Post-Game React: Texas 59 Louisiana-Monroe 20
by GhostofBigRoy on Sep 6, 2009 12:48 PM CDT
in Texas Longhorns Football
52 comments
The outcome was: Mostly satisfactory. The Longhorn offense moved the ball easily in the first half, scoring on their first two drives before exploding for 24 points in the second quarter, keyed by DJ Monroe's 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on his first collegiate touch. Monroe's return helped provide the Sportscenter highlight that voters always seem to like, as well as helping to establish that 59 point final tally that surely will help "Leave No Doubt." Nothing about the final score will come back to haunt Texas in the run towards Pasadena.
However, there were some unsavory aspects to the game, notably the three turnovers, including three fumbles, two by starting running back Vondrell McGee, and an interception by Colt McCoy that looked exactly like the pick-six thrown against Texas Tech last season after McCoy absolutely stared down John Chiles. Michael Huey got carted off the field with a leg injury that will test the Texas depth along the offensive line and Jared Norton appeared to hurt his arm or shoulder. Chykie Brown badly blew his assignment in coverage and gave up a long touchdown pass and the defensive line didn't get as much pressure against Troy Revell as expected against such an overmatched opponent.
Oh yeah, and McCoy barely completed more than 70% of his passes. Unacceptable. What happened to the Colt that we knew and loved?
The Offensive MVP was: Jordan Shipley. It's tempting to give this award to Monroe and his long kickoff return, as well as his nine carries for 64 yards, but it goes to Shipley and his team-leading eight catches for 180 yards and one touchdown. The numbers are impressive and Shipley will continue to remain McCoy's favorite target as long as he can stay healthy, but Shipley gets Offensive MVP honors because of his 78-yard touchdown catch, the type of play that Longhorn fans hope provides a glimpse of Shipley's ability to catch the deep the ball. More explosive plays downfield in the passing game will keep Shipley from catching as many short passes while he takes big hits from the defense. And hey, everyone likes big plays.
The offensive Offensive LVP was: Vondrell McGee. It's a little bit difficult to be too critical after a win that mostly lived up to even the highest of expectations, but after the coaches spent another spring and fall emphasizing ball security and after a season in which Longhorn running backs didn't lose a single fumble, McGee's two fumbles against Louisiana-Monroe were unacceptable. Had Fozzy Whittaker been healthy or Cody Johnson more ready to be an every-down back, McGee probably wouldn't have touched the ball much after the two miscues. It was difficult to tell on the replays what McGee was doing wrong, but the bottom line is that he needs to protect the ball much better as the season wears on. Hopefully the mistakes were anomalies and the fumbles don't become a trend.
The Defensive MVP was: Sam Acho. On a night when the defensive line wasn't overly impressive in their ability to get to the quarterback and finish the play, Acho showed off his high-level motor and nose for the football, recovering two ULM fumbles and finishing with four tackles. The Longhorns will need more than just Sergio Kindle playing well to replace the lost production of Brian Orakpo and Henry Melton and Acho's game on Saturday night indicated that he's ready to finally step into a major role on the team after two years as a bit player. Will Muschamp must be pleased about that.
The offensive Defensive LVP was: Chykie Brown. Much like the offensive Offensive LVP, putting anyone in this slot in a blowout that didn't even stay close very long might be overly critical. Brown's trangressions are really just a single trangression, the 75-yard touchdown allowed to the speedy Luther Ambrose when Brown blew his assignment in coverage. Placed in the context of the game and the fact that Ambrose is one of the fastest receivers, if not the fastest, that the Longhorns will play this season, the play isn't much to get worked up about, except for the fact that Brown is supposed to compete with Aaron Williams for the title of lock-down corner on the team and major mistakes that result in long touchdowns just won't cut it, not when there are players behind Brown waiting hungrily for their own opportunities.
Garrett Gilbert watch: 4/5 for 46 yards, one carry for 12 yards and a touchdown. One of the most satisfactory parts of the game was the poised performance of the true freshman quarterback when he finally entered the game in the fourth quarter, replacing starter Colt McCoy. His lone drive was everything that one could expect from a player just months removed from leading his own high school team, as Gilbert helped march the Longhorns 73 yard down the field on 10 plays. Besides his accuracy and poise in the pocket completing four passes and another that DeSean Hales could have caught, Gilbert finished the drive with a nifty 12-yard touchdown scramble up the middle in which he provided a glimpse at the collegiate level of his improved running ability that aided Lake Travis in the playoffs last fall. Heartening indeed.
Wyoming Fear Factor: 0 out of 10. (5) is the baseline. +1 for the altitude at War Memorial Stadium, -1 for the new coach, Dave Christensen, having little time to establish his system, -1 because the offense was terrible last season, -2 because they lost their top two running backs, -2 because it's Wyoming.
Heading into next week I feel: Teased. Football is finally here, people, and I want more of it. The 60 minutes played on Saturday night were just a beginning, just a tease, and my thirst is nigh unquenchable after the eight-month offseason. Teased by the potential of the electric DJ Monroe, teased by the thre catches by Marquise Goodwin, teased by Shipley's long touchown catch. More, please!
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Buckner
Add Dan to the list of pleasant surprises. Donde es Sergio? Don’t think I heard his name all night. With the disappointing night for Mal Williams I’m not sure how patient the coaches are going to be with the emergence of Buckner, Goodwin and Monroe. If Brandon Collins doesn’t come back we a short a possession guy. I still think we will see Timmons. If I’m Vondrell or Malcolm I know the clock is ticking. I kind of like the idea that they scored 20 points. It gives Boom extra incentive to abuse this week.
Good stuff as always.
i dont know what the deal with m williams was
the first two drives were short fields, so i could see why he wasnt inclluded in those, but the third drive was 60+ yards and still no williams, even in 5 wr sets, it was always ship, chiles, buck, and kirk. when williams finally came in, he missed a pass that sailed a little. i dont know if they were trying to hide him or what, but i think the jury is still out, we shouldnt jump to conclusions until after the tech game
by future_longhorn_dad on Sep 6, 2009 1:53 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
tease indeed
ya talk about blue balls. seriously, i was there for my first ever game at dkr and it wasn’t as “electric” as i had expected. likely this was because of the opponent and seemingly unimportance of the game, but every one is freakin important!
and OU lost, which proves the point. ULM isnt Tech, and that game is two weeks away.
the horns looked great, dont get me wrong, we just need to assure readiness for the games that are right around the corner
mccoy-2-shipley better than adam weber-2-eric decker of minnesota? i think so… thoughts?
by longhornORgopher? on Sep 6, 2009 2:25 PM CDT reply actions
It was a good crowd, IMO
I attended all last year, and granted there was a great crowd last year at the Missouri game, but for games with an opponent like this that were 35-10 at the half, no one stuck around last year like they did last night.
Fans are excited about this season and it’s showing. The Tech game is going to be a blast.
To have a really good time you need to be by the student section. The people in the Alumni sections are always arguing over when to stand and when to sit.
Thanks, Big Roy
Thorough. Better than anything the daily prints offered up. Couple of statistics from this precinct:
I counted 16 gains of 2 yards or less (49 rushes), though that’s a bit misleading. Two were during run-out-the-clock time, three were on Cody’s short TDs and he had a 1-yarder to the 1-yard-line before one of the scores. One was on McCoy and might have been a sack (didn’t see the game). Still a lot of "near-zero" plays.
If the stats/box on MB-TF are correct, 9 true freshmen got in: Gilbert, Matthews, Walters, Okafor, Howell, Davis, Vaccaro, Barnett and Goodwin (who now counts against the scholarship limit).
No Mention of No-Huddle?
Roy, I usually enjoy your cogent analysis, but I was more excited about this game than you and it was much more than satisfactory for me. For starters, as b&g mentioned Buckner’s 3 catches were a great sign of things to come and you can’t say enough about Monroe. I get the feeling he is going to be starting and get a lot more of the load before long.
Most importantly was the 2nd drive up tempo or no-huddle, with a lot of downhill running (though from a 4- or 5- wide set), exactly something PB has commented on before.
11:29 Drive Starts on UT 36
1&10 UT 36 Chiles makes catch at LOS and nice inside move to gain 7
2&3 UT 43 McGee runs downhill off right side for 6 more. 1st down
(somehow Fox says its 2&2 (huh?))
1&10 UT 49 (2&2 accd. to Fox) Chiles drops a pass
2&10 UT 49 (3&2 accd. to Fox) Buckner sits under zone and gets 1st down with YAC
1&10 LM 40 McGee again right side downhill for 7
(by now Fox has quit trying to post down and distance)
2&2 LM 33 ULM line is not set, McGee again right side downhill for 6
(announcers finally mention UT is in up tempo)
1&10 LM 27 Fake hand-off to right, McCoy naked boot, hits Shipley for 22
1&G LM 5 Hix and Huey both pull on trap, Johnson gets to 2
2&G LM 2 again ULM line not set, Johnson is still stopped
3&G LM 1 First huddle, off the right side, Johnson scores
8:53
That series right there told me tons about what this team is capable of doing. Great play-calling and we never saw the up tempo again as Davis saw what he needed.
Other than blown coverage on the big play, I thought the defense played really well.
McCoy over 71.4% is "Unacceptable."?
Also, I’m assuming Big Roy tongue is planted firmly in Ghost cheek on that comment.
71.4% 317 yards 2TDs. 118 schools in FBS would be thrilled for those numbers.
Yeah I think he was serious.
Are you kidding me? If McCoy wants to lead this team to a championship he has to at LEAST match those numbers from last year. Especially against an overmatched opponent like ULM. Gilbert looked better than he did last night (4/5 = 80%). Another mediocre performance like this from McCoy, and I can see Coach Davis giving Gilbert a few more looks (and maybe the reins come Oklahoma).
by pleaseplaykindle on Sep 6, 2009 3:42 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
No Way
Colt played really well, and may be not as well as his season average last year but come on, who are we kidding here…
Scoring at a time when the defence is down 59-13 is different than at the start of the game when the score is 0-0…
It was the season opener and ULM knew what it was getting into and they did not have anything to lose. Given that and the fact that this was the first game tells me that these were early jitters that will go away. Remember, Collins was not in the game which takes away some level of comfort that Colt had with the offence. He has to know that he can trust the new receivers. Also when your running back coughs up the ball twice, its bound to affect your game.
Also as far as I saw the defensive line did put pressure on the QB, the only problem was that they did not finish what they started. They put pressure on him and he would escape from pressure and a sack only to complete the pass. Execution is important here and I am thinking Muschamp is working on that this week
oh come on...
now you’re just sounding like a Colt apologist – making excuses for a 71.4%, 317 yard effort…
by Pflash on Sep 6, 2009 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
As if this thread isn't beat to s**t
Colt was 21 for 29, which is actually 72.4%, not 71.4% as previously mentioned. I get percentages correct 98.2% of the time.
Kudos to Mack on Monroe
I thought that kid had one foot out of the program and the other one on a banana peel. I want to give Mack and probably Rucker some real props for sticking with him, getting him focused on his academics, and then finding creative ways to utilize him yesterday. That’s coaching.
Misc. thoughts and early jumps to conclusions
-Gilbert looked extremely cool and composed
-Kenny Vaccaro opened some eyes. Hard to believe he is less than a year away from a serious knee injury.
-I don’t understand burning the redshirt of 3 DB’s with the depth we have. Maybe an indication that Scott’s troubles can’t be overcome?
-McCoy seemed a little off. I wonder if they were purposely asking him to look for some bigger plays, considering the competition, instead of hitting the dump off receivers he had available all night. Could have very easily been a 2 INT night. I think this was a good example of how using his legs for a few runs can open up the passing game even more.
-Speaking of Colt, I really wish the coaches would have given him at least a few shots to throw TD’s on the goal situations. It’s not like they don’t already know what they have in Johnson. Another couple of TD’s at the end of the year when Heisman races are tight could make a difference. Heck, do a throw to Cobbs or Houston out of the backfield if you don’t want an obvious passing play. Just sayin.
-I’ve wanted McGee to shine for 3 years, but at this point I think it it time to put him back on the bench and see what Newton, Hills and Monroe can do with more carries. He is not near the playmaker Charles was, and the staff sat Charles after fumble problems.
-Acho looked good, but defense didn’t have the pass rush I’d expected. Kindle had a pretty quiet night. I wonder if the defense as a whole might be better going back to a base 4-3, with Acho and another DE on the line and Kindle back at the Buck position.
-Eddie Jones looked pretty good.
-Disagree with BigRoy on giving Ch. Brown somewhat of a pass on the long TD he gave up. It’s not like he got beat in a foot race, he was in the wrong position – something that has been an issue with him for 3 years.
-Absolutely love that DJ Monroe, Goodwin and Williams & Williams got chances on KO returns. Don’t really see it with Earl Thomas on PR’s. He doesn’t seem to have great hands, fielded one when he should have made a fair catch and another when he was at the 10 and should have let it go into the end zone.
Here's some responses.
Colt was tight the first half. Mack noted this in his after-game interview and Shipley verified that to some degree; Mack noted Colt’s puts a lot of pressure on himself that he just doesn’t need to be doing. That is, Colt knows everything, he just needed to relax and let the game come to him. One of the reasons they kept him in through the third quarter “to get him on track.”
Craig Way said they looked at McGee’s fumbles. Both were helmet on the ball situations – that they didn’t see any careless ball handling on McGee’s part. If accurate, that is good news. We should be able to see that on replay on Tuesday at 11 a.m on FSSW. Doesn’t mean that the coaches shouldn’t put attention on that, just there were extenuating circumstances. Maybe a problem with how McGee is engaging tacklers, running too high, pad level too high, etc.
OL was not overpowering in running game. Outside speed seem to provide more gains than inside power.
Chykie was beat on a double move by their 10.3 guy while there was a full blitz. He didn’t handle the one-on-one very well; you must respect speed like that (unless you’re a 10.2 guy).
Goodwin can approach DJ’s speed and this gives the Horns the opportunity to put both of them on the field at the same time, both from LOS and on returns. Shades of 2005.
If Chykie could have held the coverage
The ULM QB was about to take a full steam hit from what looked like an unblocked blitzing corner.
That play could have been big for us, instead of for them. :(
The replays on Godzillatron at the game showed McGee's fumbles as solid helmet-on-ball hits by ULM.
Defenders planted him right at waist level with their helmets while he was still a bit too high (on the one replay I can remember).
by HornPossessed on Sep 6, 2009 6:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Acho looked good, but defense didn’t have the pass rush I’d expected. Kindle had a pretty quiet night. I wonder if the defense as a whole might be better going back to a base 4-3, with Acho and another DE on the line and Kindle back at the Buck position.
I suspect it has more to do with Muschamp’s unwillingness to show his hand against ULM. If you recall he said earlier in the offseason that opposing teams would “need a GPS to find Kindle” on the playing field. Kindle’s positioning and blitz packages yesterday were basically vanilla, with him lining up at DE the whole time and occasionally dropping back into coverage (he did defense a pass in the endzone once — its true, he can cover?).
I fully expect that by OU time, Kindle will register more than two tackles and be drawing the eyes of the opposing QBs wherever he is on the field — and it will never be the same place twice.
by pleaseplaykindle on Sep 6, 2009 9:46 PM CDT up reply actions
Clarification:
-I don’t understand burning the redshirt of 3 DB’s with the depth we have. Maybe an indication that Scott’s troubles can’t be overcome?
Although generally redshirting means you don’t play in a game AT ALL for an entire year, there are exceptions that can be made, such as playing less than 10% of games. Instead of a guaranteed redshirt at the beginning of the season if the play never steps on the field, a player who plays just a little bit as a freshman can still be given a redshirt if the NCAA grants it to him at the END of the season (it’s an application process).
I would absolutely LOVE
to see DJ catch a wheel route out of the backfield…that kid can flat out fly..
I really hope you guys were kidding when you said 71% was not good enough from Colt…because that is absurd..the pick was bad yes, and he was off but 71% is still very very good, if not great.
the people trash talking mccoy’s performance and saying he needs to step up are clearly joking and are only saying that to show the ridiculous expectations we have of Colt this season… stop getting your panties in a twist.
by Displaced Longhorn on Sep 6, 2009 5:47 PM CDT reply actions
This is all pretty similar to my list
1. Colt and the receiving corps look dangerous as hell. Chiles, Kirk, Buckner, and Shipley all had some good plays under their belts by the end of the night as Colt worked the ball around.
2. The line looks about the same as last year, but McGee looked improved. Like he said he seemed better at reading the holes, but then he would fumble when he cut back through them. Since he didn’t lose a fumble once last year, I’m guessing this isn’t the start of a trend, but something that can be worked on.
3. More of D.J. Monroe, let’s milk that guy for all he’s worth. He showed vision and speed.
4. Acho, Houston, and Randall all looked excellent, but once the B team came in, the D-line caved. Makes me really think we’re paper thin at DT. Our starters are fine, but after them it didn’t look like we had anyone.
5. Ch. Brown blew coverage to hand ULM 7 points, and one of McGee’s fumbles put them in position for 3. Otherwise, I think the D would have shut out ULM in the first half, as it should have been.
Gives us a lot to think about. I agree with Muschamp, if we want to win a national championship, we can’t be giving up 20… ever. Especially against ULM. I’m watching the D like a hawk next week against Wyoming. If we don’t hold them to 3 points, or shut them out, I’d tamper my expectations of winning the big pie.
Muschamp may be just setting up for practice.
Texas substituted early and often on the defense, something I think they needed to do. And by doing that, you’re going to give up some points. I consider it a necessary investment. A few more games in and the unit can get greedy, but right now it is important to get everyone playing time.
I hope that's the case
Because giving up 20 to ULM didn’t fill me with the warm and fuzzies. Offense looked as good, if not potentially better than last year. But I’m still out on whether or not the defense has improved.
Last year, no team went over two touchdowns against us up until OU.
It will happen again next game
I imagine practicing in 107 degree heat still isn’t quite preparation for the elevation of Laramie.
"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 Sep 6, 2009 11:26 PM CDT up reply actions
I didn't get to see the game
I was attending another one and I would’ve expected you to be correct with this statement:
Monroe’s return helped provide the Sportscenter highlight that voters always seem to like
but since I watched the Sportscenter highlights I know they only showed three of the McCoy to Ship passes. I had to youtube the Monroe return to see it. Man, that guy’s fast!
For John Chiles
this was probably mentioned a few times during last night’s game thread, but I think Chiles deserves some praise for the way he has handled the position change. From what I have gathered, he has taken the move well, worked hard and appears as though he will be a contributor to the offense this season.
Texas football, gameday threads, post-game reactions—I’m so glad it’s back.
Agree, zissou. I t hink he's going to be a valuable asset.
What Texas has – which is not yet widely appreciated – is a lot of weapons, with great combos of speed and athletic ability.
What OU discovered – with or without Bradford – is that they have far fewer weapons this year.
Okafor
Number 80 seemed to be within a bees dick of more than a few sacks and tackles for losses.
No love for Muckelroy?
he probably recorded the most tackles last night
Tied with Vaccaro actually.
Much had an excellent game — he’s so consistent all the time that sometimes you almost don’t notice how well he’s playing until you stop and think about it.
by GhostofBigRoy on Sep 6, 2009 10:23 PM CDT up reply actions
some others worth mentioning
besides Monroe’s big night and how well Chiles has fit into the WR role its worth mentioning that Keenan Robinson looked terrific last night. If Scott is ineligible, Robinson is probably the guy that is best suited to take his hybrid spot. He was flying to the ball and had at least one deflection and several contested passes.
Muck had a nice hit and all in all the LBs look like they are going to be making plays this year.
Kudos to Tre Newton in limited playing time. He looks to be in great shape and may become the 3rd down specialist when the time comes.
Alex Okafor looks to be a beast.
I don’t remember when exactly this happened, but he had an epic TFL at DE, when he was supposed to be blitzing. He saw the RB with the ball, stayed home on the blitz and made a strong, sure tackle on the guy dropping him for a 5-6 yard loss. That is not a play any old freshman DE makes.
by pleaseplaykindle on Sep 6, 2009 7:25 PM CDT reply actions
He's really hit the weight room
Saw him at the Alamo Bowl and my first thought was he looked too skinny to play this year. Not only did he not look skinny, but he actually looked BIG out there last night.
Howell had a couple of PF penatlies, but both times they were when he’d gotten through the line and was in a position to make a play. I thought the late hit on the QB was a little iffy.
Colt's "below average" completion %
I blame the ’stache
by goingforthecorner on Sep 6, 2009 9:33 PM CDT reply actions
I blame shaving the 'stache.
Sapped some of his power.
by GhostofBigRoy on Sep 6, 2009 10:24 PM CDT up reply actions
I blame ULM
On that first INT McCoy made a hard pump fake, but ULM was just oto slow to jump on it so when McCoy immediately let it loose they were not of position yet. McCoy wanted that back the minute it left his fingers.
I bit the bullet and paid for the game. Things I noticed:
- The o-line didn’t look quite as good as I was hoping it would against at team like ULM.
- McGee ran very well. Peaple just need to calm the F down. He hasn’t had a fumbling problem before this, so it’s unlikely he suddenly developed one, and is instead more likely that the solid hits they put on him caused the fumbles. He ran hard and averaged 4.7 ypc. He did well blocking. He will be a good every down back.
- Monroe will be a GREAT change of pace back. Dude is fast. And great at returning kicks.
- I thought Thomas did well at PR. He didn’t have any great returns, but after watching the OkSt game, I had a greater appreciation for sucking it up and catching the ball at the 25 risking getting hit rather than letting the ball hit the ground and get downed inside the 10. That hurt OkSt a lot. There was one he caught at the ~5 that I think he probably should have let bounch, but otherwise I think he did a good job of keeping them from being downed farther back.
- Thought I would hear Kindle’s name more, but the D looked pretty vanilla. Acho, Jones, Okafor, and many others played very well though. A lot of motor and energy. We did have a blown coverage or two, butI feel pretty good about our D.
Did anyone else suddenly develop turrets and break out in a cold sweat when we ran that zone read from our 2 yard line? I had flash backs to Texas Tech last year. The play happened in slow motion for me. That’s probably because it takes so damn long to develop. Why the hell did we run that?! Didn’t we learn last year? That took so long to get going, and our line didn’t block that well, that anyone with a decent D would have dropped us on the 1 or worse. We need to pass or run fast downhill in situations like that. We shouldn’t hand the ball to the RB and have him stand on the goal line while he waits for a whole to open up.
tech
the play at tech last year for the safety had Colt under center and handing off and then a tackle for a loss…
Is there going to be a replay?
Anybody know?
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.
No Huddle on FSN, Tuesday 11am
"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 Sep 7, 2009 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions
Marquise Goodwin
He is blazing fast, great hands, and good vision. I was so excited to see him play when Gilbert came in. He is going to be a lot of fun to watch.
Mack switching him from the Track and Field schollie to football shows how Mack must think of his talent.
Not taking anything away from DJ Monroe’s awesome performane, but I think Goodwin is faster than Monroe (MG ran a 10.24 for to get a silver medal in the 2008 state finals and he is listed as a 4.34 40). The two of them on the field at the same time—Blazing!! Nobody is going to have faster guys.
The game was a blast, and folks on the alumni side stayed all the way until the last few minutes even though it was raining lightly. Fans are pumped up…some of the older alums around me were talking about maybe we should sell alcohol in the stadium to get the crowd rowdier. Would help!!
Those two burners will really pressure a defense
which should help Shipley and whoever the other receiver might be in that set. No cheating by the safeties – those two can almost dictate the defense.
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