The win over West Virginia was huge for the Longhorns, but it didn’t come without a cost.  On Sunday it was announced that starting tailback Johnathan Gray and defensive tackle Chris Whaley will both miss the rest of the 2013 season due to injuries sustained during the game.  Whaley left in the first quarter after suffering  a knee injury and had to be carted off the field.  Early in the 3rd quarter, Johnathan Gray caught a short pass from Case McCoy and came down lame, quickly falling to the ground untouched and in pain.  He left the game immediately after suffering what we now know was an injury to his right achilles.
The injuries to Brown and Whaley are, understandably, huge blows to a Texas team that is fighting every week to keep the dream of a Big 12 title alive. Â Gray leads the team in rushing with 780 yards and 4 touchdowns. Â Chris Whaley was having an incredible senior season notching 5 tackles for a loss and scoring two defensive touchdowns (against Oklahoma and Kansas). Â The physical prowess of both players will be missed but their leadership presence is equally as valuable.
Junior Desmond Jackson replaced Whaley after the injury and will likely see a lot of playing time at the position. Â The depth chart in Gray’s absence will likely move both Joe Bergeron and Jalen Overstreet up with both players seeing time behind Malcolm Brown.
Highlights from the second half of the West Virginia game can be seen below (including the injury to Gray), courtesy of the Longhorn Network.
