Inside the Match-Up: Texas - Rush Offense

Here is our preview for the upcoming game against #1 Texas on Saturday. We'll first take a look at UT's rushing attack and it's effectiveness. First off, lets look at some numbers to see how effective Texas has been running the ball thus far. 

All Games: (28th Overall in Nation) 

Rushing Attempts/Game -     41.71 (3rd in Big XII)

Rushing Yards/Game -         193.43 (2nd in Big XII)

Yards/Carry -                           4.64 (1st in Big XII)

TDs -                                         21 (2nd in Big XII)

Conference Games Only: (2nd Overall in Big XII)

Rushing Attempts/Game -     40.33 (5th in Big XII) 

Rushing Yards/Game -          177.66 (2nd in Big XII)

Yards/Carry -                            4.4 (1st in Big XII)

TDs -                                          11 (1st in Big XII)

The Horns' Backfield:

1. Colt McCoy (Yes, he is the leading rusher) - 70 carries, 371 yards, 6 TDs 
   
2. Chris Ogbonnaya - 44 carries, 285 yards, 3 TDS
   
3. Vondrell McGee - 57 carries, 243 yards, 1 TD
   
4. Cody Johnson - 58 carries, 214 yards, 10 TDs
   

Now, lets break down what all of these stats mean.. 

Texas has the #2 overall rushing offense thus far in Big XII play (behind OSU). Even though their rushing stats look very vanilla, they have several threats in the backfield. Colt McCoy is surprisingly their leading rusher, but Ogbonnaya, nevertheless, is a big and physical back. Not only is he a running threat, but he is also one of UT's valuable receivers. His break-out game was against Texas when he ran for 127 yards on 15 carries. He has also had good games against Missouri and Colorado. 

Colt McCoy is by far their biggest threat. If he finds an opening, he has the speed to make you pay for it. So far in Big XII play, opposing defenses have contained him well, holding him to only 93 yards in 3 conference games. Our defense was able to contain Chase Daniel, so they shouldn't have a problem with containing McCoy.

Whenever Texas gets in the red-zone, look for #31, Cody Johnson. Johnson is a monster and is a smash-mouth runner. At 5'11'', 255 pounds, he is a bowling ball. Look for him to get the call on and 3rd or 4th downs and short.

Overall, Texas is not as impressive as they were last year on the ground. They have accumulated a total of around 1,350 yards as opposed to Oklahoma State's 2,000 rush yards. However, they have still been averaging about 193 yards per game. As long as the Pokes' D continues to contain the run as they have, they should be fine against an average Texas rushing attack.