The No. 11 Texas Longhorns will be without starting linebacker Jordan Hicks at least when they host the No. 8 West Virginia Mountaineers in a huge Big 12 clash Saturday afternoon. The Longhorns announced that Hicks would be out when they released their injury report Friday. Also not playing will be running back Malcolm Brown, junior kicker Anthony Vera and defensive tackle Brandon Moore (the last of which missed last week's game against Oklahoma State) probable.
The injuries on the defensive side of the ball are cause for concern amongst Longhorns fans, who by now have heard all about the guy West Virginia has at quarterback. Geno Smith has been the best player in the country for the first five weeks of the season, and last week threw for more touchdowns — eight — than incompletions (six).
Here's what SB Nation's Texas blog, Burnt Orange Nation, had to say about the injury situation:
Moore's presence should help the interior of the line by reducing the number of snaps everyone has to play, the absence of Hicks should compel (defensive coordinator) Manny Diaz to play a base dime defense, and Fera's listing of questionable suggests Texas won't take the chance on him suffering a setback with his groin injury.
This post first appeared on SBNation.com.