NCAA Football Week 8: Texas Longhorns vs. Missouri Tigers

The Big 12 and the Heisman Trophy hang in the balance with Colt McCoy and Chase Daniel leading their teams into battle.

Longhorns vs. Tigers Overview:

Fans with Texas Longhorns tickets to the Red River Rivalry saw their No. 5 ranked team upset the previously No. 1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners in one of the best games in years. QB Colt McCoy made his case for the Heisman Trophy with an outstanding performance that carried the Texas Longhorns to victory. The Missouri Tigers were ranked No. 3 in the nation until they were upset by the Oklahoma State Cowboys last week, dropping to No. 11. The Mizzou Tigers will try and bounce back under the leadership of QB Chase Daniel who is also a Heisman hopeful.

Texas Longhorns Offense:

The unquestioned leader of the Texas Longhorns is third-year QB Colt McCoy. A dangerous weapon in the pocket or on the bootleg, Colt McCoy can make throws from all over the field. Colt McCoy is also a running threat by himself. WR Jordan Shipley has become the primary target of Colt McCoy and was a key player in the victory over the Oklahoma Sooners. WR Quan Cosby is a deep threat for the Texas Longhorns offense and spreads the field. RB Chris Ogbonnaya is a good runner but excels in the receiving game. LT Adam Ulatoski protects Colt McCoy’s blindside. The offense has sold thousands of Texas Longhorns tickets but cannot win games alone.

Texas Longhorns Defense:

One of the best defensive linemen in the NCAA, DE Brian Orakpo, anchors the entire Texas Longhorns defense. Brian Orakpo gets after the QB and stops the run with equal skill and always draws double teams. This allows DTs Roy Miller and LaMarr Houston to make plays thanks to being one-on-one. OLB Roddrick Muckelroy leads a Texas Longhorns linebacking corps that flies around the field with speed that matches many NCAA secondaries. The secondary of the Texas Longhorns is not very experienced but is talented and gets a ton of help from the monstrous front seven.

Missouri Tigers Offense:

Mizzou Tigers QB Chase Daniel is in charge of one of the top offenses in all of college football. The spread offense of the Missouri Tigers is totally built around Chase Daniel, and the pocket passer can surgically cut apart any defense if given the time to throw. WR Jeremy Maclin is the No. 1 target of Chase Daniel and could be one of the best in the position even as a sophomore. RB Derrick Washington is another playmaker for the Missouri Tigers and factors in both the run and passing games. RT Colin Brown leads a great Mizzou Tigers offensive line.

Missouri Tigers Defense:

Outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon is the best player on the Missouri Tigers defense and commands respect in the huddle and on the field. A threat to blitz from the outside at anytime Sean Weatherspoon will make Colt McCoy’s life miserable. FS William Moore rivals Sean Weatherspoon in ability and seals off the secondary of the Mizzou Tigers. Senior DT Ziggy Hood brings leadership and penetrating power to the Missouri Tigers defensive line and has a powerful partner in the middle with DT Jason Baston.

Texas Longhorns Keys to Victory:

With great offenses on both teams the game will be decided by quarterback play. With that in mind, the Texas Longhorns must protect Colt McCoy to give him time to find his targets. LT Adam Ulatoski must hold down the blindside, and his key responsibility will be a blitzing Sean Weatherspoon. Wideouts Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby have to turn short passes into long plays in order to reduce Colt McCoy’s time in the pocket. RB Chris Ogbonnaya needs to give Colt McCoy another target in the flats and will hopefully draw off any QB spies so Colt McCoy can scramble for big gains.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys shut down the Mizzou Tigers offensive machine by getting to Chase Daniel, and the Texas Longhorns must follow suit. DE Brian Orakpo crushed the Heisman hopes of Oklahoma Sooners QB Sam Bradford by sacking him twice and chasing him all day. Brian Orakpo will make plays, but it will be up to the other defensive linemen to take advantage of their single blocks. Jamming the receivers at the line will throw off Chase Daniel’s rhythm and should force him to look through his progressions, giving Brian Orakpo more time to work.

Missouri Tigers Keys to Victory:

The pass rush of the Texas Longhorns presents a difficult problem for the Missouri Tigers offense, especially with Brian Orakpo lining up on the weakside away from RT Colin Brown. A good dose of inside zone and draws with RB Derrick Washington could be used to slow the pass rush to buy Chase Daniel time to read and throw. Because of the speed of the Texas Longhorns defense, Chase Daniel must make careful throws and adjust to quick changes in coverage. Because of the pass rush, WR Jeremy Macklin will not have many opportunities at the deep ball so he must cash all of them in.

The mobility of Colt McCoy gives the QB an ability to escape the rush and scramble for big yards so containing the Heisman hopeful will be the top priority of the Missouri Tigers defense. An inside pass rush with Jason Baston and Ziggy Hood would be ideal for the Missouri Tigers as it would cut off Colt McCoy’s running options. Sean Weatherspoon will either be blitzing the quarterback or be on QB spy assignment. The relatively tame Texas Longhorns running attack means that S William Moore can focus on making plays on the ball deep.

UT Longhorns vs. MU Tigers Outlook:

Fans with Texas Longhorns tickets have not seen their team ranked No. 1 in the regular season in over 20 years. With Colt McCoy doing his best to match the antics of Vince Young, the Burnt Orange field the best Texas Longhorns team since the 2005 squad that defeated the USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl. Even with all this on their side, the Texas Longhorns face a dangerous opponent in the Missouri Tigers and a peerless offense led by Chase Daniel.

In a duel of quarterbacks, the game always comes down to receivers and pass rush. Chase Daniel has superior targets in the passing game and is facing a weak secondary. The Texas Longhorns do have a strong advantage in the pass rush category and winning the battle up front can protect a secondary. Fans with Texas Longhorns tickets will be treated to an offensive shootout inside Darrell K. Royal-Texas Stadium that will favor their Burnt Orange Heisman hunter over the great skills of Chase Daniel.