The Silence of the Herd

but everyone down the line knows the Horns will wake up…and they may eye-to-eye with them.

I will predict that fewer longhorns will play in this game.

When it gets down to nut crunching time in sport, you put the best on the field as long as you can.

We’ve had the luxury of playing a lot of kids on both sides of the ball.

I prefer kick returners who aren’t every down players on D who get tired late in the game, affecting judgment and their legs. There are exceptions but not many. Call it the Curry effect. Mike Adams is a good example.

Texas won their first national championship with him. Safeties are tougher. (Players went both ways in ’63 with some liberalized substitution…Duke started at safety in ’62.)

Against an option offense, you either let the QB keep it and beat the living hell out of him or you have him pitch every time and still hit him, with your best tackler on the pitch man. Penetration will screw up the play as well.

Don’t know if DJ can handle the ball that well…he was an RB in HS..but you never know what they might brew up…the offense needs to score to set up the defense and that would call going with what they execute best. We make enough mistakes with what we allegedly know well.

He was a passing QB in HS. He was recruited as an athlete by some schools and ended up at NU. He actually throws pretty well but when you are shredding D’s on the ground why run?

On the Road Again is a great song, especially for this state.

The Horns really need a cut loose game. This will tell us a lot about this group as a team. The should be having a sort of Alamo feeling by now.

The only three loss streak was ‘99 and that included a bowl game (Arkansas) when Kwami Cavil, our leading receiver and the MLB (De’Andre Lewis, if I’m remembering correctly), leader of the D, went out for a smoke and the team got zonked in the Cotton Bowl. This was a late season collapse as well. No three straight losses in the regular season for Mack (knock, knock on wood.)

As an unranked team we are suddenly more dangerous.

Hook ’em, baby.

With even a modicum of support, the D can do just fine. With a lead, you can ramp up the aggression a notch. With a solid lead, the D can go into full predatory mode where it is best.

Whoever is on T-Mart better be a sure tackler…this is where Machete, as much as we love his killer hits, can’t afford to go into full rocket thrust blast mode if the QB keeps. He has to make the tackle. The option falls more on the DE, our strength, so the next line of defense has to be really smart in their response.

No more script errors. Playing winning ball is the key to any decent outcome. Can they do it? Sure. But will they?

You’re right and DKR said it best.

I appreciate the compliment. Trying to lively up everyone. My time is so limited I doubt I can visit, but you never know.

Actually I minimized the attack on your culture and emphasized that of Texas. However, my outlook for your future in the Big 10 has improved with your adoption of a successful option attack.

There was an article in SI I think at the end of summer stating that there were plenty of OL players in the 280-90 range which tend to get passed over for the behemoths that passing teams use. But it pointed out those smaller, faster and more agile players would make excellent players for option teams and named NU as one of those who could benefit directly. In addition, there are some fine running QBs out there that just get passed over for the current passing era. So, now that NU has found an offensive means to score consistently.to compliment their enhanced defense, I think you can be much more successful in the Big 10 and give youself a better basis for diversifying your attack and for recruiting what you need. Really, it comes down to effectively using what raw material you can get…a great team is usually more than the sum of its parts.

I do think your AD went way over the line. Don’t know why. Use to respect his teams a hell of a lot…just some tough as nails football. But this was just a little too much. And as someone who was a sports reporter and editor, Perino’s press relations and presence in the preseason were juvenile…it doesn’t take much more effort to be direct and even handed.

Yeah, I changed the quite/quiet…usually I’m a nazi about such shit myself, so I really have no defense for such errors. In the spirit of the time, I will blame GD anyway for shifting my ’i’s, ’t’s and ’e’s.

On your final point, ah, we don’t be telling Texas women much…they already know what they want anyway. And if you need a boost like that, you already have plenty of problems (and herpie is not a good leading name whatever the derivation).

 I do think we’ll give you a game next Saturday.

Come around anytime.

I’m not so good in the mopin’ around, down-in-the-mouth state of mind. Toga on.