 "Photo: Jeffrey McWhorter")
Two weeks before the game, Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger questioned the Longhorns' toughness in an interview with a student newspaper.
The Longhorns and Colt McCoy answered Schnellenberger's toughness question Saturday night during a 52-10 romp over Florida Atlantic.
McCoy took three late hits and kept running for 103 yards, the Texas defense locked down after first-half mistakes and three different running backs scored to make what head coach Mack Brown deemed the Longhorns' "best opener."
The Owls started well by passing the ball downfield with the help of some missed assignments and tackles by Texas' freshman safeties.
A few turnovers kept those mistakes from becoming touchdowns in the first half. Florida Atlantic fumbled the snap at Texas' 16-yard line, and Ryan Palmer intercepted a pass in the end zone.
Before throwing a 20-yard pass to Rob Housler, Owls quarterback Rusty Smith had thrown for 209 yards without scoring a touchdown.
"I thought the interception in the end zone and the fumble they had when they were moving the ball were huge," Brown said. "I expected the score to be 52-35 because of how powerful they had been on offense."
That gave just enough time for Colt McCoy and the Longhorns' offense to go to work.
McCoy threw for 222 yards on 24-of-29 passing and carried the ball 12 times for 103 yards. Even after three late hits, McCoy still played into the fourth quarter.
"I did get hit out of bounds a couple of times," McCoy said. "I compete really hard, so when I get hit out of bounds I don't really know what's going on, I just want to get back on the field. If Vince was right there, he was probably talking trash."
McCoy's running game was enough to keep the Owls' defense on their toes and open up passing lanes. His masterful 222 yards were stretched evenly between receivers.
"When I scrambled, it was because they dropped so many guys deep," he said.
One of the most unexpected passing targets for McCoy was Blaine Irby. Irby caught his first-ever touchdown in the third quarter and went deep for 62 yards on seven catches.
"He had a really good opener," said offensive coordinator Greg Davis. "Tight end is such a big part of what we do, especially with a defense like theirs. Not only did he catch the ball well, but he blocked well to open up Colt. He's going to be along the lines of who we've played with in the past, and he's going to stretch the field."
McCoy hit six different receivers with three or more passes before he left in the fourth quarter for backup John Chiles. Chiles threw his first touchdown pass on a 29-yarder to James Kirkendoll, which capped off a nine-play drive.
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