2010 Texas Longhorns football team The 2010 Texas Longhorns football team ( variously " Texas , " " UT , " the " Longhorns , " or the " ' Horns " ) represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The team was coached by Mack Brown , who has a contract lasting through the 2016 season . The Longhorns played their home games in Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium and are members of the south division of the Big 12 Conference . Texas finished the season 5 – 7 , 2 – 6 in Big 12 play . It was the Longhorns ' first losing season since 1997 . Game notes . Rice . The Rice Owls and Texas met in 2010 for the 92nd time . Texas held a 69 – 21 – 1 lead in the series , which began in 1914 . For the Longhorns this series ranks fourth in number of games played , behind Texas A & M , Oklahoma , and Baylor . The two schools were once conference foes in the Southwest Conference and have maintained a rivalry despite the fact that Texas enjoys a sizable lead in the series . President John F . Kennedy alluded to the lopsidedness of the rivalry in his 1962 speech on America ' s space program : " But why , some say , the moon ? . . . And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain . Why , 35 years ago , fly the Atlantic ? Why does Rice play Texas ? . . . We choose to go to the moon . . . and do the other things , not because they are easy , but because they are hard . " In addition to continuing a traditional rivalry , playing Rice in a home and away series allows for Texas to play games in Houston , Texas , an important recruiting base for UT , which has a significant Texas Exes alumni population . During the game , the Owls took an early lead with a field goal in the first quarter . Rice had also forced a turnover on downs . By the end of the first quarter , Rice was in the lead at 3 – 0 . However , in the second quarter , Texas scored 3 touchdowns and 1 field goal . 2 of those touchdowns were rushes from Tre ' Newton and the other was from a fumble return . By halftime , Texas was in the lead 24 – 10 . In the second half , both Texas and Rice had calmed down , scoring 10 and 7 points , respectively . The final score would be 34 – 17 , with Texas having the upper hand in total yardage . The game was played at Reliant Stadium . Wyoming . The Wyoming Cowboys and the Texas Longhorns last met in the previous season , with Texas winning 41 – 10 with Colt McCoy as quarterback . In total , the 2 teams had met on the gridiron 3 times with Texas winning all 3 meetings . In the first quarter , the Texas offense struggled to get much yardage and points , only settling for a field goal . In the second quarter , the Longhorns got back on track , scoring 2 touchdowns and one field goal . Wyoming also scored in the second quarter to take a short 1 point lead , but that would be their only score for the entire game . At halftime , Texas was leading at 20 – 7 . In the third quarter , Texas scored yet another touchdown . Cody Johnson scored the final TD for Texas in the final minute of the game that would sum up to be the final , 34 – 7 . Texas Tech . Texas Tech and Texas have met 59 times since 1928 . In 1996 the exchange of a traveling trophy , the Chancellor ' s Spurs , began when both universities ' administration included a chancellor position . Texas leads the series 10 – 4 since the Chancellor ' s Spurs have been exchanged . Texas also leads the all - time series , 44 – 15 . This year ' s game will mark the 60th time the two teams have met . UCLA . 1997 was the last time Texas and UCLA played at Darrell K . Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium . UCLA blew out Texas 66 – 3 under coach John Mackovic . The game would turn out to be Texas ' biggest home loss in school history and second worst all - time . At the end of that season , Mackovic was fired . Seeking revenge , Texas took the lead late in the first quarter with a field goal . However , the Bruins would respond in the second quarter to take the lead at 13 – 3 . Texas , punished with turnovers and penalties , would lose the game 34 – 12 after failing to complete a full comeback . This would be Texas ' first regular season loss since facing Texas Tech in 2008 , their first home loss since facing Kansas State in 2007 and their worst home loss under Mack Brown . A stadium - record crowd of 101 , 437 saw the game . Oklahoma . Texas came into the game trying to win their third consecutive Red River Rivalry match . The Sooners scored twice in the first quarter , on a DeMarco Murray rushing touchdown and Kenny Stills receiving touchdown . DJ Monroe then ran for a 60 yard touchdown for the Longhorns late in the first quarter to cut the lead to 14 – 7 . Entering the fourth quarter , the Sooners had a 21 – 10 lead . In the fourth quarter , the Sooners padded the lead to 28 – 10 with another Murray touchdown . The Longhorns cut the lead to 28 – 20 with a rushing touchdown and field goal . The Sooners had to punt with 1 : 02 left , giving the Longhorns hope at a chance of scoring again . However , returner Aaron Williams muffed the point and the Sooners recovered the ball . This was the second loss in a row for the Longhorns . Nebraska . Texas came into the game as heavy underdogs as the Cornhuskers sought revenge for the loss against the Longhorns in the final seconds of the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game . In the first quarter , Texas came out explosively with a field goal and the first rushing touchdown by Garrett Gilbert for the season , while Nebraska was held scoreless as Taylor Martinez was unable to make a big play . In the second quarter , Alex Henery would score a field goal on the Nebraska side , while Garrett Gilbert would score another touchdown . By the end of the half , chances of winning looked grim for the Huskers as Texas led 17 – 3 . Texas held the 2 - score lead into the end of the third quarter , leading 20 – 6 . A botched kick by Justin Tucker was returned 95 yards by the Nebraska receiving team , narrowing the score to 20 – 13 . However , Texas would hold off with the win . Iowa State . Texas came out flat . Iowa State ran over the Longhorns for the first 47 minutes of the game . Texas tried to keep it close but the Cyclones were too much in the end and captured their first ever victory against the Longhorns . Baylor . Texas ' first loss to Baylor in the Mack Brown era ( 1998 – present ) and first home loss to Baylor since 1991 . Texas still holds a commanding lead in the all - time series against the Bears , 73 – 23 – 4 . Kansas State . This season ' s reoccurring theme continued . Texas put itself in another major hole with five offensive turnovers and a thirty - nine point deficit after three quarters . Quarterback Garrett Gilbert struggled , throwing five interceptions . As a result , Texas was handed its third straight defeat on the season and also in the head - to - head series against Kansas State . Texas now trails in this wild , all - time series versus the Wildcats , 5 – 6 . Oklahoma State . In the first quarter , Texas was able to hold Oklahoma State to 3 points , but gave up 23 in the second quarter including a 67 - yard touchdown pass by Brandon Weeden . Down 33 – 3 at the beginning of the 4th quarter , Texas was only able to cut the Cowboys ' lead from 30 to 17 with 2 touchdowns . The loss put Texas in a situation of must - wins to become bowl eligible . Florida Atlantic . In the first quarter , the Longhorns went for it on 4th and goal but Cody Johnson was stopped short at the 1 - yard line . Then Florida Atlantic Owls quarterback Jeff Van Camp threw an interception to Blake Gideon which led to Texas scoring on a Cody Johnson 1 - yard touchdown run . FAU came back with 1 : 20 left in the first . Jeff Van Camp threw a 56 yard Touchdown to Rob Housler . With 13 : 52 in the second quarter , Garrett Gilbert threw a 63 yard touchdown pass to James Kirkendoll . With 8 minutes to go in the half , Justin Tucker kicked a 22 - yard field goal to put the Longhorns ahead 17 – 7 . At the end of the half , Garrett Gilbert threw a Hail Mary to Malcolm Williams , catching the ball in the end - zone with no time left in the first half . Texas never looked back in the second half and went on to win 51 – 17 . Texas A & M . Von Miller sacked Garret Gilbert twice and intercepted a pass , Cyrus Grey had TD runs of 84 and 48 yards while piling up 223 yards rushing for A & M , and Texas was left bowl ineligible at 5 – 7 . Texas had played in a bowl each year since losing to Texas A & M in 1997 . Coaching staff . Greg Davis resigned after the season while it was announced offensive line coach Mac McWhorter and defensive line coach Mike Tolleson would be leaving the program . On December 11 , 2010 , Will Muschamp resigned as Texas defensive coordinator , and became the head coach at the University of Florida . Rankings . The Longhorns entered the season ranked fifth and fourth in the AP and Coaches ' Polls , respectively . For the first 3 games , Texas would drop 1 place per game in the AP Poll due to slightly poor performances , while the Coaches ' Polls would remain the same . However , after losing to unranked UCLA at home , Texas would drop significantly by 14 spots on the AP poll and 10 spots on the Coaches ' Poll , hurting Texas ' aim for a BCS Bowl . After losing against Oklahoma in week 5 , Texas would fall out of the rankings for the first time in 10 years and remain so for the next bye week . Texas resumed a ranked placement after a win at then No . 5 Nebraska in week 7 ; however , Texas fell from the ranks again just a week later after another unprecedented home defeat , this time to Iowa State . After suffering their first ever loss in school history to Iowa State , Texas lost at home again in week 9 , this time to Baylor . It was Baylor ' s first win against a Mack Brown coached Texas team and first win in Austin since 1991 . In week 10 , Texas lost its third straight game at unranked Kansas State . Texas lost its fourth straight and sixth of last seven in week 11 against the Oklahoma State Cowboys . Texas lost its last game of the season on Thanksgiving Day at home in Austin to the Texas A & M Aggies ; in doing so , the Longhorns finished 5 – 7 and failed to qualify for a post season bowl game for the first time since 1997 . Texas will not be ranked in either of the two major polls at the end of the 2010 season also for the first time since 1997 .