AUSTIN, Texas — The last time Texas played at home, the Longhorns hearda rare chorus of boos during a humiliating loss to UCLA.
A loss to Oklahoma a we e k l a t e r only intensified the shock and malaise that hungover the program. Texas fell out of the Top 25 for the first time in a decade.
After a month on the road, Texas is back in The Associated Press Top 25 at No. 22 and returns home today amuch happier bunch following a big victory at Nebraska. Texas (4-2, 2-1 Big 12), No. 19 in the BCS standings, hosts Iowa State (3-4, 1-2) today in the first of five home games in the second half of the season.
“We’ve got to redeem ourselves at home,” defensive tackle Alex Okafor said.
The 34-12 loss to UCLA ended a 16-game home wining streak and left Texas badly shaken. Coach Mack Brown left the stadium that day apologizing to Texans fans for the “embarrassing” display, and his team went out the next week and lost 28-20 to the rival Sooners.
Brown often talks about the swagger of typical Texasteams, swagger that disappeared until the Longhorns beat Nebraska. That victory on the road allowed the players to strut around campus again.
“You can definitely feel the difference as far as the spirits being higher. It feels good to get back on track,” senior wide receiver James Kirkendoll said.
Brown said it was good for his players to get out of Texas for a week.
“One even told me it’s unusual to go somewhere where a whole state hates you,” Brown said. “I think our guys respond really well in that situation. They never panic. (But) we need our fans. This team needs our fans. Some ofour teams have not, but this team needs our fans.”
The Cyclones looked dangerous after beating Texas Tech 52-38 on Oct. 2, but two crushing losses to No. 9 Utah (68-27) and No. 3 Oklahoma (52-0) followed.
“When both sides of the ball play bad, there’s really nothing you can do,” Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud said of the loss to Oklahoma.
It doesn’t look to get much better for Cyclones.
Texas is the fourth ranked team on the schedule with two more, Nebraska and Missouri, still to play. The Cyclones, who won the Insight.com bowl last season for only their third postseason victory in school history, have to win three of their last four to become bowl eligible this season.
Coach Paul Rhoads, who took over a team that lost 10 in a row in 2008 and won seven games last season, knows there is still a big talent gap between the Cyclones and Longhorns.
Iowa State has 20 players from Texas, and Rhoads plans to continue mining the Lone Star State for recruits.
“We’ll be scheduling two trips to the state of Texas every year,” Rhoads said. “There’s an anxiety and an excitement for those guys going back home. There’s going to be a lot of people in the stands to watch them play.”
Sports, Pages 21 on 10/23/2010