As the season comes to a close on Saturday, fans can’t help but look back and compare this season to last year’s 5-7 debacle. Texas missed its first bowl game since 1997. Texas will be heading to a bowl game this year and have a 7-4 record. Fans are glad to see improvement this season from last year.

“I would like for us to be back to 10 win seasons, but I also understand that you can’t just snap your fingers and expect to return to that without having a little bit of growing pains,” said 2006 Texas alumnus Ron Blancarte.

Blacarte is a member of Longhorn Tailgate, a group who tailgates at 17th and Congress before every home game. He believes that if either Case McCoy or David Ash step up at quarterback, the offense will drastically improve.

“We need to have some stability in the position as well as sound leadership and more consistent play,” Blancarte said.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ll take whoever will be better and gives Texas the best chance to win. I am kind of hoping that both of them can make some improvements and next year we’ll see some better decision making and better accuracy.”

Business and international relations sophomore Danni Taimuty feels that the fans have definitely had the team’s back the season. As a season ticket holder, she has seen the fans’ enthusiasm and excitement grow as the team’s record improves.

“Last year the stadium was half empty and a lot of students didn’t show up,” Taimuty said. “There wasn’t a lot of pride. But this year things are a lot different.”

She has been especially impressed with the defense. The defense is second in the Big 12 in points allowed per game at 21. In the past five weeks, only LSU and Alabama have been statistically better than Texas’ defense.

“Part of the reason that games have been as close as they have been is because the defense is able to shut down the opposing team’s offense,” Taimuty said.

She said that the pressue that is put in such a young team may be too much, especially last year coming off of a season where Texas went to the national championship.

“That’s a lot to throw at a group of guys who have never played together and never played at this high level of intensity,” Taimuty said. “I do think that our will get better by the time we graduate.”

Business honors sophomore Claire Schreiber said expectations for this team are very high and she is proud of the progress that has been made. Scheriber’s mom graduation from UT, so she has been a Texas fan through the thick and thin.

“With any team there are ups and downs,” she said. “If you love the school and the team enough, you keep pulling for them.”

Blancarte, Taimuty and Scheriber are all excited for next season to see the young team get even better.

“Next year I definitely think they will get even better,” Scheriber said. “Even just looking at the difference between this year and last year it’s drastic. They’re a young team and you can tell that they’ve come leaps and bounds.”