Texas gets bowl eligible with win over Oklahoma State
Texas is going bowling.
The Longhorns got win No. 6 Saturday night against Oklahoma State, dominating the Cowboys 28-7 in Stillwater.
Texas' defense made the night easy for the offense, but it was combined with quarterback Tyrone Swoopes' most impressive performance as a starter. Swoopes topped 300 yards passing and was efficient in doing so. He finished 24-of-33 for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
The Texas defense held Oklahoma State without a third-down conversion until the Cowboys' touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter. Heck, before OSU scored to make it 22-7, the Cowboys had three first downs the entire game. Texas didn't need Swoopes to step up.
But he ended up having what may be his best day in a Texas uniform. Swoopes posted his highest completion percentage of the season and while he topped 300 yards passing, it was the first time he'd done so without throwing an interception.
It also came after one of the worst games of his season. Last week against West Virginia, Swoopes was 11-of-29 for 124 yards passing.
Entering the season, one of the themes surrounding Texas' season and Charlie Strong's first year was culture change. After losing to Kansas State on October 25, the Longhorns' third loss in four games, Texas was 3-5. It was a perfect time to see if the Longhorns would keep fighting for a bowl or simply wilt.
And since then, the Longhorns have won three straight games over Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma State. And while all three haven't been exceptionally pretty, they've been convincing.
Yes, a matchup against TCU on Thanksgiving looms to possibly push Texas back to .500. But even if Texas loses to the Horned Frogs, the optimism from the three weeks should carry over to 2015.
For more Oklahoma State news, visit O-StateIllustrated.com
For more Texas news, visit Orangebloods.com
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg
