Among the notable offensive improvements Texas has made in the early part of the 2012 season is the development in the run game. The Longhorns’ three primary running backs -- Joe Bergeron, Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray -- have combined for an average of 164 yards a game.
However, Texas will be without one of those backs this Saturday against West Virginia. In a release, UT announced that Brown, a sophomore, has an ankle sprain and will not play. Brown, a former five-star recruit who signed with the Longhorns in 2011, injured his ankle in last Saturday’s win over Oklahoma State.
Of UT’s three backs, Brown has the second-most yards with 245 -- only 10 behind Bergeron -- and three touchdowns. Brown’s absence is cushioned by the fact that the Longhorns are deep at running back, but Saturday’s game will easily be the biggest for the Big 12 this weekend. Losing a talent like Brown is a setback any way you look at it.