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Around SBN: SEC Preview, Week #2, Part 1 Bar-right-arrows



Texas Dominates Holiday Bowl and Arizona State, 52-34

The Texas Longhorns won their fourth straight bowl game and finished the year with at least ten wins for the seventh straight year. After the disappointing of T+1, this one feels great!  Kudos to Mack Brown and the entire Texas coaching staff for getting the players ready over the last five weeks. The Horns dominated a quality Pac-10 opponent by winning the turnover battle, rushing the ball effectively, and playing stifling defense against both the run and the pass.

On offense, Colt McCoy made some nice plays with his feet and was accurate through the air as well, and Jamaal Charles got loose early and gained over 100 yards for the seventh time this season.

Arizona State got some garbage yards and two late touchdowns after the outcome was clear, but, through three quarters, the Texas defense executed as well as they have all season. The Texas d-line was completely unblockable. The Sun Devils had negative rushing yards for most of the game and couldn’t keep Rudy Carpenter upright on passing plays. Trash talking Rudy didn't even make the full four quarters.  

Overall, Texas was the hungrier team, the team with swagger, and the team that executed their game plan more effectively. Of course this season will be remembered more for what wasn’t accomplished than what was, but this sure is a nice way to close out the 2007 football season.

PB will be back near a computer tomorrow. Look for much more in the coming days about his Holiday Bowl experience, a more in-depth breakdown of the game, and a complete season recap.

Post your own Holiday Bowl comments here.

Hook ‘Em!

--AW--

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Wait,

That was Texas?

I'm still kind of floored. Where did that team come from? That was our team, right? Whatever they put in Greg Davis' coffee, we need to get some more of it, stat.

by godelmetric on Dec 27, 2007 11:27 PM CST   0 recs

The play-calling

is nothing I was too ecstatic about. The PLAYING was everything I'd ever hoped for.

Living vicariously through Deon Beasley

by inVINCEable on Dec 28, 2007 9:36 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

No kidding

Good ol Greg Davis tried to make everyone realize his genius more than a few times on some long down yardage screen passes.

Horizontalism is its own reward.

by bendj on Dec 28, 2007 11:26 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

From Bohls' column today

Greg Davis wasn't without his own stellar moments. Besides calling for an end pass off a reverse that was incomplete, the offensive coordinator wisely inserted backup quarterback John Chiles, who responded with touchdown drives.

For all the grumbles about Davis, his offense put up 45 points and scored on seven of its 14 possessions. That ought to satisfy even the most hardened cynic.

Kirk, you way underestimate the GD haters.

by Wells on Dec 28, 2007 12:44 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Dont get me wrong

I am satisfied with what happened last night, but lets get it straight; one game will not change my opinion of GD as an average OC.  He put together a pretty sick offensive performance last night, and a few of the so called "bubble screens" occurred only after McCoy had gone through his entire progression, but why not retire that play altogether?  Ive seen it work a handful of times in the last few years, and I am fully confident that Texas' offense would do a lot better if that freaking play was erased from GD's memory banks.  A bubble screen is on average, a wasted play, and at best, a 3-4 yard gainer, which is why I wonder why it shows up more and more in third and long situations. At this point its almost as if he is waiting for it to work so he can have the cameras pointed on him in the booth long enough to give me the finger.

Horizontalism is its own reward.

by bendj on Dec 28, 2007 6:51 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Also

I hate it when he calls those flanker screens/bubble screens to the short side of the field. We are on, either the far right hash or far left hash, and he calls the plays mentioned above or a little swing pass to the running back.

Drinkin' Brown

by IHN on Dec 28, 2007 7:35 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Bubble screens

First, I think GD and DA deserve more credit for the bowl win than they are getting.  However, I agree with you that I wish, as you put it, the bubble screen, was "erased from Davis' memory banks."  I guess in theory it is sound: relatively safe pass, high completion rates thus increasing the QB's "confidence", and gets the ball outside to our speedy backs and receivers.  However, in reality, at most it gains 3 or 4 yards when we need 5 or 6, and often loses yards.  I wish someone could come with the exact stats on this play for the past 2 years or so.    

"Only angry people win football games." --DKR

by OBdoc on Dec 29, 2007 8:46 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Personnel

The bubble screens work great for some teams but not so great for the horns.  The horns almost always put out two wide receivers (Cosby and Shipley, for example) on this play.  One guy catches the pass and the other blocks.  the problem is that wide receivers don't really block that well and UT wide receivers were not explosive this year (even Limas took 2 or 3 steps to get up to speed).

If the horns instead deployed a tight end type guy (such as finley) out wide as the blocker and a running back type guy (such as Jamaal) as the receiver, the bubble screen would work much, much better. Mizzou deploys their tight ends out wide most of the time and reaps big benefits from their superior blocking abilities.

USC absolutely killed ASU in a very methodical, dependable way by running many bubble screens to running backs deployed as wide receivers.  GD had to watch this film in preparation for the ASU game so it was surprising to me that he did not do something similar against ASU.

by Kafka on Dec 30, 2007 11:17 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

yeah but...

...one would hope that with as much prep time as the staff had they'd be able to put together this type of game plan. I'd say the same about Akina.  Game plan wise, it was nothing spectacular.  The team played with a sense of fire that I have not seen in quite a while.  That was the impressive thing.    

"What I gave today I kept. What I kept today I lost." - DKR

by WinstonPeril on Dec 29, 2007 9:01 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Amen bendj

Also, nice sig.  That line is just classic.

My kid may have given up a costly fumble against OU, but at least he's never been accused of face raping.

by Shake on Dec 28, 2007 1:24 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Good Job Horns!

Great game! Great win! I am extremely proud of this football team. I can't wait for next season! Go Horns!

Will Rogers never met Barry Switzer

by Rand O on Dec 27, 2007 11:31 PM CST   0 recs

Babies

I want Texas to have my babies!

by anonyMoose on Dec 27, 2007 11:31 PM CST   0 recs

ASU seemed overrated
I don't think ASU was as good as their record indicated. They played only two quality opponents in the regular season and got blasted by them. They did not look like a good team and i can't believe "the experts", Jesse Palmer, and Mark May picked ASU to win. I expected their defense to play much better but they seemed slow.

It wasn't that ASU wasn't prepared its just that their talent level was weak. There was not one player that jumped at me from ASU. The only guy that looked like a player was the white reciever. He has great hands but he trouble getting seperation against Foster and Palmer, not exactly Woodson and Sanders.

Still, total domination and if it wasn't for the ball boy it would have been really ugly. Can't wait till next year.

Drinkin' Brown

by IHN on Dec 27, 2007 11:33 PM CST   0 recs

Fuck Mark May

I can't stand that jerkoff.

Hook 'em Horns

by LonghornWSO on Dec 28, 2007 10:05 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Way to go Horns!

I'm happy for the team and the coaching staff. They deserved what they (obviously) worked for. I wish it had occurred on T+1, but a nice outcome nonetheless.

This will go far in recruiting and off-season practice.

Will it affect coaching changes? JC going pro?

We'll know soon enough.

Now, how bout that roundball season!

by horndude on Dec 27, 2007 11:36 PM CST   0 recs

Who were those guys...

...where were they during the regular season? Hope we see them again in 2008...

by Austin180 on Dec 27, 2007 11:44 PM CST   0 recs

Our defense....

...played a heck of a game. We had a really strong effort with all the intensity I have always expected from a Texas defense! Makes one wonder how Akina wasn't so well prepared early in the season. We were disruptive to all aspects of their game.

Jamaal Charles had a super game! As did Colt McCoy, though I could do without the fumbles.

Lamaar Houston and Rod Muckelroy are the 2 finest football players to grace our defense in many years! They were totally disruptive for the entire game.

--- Peter's tired of disabling threads due to the wise-A comments from Wells & BZ, so hopefully they'll refrain from commenting ---

by HornChamps on Dec 27, 2007 11:52 PM CST   0 recs

34 points

by anonyMoose on Dec 27, 2007 11:55 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Dude

We gave up 38 points in the 2005 national championship game. Are you going to say that our defense then was bad also?

by goingforthecorner on Dec 27, 2007 11:57 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

This Arizona State team

was no 2005 USC Trojans team: 2 Heisman trophy winners, plus many other future pros.  34 points is not good defense, but what I saw tonight was certainly an improvement over the rest of the season.  Not enough to justify Akina staying as def coordinator.  Let him handle the secondary.  

by Texas Our Texas on Dec 28, 2007 12:18 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

If you were Mack Brown,

and were asked to cover 17 points or 34/38 points which would you choose?

by anonyMoose on Dec 28, 2007 1:43 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

27 points.

3 TDs and 2 FGs and a mullet.

What happens during the regular season if tonight's LB line-up starts?  

OTOH the D-line was at their most impressive for the whole season. They set everything up and gobbled up a QB.

by whills on Dec 28, 2007 12:06 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Of those 34 points

14 were in garbage time.

HC is right, D played great when it counted.

by Wells on Dec 28, 2007 11:49 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Yep

HC is absolutely correct (and positive, even).  The starting D only gave up 20 points to ASU.

My kid may have given up a costly fumble against OU, but at least he's never been accused of face raping.

by Shake on Dec 28, 2007 11:53 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

So do y'all want Akina back?

Does Akina deserve another chance next year because of this game? Or was this just a fluke and a result of ASU's pathetic offensive line?

by goingforthecorner on Dec 27, 2007 11:59 PM CST   0 recs

tough but fair question

My answer to the Akina question is no.

Fact is, ASU was almost the worst team in allowing sacks.  That we pressured the QB so well could be as much a symptom of that as that Bobino occasionally saw the backfield.

I believe, however, that our DLs - Okam, Lokey, Lewis, Miller!, etc. - deserve the majority of the credit.  Oh yeah, and whomever is responsible for teaching tip drills.

Perhaps I am the only one, but I definitely got the sense that ASU was not prepared offensively.  Carpenter was about the worst QB we faced after Arkie St., and that includes Clowny McGee.  Somebody said it previously, but ASU was simply not a good team.

Sorry if I seem so negative.  It was a sweet win - I may not watch it like I do our Rose Bowl appearances - and I appreciate the awesome effort from our team.  Mack was excited, and the team looked psyched.  Very nice to see.

by bigfatdrunk on Dec 28, 2007 12:16 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Akina got lucky

Was it me or did he call blitz on every single down??

No offense to the players who played a GREAT game, but my god, it looked like me dicking around in madden. I know we were all looking for a change from chizik's boring 4-3-4 basic defense that got us no where last season. But time after time, Akina's ridiculously blitz calls cost us the game this season.

Thank god ASU had a really really horrible O-line, a QB who looked dazed and high, and an OC who refused to call slants and screens.

There is no way we should waste ANOTHER YEAR on this incompetent idiot as our DC, but I wouldnt mind paying him crap load of money to coach our secondaries.

my first born shall be named vy

by hookemkp on Dec 28, 2007 1:39 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

no - it was a nice fluke - stats dont lie

#10 in country rushing D and -
#116 out of 199 in total D

sad. worse than sad that we pay for his services. the DC experiment should be done.

by TDTexas on Dec 29, 2007 11:48 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

As I said before...

...who were these guys? Akina? Where was he?  

by Austin180 on Dec 28, 2007 12:13 AM CST   0 recs

Sweet to beat Dennis Erickson

Oldtimers should remember his Miami team that humiliated UT in the Cotton Bowl. The NCAA even instituted new taunting penalties afterwards due to his team's behavior. That game spoiled our "Shock-the-Nation" season.

by ClassofEarl on Dec 28, 2007 12:36 AM CST   0 recs

Perfect post

I do remember that game vividly.  We had very high expectations entering the game.  I broke a chair during the game...so pissed.  

The Longhorns rocked the house last night and set the stage for a great '08.

by TXStampede on Dec 28, 2007 7:00 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Very true

That cotton bowl hurt, now I can finally get some closure.

by Wells on Dec 28, 2007 11:51 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

You're right, but

don't forget we were providing a lot of bulletin board material for that game, especially a (defensive?) lineman named Tom  ??.  His comments made the news day after day about how we were going to spread UM like cream cheese. I remember cringing and praying he would shut the hell up because Miami had the well-earned rep of being the "bad boys" of college football and they didn't need any additional incentive.

As usual, my prayers went unanswered.

By the way. . ."old timers"???  

If you keep doin' what you're doin', you'll keep gettin' what you're gettin'.

by cabalnamedclyde on Dec 29, 2007 11:02 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Boy, I remember that. Good point, CoE.
I'll never forget ol' what's-his-name.

by Horntod on Dec 29, 2007 5:11 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

solid bowl game... solid season

I know that we did exceptionally well this bowl game, but I hope Mack Brown realizes that one game will not change the course of the season. Coaching changes are still needed no matter how effective our blitzes were this game.

I'm really surprised that we even faked some blitzes during this game, but I'm sorry Akina-- one game isn't going to change the outcome of the season. Hopefully, we'll ride this momentum to a solid season next year-- and hopefully a conference championship OR BCS game.

by longhornricky on Dec 28, 2007 2:43 AM CST   0 recs

a bigger win than you think

All fall, I've been a minority voice that the Horns' failures were largely due to players not knowing what to do. Well that game, to me, just proved what the Horns can do do once they know what they are doing.

One of the big deals about getting to a bowl, and why so many coaches and administrators don't want a playoff, is because it allows an extra 3+ weeks of practice, after accounting for a break around Christmas, that other non-bowl teams don't get. That's almost as much as summer camp. Clearly the whole "Not Our Standard" motif was as much about teaching the players how to play as it was about motivation.

It seemed clear to me that, until ASU started their no-huddle with a new QB in the 4th quarter, the Horns were finally playing TOGETHER. They knew what they were supposed to do. LBs knew what gaps to attack. Norton and Muckelroy could be the starters and be on the field because they knew how and when to drop into coverage versus attack the QB. The safeties knew which receivers to roll over on. The CB's were able to jam up on the receivers occasionally because they (and Akina) had confidence in the safeties. Every player could be aggressive and successful. I think Mack Brown, in one press quote after the game, put it best: "We were this aggressive against A&M but it didn't do any good." That implies that players and schemes were aggressive, but players filled the wrong gaps (ran into a pile) or took the wrong angles on defense.

Offensively, the Horns looked similar to quarters earlier in the season when they dominated. The difference here was that they were ready to run the football right from the start, and that they made additional adjustments in the second half (QB draws) to beat the blitz (which caused UT to have three of four possessions in the second and third quarters with net negative yards) and free up McGee, McCoy, and Charles for long runs. To me the offensive line has matured, after 4 weeks of summer camp, a season, and 3 weeks of additional practice, into a very consistent unit.

So the debate will continue: was the disappointing season due to coaches or players? I for one (and maybe the only one) would suggest it was 75% players and 25% coaching. Likely Akina was learning how to design a defensive game plan and call a game in this, his first year, and so made many mistakes, as probably anyone would. Sure GD put too much faith in game films in designing his game plans, and got caught by surprise when non-blitzing teams opened the corral and yelled "Yee-hah" to their LB's and safteties. But one would have to look at the Holiday Bowl as evidence that, once players have learned how to play, the coaches can teach the game and call plays creatively and make quicker in-game adjustments. As Mack Brown said all year, this is a young team, and maybe it just grew up a lot.

by burnt in ny on Dec 28, 2007 8:05 AM CST   0 recs

There's a lot of truth in what you say.

The gang tackling on the outside was finally there; that is, after the CB hit, there was support to stop any longer run. And they still covered the interior runs well.

So, some combo of the LBs being schooled and the experience and growing maturity of the D coming to play as a unit. Much better unit reaction. I think a lot of it was a big gain on the learning curve and that goes to intensive instruction.

This team's concentration has tended to waver for whatever reason; last night it sustained much better.

The O line will need to be much better but I think it can get there.

by whills on Dec 28, 2007 10:35 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

even Killbrew made a tackle!!

did u see one play where Killbrew shred his blocker and actually had a tackle for loss?? that was incredible!!

my first born shall be named vy

by hookemkp on Dec 28, 2007 11:51 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

and

it was not even a personal foul.

by Wells on Dec 28, 2007 11:54 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Was it

The tackle where he sort of half-horse-collared the ASU player.  That was a great play by Kill.  I almost spit out my beer when I saw it was #40 to make that tackle.  Almost.  I'm still not at the point where beer will be wasted for Killebrew.

My kid may have given up a costly fumble against OU, but at least he's never been accused of face raping.

by Shake on Dec 28, 2007 11:56 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

I saw that. The DE contained and held the corner

and killer came up and nailed the tackle. That's the way it is supposed to occur as drawn up. Good line play, good judgment, fine tackle. I was proud he did the job.

And if I'm not wrong, this is the first bowl game in his career where he didn't get a personal foul.

by whills on Dec 28, 2007 6:54 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

I think you've got it right!

Good post and I agree.  I think most of our problems, especially on defense, have been players most of the year.  I believe playing the younger players like they did last night and getting the results that we saw from that is evidence of your theory.  Could the coaching be blamed at points in the season?  I think so!  But, if Texas comes out next year and plays like they did last night, we're in good shape.  

I also agree with the O-Line statement.  There was no doubt coming into this season that the O-Line was a big question mark.  For about the first half of the season the O-Line played that way.  But, as the last half of the season progressed, and especially last night, they have matured before our eyes.  I think next year is looking really good as far as the O-Line goes.  And, if Jamaal stays then we're really looking good on offense.  

by abtxutfan on Dec 28, 2007 10:40 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Did you just touch my balls?

I read back through the Open Thread for the game, and could only find 1 comment that captured what should be pointed out about the now infamous Chris-Jessie-ball-touching-incident.  Of course, it was Horn Brain that summed it up.  I was hoping that at least 1 person would type what I was screaming at the TV....well, except HB left out all the obscenities.

I just cannot see how a call gets overturned without a single video angle that clearly shows either his hand/finger touching the ball, or at least the ball altering its direction or spin.

I'm not saying Chris did or did not touch the ball.  I'm saying nobody has conclusive evidence of either.  Therefore, by rule, the play should stand as ruled on the field.  Also, since when can they use replay to throw a flag?  

Oh, and Musburger can eat shit for all the time he spent trying to convince the nation through multiple replays that our 1st INT should have been a pass interference call.

My kid may have given up a costly fumble against OU, but at least he's never been accused of face raping.

by Shake on Dec 28, 2007 9:24 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Yep

I'll concede that we could magnify the best shot, watch it in slow motion, and debate whether the ball's course changes after it passes in front of his left thumb.  But a conclusion that he touched the ball wouldn't be indisputable.

by mikey 4 on Dec 28, 2007 10:22 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

And the refs made another mistake.

The interpretation and placement of the ball was wrong.

If indeed it was a dead ball as stated, the LoS moves to that point because the ball was in fair play. ASU lost the ball and it was live. If it had gone out of bounds as a live backwards pass - a lateral - it would have been out at that spot. Not the original line of scrimmage. They screwed up.

If there had been a penalty ruling the whole play dead - illegal formation, say - then the ball would go back to the original LoS and the penalty imposed. And the offensive penalty marked off and then the defensive penalty in the case of a personal foul (ball at 15: -5 for one and then minus half the distance, putting the ball at the 10).  

And no, that was not definitive proof to overrule the action on the field. They didn't have the angle to prove anything, whether dead ball touch or personal foul.

And there's one other thing: because ball boys are part of the crew - actually an adjust to the officiating crew - there some argument to be made that they are part of the field and the ball is live regardless. This would be similar to baseball, where  if you're in a circle or box outside the field of play, a designated area, the ball is live if it hits you.

Photographing games where there is no access for a clear view due to the stadium and fences, the ump can give you a circle to photograph from; you takee your chances with batted balls and they are all live, whether pitched, batted or thrown.

by whills on Dec 28, 2007 10:48 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Confucious Say...

I agree 100% on the dead ball issue....and the fact that the officiating crew was 0-for-3 on interpreting the whole thing.

Hopefully there is some sort of investigation or committee to ask questions like:

  • OK, so just WTF were you looking at to indisputably prove that the guy touched the ball?
  • When you were taking your officiating classes, did you sleep through You Can't Have a Dead Ball at the Spot it was Allegedly Touched and Also Move Back to the Original LOS 101?
  • Did Chris Jessie recently destroy your teenage daughter and post it on YouTube, thus causing a personal grudge?
My kid may have given up a costly fumble against OU, but at least he's never been accused of face raping.

by Shake on Dec 28, 2007 11:44 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

they shouldve treated it like a muffed punt

it didnt seem indisputable that he touched it.  The play shouldve been our ball, and give us another sideline warning or a sideline penalty, enforced after the spot of the recovery.

by the other Andrew on Dec 28, 2007 2:14 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

To me, that was the actual decision

that should have been made. It was Texas ball, fair and square. Big swing.

by whills on Dec 28, 2007 6:56 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Did you see Jessie talk after the game?

He's learned a lot from Mack; very well composed young man.

by whills on Dec 28, 2007 6:58 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

No

I missed that, but I've been told that the clip is on ESPN's site.  I'll have to go check that out.

My kid may have given up a costly fumble against OU, but at least he's never been accused of face raping.

by Shake on Dec 29, 2007 8:06 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Did anybody notice?

Musburger trying to justify a Giants upset over the Patriots. The best part was Kirk Herbstreit's look: "what the hell are you talking about old man?". I like BM but sometimes he just to old school and out of it.

I hate to say this but he is quickly becoming the new Keith Jackson. Remember the last couple years when Keith called games and how of it he was with the game.

Drinkin' Brown

by IHN on Dec 28, 2007 10:58 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

I don't think he touched it either, but

that's not the real issue.

Real issue #1 is it's not an issue.  Had play continued, we have the ball on the 44 and are on our way to a 28-0 halftime and a possible blowout. As it turned out, ASU picked up the momentum for 13 points, but we went on to a respectible win.  Had it swung momentum for the whole ballgame, that would have been another story.  The good guys suffered a temporary lapse, but then had the character and ability to overcome it and go on to take care of business; there are other times and other teams that would have let this take the wind completely out of their sails, but it speaks well of our guys that they were able to minimize the situation.  

I feel sorry for Jessee and hope this incident runs its course real fast.  I don't see him as a goof-off and I don't see a patronage problem at all.  The kid is a coach's son, and he probably grew up on the practice field shagging balls for his dad's teams.  Now he's on the sidelines, thinks the ball's dead--probably doesn't even realize he's on the playing surface--gets caught up in the moment, and reacts.  And that leads to. . .

Issue #2.  Mack was given an official warning for encroaching on the sideline in the first quarter.  Had he been doing his job, he would have backed everyone up, assigned an enforcer, and this incident would not have occurred. It's been mentioned that at this game, Mack was a different presence on the sidelines from the beginning; I saw that as well.  After the warning he continued his "animated" activities and by example endorsed the crowding of the sidelines.

This was his responsibility and the basis of the problem.

And I've noticed it's characteristic of Mack.  I really like and respect the man, but there is an arrogance, a stubbornness, about him: Nothing changes until he gets hit over the head and, finally, comes the dawn!  We lose to A&M, and he concedes this team has a problem.  So we go back to square one, work on fundamentals, open up the positions to the ones who want work for them, and Viola! we have a reborn team!

Imagine if he had done this after K-State.  

But that's just one man's opinion.

     

If you keep doin' what you're doin', you'll keep gettin' what you're gettin'.

by cabalnamedclyde on Dec 29, 2007 12:34 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Even Before K-State

Good point, but some of those earlier games when UT appeared lack-luster and going-through-the-motions against inferior teams (Ark State, UCF, first half TCU), should have been a wake-up call to MB even before KS.

"Only angry people win football games." --DKR

by OBdoc on Dec 29, 2007 1:38 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Wait

it was Mack's fault?

by Wells on Dec 29, 2007 1:39 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

half full, half empty

Arizona St. gave up 51 sacks this season in the Pac 10. They beat Stanford 41-3 and gave up 6 sacks. They gave up 9 to Oregon. One of the games with the fewest number of sacks they gave up all season, the Horns.
Arizona St. gained 60 more yards passing then they averaged for the season but they did gain 120 less than average rushing.
I can't see that this wasn't much of an overpowering display of defense on the part of the horns but they did beat a highly overrated team.

How did Arizona St. ever get to #11? I don't think they belong in the top 20.

by Xerxes on Dec 28, 2007 9:58 AM CST   0 recs

1/2, 1/2 maybe...

..but the plain and simple truth to me was both sides of the ball came out to kick ass and take names.  Clappin Mack clearly lit a fire under the entire team's ass and it showed.  This was a different team than any game in '07.  

I wouldn't get too caught up in the number of sacks.  Combined with hurries and knock downs, they had Li'l Rudy running scared and clearly rattled the whole game.

Many have hit on it but glad the Swagger is back.  Now let's just stay off the rap sheet for 9 months and 2008 should be a great season.

by Horndogger on Dec 28, 2007 11:21 AM CST to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, Mack needs to get tough on that

now, just as much as he was for practice. Crap will happen - they're young kids livin' it up, but they must realize their greater responsibility and the very threat of their future disappearing before their eyes.

by whills on Dec 28, 2007 7:01 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

speaking of clappin' Mack

I didn't see much of the typical confused, hands-on-knees posture.  In fact, most times the camera switched to him, he was emanating emotion, either firing up the players or getting into the line judges a bit.  He was so animated.

I am so pleased with this performance.  There was none of the equivocating double speak after the game.  Mack was fiery, as were the players.  I think Mack has spent two years trying to create that steady, stay the course attitude, and it backfired in the form of emotionless play.  It seemed that with the early morning workouts, the whole reaction to the aTm loss, he turned the page back a few years to when he was a younger, more emotional coach.  These are young guys who respond to that sort of raw emotion.  Any message if preached repeatedly will lose its potency, and I think this charged up change of pace was exactly what this team needed.  I hope Mack can continue to instill this sort of passion in 2008.  Hook 'em!

by Kool Hand on Dec 28, 2007 8:35 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Now TOS!

now THAT'S OUR STANDARD!

The offense did what we all expected and, assuming Jamaal stays, will be very difficult to contain next year.

On defense the players showed that when they are put in positions to be successful they can make plays.  Akina had a good game plan, but anyone who looks at stats or watched ASU knew that we had to get after Carpenter to win.

The layover proved that what this defense lacked was motivation and intense coaching preaching accountability.  I blame Mack for not doing that earlier in the year, but I blame Akina for it being a problem in the first place.

Kudos to Mack for righting the ship, and kudos to yet another 10 win season.  It wasn't everything that we hoped for, but '07 may have been exactly what we needed.

John Chiles - I'm your foster daddy!

by BMG on Dec 28, 2007 10:12 AM CST   0 recs

Issue was not touching for Jesse

but being on the damn field.

by TDTexas on Dec 28, 2007 12:43 PM CST   0 recs

If being on the field was the issue...

Then Jesse wasn't the worst offender last night, and people stray onto the field all of the time.  It's only a problem if they interfere with the game, and we have no indisputable video evidence of that happening last night.

by mikey 4 on Dec 28, 2007 12:51 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

the real injustice

was allowing phil mickelson on the field

by anonyMoose on Dec 28, 2007 1:58 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Wow

That sort of ignorance isn't worthy of a response.

Oh crap, I just responded.

My kid may have given up a costly fumble against OU, but at least he's never been accused of face raping.

by Shake on Dec 28, 2007 1:22 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

ASU's MVP: Chris Jessie

I just wrote an article for bleacherreport.com about the Sun Devils' Holiday Bowl MVP.  It includes the results of my many Google searches last night during the game. I also ask the question, "Who will do the NOS up-downs for this gaff?"  I think Mack should be the first in line...

by darinphillips on Dec 28, 2007 2:02 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Chris Jessie

Chris did 1 NOS up down in the locker room after the game.  Punishment served.

by james on Dec 28, 2007 6:36 PM CST to parent up   0 recs

Jessee's Myspace

Whats the difference b/n Chris Jessee & Greg Davis
Davis waits til after the game to touch balls

http://www.myspace.com/chrisjessesucks

<All Hail Major Applewhite>

by gatekeeper on Dec 28, 2007 2:02 PM CST   0 recs

Was it me or did you guys notice

Mack was clapping less and looked pretty mean sob last night?

He was no longer a nice, southern-gentleman like CED, but looked like a coach who had fire in eyes and was determined to kick ASU's ass!!

my first born shall be named vy

by hookemkp on Dec 28, 2007 2:09 PM CST   0 recs

Mack looked deranged

All I saw was a nonstop temper tantrum. Throwing a fit over every close call is no way to work the officials. (See Rick Barnes for the proper technique). And it is mighty distracting to the team to see their coach lose it.

If he wanted to look 'mean' he would have booted that imbecile ball boy on the spot and shoved each of his other sideline staffers back to show them where the line is drawn. He would have dressed down Okam for his stupid personal foul. He would have saved his ange