Texas Football Woes

Longhorns latest loss shows need for patience, not panic

Case McCoy started at quarterback in place of an injured David Ash.
kansascity.sbnation.com
Mack Brown delivered a game plan that kept the Longhorns close through threequarters.

Texas vs. Kansas State is not a game to overthink. Texas lost the game because K-State is a much better team.

There are games this season that Texas should have won (West Virginia and TCU) and games in which Texas should have been more competitive (Oklahoma). But this game was neither of those.

The Longhorns did not get out-coached. As good as Kansas State's head coach Bill Snyder is — and he is one of the best in the country — Mack Brown delivered a game plan that kept the Longhorns close through three quarters. By the fourth quarter, the Wildcats simply overwhelmed the Longhorns.

Texas was out-played by better, more experienced players who executed flawlessly and had much more on the line. The Longhorns’ youth and lack of experience got the best of them again.

A silver lining
For a full three quarters, the Longhorns offered a glimpse of how good they can be. Texas led at the half 10-7 and were down only by four, 21-17, going into the fourth quarter.

The Longhorn defense scarcely allowed the Wildcat offense to score in the first half, and the Texas offense put the ball in the hands of play makers Daje Johnson, Jaxson Shipley, Malcolm Brown and Jonathan Grey. All made an impact, and all are either freshmen or sophomores.

Case McCoy, a rising senior next season, made his first start of the season — and it was a slow one. Actually, he started horribly. McCoy's first pass fell incomplete, and his second was intercepted for what would have been a pick-six touchdown had K-State's Nigel Malone not blundered by dropping the ball a half-yard before crossing the goal line. No matter: Collin Klein made it a touchdown in the next play.

McCoy straightened up though, completing his next 17 passes — a Longhorn feat also achieved by his older brother Colt.

Kansas State scored on the first possession of the second half and the game was on, with both teams trading touchdowns through the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Kansas State took control. Another McCoy interception, a Quandre Diggs fumbled punt, a Nick Jordan missed field goal and, much like the loss to West Virginia, another missed opportunity to win the game.

Eyes on the future
Still, given losses by Oklahoma State and TCU, Texas appears to be headed to the Cotton Bowl against LSU. It's the best possible scenario — an in-state game against a very good SEC opponent will push this football team to pay attention and set the standard where it needs to be.

This is not a time for heads to roll. Texas still owns the youngest football team in the nation (shared by TCU), and coaching changes will only set these youngsters back.

Texas needs Mack Brown to own this program now more than ever. The Longhorns need a personality. They need consistency. The team has play makers — lots of them — and they will have a larger senior class next season that includes Case McCoy. That said, they still need a better quarterback.

If Longhorn nation wants to compete for a BCS berth and another national championship, then patience is the best word to describe what Texas Longhorn fans need right now.

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for the win

Cheer on these Texans competing for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics

Amber Glenn, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater from Plano

teamusa.com/

Plano's famous figure skater Amber Glenn is on the roster.

The XXV Winter Olympic Games, also known as the Milano Cortina 2026, are right around the corner, running February 6-22 in northern Italy. Out of the 2,900 athletes who will participate in this year's Games, 232 will represent the U.S., with four hailing from the Lone Star State.

North Texans will recognize two local athletes in particular: Ice hockey player Hannah Bilka, who grew up in Coppell, and Plano's record-breaking figure skater Amber Glenn. Another figure skater, Emily Chan, also has ties to Dallas-Fort Worth.

To catch these Texas-born athletes in the 2026 Winter Olympics, viewers can tune in to NBC and its affiliate networks, websites, and apps (like Peacock).

Without further ado, these are the Winter Olympians competing for Team USA with roots in Texas. (Note that there are other athletes with Texas ties, like Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, who are competing in the Olympics but aren't considered Texans.)

Hannah Bilka, 24
Sport: Ice hockey
Texas tie: Bilka grew up in Coppell and is the youngest of four children. At age six, she followed in the footsteps of her older brother, Anthony, and started playing hockey. Due to a "lack of girls’ hockey teams in Texas," she grew up playing hockey with boys.
Fun facts: She won the 2024 National Championship in women’s ice hockey with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the same university where she earned a master's degree in sport management. Her two older sisters, Christina and Stephanie, were figure skaters.
When to watch: The women's ice hockey preliminary round begins on Thursday, February 5. The women's bronze and gold medal matches will take place on Thursday, February 19.

Hannah Bilka, 2026 Winter Olympics hockey player Hannah Bilka is one of two North Texans competing in this year's Games.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Emily Chan, 28
Sport: Pairs figure skating
Texas tie: Chan hails from Pasadena, a Houston-area suburb in Harris County, but she also calls Dallas home. She graduated from Texas Online Preparatory School as the valedictorian.
Fun facts: She loves to cook, bake, make jewelry, and dreams of opening her own café in the future. Her longtime skating partner, Spencer Akira Howe, is from Los Angeles. They both relocated to train at the Skating Club of Boston in 2019, where Chan now coaches young figure skaters. Chan is also pursuing a family and marriage counseling degree from Grand Canyon University.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The pairs figure skating competition begins on Wednesday, February 16.

Emily Chan, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater In addition to being a top-notch figure skater, Emily Chan is also trained in Chinese modern dance and ballet.teamusa.com/

Amber Glenn, 26
Sport: Singles figure skating
Texas tie: She was born in Plano, and started skating at just five years-old.
Fun facts: Glenn is a mental health advocate and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She came out as pansexual in 2019. She loves to play Magic: The Gathering, and her dog, Uki, is named after stalking shadow card Ukkima. She also enjoys anime and Star Wars. On Friday, May 29, Glenn will visit Allen during the 2026 Stars on Ice Tour.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The women's singles free skate competition begins Thursday, February 19.

Amber Glenn, figure skating Plano's Amber Glenn will have the Dallas-Fort Worth crowd on its feet. Facebook/ISU

Boone Niederhofer, 32
Sport: Bobsledding
Texas tie: Niederhofer grew up in San Antonio, and later became a wide receiver at Texas A&M University. His father, Dan, played football for Abilene Christian University. Niederhofer and his family previously lived in Midland .
Fun facts: Niederhofer has a degree in petroleum engineering and worked in Texas' oil and gas industry while competing in bobsledding competitions.
When to watch: The bobsled competition begins on Sunday, February 15. The men's two-man heat will take place on Tuesday, February 17, and the men's four-man heat is scheduled for Sunday, February 22.

Boone Niederhofer, 2026 Winter Olympics bobsledder Boone Niederhofer is a former Texas A&M University football player.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

winter olympics olympics texas amber glenn figure skating