Rematch with a [tag]Colorado[/tag] team that the Longhorns handled easily back in mid-October. The Buffs were flying high then but they’re reeling now after two straight losses and backing into this game. They’re certainly a good enough football team that Texas can’t overlook them and just cruise through. They need to get up early and then just pour it on.
Give it up to ABC for actually managing to show the game in high definition, of course only ABC could manage to keep that a complete secret all week long. Seems like that might be the kind of thing that a network would want people to know to draw in viewers. This will be my first ever Texas game to watch in HD, it’ll be interesting to see if I can stand not being able to rewind and watch replays that ABC doesn’t bother to show.
First Quarter
- Colorado doesn’t run the option like Texas A&M does, but they definitely watched film of that game and Oklahoma State. They come out early and run a successful toss sweep for a first down. Texas defensive ends and linebackers must do a better job against the outside run.
- I don’t know what Robert Killebrew was just doing in pass coverage. Third and ten and he lets the Colorado TE get free for the reception. It was a zone defense but he and Aaron Harris were essentially holding hands in the middle of the field while leaving the flats wide open.
- Fumble! Michael Huff makes a sure tackle and forces the CU receiver to fumble the football. Big break for Texas.
- Designed run for Vince Young early to get him involved in the rushing attack. VY breaks a tackle and goes for 18. Good to see him running and fired up.
- Look who’s freaking back! Great scramble by Vince. Several good moves and then just plows over a tackler and takes it down to the one yard line.
- Henry Melton behind the right side of the line for the one yard touchdown. Horns get on the board first.
Texas 7, Colorado 0
- Time for the defense to answer. Offense game out and got early points, now we need the defense to get a quick stop.
- Why does the 25-yard line have special coloring? Isn’t it always the 20? The refs just spotted the ball in the wrong place after a touchback because of it.
- Huff all over the place early in the game and two CU dropped passes help the Horns force a three and out.
- That’s the first time I’ve heard anyone talk about Mack Brown’s lack of a conference title as a coach with any logic. There’s not a ton of excuses for not having one in his time at Texas, but in his previous stops at Tulane and North Carolina there’s not much hope of winning one.
- Jamaal Charles looks healthy and fast. Wooo! Just took an option pitch from Vince for a big gain.
- No huddle is great, but I kind of wish we’d huddle up for a third and 3 inside the 20 yard line.
- I’d much rather have the ball in Charles’ hands than Ramonce Taylor’s on a third and short. Much better at just getting down field and picking up the necessary yards.
- I just love having Jamaal Charles in the backfield. Simple and easy arrow route out of the backfield and he catches the pass for a touchdown.
Texas 14, Colorado 0
- Just a reminder to myself before I relax too much, Texas was up 14 – 0 against A&M last week too.
- Good kickoff coverage.
- Buffaloes are holding like mad men. The CU running back just used his legs to wrap up a guy in pass protection.
- Crap, Michael Huff is hurt. Maybe an arm or shoulder?
- Holy crap are we pathetic against the option. Joel Klatt looked half-retarded on the play but he managed to drunkenly stumble for a big gain.
- Now the other safety is on the ground hurt. Michael Griffin decided to lead with his helmet instead of wrapping up and making a sound tackle and hurt himself.
- More blocking with their legs by Colorado. I guess the refs are going to allow that crap today.
- Another option but this time the Texas defense actually plays it correctly. Linebacker slow-played Klatt and forced the pitch while giving the rest of the defense time to get out there.
- Big third and 11.
- If the guy in the Citi Simplicity commercial is paying his credit card online, why does he need a paper copy of the bill to make a payment?
- Looks like they have decided to stop Colorado’s constant holding, two calls against them in a row. Aaron Ross breaks up the pass and forces a field goal try.
- Blocked field goal!! Brian Robison got his white ass up and got a solid hand on it. Ross tries to pull a Nathan Vasher and picked up a ball he shouldn’t have for the return. Not a bad return by him but there’s an illegal block and Texas is backed up to their own 6.
- Crap. Limas Sweed doesn’t make the catch on what might have been pass interference and CU intercepts the pass. Crap.
Second Quarter
- Defense holds and forces another FG try. Big time stop by the defense after the turnover. That really is huge.
Texas 14, Colorado 3
- Wow, Ramonce Taylor just took the kick off all the way into Colorado territory. There was just about 3 players on that side of the field.
- How do you not see that late hit? Someone get these guys a monitor in the booth or something.
- Taylor still looking pretty bottled up running the ball.
- Texas finally has a versatile enough offense that the WR screen works and works well. Good block by Billy Pittman and good run by Quan Cosby.
- After two predictable play calls inside the 3 yard line to Melton, Vince made his own play and scrambles for the TD. Ugly sequence of plays but we pick up the 7 points and widen the lead.
Texas 21, Colorado 3
- Ugly, line drive base hit of a kick off. No hang time or distance on it.
- Fantastic catch on an interception by Tarell Brown on Colorado’s first play. Got up in the air, tipped it to himself and made the pick. Great play.
- Touchdown Limas Sweed! Great deep pass by Vince and an even better catch in traffic by Sweed for the big TD. That score may actually make me a little comfortable.
Texas 28, Colorado 3
- Don’t tell anyone, but I hated Roger Clemens until he came to the Astros. He has always supported the Horns though, always wearing UT caps during postgame interviews, etc.
- This is the situation where the Texas defense steps up. Big lead forcing the opponent’s offense to be a little more predictable and the defense takes advantage of it. Two straight run stuffs and then good coverage on a screen.
- Good thing there’s no children in the room. That was a terrible call on the Ross punt return and I was yelling loud enough for the referee in Houston to hear it. Fantastic and clearly legal block gets flagged but fortunately they picked up the flag.
- Shoot, good run by Vince for a TD gets called back by a holding penalty on Will Allen. Don’t these refs realize he’s trying to win the Heisman? You can’t take touchdowns off the board for him.
- Sure looks like the coaches are trying to get Vince the TD now. Another counter play called specifically for him. I think they see the scoreboard and know he might not be in the game long.
- Fantastic catch by David Thomas for the touchdown. Diving play and barely lands inbounds.
Texas 35, Colorado 3
- I don’t know if it’s the lighting in Reliant, but the picture quality isn’t too hot. Just seems pretty dark. Probably tough since the roof is open.
- Erick Jackson sure looks like a future player in the secondary. He’s a big kid. Nice to see Mack Brown screaming at somebody after a touchback and up 32 points.
- Why is Bevo caged off? Maybe they heard the last time a Bevo was at the Big 12 Championship game he crapped all over the endzone late in the fourth quarter.
- Ramonce Taylor just got Vince hurt. Man does Taylor do a piss poor job in pass protection. Another reason Charles needs to be your every down running back. (I really don’t mean to be picking on Ramonce, just think Charles is a better pure RB.)
- Dr. Pepper sure did ratchet up the difficulty on the “Million Dollar Throw.” You have to make 10 throws just to have a throw to get the million bucks.
- Good run by Selvin Young sets up a touchdown by Charles on the option. Probably a play call meant to get VY the score, but Colorado covered him well and he had to pitch.
Texas 42, Colorado 3
First off, what the heck was that? Lynn Swann in the middle of his interview with Mack Brown tried to show him video of Vince Young getting hit and then holding his elbow. That was really weird. I felt like we watching “Cheaters” or something… “Check out this surveillance video. Can you explain who you’re going into that restaurant with?”
Anyways, the Longhorns did pretty much everything they could have in the first half. The offense, aside from one Vince Young interception, played flawless football and put 42 points on the scoreboard. Young’s stats look pretty good right now, but because of the short field the offense started with so often they’re not huge. He’ll probably have just a series or two in the second half to put up some numbers and impress the Heisman voters. The defense started off a little shaky but made a lot of big plays and forced two turnovers. They’ll be able to pin their ears back and go after the football in the second half, should be fun to watch.
At this point, I think Horn fans are just keeping their fingers crossed we get out of here with no serious injuries.
Third Quarter
- Well that was easy. 68 yards in 8 plays, a little bit of everything and Selvin Young punches it in for six. With that quick of a drive, I’m guessing Vince gets one more shot before we bring in Matt Nordgren.
Texas 49, Colorado 3
- Mike Griffin might have just forced Vince to the bench. Comes through the middle and blocks the punt that results in a Texas TD for the second week in a row. Griffin now has 6 career kick blocks.
Texas 56, Colorado 3
- Brian Robison forces a really bad pitch (this is why you don’t try to run the option if you’re not used to it) and it looked like Brown recovered it just inbounds but ref ruled him out. Definitely close, but I’m a little surprised they’re reviewing it in a 53-point game.
- The booth overturns the call and Texas has the ball on the 26.
- Vince is back in there, but Jamaal Charles quickly sends him back to the sideline. Great looking 26-yard TD run.
Texas 63, Colorado 3
- All three linebackers combine to get the ball back after only one play. Aaron Harris wraps him up, Rashad Bobino helps out, and then Robert Killebrew finishes him off and knocks the ball loose.
- Matt Nordgren is in the game.
- The 15% of Heisman voters who have already sent in their ballots should have their right to vote revoked. That’s a freaking joke. Whoever you think deserves the award, you’ve got actually to let all the games be played.
- Melton punches it in from a yard out after Nordgren can’t quite get in the end zone on the third down QB draw.
Texas 70, Colorado 3
- I wonder if the jackasses on ESPN’s Sports Reporters wil complain we’re running it up again. Maybe Colorado should stop turning the ball over to us on the 20 yard line.
- Just because the quarterback got hurt doesn’t making it roughing the passer. Drew Kelson hit Joel Klatt in the chest half a second after he throws the ball and they throw a flag.
- If anyone puts anyone other than Vince Young, Reggie Bush, or Matt Leinart in the top 2 of their Heisman ballot they should have their vote nullified and revoked.
- Half of the teams in NCAA Division 1A football are going to a bowl, the Aggies are not.
Fourth Quarter
- “I <3 VY” instead of NY. Pretty decent t-shirt idea, though it didn’t look too well done.
- Matt Nordgren just completed a pass to George Walker. I know we’re up by 67 but you’ve got to run some semblance of a real offense.
- What’s the point of pulling Nordgren and putting in the walk-on Matt McCoy with 9 minutes still left in the game? I don’t think it hurts us to at least have Nordgren in there and running the offense just in case.
- Nice. ABC’s John Saunders, who has tried to find a new team to claim is better than Texas every week this year, just said Colorado took care of business and was headed to the Rose Bowl. Freudian slip?
- There’s no pass interference on a ball that lands 4 yards out of bounds. It’s freakiung uncatchable. How in the world do we get that crap called on us all the time?
- Entire team is jamming on the sideline. 71 seconds to go.
- Mack gets the Gatorade shower. Come on coach, you’ve got to see that coming.
- Texas forces the turnover on downs and gets the ball back. 17 seconds to go and up 67, ABC takes a TV timeout.
Final Thoughts
The Texas Longhorns just won the Big 12 championship. They’re going to Pasadena to play in the Rose Bowl for a national title. I just can’t seem to wrap my brain around that. They had a chance to do something special this season and with today’s resounding victory they’ve done that. After a disappointing performance in last week’s win, they played essentially perfect football today on both sides of the ball. The line opened more holes in the running game and gave Vince Young plenty of time to throw the football. I can’t remember a single dropped pass and there were several great catches. Jamaal Charles looked great. After giving up some yards on the first two drives the defense came up with huge plays to end both of them. They then settled in nicely and dominated the Buffalo offense.
Great performances all around and one of the most important wins for the program in recent memory. Bring on Southern Cal!
Players of the Game
Offense – Vince Young in a landslide. In two games against Colorado this season he’s only thrown six incomplete passes. Six. He was 14 of 17 today for 193 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air. He added 57 more yards and another TD on the ground for 250 total yards and 4 scores for the day. In other words, he was Vince again. Great game from Limas Sweed as well.
Defense – Seems like several guys from either the defensive line or secondary could get the honor today, both groups played really well. Seems like we were able to mention Rod Wright, Michael Griffin, and Michael Huff’s names on almost every play. For his big punt block and fumble recovery Griffin gets the nod today. Tough call on this one because so many guys stepped up big and the defense only allowed 3 points, forced four turnovers, and blocked a punt.
reply to #1
Tim
November 29th, 2006 at 11:03 am
Thank you for choking on A&M!
BOOMER SOONER!