COLLEGE REWIND
Saturday NCAA football recap: Tom Herman and the Longhorns stun West Virginia
KALAH WINTERS
Nov 19, 2017, 9:54 am
UT and Tom Herman got an important win. Tim Warner/Getty Images
Rather positive week for college football in the Lone Star State. We take a look back at Texas colleges and schools of interest:
Texas 28, West Virginia 14
First-year coach Tom Herman and the Longhorns have a lot to be proud of after their 28-14 victory over No. 24 West Virginia on Saturday. The now bowl-eligible Longhorns beat a ranked opponent for the first time in five tries this season and qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2014. ”This was a big hurdle – to get another road conference win, to beat a top 25 team, and make sure our seniors are bowl eligible,” said Herman. “These guys are ecstatic.” Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger did not mess around, completing 12 of 19 for 136 yards and running for 68 yards.
TCU 27, Texas Tech 3
Rookie quarterback Shawn Robinson became the first true freshman to start for the Horned Frogs in all of coach Gary Patterson’s 17 seasons as head coach. After being held to a scoreless first quarter, the Horned Frogs shook off the jitters and began to really shine. In his first career start, Robinson ran for 84 yards and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Reagor to take a 17-3 lead late in the third quarter. Red Raider quarterback Nic Shimonek had a season-low 137 yards passing and was only 17 of 37.
LSU 30, Tennessee 10
On a stormy Saturday in Knoxville, LSU managed to beat Tennessee 30-10 while avoiding any turnovers. “I thought the storm fired them up,” said LSU coach Ed Orgeron. “They were like little kids playing in the back yard. I was proud of them. "Derrius Guice and Darrel Williams ran for a combined 165 yards and three touchdowns for LSU. According to Orgeron, eliminating turnovers made the difference in the game for the Tigers. This loss for Tennessee came in the Volunteers’ first game under interm coach Brady Hoke after the firing of Butch Jones.
Old Dominion 24, Rice 21
Old Dominion quarterback Steven Williams led his team to victory, throwing for 188 yards and running for two scores, including the game-winning touchdown with 37 seconds left. An interception by ODU’s Sean Carter with 21 seconds left in the game sealed the win. This is the ninth straight loss for the Owls.
Iowa State 23, Baylor 13
The Cyclones broke their two-game losing streak with Saturday’s 23-13 victory over Baylor in Waco. On a pass from freshman Zeb Noland, senior Hakeem Butler made a highlight over-the-shoulder 67-yard catch-and-run score for the Cyclones in which he broke away from two defenders. Baylor has lost 10 games for the first time since going 1-10 back in 1999.
Arkansas State 30, Texas State 12
Arkansas State moves into a four-way tie atop the Sunbelt Conference with a 30-12 victory over Texas State on Saturday. Quarterback Justice Hansen threw for 229 and one touchdown for the Red Wolves.
Texas A&M 31, Ole Miss 24
Returning freshman quarterback Nick Starkel threw for 272 yards, leading the Aggies to a rallying 31-24 victory over Mississippi on Saturday. “We weren’t perfect,” said A&M coach Kevin Sumlin. “But our guys played really hard. I’m happy for them.” The Aggies took a 28-24 lead just after halftime thanks to a pick-six by Derrick Tucker. Starkel completed 19 of 32 passes and ran for a 1-yard touchdown for the Aggies. A&M’s Damion Ratley caught five passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Tulane 20, Houston 17
Tulane quarterback Jonathan Banks led his team to victory and threw for a career-high 251 yards to defeat the Houston Cougars 20-17. D'Eriq King rushed for 141 yards and passed for 225 in a losing effort.
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After dropping a frustrating series to the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros find themselves in a familiar position—searching for answers, but still within striking distance. Despite their inconsistency, Houston sits just three games behind the AL West-leading Mariners, who are currently 7 games over .500 and riding an 8-2 stretch. For as up-and-down as the Astros have been, the division remains tantalizingly close.
That inconsistency was on full display throughout the White Sox series. Jake Meyers and Zach Dezenzo each played the roles of both hero and heartbreaker. Dezenzo launched a massive home run in Game 3, a moment that energized the dugout and briefly shifted momentum. But his costly defensive error later in the game flipped the script. Meyers was a spark plug in Houston’s lone win, delivering a clutch performance at the plate, only to run the team out of a rally in the finale when he was picked off second—right before Jeremy Peña ripped what would have been an RBI single.
Jose Altuve’s struggles are quietly becoming more worrisome. He’s recorded just one multi-hit game since April 19 and has only one homer since April 8. On Sunday, he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had grinded through a 33-pitch inning—a decision that raised questions about his awareness in a veteran moment. Should manager Joe Espada have reminded Altuve of the situation? Or is this on Altuve, who should have known what to do as one of the team leaders?
Signs of life
There are flickers of life from the bats. Last week, Houston's team OPS was an underwhelming .667 (23rd in MLB), with a slugging percentage of .357 (25th). They've nudged those numbers up to .684 (19th) and .370 (21st), respectively. It’s modest progress, but enough to suggest this offense might be trending in the right direction. Still, their 5-5 record over the last 10 games feels emblematic of who they are right now—a .500 team with both talent and flaws.
Looking ahead
The upcoming schedule could be a turning point. Three of the next five opponents have losing records, and none of them are elite. This stretch offers a prime opportunity for Houston to finally build momentum and close the gap in the division—assuming the Mariners cool off from their current tear, which seems inevitable given their unsustainable 8-2 pace.
McCullers is officially back!
Lance McCullers returned for the first time since 2022 and, despite being limited to 3.2 innings due to command issues (three walks and a hit batter), there were encouraging signs. His velocity was there, and the stuff looked sharp. It’s a start, and perhaps a step toward stabilizing a rotation that still needs length.
Steering the ship
Manager Joe Espada, however, continues to draw scrutiny. His decision-making in the finale raised eyebrows again. Giving Isaac Paredes a day off when Yordan Alvarez was already sitting left the lineup depleted. Rather than using promising young infielder/outfielder Cam Smith, he opted for Mauricio Dubón and Brendan Rodgers—a defensive combo that didn't inspire confidence. It feels at times like Espada isn’t prioritizing winning the final game of a series, a pattern that could haunt the team down the stretch.
The plot thickens
Meanwhile, Christian Walker’s slump is dragging on. He went 0-for-5 twice in the last two series and looks out of sync at the plate. The Astros need more from their power hitters if they hope to make a real run. And with Alvarez now heading to the IL with hand inflammation, runs will be even harder to come by.
All told, this team still feels like one hovering just above or below .500. But in a division that remains wide open, the path forward is clear: play better, hope the Mariners come back to earth, and capitalize on a soft schedule. The race is far from over—but it’s time for Houston to start acting like contenders.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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