Remember last season? BYU's convincing 40-21 over Texas in week two was the first sign of trouble for the 2013 Longhorns. Quarterback Taysom Hill led the Cougars to 550 rushing yards against a UT defensive front that was expected to be among the best in the country. Just like that, Texas went from a Big 12 championship (and dark horse BCS championship) contender to a proud program going through a public and uncomfortable mid-season coaching search.
How to watch BYU vs. Texas: Preview, TV/streaming, odds and more
A rematch of one of the most momentous games of the 2013 season.
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Now Mack Brown is gone and it’s Charlie Strong running the show in Austin. Strong has brought a decidedly different approach to managing the football team and has not shied away from getting rid of players who aren’t willing to adopt his core values. A big win against a scrappy bunch of Cougars could be a much needed palette-cleanser for the Texas program.
But catharsis for the Longhorns won’t be easily won. BYU is a dangerous team in its own right. It doesn’t help that Texas already has several of its key players banged up or out for the season.
How to witness
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
Online streaming: Fox Sports Go
More from our team sites
The numbers
Rankings and records: Both teams are 1-0 after earning blowout wins in week one. Texas is ranked No. 25 in the Amway Coaches Poll but unranked in the AP Top 25. BYU is unranked in both polls. This is just the fifth time that the Longhorns and Cougars have met on the football field. BYU holds a 3-1 advantage so far.
Vegas: The line opened at 4.5 points in favor of the Longhorns, but money has flowed in the direction of BYU. Now, Texas is favored by a single point. The over/under is set at 46.
Weather forecast: With daytime a daytime high of 96, it’s going to be a hot one in Austin.
Three names to know
Taysom Hill, QB, BYU. The Cougars' junior quarterback absolutely smoked Texas last year, racking up 259 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 17 carries. It's hard to think how that's even possible. Hill was no less impressive in BYU's season opener against UConn, earning a combined 405 yards of total offense and five touchdowns by ground and air.
Johnathan Gray, RB, Texas. Gray is the Longhorns' most explosive option in the backfield. With starting quarterback David Ash expected to miss at least the next several weeks, the Texas running backs will need to take some pressure off the passing game. Gray gaines 82 yards on 16 carries in the season opener against North Texas. The Cougars will also see a heavy dose of Malcolm Brown, the other half of UT's tailback tandem.
Tyrone Swoopes, QB, Texas. David Ash suffered a concussion in the season opener and will be out of commission for a length of time that has not yet been determined. So all eyes will be on dual-threat sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, who has attempted just 13 passes to this point in his collegiate career. Swoopes was a four-star prospect coming out of high school.
Two things at stake
At this early stage of the season everything is still on the table for any team that remains undefeated. Well, every undefeated team that happens to be in a Power 5 conference. Texas is in one of those. BYU isn’t. (They’re independent.) But the Cougars do have a far more storied history than most of the outsiders who made a run at the BCS Championship when that was still a thing. BYU has managed to put together a pretty decent schedule, but the Cougs could be looking at a run at an undefeated season if they emerge from Austin unscathed.
Texas doesn’t need to beat BYU to win the Big 12. (That’s how non-conference games work.) But a big win over the Cougars would heal some of the wounded pride caused by the thumping administered by the Cougars in 2013 and would get Charlie Strong’s tenure in Austin off to a great start.
Further reading
For all things BYU, stop by Vanquish the Foe. For more on the Texas Longhorns, check out Burnt Orange Nation and Barking Carnival.
See More:
