid to play in the Alamo Bowl
Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
against the unranked University of Iowa Hawkeyes, who were 6-6 overall and finished in eighth place in the Big Ten conference with only two conference victories. The Alamo Bowl is played in the 65,000-seat Alamodome
Alamodome
The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S...
in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
on 30 December 2006. Offensive coordinator Greg Davis spoke about the prospects at quarterback, should Colt McCoy not be ready to play:
Matt McCoy, a senior walk-on, is a young man that has been working for the last three or four years. We would certainly not take a redshirt off Sherrod Harris at this point; it would be unfair for him because he has sat this year with the idea that he'll start the spring as a redshirt freshman. And then Mack (Brown) and I will sit down and discuss the possibility of an emergency situation as we've done in the past; one year Tony Jeffrey worked as quarterback for us because he had played quarterback in high school. So we'll sit down and look at some different options as to which way we would go. It would certainly be somebody that we think can run the offense and have a limited package for those guys. I don't think we'll need an emergency quarterback, but we'll certainly have a third guy ready.
On December 21, 2006 Colt McCoy was cleared to play in the Alamo Bowl. McCoy did start and played the entire game for Texas. The game was a back-and-forth affair with the 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2006 college football season. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium and were coached by Kirk Ferentz...
largely dominating most of the first half and Texas the second. Texas won the game 26-24. The attendance for the game was 65,875, which established a new record for the most people to gather in San Antonio to view a sporting event.
After the season
The Longhorns received a final-ranking of 13th in the nation by both the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and the USA Today Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
They were ranked 19th in the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) rankings, which were issued prior to the bowl season
NCAA football bowl games, 2006-07
The 2006-07 NCAA College Football Bowl Games post-season schedule followed the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS regular season in college football. The NCAA divided Division I into two divisions for football in 1978. The top level, originally known as "Division I-A" and officially changed to the "Football...
.
Seven members of this team were selected by professional football teams in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
- Michael Griffin (number 19 overall), Aaron Ross (number 20 overall), Justin Blalock
Justin Blalock
Justin Christopher Blalock is an American football NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons. He played college ball as the right tackle for the Texas Longhorns under coach Mack Brown. He stands at 6'3.25" and weighs 320 lbs.-High school career:Blalock attended Plano East Senior High School, playing...
(number 39 overall), Tim Crowder (number 56 overall), Brian Robison
Brian Robison
Brian Gale Robison is an American football defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns...
(number 102 overall), Tarell Brown
Tarell Brown
Tarell Brown is a professional American football player for the San Francisco 49ers.-High school career:He played for North Mesquite High School in Mesquite, Texas. Tarell Brown played in the 2003 U.S...
(number 147 overall), Kasey Studdard
Kasey Studdard
Kasey Studdard is an American football offensive guard for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. The son of former Denver Broncos tackle Dave Studdard, he was drafted by the Texans in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
(number 183 overall). Lyle Sendlein
Lyle Sendlein
Lyle Sendlein is an American football center for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
and Selvin Young
Selvin Young
Selvin Young is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
were not drafted but signed with NFL teams as free agents.