Texas is coming in off a win over BYU last weekend, and they did it without their starting quarterback, as Quinn Ewers is out for a few weeks. Maalik Murphy got the start, and he didn’t look bad leading the Longhorns to a 35-6 win; the defense stepped up for Texas. Kansas State is coming in off a win over Houston in which their defense stepped up, posting a shutout in a 41-0 victory.
Texas Longhorns 7-1 (4-1 Big 12) vs. Kansas State Wildcats 6-2 (4-1 Big 12)
Date: Saturday, November 4
Time: 12:00 p.m. EST
TV Channel: FOX
Location: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin TX
Line: Longhorns -4.0 / O/U: 51.5
2023 Season Stats
Texas:
2023 Record — 7-1 (4-1 in Big 12)
2023 Offense (Big 12 Rank) —
Total Yards: 3633 (5)
Passing Yards: 2193 (4)
Rushing Yards: 1440 (8)
2023 Defense (per game averages) —
Total Yards Allowed: 2624 (2)
Passing Yards Allowed: 1841 (7)
Rushing Yards Allowed: 783 (1)
2023 Cumulative Points Scored: 276 (4)
2023 Cumulative Points Allowed: 128 (2)
2023 CFP Ranking: 7
Kansas State:
2023 Record — 6-2 (4-1 in Big 12)
2023 Offense (Big 12 Rank) —
Total Yards: 3717 (4)
Passing Yards: 1909 (8)
Rushing Yards: 1808 (2)
2023 Defense (per game averages) —
Total Yards Allowed: 2750 (3)
Passing Yards Allowed: 1875 (9)
Rushing Yards Allowed: 875 (2)
2023 Cumulative Points Scored: 299 (2)
2023 Cumulative Points Allowed: 127 (1)
2023 CFP Ranking: 23
Series History/All-Time Records
All-time head-to-head record: Texas Leads 13-10-0
Current streak: Texas has won six straight
Last Texas win: 2022 (34-27)
Last Kansas State win: 2016 (24-21)
2023 Top Players
Texas Longhorns
Passing: Maalik Murphy- 20-33, 217 yards, 2-1 (TD-INT)
Rushing: Jonathon Brooks – 144 ATT, 923 YDS, 7 TD
Receiving: Xavier Worthy – 44 REC, 572 YDS, 4 TD
Tackles: Jaylan Ford – 57 (25-32)
Sacks: Anthony Hill Jr. & Ethan Burke – 3.0
Interceptions: Jaylan Ford & Jerrin Thompson & Michael Taaffe – 2
Kansas State
Passing: Will Howard – 137-215, 1,628 YDS, 14-7 (TD-INT)
Rushing: DJ Giddens – 116 ATT, 722 YDS, 7 TD
Receiving: Phillip Brooks – 39 REC, 437 YDS, 3 TD
Tackles: Austin Moore – 43 (27-15)
Sacks: Khalid Duke – 5
Interceptions: Kobe Savage & Will Lee III – 2
Texas Players To Watch:
Offense: Quarterback – Maalik Murphy – Sophomore
Murphy last week made his first start and led Texas to a win; this week, he takes on a Kansas State defense that ranks ninth in the Big 12 against the pass, giving up 1,875 yards in eight games. The Wildcats rush defense is a strength to that team, so running the ball may be an issue, meaning the Longhorns will need to rely on the arm of Murphy if they want to keep their Big 12 Championship sights alive.
Defense: Defensive Back – Jerrin Thompson – Freshman
Thompson has been a beast on the defense this season in his first season at Austin, and he is tied for the team lead for interceptions; this week, he will face Will Howard, who has thrown seven turnovers to this point. Look for Thompson to have a takeaway and get the ball back for his offense against Kansas State.
Bottom Line: Big Game for Texas
The Longhorns are entering a big matchup against the Wildcats as they try to keep their chances of a Big 12 Championship alive. Last weekend, Oklahoma lost, opening up a five-way tie for the top spot, and Kansas State and Texas are two teams tied in that spot. A win for the Longhorns could go a long way into helping them reach that goal of winning the Big 12 and potentially making the College Football Playoff.
