 "Photo: Bruno Morlan/The Daily Texan")
STILLWATER , Okla. — A year ago, Texas’ defensive backs were under fire on and off the field.
The Longhorn secondary was torched by Texas Tech’s high-powered offense on Halloween weekend in 2008. It took much of the blame for Texas’ 38-33 loss, which was defined by Michael Crabtree’s heartbreaking last-second touchdown grab. It was a mark the secondary would wear for the rest of the season and into 2009.
But after Texas’ 41-14 trouncing of Oklahoma State on Halloween night Saturday, consider those 2008 demons exorcised. The three defensive backs who struggled the most against the Red Raiders last year — cornerback Curtis Brown and safeties Earl Thomas and Blake Gideon — led the way.
Each had an interception as the Longhorns picked off OSU quarterback Zac Robinson a total of four times. Brown and Thomas took their interceptions back for touchdowns.
“I thought it was very fitting tonight for all three of them to intercept balls,” said Texas coach Mack Brown, “to put that little thought to rest.”
Even though the secondary has been playing at a high level all season, the win on the anniversary of the Tech loss served as an emphatic statement that this season’s defense has grown by leaps and bounds.
For Curtis Brown, it was a performance to replace his missed tackle on Crabtree’s touchdown as the defining moment of his career.
His second-quarter pick went 77 yards for the score to give Texas a 17-0 lead and was the first of his career.
It also fulfilled Thomas’ pre-game prediction that Brown would have an interception for a score. And Thomas knows a thing or two about pick-sixes.
“We were talking about it in the hotel this morning,” Curtis Brown said. “When I saw [the ball], I said, ‘I gotta go.’”
Along with Brown, Thomas took a lot of blame for the Crabtree catch after he pulled off his coverage when he was supposed to provide support over the top. Saturday, he continued to make his case that he’s one of the top defensive backs in the nation.
The sophomore’s 31-yard interception was his sixth of the year and second for a touchdown this season. He has as many picks as the Longhorns had as a team in all of 2008.
“We try to put it in the end zone as much as possible,” Thomas said.
Thomas shifted over to nickel back after starter Aaron Williams left the game with a knee injury on OSU’s first drive after, coincidentally, colliding with Thomas.
Of all the miscues from the Tech loss, none was bigger than Gideon’s. Dropping an easy interception that would have likely sealed the game for Texas brought much criticism for the then-freshman. Against Oklahoma State, Gideon proved that he’s shaken off his case of the butterfingers with his fourth interception of the year.
The players were quick to point out that the reason they’ve been able to improve has been their ability to put last year behind them a long time ago.
“We put that to rest before the season,” Gideon said. “If we would have let last year carry into this season, I think it would have been a long year for us.”
What a difference a year makes.
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