Top 10 Games of the Mack Brown Era
by ctex80 on Jul 1, 2009 4:46 PM CDT
40 comments
Over the past 11 seasons, Texas has arguably been involved in more iconic and memorable games than any other Div 1 program. One thing that struck me in compiling this list was how many of the close ones we have won. It's no great wonder that when you think of the 3 primary QB's of the Mack Brown era (Applewhite, Young, McCoy), clutch is among the first words that comes to mind. There are 3 games in particular that were tough to leave off of this list, and here are links to the game recaps. I'm sure people will disagree with some of these rankings, and that's kinda the point.
My criteria were as follows:
1. Program significance
2. Season significance
3. Great finish: Not a must, but it seems to almost always happen when Texas is in a big game anyway.
4. Strength of Opponent: This kept a couple of Tech games (2003, 2006) and Okie St 2007 out of the list. Also Vince's heroics @ Kansas.
Last 3 games out:
Another Nebraska winning streak eats it.
And there you have it. So, without further ado, here's my top 10 games of the Mack Brown Era, complete with links, videos, and cheesy headlines!
10. October 8th, 2005: Bomar'd.
Only true blowout on this list. This game was the big psychological hurdle for the 2005 title team, and for most Texas fans as well. After 5 straight years, it was time. Texas dominated from the locker room on.
9. November 6th, 2004: The Comeback vs. Okie St.
After getting their ass kicked for 29 minutes, Texas finally showed up right before the half, with Vince hitting Bo Scaife for a touchdown. Add in a Mack Brown halftime speech, and the second half was pure Texas dominance.
8. October 31st, 1998: Nebraska's 47 game win streak snapped
One thing about Mack Brown: He owns Nebraska. 6-1 during his tenure vs the Huskers. This win, on the backs of Major and Ricky, ended a 47 game home win streak for Nebraska. Applewhite finds McGarity for the game winner with under 3 minutes to play.
7. December 28th, 2001: Major Holiday
Major Applewhite's final game as a Longhorn. Down 16 to start the 4th. Ivan Williams scores the game winner with :38 left. Holiday Bowl record for points scored. And I can't find a damn video of any of it.
6. October 11th, 2008: 45-35
5. September 10th, 2005: Goodbye, Columbus
The entire country was jacked for this game. And it lived up to the hype. Love you always, Limas. I always liked the story afterward about Huff and someone else challenging Ted Ginn to a race, and Ginn backed down.
4. January 5th, 2009: Quan's Fiesta
Ugly, ugly first half. But the second half had it all. Thank God we won this game, otherwise, we'd be no better than Cal fans.
3. November 27th, 1998: Ricky's Run
Not only did Ricky seal the Heisman, but this was also a win by an unranked Texas team over #6 A&M on a Kris Stockton FG with 3 seconds left. Hell of a lot of good stuff for a regular season game.
2. January 1st, 2005: Vince Runs Wild on Wolverines
How did Vince get out of that sack? Still gets me every time. Also, watch the great block by David Thomas on the last touchdown run. He slows down to get the guy behind him, and then blows up a linebacker. God I miss David Thomas.
1. January 4th, 2006: The Rose Bowl
1. January 4th, 2006: The Rose Bowl
2. January 1st, 2005: Texas vs Michigan
3. November 27th, 1998: Ricky's Run
4. January 5th, 2009: Quan's Fiesta
5. September 10th, 2005: Limas @ Columbus
6. October 11th, 2008: 45-35
7. December 28th, 2001: Applewhite's comeback vs Washington
8. October 31st, 1998: Nebraska's 47 game win streak snapped
9. November 6th, 2004: The Comeback vs. Okie
10. October 8th, 2005: Bomar'd.
So there it is. Any thoughts?
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Tied for 10th
Great list for the offseason! The win that has to make the list somewhere is the 24-20 win over Nebraska in 1999. That loss cost the ’Huskers another national title (they finished 12-1) but they got their revenge in San Antonio.
by Longhorn90 on Jul 1, 2009 6:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Awesome list overall and I wouldn't know which to replace,
but the 99 Nebraska game would creep in there for me too. It was my first Longhorn football game to attend—sophomore in high school, crammed in the student section with my brother and friends. It was definitely an awesome game, win, and experience.
by horns129 on Jul 1, 2009 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I sure credit you for the time to make the list and create the links
In my view, choosing TOP wins is nearly impossible — since context is so critical. Thus, the Quan-Ohio State and Major-Washington wins aren’t that big, to me, while the Michigan, Ohio State, OU and Oklahoma State games in 2004-05 were HUGE because they set the stage for No. 1.
I would put both Nebraska 1998 and 1999 on the list, moving the ‘98 game up higher; from an historical perspective, these helped MAKE Mack’s program and helped usher out Nebraska’s 30-year run as THE top program in the country. I’d put 45-35 higher because of what it SHOULD HAVE meant; in other words, if the polls don’t hose the Horns, it’s a ticket to the national title game. And it was a significant upset of the No. 1 team.
It is nice — oh, so nice, I have to say — to have this 11-year run to peruse. As contrasted to, say, 1987-1997.
by edsp on Jul 1, 2009 7:59 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Definitely agree about the significance of the '99 Nebraska game
That was huge. Glaring omission on my part.
by ctex80 on Jul 1, 2009 10:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Man, nice work, and much appreciated. I’m often really torn on how these games rate in my mind, because the Michigan and USC games are probably the two most important of the bunch, but there were so many exciting moments within so many great games. The win over TAMU with the Ricky Run was an especially sweet one.
by burntorangehorn on Jul 1, 2009 8:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Hook Em
Reminds me why I love this site
Good work, thanks-
Tack
by Tackchevy on Jul 1, 2009 8:30 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
no love for the Alamo Bowl win against Iowa?
Just kidding….
Great post. I’d put the OSU game above Ricky’s Run because that W really put us on the collision course with USC. I’d also find a way to fit in the K-State win where Ell Roberson coughed it up at DKR if only for the fact that VY showed he could win a game through the air for the first time then….
by the1austin on Jul 1, 2009 10:09 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
What about the ten worst games of all time?
Can I say Kansas State 07 is #1?
by pleaseplaykindle on Jul 1, 2009 10:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Definitely the worst
of the last five years (K-State ‘07). I think finding 10 worst games in Mack’s era (based on Horns’ performance) would be difficult.
by edsp on Jul 1, 2009 10:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
THE worst
I was at that game and is was a rain storm,it was coming down so much most people left the stadium and were standing inside but me and my buddy .still pretty memorable but when i left the game pissed none the less the streets were like a river outside over my ankle deep.
by cpabis on Jul 2, 2009 8:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was planning on doing this next week.
But maybe only a bottom 5. Don’t think I can take a full 10..
by ctex80 on Jul 1, 2009 11:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Umm..the A&M losses in 2006 and 2007 were pretty bad.
Arkansas back in 2002? Horrible.
"Football's so important in Texas. On the West Coast, it's a social. On the East Coast, it's a culture. Here, it's a religion."
-- Major Applewhite
by Sunkist on Jul 1, 2009 11:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Those OU losses were bad
But look at the quality of players the Sooners had in those five years . . . they had big edges in NFL draft picks after every one of those seasons. To put it another way, we were sending out players whose spirit was willing but whose flesh weak.
by edsp on Jul 2, 2009 1:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Arkansas 2003?
If it’s the same one I’m thinking, pretty sure it was 2003 where it broke a nice home win streak we had going. Only good thing that came from it was after that game VY finally got good playing time. It was the 1st (and only) UT game I attended where we lost. It was quite bizarre. I’m not accustomed to losing…
by LadyLonghorn on Jul 2, 2009 9:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'll never forgive Matt Jones for that one.
Also my first loss to attend. I remember a 4th (3rd?) down and 35 he converted to save the game as the pigs were almost pinned down near the North endzone. It was just terrible to let Matt Jones run wild like that and witness his career moment.
by horns129 on Jul 2, 2009 10:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think it was a replayed 3rd down
Didn’t Texas stop them on 3rd but Arkansas held or committed some other penalty so Mack decided to accept it thereby replaying 3rd down again and then Arkansas converted?
by Fruitdog on Jul 10, 2009 11:31 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is so easy it still makes me want to hurl
Georgia 10, Texas 9 (1983-1984) My Freshman Year
We all thought we won a National Championship until Curry mishandled a punt at the end of the game. You don’t know it unless you lived it….to have the ring so freaking close. It was the 2006 USC Rose Bowl finish in reverse.. …Yes, I’m showing my age…but it was the worst loss by far in my 44 years. All we needed to do was field that freakin’ punt and we controlled Georgia the whole game!!
I know I’m suppose to post a link, but I think it is easier to just read it here: From the Cactus Yearbook:
“Almost Perfect COTTON BOWL So Close, And Yet So Far TEXAS GEORGIA 9 10 " We dominated the whole game, " said Texas linebacker Jeff Leiding. " Then tragedy strikes. They might as well have dropped a nuclear warhead. " For Texas, the defeat in the Cotton Bowl was a nightmare that was avoid- ed all season long on the road to an 11-0 record. The seventh-ranked Georgia Bulldogs handed the Longhorns their first loss and dashed Texas ’ hopes for a shot at the na- tional championship. The 10-9 score reflected the defensive game that the 67,891 fans and a national television audience expected from two of the nation ’ s top defensive teams. Despite being inside Geor gia ’ s 35- yard line seven times, Texas ’ offense, led by surprise starter Rick Mclvor, came away with only nine points on field goals of 22, 40 and 27 yards by Jeff Ward. " There ’ s really no one person you can blame it on, " said Mclvor. " We had our chances to win, and didn ’ t. " For 57 minutes, the Texas defense once again carried the load of the Longhorns ’ battle. The nation ’ s No. 1 defense held Georgia to 215 yards, three points and forced nine Bulldog punts. " We always thought we could stop anybody, anytime, in any situa- tion, " said Leiding, named the Most Valuable Defensive player. " We did. So they punted, and that killed us. " With 4:32 left, the Horns ’ Craig Curry mishandled the punt and Georgia wound up on the Texas 23- yard line. Three plays later, Georgia found themselves in the lead, 10-9, on a 17 -yard touchdown by Bulldog quarterback John Lastinger. All Texas hope rested on one last of fensive series. But the offense could not put a drive together, and Georgia won the Cotton Bowl trophy. " Do I think we are clearly a better team than Georgia? " said Coach Fred Akers. " Yes, but Georgia stood in there and found a way to win. We didn ’ t lose it: they won it. "
Yeah right….Fred Akers was an idiot and didn’t deserve a NC….but the team sure did!!! I’m sure Curry still has nightmares about this—poor guy. I forgive him. We were the No. 1 team that year—Still no doubt about it. Texas had a defense that even Coach Boom would envy.
by jkovach on Jul 2, 2009 8:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I know the game by history
It was played before I was born. I’m glad I did not witness that.
by TheElusiveShadow on Jul 3, 2009 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
every team has almost championships
Trojan fans are probably saying “If only that stupid LenDale White had converted that 4th down”
by acho81 on Jul 3, 2009 4:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You're right, that really hurt. And it was Fred who made the decision
to not send in the regular punt returner and sent Curry back. Chances are the regular returner would have got away from the ball on the 10 in a cold, nasty wind and never tried to field it. After decades, I feel bad for what Curry has had to carry so long. He was a damn good DB.
by whills on Jul 7, 2009 9:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
As bad as that game was
And I was at that game, in the rain, there are worse ones for me. A&M of that same year, probably the angriest I’ve been at our coaching staff ever, those two OU blowouts, and of course, the infamous 2001 Big 12 championship game. That is one of the most painful losses in Longhorns history, not just in the MB era.
by TheElusiveShadow on Jul 2, 2009 9:03 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
A&M that year was especially painful
because the score was awful, neither team played well. But Kansas State hurt to me more because it was earlier in the year (by one week, yes), and we wanted to get revenge after the 06 loss that knocked us out of national title contention — maybe that actually is the worst loss ever, since we were very much in the national title hunt at that time (only loss was to OSU going into that game I think).
by pleaseplaykindle on Jul 2, 2009 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It actually wasn't one week earlier
I think you’re confusing the years a bit. It was a week earlier than the OU game (OU lost to Colorado that same day). We were in fact undefeated at that point, but that wasn’t a big deal since the Big 12 season just started, and we had looked very sloppy in our non-conference games.
I point to the A&M ‘07 game, even more so than the game in ’06, because of how terrible we looked. The only thing at stake at that point was an at-large BCS bid (also an outside shot at the Big 12, but since OU was not likely falling to OSU, it was a longshot). However, despite having less stakes than the A&M game previously, that was as poor, sloppy, and undisciplined I’ve ever seen a Mack Brown team play. The fact that we let Stephen McGee and that awful A&M offense pile up nearly 400 yards passing was just an embarrassment. In hindsight, some think those losses were good for us, forcing Mack to make changes and ultimately bringing in Muschamp. But man, talk about embarrassing. We lost to a terrible team and let them pile up 38 points on us, playing like a bunch of middle schoolers who didn’t practice all week. If I saw Akina anytime after that game, I would have slapped him over the head.
by TheElusiveShadow on Jul 2, 2009 9:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You're right
I was confusing 2006 and 2007. But thinking about it, I think the 06 loss to KState was worse than the 07 loss. If I remember correctly, we were ranked ahead of Florida when we lost to KState, and dropped to like #7 afterwards. That was the year that Florida went to the MNC and handily beat OSU — so its not like they didn’t deserve to be there — but I think with a win there and a healthy Colt against A&M, we had a shot at the MNC.
by pleaseplaykindle on Jul 2, 2009 10:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, we had the inside track
Just one of those “perfect” storm moments. Our starting QB gets knocked out on a QB sneak that scores, our defense gets beat by trick plays, our RB’s can’t hold onto the ball, and our receivers don’t help Snead by dropping a bunch of passes. Ugh.
by TheElusiveShadow on Jul 2, 2009 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Uh,
As far as most painful goes, please place Texas v Tech circa 2008 at A NUMERO UNO
"Stats are for losers, I like winning games."
by bendj on Jul 2, 2009 1:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Don't recall it
Arkie 2003 sucked because it was so damn hot
OU 2003 sucked because Texas was in it for 3 plays, but it can’t be on a worst games list because Vince’s legend really began there with that 60+ yard run
by 40AS on Jul 2, 2009 4:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
True
As awful as that game was, the silver lining is that we got to see what greatness would look like later.
by TheElusiveShadow on Jul 2, 2009 4:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I concur
"From the waist down, Earl Campbell has the biggest legs I have ever seen on a running back." -John Madden
by run Bevo run on Jul 2, 2009 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for the kind words, guys.
Just trying to do my part in the offseason. And work is DEAD.
by ctex80 on Jul 2, 2009 10:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I got chills
Watching the rose bowl victories and Ricky’s run.
by shaqui chan on Jul 2, 2009 10:39 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
This was fun watching
I forgot about a few of these…Thanks for the memories.
by jkovach on Jul 3, 2009 10:53 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I have to say...
… switch the 2008 OU game with the OSU Fiesta Bowl. OSU Fiesta Bowl was for posterity, OU game was for #1 in the country and being favored to win every game thereafter. Wins over #1 OU, especially in that way, are much more important than Fiesta Bowls.
by Horn Brain on Jul 7, 2009 12:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Good stuff
People do love lists and the videos make it all the better and more compelling, so thank you for trip down memory lane…in PB’s Preview Guide last summer, I did a Top 10 Wins and Losses Recap not too unlike this and it included most of the same games as you listed above…though I put the focus on significance of the win or loss as it pertained to helping or hindering UT win a title.
A little different than your parameters, but I thought I’d mention a couple of additional wins for discussion…
1) 2004 Comeback Win at KU – From an overall standpoint Texas played a pretty crappy game and people will always debate that offensive pass interference call on KU…but what’s not up for debate is Mack’s first trip to a BCS game doesn’t happen that year if UT loses. I also contend that that comeback convinced the team that as long as VY was under center, no deficit was insurmountable as long as there was time left on the clock…and you can’t tell me that didn’t play a role a year later in the 4th quarter of the Rose Bowl against USC.
2) The 1998 Win @ Nebraska was huge, but I actually think the 1999 win over NU was of greater import…we ended up losing to that same Nebraska team in the Big XII Championship a few months later and 1999 ended up being Mack’s worst year in the Loss column, but it was after that win in October that UT fans really started to believe that it was a matter of time before Mack brought a title to Austin.
3) 2007 Holiday Bowl against ASU – I think the jury is still out on just how significant the 2009 Fiesta Bowl will be in the Mack Brown era…no doubt it was thrilling win and one for the memories, but I’d argue that the win over ASU in the Holiday Bowl was more significant because it represented a change in Mack’s coaching philosophy, refocused the team, and IMO, made the magical 2008 season possible. If we go on to contend for a title in 2009, I’ll point back to that game as where it all started.
Anyway, 3 other wins to consider for fun.
Be nobody but yourself in a world that desperately wants you to be like everybody else.
by 54b on Jul 9, 2009 8:26 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Three huge games, to be sure.
I know that for many Texas fans (myself included) that Kansas game is when Vince attained superhero status.
And thanks for bringing up the 2007 Holiday Bowl. A great excuse to post this…(sorry I don’t know how to embed video in comments, if you even can)
by ctex80 on Jul 9, 2009 11:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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