Closer Look

Longhorns turn to no-names for game-changing plays

By Stewart Mandel, SI.com

Tony Jeffery's 52-yard catch set up the winning touchdown for Texas. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

AUSTIN, Texas -- With the amount of talent Texas has stockpiled with Mack Brown's recruiting, it's no secret the Longhorns are deep.

So deep, in fact, that when they needed to make a couple of big plays to pull out their 24-20 victory over Kansas State on Saturday, the Horns didn't get them from one of their big-name stars -- Roy Williams, Nathan Vasher, Derrick Johnson, et al. -- but a couple of unsung backups.

Having already blown a 17-3 lead and trailing 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, Texas appeared to be digging itself an even deeper hole. Vasher muffed a punt deep in Longhorn territory, one that Kansas State defensive end Kevin Huntley recovered, allowing the Wildcats to start at the Texas 21.

Two plays later, however, quarterback Ell Roberson, who had been burning the Longhorns with his feet all day, took off on an option keeper and ran smack into Texas safety Phillip Geiggar, a junior backup subbing for regular Dakari Pearson.

Geiggar not only stopped Roberson in his tracks, he jarred the ball loose and pounced on the fumble. The play not only kept the Wildcats from adding another score but set up what would become Texas' game-winning drive.

"I saw the option coming, saw the ball exposed," said Geiggar. "I just did what the coaches tell us to do."

Geiggar, who hails from prep power Shreveport (La.) Evangel (former home of Miami QB Brock Berlin, among others), has struggled for playing time throughout his career, even redshirting last season. He had 26 career tackles coming into the season (20 of them on special teams) but came into this game as Texas' fourth-leading tackler with 24.

None of them, however, as big as this one.

"This was a great team we were playing," said Geiggar, "and just to make a big play like that, it felt great."

Following Geiggar's fumble recovery, Texas took over at its own 12 badly needing at least a field goal, and immediately started moving the ball.

On first-and-10 at the 28, quarterback Vince Young dropped back for what was designed to be a pass over the middle to streaking tight end David Thomas, but saw receiver Tony Jeffery streaking down the right sideline facing man coverage from Kansas State cornerback Cedrick Williams, a junior college transfer starting just his second game.

Williams didn't do anything wrong on the play. In fact, he was draped all over Jeffery as the ball arrived, 52 yards down the field. But Jeffery, falling backward, still managed to make the catch.

It would be his only one all game, and just his fourth of the season.

"It was my biggest play here at home," said the fourth-year junior. "It was right up there with recovering that punt that Rod Babers blocked [for a 23-yard return] in the A&M game two years ago."

Like Geiggar, Jeffery has had to wait his turn at talent-stocked UT, and with good reason. He arrived in 2000 as part of the most heralded group of receivers in recent memory -- he, Williams, B.J. Johnson and Sloan Thomas. While the other three have been significant contributors from day one, Jeffery redshirted and caught a total of 16 passes his first two seasons.

"You've got to have patience around here, patience anywhere in college football. It's going to work out for you," said Jeffery. "That's why I redshirted. It was maybe one of the toughest things I've ever done, but I wasn't ready, those guys were. Those three guys have helped me out a lot."

Saturday, he, as well as Geiggar, helped out his team a lot.