Whittaker to play against OU

Texas tailback Fozzy Whittaker, a redshirt freshman who has the highest yards per carry average of any Longhorns' running back this season (6.0 avg.), was upgraded today to probable by team trainers for Saturday's game against Oklahoma (11 a.m., Cotton Bowl).

Whittaker, who has been battling a knee ailment since fall drills, has played in only one game this season. He rushed 12 times for 72 yards in the Longhorns' 42-13 victory over UT-El Paso on Sept. 6.

Whittaker was a late scratch heading into last week's game against Colorado, when coach Mack Brown said his most elusive tailback would not be active until he was "100 percent." Whittaker apparently crossed that threshold this week, along with tight end Ian Harris (neck), who was upgraded Friday to probable after sitting out last week's Colorado game.

Texas trainers said backup center Buck Burnette (left hamstring) will not play against Oklahoma. Burnette was the only Longhorn ruled out of Saturday's game on the weekly injury report.

_ Jimmy Burch