I went back and checked the PBP for the first two games to see how Austin was doing in the 4th quarter and OTs. It seemed to me that this was Brandon’s struggle when he was first starting. If I did the stats correctly, here is what I found:
v La Tech - Austin was 5-6 for 43 yards and a TD in the 4th quarter
v TCU - Austin was 5-9 for 64 yards and a TD in the 4th quarter (1st 3 drives 1-5 for 11 yards, ended with a 4-4 drive for 53 yards and a TD) and then in the two overtimes he was 2-3 for 23 yards, a passing TD and a rushing TD.
So, if my math is correct, Austin is 12-18 (67%) for 130 yards, 3 passing TDs and 1 rushing TD and 0 interceptions in 2 4th quarters and 2 OT periods, in which we trailed in both.
So far he’s been money. It sure helps to have Morgan, Hatcher and Sprinkle, who all came up big in the clutch. He is still growing and learning, but right now you can see why the staff was saying coming out of spring he was the clear number one.
Going forward it looks good for the passing game. The OL will get better, Reed looks like is going to bust something big soon, and Cornelius is playing well(at some point the opposition is going to put their best guy on Morgan or Hatcher and then watch Cornelius go to work). Better yet, the younger skill guys are not being forced into playing in critical situations before they are ready.
I have my fingers crossed that some of the young guys get a lot more work this week. Texas State has a credible offense, but their defense against Ohio was atrocious. It would be nice to get a substantial lead and let the younger backs and receivers get some work.