Temple-Waco, Texas-Kansas State highlight Slovacek's I-35 Showdowns

Slovacek's logoTo honor the loyal football fans that travel great distances to support their favorite team, DCTF and our friends from Slovacek’s in West, Texas are proud to present The Slovacek’s I-35 Showdowns of the Week.Texas (2-4) vs. Kansas State (3-3) 11:00 a.m. Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin When the Longhorns and Wildcats kick off Saturday morning in the Capital City, they’ll both put an end to an agonizing wait to get back in action after facing Oklahoma- for very different reasons, of course. Charlie Strong and his young Texas squad have been walking on air the past two weeks following their incredible upset win over the Sooners in Dallas. While it was likely fun to savor the moment over the bye week, players and coaches alike have probably been anxious to strap it up again to build on the momentum. Kansas State, on the other hand, would probably like to forget about their own tilt with the Sooners, having succumbed to Oklahoma last weekend in Manhattan by a 55-0 margin. If current trends hold, this could be another major confidence-builder for the Longhorn defense. They grew up in front of our eyes as they devoured Oklahoma’s offensive line, and the Wildcats come to Austin limping.   Quarterback Joe Hubener has thrown four interceptions against zero touchdowns in conference play, and K-State’s usually potent rushing attack faded in the second half in games against TCU and Oklahoma State before not showing up at all against OU. On the other side of the coin is the notion that the Wildcats might simply have the Longhorns’ number. They shut out Texas 23-0 last year in Manhattan, and have won 6 of 7 against the Longhorns dating back to 2006. If Strong is to build a winning foundation in Austin, removing this old thorn from the program’s side would be a great next step. Temple (7-1) vs. Waco High (4-3) 7:30 p.m. Friday at Wildcat Stadium in Temple As realignment has shut down some of college football’s greatest rivalries, it has also rekindled some old ones. Like Baylor and TCU, Waco High and Temple have recently found themselves paired together after a lengthy absence – reigniting an annual clash for bragging rights in Central Texas. A year ago, Temple outlasted Waco High in a 49-40 shootout that saw the Lions nearly pull off a miraculous second-half upset bid comeback. This year they’ll be at home but playing a much improved Waco ball club. Leading the Lion attack this fall, and causing considerable excitement for the future of Waco High football, is sophomore quarterback Jaylen Harris. He leads the team in both rushing and passing yards, and exploded for 335 total yards last time out while accounting for four total touchdowns in the Lions’ win over Hutto. Adding to the danger of this Lions squad is the fact that they’ve had two weeks to prepare for another shot at the Wildcats. At Temple, the loss of several key playmakers from last year’s state runner up has yet to signal any major step back for the program as the Wildcats have rolled to a 7-1 record with relative ease. Junior Reed Hesse has taken over under center, and has thrown eight touchdown passes the past three weeks against no interceptions while spreading the ball around very well. Senior De’vonte Nealy ran wild in last week’s win over Hutto, totaling 219 yards on 21 carries.