AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -When the offense is sputtering, the Texas Longhorns turn on the jets to get going.
For the second week in a row, the Longhorns used their quick-snap “jet” tempo to escape a clunky first half.
Held without an offensive touchdown in first half Saturday night against Texas Tech, the Longhorns’ quick-snap attack in the second half kept the Red Raiders off balance and gasping for air. The No. 2 Longhorns scored three TDs and a field goal and pulled away for a 34-24 victory.
A week earlier against Wyoming, Texas (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) trailed 10-6 late in the second quarter before bolting to a 41-10 win.
“We just had to keep fighting as a team. It was a tough first half. Not everything is going to go our way every time,” said McCoy, last season’s runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.
o catch their breath.
Other teams use it, too. Oklahoma hammered defenses with their version all last season. The Florida Gators call their version the “banzai package.”
Texas needed a little something extra Saturday night.
McCoy, who struggled with flu-like symptoms earlier in the week, was shaky in the first half, misfiring several passes and finding little running room against the aggressive Red Raiders defense. Jordan Shipley scored on a punt return, but the Longhorns’ six drives in the first half ended in four punts, a field goal and an interception.
“We weren’t doing well, and we thought that we had to change something,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “You don’t just sit there and continue to do what you’ve been doing. We had no rhythm. We just couldn’t get on track for whatever reason.”
The jet offense forces rhythm by not giving anyone a chance to relax, even for a few seconds.
Texas’ first two drives of the third quarter ended in touchdowns. The Red Raiders defense, missing several key players, couldn’t keep up.
“Their tempo was just so fast, and we weren’t lined up correctly on every play,” Texas Tech defensive tackle Richard Jones said. “They were able to hit us quick, and knock us off the ball.”
McCoy settled into the quick routine, connecting on 15 of 18 passes in the second half. On Texas’ first touchdown drive, he converted three third downs with passes.
In the fourth, McCoy’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Dan Buckner with nine minutes left put Texas ahead 31-17 and set a Texas record with 20 straight games with at least one scoring pass.
“He had a blast. He was laughing,” Brown said. “They’d score and he’d say, ‘Look out. What a game. We’ve got to come back and score.’ I thought he was the old Colt in the second half. Hopefully we’ve got that now for the rest of the year.”
Once McCoy got rolling, the running game followed.
Tre’ Newton, who has emerged the last two weeks as the Longhorns best runner, scored Texas’ first offensive touchdown on a 19-yard run in the third quarter.
“The first half didn’t go the way we wanted it to,” Newton said. “But our defense had our back and was there to help us until we got going.”
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