DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium - Austin, Texas Sept. 26, 2009 Attendance: 101,144

Even with three wins to open the season, there were still more questions than answers surrounding the Horns as they headed into the second quarter of the season Sept. 26 against their distant cousins from Texas-El Paso. But if Texas fans were restless after somewhat unconvincing victories against Louisiana-Monroe, Wyoming and Texas Tech — and a puzzling slow start by quarterback Colt McCoy — any such worries were surely put aside after the second-ranked Longhorns lambasted the woeful Miners, 64-7, before a sun-baked throng of 101,144 onlookers at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Save for one bad pass from McCoy and a case of fumble-itis by the Horns’ fifth- and sixth-string running backs (yes, that many players saw action in this blowout), Texas was nearly flawless in beating UTEP. “It’s going to be hard to find something to criticize about this game,” coach Mack Brown said. “Usually the media does the coaching for me, but this week I’m going to have to do it.”

Monroe's kick returned for touchdown quickly erased a 7-0 Miners' lead.

There was no doubt about the outcome of this game from the starting series — when the Horns’ Sergio Kindle blasted UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe on a ringing sack and forced a fumble that was recovered by Lamarr Houston — as the Horns shrugged off a pick-six of a McCoy pass by Melvin Stephenson and stomped the Miners with 57 consecutive points and a stifling defense.

The numbers from this game were staggering and so skewed toward the Horns that they almost look like a misprint. Texas rolled up 639 yards of total offense to just 53 for UTEP — lowest in school history. In fact, the Miners had more penalty yardage (60, on six flags) than yards from scrimmage. Additionally, Texas had 32 first downs to UTEP’s seven, and ran 83 offensive plays to the Miners’ 51.

“Texas played well, and we played poorly,” UTEP coach Mike Price said. “There’s no way you can even imagine trying to stay with a team as good as Texas with the things we did wrong.”

Seven players scored touchdowns for the Horns, and Texas amassed more than 300 yards rushing and over 300 yards passing in a game for just the second time in school history, the first since beating Houston in 1990.

McCoy — who in the second half last week looked like the “Colt of old,” according to Brown — was back in the saddle against UTEP, throwing for an efficient 286 yards and three touchdowns and hitting on 80 percent of his passes (28-of-35) before exiting one offensive series into the third quarter.

His throws — especially when he was moving in the pocket — seemed crisper and more decisive, and two of his scoring strikes (one on a pretty back-shoulder toss to Jordan Shipley and a second on a hummer over a UTEP defender that was hauled in with one hand by Dan Buckner) were placed where only the UT receiver could make the catch.

“We put up 64 points, so it was a good day,” McCoy said. “We just have to be consistent. We wanted to start strong out of the gate, and we did that. The defense played lights out. They gave us some turnovers, and we capitalized on them.”

McCoy is right about that. Even though the Texas offense and its huge scoring day might get all the headlines, it was the Horns’ defense that set the tone early and kept the Miners at bay throughout the afternoon. And for the second time in four games (with the first one being in the 41-10 win against Wyoming), the defense didn’t allow a touchdown as the lone UTEP score came on Stephenson’s 49-yard interception return for a TD in the game’s early minutes.

The Texas “D” had four sacks and forced five turnovers — the most since the Horns’ victory over Arizona State in the 2007 Holiday Bowl. Texas also nabbed four interceptions (UT had just six all of 2008), two by dominating safety Earl Thomas. “Coach Brown keeps on saying that he knew turnovers would come in bunches,” defensive end Sam Acho said. “Coach Muschamp always focuses on us trying to create turnovers. Now that we’re seeing it happen, it gives us more confidence as a defense.”

The third aspect of the Horns’ dominating victory over UTEP was its stellar special teams play. Super freshman D.J. Monroe blazed his way to a 91-yard touchdown on a kickoff return to all but erase any benefit the Miners enjoyed from Stephenson’s scoring return. Monroe became the first player in Texas history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same season — and in a career — marking his name early on in the UT record books with his only touch of the football in the game. “I’m just hoping I can add on to it,” Monroe said.