Scanning the two wall-mounted monitors filled with dozens of live camera shots, University of Texas police officer W.R. Pieper spies something he doesn't like: an unattended bag in the middle of a growing crowd.

He quickly dispatches uniformed officers who climb stairs and bleachers, only to discover it's nothing but a harmless, oversized purse that belongs to a woman taking pictures with her family one row away.

No harm done, but it was a clear example of how the high-tech eyes of Texas are always watching the huge crowd at Longhorns football games.

"Big Brother is watching," Pieper said.

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Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium has been outfitted with 43 surveillance cameras to keep an eye on the 101,000 who fill the seats and hallways and spill into the perimeter on game days.

The cameras can focus close enough to see facial expressions or catch someone sticking a bottle of alcohol under the bleachers.

"They can zoom in on people drinking and boom, we've got officers there," campus police chief Robert Dahlstrom said. "An officer will reach down, wave the bottle for the camera and off they go."

Texas used to have just four cameras watching. The security upgrade cost about $400,000 and was done as part of a $175 million stadium expansion and renovation in recent years. The new cameras were put in before this season.

University officials had been wanting to make major upgrades ever since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington in 2001.

"That changed everything," athletic director DeLoss Dodds said. "It's just something you have to do today."

University police allowed The Associated Press access to their game-day security control room about 90 minutes before the Longhorns' game against Colorado on Oct. 10.

From his spot in front of the monitors, Pieper can see just about everything that moves in and around the stadium.

Two children carefully negotiate stairs while carrying drinks to their seats. A family of five poses for pictures. Their problem was they left the purse about 10 feet away.

When he called for the officers to check it out, Pieper trained several cameras on the bag to get as many angles as possible, still leaving dozens to keep scanning the rest of the stadium.

Game day is a much more controlled environment than it used to be. Long gone are the days of taking tickets until halftime, then letting everyone come and go as they please. Bomb-sniffing dogs sweep through before the gates are open.

The university also has partnered with AT&T for a special text messaging system that allows fans to report emergencies, drinking or fights, or any unruly behavior.

"Usually the crowd itself will tell us about a problem," Dahlstrom said.

Police eject about 40 people per game and average two or three arrests. When Texas played Texas Tech at night on Sept. 19 and won 34-24, the number of arrests spiked to about 12.

"Most are alcohol related," Dahlstrom said. "People get drunk or are belligerent."

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BIG PLANS: Texas coach Mack Brown won't book his tickets to the BCS title game just yet, but says he's learned to accept it when fans start making plans for the postseason with a month of football left to play.

Brown used to not like hearing fans talking of bowl games and national title hopes so early, then decided they're just folks trying to make vacation plans and get good rates on airplane tickets and hotels.

"What I've learned is I don't take it as an arrogance," Brown said. "People have to make plans. That's fair."

The BCS title game is at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 7.

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CLASS REUNION: Texas is hosting a reunion of the 1968, 1969 and 1970 teams that won 30 straight games, three Southwest Conference titles, one undisputed national championship and shared another in the best three-year stretch in program history.

Texas started the 1968 season with a new wishbone offense and a tie and a loss. Coach Darrell Royal inserted James Street at quarterback and the Longhorns didn't lose again until the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1971.

"When he started operating that deal, it changed football for a decade," quarterback Bill Bradley, who was replaced by Street, wrote in "What It Means to be Longhorn."

After being replaced at quarterback, Bradley moved to defensive back and went on to a long career as a safety with the Philadelphia Eagles and twice led the NFL in interceptions.

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BY THE NUMBERS: Texas is averaging 41.8 points, best in the country, according to NCAA offensive statistics. Take away the nine touchdowns on kick returns and blocks and interception returns and the average drops to 33.8, which would rank 18th ... Colt McCoy has passed for under 200 yards in two of the last three games ... Safety Earl Thomas' six interceptions are one shy of the Texas season record held by five players, most recently Nathan Vasher (2001).

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QUOTABLE: "I wish I could get one of my own. I can feel how they celebrate after taking it to the house." - DE Sergio Kindle on Texas' three interception returns for touchdowns.