After falling behind by two scores, Texas fought out of its initial doldrums and dominated the rest of its 51-16 victory over Kansas University on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
“This was a hard game for us a game stuck between Texas Tech and (Texas) A&M,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “It was a game where we could have very easily been flat. It was cold, nobody in the stands, KU was trying to play for a bowl game. It was just a natural place for our guys to take a weekend off.”
Texas (8-2 overall, 6-1 Big 12) had even more reason to lay down and play dead after KU jumped out to an early 14-0 lead. The Jayhawks scored on the third play of their first possession and on Andrew Davison’s interception return five plays later.
“We stood around on defense the first three plays,” Brown said, “and they scored so easily, and that probably woke those guys up, and then Chris (Simms) throws the interception. I think we were in shock, but to our guys’ credit, they hung in there and they didn’t give into it, they didn’t panic and they just kept playing and turned it around pretty quickly.”
The Longhorns not only swung the game’s momentum rapidly back in their favor but decisively as well, holding KU to 73 yards the rest of the first half and gaining 368 yards of their own.
Most of the team’s first-half offensive output came through the air with Simms son of former NFL quarterback, Phil Simms passing for 210 yards. His favorite target was Roy Williams, a 6-foot-5 freshman, who had four receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
“To be that young and that good is amazing,” Texas defensive lineman Casey Hampton said of Williams. “He makes it look like he’s not even trying.”
Both of Williams’ scores, and another reception which set up a Longhorn touchdown on the following play, came while covered by the 5-11 Davison.
“The guy made a great play,” Brown said of Davison’s early score. “He broke on the hitch and ran it back for a touchdown. But like I said, they got seven (points), we got 21. I’ll take the 21.”
Williams caught passes of 43, 38, 65 and 34 yards, setting a Texas record for yards per reception, and stretching the Jayhawk defense.
“The deep passes from Chris to Roy Williams put Kansas in a position where they knew they couldn’t cover us man-on-man and then they had to go to zone coverage,” Brown said. “They took their safeties out of the running area, what we call the box area, and then they had to start defending us with fewer people inside, then Hodges Mitchell had another tremendous game.”
Mitchell ran 37 times for 264 yards, caught two passes for 23 yards and returned five punts for 88 yards. His 375 all-purpose yards set a Texas single-game record, and his rushing total gave him 1,029 yards on the year for his second consecutive 1,000-yard season.
“He’s just a tremendous player,” Brown said. “To do what he’s done the last five weeks, he’s probably been the biggest difference in our football team. Hodges has been a tremendous leader on this football team and I think he deserves so much credit.”
Simms, a sophomore starting in place of injured starter Major Applewhite, finished 10-of-18 passing for 240 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.
“I’m proud of Chris, the way he bounced back and showed a lot of composure after the tough throw,” Brown said. “I think the thing that helps Chris so much is that he grew up around football and he understands. He saw his dad struggle some in the pros. He’s been football fan all his life. I think most guys would crumble under that pressure and he didn’t at all.”
