Anger didn't get a win, so what's next for Texas?

Anger didn't get a win, so what's next for Texas?

Published Nov. 1, 2010 4:55 p.m. ET

Texas coach Mack Brown got mad at his team and all it did was produce another loss.

So what now for a bunch of Longhorns who have lost four of their last five games and are facing uphill fight just to get bowl eligible?

Brown says his get-tough approach inspired a better effort from his players even though they lost to Baylor, a team that hadn't beaten Texas since 1997 or won in Austin since 1991.

But Brown sounded Monday like he was ready to return to his role as Mr. Positive, saying he won't start tossing starters to the sideline or acting out of desperation.

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Texas (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) has four games to get two wins to get to a bowl, starting Saturday night at Kansas State (5-3, 2-3).

''We used to laugh,'' about being bowl eligible, Brown said. ''We do need to win and we do need to get to a bowl.''

Brown used tough-guy tactics last week after the Longhorns lost to Iowa State, prompting rampant speculation among fans that was he threatening to fire his assistants if the season doesn't turn around.

''When you're losing, people want you to do all sorts of things. You should fire coaches, fire players and burn the building,'' Brown said. ''That's not the way you win. We've played around here with a great attitude for a long time.''

Brown's 199 wins are the most in major college football since 1990 and his 132 wins at Texas ranks second in school history behind Darrell Royal (167). Texas went 25-2 over the last two seasons.

Brown has seen other successful coaches have down years - Oklahoma's Bob Stoops went 8-5 last season - but didn't think it would happen to him.

''I thought we were beyond that. I thought we had enough depth here, I thought we had the confidence,'' to avoid a such a slump, Brown said.

Texas safety Blake Gideon said the players have stopped talking about big picture goals since all them from the beginning of the season - division, conference and national championships - are all gone anyway.

''The goal is beating Kansas State this week. We can't afford to think about anything else,'' Gideon said. ''We don't come to Texas expecting to lose four games. We don't come to Texas to lose any games. That's the tradition that's been laid down before us.''

Brown isn't giving up on finding something positive in the remaining four games - five if Texas gets to a bowl game. A bowl game would bring two weeks of extra practice.

It won't be easy. Of the remaining games with Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Florida Atlantic and Texas A&M, only Florida Atlantic has a losing record. Kansas State is the only road game, but home is where the Longhorns have struggled the most.

Making matters worse, Brown announced Monday that Texas' best offensive lineman, Michael Huey will miss the rest of the regular season with a leg injury suffered against Baylor.

Freshman Trey Hopkins takes over the Huey, giving Texas two freshman starters on the line and three more in the two-deep lineup.

''They can still win nine games and most people would think that's a decent season,'' Brown said. ''We're not in the tank. We're not going to be bad forever. We're going to get fixed. There's some fun in the challenge of fixing things that are wrong.''

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