By Jim Vertuno | ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN – The No. 3 Texas Longhorns have given up 15 turnovers this season and have yet to pay much of a price for it.

Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, left, is sacked for an 11-yard loss by Texas cornerback Deon Beasley, right, during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

The defense simply won’t allow it.

On the ensuing drives after the turnovers, opponents have scored just one touchdown and one field goal. Seven of those possessions went for negative yards. Four ended when the defense got the ball right back with a fumble recovery or interception of their own.

“We tell the guys we’re the firemen,” defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said, “and we have to go put out the fire.”

The only scores after Texas turnovers came in the first game, when Louisiana-Monree kicked a field goal, and when Colorado scored a touchdown after recovering a fumble inside the Texas 10. Texas-El Paso scored a touchdown on an interception return, but that technically didn’t come against the Longhorns defense.

Muschamp demands that his defense be able to control the “sudden change” of momentum produced by a turnover. And the biggest plays have come in the biggest games.

Against Texas Tech, the Red Raiders could do nothing with two interceptions. Against Oklahoma, the Longhorns defense came to the rescue three times, each of them critical in a 16-13 win.

After a first-quarter fumble by Colt McCoy, Texas held the Sooners to minus-2 yards, knocked quarterback Sam Bradford out of the game and forced a punt. After McCoy fumbled again in the second, Texas pushed Oklahoma backward 13 yards and forced another punt.

After McCoy threw an interception late in the fourth, the Longhorns put the game away four plays later when Earl Thomas snagged Texas’ second interception.

“We don’t ever want them to score,” Muschamp said, “whether it’s from the 3 or the 50.”

Texas (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) forced just 12 turnovers all of last season. The Longhorns already have 21 this season heading into Saturday night’s matchup with No. 13 Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-0).

Thomas has five interceptions. He returned one against Colorado 92 yards for a touchdown, the longest pickoff return for Texas since 1936.

“They’re a fast defense and playing with a lot of fire,” Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson said. “Right now, they’re just playing relentless.”

The problem is the offense is the pressure the offense puts on the defense with the turnovers. McCoy, who threw only eight interceptions all of last season, already has that many this season. He also has four fumbles.

“If we will go back and protect the ball the (next) five games like we did last year and continue to force turnovers, that will be great combination,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “We’re still having too many turnovers offensively.”

• Halloween horror

It was on this same weekend last year when the Longhorns stumbled and their season ultimately unraveled.

No. 1 Texas flew up to Lubbock on Halloween to play Texas Tech and the next night they lost 39-33, starting a chain reaction of BCS standings and Big 12 tiebreakers that kept them out of the league championship game.

A loss to Oklahoma State could do the same. First place in the Big 12 South is on the line. If Texas loses, the Longhorns will need Oklahoma State to lose twice if they want to get to the conference championship game this season.

“Our kids know this is the week we faltered last year. It’s really hard to go undefeated,” Brown said.

“We’ve told them ‘What you do from here on out will be the legacy of this team, not what we’ve done up to now.’ ”

• Duty calls

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow apologized for not talking to the media after a rough outing in the Gators’ win last week over Mississippi State. At Texas, quarterback McCoy said he’d never duck reporters after a bad game or a loss.

First, Texas officials wouldn’t let him, McCoy said.

Second, he says it’s his duty to be the public face of the program.

“If you play good or you don’t, you’ve got to go talk to the media. You’re the voice for all the fans, for everybody, to let them know what’s going on. That’s your job as a quarterback to do that,” McCoy said.

McCoy had one of his best games of the season last week, passing for 269 yards and three first-half touchdowns in a 41-7 win over Missouri.

• Job security

Brown was asked a lot this week about his 11-0 record against Oklahoma State and his legacy of big comebacks against the Cowboys. None was wilder than a 56-35 win in 2004 after the Longhorns trailed 35-7 in the first half.

That came in front of a home crowd that was pretty upset about the first 30 minutes of play. Brown joked that he thought he’d be fired

“I was trying to get the Yellow Pages (on the sideline) to figure out what I was going to be doing,” Brown said. “I was trying to get a cell phone to start interviewing.”

• By the numbers

A victory Saturday night would be No. 40 for McCoy, moving him into sole possession of second place in the NCAA career chart for major college quarterbacks.

He’s currently tied with former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning. Former Georgia QB David Greene tops the list with 42.

Manning had six career losses and McCoy has seven. Greene lost 10 games.

• Quotable

“I’m a little bummed. … I was Fred Flintstone last year and have it somewhere in my closet.” – Guard Charlie Tanner on being disappointed about not being able to dress up for Halloween.