BYU embarrasses Texas again 41-7
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — BYU embarrassed Texas and Charlie Strong. Just like it did Mack Brown a year ago.
No assistant coaches will likely get fired Sunday and Strong has a new 5-year, $25 million contract to back him up. But, like Brown before him, Strong walked off the field after his version of the Longhorns got bashed by BYU again, this time 41-7 in the worst Texas home loss since 1997.
"It is an embarrassment," Strong said. "It is an embarrassment to this program and an embarrassment to the university."
It certainly was another humiliation for Texas players who had so badly wanted to erase the memories of a 40-21 loss last season when the Cougars rolled up a school-record 550 yards rushing.
"It almost feels like we went back to Utah," Texas receiver John Harris said.
Cougars quarterback Taysom Hill ran for three touchdowns in the third quarter Saturday night, hurdling a defender near the goal line on a 30-yard score. He also passed for 181 yards. Adam Hine scored twice in the second half for BYU.
Defensively, BYU (2-0) allowed Texas (1-1) allowed just 249 yards behind new quarterback Tyrone Swoopes and an offensive line missing three starters because of injury or suspensions.
The potential for a blowout was set up early in the week when Strong announced that quarterback David Ash would be out with concussion symptoms and two days later suspended starting tackles Desmond Harrison and Kennedy Estelle. That left Swoopes getting his first start behind a makeshift line that totaled five career starts.
"This week had nothing to do with the way we played tonight," Strong said.
Swoopes was 19-of-30 passing for 171 yards and one interception. But BYU pushed Texas around up front, stifling a running game that was supposed to be Texas' strength. Swoopes completed his first eight passes but early drives stalled without the ability to grind out tough yards.
BYU's marauding victory last year got defensive coordinator Manny Diaz fired the next day and lit a season-long fire under Brown, who was pushed out at the end of the season.
Strong came in and pointed to the rematch as a measuring stick for his program. In the offseason, he showed his new players "lowlight" films of how badly they played last year.
Nothing worked.
"I knew during warmup we weren't ready to play," Strong said.
The defense kept Texas in the game in the first half. Hill had a long touchdown run negated by a holding penalty in the first quarter and the Cougars had to settle for a 6-0 halftime lead behind field goals of 21 and 29 yards from Trevor Samson.
Hill broke things open with his big run in the third. Sacked four times in the first half, Hill looked like he was going down for another when he moved to his left, stepped out of one tackle and took off. Safety Dylan Haines ducked his head on the tackle attempt and Hill easily jumped over him.
"I knew I was one-on-one with the safety and they'd been diving at me all game," Hill said.
BYU kept pounding Texas from there. After forcing a quick punt, the Cougars pushed the lead to 20-0 on a 16-yard touchdown run by Hine. Hill later added scoring runs of 2 and 1 yards to make it 34-0 heading in the fourth.
Texas avoided its first home shutout since 1976 when Swoopes hit John Harris for a touchdown pass late in the third quarter.
"That hits the heart and that's embarrassing," Texas running back Johnathan Gray said.
The Cougars, who plays as independents, need big wins like that to make the nation take notice.
"The way to be respected nationally is to play as many of these games and win," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "Upward mobility depends so much quarterback play. I like our chances."