Kickoff: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Texas -1, Total: 46

The Texas Longhorns looks to bounce back from last season’s loss to the BYU Cougars as the two teams face each other in Austin on Saturday night.

In that game, quarterback Taysom Hill (308 passing yards in Week 1) had a monster game, passing for 129 yards, while also rushing for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Jamaal Williams, who was suspended last week, also had a big game last year, rushing for 182 yards. In all, the Cougars rushed for 550 yards, the most Texas has ever allowed in a game. BYU has had success against Big 12 teams, as the Cougars upset a national title contending Oklahoma team in 2008. The Longhorns will be looking to avenge last season’s loss, but they will have to do it with a new starting quarterback. David Ash (190 passing yards and a touchdown) suffered another concussion in the 38-7 victory and a return this season is unknown. Sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swopes will be the starter for the Longhorns, and he played sparingly in five games last season. The Longhorns have been very good at home against non-conference teams, losing only two games since the 2006 season. However, one of those losses was a 44-23 loss to Ole Miss last season, the week after losing at BYU.

The Cougars are coming into this game off a 35-10 victory against UConn. While Hill showed off his arm in that game, he also had a big game running the ball with 97 yards. The rushing attack was able to rush for 205 yards on 37 carries last week, and that was without Williams. Texas this year will be focusing on slowing down the Cougars running game, so there will be opportunities to hit the deep ball down the middle of the field. Mitch Mathews (five carries, 62 yards and one touchdown) emerged as the No. 1 receiver for the Cougars last week. He is a matchup nightmare with a 6-foot-6, 215 pound frame. With his size and athleticism, he can be nearly impossible to stop, especially in the red zone. His size forces defenses to keep the safety over top because no cornerback can match his height and athleticism. However, he is not the only big receiver as junior Terenn Houk (four catches, 58 yards and one touchdown) stands at 6-foot-5. With these two receivers on the outside, it allows receivers such as Colby Pearson (three catches, 47 yards) and Algernon Brown (four catches and 44 yards) to have some mismatches in the slot against linebackers. Also, the combination of Mathews and Houk provide the Cougars with two terrific run blockers down field for the run game. The defense played very well against Connecticut, allowing only 10 points. Defensive back Craig Bills (five tackles, one interception) is a physical cornerback that can make plays against the run, as well as in the passing game. Zac Stout (10 tackles and one sack) and Bronson Kaufusi (four tackles and two sacks) both have the ability to get after the quarterback. The Longhorns are going to look to run the ball a lot as they bring in a new quarterback to fill in for the injured Ash.

The Texas Longhorns got off to a nice start in Week 1 against North Texas, defeating the Mean Green, 38-7. The Longhorns showed that they are going to rely on their rushing game, as they carried the ball 40 times. Texas does it with two very good running backs, as Johnathan Gray (13 carries and 82 yards) and Malcolm Brown (13 carries, 65 yards and two touchdowns) are both capable of rushing for 100 yards on any given day. However, the numbers weren’t great as they averaged only 4.1 yards per carry. The star of the offense was John Harris (seven catches, 110 yards and one touchdown) At 6-foot-2, 218 pounds, Harris is a nice combination of size and speed. He figures to be guarded a lot Craig Bills, in what should be a physical matchup. While the offense still has question marks, the defense was clicking on all cylinders last Saturday. The Longhorns held the North Texas quarterbacks to completing only 3-of-17 passes for 15 yards, throwing four interceptions. Cornerback Demarco Cobs (five tackles, one interception) showed his big play potential by taking back a pick-six. The Longhorns have long been known as a ball-hawking defensive unit, but got away from that last season. Even though it was only opening week, the Longhorns allowed only 94 yards. Jordan Hicks (five tackles and one interception) is a versatile defense that can affect the game in many different ways.