COLUMBIA, Mo. — When the Texas offenses trotted onto the field with the clock reading 15:00 Saturday night, they must have mistaken the opening kickoff for the second half. They certainly played like it.
After a season spent as a second half team, Texas finally found its first half rhythm, pouring it on early against an overmatched Missouri.
The Longhorns sputtered to one first-half offensive touchdown in their first three Big 12 games, but scored twice before the Tigers had gained a first down in a 41-7 demolition.
In front of a stunned Faurot Field crowd, packed with gold and black and ready to celebrate homecoming, Colt McCoy completed his first 11 passes, leading three consecutive touchdown drives to start the game after the Tigers had elected to kick the Longhorns the ball. It was the first game this season Texas (7-0) had the first possession.
“It was big for us,” McCoy said. “The defense has been lights out, we had to give them something to play for. We clicked in the first half.”
The Tigers didn’t have an answer. Their offense stalled, gaining only 102 yards and scoring once in the first half.
They didn’t put up much fight on defense either, allowing McCoy plenty of time and plenty of open targets. He finished 26-of-31 for 269 yards and three scores in three quarters of play.
“We had protection up front,” McCoy said. “That’s where it starts.”
McCoy was sacked twice, but had more than enough time to pick apart the Tigers’ secondary on most plays. Last week against the Sooners, he was sacked and pressured into one of the worst games of his career.
“Our offense tonight was what we expect each week,” Texas head coach Mack Brown said. “Missouri came after us about every play, and we handled it well.”
McCoy threw two touchdowns to Jordan Shipley, both against almost non-existent single coverage, and one to an even more open John Chiles, who slipped behind the secondary on a play that saw three Texas receivers uncovered.
“Shipley is a really good player,” said offensive coordinator Greg Davis. “He got single coverage on the blitz and he came up with a play.”
Shipley returned to his more natural slot position and lined up in different spots on the field throughout the game after a reshuffling of the receiving corps.
A week ago, the Longhorns saw their passing attack almost completely nullified, gaining only 127 yards, by an aggressive Oklahoma defense that was determined to take Texas out of its comfort zone.
But there was none of that to be found Saturday, as McCoy found an early rhythm with his receivers, completing passes to new starters Malcolm Williams and Marquise Goodwin with regularity, and never looking back.
The Longhorns answered their one challenge. After the Tigers completed their lone scoring drive to cut the lead to 21-7 with 5:53 left in the first half, Texas marched the ball 87 yards for the backbreaking score.
In 11 plays, McCoy lead his team down the field, completing 6-of-8 passes, with one ball dropped, and finding Shipley on a simple post route for a 28-7 lead.
The defense held a grudge from the previous scoring drive. After getting an earful and a formation adjustment from coordinator Will Muschamp, the Longhorns forced a three-and-out, forcing the Tigers to punt from their five.
After missing a chance to block the kick against Oklahoma last week when Brown played for the return instead, the Longhorns made up for it this week.
Curtis Brown was the first in a line of Longhorns to get his hands on Jake Harry IV’s punt, which was recovered by Williams in the end zone for a touchdown with 45 seconds left in the half.
“I said, ‘Duane [Akina], don’t even ask me, just go block it,” Mack Brown said.
Nursing a 28-point lead, the Longhorns reverted to first-half form in the second half. Texas kicked two field goals while pitching a shutout and grinding down the clock. The Longhorns ran the ball 14 times for 45 yards in the final period, rushing for 131 on 43 carries overall.
“This was a whole lot easier, a lot more fun,” said Davis, who came under criticism for the offense’s slow starts. “My wife said she’d like to do this every week.”
