NCAA REWIND
Saturday NCAA Football Recap: Texas schools win big in Week 6
Kalah Winters
Oct 7, 2018, 1:15 pm
The Longhorns pulled off a big win over Oklahoma. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Texas colleges dominate in Week 6. Here’s how it all went down:
Houston 41, Tulsa 26
After getting spanked 45-17 by Tulsa last year, the Cougars were hell-bent on making a point this time around. Despite committing three turnovers in the first half, the Cougars managed to outscore the Hurricanes 41-26 in their home victory on Thursday. Tulsa played with three safeties in the backfield, forcing the Cougars offense to rely on their usually ill-performing run game. The Cougars showcased a low-producing offense in the first half and moved the ball a mere seven yards in the third quarter. Houston, down 26-17 in the fourth quarter, scored 17 unanswered points in 91 seconds. Lineman Emeke Egbule recovered a Tulsa fumble leading to tight end Romello Brooker’s 9-yard touchdown grab from star quarterback D’Eriq King, putting the Cougars ahead 34-26. Houston defensive back Deontay Anderson intercepted a pass from Tulsa on their next offensive play, resulting in a score by wide receiver Marquez Stevenson on a 6-yard pass from King. King threw for three touchdowns, ran for two and finished with 165 passing yards and two interceptions.
Florida 27, LSU 19
The Tiger defense played impeccably well but their offense barely put up a fight which is probably why they lost on Saturday. The 6-foot-7 Florida tight end, Lucas Krull, lobbed a perfect pass to quarterback Feleipe Franks on a dazzling trick play to set up No. 22 Florida's winning touchdown in a 27-19 victory against fifth-ranked LSU on Saturday. Tim Tebow was on the Florida sideline for most of the game, awaiting his induction into the school’s ring of honor. "I didn't want him to let him down that way," said Florida coach Dan Mullen. "I know it's a night he'll never forget and the whole family will never forget. I know winning that game was kind of like a little cherry on top to make sure it was all smiles." Franks finished 12-for-27, threw for 161 yards and one score. Junior running back Lamical Perine rushed for 85 tough yards and two scores for the Gators.
Texas 48, Oklahoma 45
Sam Ehlinger put on a spectacular show on Saturday, throwing two touchdown passes for Texas and running for three scores. The Longhorns were up 45-24 in the fourth quarter until Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray rallied the Sooners, scoring 21 points in six minutes to tie the game. Ehlinger needed just one more drive to secure the win and he delivered, setting up Cameron Dicker’s 40-yard field goal to give 19th-ranked Texas a 48-45 victory over the No. 7 Sooners. "The first three quarters were very impressive. But maybe that last drive was the most impressive to me because when we had really given up a lot of the energy and certainly in a tie ballgame, to let them back in," Texas coach Tom Herman said of Ehlinger. "For him to go shut the door, with his teammates, that says a lot about his grit."
Texas A&M 20, Kentucky 14
DEFENSE. WINS. GAMES. Coach Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies have been pushing for a victory like this and they earned it Saturday. "Heck of a football game," said Fisher. "We just kept playing and going on to the next play. And our defense was outstanding." You can say that again, coach! Running back Trayveon Williams dove into the end zone on a 10-yard run to give the Aggies a 20-14 victory over the 13th-ranked Wildcats on Saturday night. Williams finished with 138 rushing yards and 71 receiving. Defensive end Kingsley Keke sacked Wildcat quarterback Terry Wilson for a loss of eight yards, turning the game around for the Aggies, creating a field goal attempt that was just shy of Miles Butler’s reach. "The sack was huge in the game," Fisher said. "Another yard (closer), and the field goal would have been good." The Wildcats were held to 178 total yards and 70 rushing yards, their lowest totals of the season.
Baylor 37, Kansas State 34
After missing three field goal attempts and an extra point, Baylor kicker Connor Martin made the game-winning score with eight seconds left Saturday delivering a 37-34 victory over Kansas State for the Bears. "I felt like I owed everybody," Martin said. "My job as a specialist is to help bail out the offense when they're not able to get things going. I feel like our offense and defense bailed me out. I left a lot of points on the field, so I really wanted it for them. I was like, 'I've got to make it for these guys because they saved my butt all day.'" Quarterback Charlie Brewer was 30-of-44 with 296 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Brewer set up the game-winning kick by driving the Bears 76 yards on 11 plays. Running back Alex Barnes rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns for Kansas State.
UTSA 20, Rice 3
UTSA running back B.J. Daniels had 13 carries for 61 yards and one touchdown, and the defense forced four turnovers, leading the Roadrunners to a 20-3 victory over Rice on Saturday. UTSA is 2-0 in conference play for the first time since joining Conference USA in 2013.
Louisiana 42, Texas State 27
Louisiana quarterback Andre Nunez was 9-of-18 with 149 yards, one interception and a score in the Ragin’ Cajuns’ victory over Texas State on Saturday. Elijah Mitchell had 20 carries for 191 yards and two three touchdowns for Louisiana.
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How Houston Texans' defense now measures up to other NFL powerhouses
Mar 14, 2025, 2:22 pm
We’re inside two weeks to the Astros starting their regular season (Yes!), but the NFL hogged this week of the pro sports scene with its annual spend like drunken sailors shopping spree via free agency. The Texans’ activity has been interesting on both the free agent and trade fronts. Let’s dig in.
Let’s start with their Tunsil-ectomy. Laremy Tunsil was a very good though not superstar left tackle here. His embarrassing number of false starts notwithstanding, Tunsil was consistently their best pass protector. That might not be saying much relative to the rest of the offensive line, but it is not meant as damning with faint praise. Pro Bowl selections can come from reputation or flat-out bad voting, but being named a Pro Bowler five times in six seasons is at least a good indicator a guy doesn’t stink. Still, had he remained, Tunsil’s salary cap figure would have been a bloated 28 and a half million dollars. Getting second and third round draft picks from the Washington Commanders for Tunsil is a good return, though it is also telling that the Texans were willing to absorb 15 million dollars in dead salary cap space to offload him.
Cutting guard Shaq Mason costs the Texans another 12 and a half mil in dead cap space, a little over five million of that swallowed this year with the balance wasted in 2026. Nick Caserio signed Tunsil and Mason to the contract extensions the Texans ultimately chose to escape from early. Caserio’s first first round pick in charge was guard Kenyon Green, whose time with the Texans was an absolute flop. Dealing Green this week to the Super Bowl Champion Eagles for safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is an absolute win, almost regardless of how Gardner-Johnson performs here. “CGJ” joins Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock in giving the Texans three talented safeties all 27 years old or younger. Back to the o-line. Two years in, former second round pick Juice Scruggs is a middling player at best. Off an undistinguished rookie season as a second rounder also, Blake Fisher has a prove himself season coming with the right tackle job seemingly being handed to him.
Tytus Howard presumably slots as the new left tackle. Season-to-season he has never been as good as Tunsil. At over 23 million dollars, Howard presently carries the second-biggest cap figure on the team, behind only Danielle Hunter. One guard spot in 2025 goes to value free agent signee Laken Tomlinson. Summing him up in one word, Tomlinson is middling. In another word he is durable. The 33-year-old Tomlinson has started every game for seven consecutive seasons. The downside is he’s just not that great. Hence the Texans get him on a one-year contract for four and a quarter mil. Yet, if Tomlinson can be an average starting guard that will be a substantial upgrade from their guard play in 2024. That leaves center and the other guard spot to sort through. Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson are still around. Caserio took a flier in trading a 2026 sixth round pick to Minnesota for guard Ed Ingram. After starting for two and a half seasons, a healthy Ingram was benched and didn’t play one snap apart from special teams in the Vikings’ last nine games. Ingram is only 26 years old and in the final season of his rookie contract. Again, he doesn’t need to be confused with prime-Mike Munchak to be able to improve the Texans at least incrementally.
Add it all up and Caserio has not done a good job where the o-line is concerned. His in-season remarks bleating about a “lazy narrative” from the media re: the weakness of that line were condescending and/or mistaken at the time, and now register as flat out ridiculous. The offensive coordinator and offensive line coach have been fired, three of the season-opening starting o-linemen have been jettisoned. With all of the changes, all offensive line problems going forward should be pinned squarely on Caserio. I think C.J. Stroud would agree.
Doubling down on defense
The Texans’ other free agent moves have been depth plays, most notably on the defensive line, re-signing defensive linemen Mario Edwards Jr., Derek Barnett, and Kurt Hinish, adding Darrell Taylor, and bringing back 2023 starter Sheldon Rankins after he had an injury-hindered 2024 with Cincinnati. The wide receiver room needed work. Stefon Diggs is probably gone, unfortunately Tank Dell is a question mark to play much at all in 2025. None among Robert Woods, John Metchie, and Xavier Hutchinson should be automatics for roster spots. The trade for Christian Kirk from Jacksonville adds a speed component at wideout. Maybe Justin Watson from Kansas City has sleeper contributor potential. Over the last two seasons with the Chiefs Watson caught 49 passes, five for touchdowns.
The next heavy lifting for the Texans comes with the NFL Draft, which starts April 24. The Texans have the 25th pick in the first round. Pending any other free agent moves of note, offensive line and wide receiver should remain top priorities.
Closing in on Opening Day, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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