MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia quarterback Austin Kendall has played with a wrap on his right-throwing hand for a month now after cutting it open at Missouri in Sept. 7.
The slice required stitches, but he didn’t miss any time because of it. However, that wasn’t the end of it for Kendall, who missed practice time last week prior to the Texas game dealing with an infection that formed in the cut.
“He missed one practice last week — he missed practice on Sunday, but he practiced the rest of the time,” Brown said during Monday’s Big 12 coaches teleconference. “He’s a tough guy and came back the rest of the week.”
While neither Brown or Kendall blamed the injury on Kendall’s performance against the Longhorns — he threw four interceptions but also for 367 yards and three touchdowns — dealing with that type of injury during game prep certainly doesn’t help matters.
Brown, though, believes this is proof of the type of leader Kendall can be in the face of adversity.
“There’s zero questions about his toughness,” Brown said. “If you go back and look at the first three games and the amount of hits he took in those games to be able to get up, come back. … I don’t think missed any time for any of those hits.”
Brown staunchly defended Kendall’s performance after the game and did the same Monday, though he said there are some things that need “cleaned up” after being able to sit down and watch the film.
“He understands there were some mistakes he can’t make, but his mindset should be really good when we get back to practice today.”
Red River shootout between Heisman contenders
The trash talk is well underway between Texas (4-1, 2-0) and Oklahoma prior to the annual meeting at the Texas State Fair in Dallas for the Red River Rivalry.
The Longhorns upset the Sooners last year, but O.U. got payback in the Big 12 title game in early December.
Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, who will play in this game for the first time after transferring from Alabama, already threw some fuel on the fire after O.U.’s 45-20 win at Kansas last Saturday.
“I played in the Iron Bowl,” Hurts said. “I’ve played in big games before. I think I’ll be all right.”
Alabama-Auburn is certainly on par with Texas-Oklahoma, and Hurts has also played in — and won — national and SEC championships with the Crimson Tide. He’s off to a stellar start with the Sooners, throwing for 1,523 yards and 14 touchdowns, while running for 499 yards and seven scores.
Hurts will go up against fellow Heisman Trophy contender Sam Ehlinger, coming off a self-admitted down performance at West Virginia.
“He admitted did not have a great day at West Virginia and he told me, ‘That was my worst game of the year and maybe my worst game in the last 10-15 games I’ve played,’ ” Texas coach Tom Herman said. “We’d have been begging for a game like that his freshman year.”
Ehlinger missed several easy throws against the Mountaineers, but still totaled four touchdowns in Texas’ 42-31 win.
