40 Acres Sports

Big game this morning for the Texas Longhorns in some frigid weather up in Lincoln. The result of this game against [tag]Nebraska[/tag] won’t have much impact on Texas’ goal of a Big 12 title but it certainly has national implications. One of Texas’ toughest remaining games and the Longhorns need as many quality wins as they can get to get some BCS computer love and rise in the rankings. Hook ’em!

• Sweet, the game is in HD. I didn’t think it was going to be. ABC has been much better this year.
• What are Musberger and Davie standing in front of? Is that just a green screen with footage from the crowd behind them? It sure was weird looking.

First Quarter

• YES!! Big return by Quan Cosby on the game’s opening kickoff takes it back close to 80 yards. It was a short and low kickoff. The guys on both sides are bundled up and it makes them look pretty slow out there.
• Some sort of end around to Jordan Shipley didn’t work at all. No need for that down on the damn five yard line at all. Crap.
• Tough looking angle for the field goal but Greg Johnson knocks in the short field goal. Horns get points but that’s a missed opportunity.

Texas 3, Nebraska 0

• Let’s see if the Horns can do a better job on the kickoff. Hunter Lawrence did a good job last week putting them in the end zone. And he kicks it out of bounds and gives Nebraska good field position. Come on freshman!
• The Shipley play actually had an opening other than the one linebacker who spotted him hiding behind the line early. Just doesn’t seem like a smart play call to pick up short yards. Have confidence in your guys to get 5 yards.
• Aaron Lewis in the game early instead of Brian Robison. Rumors had Robison in a boot this morning around the hotel. Hopefully we’ll see him later.
• Picture of Limas Sweed instead of Marlon Lucky.
• Scott Derry makes a good play on 3rd and short but can’t keep the running back short of the first down.
• There’s Robison in there on a long 3rd down. Might not be 100% and might only be available for passing situations. Tim Crowder gets in there and gets a big sack. Big play by the defense early to get the offense the ball back.
• I think it’s weird that Dr. Pepper is using a song about masturbation for their commercials.
• Vince Young at the game after all. Heard he wasn’t going to be there.
• Longhorns open the game with 4 runs before the first pass. Colt McCoy has a guy open on a deep out but overthrew the pass.
• Terrible job by McCoy. Set up the quick screen to Cosby and McCoy tries to throw it sidearm while backpedaling and doesn’t get the ball to his receiver.
• Derek Lokey just blows up his man and gets in the backfield as the RB takes the hand off.
• Bad job on the ball and even worse tackling by Deon Beasley. Then Michael Griffin knocks him off the tackle and the NU receiver runs 63 yards for the TD.

Texas 3, Nebraska 7

• Offense is not looking good so far. Starting out about the same as we did last week. Just antsy out there or something.
• Selvin Young can’t hesitate when he’s block on the QB draw. McCoy doesn’t have the speed to hesitate and still make plays. Just go block someone.
• I don’t think the football players live in Jester anymore. I know my senior year at least some of them had moved into the new San Jacinto Hall.
• Seems like all Greg Davis thinks McCoy can do is throw to heavily covered WR screens.
• Damn the wind must be blowing. Johnson looked like he got off a good punt but it went absolutely nowhere.
• Robert Killebrew is down and they’re looking at his knee or ankle. Sergio Kindle in the game for him.
• Lewis is looking like a player for us for the long term. He could end up at either defensive end or tackle but he looks solid.
• The Horns punt return team backs up the offense big time.

Second Quarter

• Okay 1st quarter over, let’s hope the Horns can pick it up from here on out like they did last week.
• I had no idea that walk-on Luke Tiemann was this team’s starting fullback. The Horns use him in true running situation early instead of Chris Ogbonnaya.
• The offense looks a little better here already, the wind must really be an issue. Not exactly lighting things up on this first drive but the play calling is certainly better looking.
• McCoy with a good scramble on third and long but gets stopped just 1.5 yards short.
• Horns down the punt inside the 1. The Huskers offense will now be against the stiff wind and all the way back on their own goal line. Let’s see if Lokey can get that great pressure now and get a safety.
• Wow that camera directly above the play made me nauseous. Seriously.
• Crowder has the one sack but otherwise not a ton of pressure on the QB. Big 3 and out though and the offense could have good field position.
• Ha. The ball is setting there before the play and the wind just starts to blow it away.
• Great run by Selvin Young on the GT out of the gun. Good patience and then hit a nice hole quick. Then just ran over a defender at the end of the run.
• I wonder if the stiff wind has anything to with us being under center more. The way the wind looks like it’s blowing it could be causing trouble on the shotgun snap.
• Jamaal Charles has to be one of the country’s best at keeping on his feet. He just seems to roll off hits and keep on going.
• Down inside the 2, let’s line up and punch it in.
• Bullsh** I don’t care how calm McCoy is I’m nervous as hell. We could have Vince Young or Joe Montana at QB and I’d still be nervous.
• Costly false start by Neale Tweedie. Second false start of the game for the tight ends.
• McCoy makes a bad throw on a slant on one play and then the next hits Cosby for the touchdown. Nice throw and catch.
• Awww crap. Extra point blocked.

Texas 9, Nebraska 7

• Nebraska should probably be leaning on the run the rest of this quarter. If the defense can get the ball back quickly the Longhorns should be in a good spot and have some momentum.
• Kick off from Lawrence looked a lot better than anything from the NU kickers. Deep and out of the end zone.
• Good job by the secondary on the play action pass but no pressure on the QB and Zac Taylor is able to find the mismatch and hit the RB covered by Rashad Bobino for a first down.
• Another Longhorn defender down. Lokey is hurt or cramping or something. He’s played well so far too, can’t afford to have him out. Looked a little woozy getting up. Maybe banged his head a little.
• Big blitz on 3rd down by Drew Kelson forces Taylor to scramble. Aaron Lewis then gets in his face and he throws the ball right to Mike Griffin.
• Touchdown Texas!! Great play call right after the turnover!! Looks like a play we’ve run before but not successfully. McCoy pumps and then throws the perfect bomb to Limas Sweed for the 55 yard TD. Great play.

Texas 16, Nebraska 7

• Announcers just talking about what a great guy Mack Brown was and then Bill Callahan immediately shows his ass. On the sideline screaming at a player. Tough to recruit 17 year old kids when you’re a pompous jerk.
• Lokey definitely looks out of it. He may be done for the day.
• The Longhorns bring the house and get to Taylor again.
• Then the very next play they get to him again without blitzing. Texas should get the ball back in great shape.
• Go Orangemen!
• Good field position and 2 minutes left in the half. McCoy has to feel that pressure and throw the ball away before taking the sack.
• I’ve never seen a QB roughed as often as McCoy is. Lots of big roughing the passer penalties against UT opponents this year.
• The line lets a blitzer go right up the middle untouched and McCoy puts the ball on the ground. Crap. Defense has to step up and not allow any points here in the last minute of the half. Got to keep the momentum.
• Fumble! Fumble! Did the refs see it? The announcers sure didn’t.
• Let’s take some deep shots.
• I think Tim Crowder just forced another fumble. Looked like on the replay he got a hand in there and knocked it loose.
• All out blitz and we throw the quick out to get better spot for the field goal. Thought we should’ve gone deep on that one.
• I think the wind isn’t as much at Texas’ back as the announcers do. Just watching the football during the game so far it’s probably going across pretty hard too. That field goal just died.
• Craig James uses Firefox, that SMU education the boosters paid for wasn’t so bad after all.

Third Quarter

• Texas will have the wind again here in the third quarter. They need to put some points on the board now and then hunker down and whoop some ass in the fourth quarter.
• Good job by the defense again. The Huskers still haven’t had a running play over 3 yards. The Texas defense has to play tough and smart and force the Huskers to drive the whole field. No big plays.
• Good job by McCoy waiting until Jermichael Finley comes open and getting the first down. Looks like he’s looking for the tight ends a lot more now.
• Horns taking their time and running a lot of plays under center. Some good play action stuff. Looks like a solid scheme but can’t go away from the run.
• The two defensive tackles in there for this series are Thomas Marshall and Roy Miller. Is Frank Okam still banged up or is he just out because of rotation? He hasn’t played much at all since the Iowa State game.
• Killebrew’s down again. Man does the defense spend a lot of time laying on the ground. Seems like someone is always nicked up.
• Not much pass rush at all from the two defensive tackles. Today it’s completely come from the ends and from blitzers. Need more pressure on the QB up the middle.
• Looks like Drew Kelson is playing a lot as a passing down linebacker. Gives you a solid player against the run as well as a player who can run around a bit.
• Important series here. Running out of time here in the quarter to operate with the wind on offense.
• ABC sure does run a lot of little specials and stuff, I’d rather just watch the game a little more.
• McCoy missed that one. He’s got to lead the receiver better on those deep posts routes.
• Good run Colt. Protect the football young man.
• Horns finally go back to the run out of the shot gun. Great run by Jamaal Charles that ended up with a fumble. Sweed made one his better plays of the day to scoop it up and even get a few more yards on the play.
• Lot of contact on the play but no call on the fade pass to Sweed. I think if he learns to trust his QB a little more and waits longer to look back for the ball he’d have a big advantage.
• Horns blow it. Another missed field goal by Johnson and the lead is still just 9.
• The Huskers have “improved their pass protection” because they’re holding like mad men when they throw the ball.
• Finally a holding call against the Huskers. The WR just tackled Tarell Brown by the neck on the play.
• I’m seriously getting tired of learning about people’s families and dogs and their hobbies. Let me watch the dang game.

Fourth Quarter

• Time for the defense to show they can defend the pass even when Nebraska has the wind.
• Son of a bi***! The Horns miss tackle after tackle and the running back takes the shovel pass for a long TD. The Horns have to stop allowing the big play… make Nebraska put a drive together. Fortunately I missed parts of the run because ABC decided I’d rather look at someone in the stands than watch the game going on.

Texas 16, Nebraska 14

• Let’s get a long drive here and get 6 points on the board this time.
• I’m not having any fun here.
• I wonder if the wind isn’t as bad now as it was in the first half. Both the Nebraska offense in the 3rd and now Texas to start the 4th seem more willing to throw the ball and run a normal offense against the wind.
• Don’t go away from the run. They’re stacking the box with defenders but we still have to be able to run the ball and be two-dimensional.
• Limas Sweed has clearly become McCoy’s go to guy. The WR looks like he has finally realized his immense potential.
• Offense is moving the ball well and then Davis goes with a QB draw and then a WR quick screen on back to back plays for no yards.
• Easy pass interference call I don’t know what the refs are discussing for so long. The DB just nailed Billy Pittman when he tried to come back to the football. Pretty good pass by McCoy, without the penalty Pittman probably has six.
• Tony Hills gets beaten badly and Selvin Young loses a yard on 1st and goal from the 3.
• Running game has not looked good at all inside the 10 today. No room to run.
• Davis may have outsmarted himself that time. Goes with the 5 WR look and runs the quick screen instead of just trusting McCoy to make the right decision and find an open man. The Horns have to settle for the FG.

Texas 19, Nebraska 14

• Time for the defense to step up. Wouldn’t be surprised to see the Huskers abandon the run and throw the ball nearly every play.
• Only six minutes left, man would a 9-point lead be nice right now. Heck we should be up a lot more than that.
• Crap some sort of penalty when it should’ve been 2nd and 20. Stupid. That’s an incredibly cheap call. The receiver hit Griffin late and then Griffin kind of just jerked on the guy a little and they threw a flag. Let’s go defense!!!
• Holy sh** are we susceptible to the trick play. Saw that one coming a mile away but our safeties (as usual) are nowhere to be found and Marlon Lucky throws to a wide open guy for the TD. Mike Griffin apparently has no freaking clue how to read the lineman to tell if a damn play is a run or a pass!

Texas 19, Nebraska 20

• The Horns need another nice drive as they’re playing from behind for the first time all day.
• The announcer just flat out made up information just now. How in the world can he claim the Texas defense was in a 3-deep zone?
• McCoy makes a great play and a good throw but Finley can’t pull it down. Horns have to punt.
• Damn new clock rules let’s Nebraska run out an extra 25 seconds before the play.
• Third down and short right here could be the most important play of the game.
• FUMBLE!! Texas football!! Let’s go Horns!!
• What the hell took so long?? The ball was out about as clearly as it ever could be.

Texas 22, Nebraska 20

Okay, I had to take a break and just watch the game. What a finish! Who the heck is Ryan Bailey and holy cow did they come close to completing two Hail Mary’s or what? Incredibly stupid penalty by Brian Orakpo gave them a chance and me a heart attack. A win is a win and the Horns survive a very hostile environment. The defense has to play smarter football and the offense can’t nut up inside the 20 yard line. One hell of a scary game considering I think Texas played a pretty good football game. Whew!

Final: Texas 22, Nebraska 20

1. reply to  #1

   

   UTwatcher

   October 21st, 2006 at 5:58 pm

   Please Fire Greg Davis. 4 trips to the red zone and 1 TD?!?! insane

2. reply to  #2

   

   Matt

   October 21st, 2006 at 6:49 pm

   Greg Johnson is dead to me.

3. reply to  #3

   

   PB

   October 21st, 2006 at 7:41 pm

   Good call in your Big Red Network, Matt. Something along the lines of “The kicking game scares me”

4. reply to  #4

   

   PB

   October 21st, 2006 at 7:43 pm

   Er – Big Red Network preview

5. reply to  #5

   

   Brian

   October 21st, 2006 at 7:57 pm

   I think Johnson is probably still banged up. We burned Lawrence’s shirt last week because he couldn’t kick off so maybe it’s affecting his FG kicking. Maybe.

6. reply to  #6

   

   Matt

   October 22nd, 2006 at 2:49 pm

   Thanks PB. I hope that is something we don’t have to worry about much in the future. That was all waaaaaay to stressful.