2011 Texas Longhorns football team
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Texas Longhorns football team (variously "Texas," "UT," the "Longhorns," or the "'Horns") represents the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...

 in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level, began on Thursday, September 1, 2011...

. The Longhorns will be led by 14th year head coach Mack Brown
Mack Brown
William Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...

 and will play their home games at Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...

. The opening game of the 2011 season vs Rice, as well as the game against conference rival Kansas, will be broadcast by the new UT-centric Longhorn Network
Longhorn Network
The Longhorn Network is an American regional sports network focusing on sports-related programming for The University of Texas at Austin...

. Big 12 Conference play began with a road
Road (sports)
Road game , more commonly known as an away game, is a reference to all cities and stadia/arenas/fields/venues where an athletic team plays games for which it is not the host. Most professional teams represent cities or towns and amateur sports teams often represent academic institutions...

 victory over the Iowa State Cyclones
2011 Iowa State Cyclones football team
The 2011 Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cyclones are led by third year head coach Paul Rhoads and play their home games at Jack Trice Stadium. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference...

 and will end with a road game against the Baylor Bears
2011 Baylor Bears football team
The 2011 Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in college football's 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team is coached by Art Briles and plays their home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas...

.

Previous season

After the 2009 Texas Longhorns football team lost to Alabama
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 77th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 18th within the SEC Western Division...

 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game
2010 BCS National Championship Game
The 2010 Citi BCS National Championship Game was the finale of the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and was played between the Texas Longhorns and the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was hosted by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California,...

, Texas entered the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...

 ranked fifth in the AP Poll and fourth in the Coaches Poll. Texas won its first three games of the season, maintaining a top 10 status. However, the Longhorns were upset by UCLA
2010 UCLA Bruins football team
The 2010 UCLA Bruins football team, coached by third year head coach Rick Neuheisel, opened the season on the road against the Kansas State Wildcats on September 4, 2010. The next three games would be against ranked opponents, and after a road win at #7 Texas, expectations for the Bruins dampened...

, followed by a loss to Oklahoma
2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2010 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2010–2011. It was the 116th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...

. This caused Texas to be excluded from both Top 25 polls for the first time since 1998
1998 Texas Longhorns football team
The 1998 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Regular season:...

.

2011 NFL Draft Class

2011 NFL Draft selections
Round Pick # Team Player Position
2 4 Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 
Aaron Williams
Aaron Williams (American football)
Aaron Williams is an American football cornerback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 2nd round, 34th overall, of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns....

 
Cornerback
3 31 Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...

 
Curtis Brown
Curtis Brown (cornerback)
Curtis Brown is an American football cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played collegiately at the University of Texas.-High School and Collegiate career:...

 
Cornerback
4 6 Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 
Sam Acho
Sam Acho
Samuel Onyedikachi Acho is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals. Acho played college football at the University of Texas.-Early years:Acho attended St. Mark's School in Dallas, Texas...

 
Defensive End
5 33 Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...

 
Chykie Brown
Chykie Brown
Chykie Brown is an American football cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Texas at Austin.-External links:*...

 
Cornerback

Other signed seniors

Eddie Jones
Eddie Jones (American football)
Eddie Lewis Jones, Jr. is an American football linebacker for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Texas....

 (Linebacker) - New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...



John Gold
John Gold
John Gold is an American football punter for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at the University of Texas.-Professional career:...

 (Punter) - Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...



John Chiles
John Chiles
John Chiles is an American football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Jacksonville Sharks. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football for the University of Texas at Austin.-Early years:Chiles attended Summit High School in...

 (Wide Receiver) - Jacksonville Sharks
Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football...



Roster

Recruiting

During the 2011 recruiting period, Texas recruited 18 players, including nine from the 'ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

 150.' As a result, Texas' recruiting class was ranked first by ESPN and third by both Rivals
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...

 and Scout
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...

.

Schedule

|-
!colspan=8| Non-Conference Schedule
|-
!colspan=8| Conference Schedule

Rice

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
71-21-1 2010 Texas, 34-17

Texas was favored by 24 points.

The Longhorns opened up the 2011 season against the Rice
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...

 Owls
Rice Owls football
The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:...

 of Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...

. In the previous meeting, which was also the first game that 2010 Texas Longhorns football team
2010 Texas Longhorns football team
The 2010 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Mack Brown, who has a contract lasting through the 2016 season...

 played against, Texas won 34-17. Garrett Gilbert
Garrett Gilbert
Garrett Gilbert is a current quarterback for the SMU Mustangs college football team. Gilbert was regarded as one of the best high school quarterbacks of his class and was named the 2008 Offensive Player of the Year by USA Today....

 was the starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 after he was selected over Case McCoy, David Ash, and Connor Wood. Rice was able to hold the Longhorns to a three-and-out and attain a field goal to give Rice a 3-0 lead. However, Texas was able to respond with another field goal drive which was highlighted by a 56-yard pass from Gilbert to Mike Davis that would turn out to be the longest pass for the game, tying it at 3-3 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Rice's Xavier Webb fumbled
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...

 a punt that was recovered by the Texas team deep inside the Owls' side of the field, setting up the first touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...

 of the game and putting Texas at a 10-3 lead. Each team made an additional field goal in the remaining second quarter to put the score at 13-6 with Texas leading.

To start the second half, the Owls were able to narrow the Longhorns' lead to 13-9 after driving 46 yards to make a field goal, but on the ensuing drive Texas was able to increase the lead once again with a touchdown highlighted by a 36 yard pass by John Harris to Jaxon Shipley. This marked the first time that a non-quarterback player made a touchdown pass in school history since 1998 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...

 winner Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...

. In the fourth quarter, Texas held Rice scoreless while scoring two touchdowns, both of which by running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...

 Foswhitt Whittaker
Foswhitt Whittaker
Foswhitt Whittaker is an American football player and currently halfback for the Texas Longhorns. He is from Pearland, Texas.-References:...

. Texas would hold off Rice for the rest of the game to win 34-9 victory, the seventy-first against Rice overall.

----

BYU

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
1-2 1988 BYU, 47-6

Texas was favored by 8 points.

Texas remained at home to face BYU. Prior to the game, the two teams had only met twice, in 1988 and 1987. In both games, BYU won with scores of 47-6 and 22-17, respectively. In the first quarter, BYU held Texas scoreless with two punts, answering with two field goals. Garrett Gilbert, the starting quarterback, was replaced by backups Case McCoy and David Ash in the first quarter after throwing two interceptions. To answer Gilbert's second interception, the Cougars were able to drive 97 yards to score the only touchdown of the first half. After the touchdown, BYU lead Texas 13-0. In the second quarter, BYU quarterback Jake Heaps
Jake Heaps
Jake Heaps is an American football quarterback. After leading his highschool team to 3 Washington 4A state titles at Skyline High School Jake was rated as the number 1 quarterback prospect in the country by several recruiting services. Heaps chose to play for Brigham Young University...

 was intercepted by Texas cornerback Adrian Phillips. This set up a Texas field goal that would be Texas' first score of the game with 1:44 left in the half, cutting the BYU lead to 10 points. The Cougars would keep possession for the remaining second quarter to keep the score at 13-3 at halftime, with BYU still leading.
----

UCLA

Sources:

Overall Record Last Meeting Result
3-3 2010 UCLA, 12-34

Texas was favored by 4 points.

The Longhorns played UCLA for their first away game on September 17. In the previous 3 matches, UCLA won in large blowouts, most notably in 1997 when they won 66-3 in what became to be known as 'Rout 66.' Case McCoy and David Ash were selected as quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 co-starters after Garrett Gilbert was taken out of the game against BYU. Texas started quickly into the game when UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince
Kevin Prince
Kevin Prince is an American football quarterback. He played at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California. He is a redshirt junior at UCLA, the starting quarterback for the team...

 threw an interception. On the ensuing Longhorn drive, Case McCoy threw a 45-yard pass to D.J. Grant, giving Texas a 7-0 lead. Kevin Prince would throw 2 additional interceptions, both of which Texas scored upon, before taken out of the game.

1st quarter scoring: UT – D. J. Grant 45-yard pass from Case McCoy (Justin Tucker kick); UT – Fozz Whittaker 8-yard run (Tucker kick).

2nd quarter scoring: UT – Malcolm Brown 16-yard run (Tucker kick); UCLA – Derrick Coleman 1-yard run (Jeff Locke kick); UT – Grant 2-yard pass from McCoy (Tucker kick); UCLA – Locke 51-yard field goal.

3rd quarter scoring: UCLA – Locke 49-yard field goal; UT – Grant 5-yard pass from Jaxon Shipley (Tucker kick); UCLA – Coleman 1-yard run (Locke kick); UT – Whittaker 36-yard run (Tucker kick)

4th quarter scoring: UT – Cody Johnson 7-yard run (Tucker kick)

----

Iowa State

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
8-1 2010 Iowa State, 21-28

Texas was favored by 9 points.

----

Oklahoma

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
59-42-5 2010 Oklahoma, 20-28

Oklahoma was favored by 11.5 points.

----

Oklahoma State

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
22-4 2010 Oklahoma State, 16-33

Oklahoma State was favored by 8 points.

----

Kansas

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
9-2 2009 Texas, 51-20

Texas was favored by 28.5 points.

----

Texas Tech

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
46-15 2010 Texas, 24-14

Texas was favored by 14 points.

----

Missouri

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
17-6 2009 Texas, 41-7

Texas was favored by 1.5 points.

----

Kansas State

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
5-7 2010 Kansas State, 14-39

Texas was favored by 7.5 points.

----

Texas A&M

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
76-37-5 2010 Texas A&M, 17-24

Texas A&M was favored by 8 points.

----

Baylor

Sources:
Overall Record Last Meeting Result
73-23-4 2010 Baylor, 22-30

Baylor was favored by 3 points.

----

Rankings

The Texas Longhorns began the season unranked for the first time since 1998 in the AP Poll, although it was ranked twenty-fourth in the Coaches Poll. After wins against Rice and BYU, Texas would slowly increase in the rankings before jumping four spots in the AP Poll and three in the Coaches Poll after winning against UCLA. After the bye week Texas once again jumped another 2 spots in the AP Poll and one in the Coaches Poll.
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