Longhorns excited for season opener

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Longhorns' season may officially start Saturday against Wyoming, but in their eyes, it started Dec. 29 against Cal.

“We talked, even before that game, the Holiday Bowl, of that sort of being the bridge into the 2012 football season," defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. "We talked about the Holiday Bowl as sort of a practice run of how we wanted to envision this team being."

So even though that win over Cal in the Holiday Bowl was nine months ago, the Horns are still feeling the momentum from that game, and that has them excited for this season.

“I think it it's when we should start reaping some benefits," Mack Brown said. "After the tough season two years ago and all the changes were made, the first year, you pretty much try to figure out your problems and fix them. Now, you can start making more progress."

“I'm really excited," senior safety Kenny Vaccaro said. "This two-a-days, it was a long grind. Hitting each other is not that pleasant all the time, so I'm ready to hit somebody else."

“The grind of camp is over," junior offensive guard Trey Hopkins said. "The grind of waking up every day to just compete against the same guys that I'm gonna see in the locker room."

“We're gonna really get to go out there and see all the hard work we put in this camp, all the hard work we put in this summer and in spring ball," sophomore quarterback David Ash said. "It's payday on Saturday."

With just 13 total wins the last two years, it hasn't been the pay day Texas is used to. But Brown sees that changing.

“I think we're about to be good again," Brown said. "I don't know when it is, but I know it's coming, and I really like what I see."

He'll like it a lot more if Texas can make it 13 straight season opening wins.