Brown 0-2 in title-game
10:35 PM CST on Tuesday, November 29, 2005
AUSTIN – Mack Brown is 0-2 in attempts to beat a team a second time in a
season. Both losses cost him a Big 12 title.
In 1999, Texas knocked off No. 3 Nebraska in Austin, only to lose to the
Cornhuskers, 22-6, in the title game in San Antonio. In 2001, Texas
plowed Colorado, 41-7, in Austin, only to lose to the Buffaloes, 39-37,
in the title game at Texas Stadium.
Big 12 Championship: SportsDay Speak: Chip Brown on the Longhorns Is sequel in store after 2001 odyssey? First meeting: Oct. 15 Texas Longhorns: Colorado Buffaloes: Big 12 Championship: Official site | Records (.pdf) More Big 12
"I got beat the other two times, so I'm trying to look at this
differently," Brown said of Saturday's rematch with Colorado (whom UT
beat, 42-17, in October).
Chip Brown
Colorado coach Gary Barnett didn't say the Buffaloes gave away the game
when they lost to Texas, 42-17, on Oct. 15. But he did lament the many
mistakes that contributed to the Longhorns' domination.
"You can't play a team like that and make the kind of mistakes we made
and still be in the game," Barnett said.
Keith Whitmire
AUSTIN – Texas quarterback Vince Young said he's not worried about
trying to repeat his nearly flawless performance against Colorado on
Oct. 15, when the Longhorns won, 42-17, in Austin.
Young was 25-of-29 for his first career 300-yard passing game (336
yards) with two touchdown passes and three TD runs. Young finished with
58 yards rushing on 10 carries.
"Colorado will have different looks than what they showed us before,"
Young said. "I just have to adjust to what they're doing and lead the
offense."
Asked if the Colorado game this season was the best of his career, Young
said, "I'm not finished yet. I want to have a big game this week and
then the following game."
Chip Brown
Colorado is ranked second in the country in rushing defense. The Buffs
allow 79.5 yards per game and have given up only 10 touchdowns on the
ground.
Texas has the No. 3 rushing offense in the country, averaging 274.3
yards and totaling 44 touchdowns on rushes.
When the teams met in October, Texas ran for 145 yards to become one of
just three teams to top 100 against Colorado. However, the Longhorns
were held to 3.1 yards per carry. Vince Young did most of the damage
with 336 passing yards.
Keith Whitmire
AUSTIN – Texas coach Mack Brown was asked if his team would still
deserve to go to the Rose Bowl if it lost to Colorado.
Said Brown, "I'm not going to approach that with our team because I want
to win the game."
Four of the nine Big 12 championship games have resulted in upsets,
including UT's victory in 1996 over Nebraska and Colorado's upset of
Texas in 2001. In both instances, the losses cost the higher-ranked team
a chance to play for the national title.
When asked if he would support a rule that said a team has to win its
conference championship to play for the national title, Brown laughed
and said, "I'm not going to comment until after Saturday."
Chip Brown
Although the game is in Houston, Colorado is the designated home team
and will wear its home black jerseys. The Big 12 North and South teams
alternate the home and visiting team designation every year. ... No Big
12 division has won back-to-back title games. South representative
Oklahoma won last year's game.
Mack Brown called Southern California coach Pete Carroll last week to
tell him how impressed he is that Carroll's team has won 33 straight
games. "It's amazing," Brown said of Carroll's success. "He said, 'Let's
keep winning and hopefully we'll meet up down the road.' " ... This will
be the third "neutral site" game between Colorado and Texas, and all
will have been on Texas soil. The teams met in the 2001 Big 12
championship in Irving and the 1975 AstroBluebonnet Bowl in Houston.
Brown said his team had so much trouble stopping Texas A&M's running
game because UT didn't anticipate the Aggies running that much option.
With A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal nursing an injury and freshman QB
Stephen McGee's having been a prolific passer in high school at Burnet,
Brown said UT coaches figured A&M would come out passing. ... Colorado
guard Jack Tipton is listed as day-to-day after suffering a sprained
knee against Nebraska.
Texas vs. Colorado
Noon Saturday (Ch. 8)
Reliant Stadium, Houston
UT 42, CU 17 | Summary
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