Austin, Texas ? For the past four years, Texas was blessed with one of the best receiving corps in the country.

Roy Williams, Sloan Thomas and B.J. Johnson caught dozens of touchdowns and created a legacy for the UT record book.

If only the future were so bright.

The No. 5 Longhorns (2-0) rank 97th nationally in passing with 155 yards per game this season behind a group of new young receivers that coach Mack Brown says must improve quickly.

The Longhorns play Rice (2-0) today. Then comes Baylor (1-1) before an Oct. 9 matchup with No. 2 Oklahoma in Dallas.

“We’re looking hard at the receivers,” Brown said. “They realize they have some pressure on them.”

From 2000 to 2003, Williams virtually rewrote the school record book with Texas career marks for receptions (241), yards (3,866) and touchdowns (36). Thomas and Johnson both finished their careers among the top 10 at Texas. All three are on NFL rosters.

Replacing them this season are senior Tony Jeffery, junior Brian Carter, sophomore Eric Enard and freshman Limas Sweed. Jeffery has 31 career catches while the other three have combined for seven. Jeffery leads the Longhorns with seven catches for 44 yards.

“Tony Jeffery has been really good. Everybody else needs improvement,” Brown said.

That was evident in a 22-20 win over Arkansas. On at least two occasions late in the game quarterback Vince Young appeared to be expecting a receiver to run a particular route only to have him go somewhere else.

Brown said the coaching staff watched tape of that game to see if the receivers were running their routes too deep or cutting them too short. Everything must be coordinated with the quarterback, he said.

“We’ve got to throw the ball better,” Brown said. “We’ve got to help Vince Young in the passing game.”

When Young has had to make big throws, he’s found reliable targets in tight ends David Thomas and Bo Scaife and tailback Cedric Benson. Thomas has two touchdowns and Benson caught the winning TD against Arkansas.

Texas hasn’t needed a passing game yet because it runs the ball so well.

Benson has 369 yards and three rushing touchdowns in the first two games, and the Longhorns rank first in the nation with 386 yards per game.

Which brings Brown back to his inexperienced and inconsistent young receivers. The running game should open up the field for receivers with play-action passes, he said.

“We’re going to have to throw to win a game,” Brown said.

The Oklahoma game is only three weekends away.