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Texas vs Oklahoma: 5 Players Who Must Step Up for Longhorns Football

By Tyler Brett

Oct 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong celebrates with the golden hat trophy after a victory against the Oklahoma Sooners during Red River rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Texas beat Oklahoma 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong celebrates with the golden hat trophy after a victory against the Oklahoma Sooners during Red River rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Texas beat Oklahoma 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 4, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver John Burt (1) catches a touchdown pass during the third quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 4, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver John Burt (1) catches a touchdown pass during the third quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

John Burt leads the Longhorns in receiving, hauling in 14 catches for 191 yards and a touchdown this season. However, Burt’s production has slowed way down in recent weeks. For Texas to win, they need their big-play receiver to take the top off the Sooner defense.

Burt started the season with a boom in Texas’ season-opening win over Notre Dame. He torched the Irish with six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. Since then, however, Burt has struggled to create big plays. He has yet to record more than four receptions or 40 yards in any game since the season opener.

In fact, Burt’s impact on the last three games has been minimal. Since the Irish win, Burt has notched just eight receptions for 80 yards. His 10 yards per reception average in these games is way down from the 18.5 ypc average he enjoyed in the first game and the 16.3 ypc average from 2015. An alleged hand injury suffered before the UTEP game could be a factor, but his absence stifles the big-play ability of the Horns.

Against a porous Oklahoma secondary, Texas needs to attack down the field and Burt remains their best deep threat. Getting Burt on track and behind the Sooner defense will provide the big plays necessary to pull off the upset.

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