The Longhorns keep up the good work

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy has been named a finalist for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy, which is awarded to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service and on-field performance.

This is the featured story on the Texas Football Web site, along with a story about the Longhorns inviting families with children suffering from Down Syndrome to the stadium to watch a practice and meet the team.

Both of these stories contribute to the Longhorns' positive image; I think the latter is a great PR move to show that the team cares about all of its fans.

You can read the first story here and the second story here.

In other news, the Longhorns were victorious over the University of Missouri Tigers on Saturday, with the final score of the game being 41-7. You can see a recap of the game, along with a video and stats, at ESPN's Web site.

Another article featured on ESPN's Web site today was about Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford's shoulder surgery. His shoulder was reinjured in the Red River Rivalry against Texas, but it is reported that the surgery was successful and Bradford plans to enter the NFL draft next year.

Finally, Texas will face a tough challenge this Saturday in the form of the No. 14 Oklahoma State University Cowboys. The game will be in Stillwater and will be a chance for the Longhorns to prove that they deserve to be in the BCS National Championship game.

The game is on Halloween night, so expect to see some costumes if you attend the game or watch it on TV. You can read an article about the game on ESPN's Web site.

Later, Sooners

The University of Texas Longhorns faced their first top-level defense of the season in the football game against The University of Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday.

The Longhorns emerged the victors, but the game was disappointing to many Texas fans who would have liked to see a larger margin of defeat (like me).

The final score was 16-13, reflecting excellent defenses from both teams. The offenses just could not perform as well as they usually do, as indicated by the low final score.

However, that's not to say the game wasn't exciting. There were a combined eight turnovers between the two teams, and 21 penalties. This kept the game and the score unpredictable for viewers.

The game was held in the Cotton Bowl at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. Thousands of fans and students drive to Dallas each year to attend the game and go to the fair.

Sadly, I did not get to go to the game this year, but it is my goal to make the trip up to Dallas next year as a senior. People have told me that it's an incredible experience that I should not miss out on.

You can read a recap of the game and find stats for both teams at ESPN's Web site.

After the games of the past weekend, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy dropped to No. 5 in the Heisman race and wide receiver Jordan Shipley dropped out of the running completely. To view the new list of Heisman hopefuls, visit ESPN's Heisman Watch Web site.

The big news of the week that everyone has been anticipating was the release of the BCS standings on Sunday. These standings determine which two teams will play in the national championship game at the end of the season.

Texas is No. 3 in the standings, while The University of Alabama is No. 1 and the University of Florida is No. 2.

In other news, McCoy bruised his right thumb in the second quarter of the game against the Sooners, but announced that he will still play in the game against the University of Missouri this Saturday.

Now that the Longhorns have put the Red River Rivalry behind them, they need to focus on the two road games they have coming up against Missouri and Oklahoma State University, which will not be easy games by far.

To read more about Texas footall, check out this comprehensive blog by Burnt Orange Nation.

Texas defeats Colorado, but Oklahoma still looms on the horizon

The University of Texas at Austin Longhorns gave their fans quite a scare during the first half of the home football game against the University of Colorado last Saturday. The stadium was quiet as the Buffaloes increased their lead to 14-3 over the undefeated Longhorns in the second quarter.

As a student watching from the stands, I felt almost frantic watching the events unfold on the field. I did not want to witness the No. 2 team in the nation suffer defeat to an unranked team in our own stadium.

Something must have clicked at halftime though, because the Longhorns returned to the field in the second half and rallied for a 38-14 victory against the Buffaloes.

In my opinion, the most exciting play of the game came in the form of an interception in the third quarter by Texas safety Earl Thomas that was returned for 92 yards for a touchdown. If Texas fans were not hoarse from yelling and cheering before that play, they certainly were after.

The play put the Longhorns up 24-14 and gave them the momentum to dominate the Buffaloes for the remainder of the game.

To view a slideshow of game photos along with a commentary on the game, visit the Longhorns' official Web site.

Although Texas was victorious, an impressive showing by The University of Alabama against The University of Mississippi on Saturday afternoon caused the Longhorns to fall one spot in the national rankings while the Crimson Tide moved up to No. 2.

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy remains third in the running for the 2009 Heisman Trophy. Jordan Shipley, the wide receiver for Texas who was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week after his performance on Saturday, is also in the running for the Heisman, currently ranking sixth on the list.

For the list of Heisman hopefuls and an in-depth look at the top five players in the running, visit ESPN's Heisman Watch Web site.

ESPN featured a story on McCoy on its home page yesterday, detailing an interview with the quarterback in which he discusses his hopes for this season, nicknames given to him by friends and family, his girlfriend and his rivalry with University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. To read this article, visit ESPN's Web site.

Next Saturday, the Longhorns will face The University of Oklahoma Sooners in Dallas for the Red River Rivalry. While Oklahoma currently stands at No. 20 in the rankings and has suffered two losses this season, Texas should not take this game lightly.

To read an article featured on ESPN's home page today about the matchup between the Longhorns and the Sooners, click here.

Saturday's game is likely to be the toughest challenge yet for the Longhorns this season. More to come next week...

If you'd like to read more about Texas football, check out this comprehensive blog by Burnt Orange Nation.

Also, for fellow students' blogs on Texas football, check out:

texaslonghornsfootballsupporter.blogspot.com

utexasfootball.blogspot.com