Texas kicker questionable for Saturday's game

Texas Longhorns
place kicker Anthony Fera has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday's game
at Ole Miss.

Fera was listed
as doubtful the last two weeks and has not appeared in a game this season due
to a groin injury that limited him in training camp. He transferred to Texas from
Penn State in August and was expected to be the Longhorns kicker before the
injury.

With Fera
questionable, Texas will choose between freshmen Nick Jordan and Nick
Rose.

"We'll let
those two keep competing and we have to plan on not having Fera," UT head
coach Mack Brown said.

Jordan has made two
of five field goal attempts in two games. His longest conversion is 38 yards. Wyoming
blocked one of his attempts in the season opener. He missed wide left from 45
yards last Saturday against New Mexico.

"He's missed from 45 and 46
yards, and one was a bad snap," Brown said. "I think he'll be
OK."

The Longhorns
would like to have Fera back by Sept. 29, when they begin Big 12 play on the
road against Oklahoma State. UT does not play next Saturday.

"We've
turned Fera over to the trainers and the rehab staff completely and they've
been working with him for the last two weeks," Brown said. "The thing
you can't do with the torque of the leg, it's not one that you can go try out
until you know it's well because he can't afford to pull it again and be out
for the year. So they want to make sure he's 100 percent."

Fera did some
light kicking last week, but the Longhorns are being careful with the former
All-Big Ten kicker.  

"What they
told me [on Sunday] is they'll make him questionable because there is a chance
that he could play this week," Brown said. "But when they say
questionable, that means there's as much of a chance he won’t play as he will."

Texas' medical
staff also wants to see how Fera's groin responds to an increased workload.

"If he
kicks a little harder this week and is sore, then he's got two more weeks before
we go to Oklahoma State," Brown said.

Fera made 14 of
17 field goal attempts last year as a sophomore at Penn State. 
By Austin Laymance/Special to the Star-Telegram