The No. 15 Texas Longhorns beat the Wyoming Cowboys 37-17 on Saturday night in a solid, workman-like performance against a good opening-week opponent.
The Longhorns vowed to commit to a balanced offensive attack in 2012 with a focus on a powerful rushing attack led by Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown. After some uneven performances in the first quarter, the Longhorns rode that philosophy to a near-dominant win over the Cowboys, who brought some stiff competition to Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
The Cowboys jumped to a 9-7 lead in the first quarter before the Longhorns scored 17 unanswered points in the second, with Nick Jordan connecting on a 31-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half to give Texas a 24-9 lead at halftime.
After Wyoming closed the gap to 31-17 late in the third quarter and forced a turnover thanks to a mishandled snap by David Ash, the Longhorns defense stood tall and kept the game from ever really being in doubt in the second half.
Brown and Bergeron combined to rush for 215 yards on 29 carries, with Bergeron scoring twice and Brown once. Ash was masterful in his game-management role, going 20-of-27 for 156 yards and one touchdown pass, taking care to not make any costly mistakes through the air for the Longhorns.
Texas takes on New Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. CT on The Longhorn Network.
For more on Horns football, visit Texas blogs Burnt Orange Nation and Barking Carnival, plus SB Nation Dallas. For more on Cowboys football, visit Wyoming blog Cowboy Altitude, plus MWC blog Mountain West Connection. Check out SB Nation's YouTube Channel for more on NCAA football: