For the second game in a row the Texas Longhorns took the field for the first defensive series of the game without true freshman linebacker Malik Jefferson.

The five-star signee and cornerstone of Texas' 2015 recruiting class, the first full class Charlie Strong and his staff assembled in Austin, has been sick off and going back to the week of the Kansas State game two weeks ago. Jefferson missed the a good chunk of the first quarter last week against Iowa State due to having a sick stomach and junior Timothy Cole was in the starting lineup again against Kansas as Jefferson was said to be available in the event of an emergency only on Saturday night.

However, Jefferson was on the field before halftime during the Longhorns' 59-20 win over the Jayhawks as Kansas (0-9, 0-6 in the Big 12) threatened more than once to get the game to within a single score. Charlie Strong said he wanted Jefferson in the game to clean up a lot of the missed tackles that were hurting the Longhorns (4-5, 3-3) and allowing the Jayhawks to move the ball.

Strong made sure the training staff was comfortable putting Jefferson in the game, but once he got the green light to play one of his most productive defensive players he didn't hesitate to put him on the field.

“I think it's more his stomach, a stomach virus or whatever, but he's one of those guys that I think I could have started,” Strong said. “I just didn't want him out there and then all of a sudden you kept bouncing him back and forth, but when he was ready to go we put him in.”

Strong said Jefferson didn't practice leading up the game. Jefferson said when he met with the media on Monday that the training staff thought he came down with food poisoning, but whatever's ailing him his teammates can vouch for him being legitimately ill at this time.

“I think he's really sick because he's been throwing up and things like that all week,” Peter Jinkens said. “The thing about Malik is even when he's not playing he's constantly talking to us. He's a great teammate and I wish him the best.

“I hope he gets well soon.”

Jinkens isn't the only one. Jefferson only recorded three tackles against the Jayhawks, but the Longhorns will need the player on the field against West Virginia next week who racked up 45 tackles, 2.5 sacks and six tackles for loss in the first eight games of his debut season.