Barking Carnival — Blog — 2009 Colorado Buffaloes @ Texas Longhorns Post-Mortem

Down 14-10 in the 3rd quarter with the offense working actively to throw the game, Marquise Goodwin blocks a punt for a TD, Earl Thomas pulls out a 92 yard interception return TD (a 10 or 14 point swing), and Jordan Shipley brings back a 74 yard punt. 31-14, Texas. The offense decides to participate with 6:00 left and we have our final: 38-14.

This game will likely be spun as a Texas team without focus looking ahead to OU, taking Colorado lightly, with players that “ate the cheese”…and, hey, we won by 24 – what on earth do you people want?

Bill Little will pen a piece comparing the impossibility of establishing a running game against a run defense rated 111th in the country to Jonas Salk’s battle to cure polio and how the Longhorn Dreamwagon must never be abandoned to the predations of the Comanche, naysayers, bloggers, Heinrich Himmler, and the Whig party. As is his tangential custom, he will title the piece Reflections on Post-Modern Japan: The Rodeo.

I don’t like cheese spin. I’m lactose intolerant. I never thought we’d lose the game, but this game reminded us all of some deep systemic issues and, given next weeks OU game, we all felt that familiar stab of Greg Davis insecurity.

A feeling I can liken only to kidney stones embedded in the collective Longhorn urethra.

Defense

Thank God for Muschamp.

How long before he goes Buddy Ryan on Greg Gilbride? He won’t. Muschamp came from Auburn and he naturally accepts that he must battle against two offenses: the opponents and his own. Putting 17 offensive points on the board just spoils him. We would have won 21-7 if our offense had just run into the line three times and punted, Tuberville style. We’ve allowed only 180 yards of total offense over the last eight quarters. This defense is giving up 15.0 ppg and that number would be single digits if our quisling offense would stop handing over the keys to the city.

With respect to keys, I was pleased to see our LBs increase their comfort with reading theirs in a traditional running game. It was a tad shaky early, but we got better. We’re playing three outside linebackers and we’ll give up something in the smash mouth game because of it, but quickness wins out.

Colorado’s opening drive was the only thing they did offensively all night. They went 66 yards in 8 plays and then totaled 61 yards in their next 49. 61 yards in 49 plays? – somewhere Greg Davis just belched, waved a turkey drumstick, and exclaimed, “Someone is running the ball rather effectively!”

The 3rd and long post corner TD to Devenny was my only real irritation as Gideon did a poor job of playing center field and understanding that Robinson had the inside release. He doesn’t possess the range to get paralyzed and he has to understand the match-up. He made up for it later with a honest-to-God ball hawk interception that was top notch. We’ll see OCs test Gideon on that route again.

The second Colorado TD to the TE Geer – after we handed the ball to CU at our 6 yard line – was a pretty nice exploitation of our instinct against the run. Muschamp mentioned in the post-game that we’d prepared specifically for that double twins play call and you could tell he was irritated by whoever blew that coverage (unclear to me who had ultimate responsibility: Kindle, Muck, Brewster)

Other than that, we destroyed Colorado’s offense.

We didn’t tackle perfectly, but CU went 34 attempts for 42 yards with a long run of 16 yards. Yes, we’ll certainly take that. This was nice prep work for OU/OSU and you could see our defense settle in against the run game as the game progressed.

Some personnel thoughts:

We played mostly base 4-3 with Kindle at DE, Ben Alexander at DT, and Robinson, Muckelroy, E. Acho at LB.

Muckelroy was nice: 11 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, a nice pass break-up. He was one gimme interception away from having a phenomenal game. E. Acho continues to be illegally quick and instinctive – 3 TFL like he was shot out of a cannon. Keenan Robinson struggled early with recognition, but rallied down the stretch. If you want to see what I mean about Robinson, check his run read at the 14:09 mark in the 2nd quarter. He’s better than that.

Ben Alexander probably played his best game as a Longhorn. Just solid play against the run inside. Really proud of that guy for battling. Houston and Randall gave us pressure and penetration, as we’re accustomed.

I thought Sam Acho played a complete game. Very good head up against the run, kept the edge, did his work inside on passing downs. 3 TFL and a sack.

Kindle played well though he didn’t have his customary sack n’ strip. He did make #78 Nate Solder have a nervous breakdown on the field. If you cost an offense 50 yards in penalties, I consider that game impact.

What can you say about our secondary? They dismantled a lesser WR corps completely. CU was 9 of 23 for 85 yards and two picks, their best WR Chalky McDutch had one catch for twelve yards, and Earl Thomas had an amazing pick six on our goalline that provided a likely 10 or 14 point swing when he baited Cody Hawkins with the false scent of open Caucasian receiver urine.

Special Teams

Our kickoff coverage is struggling and it’s attributable to a couple of guys who are refusing to give up their bodies and are playing the I’d rather let myself be subtly blocked than get blown up game. I’m guessing we see a personnel change or attitude transplant for OU because they really could hurt us here. The field goal block looked like it was on Ahmard Howard. You have to make yourself big and get a piece of the outside rusher, even with a guy inside.

We continue to dominate ST overall with two crucial scores: a fantastic 74 yard TD return from Shipley and a timely punt block TD from Marquise Goodwin – Akina did a great job with personnel on that one. The fact that we can play both the return game and the block game is huge and success in each feeds the other. The punting team has to make a choice and we’re very capable of making it the wrong one if both coins turn up heads.

Offense

Greg Davis writes sonnets to 3rd and 9. He loves it like Byron loved his Newfoundland. It was distressing to see our offense actually play worse in the second half than the first.

Colorado has a disgraceful defense and we made them look like the ‘85 Bears. The Toledo Rockets dropped 54 on them while rolling up 600+ yards. They came into the game allowing a college football leading 11 plays of 40 yards+ to such offensive powerhouses as Toledo, Colorado St, Wyoming. We had exactly none. That takes commitment. There are some areas in our offense that are just lazy, uninspired, and inexcuseable, so let’s see what we’re going to do about it…

Here’s Brown’s diagnosis of our running game:

What we’re trying to do is get better in the running game. It didn’t work. We’ve just got to keep looking at it and keep doing what we need to do.

Good deal.

Wait…

You don’t have any idea what you need to do, do you? I know because that’s exactly how I answer questions I don’t fully understand. Scipio, what should be done about the plight of the Inuit? Hmmm. We’re going to keep looking at it. I’m going to study it and we’re going to do what we need to do. Uh, those are Eskimos, right?

Let’s hear from The Greg Davis Experience:

I thought the running game was non-existent.

That is both a statement of fact and aspiration. The truth is that he resents the running game. He’s a little kid being made to mow the lawn and to express his passive-aggressive distress he does a bad job of it and makes sure to roll over Mom’s flower beds. The logical solution in both scenarios is the same: hire a Mexican.

But he has a solution for creating our running game! Observe:

We probably should have thrown the ball more in some situations.

How counter-intuitive. The key to solving a non-existent running game is to throw more. Colt’s 40+ passing attempts (attempts + sacks) were inadequate. By running less and throwing more, we’ll materialize a running game into existence. It’s a running game seance complete with levitating banjo. If you throw enough, it conjures the ghost of Marion Motley and he gives offenses that have been very good boys and girls 166 yards on 22 carries on perfectly executed trap plays.

Thoughts for future improvement?

Running was a huge focus, we talked about it and worked on it, but at the same time, we did what we do best, and that’s catching the ball.

Greg and Mack love to talk about the running game. Create dialogue with the running game. Have the UN create a binding resolution to recognize the inherent dignity of the running game. Then they cripple the running game and berate it for its failures.

By the way, is it just me or could his quote be characterized as an unrepentant: “Screw you – I like to throw.” I’m amused that he thinks we did a good job in the passing game. We were poor and Colorado dictated to us exactly what we could and could not do by simple alignment and an understanding of our tendencies.

I see zero recognition in Davis that a legit running game would get some teams out of the near-prevent D we’re seeing. We average 8.3 yards per completion against a bottom quartile pass defense and he sees more passing as the solution.

Let’s talk playcalling: it is not an assorted grab bag of random calls that you throw out hoping one works. I feel like we’re playing the game War. Just mindlessly flipping over cards. I burst out laughing at the shovel passes and Wild Horn. The timing, the total lack of understanding of game situation and context, it was awesome to behold.

Personnel thoughts:

The whole OL was pretty poor. The inability to account for interior run blitzes is troubling as that’s what zone blocking is ostensibly set up to do. No push at the point of attack. The entire interior OL really struggled. These guys are set up to fail and do so. Pass protection was adequate.

Shipley was fantastic save his volleyball set interception and Buckner was solid running his four yard routes. Kirkendoll had a negative game impact: no blocking, poor effort, totally in regression. John Chiles is a one trick pony that doesn’t even warrant attention if he’s not running his only play. He’s now averaging 8.8 yards a catch – and that includes a long score against Wyoming. Malcolm Williams is a ghost. For the year, we now average a meager 10.4 yards per completion.

The RBs are almost meaningless to evaluate. If there are still fans so stupid as to believe RBs are the primary issue, it’s not a conversation I can endure. Our entire running game is seemingly predicated on the defense’s exhaustion and whoever gets those dead defense carries will be the star of the day. I think Fozzy Whittaker is the most interesting guy from a talent perspective, but I’d like to see him 75 carries from now.

By the way, I don’t think our running schemes and all of our backs having injury problems is coincidental.

As for QB play, Colt ran the offense that he was asked to run. He went 32 of 39. What do you want?

Parting Thoughts

I wrote this summer – and have emphasized in every piece of analysis throughout the year – that the strength of this team would be defense and special teams. If we want to journey to the Promised Land (Pasadena) or even it’s nearby suburb of Very Good Season (Big 12 Title, Phoenix) they need to take us there because our offense can’t be trusted. That idea was met with understandable scorn from some of my friends and many posters given that we had an All-American QB, an experienced OL, some talent at WR, it was the strength of the team last year, and, hey, we still have a gaudy scoring average.

So…accept it. We dominated 2 of the 3 phases of the game and the score reflected that.

We’re basically an elite SEC defense/special teams paired with a Mountain West offense. That can win a lot of football games, but you’ll need a management strategy for your ulcers.

On to OU…

Article Tags:

Colorado Buffaloes, Greg Davis, Texas Longhorns

85 Responses

parlinhall said:

October 11th, 2009 at 5:42 am

Yesterday Baylor rushed 17 times for 6 yards against OU, for an average of .4 yards per carry. For the year, BU has averaged 5.2 yards per carry, suggesting that they were, well, shut down by the #3 ranked rush defense in the nation.

Last night we averaged just over a half a yard per carry against a Colorado team that’s 11th in the Big Twelve (92nd nationally) against the rush. Wyoming, Colorado State, Toledo, and West Virginia have all had better rushing stats against the Buffs.
beowulf said:

October 11th, 2009 at 5:51 am

The blocked punt, punt return, and pick return for TD’s screwed up GDGD’s offensive plans for the 2nd half. Those lost opportunities for the offensive were the ones that Gregory had perfect schemes and play calling good to go. Opportunities lost.

I hadn’t felt disgust of this magnitiude for the sorry piece of crap that remains a 2 ton anchor tied around the necks of our collective Longhorns in about 2 years.

Thank God OU and every other team in front of us at this time aren’t anywhere near their 2008 forms.

Early prediction. We beat Florida 12-9 in the 2nd Rose Bowl. Defense gets a safety and our return team scores a TD. GDGD’s offense provides the winning margin with a timely FG.
Spinscan said:

October 11th, 2009 at 6:16 am

Regarding the ol, is it the players or coaching? I don’t think the pass blocking was worth a shit yesterday as well. They basically just stunk it up.
ransomstoddard said:

October 11th, 2009 at 6:19 am

To the indignant howls of many, there are some of us who said before the season that other than Ship, our receivers were mediocre, the o-line was average and there is not a legit D-1 rb on the team. Turns out we were exactly right. When Chiles and Kirkendoll not only have schollies, but are STARTERS, you have major issues at wide receiver. The offensive line is populated by 5 guys who only get mad when Dexter Pittman won’t share his Sarah McClachlan cd with them. The rb’s run with all the authority and purpose of that binding UN resolution you mentioned. [Hey Iran, you stop making nuclear weapons now. We mean it!]

As for the kickoff coverage, its just puzzling. I am still trying to figure out why our 155 pound kicker is on the field. It’s clear it takes all his strength to run up to the ball, much less give it a good whack.

If your offense can’t put up 21 on CU, one of the worst teams in Division I, what on earth is it going to do against the gooners, okie lite and KU? Hell, even aggy’s defense is scary with this miserable abomination.
outragedcoloadofan said:

October 11th, 2009 at 6:37 am

not quite the expected result
as entertaining as the articles can be here there is still a sufocating amount of arrogance
McCoy and Shipley are studs
but ransomstoddard said it better than the blog
without those two the rest of the horn skill positions werent any better than ours.
That being the case you are going to need some serious luck or a couple of more late blooming Charles to get that NC
Orangechip said:

October 11th, 2009 at 6:39 am

What happened to Colt scrambling? We need more of that! Those were the staple plays that not even GD could screw up last year.

It looks like if Ship is not open. (read triple teamed) Colt waits until Kirk is 10 yards open or takes a sack. Why not run it Colt??? We need that from you.

Colt was our leading rusher last year for a reason. THEN…. when people have to spy and honor Colt that’s when the RB’s and other crossing patterns suddenly get open.
Sasha is a Longhorn Dog said:

October 11th, 2009 at 6:54 am

The talent is there, with maybe the exception of RB. The lack of living up to the talent on OL and WR is ridiculous. If one, just ONE, more WR would step up and do something, I’d at least feel a teeny tiny bit better.

Thank goodness for our D. I wonder how hard it is for Muschamp to keep his mouth shut and not just absolutely blow up GD in coaches meetings. I keep hearing that if/when Muschamp takes over that he’ll keep GD around. If crap like this keeps happening, I don’t see how that is a realistic possibility.

At any rate, as I said last night, my hopes are now solely pinned on Muschamp’s D and the ST for the rest of the season. I will maintain a modicum of belief that the offense will turn it around, but only because I am a loyal fan and not a bandwagoner. And because I like Colt and Shipley and will be beyond pissed if they get screwed out of the good things they deserve because of everyone else around them failing.
flying red basteen said:

October 11th, 2009 at 6:58 am

52 is a joke on the o-line and 42 wanted no part of the kickoff coverage–our punter and kickoff man are pathetic–im tired of the rugby style punt and your right about chiles being a one trick poney-catches a pass for 3 yards and thats it–throw it to speed(monroe or goodwin)let em turn 3 yards into 80–no game breakers except shipley
Bobby Jack Akina said:

October 11th, 2009 at 7:21 am

Defense and special teams: 21 points.

Offense: 17 points, thanks to a junk TD late.

We’re Texas?

No, we’re Virginia Tech.
stuckinmn said:

October 11th, 2009 at 7:22 am

I honestly am amazed that Muschamp is able to hold his tongue in meetings. I think CTJ hinted on another board that Muschamp does say things about GD but I never heard any specifics.

I consider myself pretty decent at my job- somewhere in the vast gulf between Muschamp and Davis on the competency scale, but hopefully closer to the former. There have been a few times I see a fellow employee that obviously just does not get it and he is making my job much much tougher than it needs to be. Once it becomes clear that person will never get it, I find a way to subtly move responsibilities away from the fuck-up. But then, that employee has never been best friends with our CEO.
j.r.69 said:

October 11th, 2009 at 7:23 am

What hare-lips me is that MB sees the same offensive ineptitude that we do, yet does not override GD. He just stands there, bent over with his hands on his knees, and stares–and does nothing.

And I’m waiting for the usual “we’ll work on fixing the running game in the off-season” that we’ve heard damned near every year.

It’s like wiping your ass with a wagon wheel–there’s no end to it.
uthookem said:

October 11th, 2009 at 7:58 am

If what CTJ said about Muschamp hinting at GD is true, maybe this was supposed to be the game that GD and Mack would show Muschamp what was up…and it failed, miserably.

I expect to see more rollouts and Colt scrambling in Dallas…it is the only way we will score any points…on offense.
domedriver said:

October 11th, 2009 at 8:03 am

The only thing we have to fear is Greg Davis himself…. He is fear!
Texoz said:

October 11th, 2009 at 8:11 am

Are any of the local reporters calling out the offensive woes? After reading Suazanne Halliburton’s coverage of the game you would have no idea how bad the running game was, or the overall offensive deficiencies.

http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/longhorns/2009/10/11/1011texfoot.html

Her line, “The Buffaloes successfully had thwarted Texas’ rushing offense on an evening when UT coach Mack Brown stubbornly insisted on running the ball” doesn’t begin to convey the significance of that ineptitude.

Are the local reporters complicit in maintaining the protective bubble around our offensive troubles?
jinx said:

October 11th, 2009 at 8:27 am

I fell like watching GD’s offense is similar to helping a 16 year old learn to drive a stick shift.

- There are lots of time’s that you don’t want to watch
- Lot’s of fits and starts
- Lot’s of complete stall outs
- Tremendous bursts of speed when you think they are getting it
- Another stall out
- Grinding gears (nearing the point of screaming)
- Nearly running headfirst into a tree
- Massive quantities of alcohol to calm the nerves

Is there anyway to ground GD for the OU game and let The Major drive?
KilgoreTrout said:

October 11th, 2009 at 8:39 am

I haven’t watched all of your games, but your running game seems to consist of a delayed hand off – followed by 5 – 6 steps parallel to the line of scrimmage – then a random dive into the line. Pre snap it looks like you can spot the run by how the Rb is lined up. So you are telling the defense, hey we’re going to run a slow delay between the tackles – get ready for it. The only time you run with Colt under center is 3rd and short and the whole world knows what you are doing. The bright side is your defense, Special Teams and passing game will win you every game except the RRS and BCS bowl.
Mr Bastard said:

October 11th, 2009 at 9:15 am

Having to watch zone blocking will surely bring about my demise. If we cloned Mason Walters into five, more or less perfect offensive linemen, in three years they would be nothing more than a quintet of toothless, declawed, dancing bears. No wonder Bruce Matthews rolled his eyes, chuckled and sent his kid to aggy.
The rugby punts were cute when they were cutting edge and teams weren’t prepared for them, but now I’m ready to shelve the five-yard-left-footed-rugby-Tucker-fucker. Give me the Gold kid and his 50 yarders with 4 1/2 second hang time. BTW, with 85 guys on ’ship let’s try to find a few that don’t mind covering kicks, and yes, I’m talking to you (and others) Earnest. On a couple of those returns I thought I was watching Frank & Earnest man the left side.
If Kirk is going to be a “bit spitter”, put the very fast, 6′ 3″, 225 lbs Malcolm in the package somewhere. God knows that at the very least he can block and that’s nothing to sniff at in this offense.
Mr Bastard said:

October 11th, 2009 at 9:22 am

I nearly forgot…I HAD BETTER NOT SEE THE WILD-FUCKING-HORN NEXT SATURDAY. My blood pressure can’t take it..
spit and tears said:

October 11th, 2009 at 9:28 am

We’re going to be 10-2. Following this team is like the movie Groundhog Day; I know what’s going to happen next. We’re either going to get beat by OU and one other team (take your pick from KU, Mizzou, OSU, and aggy), or we’re somehow going to get past the Sooners and drop 2 against the aforementioned others. OU could conceivably make the Big XII title game with a 9-3 or even 8-4 record because we won’t fix any of this shit, and eventually it’s going to cost us a couple of times. Our defense can keep us in against anyone, but relying on your D to bail you out gets you in trouble sooner or later because they’re going to have a bad game or bad half somewhere, and you need the offense to win it (see multiple Auburn and Ohio State teams from the past several years). I’m adjusting my expectations downward for this season, and not even thinking about 2010 or beyond.
p said:

October 11th, 2009 at 9:37 am

You know what’s most frustrating?

I saw an honest-to-god trap earlier in the season. It may have been week one, but not totally sure.
We blew a hole straight up the middle so wide, Mangino could have run through it. We executed that play with perfection a couple times that game, and I really allowed myself to think that we would see it again. Shame on me for allowing myself to fall into that. I should know better. I refuse to sign on with the “saving something for OU” crowd.

Defense was spectacular, although it’s painfully obvious that we don’t see power running games all year. We always take a quarter or two to adjust, ask Beanie Wells.
j.j. stokes said:

October 11th, 2009 at 9:41 am

those saying we were a 1-wr team before the season are exactly correct. Collins has showed us nothing this season and Buckner hasn’t stepped up.
CloseToJumping said:

October 11th, 2009 at 9:43 am

In regard to the write-up from Scipio, I found it highly entertaining. John Kennedy Toole made me laugh very hard for about 400-500 pages and you do that kind of thing when you have an axe to grind. Some of the imagery in that post will stay with me in a humorous way for a long time.

To the references made about something I posted, don’t trust anything I might have hinted at, as I don’t remember what it was and my information is not firsthand. I know no one on the staff beyond superficial handshakes and Applewhite from his redshirt year through a girl he and I both knew.

In terms of any potential discord between WM and GD, my guess is it plays out a lot more like work settings we’ve all been a part of in our lives than a soap opera drama. Public, violent hatreds/conflicts amongst coworkers are often rare and violent firings of the Ari Gold manner are even more rare.

My suspicion has been that he’ll have GD on his staff when he takes over if GD wants to be there. He’ll then be counseled out over a 2 year period. There won’t be an ignominious housecleaning for the staff after playing in another BCS bowl. Things just don’t happen that way. And Davis is a proven sycophant with a knack for survival. The concept that he is someone that WM will find easy to move out rings hollow to me. My hope is that GD honestly wants to retire and play with grandkids, or that SidneyCarton continues his apparent dark journey towards Travis Bickle-land..
Texoz said:

October 11th, 2009 at 9:48 am

p said,
I think I know the play you’re talking about. I mentioned it here, but didn’t get any responses. I think it was the 2nd game and we were moving right to left on the TV screen. It was a thing of beauty and really stuck out as something I rarely, if ever, see from GD. The OL got a chance to actually push people backward and the result was impressive.
Nordberg said:

October 11th, 2009 at 9:51 am

“Collins has showed us nothing this season”

Yeah, no shit. I don’t think he’s caught one pass!
CurrentLonghornStudent said:

October 11th, 2009 at 10:25 am

j.j. stokes and Nordberg–Y’all do realize that Collins was ruled academically ineligible? Just checking.

Not many people buy that the good offense is being saved for next weekend, but that’s all I can put my hope in right now. Muschamp for president.
Nordberg said:

October 11th, 2009 at 10:39 am

CLS, you can make whatever excuses for Collins you want, but the fact is that both he and Christian Scott have been virtually invisible this year. Just zero production from either of them.
Scipio Tex said:

October 11th, 2009 at 10:46 am

We’ve never heard this before:

“Texas did a good job running their offense, but at times they can be a little predictable,” Burton said. “So we relied on those things to key in to what they were trying to do.”

(weeping…)
chuck nevitt said:

October 11th, 2009 at 10:54 am

jason garrett and greg davis need to talk to each other about a murder suicide. they’re made for each other in heaven.
p said:

October 11th, 2009 at 11:03 am

Scip,

Last year, I posted on another board about how Blake Gideon lacked the range necessary to play safety for Texas. I even posted stills of said atrocities, and was met with the usual boo-birds. Glad someone else sees it.

1)The go route to Britton against tech up the sideline. Watching Curtis and Britton fly past him up the sideline, it was clear that he had no chance to help, and had Curtis not made the tackle, Britton would have been gone!

2)The fade to Dez Bryant, when they were on the left hash, Dez is isolated, and you know it’s going there.

3)The fade to Briscoe, on the same left hash, same exact situation, and the same result.

I was met with people who criticized how the corner “released” the receiver, and blamed the completion on them.
To which I respectfully replied……” Are you fu@#ing kidding me? This is the g-d University of Texas, not Wisconsin. If a safety is standing on the hash, and can’t get to the sideline, by the time Robinson/Reesing’s pass floats over there, then you have no business playing here. Que in the throw to Steve Smith, that Michael Griffin picked off in the Rose Bowl. Same situation, but griffin has NFL type range, and easily got over there to assist.
Phenomenal Smith said:

October 11th, 2009 at 11:10 am

Somebody may have mentioned this, but toward the end of the Michigan/Iowa game Musberger was talking Heisman and commended Colt McCoy for leading the Longhorns to the comeback victory over CU. I thought, “now, what did Colt have to do with it?” As has been mentioned, Colt was fine but the offense wasn’t good. OU game is going to be a doozy.
trkhorn said:

October 11th, 2009 at 11:37 am

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. See Nebraska 2007 when Chiles came in for one play and the whole game turned(when GD magically discovered that J.Charles and the zone read would destroy a slow, untalented, over-attacking defense). Or perhaps the staff will realize how thoroughly exposed we were last night and against Wyoming and make simple changes much like we did post-OU 2000-2004 when we ran the table in the regular season save for Tech 2002. When our tendencies become so pronounced that by doing anything at all differently we become unpredictable and therefore unstoppable for 5-6 games, until the new tendencies start piling up. I was feeling pretty confident about this week, but now I really don’t have a clue as to what will happen.
CloseToJumping said:

October 11th, 2009 at 11:42 am

p–

You are not alone in regard to Gideon. Anyone that halfway pays attention realizes that the guy is the sole glaring weakness on the defense. He may lead the nation in “defenses lined up”, but he does very little to stay on the field. The “ballhawking interception” that Scipio referenced is the one part of the post in which I completely disagree. The ball fell on him, literally, and he grabbed it, which appears to be the primary hope for him creating picks. On top of that, that pick was on 3rd down and probably put us in worse position than a punt.

The guy is slow, a very, very poor tackler, and has no suddenness. He’s the perfect combination for a benchwarmer at a school like Texas but with Scott’s ineligibility thanks to another idiot named Davis that Brown keeps hanging on within the program in Brian Davis, we’re stuck with him. I won’t be surprised if his ineptitude costs a game in a manner similar to the way it cost us points in the first drive of the game. It wasn’t just the inability to play CF, the guy missed a tackle on one of their biggest plays on that drive in spectacular fashion.
Nordberg said:

October 11th, 2009 at 11:51 am

I realize that a lack of misdirection, as well as any kind of deception at all on offense, is a common complaint, but shit. Even for a GD-coached offense, we are as vanilla as vanilla can get. Even when we put in our crazy wacky Wild Horn, we don’t do anything crazy out of it. We run 10 against 11, and have Chiles run endless QB draws. Yippie.
Nordberg said:

October 11th, 2009 at 11:54 am

CTJ, thoughts on Brewster or, gulp, Ben Wells as alternatives?
Scipio Tex said:

October 11th, 2009 at 12:35 pm

parlin:

Yeah, sometimes statistics lie, but those tell the tale.

beowulf:

That’s not a bad prediction. The problem is that if we continuously hand opposing offenses the ball inside our 20, we’ll be playing our bowl in Phoenix. Or Dallas.

spinscan:

We have our pick of any OL in the state of Texas. Except those with NFL fathers who understand Xs and Os, that is. Bruce Matthews, holla!
I think it’s both, but mostly bad scheme.

ransomstoddard:

Sometimes your posts read the way Charlie Brown’s teacher speaks. Our RBs are all Division I runners – middle of the pack. There really isn’t a productive conversation to be had if you don’t understand that.
p said:

October 11th, 2009 at 12:37 pm

Nordberg-

Having only seen a little bit of either kid, I will say I haven’t seen enough of either to evaluate.

However, of the two plays I have seen of Wells, he has been night and day. Last year we watched him look lost, as Baylor ran by him on a deep ball. This year, I watched him back pedal, recognize a route, and jump it. Granted, it was against Utep, but it was a play none the less.

Playing defensive back is all about explosiveness. It is your only defense to being constantly behind one move, and you need it to gain ground after your reaction. Without the ability to burst, a defensive back is just an obstacle to be avoided……which is exactly what Gideon has been. It is no surprise to me, that both his career interceptions have come when the opponents have thrown the ball right between the hash marks. So basically right to him.

Brewster, I am not sure about. He hasn’t been in enough plays for me to have a take on him.
Scipio Tex said:

October 11th, 2009 at 12:49 pm

outragedcufan:

We’ve got more offensive players than Colorado, I can assure you. Unfortunately, we design our offense with the mindset of what receiver could best make a reliable 8 yard catch against UTEP rather than who could fight for a 40 yard jump ball against Florida.

orangechip:

Colt can’t scramble if a team deliberately plays to keep him in the pocket and throw. That’s exactly what CU did. Their ends were told to contain – not go for sacks. Smart move.

We will run Colt more against OU and the rest of the upcoming slate, no doubt. And it will open up some things. I stress, some.

Sasha:

Looks to me like you have your expectations perfectly set. We’re on the same page.

frb:

We saw the same game.

stuckinmn:

Exactly. I’ve seen work situations where complacent employees had the king’s favor and it usually ends up in a lot of resentment. Cross that data point with the failure to ever hold Brian Davis accountable (building him a massive, shiny new office) and you’ve got the potential for a poisonous undercurrent with the no-nonsense staff guys who want to win and establish meritocracy.

TexOz -

You’ll find no real reporting from anyone in the traditional media. Beat reporters are staff pets and Kirk Bohls is an incredibly weak practitioner of persuasive rhetoric.

Mr Bastard -

Yep. I saw the writing on the wall with Matthews when his Dad saw our schemes in person. I’m obviously a Longhorn partisan, but if I thought my son had NFL OL ability, I’d have to give him my unvarnished view of the current system before letting him decide.
Scipio Tex said:

October 11th, 2009 at 12:54 pm

CTJ –

Agreed. Fans like to fantasize about dramatic firings and staff shake-ups but the truth is that most transitions in leadership result in turnover over a 2-3 year period – not a dramatic savaging of half of a staff. It also depends heavily on whether Mack Brown wants to be Muschamp’s boss as AD.

Maybe I’m giving Gideon too much credit, but it looked like basic Cover Three and he caught the ball at its high point, off balance, and with traffic and garbage around him. Not an Earl Thomas play, but something I’d like from my safety nonetheless.

Nordberg –

You consistently make me laugh. Glad you hang out here, man.
Bighornfan32 said:

October 11th, 2009 at 2:31 pm

So what needs to change, Scipio? More importantly, what WILL change?
Gate_of_Horn said:

October 11th, 2009 at 2:32 pm

Bitching about Gideon is a waste of time and effort. Bitching about Brian Davis is mostly a waste of time and effort. The bottom line is that Scott was too lazy to take care of business, and neither Brewster nor Wells have competed well enough to take more than a few minutes away from Gideon. Muschamp is the defensive coordinator, and of all the coaches, the most dedicated to the idea of a meritocracy where you put your best players on the field at all times. If Gideon is out there, then guess what? He’s the best available option we’ve got. While he lacks things that turn him into a liability in situations, or against high-quality players, the dude at least makes the attempt to compensate or improve. If any of our other options at his position bothered to do half as much, we wouldn’t be asking him to overcome anything in the first place. While criticism of Gideon’s innate abilities may be factual, it is entirely misplaced. The criticism and questions ought to be directed at something that actually can be controlled, because nothing is going to change in regard’s to Gideon’s ability. The question’s ought to be about whether Christian Scott is in the library right fucking now, studying prerequisite or requisite coursework instead of basket weaving or hanging out at Gregory. Someone ought to be asking Vaccaro why he can’t change zip codes without breaking a law, Ben Wells whether he’s content to play special teams for the rest of his time at Texas, Brewster if he likes playing cleanup, and the Davis kid whether he’d rather piddle with recruiting favors or negotiate for real money in an NFL draft after a few years with Muschamp. Gideon has some problems, but he is not “the” problem. The problem is that we’ve got only two safeties on campus that are capable of completing a full games’ worth of assignments. One of them plays at an All-American level, and the other may miss getting mentioned for All-Conference. So what if Gideon isn’t Earl Thomas? Why isn’t anyone else getting heat for the absolute failure to beat out Gideon? It’s not a question of ability, it’s a question of effort and the surprising lack of it. No one else has made the effort in the classroom, on the field, in practice, in the film room, or on the recruiting trail to provide a better available option. In the meantime, Gideon has added the interception to his game, and is making an effort to break on balls and collect them with his hands. I’m not that worried about Gideon, I’m more worried about what would happen if he was injured.
Groundhogday said:

October 11th, 2009 at 2:46 pm

This team sorely misses Collins and Scott and Cosby for that matter.

I love 10 of the 11 players on D and Chykie Brown is great when he doesn’t get bored.

I don’t know why anyone is surprised by the Oline play and the lack of a running game. This was a problem with Brown coached teams at UNC and they have consistently been a problem at UT with the exception of Ricky’s year when the staff didn’t have time to undo proper Oline coaching and the VY years when it would have been impossible for corky to screw it up. People can blame it on Nunez, McWhorter, Bill Little, etc., but it in facts starts with philosphy and scheme of the guys running the show.

Someone please explain how Williams, Monroe, Whittaker, Goodwin, etc. do not get more touches.

Shipley is a stud but you can tell there are more picks to come because McCoy is not looking at anyone else.

Texas will be in big trouble next weekend if we continue to turn the ball over.
henley said:

October 11th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

I said this on another site, basically.

I don’t think Colt is struggling compared to last year, honestly. He’s thrown more picks, although at least two absolutely should have been receptions instead of picks.

However, the offense is struggling more than last year. It’s never just one thing. It never is, so there’s no magic bullet. However, Cosby didn’t drop the balls that Kirkendoll does. Cosby and Shipley didn’t whiff block on the oh-so-predictable lateral throws that this year are thrown to Chiles. Even if those are predictable, they’re also good for 5-7 yards minimum if the inside WR’s approach to blocking the CB doesn’t closely resemble that game you played with your high school girlfriend where you see how close you can get without touching (and which you always lost, if you were playing properly).

The offense last year was so good because it was so consistent. It converted third-and-seven with ungodly efficiency. Because people didn’t drop balls, and they didn’t whiff their blocks. This offense is predicated on Colt’s accuracy and WR’s reliability, and when they don’t do the reliable, they stall the drive. Lord knows we’re not going to make up for it with 6 yard runs on first down or picking up a tough 3rd and 2 on the ground.

Even though I completely get why Malcolm doesn’t play much, I don’t see how he can be worse from a hands perspective than Kirkendoll, and he damn sure would sell himself on the blocks. I’d like to see both Malcolm and Buckner lined up inside against OU, with Ship and Chiles as the outside WRs. Ryan Reynolds would be spotting by Q2.
BEHorn said:

October 11th, 2009 at 3:27 pm

3 MNC in a row is a fan of which particular team, again?

Anyway, you are, indeed, like pockets — lined with lint and containing crap that we’re going to throw away.
wisconsinhornybadger said:

October 11th, 2009 at 3:40 pm

this is what i want to see from the wild horn when we play ou: sub in chiles for the TE after a 2yrd run. Chiles goes to qb, colt to recevier. Let the defense set. Colt goes in motion towards chiles and lines up next to him. Chiles goes in motion to receiver. Colt runs a play.
That should trick ‘em
BEHorn said:

October 11th, 2009 at 3:40 pm

The only good thing to come out of this game vs Colorado is the name “Chalky McDutch”.
whoopspat said:

October 11th, 2009 at 3:45 pm

Gate, good post…paragraphs or no paragraphs. Do you have any more info to offer on Marcus Davis? How he’s performing in practice?
Scipio Tex said:

October 11th, 2009 at 3:48 pm

G of H:

Good post.

I disagree with you on Brian Davis, obviously.
Mr Bastard said:

October 11th, 2009 at 4:11 pm

It’s my sincere hope that Jordan Hicks didn’t come away from his indoctrination into Offensive Bed Shitting 101 with a bad taste in his mouth. Let’s hope he was very impressed with the great defensive effort and equally impressed with Muschamp’s restraint in not killing Jason Garrett, err, I mean Fetal Davis.
Scipio Tex said:

October 11th, 2009 at 4:19 pm

I’m sure Hicks enjoyed that game.

We featured our LBs in a big way.
bigdukesix said:

October 11th, 2009 at 5:04 pm

Great post, Gate of Horn.
CloseToJumping said:

October 11th, 2009 at 5:14 pm

Gate of Horn–

I get your point, but being pleased about a player doing what he should be doing, or trying to do so, doesn’t do much for me. And as a fan, I get to do things like bitch about performance of a player that never should have been on the field in the first place, and still lament the fact that he’s bereft of any competition backing him up.

And you mentioned “Davis” as a guy involved with bad recruiting practices, but my guess is that you meant “Dixon”. Davis, Marcus, is on the team at CB and has never been implicated in anything negative from a recruiting perspective.

Your take on the other Davis, Brian, is also something I don’t even remotely agree with, but the response was enjoyed, nonetheless.
Blueshorn said:

October 11th, 2009 at 6:02 pm

“And because I like Colt and Shipley and will be beyond pissed if they get screwed out of the good things they deserve because of everyone else around them failing.”

I often find myself wondering if Sally Brown ever has a conversation with Mack along these lines:

“Honey, do you ever wonder what your coaching legacy would be (not to mention how much money we would have) if you hadn’t attached yourself to an incompetent buffoon for an OC? Do you ever feel badly about the hopes and dreams of your prized recruits being shattered because your offense is ‘coordinated’ by an idiot that you wouldn’t replace?”
Mr Bastard said:

October 11th, 2009 at 8:36 pm

Re: Hicks
Scip – I’ve waited an eternity for a LBing corps like this and my love for them borders on being unhealthy as I’m tempted to fist-bump and forearm-shiver my drywall with every TFL registered by EAcho and Muck. This is no longer a defense that features a once in a generation aberration like DJ that landed on our fair 40 and flourished even while being coached by the Hillside Mugger. This is a group of fast, athletic LBs with bad intentions and my man-crush for them and Muschamp grows exponentially with each passing day.
That said, I’m a greedy bastard and I’d like nothing more than to see Mr Hicks lined up with the very, very, nasty Mr Tevin Jackson in years to come.
dick said:

October 11th, 2009 at 8:45 pm

I can’t wait until this game just becomes another win after trailing at halftime that we can add to the pile and look back on and claim that our coaches were good at making adjustments.
kafka said:

October 11th, 2009 at 10:16 pm

“The key to solving a non-existent running game is to throw more.”

This may seem ridiculous but it is probably true. There is one week before the OU game, there is no time to fix the running game (it requires a new architecture). The rarer a running attempt is, the less the D will be prepared to defense the run. I doubt that running between the tackles will work well vs OU.

What is possible is to get the ball to TBs via short passes and to really focus on downfield blocking for the short passes. Malcolm could help a lot on the blocking.

“Let’s talk playcalling: it is not an assorted grab bag of random calls”

Randomness is difficult to predict.

Chiles catches almost all the passes thrown his way and runs hard after he gets the ball. Given that he converted to WR 6 months ago, he is doing great (4 catches/game) and will improve a bunch before the season is over. He blocks pretty well, too.

The horn offense will improve as Colt gets used to his receiver corps and the downfield blocking improves.

Nice defense of Blake by good horn. At least he is catching the ball better this year.

There is vast unrealized potential in wild horn (lot of that going around).
dedfischer said:

October 12th, 2009 at 6:10 am

Texas is Virginia Tech on steroids. You’re doing it with better athletes and that puts a lot of pressure on teams to make sure they’re competitive every play. You can win a lot plays against a team like Texas and your net is 10 points and 3.5 yards per play, but in the 6 plays you lose, Texas scores 42. Everyone talks about Frank Beamer, but Mack Brown has had the best special teams units year-in and year-out for the last decade. I don’t know why you’re being a bunch of pussies about OU. Their OL looks like a mess in the games I’ve seen. The Texas secondary will turn all those dropped passes and tipped balls into points. Either by blocked punt opportunity, punt return for TD or pick 6. I think both offenses struggle tremendously in this game, but there are more plays to be made against the OU secondary than the TX secondary. And whatever OU QB is back there, will be under a lot pressure. Unless the OU receivers catch the ball better than last week, Texas wins this one by 2 or 3 TDs mostly achieved through special teams and defense. McCoy just needs to keep from turning the ball over.
dedfischer said:

October 12th, 2009 at 6:17 am

And, if Colt McCoy wins the Heisman, it will be a gd travesty. If anyone on your team deserves to win it right now, it’s Roddrick Muckelroy.
Hiphopopotamus said:

October 12th, 2009 at 6:18 am

I’d comment, but I have nothing to add to what dedfischer said.
nordberg said:

October 12th, 2009 at 6:21 am

” I don’t know why you’re being a bunch of pussies about OU.”

We’re all still somewhat traumatized by 2000-2004.
dedfischer said:

October 12th, 2009 at 6:38 am

Actually, I would vote for Jordan Shipley as well. He’s the most important weapon you have.
Sasha is a Longhorn Dog said:

October 12th, 2009 at 6:43 am

Re McCoy and the Heisman: McCoy has had no help, NONE at all from the o-line or the receivers (outside of Shipley). At least two, if not three of his picks have been on the money throws that receivers have tipped to a d-back. It still pisses me off to no end that interceptions like that go against the QB. The fumble was a dumb decision, but overall, McCoy has played almost to the level of last year. And I’ll take that “almost” since last her he was redunkulous.

I agree that Muck should be in Heisman talk, but so should Shipley for that matter. Shipley is far and away playing the best football out of almost everyone on that team. He plays almost every snap, sells out his body for the ball, and does nothing but make play after play. He is probably one of the most underrated players in the entire country. Not to take anything away from Muck, who has been playing at an amazing level, but I don’t see how Shipley isn’t in the talk for the Heisman.
Hiphopopotamus said:

October 12th, 2009 at 6:45 am

The only Big XII player worthy of Heisman talk at this point has been Suh.
Live Bait said:

October 12th, 2009 at 6:46 am

So, for the last decade, perhaps more, I’ve been pining for defense. The sort of defense that can “win you a ball game even if the offense decides not to get off the bus.” Now we’ve finally achieved that SEC-esque level of success on that side of the ball, and, oddly enough, we’ve rolled with an offense would actually be better off if they didn’t get off the bus.

The offense has basically surrendered a touchdown each game (I can be contrary and hang the goofed punt at Wyoming on the offense by virtue of their inability to move the ball beyond their own 15 yard line…)

Ryan didn’t punch Gilbride because his offense was ineffective, he clocked him because he continually put Ryan’s defense in unwinnable situations. It’s kind of like a weak manager that does flubs schedules and expectations such that everyone else has to crunch 3 months to meet goals. Ryan is a hero to everyone who has ever had to an all nigher(s) in order to make some feckless jackass look better than (s)he has any right to look.

Anyway, I just wanted to apologize to the world for quietly hoping for something that has clearly swung the world so completely out of balance that Colt has had to heroically start playing for the opposition in order to maintain cosmic equilibrium.
CLBHorn said:

October 12th, 2009 at 7:51 am

While I can mostly agree with the bashing of our wide receivers not name Shipley, Dan Buckner seems to be doing everything asked of him, and doing a good job. Not is fault Colt seldom looks his way (when he is wide open over the middle). Will be needing him Saturday.
JUICE said:

October 12th, 2009 at 8:10 am

” . . . at times they can be a little predictable,” Burton said.

Anyone paying attention can call Texas’ plays with reasonable accuracy based on the personnel in the game. It’s disheartening.

Last year, I thought the lack of home run hitter like Ramonce Taylor would be their undoing, because no team can consistently churn out 17-play touchdown drives. But that’s exactly what they did, due in large part to Quan Cosby. The inability to replace him in some form or fashion is the biggest hole in this year’s edition of the Longhorn offense.

And you all know Chiles is going to throw out of the Wild Horn against Oklahoma. So do Bob Stoops and Brent Venables. I am just hoping it’s incomplete.
LosHorn said:

October 12th, 2009 at 11:24 am

Scipio,

Last season seemed like such a period of growth for Greg Davis’ abhorrent playcalling. It seems like he’s taken a huge step back. We never look downfield, everything is lateral and within 5 yards of the LOS and our running game (read as “37 option read from various formations”) is a joke.

To what do you most attribute this nauseauting regression?
Roach said:

October 12th, 2009 at 11:24 am

As bad as CU is we could have scouted, game planned, installed the game plan and scripted the offense– i.e. decided which of our two offensive plays we would run first– on Saturday five minutes before game time (Or just showed up to play) leaving 2 full additional weeks of preparation for OU. In fact I would have preferred that.

Unfortunately, I think Mack may take his ” win one game at a time” coach speak seriously. I feel fairly certain that while Bob Stoops spent Baylor week working on us (no Griffin, no problem), we probably spent two weeks working on CU. After watching 2 weeks of game film on CU is it really surprising UT was completely disinterested in the game for the first half. They knew what we all knew–UT could have played five cheerleaders both ways and still won by 14.

We must be saving our offense for OU right? right? I fear Davis is taking his commitment to Reduce Reuse and Recycle his game plans extremely seriously. We will see the same things we saw last year, with Bob having a year to study up and no Quan to take the attention away from Shippley.

That said our unproductive offense will be a huge weapon for us this week. OU’s Dominick Franks makes Mark Bradley look like a punt return Rhodes Scholar and we will punt a lot.
Homesick Alien said:

October 12th, 2009 at 11:36 am

Games like Saturday night’s are the reason some people were so firmly entrenched for Russell Shepard.

Time and experience have shown that we can. not. run. the ball. without a QB creating off-schedule plays.

Colt did it last year, and I have no doubt that, between the Bradford and Tebow injuries, plus the wear and tear of last year, and the injuries of the previous year, that he and the staff have been consciously avoiding him running more.

That’s got to end starting Saturday. As of Saturday, Mack’s Run the Ball, Colt Chapter needs to begin. It’s our only hope, Obi Wan Kenobi.

When the announcers Saturday night said Garrett Gilbert is more of a Chris Simms-type of QB, I bristled.

Not because I hate Chris Simms. But because I hate Greg’n'Mack with that kind of QB.

The only way we win titles with Gilbert is with a Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. But that’s getting ahead of things.

To summarize: Run, Colt.

Add a 4th working play to our offense besides 1) Throw to Jordan, 2) throw to Buckner in the middle of the field, and 3) throw to Chiles on the tunnel screen.

Okay, make that a 3rd-and-a-half working play.
Scipio Tex said:

October 12th, 2009 at 11:38 am

Blues -

No. The conversation is much more along the lines of “How can fans be so critical of our offense when we scored 38 points?”

Mr Bastard –

I’m with you. I’m a defensive guy at heart and seeing us play at a high level again really pleases me.

Kafka –

Chiles doesn’t need to be defended or accounted for in any way in the passing game. If I want a blocker that averages 8 yards a reception on screens, I’ll put in a FB. He’s a one trick pony that draws a bracket on Shipley everytime he lines up on his side. You’re watching the game with tunnel vision. Tunnel screen vision.

Live Bait -

Well said.

LosHorn -

DCs are allowed to watch film and reflect with more than one week’s game prep. Football is a dynamic game. We’re trying to run last year’s offense and teams are all too happy to let us do so once they’ve made the proper adjustments.

Roach -

The greatest gift of our predictability is that should we choose to do something different – misdirection and down blocking in the running game – paired with double moves on our stop routes – we’d put 21 on the board by the middle of the second quarter.
Scipio Tex said:

October 12th, 2009 at 11:40 am

Homesick Alien:

Home run.

A lot of people will point out – rightfully – that Gilbert is mobile. He is. However, I don’t think that he is a runner. There’s a difference. And all evidence suggests that we need that to cover up our schematic warts. You can quote all of the high school stats you want, but it’s worth noting that Shea Morenz rushed for 1,000+ yards his senior year. Mobile? Yes. Runner? No.
Blueshorn said:

October 12th, 2009 at 12:46 pm

“Games like Saturday night’s are the reason some people were so firmly entrenched for Russell Shepard.

Time and experience have shown that we can. not. run. the ball. without a QB creating off-schedule plays.”

As relentlessly annoying as his threads at HornFans and elsewhere can be, kchorn/unichorn has chrnonicled this fact with stats since Greg Davis first demonstrated his abject ineptitude. We will never win meaningful hardware without a QB who is capable of providing a viable running threat. (An extra running surface, if you will, Greg.) It took them a year and a half to turn Vince Young loose, and then only after he went and begged.
Blueshorn said:

October 12th, 2009 at 12:54 pm

“Blues -

No. The conversation is much more along the lines of ‘How can fans be so critical of our offense when we scored 38 points?’ ”

Scip,

I have no doubt you’re right about how the conversation goes, which makes Sally an enabler of the first magnitude. It must be hard for her to ignore that 21 of those 38 points were scored by the defense and special teams.

It still amazes me that Mack allows his loyalty to this idiot to diminish his record and that of The University of Texas. It’s unconscionable.
Ghost of McWilliams Past said:

October 12th, 2009 at 1:01 pm

”I don’t know why you’re being a bunch of pussies about OU.”

If you came of age in the 1980s as a little Longhorns fan, you will know the distinctive smell of defeat always looming around the corner; you never had the luxury of knowing the program’s success of the 1960s.

You will know the sad point at which it all unraveled (at least in the eyes of the eight year old fan)–that dreadful “go for the tie!” call in 1984, followed by a tumble into mediocrity. Briefly, you will know the joy of killing the Run ‘N Shoot followed by the agony of watching Miami strip you of your living dignity as you really “Shock the Nation.”

You will know the elation of a 10-1-1 season in 1995 followed by an ignominious bowl game defeat at the hands of a quarterback named Dru(n)kenmiller.

You will watch “roll left” in 1996 and think that maybe this is the turning point, maybe this time we’ve finally figured it all out…followed by yet another bowl drubbing.

You will then watch the program reach the depths of depression in 1997, 66 – 3. Only 1,000 fans were left, and you were one of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLAJOe14F8k

You will celebrate the ascendancy of a new coaching regime, one that promises a national championship within five years. You will believe, and you will be rewarded with the single worst quarterbacking performance (and that’s saying a lot) ever seen in a Texas uniform in 2001. Four turnovers were too much for Major to overcome.

You will know.
JUICE said:

October 12th, 2009 at 1:26 pm

I sat through 50-7 and 66-15, but I left at halftime of 66-3, went to the Posse, and pounded a pitcher with alarming rapidity,
f3driver said:

October 12th, 2009 at 2:37 pm

“…when he baited Cody Hawkins with the false scent of open Caucasian receiver urine. ” This made me laugh so hard I had tears rolling down my face. At work.

Flying Red Bastien, Chief Wahoo McDaniel says hi.
magnusbleuveigner said:

October 12th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

I’m going to go against the social norm and compare Ship to…….a black wr. That dude is the collegiate version of Steve Smith (Panthers version, not Giants.) That cut was the freakiest thing I’ve seen all year. AI would be proud.

I’m pretty indifferent on Gideon. His worse play was the air-ball tackle on the first drive. On that td pass wasn’t he the only safety? If that’s the case, then that’s on Muschamp. You can’t have your least fleet footed db responsible for covering the most ground. They should have Usain Thomas back there. Let Marcus Davis man up on somebody in the slot. As for Davis I’ve heard that he comes from an excellent family. Hell his AA All-American accpetance was held at his church. I don’t think we’ve had problems with him now or in the past.

Let the Heisman hype start for Ship.

Davis is terrible, has this been stated before, or am I the first.
bigmonkey said:

October 12th, 2009 at 3:15 pm

This is nitpicking, obviously, but it’s Kevin Gilbride. And Gary Gibbs, to bring up the ghost of Sooners past.
Scipio Tex said:

October 12th, 2009 at 3:31 pm

bigmonkey:

That sound is the air whooshing over your head.
Homesick Alien said:

October 12th, 2009 at 3:37 pm

One other point that I haven’t seen made enough. Successful running games are very much based on timing. The timing of the ball being given to the RB makes a big difference.

When I watched Florida Saturday night, the thing that struck me was how fast they’re able to run their system. That’s what makes them good. They’re like a Tech of running the ball. Unconventional system run very, very fast.

I think our blocking schemes and plays are designed for failure, but I also think we struggle with the timing aspect of the run game.

Probably because we don’t practice doing it right.
Gate_of_Horn said:

October 12th, 2009 at 5:49 pm

CTJ – You’re right, I meant Dixon, not Davis, in reference to the recruit. Apologies to Marcus Davis. Also, I’m not sure we disagree on Gideon on principle, though perhaps some on price. I don’t come to praise Gideon, but I don’t come to bury him either, he is an honorable man. If you feel that dissection of his errors is worthwhile, I respectfully disagree, but it’s your time to dispose of how you please. I would’ve attempted to add more to the larger topic of the numerous aspects of our offense that have been exposed, but I’m late in the thread and don’t have better to offer.

Scip and CTJ – As for Brian Davis, I’m willing to believe that a little noise might make Mack take him to task over how it’s possible to look at 85 class schedules and somehow miss the three that have a mysterious absence of courses with the numbers 2000-3000 in front of them according to the Texas Common Course Numbering System. I think it’s an issue that is easy to politic and sidestep, but I’d be happy to be wrong.
PatronSaint said:

October 13th, 2009 at 7:48 am

Congratulations, Scipio!!

You made “This Week in Schadenfreude”

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/38688/this_week_in_schadenfreude_oct._12
exuLt said:

October 13th, 2009 at 11:03 am

Saw a newspaper article yesterday citing Colt as suggesting the double move pass play of Shipley’s just before the half to Greg Davis to put some fire into the team and the stadium. Now today I see a Mack Brown quote giving credit to Davis for calling the play. If tendencies is like the faint smell of urine in a subway, Mack Brown’s complicity to Davis’s taking credit for others creativity to deflect criticism smacks of backed up plumbing in the Bellmont men’s room.

If I ever get a dog I’m going to name him Greg.
kafka said:

October 13th, 2009 at 2:41 pm

“Chiles doesn’t need to be defended or accounted for in any way in the passing game. If I want a blocker that averages 8 yards a reception on screens, I’ll put in a FB. He’s a one trick pony that draws a bracket on Shipley everytime he lines up on his side. You’re watching the game with tunnel vision. Tunnel screen vision.”

Chiles catches what they throw at him. They threw the ball to him 5 times, he caught all 5. He blocks well on the other plays. That ain’t bad for a #4 receiver.

Averaging nearly 9 yards on screens is great, a lot better than UT has normally done in the last 12 years.

Shipley gets double teamed because he gets thrown to so much and is so great, blaming that on Chiles is absurd.

You might be projecting a bit when you say I’m watching the game with tunnel screen vision but it was witty anyway.
Beergut said:

October 13th, 2009 at 9:23 pm

“Kindle played well though he didn’t have his customary sack n’ strip. ”

Doing something two times in 5 games makes it “customary”?

You have an interesting definition of consistency.
Scipio Tex said:

October 18th, 2009 at 12:56 pm

Amusing, Kafka. You keep fightin’ that good fight now.

Beergut, your primary consistency is idiocy.

32

Liveblog – Texas Longhorns @ Colorado Buffaloes
By on October 4th, 2008
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D W commented on the blog post Another night, another would-be hero 15 minutes ago

Hamilton is so stupid on the court it makes my teeth hurt.
Sailor Ripley commented on the blog post Top 8 Teams in College Hoops 3 hours, 7 minutes ago

Yeah, I think we can scratch Texas out of there. Who takes place 8?
Sailor Ripley commented on the blog post Looking at Texas 3 hours, 19 minutes ago

You guys have a basketball team. Is it Indianapolis this year?

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Scipio Tex wrote a new blog post: 2011 Texas Football Recruiting 3 hours, 26 minutes ago

Junior Days are right around the corner, so I thought we’d break down needs, talk recruits, and find a ray of gridiron sunshine in the long and cursed offseason.

CTJ gives us his thoughts too. Had I realized, I might have saved myself the typing.

Unlike last year where DFW held an
admin commented on the blog post Making a Case for a 1 Seed: Villanova Tops the ’Neers 3 hours, 39 minutes ago

Enjoyed watching these guys tonight. I was blown away to see Huggy was 5X coach of the year. He seems like a tourney flame out more often than not. That Kenyon Marting leg break didn’t do him any favors.

How do you see them progresing in the tourney?
admin commented on the blog post Making a Case for a 1 Seed: Villanova Tops the ’Neers 3 hours, 39 minutes ago

Enjoyed watching these guys tonight. I was blown away to see Huggy was 5X coach of the year. He seems like a tourney flame out more often than not. That Kenyon Martin leg break didn’t do him any favors.

How do you see them progresing in the tourney?
admin commented on the blog post Duke Basketball: The Devil You Know? 3 hours, 41 minutes ago

Avery Bradley, who shot 77% from the foul line in high school and is now shooting 47% at Texas would probably be shooting closer to his high school average if he played at Duke.

Sweet Jesus that’s ridonkulous.
admin commented on the blog post Duke Basketball: The Devil You Know? 3 hours, 41 minutes ago

Avery Bradley, who shot 77% from the foul line in high school and is now shooting 47% at Texas would probably be shooting closer to his high school average if he played at Duke.

Sweet Jesus that’s ridonkulous.
Jeff Julian wrote a new blog post: Recruiting the Trenches 4 hours, 17 minutes ago

Importance of Recruiting Rankings by Position.

Now that the recruiting season is over and most Cal fans are waxing poetic (along with some Texas fans) about how great these 17-18 year olds will be, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at recruiting rankings as a potential measurement for future success.

For the purposes

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admin wrote a new blog post: Welcome 4 hours, 22 minutes ago

HenryJames will soon be here to captivate you with his wit and extensive knowledge of the most storied franchise in professional sports history, the New York Yankees.

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admin commented on the blog post Nebraska Fits the Profile of the 2010 National Champion 4 hours, 34 minutes ago

Interesting but call me skeptical now. We’ve got experience at QB but not positive experience.

Good line. What is the thinking on his ability vs. the injury?

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admin commented on the blog post Nebraska Fits the Profile of the 2010 National Champion 4 hours, 34 minutes ago

Interesting but call me skeptical now. We’ve got experience at QB but not positive experience.

Good line. What is the thinking on his ability vs. the injury?

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bigdukesix commented on the blog post Scholarship Numbers & Junior Days 4 hours, 46 minutes ago

I really don’t want to repeat the horrid situation of the past few years where we starved for depth and talent at DT. It’s critical not to let defensive line recruiting slip. That said, if we bring in two tackles and two ends this year that would be 21 scholarships used on the
Arthur Goddamn Fenstemaker commented on the blog post Weekly Stats Update 4 hours, 48 minutes ago
bigdukesix commented on the blog post Scholarship Numbers & Junior Days 4 hours, 54 minutes ago

It appears as though the dude is committed to raiding the SEC and ignoring the West Coast.

It’s understandable, with the way that recruiting is generally territory based. Isaiah Crowell, the RB we’ve been linked to, goes to Columbus Carver. That’s an Auburn pipeline school. Still, I can’t imagine that recruitment lasting much
bigdukesix commented on the blog post Scholarship Numbers & Junior Days 5 hours, 5 minutes ago

Actually it’s Hegarty. My mistake.
Trips Right commented on the blog post Mid-Season Thoughts and OU Pre-Game 5 hours, 14 minutes ago

Thoughts? I think that’s a damn good write up.

Other than that, root for Willie Warren to be healthy because he screws up Oklahoma’s chemistry. Everything else can be found in your report. Maintain contact with Cade Davis on defense and don’t let TMG go buck wild.

Your motion game should confound

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bigdukesix commented on the blog post Scholarship Numbers & Junior Days 5 hours, 17 minutes ago

The OL from New Mexico is Matt Hagerty, with a “g”. He’s on pretty much every national top 100 list that I’ve seen so far.

USC fans are dismayed that Westerman is coming our junior day.

With the scholarship numbers, I think we’re five over as of right now. That’s
Trips Right wrote a new blog post: Texas Hoops vs. Kansas: Post-Mortem 5 hours, 20 minutes ago

I have a man crush on Al McGuire, the basketball coach that lead Marquette to its only national championship.

The man had an uncanny way of relating to players when he was coaching and to the audience when he was a color commentator for CBS. He’d throw out stuff like:

“I think everyone should
Nickel Rover wrote a new blog post: Another night, another would-be hero 5 hours, 43 minutes ago

Basketball:

Against Oklahoma St., we saw Hamilton rise up. Against Oklahoma Bradley made a heroic effort, against Kansas James contributed his usual 20-10 and J’Covan Brown came out of the woodwork. Again I ask, who is the go-to scorer?

Box score is here. Peter Bean chimes in with his thoughts here. He’s right on in praising the
Kevin Berger wrote a new blog post: Making a Case for a 1 Seed: Villanova Tops the ’Neers 5 hours, 43 minutes ago

Going into the game you would have thought the battle would have been a classic matchup between West Virginia’s frontcourt and Villanova’s backcourt.

The only question is which team could impose their will and dictate the mismatch. Villanova might try to do it by pressing and playing up tempo. West Virginia’s
Nickel Rover commented on the blog post Scholarship Numbers & Junior Days 6 hours, 10 minutes ago

The staff is actually recruiting pretty well for a man-blocking scheme with guys like Espinosa, Ashcraft, Huey, and so on… of course Texas doesn’t run such a scheme.
dick commented on the blog post Scholarship Numbers & Junior Days 6 hours, 27 minutes ago

‘”It appears to be McFarland out of El Paso. I would like to see Texas get him. :”

El Paso alert, El Paso alert! Andre Jones and Trips are from El Paso. Think about that for a minute.
dick commented on the blog post Scholarship Numbers & Junior Days 6 hours, 37 minutes ago

Dam, I was just going to post the same shit.

OT and DB are the most important postions. OT we need Westerman, Haverty and Drango/Greenlea/Cochran. What do we know about Cochran?
dick commented on the blog post Scholarship Numbers & Junior Days 6 hours, 37 minutes ago

Dam, I was just going to post the same shit.

OT and DB are the most important postions. OT we need Westerman, Haverty and Drango/Greenlea/Cochran. What do we know about Cochran?

I hope Adrian White benefits from being there in the Spring. That is the one thing that worries me about the Class
CloseToJumping wrote a new blog post: Scholarship Numbers & Junior Days 6 hours, 55 minutes ago

We know Junior Day #1 is this Saturday. There’s flux in regard to who will and won’t be on the roster come the 2010 season, but let’s assume the numbers don’t really matter, as a whole bunch of seniors leave after 2010 and attrition will take place as well.

So your number is 25 max.

What positions
Burnt Orange Wookiee commented on the blog post Game Day: Spurs vs. Lakers Open Thread 7 hours ago

Just got back from the UT game. At least the Spurs are hanging in there.

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GoHornsGo90 commented on the blog post Kansas Open Thread 7 hours, 3 minutes ago

“Oh, and Rick Barnes couldn’t hold Bill Self’s jock when it comes to coaching. Not even close.”

Understatement of the decade. Errr, century?

Show of hands. How many here are typing under the influence?
Victor Scott commented on the blog post Kansas Open Thread 7 hours, 13 minutes ago

Fundamentally on both sides of the ball we are very weak. On defense we are athletic but don’t really understand when to pressure the ball or double team. Many times we over persue at a time when the offensive player is not in a dangerous position and end up giving up an easy
Nate Heupel commented on the blog post Kansas Open Thread 7 hours, 26 minutes ago

Is she a redhead? That’s fantastic. Possibly the 2nd best performance in this game behind Damion James.

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2009 Colorado Buffaloes @ Texas Longhorns Post-Mortem

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