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Dec 3, 2008 2:14 pm US/Central
Longhorns McCoy & Orakpo Named Top In Big 12
AUSTIN (AP) ―
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Quarterback Colt McCoy #12 of the Texas Longhorns celebrates a 45-35 win against the Oklahoma Sooners during the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 11, 2008, in Dallas, Texas.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
In a season where Big 12 quarterbacks dominated the league, Texas' Colt McCoy stood out in a crowd.
The junior set school passing records, led his team in rushing and had the Longhorns (11-1) sitting at No. 1 for about a month as he finally stepped out of Vince Young's considerable shadow to become a top Heisman Trophy candidate.
McCoy's season lifted a team that wasn't expected to compete for a Big 12 title to one that still has an outside shot at playing for a national one. It earned him recognition from a panel of media on Wednesday as The Associated Press' Big 12 offensive player of the year.
McCoy's Texas teammate, defensive end Brian Orakpo, is the AP Big 12 defensive player of the year after recording 10 1/2 sacks.
"I can't imagine a player that means more to his team than Colt does to ours," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "(McCoy) has grown into one of the great leaders this school has had."
The offensive newcomer of the year is Baylor freshman quarterback Robert Griffin. Oklahoma freshman linebacker Travis Lewis was voted top defensive newcomer.
McCoy and Orakpo won't get to play for the Big 12 team title. The Longhorns were left out of the conference title game when the league tiebreaker sent Oklahoma to represent the South Division against Missouri from the North. That means two teams Texas beat on the field will play for the league title Saturday night in Kansas City.
The Longhorns still have an outside shot at getting into the BCS championship game if other games and the rankings formula work in their favor. It may be a long shot, but it's still a shot at a title.
"There is a lot out there left to play for and crazy things happen all the time in college football," McCoy said.
McCoy' regular-season performance ranks among the best in school history.
His 576 yards rushing led the Longhorns by 200 yards and his 10 rushing TDs rank second on the team. His 3,445 yards passing and 32 touchdowns are both school records and his 77.6 percent completion rate is on pace to smash the NCAA record.
"(My teammates) make everything easy for me," McCoy said. "I'm blessed to have so many great guys and players around me."
McCoy thrust himself among the top Heisman contenders in a two-week span of near perfection.
First, he rallied Texas to a 45-35 win over then-No. 1 Oklahoma, a victory that put the Longhorns in the top spot in the regular season for the first time since 1984.
One week later, he was an astounding 29-of-32 for 337 yards and two TDs in a 56-31 win over Missouri that was even more dominating than the score. Texas led 35-0 at halftime.
McCoy also proved to be the Longhorns' best threat on the ground. In the regular season finale against Texas A&M, McCoy ran for two scores in a 49-9 rout.
Orakpo was the outstanding player on a Texas defense that led the league in total defense and fewest points allowed under first-year coordinator Will Muschamp.
The fifth-year senior hit bench presses 515 pounds and hit opponents with a combination of speed and power that Brown called "unblockable."
Orakpo battled injures for most of his career and was a pass-rushing force when finally healthy. He was sorely missed when he got banged up again in Texas' only loss.
Orakpo injured his left knee late in the game against Texas Tech and wasn't on the field when the Red Raiders drove to the winning touchdown in the final 89 seconds.
"It really hurt us," Brown said.
Orakpo also missed most of Texas' wins over Baylor and Kansas before returning to full strength against A&M.
Griffin flourished in new Baylor coach Art Briles' system. He took over the Bears offense in the first quarter of the season-opener and threw 210 passes before his first interception. He finished with 843 yards rushing, 2,091 yards passing and 28 total touchdowns.
Lewis led Oklahoma with a team-high 123 tackles, three sacks and four interceptions for the Sooners.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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