Texas football: Instant reactions from an gritty road win

Four interceptions help Texas dispatch West Virginia in Morgantown

It was far from a perfect day, but Texas got some big plays from its defense in a 42-31 win over West Virginia in Morgantown. 

Here are a few thoughts:

Texas had to win ugly, but it still won 

Some of the media (including myself) thought Texas would be able to overpower West Virginia and wear out the Mountaineers with superior talent. 

It wasn't ever quite that easy in Morgantown, though. West Virginia clearly took som steps forward on both sides of the ball during its bye week. 

The Mountaineers hit the Longhorns right in the mouth early on with a 44-yard touchdown pass from Austin Kendall to Sam James, then went up 14-7 later in the second quarter when Kendall scored from one yard out. 

Texas responded with the next 28 points to pull away for a reasonably comfortable win in the end. 

You worry a bit about the execution if you are Texas fan, but you once again have to be impressed with the mental toughness and leadership. 

The Longhorns have some building blocks in the secondary 

Texas had four interceptions of West Virginia quarterback Austin Kendall. 

The Longhorns came into the game with a lot of question marks on the back end, particularly at cornerback where injuries knocked out the two starters from last week. 

D'Shawn Jamison gained a ton of confidence at one corner spot with a pair of picks. He stole one on a 50-50 ball and baited Kendall into throwing another on an out route in what looked like a veteran move. 

Linebacker Ayodele Adeoye's pick in the first quarter came at an ideal time after a West Virginia score and a Texas punt. Foster's pick was a heads-up play in which he first knocked the ball away on a hitch route and then had the presence of mind to come up with the interception when the ball bounced straight up in the air. 

At the other corner, Anthony Cook also had a nice day, making a few plays on competitive balls. 

By the end of the day, they were in the head of Kendall, who looked lost through most of the second half. 

This is a group that has been bitten by injuries and had its pride hurt by Joe Burrow and LSU earlier this season. It might be finding its footing and identity at the exact right time with a huge game looming next week. 

Roschon Johnson himself a day 

With Keaontay Ingram sitting out a good portion of the game with a stinger, it was up to Johnson to carry Texas run game. 

The former quarterback showed he was more than up to the task. Johnson made some big-time runs -especially between the tackles - to finish with 121 yards on 21 carries. Texas rushed for 224 yards and imposted its will on the ground he second half to help put the game away when the defense had West Virginia on the ropes. 

Sam Ehlinger wasn't perfect, but he still made all the important throws 

Ehlinger looked a little off-plumb through most of the game. He made what might have been the worst decision he has made all year by throwing into triple coverage for only his second interception of the season, but made all the important throws to convert big third down situations. 

He also utilized his young receiving corps with nine different Texas players catching passes. Ehlinger finished 18-of-33 for 211 yards through he air and added nine carries for 45 yards on the ground with three total touchdowns. 

Devin Duvernay continues to impress 

Newly added to the Biletnikoff Award watch list, Duvernay certainly looked like he belongs in that conversation. He caught six passes for 86 yards and scored on a 13-yard run that helped put the game away in the fourth quarter. 

It's crazy to think that Duvernay is having these kinds of games when defenses are scheming to take him away from the Texas offense. Imagine what's going to happen when Colin Johnson returns.