The Longhorns (also known as Texas or UT or the Horns) played their home games in Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium (DKR), which during 2006 was undergoing some renovations to improve older sections as well as to add extra seating capacity.

[10] The Longhorns ended their season with a victory in the 2006 Alamo Bowl against the unranked, 6–6 Iowa Hawkeyes to improve to an overall record of 10 wins – 3 losses.

Stage one, which began on November 14, 2005, involved updating Bellmont Hall – which sits in the west end of the stadium – to meet newer safety codes set by the Austin Fire Department.

[26] Stage 2 of the project began just after the final home game, as the north end-zone was expanded to include luxury boxes and an upper-deck.

[49] Two United States Senators, Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, placed a wager on the game.

[59] The game was the first time Rice offensive coordinator Major Applewhite faced his former college team, where he enjoys "cult legend" status.

[60] Rice won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half, allowing Texas to start the game on offense.

[67] The Longhorns and the 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team met at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for their annual rivalry game known as the Red River Shootout.

Texas head coach Mack Brown was the offensive coordinator for the Sooners in 1984 (the Red River Shootout ended in a 15–15 tie that year).

"[94] In 1998, freshman quarterback Major Applewhite led the Longhorns to a victory over the seventh-ranked Cornhuskers, snapping their 47-home game winning streak.

[96] The Nebraska players all touched a horseshoe as the entered Memorial Stadium, which was referred to by a writer from The Daily Texan as "perhaps the most polished in the Big 12.

With less than a minute remaining, Nebraska leading by one point, and the Horns facing fourth down, Texas needed a field-goal to win.

Johnson had already missed three kicks (two field goals and a blocked extra point) and he told Coach Brown late in the game that his leg was tightening up.

Mangum had scored the game-winning field goal as time expired to lift the Longhorns to victory over the Michigan Wolverines in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

[98] Cornerback Tarell Brown was seen limping badly after the game and kicker-punter Greg Johnson aggravated a previous injury on his fourth-quarter field goal.

[107][108] The 2002 game was lost by Texas 42–38, when defensive starters Derrick Johnson, Kalen Thornton, Marcus Tubbs and Nathan Vasher were all injured.

[111] Just the previous week, he threw for 368 yards (336 m) and career -high six touchdowns in a 42–26 win over Iowa State and the Red Raiders are averaging 48.6 passes per game.

[117] According to UT's Brian Robison, "We recognized from the [offensive lines] splits that it was going to be a quarterback sneak,"[117] Texas stopped Graham Harrell to take possession of the football.

[114][121] The win may have had added significance for McCoy since he grew up only two hours from Lubbock, attended Tuscola Jim Ned high school, and is dating a Texas Tech student who serves as a recruiter for the Red Raiders football team.

[119][122] Although McCoy has now completed 24 touchdowns (2 shy of the UT single season record) he is known for shunning the limelight, preferring to give credit to his coaches and teammates.

[132] The day of the game, the betting line in Las Vegas casinos favored then #4 ranked Texas by 16 points against an unranked 6–4 Kansas State team.

[137] Kansas State tied the game in the first quarter off of a 36-yard (33 m) touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Freeman to wide receiver Yamon Figurs.

[134] Texas managed to briefly tie the game 21–21 three minutes into the third quarter off of a 5-yard (4.6 m) touchdown run from Selvin Young, one play after Michael Griffin blocked Kansas State punter Tim Reyer's punt and Tyrell Gatewood recovered.

Kansas State's Ian Campbell recovered the fumble, and it led to Leon Patton's 18-yard (16 m) halfback pass to wide receiver Cedric Wilson for a 28–21 lead.

[134] Texas mounted a partial comeback near the end of the 3rd quarter with a 75 scoring drive that ended with an 18-yard (16 m) run by Jamaal Charles and a touchdown pass to Limas Sweed early in the 4th quarter to giving the Longhorns a chance, however Kansas State had other ideas as Kansas State kicker Jeff Snodgrass connected on a clutch 51-yard (47 m) field goal with 3:19 left to give the Wildcats some breathing room.

Texas' Chris Ogbonnaya's 1-yard (0.91 m) touchdown run with 1:36 left in the 4th quarter cut the Kansas State lead to 45–42, putting the Longhorns within a field goal's reach.

"[139] His mother, Debra McCoy, confirmed the nature of the injury and said that the extra time off prior to the game against Texas A&M should give Colt a chance to recover.

[161] According to the Austin American-Statesman, the refs "blew the call"[162] stating that replays showed that Sweed was involved in some "spirited hand checking while the ball was in the air, but neither player appeared to push or be guilty of interference".

"[161][164] Immediately after the penalty, Colt McCoy threw an interception near the Texas A&M goal line and the Aggies ran out the clock to take the 6–0 lead into half-time.

When the replay was shown in the stadium, the Longhorn fans erupted in boos[166] before lapsing back into silence as McCoy lay on the ground for 10 minutes before being taken off the field on a cart.