Spring Break
Brown tries to keep 'Horns sharp for Tech
Alex Ybarra
Issue date: 10/31/08 Section: College Gameday
Texas Longhorns coach Mack Brown always has been a man with a plan, and in the final week of a tiring four-game stretch, he may be doing the best work of his career.
With wins against then No. 1 Oklahoma, then No. 11 Missouri and then No. 6 Oklahoma State in three consecutive weeks, No. 1 UT can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Brown's job is to make sure that light stays vibrant, as if it is reflecting off the crystal football sitting atop the AFCA National Championship Trophy.
"We've really got to be careful that we don't make such a statement to our players this week that this game is so important when you have three others left," said Brown, whose Longhorns face No. 6 Texas Tech at 7 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium in certainly the biggest game in Tech history. "So what we're doing is saying instead of 'this is the last of a four-game stretch,' we're calling it the first of a tough four game stretch to end the season."
Before moving on to Baylor, Kansas and Texas A&M, Texas (8-0, 4-0 in Big 12 Conference play) will need to survive its biennual trip to Lubbock. The Longhorns have won five straight against Tech (8-0, 4-0).
"Just us playing well, we just need to be the best we can be and worry about what we do," Tech coach Mike Leach said. "We need to be the best at what we do we, can't control what they do."
Brown acknowledged this season's game is different, which is obvious for Tech fans, who received a treat when ESPN "College GameDay" announced it would make its first-ever trip to Lubbock.
But for Brown, the success of Leach's defense and running game this year make the game all the more competitive, he said.
The combination of an experienced offensive line and playmaking running backs Shannon Woods and Baron Batch have produced an average of 138.5 rushing yards per game, the most since 1999. On top of that, the offensive line has given up only three sacks in 391 pass attempts this year, which ranks second nationally.
With wins against then No. 1 Oklahoma, then No. 11 Missouri and then No. 6 Oklahoma State in three consecutive weeks, No. 1 UT can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Brown's job is to make sure that light stays vibrant, as if it is reflecting off the crystal football sitting atop the AFCA National Championship Trophy.
"We've really got to be careful that we don't make such a statement to our players this week that this game is so important when you have three others left," said Brown, whose Longhorns face No. 6 Texas Tech at 7 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium in certainly the biggest game in Tech history. "So what we're doing is saying instead of 'this is the last of a four-game stretch,' we're calling it the first of a tough four game stretch to end the season."
Before moving on to Baylor, Kansas and Texas A&M, Texas (8-0, 4-0 in Big 12 Conference play) will need to survive its biennual trip to Lubbock. The Longhorns have won five straight against Tech (8-0, 4-0).
"Just us playing well, we just need to be the best we can be and worry about what we do," Tech coach Mike Leach said. "We need to be the best at what we do we, can't control what they do."
Brown acknowledged this season's game is different, which is obvious for Tech fans, who received a treat when ESPN "College GameDay" announced it would make its first-ever trip to Lubbock.
But for Brown, the success of Leach's defense and running game this year make the game all the more competitive, he said.
The combination of an experienced offensive line and playmaking running backs Shannon Woods and Baron Batch have produced an average of 138.5 rushing yards per game, the most since 1999. On top of that, the offensive line has given up only three sacks in 391 pass attempts this year, which ranks second nationally.
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