Texas Longhorns

Texas Football: 5 Bold Predictions for Week 3 vs Cal

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:10 p.m. ET

foxsports

Sep 4, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Brandon Hodges (58) celebrates a touchdown during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Longhorns hit the road in Week 3 as Texas football travels west to take on Cal in Berkley. With so much momentum coming from their 2-0 start to the year, what big things does Texas have in store for this game?

We have already been treated to so many big moments in the first two games. Shane Buechele made his memorable debut as a true freshman against Notre Dame. Tyrone Swoopes settled into his role as a power runner perfectly. Malik Jefferson is a tackling machine. Jerrod Heard made switching positions seem easy.

So far, this has been the team that fans envisioned when Charlie Strong got hired to turn around the Longhorns. This team is tough, talented, and taking it to the competition. They have already proven so much in two weeks and Texas is finally back in the national college football conversation.

All of that is well and good but there is so much more for this Texas team to accomplish. This is their first road game of the season so proving they can win away from DKR is priority one this week. Beyond that, Cal presents new challenges, particularly for the defense, that will be pivotal in proving how far this Texas team can go. It will be a tough game from start to finish.

That’s not to say, however, that Texas won’t do some impressive stuff along the way. The Horns have the talent, the momentum, and the desire to win big in this game. If they come in focused and poised, there’s no reason that the Horns can’t leave California with another big win.

With that said, here are five bold predictions for Week 3 vs Cal.

Sep 4, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; ATexas Longhorns linebacker Malik Jefferson (46) sacks Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Malik Jefferson is already a star on the Texas defense, and for good reason. Against Cal, however, Jefferson takes his game to the next level with a sack, a fumble recovery, a pick, AND a defensive touchdown.

Jefferson made an immediate impact for Texas as a true freshman in 2015. He was named Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year this season and has been all over the field in the Horns first two games. He is averaging seven tackles per game and already has a sack and a pass breakup.

But for Jefferson to make the leap from standout to star, he needs a truly remarkable performance. He’ll have his chances against Cal. The Bears are one of the most productive offenses in college football but they’re also prone to mistakes. Jumping on those mistakes could mean the difference between winning and losing on Saturday.

So look for Jefferson to be that difference-maker. In his collegiate career, Jefferson has 3.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, no interceptions and one defensive touchdown. He’s capable of making it happen and he will do just that on Saturday.

Sep 19, 2015; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns safety Dylan Haines (14) reacts after being called for a targeting foul against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Cal beat Texas 45-44. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Through two games, Texas has recorded zero interceptions. Expect that to change in a BIG way on Saturday when the Longhorns defense gets THREE interceptions against Davis Webb.

Webb has been explosive in his first two starts for Cal. He has continued the early success he had at Texas Tech in their Air Raid system as a graduate transfer in Sonny Dykes’ Bear Raid (see what they did there?). He is currently No. 2 in the nation in passing offense, averaging 481.5 yards per game.

But Webb has a gunslinger mentality that can get him in trouble. Already this season, Webb has three interceptions and all of those came against San Diego State in their last game. He is fearless with the football but that often means he’s throwing dangerous passes. Texas is a better defense than San Diego State and they will make him pay for gambling in this one.

The Texas secondary will get a boost with the return of safety Dylan Haines to the starting lineup. Haines led the team with five interceptions in 2015 but missed Week 2 with a head injury. He is back and the Longhorn secondary is deep and hungry. Expect some ball-hawks to feast in this one.

Sep 10, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; University of Texas at El Paso Miners wide receiver Walter Dawn (26) is gang tackled by Texas Longhorns defenders the during the first quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Through two games, few teams in college football have been as offensively dominant as Cal. But against this Texas D, this Bear Raid offense will struggle, passing for less than 300 yards and scoring less than 30 points.

That’s a big deal for a team that has been rolling offensively like Cal. They rank No. 2 nationally in passing offense, No. 3 in total offense, and have averaged 45.5 points per game in their 1-1 start. Webb, as stated earlier, is the No. 2 passer in the nation. Chad Hansen leads the nation in receiving, averaging 14 receptions and 175 yards per game with three touchdowns. To put that into perspective, Hansen has as many receptions in the first two games as John Burt had in all of 2015.

Sonny Dykes knows how to get his offense rolling. He relies on it to outscore opponents since his defense remains a work in progress, to put it kindly. 30 points is the magic barrier for beating this team, it seems. Last season, Cal went 0-5 when scoring less than 30 points. They were 7-0 when they scored 30 or more.

There is enough talent on this defense to disrupt, frustrate, and shut down the Cal offense. Their efforts will go a long way in securing a three-score victory for Texas.

Sep 10, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Jerrod Heard (13) catches a touchdown pass over University of Texas at El Paso Miners strong safety Devin Cockerel (27) during the first quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Last week against UTEP, Jerrod Heard recorded his first receiving touchdown on his birthday. This week, he unleashes his full talent on Cal, recording a receiving, rushing, AND passing touchdown.

Heard is a phenomenal athlete with the ball in his hands. He proved that last season against Cal when he accounted for 527 yards of total offense, including 163 on the ground. That performance helped the team believe in his transition to receiver for 2016. This week’s performance will affirm that it was the right call, big time.

His play on the outside in the passing game has proven that Heard is a natural at his new position. He catches the football with ease and can go up and make tough catches in traffic. Already, Shane Buechele has developed trust with him to go out and make plays. It’s inevitable then that he finds the end zone as a receiver.

The trick will be getting into the end zone two more times as a rusher and a passer. So far this season, he’s carried the ball just once for 5 yards and has yet to attempt a pass. Texas’ offense has not needed the trick play much as of yet, but Cal could be the perfect time to break out the deep cuts from the playbook.

Heard is a dynamic threat and he will show off his versatility against a Cal defense that couldn’t stop him a year ago. Some things never change.

Sep 10, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Shane Buechele (7) warms up before the game against the University of Texas at El Paso at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Shane Buechele made history as the first Texas true freshman quarterback to start the first two games of a season. This week, he’ll show everyone what all the fuss is about when he throws for 400 yards against an overmatched Cal defense.

In his first two games, Buechele has been extremely efficient and cool under pressure. He’s connected on 71.7 percent of his passes for 524 yards with six touchdowns and one interception. Sterling Gilbert has done a good job of managing his young signal caller and not giving him too much at once.

But in this game, Boosh will break loose. The Cal pass defense has been average in two games against offenses that are far from proficient in the passing game. Buechele has shown the arm strength, the accuracy, and the touch to make every throw on the field and his receivers are all phenomenal athletes that can beat defenders for big plays.

Texas has been exceptionally balanced so far this season but a shootout with Cal requires some firepower from the passing attack. This will be a coming out party for Shane Buechele as he unloads against the Bears to lead the Longhorns to a big-time road win.