Posted January 4th, 2006 by Brian
Filed under: Bowls, Football, Live

Let’s see how this goes. I’ll post as often as I can stand to. Horns and Trojans are about to get underway.

BIG FREAKING GAME!

Did we win the coin toss, defer, and USC chose to kick? Will we receive to start both halves? Nevermind, the official said it wrong.

First Quarter
  • Great deep kick and good coverage on Reggie Bush. Great start to the game for the Horns.
  • Bush stopped for a loss on the game’s first play. Now let’s do that 60+ more times.
  • Texas’ defense in the backfield with great penetration on the first 3 plays.
  • Holy crap! [tag]Aaron Ross[/tag] fumbled the punt. Crap crap crap. Come on defense step up. Crap.
  • Reggie Bush has no class. Hand the ball to the ref instead of flicking it up in the air after a 5 yard run. Let’s hope he actually gets ejected if he punches someone again this game.
  • Too bad helmet-to-helmet contact isn’t illegal in college football. Plus [tag]Cedric Griffin[/tag] hit him in the chest.
  • Stupid penalty by [tag]Robert Killebrew[/tag]. He seems to get one per game, let’s hope this is it. Come on D!
  • Turnover costs the Horns 7 points. Game started off fantastically and then suddenly went downhill from there.
Texas 0, USC 7
  • Let’s go Vince, get fired up.
  • Looks like no huddle for the offense to start things off again this week. I like it.
  • Poor spot on 2nd down leads to 4th and 1. [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] elects to go for it and Horns get nowhere. Turnover on downs at midfield. All the momentum is going USC’s way now. Defense has to make a big play here and get things back going Texas’ way.
  • Apparently guy in charge of the clock doesn’t realize it should stop after incomplete passes.
  • Freaking Rose Bowl and national championship and the clock breaks?
  • Horns go to 3 down linemen on a 3rd and long. Interesting look.
  • Texas makes the stop but a face mask on Michael Huff gives USC the necessary yards for the first down.
  • [tag]Drew Kelson[/tag] in the game early instead of [tag]Rashad Bobino[/tag] (I think that’s who isn’t in there.) [tag]Gene Chizik[/tag] getting more speed on the field.
  • [tag]Tarell Brown[/tag] has a pick go in and out of his hands.
  • Reggie Bush gets about an extra 2 yards thanks to the generous spot. These simple plays need to be reviewed as much as any others.
  • Another generous spot for Matt Leinart on the 4th down QB sneak but I still think they’re short. Come on!
  • Horns stop them and get the ball back. Let’s go let’s go!
  • Meanwhile ABC is on commercial break #26 after like two minutes of football.
  • Bad play design or something as [tag]Billy Pittman[/tag] and [tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag] end up next to each other on pass routes. Complete to Pittman for the first though.
  • Another freaking fumble. Charles bumps into David Thomas and just drops it. Crap. Lost 5 yards. Kills the offense’s momentum.
  • Bud Light commercial featuring the “daredevil” are dumb.
  • Lost takes such long hiatuses that they have to have recap shows by the time they come back.
  • Interesting counter play from USC. Kind of a WR and FB counter instead of a GT counter.

Second Quarter
  • Obvious offensive pass interference on Dwayne Jarrett. Shockingly Dan Fouts even noticed.
  • Huge gap on a screen to Bush but then he stupidly tries to lateral through traffic and Texas recovers.
  • First time all year Texas didn’t score in the first quarter of a game.
  • Selvin Young getting still in there. I hope if Charles is healthy the coaches don’t give up on him after earlier fumble.
  • First time [tag]Ramonce Taylor[/tag] is in the game. Run north and south and make ’em pay Ramonce.
  • Offense moving the ball all game long if we don’t put the dang thing on the ground. Great play by Vince to find Brian Carter. Nice to see Brian back in his last game as a Longhorn.
  • Like the play calling by Greg Davis so far.
  • You’ve got to be kidding me. Now Taylor drops the ball. 3rd and very long. Hold onto the damn ball and we’re probably up in this game.
  • [tag]David Pino[/tag] nails a 46 yarder. Wow, I have expected him to do the FG/pooch punt play. Nice kick and Texas turns Bush mistake into 3 points.
Texas 3, USC 7
  • The USC song girls/cheerleaders’ Rose Bowl sweaters are really ugly looking.
  • Was that a catch? I don’t know if you can overturn it. You can’t really tell if his arm is under the ball. Let’s hope they go to a replay though, just to make sure the damn thing works. Last angle looked like a lot of it was on the turf. Do the replay booth guys have HD?
  • Seems to be some decent holes when they run up the middle.
  • Leinart seems to have good time on play action/bootlegs.
  • Very late hit by one of the USC offensive lineman. Goes right to the face of Aaron Harris a good second after the play. Right in front of the ref. Broke Harris’ chinstrap.
  • Very nice chaps.
  • Replay! REPLAY! Great interception by [tag]Michael Griffin[/tag]. COME ON REPLAY DUDE!!
  • WHEWWWW! Replay officials get it right! Texas football. Fantastic break and catch by Griffin. Big time change of momentum as USC was moving the ball well. Man I hate the way they phrase that, “Indisputable video evidence that the play was a…”
  • Henry Winkler has no clue what’s going on. Come on Fonzie get a clue.
  • I’m literally terrified everytime someone other than [tag]Vince Young[/tag] has the football.
  • If you’re not going to blow the whistle while the scrum is going on you need to give the ball carrier the forward progress. Another bad spot.
  • Vince has good time to throw and guys are open under 15 yards or so.
  • That’s why Charles has to be in the game. Great run, breaking tackles and moves all over the place.
  • Stupid play by Vince but got lucky. Whoa, his knee was down anyways. Texas rushed the extra point to avoid the replay and Pino pushes the damn thing wide right.
  • That’s more what I expect out of the way they’ve run instant replay this bowl season. System is good, but the people running it are complete and utter failures. If it’s close at all, stop it for a second and see if it needs to be reviewed further. Went Texas’ way (though we were moving the ball well and should’ve scored eventually anyways) but just sucks.
Texas 9, USC 7
  • Keith Jackson says USC should’ve called timeout to force them to replay it. That’s not freaking the point, you shouldn’t have to do that.
  • It looked like the replay booth guys were just watching the play and fighting about it. Whoops. Now they look even worse. I complain more than anyone, but that’s a tough, pressure-filled job.
  • U2 sucks.
  • Third and 17. Come on get it back.
  • I saw Leinart tossing the ball on the sidelines in the middle of the 1st quarter and now their second teamer John David Booty may be warming up on the sidelines. Leinart have some sort of injury? His throws haven’t that off and he sure looks healthy enough to continue. I don’t remember him taking any big hits.
  • Horns get the ball back at the 50. Good return by Ross but he did the same thing he did on the first one he fumbled. He’s wrapped up around the ankles and completely lays out trying to get an extra couple of yards.
  • Brandon Carroll is “working the tight ends.” That sounded really bad Keith.
  • [tag]Matt Nordgren[/tag] is very white. Nice dance moves Matt.
  • David Thomas is seemingly wide open every play. Nate Jones and Brian Carter in there, we’re rotating a lot of wide receivers.
  • Ramonce Taylor shows why he deserves to be in there. Big run for a TD!!
Texas 16, USC 7
  • The Pac 10 voice over guy is no Walter Cronkite.
  • First really good kickoff by Greg Johnson.
  • Screens really look open against us, let’s hope we adjust but don’t give up something elsewhere.
  • Great play by Drew Kelson covering Reggie Bush. Man is replay a sham. You have to review that. That’s the whole freaking point of the system. I think he held onto it long enough. Don’t use it if you’re going to be freaking clueless. Texas should’ve used a timeout, we’ve got all three left. The very next play is a decent gain for a USC first down. Damnit.
  • Poor job by Longhorn pass rushers. Leaving their lanes and opening it up for Leinart to scramble for a big gain. Leinart looks a little loopy after the play.
  • If that’s not holding I sure don’t know what is. USC lineman has [tag]Frank Okam[/tag] wrapped up around the neck right in the middle and there’s no call. Good coverage gives Okam time to make the sack anyways.
  • If defense can make a big play and force a field goal or even a turnover that would be gigantic going into halftime.
  • Sounds like a lot of Longhorns in the stands.
  • Another sack! USC has to use last timeout and now they’re backed up pretty far if they want to kick a field goal. 8 seconds left in the half.
  • Not much of a push on the field goal block and USC’s kicker knocks it in.
Texas 16, USC 10
  • Let’s see if Taylor can get a big return to end the half.
  • Sure got a lot of guys cramping up or something.
  • Pete Carroll was talking a mile a minute. Relax a little man, I know you’re nervous.
  • Mack Brown on the other hand is his normal loveable self.
Halftime Thoughts

Well that was a hell of a first half. A lot of unforced errors by the Longhorns cost them as they weren’t stopped by anyone but themselves in the half. The Texas defense is giving up a little in the rushing game, especially to LenDale White up the middle, but other than the big screen play to Bush (that ended well for Texas) they’ve prevented the big play. The secondary has played very well the entire game and had a pick (two if they replay the Kelson play) that turned the game around.

Six point game right now and though I’m confident that the offense can get the job done, you certainly feel too comfortable playing a team as good as USC. Texas gets the ball first in the second half and if they can control their mistakes and go down and score on the first possession it’ll go a long way to winning this game.

Notice how the ABC studio guys harp on the Vince Young pitch non-call and ignore the interception by Kelson that wasn’t called on a drive that ended with 3 points for USC. Where’s O.J. Simpson? Why don’t they have him on the show? That would be killer. Aaron Taylor’s suit hurts my retinas.

Is the USC band trying to suck? I miss Ashlee Simpson’s performance from last year’s title game. They’re that awful.

Strike all that, the Texas band sounds almost as bad. It’s something ABC is trying to do with the sound. Instead of hearing the band as whole you’re hearing like a single clarinet geek with all sorts of background instruments of equal loudness. Weird. Texas band’s uniforms must be the country’s ugliest. The squiggly line down the pant leg is the perfect touch.

Third Quarter
  • How the heck do you block illegally when Ramonce Taylor is completely on the other side of the field with no blocking?
  • No huddle to start the half.
  • USC brought a lot of people on all three plays and Texas is already forced to punt. Most pressure he’s been under all game.
  • LenDale White is a much better running back than Reggie Bush.
Texas 16, USC 17
  • Texas offense is moving again. No huddle and a nice mix of runs to Charles, draws by Young, and short passes.
  • Vince was a bad man on that drive. A ton of plays with his legs and takes it in from 14 yards out for the TD. Nice answer to the USC score. Reminiscent of VY from last year’s Rose Bowl.
Texas 23, USC 17
  • Defense needs to step up and get Vince the ball back so he can take this thing over.
  • First time all night we’ve really stopped that WR screen, seems to have been good for at least 5 yards most of the night. [tag]Aaron Ross[/tag] lit Jarrett up.
  • Don’t really care, but isn’t there a minimum number of hours of classes you have to take? Serious question.
  • Leinart is getting way too much time.
  • USC going for it on 4th again.
  • Big hole up the middle and White breaks it for a touchdown. Nobody back there after the first wave of defenders. Game is really starting to look like last year’s Rose Bowl.
Texas 23, USC 24
  • Great catch by Thomas to convert an important 3rd down. Diving grab.
  • Another big run by Vince puts him over 1,000 yards rushing for the season.
  • Taylor running sideways for no yards again. I think Charles is a much better back against good defenses.
  • 3rd and 5 on the fifteen yard line and we run a bit of a gimmick screen to Thomas. With the success Vince has had the last two drives I don’t know why you don’t let him drop back and make something happen. Shoot.
  • Keith Jackson is awesome, gets a little lost sometimes.
  • Queen Latifah has to bully people into buying her movies. Sad. People don’t even like her of their own free will in her own commercials.
Fourth Quarter
  • It all comes down to this, one point game heading into the 4th quarter. Exactly the game that people not all over USC’s jock expected. Big plays, quick and hard hitting defenses. Time for the defense to step up.
  • Pino misses the 31 yarder that would have put Texas on top. Short field goals from the sharp angle like that always worry me. Crap.
  • ABC shows one play and goes to another commercial. Bah.
  • Heather Graham’s new show “Emily’s Reasons Why Not” looks like crap. The only question is what’ll happen first, a name change or cancellation?
  • Strength and Condition Coach = Jeff “Mad Dog” Madden = Cramps
  • USC is double teaming both the defensive tackles and there’s just huge gaps up the middle throughout the second half.
  • Now Bush broke one for a touchdown. Started up the middle and bounced it outside. Texas should have had 7 or at least 3 and USC takes it and turns it into 7 of their own. Offense has to score as it looks like the defense is wearing down.
Texas 23, USC 31
  • Long drive by the Trojans so Vince has been on the sidelines for a while now, let’s hope he’s still feeling it like he was in the 3rd quarter.
  • Reggie Bush has one good play and the “greatest of all time” crap starts again.
  • Is the “receiver must make a football move” rule only in the NFL? If it’s a NCAA rule too that’s incomplete. Tough to call. May be too hard to overturn. And the refs say the same thing. Horns catch a bit of a break.
  • Horns take that break and run with it. Two completions in a row to Billy Pittman for good gains.
  • Why haven’t they shown the Texas alumni on the sidelines? They’ve shown Marcus Allen and crew like ten times.
  • Seems like the second or third time tonight we’ve changed what we’re doing once we got inside the 30 trying to score. A fade and then 2 zone reads instead of giving Vince more freedom to improvise or make a pass.
  • Pino hits this one and pulls the Horns closer to USC.
Texas 26, USC 31
  • I’ve said it like eleven times but at some point in this half the defense has to make a play. Now needs to be the time.
  • There’s another freaking stupid penalty by Killebrew. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
  • I don’t think there has been a single holding call all game. That’s unfathomable.
  • Did we just lose two members of the secondary on one play? Mike Griffin and Tarell Brown collide as Dwayne Jarrett hauls in the touchdown pass. Son of a…
  • Griffin’s helmet hit Brown right in his right arm and now they’ve got a splint on it. Damnit.
Texas 26, USC 38
  • Let’s go Vince, this is the exact same situation you were in last year.
  • We just lost 10+ seconds because ass clock operators didn’t stop it on an out of bounds play.
  • Didn’t I just say this was just like last year? Vince leads the Horns down for a quick score and finishes it with a run eerily similar to one of his escapes last year against Michigan. 5-point game with 4 minutes to go. If the defense gives the Horns any chance Vince will do something.
Texas 33, USC 38
  • Poor kickoff but it doesn’t hurt too much. USC starts out at about the 35.
  • Come on defense!
  • Biggest third down of my life.
  • Oh my God he fumbled that. Wow, that was so close. 4th down and 2 for the whole freaking thing. What does Carroll do? Does he trust his defense to not let Vince go 80+ yards in under 2 minutes?
  • HE DIDN’T GET IT! HE DIDN’T GET IT!! TEXAS FOOTBALL!
  • Vince needs to score in about 2 minutes and 5 seconds.
  • Come on Horns!
  • TERRIBLE OFFICIATING! Not even close and they wasted 10 seconds while refs stood around not knowing what to call.
  • They put 7 seconds back on the clock.
  • OH MY FREAKING GOSH TOUCHDOWN VINCE YOUNG!!!!!!!!!
  • I was begging Texas to use their timeout to get a good 2 point conversion play set up and for some reason USC blows their last one. That could be very big.
  • Vince Young takes the draw in for 2. Texas up by a field goal with 19 seconds left.
Texas 41, USC 38
  • Damnit Keith and Dan, there’s still 19 seconds left. The game’s not over SHUT UP!
  • The lack of timeouts hurts USC as they can’t quite get downfield for a field goal chance. Ball. Game. Over.
Final Thoughts

We just won the National Championship with less than a minute to go. I’ll think later.

GO HORNS!

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1 Comment

  1. reply to  #1

    Brian

    Michael Huff looks goofy with his national title t-shirt over his pads. It’s like the football version of Royal Ivey.

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