Here's a look at what happened in the Lone Star State and with LSU:
Saturday NCAA Football Recap: Texas teams win big in Week 11; LSU holds off Alabama
Nov 10, 2019, 1:30 pm
Here's a look at what happened in the Lone Star State and with LSU:
Joe "Superman" Burrow completed 31-of-39 passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns, leading the first ranked Tigers to a wild win over No. 2 Alabama on Saturday. 'Bama rallied from a 33-13 halftime deficit to put the Crimson Tide within a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The game lived up to the hype as a duel between high-powered offenses and star quarterbacks. "He's one of the best we've had here," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said of Burrow. "But we've still got four games left and we're going down the road, we're going to try to win every game and we're going to bring a championship back to Louisiana." 20 days after ankle surgery, Alabama quarterback Tug Tagovailoa was 21-of-40 for 418 yards and four touchdowns with an interception and a fumble. Tagovailoa was called a "game-time decision" all week and appeared to be limping after the game, but he kept Alabama in the game. "He said he could play in the game, he wanted to play in the game and he thought he could go out and do a good job," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "I think he was a warrior in terms of what he did." LSU faces Mississippi on the road Saturday night.
Once again, kicker Cameron Dicker bailed the Longhorns out with a game-winning field goal. Dicker's flawless 27-yarder lifted Texas to a 27-24 victory over Kansas State on Saturday. "It could have been a really, really bad scene," Texas coach Tom Herman said. "The win is obviously very important for us. The way that it happened, to be down 14-0 in the blink of an eye ... We put ourselves on the ropes (this season) and we took a step toward swinging and scratching and clawing our way off." Dicker has now kicked two game-winners on the final play this season. The first came on a 33-yarder to beat Kansas on Oct. 19. Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson threw for a career-high 253 yards most of which came in the first quarter. Thompson passed for just 36 yards in the second half. "I thought he hung in there really well," Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. "They were bringing pressure and we were barely getting guys free." The Texas defense looked better than it had all season with a secondary return from All-Big 12 safety Caden Sterns. The secondary didn't force any interception but it kept the opposing receivers from running wide open all over the field. "We showed you all that this is what happens when we're fully healthy," Texas defensive tackle Keondre Coburn said. "This is a great team. Our defense is really good. We've just been hurt." Texas is on the road against Iowa State No. 16.
No. 11 Baylor needed three overtimes to hold off TCU and get its 11th consecutive victory. Receiver Denzel Mims made a leaping 4-yard touchdown for the Bears to beat TCU 29-23 on Saturday. Mims matched his three touchdown receptions in regulation with three more in overtime, including a lunging grab for a 20-yard score on fourth down in the second overtime. "I knew it was crunch time and it was time for like grown-man football," said Mims. After being shut out in the first half, Baylor needed kicker John Mayers' 51-yard field goal just to stay in the game with 36 seconds left in regulation. This is the seventh time in two seasons that Baylor has won after a fourth-quarter comeback and the 11th straight win for the Bears since losing to TCU last November. The offensive struggles for the Bears continue as the sole undefeated team in the Big 12 managed only 294 total yards of offense, 90 of which came in overtime. "Winning is never ugly," Rhule said. "I've lost a lot, and I'll take this any day of the week." Baylor hosts No. 9 Oklahoma in a huge Big 12 matchup on Saturday. TCU is on the road Saturday against Texas Tech.
Texas Tech quarterback Jett Duffey threw for one touchdown and moved the offense at will to beat West Virginia 38-17 on Saturday, handing the Mountaineers their fifth consecutive loss. Duffey's touchdown boosts his total scores to 10 after taking over for the injured Alan Bowman in mid-September. Duffey finished 24-of-34 for 354 yards passing. West Virginia quarterback Austin Kendall was intercepted twice and fumbled the ball on fourth down in the first quarter. West Virginia's losing streak is its worst since losing five straight in 2012. Texas Tech hosts TCU nest Saturday.
Texas State kicker Joshua Rowland drilled a 31-yarder late in fourth quarter lifting the Bobcats to a 30-28 victory over South Alabama on Saturday. Quarterback Tyler Vitt completed 23-of-33 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns in the Bobcats first win of the season.
Indianapolis (4-3) at Houston (5-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
BetMGM NFL Odds: Texans by 6.
Against the spread: Indianapolis 6-1; Houston 3-3-1.
Series record: Colts lead 33-12-1.
Last meeting: Texans beat Colts 29-27 on Sept. 8, in Indianapolis.
Last week: Colts beat Dolphins 16-10; Texans lost to Packers 24-22.
Colts offense: overall (16), rush (14), pass (17), scoring (18).
Colts defense: overall (29), rush (31), pass (23), scoring (T12).
Texans offense: overall (11), rush (15), pass (10), scoring (14).
Texans defense: overall (2), rush (8), pass (4), scoring (17).
Turnover differential: Colts plus-2, Texans plus-3.
RB Jonathan Taylor. Despite the Colts optimism each of the past three weeks, Taylor has continued to sit out. Now, he appears to be close to fully recovered from the sprained ankle that knocked him out late in the victory over Pittsburgh on Sept. 29. It’s unclear how much Taylor will play — or how effective he’ll be — but having Taylor in the backfield will only make QB Anthony Richardson's ability to run more of an option.
QB C.J. Stroud. The second-year pro looks to bounce back after throwing for a career-low 86 yards without a TD pass last week. The Texans are focused on improving his protection after he was sacked four times and hit another seven in the loss to Green Bay. He’s been great at home this season, going 3-0 with 936 yards passing.
Houston RB Joe Mixon vs. the Indianapolis run defense. Mixon has had at least 100 yards rushing in each of the three full games he’s played this season. The former Bengal, who is in his first year in Houston, had 115 yards rushing and ran for two touchdowns last week for his 10th career game with at least two rushing scores. Now Mixon, who ran for a season-high 159 yards and a TD in Week 1 against the Colts, will face a run defense which ranks 31st in the NFL by allowing 159.9 yards a game. Indianapolis has allowed at least 185 yards rushing three times this season, capped by 188 yards last week against Miami.
Indy’s injury list finally appears to be shrinking. Richardson (right hip) and Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly (calf) returned last week against Miami. Taylor is scheduled to return Sunday at Houston and All-Pro DT DeForest Buckner (sprained ankle) returned to practice Wednesday. WRs Michael Pittman Jr. (back), Josh Downs (toe) and Alec Pierce (shoulder) have continued to play through their injuries, leaving one big question mark this weekend — LB E.J. Speed (knee), who missed last week’s game. … Houston LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and S Jimmie Ward (groin) missed Sunday’s game and could be out again this week after missing practice. ... LB Henry To’oTo’o (concussion) and CB Kamari Lassiter (shoulder) returned to practice after missing time but coach DeMeco Ryans wouldn't say if they'll play Sunday.
Houston has won three of the past four matchups, the past two by a total of six points — both in Indy. ... This will be the third meeting between these franchises in an eight-game stretch. ... Stroud and Richardson were selected two picks apart in the 2023 NFL draft and they developed a friendship while preparing for the draft. But they’ve only played against one another twice. Richardson won the first meeting in Week 2 of 2023, rushing for two scores in Houston before leaving with a concussion. Stroud won the rematch in September.
Sunday will mark the second matchup this season between Colts DBs coach Ron Milus and his son, Texas defensive assistant Ryan Milus. ... The Colts have won four of their past five since starting the season 0-2. ... Indy is 4-9-1 in division games since the start of the 2022 season. But the Colts can even the season series with Houston and pull into a tie for the AFC South lead with a victory. ... Indy’s 31 plays of 20 or more yards this season are the fourth most in the NFL this season. ... Pittman needs 2 yards receiving to reach 4,000 in his five-year career. ... Taylor needs 78 total yards to pass Hall of Famer Lenny Moore (6,040 yards) for No. 4 in franchise history. ... Richardson and 39-year-old Joe Flacco have thrown a total of 10 TD passes this season. ... Pierce leads the NFL with an average of 25.5 yards per catch and has a league-high five receptions of 40 or more yards. ... Colts DE Laiatu Latu’s two sacks are tied with Jonah Elliss of Denver for the most among NFL rookies. ... LB Zaire Franklin leads the NFL in tackles with 78. ... CB Jaylon Jones is one of seven players to pick off two passes in a game this season. His eight passes defensed are also tied for No. 5 in the league. … The Texans have forced seven turnovers combined in their past two games. … Houston WR Stefon Diggs has had at least 65 yards receiving in four of his past five games. He has two TD receptions in each of his past two games against the Colts. … WR Tank Dell, who didn’t have a catch last week, had seven receptions for 72 yards a touchdown in the previous game against the Colts in Houston. … DE Danielle Hunter has had a sack in two straight games. … DE Will Anderson has had at least one tackle for loss in three straight games and at least one sack in his past two. He is tied for sixth in the NFL with 6½ sacks this season. … DT Tim Settle had two tackles for losses and a sack last week. … LB Neville Hewitt led the team with a season-high nine tackles last week and had an interception. … S Calen Bullock is tied for first among rookie in the league with three interceptions. He had an interception in the first meeting with Indianapolis. … CB Derek Stingley had six tackles, including one for a loss and defended a pass last week. ... LB Devin White, a Pro Bowler in 2021 with Tampa Bay, signed with Houston on Wednesday.
Mixon should be a good pickup this week against Indy’s struggling run defense after he’s combined for 217 yards rushing with three rushing TDs and one touchdown reception in the two games since returning from injury.