Youth is officially served at Texas. On Texas’ first drive of the second half, one keyed by solid running from freshman Malcolm Brown, the Longhorns scored from 36 yards on a receiver pass from freshman John Harris to freshman Jaxon Shipley. Garrett Gilbert handed to Harris who wanted to throw – and did under durress. His throw was a bit short, but Shipley adjusted, even battling a defender who was flagged for pass interference, to catch the pass and stay in bounds for the touchdown.
Shipley has 54 yards receiving and a 12-yard run that he nearly broke for a touchdown, but for one step on the sideline. The Texas offense has struggled to move the ball with their standard set and Gilbert at QB, but they’ve used misdirection and exotic packages to shake things up. Freshman QB David Ash has also been on the field numerous times despite throwing just one pass.
Texas leads Rice 20-9 after the score, as the Owls continue to benefit from 65 yards in Texas penalties and strong running by Tyler Smith, who has 62 yards on eight carries.