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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Hodges Mitchell has reason to smile again.
A week after the senior tailback almost gave away a win over
Colorado with two costly turnovers, Mitchell's 198 yards rushing
and receiving sparked the Longhorns (No. 21 ESPN/USA Today) to a 46-12 victory over
Missouri on Saturday.
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| Roy Williams' 48-yard touchdown catch gave Texas a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. |
Mitchell accounted for 90 yards in a 99-yard third quarter Texas
drive in pouring rain that turned a 17-12 game into a 25-12
Longhorns lead and completely changed momentum.
"The drive into the wind and the rain was the one that broke
their back," said Texas coach Mack Brown. "They were bending but
not breaking before that. From that point forward we totally
dominated the ball game."
Mitchell ran or caught the ball on six of the drive's seven
plays. His 30-yard run off the Texas goal line started the drive,
and his 41-yard touchdown run ended it.
"I think I'm getting my confidence back," Mitchell said. "I
enjoy playing the game. I love to play the game. Every time I get
my hands on the ball I try to make a play."
Mitchell finished with 151 yards rushing on 18 carries and 47
yards receiving on a team-high seven catches.
Perhaps most importantly, he didn't turn the ball over. His two
turnovers against Colorado a week earlier led directly to
touchdowns in Texas 28-14 win.
He almost scored another touchdown on a 48-yard punt return in
the fourth quarter but was tackled at the Missouri 10 while trying
to avoid punter Jared Gilpin.
"I'm going to hear about that from my teammates this week,"
Mitchell said.
Texas (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) rolled up 494 yards of total offense
against Missouri (2-5, 1-3) in soggy weather that drove many in the
announced crowd of 82,892 out of the stands.
Quarterback Major Applewhite threw for 277 yards and three
touchdowns. The junior now has 55 career TD passes, breaking the
school record of 53 set by James Brown (1994-97).
Applewhite set the record in the first half with scoring passes
of 48 yards to Roy Williams and 15 yards to Sloan Thomas. Williams'
score made it 7-3 and was the Longhorns' first offensive touchdown
in the first quarter this season.
Thomas added a 4-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter and the
Texas defense scored twice on Rod Babers' 15-yard interception
return and Marcus Tubbs' fumble recovery in the end zone.
Brad Hammerich kicked field goals of 25 and 31 yards, and
Darius Outlaw hit Eric Spencer for a 21-yard scoring toss for
Missouri in the first half.
But Outlaw, a freshman making just his third career start, threw
two interceptions and was sacked five times. Missouri managed just
64 yards of offense in the second half.
"The kid is trying, but he is struggling," said Missouri coach
Larry Smith.
Missouri had the momentum after Outlaw's touchdown pass made it
14-12 and the Tigers' defense held Texas to only a field goal after
the Longhorns had moved the ball to the Missouri 3 in the final
seconds of the first half.
But just when the Tigers thought they had Texas pinned down in
the third quarter, Mitchell took the Longhorns the length of the
field and altered the game.
"The difference in the game was that we got them down on their
1-inch line and let them out of there," Smith said.
The victory may be enough to get Texas back into the AP poll.
The Longhorns, who were ranked 25th, fell out of the poll for the
first time this season after the win over Colorado.
