Texas coach Mack Brown has had plenty of success in season opening games, but that doesn't stop him from having nightmares about what could happen.
 
"Opening ball games are determined so often by who plays poorly and who loses the game based on turnovers and kicking game mistakes," Brown said. "That's what we're trying to tell (the players)."
 
Brown would know. In 1999, the nightmare came to life. Playing at home, Texas jumped out to a 10-0 lead over visiting NC State, but eventually lost 23-20. The Longhorns dominated in total offense, putting up 372 yards to 172 yards, had 20 first downs to NC State's seven and led in time of possession by more than 13 minutes.
 
But the difference came down to those kicking game mistakes. The Wolfpack scored 16 of their 23 points off blocked punts to earn the victory. Two punts were recovered and returned for touchdowns, while a third was converted to a safety.
 
That's why, with a young team traveling on the road to Reliant Stadium to play Rice on Saturday, Brown said the idea was to simplify things as much as possible for the new players.
 
"What we're trying to do is make sure that they understand the only thing that's important is that we win the game," Brown said. "That's it."
 
* Texas had to organize a broad defensive gameplan for this week, not only because of Rice's new offensive staff members, but also because nobody knows who the Owls will start at quarterback.
 
Rice is blessed with three strong options, a pair of transfers from college football powerhouses and a homegrown talent who redshirted a year ago.
 
After originally signing with Alabama, Nick Fanuzzi transferred to Rice, sitting out the 2008 season. He played a year ago, completing 60 percent of his passes for nearly 1,600 yards and 11 touchdowns.
 
But he's not listed as the starter, with Taylor Cook and Taylor McHargue also battling it out for the starting job.
 
Cook, a sophomore, is blessed with great size at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, and a big arm. He sat out last season after transferring from Miami (Fla.).
 
McHargue (6-1 205) redshirted last year, his first on campus following a stellar senior year at Cedar Park Vista Ridge High School. That year, McHargue threw for 2,040 yards and 17 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,606 yards and another 16 scores. He brings more of a mobile element, and even ran on a district champion 4x200 meter squad in high school.
 
* Brown said that Rice free safety Travis Bradshaw reminded him of former All-Big 12 safety Jordan Lake, who played his college ball just up the road at Baylor. Lake was a hard hitter and a high-volume tackler, an apt comparison for the Rice junior.
 
A year ago, as a sophomore, the 6-1, 210-pound walk-on led the nation in solo tackles, while finishing with 121 total stops.
 
* Should Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert fail to convert a third-down, he'll send former Lake Travis High School teammate Andy Erickson on the football field.
Erickson, a 5-10, 170-pound true freshman wide receiver, won the job as the Owls' punt returner. It's a role he excelled in at Lake Travis, putting up 4,912 all purpose yards in three seasons. His best year came last year -- one year after Gilbert left -- when Erickson compiled 2,730 all-purpose yards and scored 41 touchdowns.
 
Rice tight end Trevor Gillette was also on those squads, but isn't listed on the depth chart for Saturday's game.
 
* While Rice might not be able to hold its own against Texas on the football field, the Longhorns would be wise to avoid the Owls in fishing competitions.
Rice quarterback Taylor McHargue and linebacker Trey Briggs are teammates on and off the field, working together at the National Guard College Fishing Texas Division Tournament on Toledo Bend Lake. The duo caught four bass during the tournament, weighing a total of eight pounds.
That result was good enough for seventh, but two of the teams ranked ahead of the Owls had already qualified for nationals, bumping McHargue and Briggs into the fifth and final qualifying spot in the national tournament.
 
Unfortunately, that tournament is scheduled for this fall, and with the Owls' busy schedules, McHargue and Briggs will be unable to compete.