Postgame React: Texas 34 Rice 17
by Peter Bean on Sep 5, 2010 12:37 AM CDT
in Texas Longhorns Football
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I spent the entire morning on the phone trying to sort out an issue with my cable box that didn't get resolved by kickoff so I'm without DVR and won't be able to re-watch this one immediately. Still, after coming home and perusing some of the comments, I've got a few quick late night thoughts.
First, on a meta level, I suspect that a lot of the handwringing is tied to the final score, which looks uncomfortably unlike the kind of blowout you'd expect to see of a title-contending team. There are reasons to think Texas is a year away from being a title-contending team, but at least in my view today's outcome isn't really one of them. For starters, this game wasn't all that different from any number of 52-10s that Texas has laid on overmatched opponents. A few bad breaks and botched gimmes are the entire difference -- on the scoreboard -- between this game ending 49-10 and 34-17.
Moreover, a lot of what we saw today portends well for the future. It was choppy, and my God we were tight, but the basic picture was a pretty one. I think it's going to be fairly easy to identify what stands between Texas and high elite status, and my sense today is the same as it was heading into the season -- that the question is more likely when, than if. I'm on record as thinking this year a stepping stone to next, but I didn't see today's performance as guaranteeing that they can't get there sooner.
In other words: Save for a few disappointing missed opportunities, I thought our performance today was just fine. We were solid, mostly quite good, definitely raw in the expected areas, but bursting with promise and plenty capable of overwhelming lesser opponents. As far as I'm concerned, there's not much newly true today that wasn't true heading into the game. And some of the performances from newcomers were even more encouraging than I'd hoped for.
All told, I'll take it. We're still a Big 12 title contender, still capable of losing a game or three, and still capable of quickly jelling into something fearsome pretty quickly. That'll do.
A few quick notes off the top of my head:
- Kenny Fracking Vaccaro. I was high on him heading in because of his instincts, but he was even better in live action today than I'd contemplated.
- I thought Gilbert played not to make mistakes today, and that's fine for the season opener versus Rice. It doesn't concern me, nor do I recommend he adopt the approach heading forward. Cool, it's game one, and the recognition of responsibility is not unappreciated. Gilbert managed the game well, and I appreciate the desire. Now, go get after it. (He will, and with it will come a lot more to like, plus some mistakes.)
- It was weird being out of town for fall practices and having to take everyone's word on Cody Johnson, but at least after one game, I'm sticking with my evaluation heading into the summer. All things considered I'm happy to give it a more extended look, but I didn't see the kind of lateral movement that I suspect our backs will need to succeed. Without watching the game again on DVR, it's tough to say definitively, but my sense from today is that we'll still need a back with some shiftiness and burst. Again, I'll give it more time, but my Fozzy fantasies aren't dead yet.
- That said, our run game didn't benefit much from our approach today. We were deliberate in a somewhat understandable, if unhelpful, way. Coupled with a conservative, avoid-mistakes passing game, our run game isn't powerful enough to overpower opponents regardless, but I can still envision Johnson as the right fit for a more robust attack. So we'll see... If we need the tailback regularly to make lemonade out of lemons, Johnson's probably not the best choice. (That would be Newton.)
- Malcolm Williams impressed me today. That's just worth saying. Because whatever practice issues he's had, he looked like a steady veteran today. Good sign.
- Our punch at the point of attack on the interior of the defensive line was not what it was last year (Randall is so sexy, but we're doomed without him), but we held up well enough, and the play from our ends was, if anything, better than expected (and the expectations were high). As this defensive line hits its stride, we're going to become a tougher and tougher defense to crack. Jackson Jeffcoat is really, really fun to watch. It's shocking that he's a true freshman.
I'll leave it right there for now and head to bed to sleep on it. I'm right about where I was heading into the day, only a hell of a lot happier. Football season is back.
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It's interesting to think that
for this season Gilbert hasn’t been sacked, thrown an interception, fumbled or have a L. That sounds pretty good to me. And he’ll get his touchdowns, don’t worry. Malcolm did indeed look good, I really hope this is his year! Defense is solid. Vaccaro is scary. On to next week!
"You never lose a game if the opponent doesn't score." - Darrell Royal
by BMC237 on Sep 5, 2010 12:45 AM CDT reply actions
Malcolm
As far as catching the ball, yes he did. As far as the catch and run, no. There was 2 plays where his knees buckled and he fell to the ground for the catch. 1 of them if he had just ran through and caught the ball then ran, Gilbert would’ve had a passing TD.
by Ryan2907 on Sep 5, 2010 7:48 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
He did catch a quick out on 3rd down...
and carry the DB past the 1st down marker and out of bounds. Or that’s what it looked like from the other side of Reliant Stadium.
by twn202hornsup on Sep 5, 2010 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions
The misleading score aside
there were a few negative points that stand out, namely getting thoroughly outplayed in special teams by Rice, Tucker’s missed field goals, and allowing Rice to get a goal-line stand early in the game.
If UT really wanted to win this game 45-10, they probably could, but made a point to give the running game plenty of reps even at the expense of scoring touchdowns. The question is will these additional reps even help us, and will GD be able to simply “turn on the switch” and call a balanced game when the game is actually in doubt?
While watching the game at Reliant, I came up with an interesting question – do we miss Colt McCoy more or Jordan Shipley? McCoy was the more experienced, accurate QB with the ability to scramble (though I’d like to point out the impressive play today where Gilbert avoided the sack and was able to throw it out of bounds in the 1st half), and Shipley was one of the most consistent and dependable receivers we’ve ever had. Since I think Gilbert has the higher ceiling and can use his arm strength to make throws Colt can’t, I think losing Shipley hurts this offense more than losing Colt. Malcolm Williams had a nice game, but I wouldn’t call him reliable until I see a long stretch of good games. I think Goodwin might be our most reliable WR right now.
by goingforthecorner on Sep 5, 2010 1:11 AM CDT reply actions
Goodwin is God
Not literally, but figuratively. Man I love that kid. I was encouraged by how we seemed eager to use him today. My pre-season expectations are still sky-high.
You ain't hurt...
Not sure if Gilbert/Goodwin are roommates
but they might as well be, because you can easily see the chemistry that pair has had going back to last season
by goingforthecorner on Sep 5, 2010 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Good point
about the roommates. I think it is the combination of both Colt and Jordan. Whether it was fishing, vacuuming the room, shopping for the groceries, or crooning…those guys were syncronicity. It will be a long time before we see a tandem like that grace the forty acres.
Shipley and Quan
made Colt look a lot better than he was IMO. I think you will see this in the NFL. I think Shipley should have been the Heisman candidate last year, not Colt.
Well looking at our other recievers
it’s not hard to see why he went to those two. Still Colt is and was extremely accurate, and is able to build chemistry with his receivers. It’s a combo not a one sided affair.
Although I'm not a Jets fan, and most certainly not a USC fan, I'll root for any team that Mark Sanchez plays for. Mark Sanchez for Superbowl MVP and President 2012. The change that only I can believe in.
um
Did you not see this?
Fellow Browns rookie Colt McCoy got his first pro start and went a perfect 13 of 13 for 131 yards in two-plus quarters. The former Texas star fumbled his first snap, but finally showed some potential in easily his best performance of an otherwise rough preseason.
Never ask a man if he's from Texas. If he is, he'll tell you soon enough. If he's not, don't embarrass him.
what a bunch of sunshine pumpers
you take away the fumble for a td return and we only win by 10 vs one of the worst defenses in college football….
we are gonna lose to Tech, A&M and maybe OSU… seriously
"We'll be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!"
I really enjoy the irony
of your perpetually defeatist attitude juxtaposed against the pure optimism and cockiness of the quote in your sig.
If you're so sure of what it ain't, how about telling us what it am!
Hey Debbie Downer,
did you forget Baylor too?….
by SneezyBeltran on Sep 5, 2010 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions
but apparently
we still beat OU and Nebraska.
Stumpy: It's called the '80s. Ford was president, Nixon was in the White House, and FDR was running this country into the ground. I was bummin' in a hole-in-the-wall town in what is now called "Utah".
I'm not sure if you get the big picture of what happened yesterday.
We are switching offensive philosophies. We are going to have growing pains, and we are going to rely on our defense to win us some games. I also think you, and I have underestimated Rice, based on last year’s record. They returned yearly everyone, and didn’t reveal what type of offense they will run. They ran a zone-read all day with a very agile QB, and a very quick RB. They also used alot of different angles running the option than Muschamp planned.
With that said, we made great progress in stopping the Rice offense by the 2nd quarter, while only a fluke catch and a muffed punt cost us 14 points. For as many Longhorns who saw action for the first time yesterday, being able to make that adjustment that quickly is a very good thing. Secondly, we didn’t tip our hand, and we dominated the LOS against a surprisingly athletic Rice front 4. I’m not saying we would dominate OU’s front 4 with the way we played yesterday, but that is beside the point.
We established the run, had very few penalties, Huey and Mitchell looked decent, and we only had one turnover. I feel that we did exactly what we wanted to do. Our days of having 500+ yards on a continual basis are most likely going to fall. Thats just the way it is once we get away from the spread. Sorry.
We won the game decisively and we still have work to be done. This is why we PAY coaches to do what they do! This is a good thing for the bigger picture.
Stumpy: It's called the '80s. Ford was president, Nixon was in the White House, and FDR was running this country into the ground. I was bummin' in a hole-in-the-wall town in what is now called "Utah".
(Applauds)
"You never lose a game if the opponent doesn't score." - Darrell Royal
by BMC237 on Sep 5, 2010 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions
I´m no pessimist
For sure Greenspoint is a defeatist probably stemming from some form of parental rejection as a youth. I am generally and optimist and felt this year´s Horns would be a solid contender for a berth in the MNC. I do have to admit I was a little down after yesterday´s game. PB post helped a little – but I am really concerned about the offense. First, I was in a casino and bet Texas -30 and never felt like I had a chance of winning. Downer. But what really concerns me is that we could not impose our will to run on Rice on the goal line. Cojo did not impress me very much, so I am thinking that we will not be able to run against Big XII defenses. Obviously OU and NU – but also TT and Whitlock. So what happens if we cannot run? Do we morph into a less effective 2009 passing game, no Ship or Colt? Or do we just flat out not have an identity and are left trying to figure out if GD has any semblance of a clue? Obviously only Greenspoint will panic – but color me slightly worried as well.
Note to Bill Byrne "Because you aren´t Texas and you´ll never be Texas"
Kriess, you make a good point about the defensive adjustments
I took my buddy to the game with me and he played football at West Point. He pointed out to me after the UT defense came off the field that they were huddled up and already adjusting. He said that’s one of the differences in a UT and Rice.
As the first half went on, the adjustments could be seen as the defense played pretty well and caught on to Rice and their schemes
by SneezyBeltran on Sep 5, 2010 4:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Perhaps I'm insane
or, at the very minimum, in the minority, but I thought this was the most encouraging opener in years.
1) This game was clearly used as a pre-season game, meant to test new schemes and gain new personnel some meaningful experience (my contention is that this staff has not done this in the past, but instead has opened previous seasons with the pretentious attitude that their identity had already been established). Most NFL teams use their preseason games similarly, save for the fact that they have the luxury of losing them. Consider that we didn’t have that luxury, yet we were able to accomplish nearly everything we wanted without ever really losing control. That isn’t easy. All things considered, a more reflective score should have been something like 41-10, which is fine.
2) This defense is ridiculous. I recall something like 18 completely irrational moments of individual brilliance, and the starters were one bad break away from holding Rice to 3 points.
3) Gilbert’s debut probably couldn’t have been much better under the circumstances. Face it. We’ve expected this kid to take over the offense for well over a year now, so we’re used to thinking about it to the point of desensitization. Today was the kid’s first start. And yet he looked mostly comfortable, poised, he made some great throws, and made no real mistakes (which is critical). Had he been involved in an offense closer to the one designed for Colt, then his numbers would undoubtedly have looked more like Colt’s. But today he was asked to preside over a power running game, and he did so very competently.
4) For the first time in my Longhorn life I didn’t entirely hate Greg Davis’ scheming (…his play-calling is another story). Significantly, this is the first year I don’t feel like we were lied to. He said he wanted to implement a downhill running game…and he did. [Wow. I mean. Just wow. Sorry, I need a moment here] Considering this offense is new to most of our players (even throughout their high school careers), things went relatively well, save for a few stalls here and there. But I could swear I saw GD actually making adjustments when certain things weren’t working. What a concept.
5) We looked really really balanced. The running game, while not perfect, was a significant improvement, and the passing game is there if we need to revert to it. I think Mack is trying to stay ahead of the curve as the spread offense is about to hit its critical mass, at which point we may begin to see a return to balanced offenses dominating (Alabama’s title may have already portended this). Mack may also be considering the transition to the Gilbert – MalcolmBrown era, and would rather put the training wheels on now as opposed to next year.
Overall, we’re looking at a smothering, playmaking defense, soon to be combined with a more controlling, deliberate and balanced offense. This team is going to be good.
I forgot to mention
6) the receivers were catching GG’s passes. Malcolm, Chiles…everyone. I don’t recall any drops.
Playing the youngsters
To further your Point 1: In the not-too-distant past, Mack would have insisted on playing upperclassmen, simply because they had “put their time” into the program. It was so good to see Jeffcoat, Mike Davis and some of the other true freshmen on the field at meaningful points in the game. That will pay dividends.
The shortest distance between two points is under construction.
Noelie Altito
by beast in bama on Sep 5, 2010 11:34 AM CDT up reply actions
I couldn't agree more
I was in the stadium and amazed at how little we were in the gun. I absolutely loved t it.
Stumpy: It's called the '80s. Ford was president, Nixon was in the White House, and FDR was running this country into the ground. I was bummin' in a hole-in-the-wall town in what is now called "Utah".
Rebuilding 101
How soon we forget. Remember the season after the 2005 Championship? Well here it is again. Set your expectations in the middle ground. We are playing for next season my friends. We will win a few that we should lose and lose a few we should win. Bring it!
by Dawnpatrol on Sep 5, 2010 7:52 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
No Effing Way
We did not have the defensive capabilities in 2006. We did not have Boom. We did not have a 2 deep of freaks on the defensive side of the ball. Big deal they are young freaks. GD blew a game because he did not trust Colt. (tOSU). I really still think this team can win at least the Big XII – but the offense is going to have to gel quickly.
Note to Bill Byrne "Because you aren´t Texas and you´ll never be Texas"
The best offense
is a good defense. I almost love seeing our defense on the field as much as I love seeing our offense. This year is going to be so exciting!
by ElMariachiLoco on Sep 5, 2010 2:51 PM CDT up reply actions
Rebuilding 101
How soon (including me) we forget. Remember the season after the 2005 Championship? Well here it is again. Set your expectations in the middle ground. We are playing for next season my friends. We will win a few that we should lose and lose a few we should win. Bring it!
by Dawnpatrol on Sep 5, 2010 7:53 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
You never play for the future.
Only the present. I guarantee you that our players aren’t thinking about New Orleans in 2012. They want a championship and they want it NOW. My expectations match those of our team and the university in general, which is nothing short of a national championship. Sorry, but I’m still thinking we can run the table THIS year, as well as next.
by ElMariachiLoco on Sep 5, 2010 2:55 PM CDT up reply actions
Agree with PB's Assessment
1) I thought our D was every bit as advertised. They are SALTY
2) Vaccaro was all over the place. I only saw one missed tackle.
3) Malcolm was “consistent”
4) Gilbert played safe.
These are all VERY solid things to see in the opener. However, there is one GLARING weakness and that is our o-line. I want to blame it on our new scheme, but since 2007 these guys have gotten pushed around. Not sure what we can do to fix this? It will be the only reason we don’t get 10 wins. I do think our Defense can get us there on their own though.
The slow wave is our best weapon.
Agreed - a Texas OL should be dominating opponents like Rice
I look at the games Thomas (KS) and Hunter (OSU) had and cannot understand why we have gone so long without a significant running threat? Also, in past seasons we would wear down teams’ DL by the 3rd quarter – this time our OL looked fatigued. Are we lacking depth on the OL?
Here we go again
How much longer will Mack continue to hype the running game if it goes on like this? Once again, our starter was not our finisher and the fabled “downhill” running game didn’t make it past the second quarter. To get outside, we had to go with Newton, who looked to me like the best of the three. Fozzie also got a shot, but none of the three really distinguished himself against an inferior defense.
No-one steps up to be the go-to guy and we get to hear about “running back by committee” again. The shuffle goes on and our opponents see what plays each backs runs and they are ready. They know that if they stop our ground attack once, it’s over for the day.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.
Alex Okafor
I’m yet to re-watch the game. I didn’t really notice Okafor in any play. How did he do?
In Mack Brown We Trust!
our linemen were pushing the other team
Im happy with the results,our coaches installed totally new offensive scheme and it worked .we were consistently getting positive yards and getting play action that we could call on.I mean it did look like new ground that they were getting use to but I didnt think they were going to come out and look like a nfl team lite .The possibilities are there …did you guys see blow u hahahahahaha we’ll get better ever week and now the guys will come out loose because they did look wound up
Good Stuff PB
Can’t say I disagree with anythingl.
Having the chance to sleep on it, and think about the game a little more I am not nearly as disappointed about the outcome as I was yesterday. I have a couple thoughts.
1. It was obvious the offense had a goal to run the ball no matter what, and because of that we looked very mediocre. It will be interesting to see what happens if Gilbert is going to be able to make some changes at the line if the defense has 10 in the box against us.
2. Adding to my first point, people were not happy with Greg Davis when we were running “pro-style” offenses early in the 2000s, I hope that its not Greg that struggles with the Pro-Style offense more than our players…if that makes any sense.
3. I can see where Mack thinks that this defense could be the best of his tenure. The Freshman are looking really nice, and the linebacking play is probably going to be some of the best since DJ.
4. Chykie Brown, you either love him or you hate him.
5. Kheeston just about gave me a heart attack when he was down on the field early, we need him more then we need anyone else on this team. (A tleast the first 6 games)
6. Overall I am happy with the outcome, looking across the country there was not a lot of impressive wins. OU looked meh, Nebraska looked ok against a team that has lost 21 straight. Florida with a meh performance as well. It will be a very interesting season.,
Hook 'em
in the genius words of Mack Brown...
“I remember two dropped interceptions for touchdowns, I remember a tipped ball for a touchdown, I remember a fourth-and-one that we didn’t make at the 1-yard line, I remember a third-and-two that should have kept a drive going, I remember a dropped punt and two missed field goals.”
Time to get to work fixing those mistakes. Nothing drastic. 14 points off the board from two sure fire pick-6’s dropped and another 4th and 1 where we pulled a Greg Davis. This game was very close to being a much bigger blowout.
Can we please get Vaccaro on the field more? Mack Brown again sums it up perfectly…
“Kenny’s a hitter. When I say stay up and practice, he gives me a look like he’s going to come hit me.”
Kenny Vaccaro
Must be vaporous…until the moment of impact. There were four or five occasions yesterday when he made a solo tackle and I wondered, where the heck did he come from? It was like he was just there, instantaneously. And then when he arrives, he arrives angry and with a purpose, as Chris Spielman is fond of saying. Excellent form tackling. His performance was by far the most impressive.
The shortest distance between two points is under construction.
Noelie Altito
by beast in bama on Sep 5, 2010 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions
As Ebby Calvin LaLoosh would say...
he wants to announce his presence with authority!
Hook 'em Horns
BrooklynHorn said it right.
We got a lot of the young guys experience today. Lots of them. It was like a NFL pre-season game. We weren’t going for a blowout, today was more about preparation for the real tests. Get experience, focus on doing the right thing, etc. Yes, I would prefer for us to use all the tricks in every game and just make the other team stop us, but that is not what the coaches want to do. We kept it vanilla and the game was vanilla.
We can be a really good team really fast, but we are not there just yet.
"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
Look around the country
At other teams — Florida, Oklahoma — that didn’t set the world on fire in their debuts, either. Reading too much into this game is like making your fantasy football picks based on the preseason.
I’m with PB, I think this is a transitional year and next season’s squad is going to be the championship contender. This was a very conservative game plan, especially offensively. Malcolm Williams showed us what we wanted to see: a commitment to making the catch and an ability to getting open. I can live with him not taking it to the house as long as he secures the ball. Kirkendoll showed what he showed last year when he disappeared: he’s not physical enough. Goodwin is a monster in space and will be the big-play threat on the offense. None of the RBs is a complete package, but Tre Newton is gonna be the bellcow.
Defensively I saw some interesting looks from Muschamp. I saw one play where there were 3 down linemen with two stand-up defensive ends on their hips. Eddie Jones (who finally is rewarding my faith and had a monster game) was one of the ends. He lived behind the line of scrimmage.
My takeaway: the things we knew we had to work on were works in progress. The stuff we knew we were good at, we were good at. (With one glaring exception: the return game, especially on punts. Terrible decision-making and execution there is a cause for concern.)
I’ll take all that any day.
Simplicity is always the secret, to a profound truth, to doing things, to writing, to painting. Life is profound in its simplicity. - Charles Bukowski
Feel your pain, PB
Our box died just as we were leaving for the ND game, and apparently stayed dead the whole day because it didn’t DVR the Texas game.
Never ask a man if he's from Texas. If he is, he'll tell you soon enough. If he's not, don't embarrass him.
you are awesome
thanks!
Never ask a man if he's from Texas. If he is, he'll tell you soon enough. If he's not, don't embarrass him.
You're Right, PB
Your analysis that GD had GG playing “not to make mistakes” is 100% dead-on. He’s trying to ease the kid into it, so he doesn’t start fumbling his way through the season (ala John Brantley at Florida). The game was never in doubt, and there was no reason to have the kid airing it out. As fans we want that, cause it just looks cooler, but I suppose I have to admit, there is some sense in what GD and Mack are doing. Yeah, it pains me to say it, but I’m wrong on this one, and they’re probably doing it the right way.
Completely off-topic — the point spread on the Mizzou-Illinois game in our pick’em pool is wrong, PB. Mizzou is the favorite, NOT the underdog, as it appears on the spread.
In-VINCE-able.
Yeah
Someone else pointed the Mizzou thing out to me. At the end of the season, I’ll go back and look at anyone within a point of placing in the top three and determine if the game made a difference.
You ain't hurt...
Lackluster
Let’s be honest guys, I’m glad we won as much as the next guy but we stunk. 34-17 against Rice? I mean they were able to make alot of fluke plays but they shouldn’t have been in the position to make those plays anyway. There were a few players that stuck out and a few that disappointed, so here goes:
Surprises:
Kenny Vaccarro- Guy looks like a one man wrecking ball he’s the truth.
Malcolm Williams- Looked very focused and I think he puts it all together in 2010.
Tre Newton- unspectacular but steady rb should take over the reins. His vision is impeccable and he seems to actually understand the blocking schemes.
Keenan Robinson- put on the weight and will be a turnover machine in 2010.
Disappointments:
Garrett Gilbert- He looked really shaky to me, and didn’t display the amazing arm strength that I thought he once had. He did seem to have a firm grasp of the offense but if this is what we will get this season we will lose a minimum of 3 games.
Cody Johnson- All the preseason hype was obviously overrated. He did start out well but fizzled as the game went on.
Chykie Brown- peeking in the backfiled, missed tackles, dropped picks, blown assignments. Hes a senior? Maybe this ship has sailed. I was more impressed with carrington byndom.
Christian Scott- Other than the one hard hit in cover 2 at the beginning of the game he was just a guy. Gimme Vaccaro here, but the preseason christian scott hype is unwarranted.
In conclusion, it’s only one game but I’m not as optimistic as I once was. Garrett Gilbert may be a star someday, but I have serious doubts that it will be this year.
Hey guys
At least we’re not Oklahoma. Be happy we were never in danger of losing
Although I'm not a Jets fan, and most certainly not a USC fan, I'll root for any team that Mark Sanchez plays for. Mark Sanchez for Superbowl MVP and President 2012. The change that only I can believe in.
I live in OKC and they are...
in full panic. Lots of gnashing and grinding of teeth.
"We are Texas. We always expect to be the best." - Sam Acho
Special teams strategy
Since Eddie Jones was our leader in kick return yardage yesterday (I haven’t checked the box score, but I’m assuming he was), let’s drop ole #32 back deep and move the speedsters up in the formation! He seemed to be enjoying each carry more and more. Following his last return, it looked like Goodwin was asking him, “Why didn’t you pitch the ball back to one of us?”
In all seriousness, wasn’t he also a running back in high school?
The shortest distance between two points is under construction.
Noelie Altito
Not this year but in years past
I’ve seen him fielding punts in practice. I always wondered why he was doing that, but he showed really good hands and catching ability. Just another little asset for the Horns…and probably a thrill for him.
The Horns will have great practices this week.
Whenever so many newcomers get to experience a real game – not just the true freshmen, but the redshirts, the sophs that haven’t played – you see your best and most enthusiastic practices. Everyone wants to learn, to be better, because in this game there is no better motivation than actually playing. It is a level of personal validation that will reap incredible rewards, and it just made the coaches’ jobs much easier. The attention spans will be galvanized, the understanding of the depth of
I give Rice more kudos than most here…they took advantage of the situation well. If they don’t get beat up, they will move to the middle of the pack, maybe better, in C-USA. This helped Rice and, in many ways, helped us in tempering our expectation. You build a serious structure from the ground up – the more conscientious you construct in the beginning, the better the structure will ultimately endure and survive.
Every time this program hits a milestone like this…that is, the turning of the cycle…it is both dangerous and exciting. If you presume such success will go on forever, you’re a fool. That said, restructuring the program – minimum red shirts, redesigned offense and expectations, open depth chart with performance-oriented results (a meritocracy as opposed to the more aristocractic set depth chart), the willingness to adapt and change are all profound points of continuity in this program. Yesterday was much more about the program and its future, much less about Rice.
"Yesterday was much more about the program and its future, much less about Rice."
I hope every Longhorn fan reads that statement.
"You never lose a game if the opponent doesn't score." - Darrell Royal
by BMC237 on Sep 5, 2010 12:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Tre Newton
Newton may end up being my favorite offensive player this year. All last year and yesterday he was easily the most effective of our running backs and yet all everyone (coaches included) wants to do is find a way to replace him. Yet, he continues to go in and get the job done. The sooner we just give him the starting job and make Fozzy and CJ situational, the better off we’ll be.
'Til Gabriel blows his horn...
I get the love for the defense, but I think it should be tempered with the knowledge that Rice is not exactly a passing juggernaut.
Cannot understand wht you don’t go to Matthews more.
Just as I cannot understand why you spend so much time watching and scouting and blogging about a team you're supposed to hate
'Til Gabriel blows his horn...
Easy
Miketag may be an aggie, but he is very knowledgeable about what he has to say.
Stumpy: It's called the '80s. Ford was president, Nixon was in the White House, and FDR was running this country into the ground. I was bummin' in a hole-in-the-wall town in what is now called "Utah".
meh
helps to be able to predict how your season is going to go,when you can get an idea of how good your opponents are.
Other than that, I enjoy talking football no matter what team it is about.
Pumped about:
1.Vaccaro-Holy crap, he is a monster
2.Eddie Jones- Sounds wierd but I liked his play.
3.Christian Scott- Did you see that hit?
4.GG-Looks like a stud to me.
5. Williams- may be early but I liked to see him catch the ball.
Worried about:
1.Cojo
2.Running game in general
3.Greg Davis
4.Chykie Brown
by horninraidercountry on Sep 5, 2010 7:30 PM CDT reply actions
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