Texas prepares for first road game of the season
After two stellar home games with more than 92,000 in attendance at each, the Texas Longhorns (2-0) will head to California to face the Golden Bears.
The two kick off at 9:30 p.m. Sept. 17 on ESPN.
Texas coach Charlie Strong said the team is aware of the challenges that come with playing as the visiting team.
“We know it’s a week-by-week process,” he said. “We know we have to continue to get better and improve week-by-week. It will be a big challenge for us going on the road for the first time. They’re coming home for the first time, having the Hawaii game in Australia.”
The Golden Bears (1-1) are coming off a 45-40 loss to San Diego State where Aztecs running back Donne Pumphrey had 281 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries. In the process Pumphrey shattered the record for most yards in a single game that was held by Marshall Faulk. California defeated Hawaii 51-31 to start the season.
While that could bode well for the Texas run game, California quarterback Davis Webb, a Texas Tech transfer, guided the Bears to 604 total yards of offense, 522 coming through the air.
“He hangs in the pocket,” Strong said. “He does a great job of finding receivers and managing the offense. He hasn’t been sacked or pressured. We have to get pressure on him to take pressure off our secondary. If you don’t sack him then you have to harass him.”
Coach Sonny Dykes, the son of former Texas Tech legendary coach Spike Dykes, runs his version of the air raid offense. That means California has four- and five-receiver sets with a single back and looks to capitalize on short quick throws that allow receivers to run for positive yards.
As a team, California is averaging 482 passing yards led by receiver Chad Hensen, who is averaging 14 catches for 175 yards per game. No one else has more than nine catches on the season or more than 133 total yards.
Strong said the Texas defensive backs will be tested. When the two played last year, the Golden Bears recorded 268 passing yards and 280 rushing yards. This season California has rushed for a total of 271 yards.
Still, Texas has its own passing quarterback threat in true freshman Shane Buechele, who was named the Big 12’s Newcomer of the Week for the second consecutive time. Buechele has completed 38 of 53 passes for 524 yards, six touchdowns and one interception.
“You just watch him week by week, game by game, how he continues to improve,” Strong said. “Where we’re good is that we are able to run the ball, which we have a physical nature about us, then we can throw the ball, we can win outside. When we throw those vertical routes, the receivers are running by the defensive backs.”
Strong said this road game will revel even more about his team.
“It’s going to be a big challenge. We know this,” he said. “We got to pack our defense, we got to pack our kicking game, we got to pack our togetherness. We have to go compete, just have fun, look for improvement, not knowing, not caring where we are, knowing it’s a road game, but knowing we’re going to have to play well and play together as a football team.”
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