McCoy finds freshman form

By John Hillman  |   Wednesday, October 01, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Texas Longhorns
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The dreaded sophomore slump infected Texas quarterback Colt McCoy last season. His 18 interceptions in 2007 thwarted the Longhorn offense, and his poor passing performance contributed directly to a home loss to Kansas State. But the tables have turned in 2008.

Commentary: McCoy’s junior numbers border on the incredible. Through four nonconference games, he has thrown for 1,108 yards, 14 touchdown passes and just a single interception.

The signal-caller’s completion rate stands at 80 percent (80 of 100), and his quarterback rating calculates to an unbelievable 209.71. McCoy’s passing, coupled with an improved Texas defense coached by Will Muschamp, generated Longhorn wins over Florida Atlantic, UTEP, Rice,and Arkansas by a combined score of 198-43.

The quarterback’s projected 2008 stats far surpass the numbers he put up in his first year, when he tied an NCAA record for touchdown passes by a freshman with 29. That total dropped to 22 last year and McCoy’s high interception-to-touchdown ratio created concern among Longhorn fans.

With Texas sporting a 4-0 mark heading into conference play, fans are celebrating cautiously. Faint whisperings of another Texas quarterback winning a Heisman Trophy have surfaced, but a groundswell won’t develop unless McCoy continues to post impressive numbers and leads the Horns into a BCS bowl.

Less than midway through his third year, McCoy has accumulated a 24-6 record as the Longhorns' starter. A road victory over Colorado this Saturday will tie him with James Brown and Peter Gardere for fifth place on UT”s all-time list; and in short order, he will challenge Vince Young’s 30-2 mark.

McCoy’s path certainly gets rockier as the Horns head into Big XII competition. Feisty Colorado provides a prelude to the always exciting Red River Shootout with top-ranked Oklahoma.

Fan Pulse: Although Heisman talk about McCoy seems premature, it gets Longhorn fans stirring. This link gives details: http://www.burntorangenation.com/2008/9/30/625214/mccoy-1-in-heisman-race-yo

Injury Report: Texas lost tight end Blaine Irby for the season with a dislocated right knee against Rice on Sept. 21. Backup fullback Luke Tiemann joined Irby with a season-ending torn left ACL suffered against Arkansas last Saturday. Running back Fozzy Whittaker remains questionable against Colorado with stomach problems.
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About John Hillman

John Hillman graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a BBA in accounting and earned an MBA from Baylor in 1987. He worked for accounting firms until 1982 when he became the chief financial officer for an independent insurance claims adjusting service, a position he still holds today. ...
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