#4 Texas (0-0) vs. Arkansas State (0-0)
Time: 6 pm, Saturday, Sept. 1
Location: Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
TV: Fox Southwest Pay-Per-View
Radio: KVET (98.1 FM, 1300 AM)

Texas Coach Mack Brown has declared that his team's motto in 2007 is "Earn the Right." On Saturday, he'll get the chance to see which of his players will earn the right to play and make an impact this season as the Longhorns take on the Arkansas State Indians at 6 pm at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Some players have already established their reputations. The Longhorns boast seven players on the preseason All-Big 12 team, including quarterback Colt McCoy, the conference's preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Others will be playing in their first college game, like John Chiles, the freshman who will be McCoy's backup this season and has athletic ability that reminds some of former UT star Vince Young.

On the defense, Texas will be playing its first game under new co-coordinator Larry Mac Duff, and will get a chance to display the more attacking style that has gained attention in fall workouts.

Although Arkansas State hasn't had a winning season since 1995, the Indians have posted consecutive 6-6 seasons. Running back Reggie Arnold was a 1,000-yard rusher last year and on defense, the Indians return three starters in the secondary, including leading tacklers Tyrell Johnson and Khayyam Burns.

Photo by ErnestBludger on flickr

Game Notes

Under Construction: Ongoing construction on the north end zone of Royal-Memorial Stadium will have a big effect on Saturday's game. The north end zone seats are now 30 yards closer to the field, and temporary seating in the south end zone is also just yards away from the field. Outside the stadium, parking passes have been assigned to Longhorn Foundation members based on level of contribution, and no one can set up for tailgate parties before 7 am on game days.

Tickets: A few tickets are still available. Arkansas State has used just 700 tickets of the visiting team's allotment of 3,850. Tickets are $60 are are available at Texas Box Office.

No Broadcast TV: The game will not be broadcast on network or basic cable. It is available on a pay-per-view basis through Fox Sports Southwest. The pay-per-view event is $29.95 and is available through Time Warner Cable.

Injuries: Senior receiver Billy Pittman will not play after injuring his shoulder two weeks ago in practice. All-Big 12 receiver Limas Sweed has recovered from a wrist injury and is expected to play.

Big Week for Mack: Mack Brown had a pretty good week, all things considered. He turned 56 years old on Monday, received a $200,000 raise and contract extension on Tuesday. His new contract makes him the fifth-highest paid college football coach and is designed to keep Brown at Texas through the end of his career.

Rucker Released From Hospital: Texas running backs coach Ken Rucker had surgery for prostate cancer on Monday and was released from the hospital on Wednesday. He won't be at the game on Saturday and Brown said he wasn't sure when Rucker would return to the sidelines.

Honoring Lady Bird and LBJ: For the 2007 season, the Texas football team will wear special wildflower stickers on their helmets to honor former president Lyndon B. Johnson, former first lady Lady Bird Johnson, and their family. Lady Bird Johnson died in July.

Off-Season Woes: After a rash of arrests during the summer, there have been no off-field issues to distract the team over the past few weeks. Linebacker Sergio Kindle and defensive end Henry Melton,who were charged with driving while intoxicated in separate incidents, begin serving their three-game suspensions this week. Former defensive back Robert Joseph remains in a Travis County jail after being charged with felony burglary of a vehicle and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, and defensive lineman Andre Jones is on indefinite suspension after being charged with Joseph in that robbery.

Not the Indians for Long: A 2005 NCAA ruling declared Indian nicknames and mascots "hostile and abusive" and gave teams until August 2008 to change them. On Monday, Arkansas State began taking suggested to change their team name, the Indians. Suggestions included Aggies, Anacondas, Skeeters and Ivory Billed Woodpeckers. The official change takes place next September.