2009 Nebraska Post-Mortem: We Are The Champions

Congratulations to the Nebraska Cornhuskers for a great game.

Congratulations to the Longhorns football team. This is our 3rd Big 12 Championship and our 28th league title. It has been a fun ride and we’ve still got tokens for the final Tilt-a-~~World~~ whirl.

My mood was like most Longhorns on Saturday – exultant from a thrilling victory while I was plagued with the stomach-churning ulcerous reminder that this football team is only being coached, challenged, and optimized on one side of the ball. I was open in my belief that Alabama was our best MNC opponent and though their pounding of Florida suggests a certain degree of “be careful what you wish for” I still think they are our best shot. Football, like pornography, is all about match-ups. I’ve got a month to figure out who is getting the lube.

After we riotously celebrated Hunter Lawrence’s clutch field goal and sang the Eyes of Texas, the Longhorn faithful filed out of Jerry World solemnly. For every Longhorn yelling in post-game celebration, there were five leaving quietly as if they’d just learned that Chuck Norris had died. Considering that we’d just won a Big 12 title and would play for the MNC in a month, I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen anything like it. My explanation is that I think we’d all seen the same thing: a coaching staff and QB overwhelmed in basic game management situations at the end of both halves and a reminder that we have an offensive coordinator that starts every game against a quality defense by squatting in the booth and letting out a torrent of furious pee down the leg of his Dockers.

Comfort Fit, 40-32s, IMO.

Let me start with the horrendous before moving on to the sublime…

Offense

After gazing upon the wonders of Jerry World like a rube from Ogallala, I started the game with the utterance, “Who will Greg Davis throw the WR screen to on the opening play and how many yards will it lose?” After it happened, I had that weird feeling that parents experience where they foresee a terrible and predictable consequence for a child’s decision but want nothing more than to be proven wrong. Greg delivered, I accepted, the tone was set, passive submission from our offense was achieved, and I settled myself in for the siege, my dreams of a 24-7 victory dashed.

What did we learn?

We learned is that nothing has changed. Look – I wanted to believe, despite knowing better. Greg Davis again demonstrated the relative value of a McNeese State degree in dynamic game-planning and McWhorter and our staff continues to impress with our slavish devotion to coaching, recruiting, and developing the OL.

Our first 7 possessions proceeded thusly:

UT 1st T20 15:00 Kickoff T35 14:24 Interception 2-15 0:36
UT 1st T20 11:04 Kickoff T25 10:03 Punt 3-5 1:01
UT 1st T23 09:12 Interception T25 08:07 Interception 3-2 1:05
UT 1st T22 06:26 Kickoff T15 05:27 Punt 3–7 0:59
UT 1st T10 01:31 Punt T30 14:50 Punt 5-20 1:41
UT 2nd T20 14:42 Interception T35 12:06 Punt 6-15 2:36
UT 2nd T42 10:30 Punt T47 09:07 Punt 3-5 1:23

Our first seven possessions of the 2nd half – you know –after adjustments, went thusly:

UT 3rd T37 13:09 Punt T20 10:52 Punt 3–17 2:17
UT 3rd N32 10:32 Interception N39 08:40 Punt 3–7 1:52
UT 3rd N45 07:07 Punt N43 06:05 Punt 3-2 1:02
UT 3rd T48 03:56 Punt N22 01:40 * FIELD GOAL 6-30 2:16
UT 4th T10 14:15 Punt T07 12:55 Punt 3–3 1:20
UT 4th T01 11:34 Kickoff N34 04:56 Interception 14-65 6:38
UT 4th T40 01:44 Kickoff N29 00:00 * FIELD GOAL 5-31 1:44

Wow.

202 yards on 74 plays with 3 turnovers and 7 penalties. This is an offense with nine returning starters and twelve games under its belt in a home environment, mind you. Our 2.7 yards per play is a bad joke and the NU defense is the same one that Colorado worked for 400+ yards. Nebraska’s defense gave up an average of 4.1 yards per play this year against a slate of offensive patsies that could only be described as slothful and we massively underperformed with ten days of preparation. As bad a relative offensive performance as any in Longhorn history.

We’ve played two real defenses this year and laid eggs against both. Ours is the same offense that played OU and any offensive numbers we put up after were largely a function of playing bad defenses and Greg Davis’ remarkable ability to bully inferior talent with his formulaic grab-bag of one-size-fits-all mail-ins. Then we all pretend that “a switch has been flipped” or “Colt is healthy again” and that this house of cards won’t crumble when it encounters a stiff breeze of defensive talent and quality coaching. The excuses about Colt’s health (he had emphysema! Gangrene! He can’t stop singing show tunes) followed the same predictable patterns as the Running Back Personality Cult in its relation to our running game (Tre Newton now sucks, apparently). The lies our coaching staff told themselves after OU to avoid having uncomfortable conversations and shake up staff complacency were all revealed some time around the thirtieth instance that Ndumakong Suh ran through a hologram of Chris Hall and body slammed Colt McCoy. Or when we went to an empty set and Nebraska brought an extra man to get a free hit and a hurried throw. Or when we avoided Matt O’Hanlon and the middle of the field like it was being patrolled by Ronnie Lott astride a unicorn. Or when we couldn’t run the ball against a dime defense with a TE in the game…

Seeing it all in person was far worse than anything you could have glimpsed on television because you got to see players and their body language for extended periods of time – particularly as they begin to feel sorry for themselves, mope, self-destruct with penalties and mental breakdowns; all without any challenge from the offensive staff.

The post-game celebratory confetti covering our seniors was a papyrus reminder of the bukkake that Nebraska’s DL visited upon our offensive lineman (I actually graded Hix out OK) throughout the game. If Chris Hall had lain dramatically on the field any longer like a harpooned narwhal on the ice after another feeble attempted koala hug on Suh (mixed animal metaphors rule), I was going to enroll him in the Tebow School for Weepy Boys. The OL was a disgrace and this is as pride less and soft a unit as any group of male Ice Capades dancers. I welcome their graduation and McWhorter’s imminent firing. I mean retirement. Before he leaves, I hope Applewhite finds some way to embezzle his annuity and that his lake house has a nutria infestation. Greg Davis will remain and ask the new OL coach to do the impossible, but I’m a sucker for patsies and fall guys.

If I could summarize this group with one scene, it would be this one: there was a time late in the game where Colt got brutalized on a 3rd down sack (his 8th perhaps?) and as three Nebraska defenders pushed off of McCoy to celebrate over him – nothing dirty – just intimidating physical football – our OL were already fifteen yards away filing dumbly to the sideline like someone had clanged a spoon in a tin bucket full of fried chicken and pussy. They never glanced back, helped to police the pile get-up, or offered a hand to their leader. I’ve documented the same passive behavior from this group since 2007 and it’s incredible that these guys have been so neutered by scheme and poor development that they don’t even have the decency to start a fight or plant a Longhorn flag in Carl Pelini’s thorax. There’s no question that Suh is some sort of cheetah-rhinoceros hybrid, but when you consider that Barry Turner also had a career day, maybe it’s bigger than a Great Man theory. Our OL are an easier notch in the belt for DL than Carmen Electra.

WR/TE

.James Kirkendoll made about a half dozen plays that were so weirdly disconnected from the game with drops, weird route-running, weak blocking, and dumb penalties that our entire section was exchanging glances wondering if he might actually take off his cleats mid-field and begin counting his toes while humming softly to himself. As in the OU game, it’s pretty clear that big games combined with quality defenses overwhelm him and he loses it. Malcolm Williams made an error or two, but he played with effort, made some plays, and drew a PI. Whenever we went vertical or over the middle of the field in anything like a purposeful manner to our single WR side in 3 wide, good things generally happened. So we avoided it.

At one point, the Nebraska CBs were doing such a good job of riding our guys out of bounds off of the LOS when they realized that the middle of the field was being avoided as a radioactive wasteland, I was wondering if our receivers had a chalk addiction. Greg Smith lost a majority of his battles in the running game with Nebraska’s big DE group and he offered nothing in the passing game.

Tre Newton is the latest actor in the theater of the Running Back Personality Cult. You can all now start clamoring for Fozzy again. To Tre’s credit, he played hard, did the best he could, and never gave up in tough circumstances. I TINK CHRIS WHALEY IZ DA ANSWER.

Colt is accurate, mobile, a good ball-handler, has average height, doesn’t like to sit in a traditional pocket, and has a middling arm. He is a creature designed for play action. By depriving him of a running game, we’re asking him to swim the 100 meter freestyle wearing ice skates when he plays a real defense. I wrote a while ago that Colt doesn’t trust the OL and that feeds into a lot of his own personal bad habits. When he did get a pocket, he had happy feet and worked hard to create pressure when none was there. He also needs to learn to throw the ball away when a game is being decided by field position and turnovers. Obviously, when you surrender 9 sacks and numerous QB hits, it’s not useful to blame the victim, but this is a guy with zero belief in what we we’re trying to do in our “game plan” and has no confidence in the guys in front of him. I don’t care what he says in press conferences or interviews, so spare me the links – it’s written all over his play.

Defense

Ah, this feels better. A fantastic effort even considering that Nebraska fields a poor offense. These guys were repeatedly placed into bad situations and they came through again and again while dominating Nebraska in every phase of the game. They did it against an offensive line and running game that’s not devoid of talent and they did it honest. We didn’t run stacked fronts – we just played responsibilities, got very physical, and whipped ass.

Lamarr Houston dominated a pretty solid interior OL from Nebraska. His tipped ball led to the Muckelroy interception and he played sideline-to-sideline with great effort and man-strength at the point of attack. Big Ben Alexander gave us good snaps again while playing the majority of the game next to Houston. Really pleased with Ben and I officially award him the Gaskamp-Healy Award for Unexpected Senior Excellence. Kindle was devastating in the run game, bothered Lee several times in his pass rush, and played with his characteristic combination of hustle and effort. I thought Sam Acho played his most complete game as a Texas Longhorn considering that we asked so much of him. He played with an edge, he did dirty work, and he made the most of his opportunities when they presented themselves. I was really pleased with what Alex Okafor gave us in his snaps – Muschamp used him to hold the edge on clear running downs and short yardage and Alex did a hell of a job for a 18 year old going against corn-fed Cape Buffalo.

Muckelroy was fantastic. Statistics are funny things. He made a lot of tackles against Texas A&M, but didn’t play that well. Against Nebraska, his stat line was more modest, but his physicality of play, his willingness to repeatedly take on the Nebraska OL and fill the hole in the lead and iso, goddamn, that was just great stuff. Real LBing. I can’t wait for him to get his hat on Ingram and make him quit like he did Beanie Wells.

Really liked what Acho Uno Ocho and Robinson gave us too. Nebraska asked them to play a style to which they were unaccustomed and inexperienced and they did the job we needed: physical, disciplined, focused. I saw maybe three bad snaps between the both of them. This is a great preparation for them in going against Bama.

Though I will grant that Zac Lee is comedy of errors, this group was dominating. We played the run fairly honestly and that meant that we were able to totally eliminate any hope of a Nebraska passing offense. This foreshadows our approach against Alabama – more on this later. Picking nits here isn’t interesting to me, so I will say that Aaron Williams will be in the NFL after his junior season, so enjoy him while you can. The guy is just off of the charts in terms of intelligence, athletic ability, and focus.

Special Teams

Hunter Lawrence is a golden god. He has been outstanding all year and I couldn’t be happier for the guy. Any female Longhorn student that doesn’t molest him on sight is ungrateful, IMO. Our kick coverage was poor and it came close to costing us the game. Javier Arenas bringing back punts against us is not an enticing prospect. The Goodwin slip/bad call was simply a bummer for which no blame can be cast and our blocked punt was not pleasing. We’ve taken a great strength at the beginning of the year and managed to turn it into a net neutral or negative. I’m pretty bummed about it, frankly. There’s no excuse. We’ve got a month to fix some things, but I’m not confident.

Parting Thoughts

Texas.

Alabama.

Rose Bowl.

That just sounds right.

Hook ‘em.

Article Tags:

Alabama Crimson Tide, Big 12, Big 12 Champs, College Football, Greg Davis is a DMV worker, Mac McWhorter, Mack Brown, Nebraska Cornhuskers, suhhhhhhhhhhhh, Texas Longhorns, Will Muschamp

128 Responses

TimR said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:37 pm

Good game longhorns. The only thing i can take solace in i guess is that NU denied McCoy the Heisman he surely would have won if he had the type of game that most Texas fans thought he would have(though NU fans knew better).
Huckleberry said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:39 pm

My dad and I were both positive that we say Hunter Lawrence visibly shaking as he lined up for the final kick when they showed him on the 60-yard high definition screen. Good to know that he’s human but still has big enough balls to nail the kick.
TangentOrange said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:41 pm

My sentiments exactly; very nice write up and you are dead on regarding the general feel of the crowd when exiting the stadium; I told my wife that this is the weirdest feeling I’ve have after a game in which we won.
Scipio Tex said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:47 pm

TimR -

Thanks for stopping by. I enjoyed the Husker fans I interacted with and you guys gave a solid accounting of yourselves. Next year’s game in Lincoln should be fun.

Huck -

I didn’t see that. I was too busy pacing, praying, and beating Vasherized with his own hat.
mashtun said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

Scip, thanks for the excellent writeup. I had the exact same thought to start the game. It’s absolutely mind-boggling that with 9 days to prepare, Davis started the game with the same useless play that he starts every game. Absolutely mind-boggling (had to say it again to prove to myself that it was real).

I have a request. Can you describe a little bit of what you saw in Nebraska’s coverage. Herbie was going on that they were playing often with 7 dbs or 6 and 1 linebacker. Was their coverage really that smothering? Could our receivers not get open at all? Does Colt have zero confidence in everyone but Mal and Shipley so that he won’t throw into coverage?

On TV we saw Colt get sacked a lot, but couldn’t really see a lot of the field.

Thanks.
Scipio Tex said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

TangentOrange –

Right. It was just unprecedented, at least in my experience. We just won a thrilling championship. We’re playing for the national title. Everyone had their confidence totally shaken. I’ve noticed a big disconnect in game perception between Longhorns who were at the game and those who watched on television. I’m not sure TV captured fully just how badly our offense played or how much our clock management meltdowns puzzled.

Really, really weird feeling leaving that stadium.
Toadvine said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:53 pm

Scipio –

If it makes you feel any better, I watched it on TV and left the bar feeling like we had just lost the national championship. A month before it was played.
nordberg said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

“Herbie was going on that they were playing often with 7 dbs or 6 and 1 linebacker. Was their coverage really that smothering?”

The obvious answer is to run the ball down their throats when they’re playing a…. well, what is 7 db’s called anyway? A quarter defense?

If they’re playing 7 db’s and you still can’t run the ball, you’re just fucked. There are other methods, but we don’t do those things.
Scipio Tex said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

mashtun -

Nebraska was playing a lot of dime, but it’s not like they had particularly smothering coverage on every snap. We had plenty of one-on-one ops on the edge (particularly when we went to a 3 WR/one TE set and Nebraska would go nickel). The Kirkendoll dropped TD was there on a dozen occasions and Malcolm Williams spent most of the game in single coverage when he was lined up at split end.

I mean fuck, call me a simpleton, but when I see that many DBs, I run the football and start knocking heads. Of course, we’ve got no running game.

Mostly Nebraska used the dime to get speed on the field and create uncertainty pre-snap so that Colt couldn’t make a quick throw. They were counting on our OL not being able to hold up and they were right.
Mike said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:55 pm

our OL were already fifteen yards away filing dumbly to the sideline like someone had clanged a spoon in a tin bucket full of fried chicken and pussy. They never glanced back, helped to police the pile get-up, or offered a hand to their leader. I’ve documented the same passive behavior from this group since 2007 and it’s incredible that these guys have been so neutered by scheme and poor development that they don’t even have the decency to start a fight or plant a Longhorn flag in Carl Pelini’s thorax.

Hilarious, and true. I’ve said the same thing since the penultimate debacle against aggy when Colt was taking late hit after dirty hit and not a member of the OL (not sure they’re all the same guys) uttered a peep about it or helped Colt to his feet – much spear an aggy linebacker in the kidneys after the whistle had blown on the next play. They’re coached to be pussies.
mashtun said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:55 pm

Oh, TV captured it. There’s just some fans who refuse to believe that professional coaches who can score 40 on the UTEP and are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars can possibly be inept. Rather give credit to the amazing Suh and chalk it up, like Mack, to a bad day at the office.

The clock management issues at the end of the first half get no talk, but they were equally as bizarre as in the 2nd half, if less dramatic. We’re seeing this often. Maybe it’s time to turn Les’ clock-management hot seat into a longer sofa.
Mike said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:56 pm

much less speared an aggy linebacker in the kidneys after the whistle had blown on the next play.
lazer2280 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:59 pm

Great game by Nebraska defensively. Period. Our offensive ineptitude should not reflect on the fact that they completely dominated. They had a game plan and they executed it. It’s not their fault that we never even tried to take them out of it. Good job all around.

Unfortunately, a fantastic game was overshadowed by how their coaching staff reacted after the game. Shameful. Manginoesce. Bush League. Fortunately, I have had enough personal experience with Nebraska fans to know that they really are great fans with class and sportsmanship. I am guessing they are fairly embarrassed by Pelini’s reaction. They shouldn’t be. This one falls squarely on the coach, and is not a reflection of the players or fans. Just one sore loser who had the class to call a bunch of 18-22 year olds “cheaters” as they hoisted the trophy they had rightfully won. What a terrible ending to a great game that was closer than anyone predicted.
Scipio Tex said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:59 pm

mashtun -

In many respects, I found the first half clock mismanagement more puzzling. A lot of casual fans don’t get why, but so be it.

Hilarious, and true. I’ve said the same thing since the penultimate debacle against aggy when Colt was taking late hit after dirty hit and not a member of the OL (not sure they’re all the same guys) uttered a peep about it or helped Colt to his feet – much spear an aggy linebacker in the kidneys after the whistle had blown on the next play. They’re coached to be pussies.

Somehow Studdard and Blalock overcame that. Of course, they were also blocking zone read, running downhill, blocking down, and taking scalps. We’d probably think Studdard was a scab if he was trying to reach block somebody’s outside shoulder on every play.
Scipio Tex said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:02 pm

lazer -

That struck me as heat-of-the-moment stuff from a defensive staff that felt entitled to the win after just pulling down our pants for four quarters. I’m sure that loss was a tough pill to swallow for them.
NY Horn said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:06 pm

The offensive performance was up there with “12-0″ except this time our D gave us some short fields to work with.

Our offense is simply a gimmick, we blow out crappy teams but then get shut down by any well coached defense. We are more Tech now then Tech.
Mike said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:06 pm

BTW,

It’s “tilt a whirl”, and the Ronnie Lott unicorn line was awesome. Especially coming from a Niners fan.
NY Horn said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:09 pm

Also, who started the narwhal trend?
Gene Claude said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

Scip, great. Your game looked earily similar to ours against Nebraska. Five in the box by the Nebraska defense, but no ability to run. Failure to take advantage of favorable single coverage matchups on the outside. Quarterback periodically sprinting directly into a Husker defender instead of stepping up into the pocket. The Zac Lee Random Pass Generator set on continuous.

I surprised myself with the vehemence with which I rooted for Texas.

No mention of the Pelini post-game diatribes? Come on, fan the flames. These guys are like a pack of gibbering baboons.
scagnetti said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

love it, Scip.

dead-on assessments, as they pertain to the OL. i called them feckless in a forum discussion, you call them “pride less” “neutered” and “soft”. yer nicer than i am.

they remind of the stinky, rotting vaginas of fat girls that are so ominously odorous that any respectable male skips past their stinch wafting from the bathroom at Golden Corral to defecate at home. pussies, in other words.

grow a pair already. their lack of a pulse only reminds one of their position coach.
lazer2280 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:12 pm

Scip-

I think you are correct, and I have no problem with a coach screaming for the conference commissioner, asking to talk to the officials (or the guy in charge of them) demanding a recount, or doing whatever else he wants to do in order to show his displeasure. They definitely played well enough to win, and that was a tough loss. What pissed me off was use of the term “cheaters” and telling the horns they should be ashamed for accepting the trophy. You should learn to stop pulling that crap in little league. Not befitting of a head coach. But, I guess everyone deserves a mulligan once or twice. My wife will tell you I have never said anything in the heat of the moment that I later regretted……………
UT_BKC said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:12 pm

Why didn’t we double team Suh on EVERY play? It seemed like we had him 1-1 too much.

And I don’t mean double team him with RB help. Was it my imagination, or did I really see Suh blow up one of our lineman right before he rougly butt fucked Newton?
Scipio Tex said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:13 pm

NY Horn -

I didn’t know there was one. I just really like them. I’m a big fan of manatees and narwhals. Narwhals are the unicorns of the whale kingdom, IMHO.
Gene Claude said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:13 pm

NY Horn…you are more Mizzou than Mizzou is what you are. Seriously, your offense is ours with a half tablespoon more skill at every position.

Your defense, on the other hand….
P said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

Scip-

I thought I was the only one watching the Muckleroy Missile blwing up the lead on the iso. There was one play where he fired in at the line of scrimmage with such force, I thought he may have killed the kid. All you saw was the blur of a Longhorn logo, and two guys crumple after impact. I think Helu may have soiled himself.

As I stated in another post, NU may have been tailor built to beat us. I am not so certain that Bama could exact the same result, with the personnel they have. Their safeties are large and cumbersome, and I don’t know if they even have enough quality secondary players on the roster.

Their D line is a 3-4 scheme, and none of their players are of the quality of Suh. They will look to stunt and confuse with a myriad of blitzes from the LB corps, to DBs.. As bad as we are at protection, we do handle edge blitzing a lot better then if you have Atilla the Hun at defensive tackle. While we may not play well, I think we will at least look marginally better than this game.
Scipio Tex said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:15 pm

UT-BKC -

We did single him quite a bit. I saw a couple of plays where he whipped our guard in pass protection and actually ran across Hall’s face – who was blocking no one and chopping his feet in place like a retarded kid – and he wasn’t touched.

Suh is amazing, but we’ll win any DT with a motor a NFL contract.
Toadvine said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

There are some fantastic stills from the game film, which you probably wouldn’t see live, showing our linemen futilely hurling themselves at the feet of the Nebraska D-line on running plays. Literally. this is how Chris Hall got called for chop-blocking. Technique wise, our linemen were ordered to drop their heads and dive at people, beginning sometime in the 3rd quarter. As anyone who has ever played on a line can tell you, that order is one that is only given when a coach and his players are at a complete loss for any other possible way to stop someone.
huge said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

When they kept showing the winning Vince run over the weekend, I was struck by the violent actions of Blaylock on that play. I miss those actions.
Gene Claude said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

Why in the world is there not a narwhal college mascot? Imagine the sale of NCAA licensed headgear, and the scads of eye patch wearing undergrads.
Scipio Tex said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

Gene Claude -

What is your favorite obscure marine mammal?
spider said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:19 pm

The lies our coaching staff told themselves after OU to avoid having uncomfortable conversations and shake up staff complacency were all revealed some time around the thirtieth instance that Ndumakong Suh ran through a hologram of Chris Hall and body slammed Colt McCoy.

There is no sanctuary ….
Gene Claude said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:23 pm

The bearded seal does a great job capturing my twin loves of pinnipeds and porn.
Gene Claude said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:24 pm

But, unfortunately, I have more experience with the Dwarf Sperm Whale.
nordberg said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:24 pm

This is beginning to make me uncomfortable.
Shockthenation said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

I guess I have a hard time not seeing Bama wear down the Horn defense in the second half with Ingram and Richardson with what I expect to see from GD vs Saban. I hope you guys that think Texas will move the ball more on Bama than Nebraska are right. I don’t really want to fly out to Cali just to hear SEC chants and Sweet Home Alabama after watching the Horns get destroyed.
Gene Claude said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

Goal achieved.
bateshorn said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

It wasn’t just the end of the game. When it became clear that we were in a horrible defensive dogfight, we need to adjust our game management, which we didn’t. Once we kicked that field goal in th 3rd, exhausting clock and field position should have become our sole objectives, yet we continued to snap with 15-20 seconds on the play/game clock, and failed to exploit a key quick kick opportunity on 3rd and long deep in our own territory.
henley said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

I was yelling at the TV for the clock management (or lack thereof) at the end of the first half. I was whimpering and shivering at the clock management at the end of the second half.

Hey, I’d like to give a special shout out to one N. Brewster (esq). I love to watch physical dominance (wait…that doesn’t sound right). But I really love to watch someone make a smart and athletic play. When Nebraska lined up with Suh at fullback and tested the left side, Brewster’s dive-at-Suh’s-feet-and-grab-the-RB’s-leg play was freaking magnificent. I don’t think I’m overstating the case to say that it renewed my faith in humanity…

…only to have it dashed again by deciding to waste 3 plays plenty of time and settle for a 46-yarder, and almost mess that up.

It’s like someone made me take a shot of impotence with a stupidity chaser.
Horncasting said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:33 pm

As Hunter was lining up for the kick, all I could think about was the quote (from either Scipio or Eyes), that went something like “I like him for a game winner at some point”. Good call by whichever one of you it was.

For all of the handwringing, and as piss poor as the offense played overall, if Kirk makes that catch and Colt leaves Malcolm just a little bit of room in bounds on another play, then the Horns likely cover the spread. Colt making the correct read on the zone read wouldn’t have hurt either.

The clock management is a real head scratcher considering that Mack and staff have been the kings of the huge comeback and the related clock management since Mack arrived in Austin.
Soonervino said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:35 pm

Scip,
Great write up and always good to see a true analysis of the good and the bad.
You can’t be too confident with this offense against the two good defenses they have seen. Though, they found a way to win both, so you’ve got that going for you, which is nice.

Two observations. I don’t care if it’s Davis, porn-stach Wilson or Jason Garret calling it. I cannot stand that damn WR screen. Inevitably the corner hasn’t been blocked and you are looking at a 4 yd loss or a pick 6. How often does it work?

Secondly, and the one that stood out for me as I watched (couldn’t decide if I wanted NU to win to crap on your party, or for you to win and represent the conference in MNC, but what a game!) is what absolute studs you have in Kindle, Acho and Okafor. I didn’t notice Thomas as much as in other games, but as I have written here & on Boomer & Sooner, he has got incredible closing speed. For our sake, I hope Acho declares, but what an anchor if he stays.

Congrats. I’d pull for you and the conference, but have a nephew at Alabama so am once again torn.
Gene Claude said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:39 pm

Soonervino, Danario Alexander has taken that screen the distance at least 3 times this year, albeit against bad competition. But you have to have a lot of confidence in your blocking receiver to make it work.
mashtun said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:40 pm

With regard to the BCS Championship game at the Rose Bowl–Richardson is the name that strikes fear into my heart. Ingram glides through the holes, but it’s Richardson that will pummel our D. I do think that we’re more a finesse D and that it will be interesting to see how physical we can get. I admire McElroy, but I think we can make him reminiscent of the Tennessee game, not Florida.
bob said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:41 pm

I remember when McW replaced Tim Nunez and we were all impressed by how much better the oline played.

Was it a mirage caused by Vince and Cedric or has the Fail rubbed off on him from Davis?
Scipio Tex said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:42 pm

Horncasting –

I wrote this in the Kansas Post-Mortem:

http://barkingcarnival.fantake.com/2009/11/23/2009-kansas-post-mortem/

Hunter Lawrence gives me confidence in a tight spot. Nailing two 40+ yard field goals like they were lay ups gives me great hope for our ability to get certain points if we can break the opponent 30 yard line. I like him kicking a game winner.
Kosciuszko said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:43 pm

I promise you, many of us watching on TV felt the same as those of you in the stadium.

Your take on our offensive problems is dead on. I can fool myself that they’ll be corrected before the Bama game, just as I can fool myself that our government will figure out economics before the unemployment rate hits 11%.
bighornfan32 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:43 pm

I noticed on TV that Suh was barely even breathing hard late in the third. 300 LB men should not have the speed and stamina he has. He is not of this world. He was sent by Xenu to punish mankind for its insolence and adherence to physics.
srr50 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:43 pm

Heard Dan Neil on the radio this morning and he obviously thought that our OL went into the game with the wrong technique for Suh and friends.

He wouldn’t go into great detail (got the impression he didn’t want to be too critical or technical), but he said he didn’t understand why we were uniformly passive in our technique on all passing plays.

He said when you have a great player surrounded by other very good linemen, fire out occasionally, and initiate the contact on passing plays. If nothing else it will give them pause for a split second that it might actually be a run. It will also get the linemen out of the pattern of just getting beat on or run around while acting like they are buried in cement.

He thought the chop block call against Hall was bullshit, and said that cut blocking is perfectly legal and the refs didn’t know the difference.
t1climb1 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:47 pm

I didn’t notice Thomas as much as in other games,

Sooner Vino, Thomas made possibly the game saving play when he flew over and knocked the cornbread out of a receiver who had just caught a pass (I know huh?) inside the 15 yard line. Thomas arrived just as the ball was caught and knocked it loose with his hit resulting in an incomplete pass. I f Gideon had been the safety on that play he arrives a step later and the catch is made, they kick another FG and win the game.
NY Horn said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:49 pm

That Thomas hit reminded me of the one Kelson? made at Ohio State in the endzone. It was an oooohhh shit feeling, then Bam!
Trips Right said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:49 pm

Great writeup, thanks, I really enjoyed it.

After rewatching the game I noticed that Nolan Brewster was the only player wearing a Longhorn uniform that won his battle vs. Suh. I find it hilarious in a Chris Hall perpetual smile sort of way.

I also saw David Snow take Suh back 3 yards and complete the pancake. Then Snow helped Suh up. Maybe our kids just don’t get it.
t1climb1 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:50 pm

I guess that was shitty and unnecessary of me to take that shot at Gideon. He’s played well, all I meant by that was he doesn’t have the God-given athletic gifts that ET has. I would like to do Porn but was not blessed with the gifts necessary for that either.
Trips Right said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:50 pm

“He thought the chop block call against Hall was bullshit, and said that cut blocking is perfectly legal and the refs didn’t know the difference.”

I am shocked a former Denver Bronco would think this.
P said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

I f Gideon had been the safety on that play he arrives a step later and the catch is made, they kick another FG and win the game.-t1climb1

Dead on there!

Although I will give the kid credit for staying over the top and picking off that pass.
P said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:54 pm

He thought the chop block call against Hall was bullshit, and said that cut blocking is perfectly legal and the refs didn’t know the difference.”

Suh comically shook him off, as if he was his three year old niece, wrapped around his leg, at the family Christmas party.
UT_BKC said:

December 7th, 2009 at 3:55 pm

Lay off of Gideon. He intercepted the ball in the first quarter and might have saved us 3 points.
mashtun said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:00 pm

———–Sooner Vino, Thomas made possibly the game saving play when he flew over and knocked the cornbread out of a receiver who had just caught a pass (I know huh?) inside the 15 yard line. Thomas arrived just as the ball was caught and knocked it loose with his hit resulting in an incomplete pass. I f Gideon had been the safety on that play he arrives a step later and the catch is made, they kick another FG and win the game.————

What I loved about Thomas’ technique on the play too was that he did it all with his shoulder. An almost chilvarous hit considering that he was a safety with a running start. But there was no possibility of a flag or a problem. It was the perfect play.
Frank said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:01 pm

It’s amazing to think that the offensive line could play so terribly that it would neutralize the strength of our defense, the quarterback and receivers. I would say that I could not believe what I was seeing, but I have seen much of it over the past ten years at Texas. Especially during the 2000-2004 beatdowns at the hands of OU or during the A&M home game in 2007, the offensive line had NO fight in them. It was embarrassing and I wonder how these guys can justify their collective perfomance. One would think that it would be shameful to sit down and watch that kind of game film and see your quarterback brutalized while you fail to block four defenders with five lineman. Sad state of affairs.

That being said, I believe that Texas has a great chance in the national championship game and that our defense will keep us in the game as it always has. The Big XII champ game reminded me a lot of the OU game…sitting around for a few quarters and trying to wait on the offense to show up and play, then realizing that they were NEVER going to show up at all, then marvelling at the power of our defense to actually pull the game out for us. Without this defense playing at a championship level, several losses could have happened this season. For this reason I believe that we can slow down Alabama’s running game and limit them to 21 points or less.

The real question is if the offense will actually show up in Pasadena, unlike in the two previous ‘biggest games of the year’ versus OU and NU. I will be there to witness, and I hope that this next four weeks is used constructively by Brown and Davis to come up with some answer for protection and the “running game”.
nordberg said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:08 pm

The hard core Davis defenders like to say that we’re a passing team, and we have no need for a dependable run game (despite Davis himself every few weeks telling us how we’re working, again, on improving the run game). Well here we are, with no run game, and teams are nickeling and diming us to death. And we have no response, because we can’t run the fucking ball.

Still don’t think it’s important?
Sugarpants said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

Dan should know chop blocking having played for Denver. But what we did was not chop blocking – the defender was reaching out to get his hands on a guy who was standing up and was not even facing him when we TRIED to cut him.
hopefulhorn said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:18 pm

Usual great write-up. Thanks for taking the time to do these for us all year.

That game was every bit as dispiriting to watch on TV as it was in person. Took me two hours to wind down enough to go to bed afterwards and that is unusual after a win.

Watching the offense was slow torture due to the number of plays that simply had no chance. Suh against our interior OL was the worst match-up on the field for us, yet GD dropped Colt straight back in a conventional pocket repeatedly, exposing him to hit after hit as the OL flailed. You captured their passivity very well.

Draws, screens, fade patterns to the SE lined up by himself (particularly Malcolm)–do something different from what is obviously doomed.

It is amazing and fortunate that we won the game in spite of all of this.
parlin said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:29 pm

It’s painful to consider, but with even John Chiles as QB NU wins that game.
Echeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:31 pm

You guys forgot to mention that last time Greg Davis went against Nick Saban what happened.

I’ll give you a summary:

Greg Davis 1 Nick Saban 0

So using the transitive property:

Davis>Saban in terms of coaching genius.

Also, since Muschamp coached that D:

Davis>Saban>Muschamp

=)
=)
=)
=)
=)
=)
haydenhorn said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:36 pm

i’m surprised no one has mentioned washington state yet. i was having post traumatic stress disorder flashbacks to a team that had the temerity to blitz and disrupt greg davis’s vaunted offensive juggernaut.
Vasherized said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

Surreal night all around and I was really happy to get out of that stadium.

As bleak as Sunday was driving back to Austin in spitting rain with a Trips Right-sponsored hangover and an unintended excursion towards Plano, I kept trying to imagine the alternative if that clock really had hit zero or Lawrence missed the kick. That scenario made The Road look like a Roberto Benigni movie.

I felt dirty after the win but refuse to bathe until January 8th. Somebody has to make sacrifices if it won’t be our OL. And if I have to block Rolando McClain myself I am spiritually prepared to do so even if it will bring consummate destruction upon my body. Plans to infect Chris Hall with a vampiric strain are in the works and it may be our only fucking chance.

It’s going to be a weird month and we’ll need to harvest every bit of karma, spite, and clutchiness to pull this one out. IMWT.

Oh, and f kirkendoll.
CloseToJumping said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:41 pm

I enjoyed the mudhole that this team stomped into Nebraska and I don’t understand the handwringing from you people.
uthookem said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:46 pm

I enjoyed the mudhole that this team stomped into Nebraska and I don’t understand the handwringing from you people.

No kidding. We need another mudhole post for ‘Bama…it has to happen.
Toadvine said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:49 pm

Mudhole-4-eva
vegashorn said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

so what r the chances our o line looks like this next year and gets gilbert killed
NY Horn said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:58 pm

Only a blessing from the gods (Branding Iron prediction of our destruction) could save us from another CTJ mudhole post
Groundhog Day said:

December 7th, 2009 at 4:58 pm

Great write up once again.

I watched the game on television and felt dirty afterwards. The D was nails and Hunter Lawrence was incredible for making that kick under those circumstances. But our oline play, offensive scheme was just plain pathetic.

What happened at the end of the game was almost unforgiveable. Colt looked shocked that time had run out and to say he thought he had one or two seconds left. Really, Colt? You are going to cut it that close? The time mismanagement by Davis and Brown was awful.

I would have had more respect if the coaches and our QB had manned up afterwards and admitted their almost drastic mistake. I don’t expect a baboon to know to apologize so davis gets a pass on realizing what a disaster his offense continues to be and for obvious reasons.

I have said it many times but anyone who doesn’t think Brown has a big influence over our offense is obviously not being honest with themselves. His comments alone about the end of the game are further evidence to this theory.
Bryan Cox said:

December 7th, 2009 at 5:10 pm

He thought the chop block call against Hall was bullshit, and said that cut blocking is perfectly legal and the refs didn’t know the difference.

Das Bullshit.
Art Vandelay said:

December 7th, 2009 at 5:12 pm

That was the strangest feeling I’ve ever had after a Texas game. It sounds ridiculous to say considering we are undefeated and playing in the MNC game, but I was more disappointed in the way we played (offense, special teams except Hunter, and clock mgmt) than I was happy.

My second trip to the Deathstar. First trip was Ark/Aggy and in the Club seat section. I guess I missed the memo, but we didn’t realize we were going to be in a “dry” section until 30 minutes before we left for the stadium. Quick trip to the liquor store and a flask in the boot. 7-Up and vodka isn’t my usual drink of choice, and it did nothing to improve the football I was watching. What made matters worse is that there were huge Miller Light refrigerators under lock and chain staring at me as I head to purchase another Dr. Pepper product. Somehow Don Beebe must be involved.

I would love to blame Jerry Jones for the game clock issues (try finding the game clock and down and distance in the first 60 seconds after you find your seat…. you won’t do it.), but that’s too easy. The Dallas Morning News said Greg Davis called a hand off on the last play.
Toadvine said:

December 7th, 2009 at 5:19 pm

“The Dallas Morning News said Greg Davis called a hand off on the last play.”

O rly?
CloseToJumping said:

December 7th, 2009 at 5:22 pm

The only feeling I can equate the last series of events in that game to is that it is the opposite of the pendulum swing of feelings I had watching the Tech game last year. I mean, the exact opposite.

Oh, and solid work by Gideon in dropping that pick deep in Nebraska territory. That probably wouldn’t have helped any. I had flashbacks.
batate said:

December 7th, 2009 at 5:53 pm

Great writeup, Scip. We watched the game at home, and it completely translated. I haven’t ever seen an offensive line taken apart like that. I thought Hix did pretty well, but I was completely mystified with what we were doing with the center.

When you can reliably drop four and still limit the running game to two yards a carry, when you’re being beat 4 on 5 at the point of attack, when you’ve got 6 or 7 in coverage on just about every down, it’s going to be a long night. 9 sacks and 3 turnovers. Considering the stage, I would call this the worst offensive performance ever under Mack Brown.

Muschamp and the defense last week, and Davis with the offense this week. We’re lucky to be still standing.

We have a shot against Alabama because we still have big play potential, and we are bringing a great defense to the party. I’d say a 4 point dog is about right.
ransomstoddard said:

December 7th, 2009 at 5:56 pm

It is important to understand that this is a coaching staff of mediocre talent, save Boom. Shit nobody else wants Davis or Akina or McWhorter. The fact that UT employs them and gives them raises is as embarassing as the BS Mack was trying to spend about his being in control of the end of the game.
sizzlechest said:

December 7th, 2009 at 5:58 pm

On that note, no one has mentioned the fact we once again lined up in the I while on the 2 yard line and ran it with Newton AGAIN. Of course Snow is asked to reach block Suh PLAYSIDE. Suh blows it up and if Newton’s momentum hadn’t carried past the plane of the goal, it’s a safety.

Oh, and I failed to mention the situational dynamics here. We were up BY ONE POINT wehen this play was called in THE FOURTH QUARTER.

Thanks for that, Greg, you fucking retarded pisspants.

I need and Xanax and a Malay hooker named Fukmi.
EddieTheAlbinoSquirrel said:

December 7th, 2009 at 6:09 pm

Fantastic write-up.

You’re absolutely correct about the feeling in the stadium. We felt absolutely sick at the end of the game – not like it was a win at all. Heading down the ramps, some of the Huskers fans were doing their “Go Big Red” chant … and there were no retaliatory “Texas, Fight” chants as there had been before the game. I’ve never felt so confused and ill at the end of a game where I didn’t take a drink.

On offensive fight … I think this can be blamed on the coaching staff in more ways than detailed in the article. What can you say about an OC who calls yet another futile run play on 3rd and 30? Or who doesn’t even make an attempt to get in scoring position at the end of the first half?

In those cases, as well as the general playcalling and lack of game flow, it seemed as though the staff had frankly given up on its team. Surely the player have this sense as well.
TXStampede said:

December 7th, 2009 at 6:46 pm

After reading everyone’s movie review commentary above, I will only reply that a) I am extremely impressed that each and every one of you played D-1 football and personally understand the nuances of pain, punishment, and violence so thoroughly exhibited Saturday evening, and b) suffered the weekly pressure of being a D-1 football coach your entire working career whose survivability depends on the actions of pimple popping, alcahol induced, camel-toe chasing 18-21 year old boys in men’s clothing. It is comforting to know that you can reinforce your criticism with first hand experience. Keep up the fine Monday morning work.
Soldier of Orange said:

December 7th, 2009 at 6:55 pm

I haven’t seen this matter mentioned; so, I’ll mention it. On the nexat to last play, the clock operator started clock before the ball was snapped. in fact, the clock ran down from 8 to 7 seconds before the snap, and Colt didn’t receive the ball until just over 6 seconds remained–not that it makes any differnce, but it does make you wonder.
Art Vandelay said:

December 7th, 2009 at 7:07 pm

“The Dallas Morning News said Greg Davis called a hand off on the last play.”

I meant to say next to last play obviously. Below is specifically what Chuck Carlton wrote:

“After the game, Texas’ clock management was questioned. The Longhorns, with the luxury of one timeout, had hoped to run one more play. The call was relayed late to quarterback Colt McCoy, who planned to run a draw to the center of the field. Instead, he threw the ball out of bounds because of pressure.”
Orange Slices For Everyone said:

December 7th, 2009 at 7:15 pm

TxStampede – You’re right. The players executed their assignments and played with the enthusiasm you’d expect to see in a championship game, the offense in particular. The coaches used the ten days to fully prepare this team and implement an effective game plan.
BTW, my furnace is on the fritz and I’d love to heat my house with your sunshine pump if you can bear to remove it from your ass.
Chooky said:

December 7th, 2009 at 7:20 pm

haydenhorn –

In the forum, several days prior to the game, CTJ mentioned the liklehood of once again witnessing our comical antics from the Washington State debacle. Don’t let him read this, though, he’ll get a big head.

Seeing the I-formation while on our own 2 caused my anus to inhale my chair. I literally whimpered “no” under my breath. Before the ball was even snapped I was contemplating whether we would kick or punt from the 20 and managed to delude myself into thinking that I shouldn’t panic about what kind of kick coverage we’d see.
The General said:

December 7th, 2009 at 7:24 pm

Good point, TXStampede. It is obvious that coaching football is an endeavor that can only be undertaken by the genius IQ meets Sisyphus work ethic individual that would have otherwise been leading Microsoft, Apple, the Army Rangers, or Marine Force Recon. It is good for Texas that the otherwise pervasive Peter Principle is completely absent from the college football coaching ranks.

It is not like this is a sport where there is an entire database of proof of what wins and what does not. There is no credence to the thought that your eleven achieving simple leverage against the other eleven is what wins on both sides of the football.

I mean when they use 7 to guard 4 and you have 7 to beat their other 4, there isn’t a simple mathematical advantage there, right? Certainly not an advantage that can be arithmetically deduced by a group of businessman, lawyers, doctors, higher education students, a few members of the media, and one concrete estimator.

Right?
Jeffrey said:

December 7th, 2009 at 7:26 pm

Please don’t group Akina with the offensive coaches, ransom. He may not have been the best DC, but he knows how to develop DBs.
CloseToJumping said:

December 7th, 2009 at 7:30 pm

TXStampede–

I don’t know whether that was serious or satire, but please post more often. I laughed very hard. The idea that Greg Davis is anything other than a gravy training twit who’s been stealing money from the UT AD for roughly 12 years now is great comedy. Thanks.

Chooky–

Prior to us running the personnel out there at the 2, I called the I and knew definitively it would be the selection. This is, of course, after Brown himself noted the tendency after the UCF game and said they’d change their behavior the next time. Unfortunately for Brown, Greg Davis has the self-scouting skills of General Custer and was no sooner going to call something different than what he’d called in the Tech ’08 game and the UCF game than he was going to start breathing through his nose.

We saw WSU x 10 on Saturday. I wish we’d witnessed that game’s offensive output.
java said:

December 7th, 2009 at 7:51 pm

Great work, Scipio. Thanks to all of you for the great write ups.

Wasn’t Studdard a converted DL? Was Blaylock? Bob (I think) said everyone was pleased with the improvement when McW first arrived. That was true: there was improvement over Nunez. Why did McW regress? Are the blocking schemes a function of the Davis offense? The reach blocking and passive scheme/technique/behavior are the concerns voiced with regard to Nunez.

Logic seems to dictate that the problem isn’t the position coach. Ideas?

Hook ‘em!
microhorn said:

December 7th, 2009 at 7:56 pm

Whoever replaces the Chimp, I want to see his ass down on the field like Muschamp, instilling some fire and emotion in his people. Part of the problem with the Texas offense is that they play without emotion, because they don’t have a coach down there kicking ass. Instead, they have the Chimp sitting on high in an air conditioned booth, pulling bad plays out of his 2 inch thick playbook. I’ve seen 100 TV shots of him in the booth thumbing vacuously through that thick playbook, I’ve seen 1000. I’m convinced he must be watching Gilligan’s Island reruns during the games, because he can’t be watching the action. No other conclusion makes any sense.
ghostofagroundgame said:

December 7th, 2009 at 8:01 pm

Ya know, it would be kinda awesome if Greg Davis came tomorrow morning to my deposition and critiqued it on a website afterwards. How about that TXStampede?
TXStampede said:

December 7th, 2009 at 8:07 pm

Hey agent Orange – glad to see you high in the saddle, padna. Keep smokin’ that pipe, boy. You might want to study a little game film before you come with that smack. Takes two teams to tango. Last time I checked, all “W’s” are earned. BTW, have you ever had a bad day? Probably not since you are still trying to get that sheep skin to work something other than that Home Depot Saturday evening gig. I bet that’s where you got all that experience with heat pumps, huh.

And General Peter, hyperbole aside, not seeing too many of those professional types in the D-1 profession these days, save maybe that attorney in Lubbock. Maybe there is a good reason for that. Right? Not saying that the “game” we are all enjoying is led by professionals writing binary code or defending a nation as you have inadequately implied. Just saying that the commentary is incredulously lacking in the first person, simple math aside. You would think I was reading SI.com the way everyone is going off on this thread.

Last I checked the score was 13-12 and the Horns are Pasadena bound. They must have done something right. Right? Would you be willing to line up and continue to get drilled, play after play? You ought to think about that a while when your jacuzzi is heating up outside and the ice in your maker’s mark tumbler is tinkling. Our offense played 59:59 and it was a gallant effort against a demon of a defense anchored by a Heisman finalist.

I am just not going to let the vitriol spewed about the team go unchecked. Do you remember .0128 and 45-35? Hey, but maybe I am overreaching with the intelligence level exhibited here. Right?
ghostofagroundgame said:

December 7th, 2009 at 8:20 pm

That reminded me a little bit of the speech in Animal House.
TXStampede said:

December 7th, 2009 at 8:21 pm

CTJ and Ghost – Complements on your unwavering consistency. You never deviate from the insatiable Coach Davis beatdowns. Keep up the good work. Maybe someday someone will listen beside all the lemmings at BC.
Ron McKelvey said:

December 7th, 2009 at 8:24 pm

Mack seemed to suggest on the selection show last night that he began to call a timeout right as Colt snapped it. Did anybody see any video evidence of this? So many things were so baffling Saturday night, the confused atmosphere after the game was fitting. Saw Herbstreet when we were leaving. He was as confused about the ending as we were. Unfortunately, he was pretty cool, which sucks, because I can’t hate him as much now.
Groundhog Day said:

December 7th, 2009 at 8:26 pm

TX Stampede,

1)What happened at the end of the game was unforgivable. The coaches and the QB are to blame and are very lucky that a) time didn’t run out and b) time was restored properly. Otherwise, you are looking at the biggest blunder in the history college football and suddenly everyone forgets the 84 Cotton Bowl and starts talking about the nightmare in Jerry world. Colt looked confused when Nebraska was storming the field like he had no idea it was that close. I’m still trying to figure out what he was thinking.

2) Nobody is questioning the team’s effort especially the D. They brought it all day long and won the game along with Lawrence’s brass balls. However, our scheme on offense is set for failure and everyone knows it. We can’t run block and have always had trouble running the ball against good teams except when VY was in command and this staff’s first year when they didn’t have time to undo proper technique with an Oline blocking for Ricky Williams. Teams jump our short routes and sit at the first down markers waiting for to dink and dunk. We tried one hitch and go the entire game.

With your attitude we would have never hired Muschamp and as a result would have lost 3 games each of the last 2 years. We out athlete inferior opponents but struggle with good defenses because of our scheme and lack of innovation.

If it’s wrong to point out things that need to be changed then I’m guilty as charged.
Orange Slices For Everyone said:

December 7th, 2009 at 8:47 pm

“Probably not since you are still trying to get that sheep skin to work something other than that Home Depot Saturday evening gig.”

First, I work Tuesdays and Thurdays at LOWES – for your information.
Second, if I continue to keep the parking lot clean, and don’t shit in the toilet display again, my assistant manager promised to let me inventory the lock washers AND wood screws in the hardware section.
So put that in YOUR pipe, smarty pants person…
holdem said:

December 7th, 2009 at 8:56 pm

TXStampede, nothing related to Texas football pisses me off more than people like you. “Well, we won didn’t we? There must not be anything wrong.”

There is a huge difference between the offenses performance against Nebraska and the defense’s performance against A&M. One was a once a season performance, the other is something we have seen over and over again for 11 years now.

I have no doubt the offense played hard, work hard, etc….. but watching five offensive linemen walk off the field while their QB lays on the ground is something that is just not seen in competitive football, yet it has happened multiple times to Colt. There is something wrong that all the Sunshine Pumping in the world can’t mask.
uthookem said:

December 7th, 2009 at 9:56 pm

The defense had one anomaly all year.

The offense has looked feeble against Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, and at times Texas Tech.

We are lucky that the offense has not lost a game for us this season. The defense, on the other hand, has won a few.

The difference between the pumper and the non-pumpers, is the pumpers fail to realize that the non-pumpers are still happy that we win, and ecstatic that we have a chance to play for it all, yet understand that life is more than just winning. Life is about being your best, and we clearly have not met that standard this season.
ColoradoAg said:

December 7th, 2009 at 10:42 pm

“He is a creature designed for play action.”

This times a billion. I typically get rather pleased watching the Horns fail, but even this aspect of your underachieving offense annoys me. You know, better athletes running a 9th grade offense’s I-formation, play action offense at the collegiate typically yields favorable results.

P.S. The Ags are in full rebuild, but its ok if you keep Davis around.
Jamdog said:

December 7th, 2009 at 10:50 pm

NY Horn said:
December 7th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
That Thomas hit reminded me of the one Kelson? made at Ohio State in the endzone. It was an oooohhh shit feeling, then Bam!

NY Horn– I thought the same thing on that play by Earl Thomas. It was Ced Griffin that busted up the Buckeye TE in the endzone.
Bobby_Batronic said:

December 7th, 2009 at 10:58 pm

Man, if all that hard work and intense study time in the film room results in 206 yards of offense, 9 sacks, 3 interceptions, and a near Milesian loss of the Big XII title game I’d hate to see what happens when our offensive staff and players just jack around for 10 days at a time.

A complete systematic failure of our offensive system was put on display Saturday night damning our OL recruiting, development, and ways we scheme around our inherent weaknesses with personnel and play selection. Most people can spot this continuing trend line after 12 years of observation. Many can even see how this portends a repeat performance at the hands of an entirely more capable squad in Bama. Not that this straight line of thinking ever holds sway in the mind of a pumper.

I just hope Colt doesn’t see Suh at the Heisman ceremony, drop to the floor in a panic, and start chanting “Dear God make me a bird. So I can fly. Fly far far away from here”.

Don’t worry, we’ll address this in the next 30 days and make the run game a top priority for the Spring. Mack would never offer lip service to his faithful fans.
Lark 47 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 11:29 pm

I don’t understand the “we won, didn’t we” defense.

Criticism is acceptable, especially from people who clearly care a whole hell of a lot about everything Longhorn. Isn’t is clear, we love this team? Why else would we be so frustrated? Being frustrated and venting online is a perfectly acceptable way to deal with the pattern of offensive ineptitude and the unsteady win over Nebraska.

Props to you, Scipio. The Offense and O Line analysis was classic. “[A] hologram of Chris Hall” brought me close to tears.
Colonel Redass said:

December 8th, 2009 at 12:44 am

If you go back and watch the game film (I did), yes Hall got abused and at times Huey did too. But other times Huey held his own against Suh, strength wise. The difference was Suh’s quickness, which enabled him to easily slide away from single and double teams. We are really only some good center play away from being an above average line. Too bad Walters got hurt and Snow is just not strong enough yet. I’m sorry but Hall was never going to be an NFL level center no matter who the coach was or how mean they made him pretend to be. It really comes down to personnel, not coaching, doesn’t it.
Macanudo said:

December 8th, 2009 at 2:03 am

I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the pre-game coaches meetings and again when they review the game film. DOES ANYONE just start laughing when Greg talks about his game plan and the subsequent results?
RF said:

December 8th, 2009 at 6:58 am

As ridiculous as it sounds, I believe they could have rushed Suh and dropped 10 into coverage and still put pressure on Colt. I’m kinda surprised they didn’t at least try it. I’m sure we would have had 1 or at the most 2 guys trying to block him, with the other 3 or 4 standing in place or instinctively moving backwards.
Monahorns said:

December 8th, 2009 at 8:15 am

A lot of the problems with the OL is just bad technique. Blocking is all about leverage. When you run at a guy standing straight up and he shoves you in the mid-section, you are typically going to move backward.

One of the keys to good OL play is to hit the defender lower than he hits you. You also should also only very occasionally try to reach block anyone, especially not Suh or anyone approaching his talent level.
BEHorn said:

December 8th, 2009 at 8:57 am

“I’m not sure TV captured fully just how badly our offense played or how much our clock management meltdowns puzzled.”

It did – captured beautifully in luxuriant 1080p.

I had no feeling of elation when the kick went through. Relief, yes. Glad for Hunter Lawrence, absolutely. Pleased that Colt hadn’t been lobotomized by House of Spears while sad that he’d lost the Heisman – sure. But mostly, I just felt a gnawing emptiness realizing that we have to watch that exact same gameplan again in January.

I will spend a month reading, convincing myself that bags full of counter-tendency trickeration are just over the horizon … and then we will open with a sideline pass or zone handoff to Running Back du Jour. And Longhorn Nation then will have to buckle down and pray …
BEHorn said:

December 8th, 2009 at 9:17 am

“On that note, no one has mentioned the fact we once again lined up in the I while on the 2 yard line and ran it with Newton AGAIN.”

Oh, it’s been mentioned.

I will also mention here, apropos of Newton, that I thought he played very well. He made some tough yards (not a lot of ‘em, true, but “some”) and did well with the shovel / screen pass. Happy to see him at RB in January, though by then we could be trotting out Clark Ford in the Alan Iverson role.
Vasherized said:

December 8th, 2009 at 9:51 am

dedfischer and I couldn’t believe Newton didn’t fumble at some point in the game given the punishment he took.

Did we run one screen? Not that it would have worked, it’s just one of those things that tend to slow down an aggressive DL.

Or how about the Mark Clayton memorial 5 yd slant/hot route/Suh is about to assrape me and I really need to get rid of the fucking ball NOW route?

TE drag? Oh right, we don’t have a TE. Watching Jermichael Finley abuse the Ravens secondary last night was a painful reminder of how inept our offense can look without an elite blocking/receiving surface.
haydenhorn said:

December 8th, 2009 at 9:56 am

i was elated when that kick went in, even if i was still stunned at the behavior that led to the pelinis losing their shit en masse.
Savage Henry said:

December 8th, 2009 at 10:27 am

I stayed at the same hotel as the Vikings in New Orleans last year. I personally thanked Cedric Griffin for that hit against tOSU. He made a face like he had no idea what I was talking about.
BatesHorn said:

December 8th, 2009 at 10:55 am

I was literally on my drunk ass knees, BEGGING that they not hand the ball off to Newton in the endzone, praying that Colt would play action and hit a gloriously wide open Mike Williams for a stunning 99 yard pass play.

But that would be too obvious.

The funny thing about Davis and this offense is how dogmatic we’ve become, that earnest play action, double move plays off our tendancies would result in players so jaw droppingly open that it would induce a spit take similar to HenryJames during one of his annual business trips to Indonesia.

Last year, I believe, Jordan Shipley scored a couple of TD’s off stop and goes based on our usual 7 yard curls. Teams jumped the route so reflexively that Shipley would be 10 yards past the safety and CB before they could even get turned around to chase. That’s not because he’s Jerry Rice. It’s because those players were so drilled to jump that route. And that’s where Davis’ lack of self awareness/Scouting is so painful. Nirvana is in sight, but we’ll never get there, offensively, because we simply can’t break habit.
Woody Bombay said:

December 8th, 2009 at 11:29 am

Hitting Mike Williams for a 99-yard score WOULD have been stunning! Ha ha ha, I kid.
magnusbleuveigner said:

December 8th, 2009 at 11:30 am

Who the fuck is Mke Williams?
BatesHorn said:

December 8th, 2009 at 11:32 am

How do you think he went so high in the draft? That’s what I thought, bitches.
Spawn of Cthulhu said:

December 8th, 2009 at 11:45 am

Please post a “DON’T GOOGLE at work tag” after words like “bukkake”. It’s embarrassing when your employer is a religious-affiliated hospital. During your analysis of CU last year, you at least warned us about “Cytherea”.
It was an appropriate use of Japanese, though, and Wikipedia had a nice graphic to help me visualize it.
magnusbleuveigner said:

December 8th, 2009 at 11:58 am

Bukkake is one of the things I exclaim when I finish. Some others; “click clack”, “comingnahayeeeaaaahhhhh!!!!”, “gadzooks!”, and I keep forgetting to use the very inspired, “GUERILLA WARFEH!!!”
nordberg said:

December 8th, 2009 at 12:16 pm

“Last year, I believe, Jordan Shipley scored a couple of TD’s off stop and goes based on our usual 7 yard curls. Teams jumped the route so reflexively that Shipley would be 10 yards past the safety and CB before they could even get turned around to chase. That’s not because he’s Jerry Rice. It’s because those players were so drilled to jump that route. And that’s where Davis’ lack of self awareness/Scouting is so painful. Nirvana is in sight, but we’ll never get there, offensively, because we simply can’t break habit.”

This has all been to lull Alabama into a trap. You’ll see.
NateHeupel said:

December 8th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

“…praying that Colt would play action and hit a gloriously wide open Mike Williams for a stunning 99 yard pass play.”

As has been discussed ad nauseum, play action only works if the run game is doing something more than shitting the bed. The most likely outcome of such a playaction is that Colt McCoy would’ve been gloriously passed through Suh’s stool.
bateshorn said:

December 8th, 2009 at 12:51 pm

Nate- normally I’d agree, but to my knowledge, we’ve not playactioned out of the I formation since Ricky Williams was here. I doubt that DC’s on other teams could even concieve of us doing it.
uthookem said:

December 8th, 2009 at 12:57 pm

This has all been to lull Alabama into a trap. You’ll see.

I would sacrifice a goat on Christmas Eve with my bare hands and pass out its dismembered entrails to my neighbor’s five and eight year old daughters to make this so, while wearing the goat’s skin as a cape.
nordberg said:

December 8th, 2009 at 1:01 pm

Well, duh.
bigdukesix said:

December 8th, 2009 at 3:01 pm

It is important to understand that this is a coaching staff of mediocre talent, save Boom. Shit nobody else wants Davis or Akina or McWhorter. The fact that UT employs them and gives them raises is as embarassing as the BS Mack was trying to spend about his being in control of the end of the game.

I have to agree with Ransom here. It’s impossible for me to imagine someone like Saban or Meyer tolerating that sort of mediocrity on their respective staffs year after year. I just read an article about Saban that discussed how obsessed he is with “process”. He recognizes that process is far more important than results, and that if you put the right process in place the results will inevitably come.

I guess it goes to show you how being a great recruiter at a school like Texas can cover up a whole litany of serious faults. I hope Muschamp is studying Mack’s recruiting but taking the rest of the package with a grain of salt or two.
Blueshorn said:

December 8th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

“i’m surprised no one has mentioned washington state yet. ”

Only because I’m just now reading the thread. As I sat in my seat at JerryWorld, I kept thinking, “this offensive ass-raping is as ugly as Washington State.”

I hope someone will send this piece to DeLo$$. It was a total embarrassment for The University of Texas that remains inexcusable.
Ag_in_TX said:

December 9th, 2009 at 7:35 am

Congratulations on your 2009 football championship.
Jeff Boyd said:

December 9th, 2009 at 8:36 am

That Suh guy has nothing on Russell Maryland.
Scipio Tex said:

December 9th, 2009 at 1:35 pm

sizzle -

I honestly blocked the I formation goal line shit out. I saw it at the game and commented to HJ real time, but then just blocked it out. Seriously. It’s incoprehensible to me that Davis is that stupid after Tech last year, UCF this year and so on.

He is as a stubborn an individual as I’ve ever seen.
Toadvine said:

December 9th, 2009 at 1:46 pm

Scip–

His thoughts on play-calling work like this.

——————————————————————————–
Man in Black: All right. Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right… and who is dead.
Vizzini: But it’s so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy’s? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You’ve made your decision then?
Vizzini: Not remotely. Because iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows, and Australia is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you.
Man in Black: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
Vizzini: Wait til I get going! Now, where was I?
Man in Black: Australia.
Vizzini: Yes, Australia. And you must have suspected I would have known the powder’s origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You’re just stalling now.
Vizzini: You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you? You’ve beaten my giant, which means you’re exceptionally strong, so you could’ve put the poison in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But, you’ve also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You’re trying to trick me into giving away something. It won’t work.
Vizzini: IT HAS WORKED! YOU’VE GIVEN EVERYTHING AWAY! I KNOW WHERE THE POISON IS!
Man in Black: Then make your choice.
Vizzini: I will, and I choose – What in the world can that be?
Vizzini: [Vizzini gestures up and away from the table. Roberts looks. Vizzini swaps the goblets]
Man in Black: What? Where? I don’t see anything.
Vizzini: Well, I- I could have sworn I saw something. No matter.First, let’s drink. Me from my glass, and you from yours.
Man in Black, Vizzini: [Vizzini and the Man in Black drink ]
Man in Black: You guessed wrong.
Vizzini: You only think I guessed wrong! That’s what’s so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders – The most famous of which is “never get involved in a land war in Asia” – but only slightly less well-known is this: “Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line”! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha…
Vizzini: [Vizzini stops suddenly,his smile frozen on his face and falls to the right out of camera dead]
Buttercup: And to think, all that time it was your cup that was poisoned.
Carl Pelini Gets “Jiggy Wit It” in Oslo « Last Row said:

December 11th, 2009 at 11:37 am

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