While Texas was building its credentials as the No. 1 team in the land, no one could get enough of Colt McCoy.

The junior quarterback was often spectacular, and he still rates as one of the nation's best.

But if anything, a 35-7 romp at Kansas on Nov. 15 proved something else about the Longhorns. They can impose their will on opponents by controlling the line of scrimmage.

Playing in cold, windy conditions they just don't experience in Austin, the Longhorns simply outmuscled the Jayhawks and allowed just a third-quarter touchdown after grabbing a 21-0 advantage.

"The kids deserved this," Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said. "I'm real pleased with how we dominated the line of scrimmage. I'm really excited about how physical we were. There were some great licks out there."

At 10-1 overall, 6-1 in the Big 12, Texas remains in the hunt for the South Division crown and either the automatic Bowl Championship Series berth awarded to the conference champion or a spot in the national championship game if matters outside the Longhorns' control fall in their favor.

They deserve a BCS spot, but the Big 12 can only receive two invitations, which means South leader Texas Tech and surging Oklahoma could relegate Texas to the Cotton Bowl. One of those three teams will be spending New Year's Day in Dallas.

Cognizant of that, plus the role polls play in the BCS formula, Texas coach Mack Brown took the opportunity to lobby a bit following the blowout against Kansas.

"I think we are a really good football team," he said.

SEASON RECAP

Texas 52, Florida Atlantic 10 -- QB Colt McCoy threw for 222 yards and rushed for 103 yards while producing four touchdowns as Texas routed Florida Atlantic before a record home crowd of 98,053. The UT defense allowed no points in the second half against the reigning Sun Belt champion.

Texas 42, UTEP 13 -- QB Colt McCoy completed 14 of his first 16 passes and finished with 282 yards and four touchdowns to guide Texas to a road win against UTEP. LB Roddrick Muckelroy led the Longhorns with 14 tackles and returned a fumble for the Longhorns' last touchdown.

Texas 52, Rice 10 -- QB Colt McCoy threw 13 consecutive completions at one point and finished 19 of 24 for 329 yards and four touchdowns while directing Texas past Rice. McCoy also led the Longhorns with 83 yards rushing on 13 carries as the Longhorns amassed 600 yards of total offense.

Texas 52, Arkansas 10 -- QB Colt McCoy threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two others while producing 269 total yards as Texas throttled Arkansas. Seven sacks keyed a stingy defensive effort by the Longhorns, who allowed just 11 yards rushing.

Texas 38, Colorado 14 -- QB Colt McCoy threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns, while the Texas defense allowed just 49 yards on the ground and shut out Colorado for the first 41 minutes. The Longhorns recorded three sacks and their defensive front also deflected five passes while limiting Colorado QB Cody Hawkins to 13 completions on 33 attempts.

Texas 45, Oklahoma 35 -- Wide receivers Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley combined for 20 receptions, and Shipley returned a kickoff for a momentum-changing touchdown as Texas upset top-ranked Oklahoma in their annual showdown for Big 12 South supremacy. QB Colt McCoy completed 28 of 35 passes for 277 yards, while RB Chris Ogbonnaya added 127 yards rushing, including a 62-yard burst to seal the outcome.

Texas 56, Missouri 31 -- QB Colt McCoy completed 29 of 32 passes and set Texas records with 17 straight completions and a .906 percentage as the Longhorns throttled Missouri. Texas jumped to a 35-0 lead and not only preserved the No. 1 ranking it earned earlier in the week but was also placed No. 1 in the first Bowl Championship Series standings.

Texas 28, Oklahoma State 24 -- QB Colt McCoy completed 38 of 45 passes for 391 yards and broke the Texas career record for total yardage (9,232) as the Longhorns nipped Oklahoma State in a battle of Big 12 unbeatens. WR Jordan Shipley snagged a UT-record 15 receptions for 168 yards and one touchdown.

Texas Tech 39, Texas 33 -- The Longhorns rallied from a 19-point deficit to gain a one-point lead at Texas Tech with 1:29 remaining, but the Red Raiders threw a 25-yard touchdown pass from Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree with one second left to pull off the upset. The loss was the first for the previously unbeaten and top-ranked Longhorns, who committed two turnovers and also gave up a safety on their first offensive play.

Texas 45, Baylor 21 -- QB Colt McCoy threw for 300 yards and five touchdowns, overcoming two second-quarter interceptions to as Texas thumped Baylor. The Texas run game also produced 194 yards as was led by redshirt freshman Fozzy Whittaker, who gained 77 on 15 carries in his first career start.

Texas 35, Kansas 7 -- QB Colt McCoy completed 24 of 34 passes for 255 yards, despite a chilly wind that gusted up to 31 mph. The Longhorns forced three fumbles and also recorded four sacks while hounding Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, who engineered the Jayhawks' only touchdown after Texas grabbed a 21-0 third-quarter margin.

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