AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Kansas State is on a roll and making noise in the chase for the Big 12 championship. Texas is reeling and just trying to hang on to its title hopes.
Thats quite the role reversal from the expectations for both teams when the season began.
Texas ended 2018s 10-win season with a Were back declaration from quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Two losses in the last three games have Texas (5-3, 3-2) now needing to beat the No. 20 Wildcats (6-2, 3-2) on Sunday just to have a chance to get back to the Big 12 title game.
Weve left the margin of error very slim, and thats okay, Longhorns coach Tom Herman said. Were on the ropes. You can do one of two things. You can fight your way off the ropes or you can tell your trainer to throw in the towel. And from all accounts, everybody is pushing in the same direction saying, we want to fight our way off the ropes.
Texas had a week off to regroup after a loss at TCU. Kansas State, meanwhile, has been on a tear of three straight wins under first-year coach Chris Klieman. None was bigger than a 48-41 stunner over conference favorite No. 9 Oklahoma two weeks ago. The Wildcats followed that by crushing rival Kansas, the team that took Texas to the final play in a shootout.
The Wildcats havent been bowl-eligible this early in the season since 2014. They even showed up in the seasons first College Football Playoff rankings at No. 16. That makes the drive for the Big 12 title game even more important.
HEALTHY LONGHORNS
The Texas defense has been severely depleted by injuries and gets a key player back this week in sophomore safety Caden Sterns. An All-Big 12 player last year, Sterns has missed four games with a leg injury and his absence left gaping holes in coverage and run support.
SLUMPING SAM
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is still on a tear through the schools single-season passing records, but his last few games have been kind of rough. Hes completing less than 60% of his passes the last four games and has six interceptions to eight touchdowns. Herman, however, says he has no issues about Ehlingers play and that only one of the turnovers against TCU was his fault.
Everybody wants to look at sacks and say the O-line stinks, Herman said. Everybody wants to look at interceptions and say the quarterback stinks or had a bad game. He made one bad decision.
SKYLAR ON THE RUN
