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In advance of a full injury update on Monday, the Texas Longhorns announced on Sunday afternoon that starting quarterback David Ash has a head injury, leaving his availability questionable for next week's game.
Ash left the BYU game in the fourth quarter after taking a shot to the head as he went to the ground following yet another called running play. It was the 16th carry of the night for Ash, who was also sacked three times and hit numerous other times as the Texas offensive line struggled mightily to stop the Cougar pass rush, even when they only brought three or four players.
The performance from Ash wasn't stellar on the night as he went 19-of-34 for 251 yards and two well-placed touchdown passes to senior wide receiver Mike Davis, though he did manage to avoid any costly interceptions and didn't fumble either. The loss wasn't on him, but he also wasn't able to make enough plays to bring Texas back in the game in the absence.
If Ash can't play against Ole Miss, senior Case McCoy will take over the offense, as true freshman Tyrone Swoopes has been hampered by a hamstring injury all throughout fall camp that has limited his development. McCoy completed 5-of-10 passes for 62 yards in relief of Ash, including a 45-yard completion to junior wideout Jaxon Shipley. The victory over A&M in 2011 and the comeback win against Kansas provide some evidence of his upside, but he was exposed in games against TCU and Kansas State and has struggled with interception issues after throwing more than 100 passes to start his career without having a ball picked off.
Suffice it to say that the Longhorns need their starter at quarterback in the game to have a chance to beat a Rebel team that suddenly looks capable of coming into Austin and returning the favor for the blowout last season in Oxford.