Football Articles
Mack Talks Spring Game
Posted by Scipio Tex on April 5th, 2009 under Football
Here are Mack’s post-Spring game comments. Here’s the AP summary.
I pulled out some of the quotes that interested me the most.
On the younger defensive linemen: We’ve been really pleased with Alex Okafor throughout the spring. We know what Sam [Acho] can do, because we’ve seen him for two years. For Alex to come in and do what he has done as a pass rusher and just a senior in high school has been really fun for us to watch. He’s got so much potential and he will get stronger. He will get a lot stronger for the fall and we do think he will be a factor in the two-deep.
The coaches love Okafor. S&C will be a big priority for Alex over the next five months. He’ll be on our two deep in the Fall. As for Acho, yeah, we know what he can do but he needs to take the next jump. Having a secondary pass rusher on the edge to complement Kindle is key. I’d love to see Eddie Jones heal up and start living up to his potential.
On if there is a cause for concern for Colt McCoy’s low completion percentage: No, none what so ever. I thought about half of the incompletions were dropped, and that should be the cause for concern. We’re not going to throw to the ones that drop it, that’s one thing for sure.
Terrible wind conditions played a role, but so did great secondary play across the board. There just weren’t many plays available to our WRs and our DBs know our offense. As for the drops, Mack pretty much called it out: in a move-the-chains passing offense, the catch is the most important thing. Everything else is irrelevant.
Mack will play the dependables and bench the undependables – no matter what their potential. Dan Buckner needs to get serious about football or he’s going to find himself on the outside looking in rather quickly. The good news is that Malcolm Williams is increasingly being perceived as one of our dependables.
On the experience and depth in the secondary and how it can help more this year: It should help us, number one, on special teams. That’s the number one key, because a lot of those guys are your best special teams players. We should be fresher for special teams this year.
Absolutely. Your special teams play is directly correlated to the number of starters – or starter equivalent talents – that you can put on the field. If you’re relying heavily on marginal back-ups to make plays, it follows that you’ll see results comparable to what you might expect when your reserves are playing in other units. The Trahan-Ungar Corollary excepted.
Add in the fact that we’re allowing playmakers to return punts and kicks and we should see much better special teams play in 2009.
The simplest answer is that there is so much competition back there that those guys can’t miss a step. If a guy has a sore ankle, he better practice. They are at a high level of competition. We’ve had really good players back there, but I think the most we’ve ever had were six guys who we thought could go in there and play, and right now, we’re sitting at a minimum of eight, which is pretty good.
Eight dudes who can play and four of our five secondary starters are potentially elite. With players as good or better coming down the pipeline from our recruiting classes. Last years #1 CB is now our #4 CB. Darwinian processes, how I love thee. Throw in the threat of being Wally Pipped and you’re going to have a bunch of guys playing like their jock has been dipped in curry.
On what his level of concern is with tight ends: I think the ability to stretch the ball deep is our concern. When D.J. [Grant] was working, Colt was able to get him deep and give us the stuff that we’ve had in the passing game with our tight ends. We hope we can do it with what we’ve got. We also are going to look at Dominique Jones some there. He was an outstanding tight end in high school and he had his shoulder operation right when he got here, so he was out for the spring.
After the TE buffoonery I saw in the scrimmage, he has to be worried. As for Dominique Jones – he was a phenomenal high school blocking TE, but he’s not going to help us stretch the field. Barrett Matthews: a Longhorn Nation turns its eyes to you.
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D W commented on the blog post March Madness open thread 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
Now Baylor talking trash to the #14 seed players. Seriously?
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
If Sam Houston State wins then Rick Barnes will have trick-fucked me in a completely unexpected way. I figured if Baylor beat us like a drum three time then should be able to ease past Sam Houston State. I did not know about the Rec Specs.
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gingerballs commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 1 hour, 21 minutes ago
Sam Houston attempting to one up Murray St.
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gingerballs commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 1 hour, 23 minutes ago
WOW, way to shit the bed Stallings….again
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Triston27 commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 1 hour, 25 minutes ago
Wow. Fortunately I had Vandy losing Saturday anyway.
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gingerballs commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 1 hour, 31 minutes ago
Murray….present!
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CloseToJumping commented on the blog post March Madness open thread 1 hour, 37 minutes ago
If Baylor fails, my grand scheme of Purdue playing for it all will immediately begin to take shape.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post Beat the Barkers NCAA Tourney Bracket 1 hour, 41 minutes ago
Freaking BYU.
Otherwise, I’m 2-1.
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CloseToJumping commented on the blog post Beat the Barkers NCAA Tourney Bracket 1 hour, 48 minutes ago
Yeah, that Purdue pick was awesome. It seems like I heard something about them having injuries, but it slipped my mind when making picks. I’ve literally not seen them play for one second this season. Not a highlight, nothing. Good work.
1-2 to start things off, I think it’s clear I’m going to own this thing.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 26 minutes ago
Man, Sam Houston State is playing Baylor perfectly. Rec Specs is running the paint. And I always love teams with short guys who jack threes.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 39 minutes ago
And they have a dude with rec specs.
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Trips Right commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 39 minutes ago
Sam Houston State with a triangle and two to stifle Baylor. I’m going to vomit
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 39 minutes ago
Sam Houston State is like Tom Penders’ wet dream.
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Art Vandelay commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 41 minutes ago
MMOD is beating me down with the Ivan brothers.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness open thread 2 hours, 41 minutes ago
ND proved that the old tried and true, anti-Duke theory about how teams that rely on unathletic white dudes who have to get to the foul line and/or make a alot of really ugly right-handed layups never win in the tourney.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness open thread 2 hours, 42 minutes ago
Man, I can’t believe that Florida game. Their team actually appears to be DUMBER than ours.
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Vasherized commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 44 minutes ago
We need to send our guys to Baylor’s School of Hard Dunks.
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Triston27 commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 2 hours, 47 minutes ago
Dollar $igns!
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Art Vandelay commented on the blog post March Madness open thread 2 hours, 50 minutes ago
Great start to the tourney. Two OT games and a one point ND loss.
Yeah – a bunch of half ass bowl games is a much better idea.
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uthookem commented on the blog post March Madness open thread 2 hours, 51 minutes ago
I think Sam Houston has taken more charges in the first ten minutes than Texas took all season.
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Trips Right commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 53 minutes ago
Morris goes down.
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Trips Right commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 56 minutes ago
Big 3 by morris down 1 with 8 seconds
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Vasherized commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 56 minutes ago
Dude hit the easy layup.
/facepalm
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Trips Right commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 58 minutes ago
Morris down 3 with 29
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Vasherized commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 2 hours, 59 minutes ago
UDOH SWAT GAME ON!
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Triston27 commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 2 hours, 59 minutes ago
1-point game with just 30 seconds left
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Triston27 commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 2 hours, 59 minutes ago
1-point game with just 3 seconds left
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Trips Right commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 3 hours ago
Morris down one even after getting hosed on a jump ball call. 35 to go
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Trips Right commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 3 hours, 4 minutes ago
Morris down six with a minute left. They’re done.
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Trips Right commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 3 hours, 6 minutes ago
Baylor looks like a final four team
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Show Horn said:
April 5th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
That Irby injury has really put us behind the 8 ball at TE…I’d only use one in the Iformation or short yardage/goal line situations…..and under no circustances THROW to a TE this season–yikes!
glenn said:
April 6th, 2009 at 6:59 am
dan buckner is frustrating me. i had hoped he would be threatening to take a job by now.
i went to watch bj johnson in high school his senior year when the cfb world held its collective breath whenever he spoke. he scored a couple of td’s, one a long spectacular one where he was double covered but went up very high to snag a wounded gopher of a pass from his less than so-so qb. he was coming down with the ball while the double coverage was still going up, and he was gone. i realized, though, that he had probably never had to catch a hot one from a strong qb.
watching dan flub that pass yesterday reminded me of the frustration watching bj in college. i certainly hope dan can learn to catch at this level.
and, yes, the tight end situation is frustrating to watch also. sometimes i wonder if we shouldn’t blanket the nation every year with tight end offers and keep 12 to 15 on the roster to pretty much guarantee that one is healthy. must be one of the most rigorous jobs on the gridiron.
justaguy said:
April 6th, 2009 at 7:06 am
Buckner is still very young. For some of these guys it takes some time and something to gain that confidence. No better example of Limas both in college and now in the pros.
Not sure whose snaps he would take. Shipley is a given, Collins and James have really made big strides in the past year, and Malcolm is a guy that is going to have some big games next year as he is big, fast, can run after the catch, and isn’t afraid to go get the ball.
As far as te, Texas already has on the roster Irby, Harris, Howard, Smith, Marshall, Grant, and two more on the way. I agree with Scipio on Matthews. Saw him in high school and he might be the answer in regards to a receiving threat.
glenn said:
April 6th, 2009 at 7:16 am
no, i don’t think dan should be taking anybody’s snaps, but i was hoping he would be making some snapee’s very uncomfortable by now.
ah, yes. matthews. would like to see a veteran barrett matthews and a healthy blaine irby bedeviling defenses a year from now. i also liked the footage i’ve seen of trey graham.
justaguy said:
April 6th, 2009 at 7:20 am
I just don’t see the same confidence in him. He looked too tentative last year and the big plays he made were more running past someone than say Malcolm’s touchdown catch versus Missouri were he went up to get the ball.
Buckner has 4 months to get ready for Fall so let’s see just how much he wants to play. I do agree on the desire to see these guys truly compete with each other. Don’t expect he or Hales for example to beat someone out, but would be nice for them to apply some pressure for time.
It will be interesting to see how quickly Matthews adapts to the college game, but I saw him look quick in a very competitive and athletic district.
Scipio Tex said:
April 6th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Show:
God kills a kitten every time we throw to Ahmard Howard and Greg Smith.
justaguy:
Buckner needs to really commit to the weight room and offseason conditionining. He has a slow first step out off of the LOS and if he’s going to combat that, he needs to be physically strong enough to create his own separation by putting guys on his hip and snatching the ball out of the air.
SlickStreet said:
April 6th, 2009 at 11:09 am
“Last years #1 CB is now our #4 CB. Darwinian processes, how I love thee. Throw in the threat of being Wally Pipped and you’re going to have a bunch of guys playing like their jock has been dipped in curry.”
my sentiments 100+. I’ve bickered endless times over our LB policy the first two years after the NC season, but it seems Mack has changed his song. Having Muschamp where he is obviously ensures that.