Wahoo Wire

Texas’ third-ranked defense slammed Central Michigan’s offense into the dirt, clamping down on All-MAC quarterback Dan LeFevour and shutting the Chippewas out through two quarters as the Longhorns’ offense built a 33-0 halftime lead, coasting into a quarterfinal berth in the Cotton Bowl.

LeFevour, college football’s all-time leading touchdown scorer, managed only 198 total yards on 40 touches-including a mere 10 yards on 19 carries-against Texas’ stout defensive front. He threw an interception, completed less than half of his 21 passes, and was held out of the end zone until a late fourth-quarter touchdown pass that trimmed seven points off the Longhorns’ 40-point lead.

Safeties Blake Gideon and Ben Wells each registered a sack as Texas crowded the line of scrimmage and keyed on LeFevour as the main cog of Central Michigan’s spread option offense.

“Coming in, we knew that he [LeFevour] might be a problem if we gave him too much space to maneuver, either to run or pass,” Longhorns head coach Mack Brown told reporters in his postgame address.

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“Our boys did a great job of blitzing, finding open lanes in the blocking and getting after him.”

On the day, the Chippewas averaged less than two yards per run and converted only five of 21 third down attempts.

The stifling presence of Texas’ defense offset a shaky start by the Longhorns’ offense. In spite of solid starting field position, Texas was held out of the end zone until freshman running back Tre’ Newton broke free for a 68-yard touchdown run just under five minutes into the second quarter.

Between Newton’s run and the halftime whistle, though, the Longhorns’ passing game sprang to life. All-American quarterback Colt McCoy threw two of his three touchdown passes and kicker Hunter Lawrence added his second field goal of the game during Texas’ 23-point second quarter.

“We were in a bit of a funk early on,” McCoy admitted after the game.

Coming off a subpar performance against Nebraska in last week’s Big 12 Championship, in which he threw three interceptions and a floating incompletion that nearly ran the final seconds off the game clock, the Longhorns’ Heisman finalist quarterback rebounded nicely, completing 23 of 34 pass attempts for 304 yards and three scores.

In losing, the Chippewas fell to 0-3 against BCS competition this season, with regular season defeats at the hands of Arizona and Boston College the only blemishes on an 11-2 record-the program’s best since going 10-0-1 and winning the MAC championship in 1979.

Texas will travel to Dallas next week to face the winner of tonight’s game between Georgia Tech and LSU.

Results of Other Games:

#1 Alabama vs. #16 Troy

#8 Oregon vs. #9 Ohio State

#4 TCU vs. #13 Iowa

#5 Boise State vs. #12 West Virginia

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#2 Texas vs. #15 Central Michigan

#7 Georgia Tech vs. #10 LSU

#6 Florida vs. #11 Virginia Tech

#3 Cincinnati vs. #14 East Carolina