Can Texas make it through their schedule and back to the Rose Bowl for another MNC?
It’s about that time to start sizing up the college football season, so here’s my rundown of games on the Longhorns schedule, in order from easiest to hardest. These rankings take each team’s projected strength, plus the location and timing of the game.
12. Louisiana-Monroe (Sept 5)
Why they’re here: Because this is a gimmie game. Don’t kid yourself; this is the Glass Joe on our schedule. In their two games versus big-time teams last year (Auburn and Ole Miss) the Warhawks were outscored 93-0. Best of luck fellas!
Why they’re not higher: Because they finished 4-7 last year and the game is at home. Seriously, the Christians walking into the Coliseum to face Lions had more of a chance. On the bright side, this may be our first glimpse at the QB of the future Garret Gilbert.
11. At Wyoming (Sept 12)
Why they’re not here: Okay, this team is also Glass Joe… but playing at home in what should be the biggest game in their history. Sorry that’s all I got.
Why they’re not higher: Because the got pounded by the “big boys” in the WAC last year (TCU, Utah, BYU) by a combined score of 129-14. Bite the curb, and tell us how it tastes. We’ll try and not make you look too bad in front of your parents.
10. UTEP (Sept 26)
Why they’re here: Yes, they are a small conference school, but they have a coach who guided his previous team to two Rose Bowls. Don’t underestimate the importance of coaching in college football.
Why they’re not higher: Because when you move past the coach, this is still the same team we beat 42-13 in El Paso last year. And there won’t be any chicks giving their boyfriends hand favors on the mountain to distract our defense this year.
9. Central Florida (Nov 7)
Why they’re here: They gave us a hell of a tussle in their place a couple of years ago. More than any “gimme” in the schedule, they probably believe they can beat us. Plus, given where they fall on the schedule (between Oklahoma State and Baylor) our boys could be due for a letdown.
Why they’re not higher: Because they lost to UTEP by 45 points last year. THE END.
8. Colorado (Oct 10)
Why they’re here: Because their coach is pretty damn good, and they play division one football there. Not intramurals brother…
Why they’re not higher: Because we smoked their ass last year, and this team traditionally is not great away from Boulder. Seriously, look it up: the school’s biggest three wins since joining the Big 12 have either come at home or on the a neutral site. Danger Dan Hawkins, danger!!!
7. At Missouri (Oct 24)
Why they’re here: Because last year at this time, people were picking them as a National title contender. Sure they lost a bunch of talent, but I’m sure Pinkle has a bunch of talent ready to shine, right?
Why they’re not higher: Wrong. Sorry, but Chase Daniels was special (for Missouri at least) and Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman are NFL talents. So far, Missouri hasn’t shown the ability to reload and keep pace in the Big 12.
6. Texas Tech (Sept 19)
Why they’re here: Because they beat us last year, and are always a tough out. Tech is the most hit-or-miss team in the country: when they’re off they can lose to SMU, when they’re on they can beat Oklahoma or Texas…
Why they’re not higher: at home. Sorry, I should have finished that thought. Look it up, Tech’s biggest wins in the last few years have come in Lubbock. Factor in that they will be working in a new starting quarterback, and the timing of this game is the final nail in the Red Raiders coffin. Don’t underestimate the “revenge” factor working in Texas’ favor.
5. At Texas A&M (Nov 26)
Why they’re here: It’s the Aggies; they have one good game in them a year and they always seem to save it for “t.u.”. They also will be playing at home and have the benefit of the 12th Man, plus they have a former NFL coach at the helm and a better-than-you-think reservoir of talent.
Why they’re not higher: Because the reservoir doesn’t run THAT deep. Look at the rankings, the Ags recruiting fell off mightily during the Fran tenure (or as they call it on Texags.com “the Dark Ages”). Plus the fact that the Horns seniors are 1-2 versus the Ags will provide a little extra motivation. A+M will really need the 12th Man… hell, they might even need to grab a 13th and 14th while they’re at it.
4. At Baylor (Nov 11)
Why they’re here: Because the Bears have the fastest collection of skill players in the Big 12 (no really!), and now their Freshman All-American QB Robert Griffin has a full year starting under his belt. If you recall, the Bears battled back to tie the score at 14 in Austin last year before Texas pulled away. I just have the feeling that Art Briles has one major upset in him next year… and A&M doesn’t count.
Why they’re not higher: Because playing Baylor on the road is only slightly more difficult than playing them at home. Waco is basically a stone’s throw from Austin, relatively speaking, so the crowd will be 40% Horn fans at worst. Plus, Colt McCoy’s girlfriend will be in attendance, so he’ll be extra motivated. Wouldn’t you be?
3. Kansas (Nov 21)
Why they’re here: Because Kansas is good, that’s why… potentially REALLY good. Todd Ressing is a top 10 quarterback nationally, and Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe form the conference’s best 1-2 punch on the outside. The Jayhawks’ falloff last year can directly be attributed to the defense, which should be much improved this fall.
Why they’re not higher: Because the game is in Austin and an improved Kansas squad is still a notch below what the Horns will line up with. The Texas D, playing without All-American Brian Orakpo, shut down the Jayhawks last season holding them to a season-low 7 points. Plus the timing of this game likely means the Horns will either be locked in on a BCS berth, or at the very worst trying to salvage the Cotton Bowl; regardless, it is unlikely they will have their guard down coming into this game.
2. Oklahoma (Oct 17)
Why they’re here: This is always the game of the year in the Big 12 conference, but with all the late season debate and hoopla last year, this game’s intensity has been ratcheted up to another level. The Sooners are they only team quite in UT’s weight class on the schedule, and like it or not, they’re won the last three conference championships. The offense is manned by Heisman winner Sam Bradford and All-American Jermaine Gresham (who’s caught three touchdowns in his career versus the Horns), and their defense looks both deep and talented. Plus they have Ryan Reynolds back, who’s like the greatest football player ever!
Why they’re not higher: No, really he’s not. This is still the same defense that Colt hung 38 on last season, and Greg Davis seems to have Brent Venerables’ number. The Sooners’ also lost four starters on the offensive line along with their top two receivers, so Bradford won’t likely duplicate his numbers from last year. And to be honest, all the extra motivation is on Texas’ side: they beat OU, OU gets the BCS title shot and Bob Stoops crows and taunts by taking some less-so-subtle shots at Mack Brown. It’ll be a battle, but Texas looks to be a little stronger than 08, whereas OU looks to have taken a slight step back.
1. Oklahoma State (Oct 31)
Why they’re here: 26. That’s the combined halftime deficits the Horns have faced their last two trips to Stillwater. I don’t know if it’s something in the water or what, but our boys always seem to stumble through the first half, only setting the stage for a thrilling comeback. This team is too good for us to spot double digits in the first half, plus the Horns will be coming off one huge game (Oklahoma) and one somewhat tough road game (Missouri) the two previous weeks; can they be at their best three weeks in a row?
A lot of things about this scenario bring back memories from Lubbock last year.
Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during tonight’s final, College World Series finals deciding game 3 between Texas and LSU. The series is tied 1-1 and it’s winner take all tonight in the best-of-three series for the NCAA title. Texas will start pitcher Cole Green with the chance to win the Longhorns’ 6th all-time baseball championship tonight at ESPN at 6:00pm.
We will be posting live on Twitter at twitter.com/40AcresSports and it will also be embedded below. Follow along in either place to participate in the conversation and check back here later for news and analysis of the game. Hook ‘em! (more …)
Posted June 23rd, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, Live, World Series
Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during tonight’s rain delayed College World Series finals game between Texas and LSU. Texas is down 1-0 in the best-of-three series and will send out starting pitcher Taylor Jungmann to try to even up things on ESPN at 7:40pm.
We will be posting live on Twitter at twitter.com/40AcresSports and it will also be embedded below. Follow along in either place to participate in the conversation and check back here later for news and analysis of the game. Hook ‘em! (more …)
Posted June 22nd, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, Live, World Series
Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during tonight’s College World Series finals game between Texas and LSU. Texas starting pitcher Chance Ruffin will take the mound he’ll face LSU’s tough lineup tonight on ESPN at 6pm. The CWS championship round is a best 2-out-of-3 series, with games 2 and 3 (if necessary) taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
We will be posting live on Twitter at twitter.com/40AcresSports and it will also be embedded below. Follow along in either place to participate in the conversation and check back here later for news and analysis of the game. Hook ‘em! (more …)
Posted June 19th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, Live, World Series
Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during tonight’s delayed College World Series game between Texas and Arizona State. Texas will start Cole Green and he’ll face ASU’s supposedly injured Mike Leake tonight on ESPN2 at approximately 7:45pm. If Texas wins, they’ll advance to face LSU for the championship.
We will be posting live on Twitter at twitter.com/40AcresSports and it will also be embedded below. Follow along in either place to participate in the conversation and check back here later for news and analysis of the game. Hook ‘em! (more …)
Posted June 16th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, World Series
Cameron Rupp celebrates with his teammates after one of his two home runs. (ESPN.com)
In a fantastic and improbable performance, the Texas baseball team came back to win tonight from a 6-0 deficit against one of the top pitchers in college baseball. The Horns knocked off Arizona State and their ace Mike Leake by the final score of 10-6. Cameron Rupp had 2 home runs and freshman pitcher Taylor Jungmann was fantastic in relief of starter Chance Ruffin. The bats came alive throughout the lineup to the tune of 15 hits.
Texas is now 2-0 in their College World Series bracket and in fantastic shape to make it to the title game. Arizona State will have a rematch with North Carolina on Thursday for the right to to take on the Horns on Friday evening. Whoever they face, they’ll have to win two in a row to get past Texas.
See the game’s live blog for more opinions on the game.
Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during tonight’s College World Series winners’ bracket game against Arizona State. Texas ace Chance Ruffin will go up against one of the nation’s best in Mike Leake tonight on ESPN at 6pm. We’ll be posting live on Twitter at twitter.com/40AcresSports and it will also be embedded below. Follow along there to participate in the conversation. Hook ‘em! (more …)
Posted June 14th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, World Series
Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during tonight’s opening game for the Texas Longhorns at the 2009 College World Series. Cole Green will get the start as the Horns take on Southern Miss at 6pm on ESPN2 and we’ll be posting live on Twitter at twitter.com/40AcresSports. Follow along there to participate in the conversation. Hook ‘em!
Live Game Updates
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RT @Dustin_McComas: That was one of the weirdest, best, worst, games I’ve ever seen. Baseball…it’s a bitch.
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The 2009 College World Series presented by Heineken. Judging by commercial breaks, apparently the only sponsor tonight.
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@superfan99 I’m expecting Orel to go off on a rant about kids today & rock music. Or maybe yell at the players to get off his lawn. #UT #cws
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@LingerfeltInt Any member of the greatest generation who saw my tweet should know the ‘old people’ comment doesn’t apply to them.
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@justinssilver I think it’s pretty clear neither of these guys watch much college baseball, so they have to fill time other ways. #cws #ut
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OMG SHUT UP about Twitter old people. This is embarrassing for everyone involved. Wish @ESPN_CWSKyle was doing more than Tweeting. #cws #UT
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@TBirdOmaha Haha. #CWS is special event thanks (in part) to city of Omaha. It’s clear they don’t really know much about college baseball.
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Moldenhauer with another good at bat but this one ends with a groundout. Nice play by USM 1B to stay on bag. After 3, #UT 2, USM 0
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#UT hits the ball solidly but goes quickly in the bottom of the 2nd. After 2 innings, it’s Texas 2, USM 0. #ws
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#UT game is about to get underway. First Erin Andrews sighting of the game on ESPN2 for piece on Southern Miss coach. #CWS
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Looks like #UT/Southern Miss winner will be facing Arizona St thanks to crappy UNC defense. ASU still has ace in the hole too.
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Ump was giving ASU pitcher a WIDE strikezone in 9th. Giving him calls off inside corner and a foot off outside corner. #cws
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RT @bevobeat: Blog entry: Horns will start Green against Southern Miss http://tinyurl.com/lpmlz7 #ut
Posted June 8th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, World Series
Kevin Keyes' first inning homer set the stage for the Texas win. (Statesman.com)
The Texas Longhorns are headed back to Omaha for the 33rd time. The team topped TCU 5-2 to win their Super Regional and advance to the College World Series. The Longhorns won thanks to a complete performance in all facets of the game, getting great starting pitching, great defense, and great fundamental offense and power.
Freshman starter Taylor Jungmann allowed only 2 hits over 6 innings to earn the win. The offense was led by Brandon Belt and Kevin Keyes who helped get the Horns off to a quick 3-run lead in the first inning. Keyes homered in the first and nearly had another one later when he double off the top of the rightfield wall.
Texas will open CWS play Sunday against Southern Miss at 6pm on ESPN2. (more …)
Posted June 8th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, World Series
Kevin Keyes and the rest of the UT lineup could only produce 2 runs. (TexasSports.com)
One day after giving Texas fans hope that the offense was hitting its stride at just the right time, the bats fell back to earth as the team fell to TCU 3-2 Sunday afternoon. Starting pitcher Cole Green spread 3 runs over 7.2 innings but the offense couldn’t back him up and fell short in a late comeback.
The middle of the TCU lineup featuring Matt Vern and Matt Carpenter once again powered the offense, hitting a home run each to drive in all 3 TCU runs. It’ll be interesting to see if Texas pitches around those two hitters during Monday’s game and forces someone else to beat them.
The two teams face off for the right to move on to Omaha Monday at 6pm on ESPN2. Freshman starter Taylor Jungmann will be on the mound for the Longhorns.
Related Links
Texas plays TCU today for the right to go to Omaha, but first you get one last chance to win a copy of the Inning By Inning DVD. This time all you have to do to win is sign up on this entry form.
If you want to win a copy of the DVD, simply submit your name and address by 6:00am Central on June 9 using this entry form to win. Additional contest details on the entry form. Share the contest with your friends and check back every day this week for another chance to win.
A brief description of the documentary is below:
INNING BY INNING: A PORTRAIT OF A COACH is a fascinating look inside the world of University of Texas baseball coach Augie Garrido. Through unprecedented access to team meetings, practices, in-game conversations and the occasional tirade, the film examines this remarkable coach’s career and reveals Garrido’s Zen-like approach to the game that both inspires and changes lives. With a philosophy that places both baseball and his players in the larger context of life as a whole, Garrido has won five National Championships (3 at Cal State Fullerton and 2 at UT) and is the only coach to win National Championships in four different decades, and at two different schools.
The film includes interviews with former players, coaches, Alumni, baseball luminaries and friends, revealing the remarkable man behind the achievements. For coaches, players, and fans of baseball, Inning By Inning is a must see film that will forever change the way you look at the game - and perhaps the way you live your life.
Directed by Academy Award® nominee Richard Linklater (School of Rock, Before Sunset).
Posted June 7th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, World Series
Texas senior 3B Michael Torres had 2 home runs against TCU. (Statesman.com)
Texas set an NCAA record Saturday with 7 sacrifice bunts but luckily Texas coach Augie Garrido let third baseman Michael Torres swing away. The senior from California had a career day leading the Longhorns going 4-for-5 with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs (and zero sacrifice bunts) as Texas beat TCU 10-4 in the opening game of the Super Regionals. Starting pitcher Chance Ruffin gave up 3 homers but didn’t make many other mistakes during his complete game win.
The Longhorns play TCU today at 2pm on ESPN and if they win they’ll be headed back to the College World Series in Omaha.
Related Links
Posted May 31st, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, World Series
Austin Woods was dominant and durable in relief.
The game lasted over 7 hours and ended after 1 am, but in the end the Longhorns came out on top of Boston College and have moved to 2-0 in their CWS Regional bracket. Next up for Texas will be a game tomorrow at 6pm against the winner of the BC/Army match-up. Texas will have two chances to win one game to advance on to the Super Regionals next weekend.
The heroes of the game on both sides were the relief pitchers. Until the winning run in the 25th inning, Texas had gone 23 straight scoreless innings and BC finished up with 18 scoreless in a row. For Texas, Austin Wood came into the game in relief of Chance Ruffin and proceeded to put on a historic pitching display. Wood threw 12+ innings of hitless, scoreless baseball before finally leaving 160+ pitches later in the 20th inning after giving up his first hit of the night. It was an incredible performance from both teams. (more …)
Posted May 30th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, World Series
Travis Tucker attempts to slide into home against Army. (Statesman.com)
Behind 7 strong innings from starter Cole Green, the Texas baseball teamed open up 2009 College World Series play with a 3-1 win over Army Friday at Disch-Falk. The Horns never put a crooked number on the scoreboard but thanks to Green’s pitching the 3 runs were enough for the victory.
The win is a great start for the Horns in the double-elimination Austin Regionals. They will take on Boston College at 6 pm today, and if they can win again they’ll have two chances to advance to the Super Regionals starting Sunday night.
Related Links
Posted May 25th, 2009 by Mike
Filed under: Baseball, Feature, World Series
The Texas baseball team holds the Big 12 Tourney trophy. (TexasSports.com)
The Memorial Day weekend got even better on Monday when ESPN announced that The University of Texas baseball team will be the number 1 seed in the upcoming 64 team College Baseball Tournament. The Longhorns will be joined by Texas State, Army, and Boston College in their opening regional bracket. The likely match-up in the super regional is TCU. If not TCU, it could be Texas A&M.
The number 1 seed ensures Texas won’t have to leave Austin to play a baseball game unless they make it to the College World Series in Omaha. A trip I’m sure they’d be eager to make.
Texas got the weekend started by winning three straight games in Oklahoma City to capture the Big 12 tournament championship. The team got off to a bumpy start in the tournament with an opening game loss to Baylor. But wins over Kansas and Kansas State followed by a championship game win over Pool B winner Missouri gave Texas their fourth tournament championship. The Longhorns win the tournament for the second straight year.
Posted May 23rd, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Feature, Football, Recruiting
Rumors started swirling Wednesday and on Friday Ahmad Dixon made it official by announcing he had decided to switch his commit from Texas to the Baylor Bears. The 4-star 2010 safety prospect is from Waco and made the decision that he wanted to stay and play for his hometown school. Baylor coach Art Briles was able to convince that he could be a part of turning the Bears into a legit competitor in the Big 12. In an interview with Jason Suchomel of Orangebloods.com Dixon said, “I wanted to be a part of a humongous change that Baylor is about to have in the next couple of years. I wanted to go down as one of those guys in history to go down with these great teams that Baylor is about to produce.”
Dixon’s decommit is a surprising one and hurts the Horns’ 2010 class. Fortunately defensive back has been a team strength and both the 2009 and 2010 classes have been great at the position. It will be interesting to see how the Texas coaching staff uses the freed up scholarship. There are several other 4-star safety prospects that they could pursue in-state or they could hold onto it and go after a national blue chipper. Come back to The 40 Acres for updates on this story and on other Longhorns recruiting news.
The Texas Longhorn baseball team wrapped up the 2009 regular season with a double header sweep over an overpowered Alabama A&M squad. Head Coach Augie Garrido used the late season matchup to get his staff ready for the upcoming Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City.
The Longhorns will enter the conference tournament as the number #1 seed. Texas will face #8 seed Baylor on Wednesday at 12:30, Kansas on Thursday at 3:00, and Kansas State on Friday at 12:30. The finals take place the following day between the top teams in each pool. Oklahoma and A&M are the favorites in pool B.
Despite an occasional dry spell at the plate this year’s Longhorn team has performed better than any team since the championship squads. Texas sports the best pitching staff in college baseball, and in post season play pitching depth is as important as point guards in March Madness. Garrido’s group still has question marks behind the plate, but the lineup has shown the ability to score runs if they can get on a roll early.
Texas has all but locked up a top 8 national seed. The granting of a top 8 seed would guarantee the Longhorns wouldn’t have to leave Austin until the College World Series, if they were good enough and lucky enough, to make it.
Do the Longhorns need Vondrell McGee and the rest of the running backs to step up?
Not that I’m breaking any news when I say this, but it bears repeating: this could be a special year for our Longhorns. A majority of our starters return, our coaching staff is arguably the strongest in Mack’s tenure and they have an understandably large chip on their shoulders after getting rooked out of the National Championship last year to a team they beat. Coming out of the spring game, here is #1 concern I’ve heard/read from Horn fans: what about the running game? Who’s the go-to running back? WHAT ABOUT THE RUN GAME??!?!??!
To that I say… play it cool Superman, play it cool.
Look I know that a run game is important, but is it vital? Ehhhh… not sure. The run game last year was subpar (by Texas standards) and it would be nice to be able to just run, run, run on anyone we damn well please because, in all honesty, nothing emasculates your opponent more than just cramming the ball down their collective throat. I get it, what I don’t get is the panic-stricken nature that us fans are treating this.
Conventional wisdom says you need to be able to run the ball to win championships; however, conventional wisdom also said that a team couldn’t win a National Title either running the spread (until we did) or if your leading rusher was a quarterback (again, until we did). The point is, teams that obey “conventional wisdom” rarely make history.
Looking at it, what makes our offense more imposing; forcing one of our unproven tight ends out on the field and lining up out of the I, or getting Jordan Shipley, Malcolm Williams, Brandon Collins, and James Kirkendoll out on the field at the same time? In my view, that’s the difference between asking someone which they would rather juggle, water balloons or grenades. A mistake with one leaves you mildly inconvenienced, while the other leaves you totally destroyed.
Let’s be honest, it’s not like any of the guys in the backfield are Jamaal Charles quality; they each have their strengths and weaknesses, and none of them are a complete back. On the other hand, our receiving core is the deepest and most talented group of the Mack Brown era. Jordan Shipley is nails, Brandon Collins is smooth route runner and great after the catch, Kirkendoll seems to be scratching the surface and the ceiling for Malcolm Williams seems to be Limas Sweed at worst! Not trying to be dramatic, but this set of receivers is a gift, we should use them as much as we can.
Most importantly, we have (by the numbers) the most accurate quarterback in the history of college football back for his senior year. Is our offense better served forcing the ball to our stable of good not nearly great running backs, or letting the most precise passer we’ve ever had in burnt orange throw darts to our studs out wide?? Our run game last year worked this way: run a little in the first half to keep the defense honest, but most of the damage was done with quick passes to the wideouts, which not only gained us yards but also served to sap the strength out of the opposing defenses legs. In the second half, the creases became bigger and the holes came more frequently (see the Oklahoma game for a perfect illustration).
Posted May 4th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Basketball, Feature, Recruiting
After starting talented but diminutive guards DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams and struggling against teams such as Memphis due to their length. That won’t happen again.
The Austin American-Statesman is reporting that Rick Barnes’ incredible recruiting freight train has continued with the commitment of 2011 guard Sheldon McClellan. The 6-foot-5 guard/forward from Houston Bellaire joins point guard Myck Kabongo as the second member of the 2011 class. He has great length and athleticism which he uses above the rim on offense and as an active on the ball defender. Scouts, Inc. gives McClellan high praise when they state that at times he reminds them of Scottie Pippen. In the 2009, 2010, and 2011 classes Barnes has now landed four guards over 6-foot-2 and three wingmen over 6-foot-7.
Congrats to Sheldon and welcome to the Forty Acres.
Scouting Reports
From the Statesman’s Bevo Beat:
McClellan averaged 18.5 points a game as a sophomore. The Louisville-based HoopScoop rates him the 44th-best prospect in the class of 2011. NCAA rules allow McClellan to sign with Texas in November 2010, when he is a senior. “He’s a top-50 type talent,” said Gerry Hamilton of BurntOrangeBeat, who has watched McClellan play several times. “Right now his biggest strength is creating shots for himself and his teammates. He can also catch and shoot three-pointers.”
From his ESPN profile:
McClellan is a long and athletic play maker from the wing position. He attacks the rim in transition where he can finish above the rim with his great length. In the half court he can score off the catch or dribble from three and he also has a strong mid range game with one or two dribble pull ups. McClellan can stop and pop while he elevates over smaller defenders. Making moves off the dribble and defensive rebounding are areas of improvement that are very evident but he is young with time to add this to his game. He is a good on ball defender and plays hard on a consistent basis.
Travis Tucker hit a grand slam Saturday against Baylor. (Image: Statesman.com)
The Texas baseball team took a huge step towards a Big 12 title over the weekend by sweeping Baylor in a three game home split series. That is now two sweeps of top conference foes in the last three series, the first came two weekends ago against Oklahoma. The Longhorns needed a big weekend following a 0-2-1 series at home against Kansas State.
Texas has relied on pitching for much of the season but in the first two games the Longhorn offense exploded for double digit run totals thanks in large part to horrible defense by Baylor.
Augie Garrido’s group hosted game one on Friday in Austin in a matchup between Chance Ruffin and Kendal Volz that aired on ESPNU. Volz, the closer for last year’s USA national team and a likely first round pick, struggled early with his control and Longhorn hitters took advantage. Kevin Lusson, playing at DH and on fire, came through with an RBI in the first inning. UT added another run on a Volz wild pitch to take a 2-0 lead after one.
The Longhorns added two more in the second, and following a Baylor run in the top of the third, added a fifth run in the third.
Up 5-1 with Ruffin cruising Texas looked to put the game away early but Baylor added two in the top of the fifth and one more in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 5-4.
The Bears had the momentum, and Volz had settled down by getting ahead of Texas hitters, but the Baylor defense couldn’t stay out of their own way. They committed seven total errors on the night, one of which was on Volz himself.
Texas scratched across four runs in the seventh and three runs in the eight to stretch the lead to 12-4 with closer Austin Wood on the mound. Wood pitched three total innings, a decision that was puzzling with an eight run lead and two more games left in the weekend, allowing no runs.
On Saturday the series moved to Waco. And it wasn’t a good day to be a pitcher. The two teams, both known for solid pitching, allowed a total 30 runs on 25 hits in the nine inning slug fest. It was the Longhorns once again that jumped on the Bears early with 10 runs in the first three innings.
The offense was led by the home runs of Travis Tucker, Brandon Belt, and Cameron Rupp. Connor Rowe had his second strong game in a row collecting four hits in six at bats on Saturday alone.
Cole Green got the start for Texas and he gave the Horns a very solid seven innings of work. The sophomore gave up five runs, only two were earned, with 10 strikeouts. Texas stretched the lead all the way to 19-5 going into the ninth inning where Baylor made a late push to bring the score closer but it was too little too late.
Texas needed the sweep on Sunday in Baylor to put an exclamation point on the series and that is exactly what they did. Texas teams in the past few years have lacked that killer instinct, hopefully a performance like this weekend’s propels them into the postseason.
Taylor Jungmann got a rare weekend start in place of Brandon Workman as he battles a few injuries and bad outings. And the freshman made a case to make the move permanent with a dominating performance. The former Georgetown star struck out 10 batters in six innings allowing only one run on three hits. Jungmann has the most upside of any pitcher on Texas’ staff and it was a great sign to see him step up in a big moment.
Baylor got a great pitching performance of their own from Willie Kempf, but the Longhorn bats managed to a few more runs than the Bears could match.
Texas’ offense was led by the three hits of leadoff hitter Michael Torres and the huge two run RBI homerun by Rupp, his second of the series.
Wood came in to close out his second game in three days to seal up the series.
The sweep puts Texas to the top of the standings along with A&M and Kansas State. The Longhorns will face A&M at home May 8th-10th in what could become a series to decide the regular season championship and the number one seed in the conference tournament. With a series win against the Aggies the Longhorns would essentially become a lock to be one of the top 8 seeds in the national tournament. That would mean Texas wouldn’t have to play outside of Austin until the College World Series if they were able to advance that far.
Chris Ogbonnaya scores against the Sooners.
Sometimes, I love ESPN Classic. Usually when they replay college football during the “dog days” of the season (May-July) that keeps my ever-present desire for college football that much sharper. One such occasion occurred last week, as ESPNC replayed the Texas/OU 2008 game in all its glory, unless you’re a Sooner. So, with pen and paper in hand, I decided to cue up my DVR and record some observations in hindsight (i.e. when I’m not shot gunning Modello’s and cursing whatever evil demon Bob Stoops sold his soul to). Enjoy!
1. Our offensive line got whipped in the first half.
Colt was running for his life in the 1st half, and our passing game was relegated to quick passes out of necessity. I forgot how badly we got worked in this area early on. The three first half sacks really could have been six were Colt not so mobile.
2. The Ryan Reynolds myth.
I have officially had enough of this crap; YOU know what I’m talking about, cause we’ve all heard this excuse since about five minutes after the final gun in the RRS. We only began to move the ball once Oklahoma’s leader Ryan Reynolds left the game with a knee injury, and IF he stays healthy it would have been a different story. If you need a refresher, just read this OU stooge or check the game recap at Red Dirt Kings.
Funny thing about it… Reynolds wasn’t even on the preseason All Big-12 team; after he tears his ACL every Sooner fan will tell you he’s the best MLB in the country. Let’s look at some hard data:
For the game, in which he lasted about 2 1/2 quarters, Reynolds registered 3 tackles. What’s more, two of them game on his first series (he stuck Chris Ogbonnaya for no gain, and then limited him to a 3 yard run). So, for those of you math majors, in the remaining 2 quarters he played (which translates to five series) he made ONE TACKLE!! Why the drop off in production? Simple once we went to the 4 WR formations, Reynolds became obsolete. He’s your typical OU linebacker, he plays the run aggressively and rushes the passer, but if you get him in coverage he is vulnerable. Three separate times in the first half, Jordan Shipley either shook him loose or made him miss badly on a tackle. It was a totally mismatch, and St. Reynolds became Donnie from The Big Lebowski…totally out of his element. The longer he would have stayed in the game, the worse he would have looked.
So, why did we start to move the ball better in the second half? Because their defensive line wore down, giving Colt more time to find holes in the zone defense Oklahoma was playing. Reynolds being in there would have lead to him having to cover someone down the field, and we’ve seen that movie (go cue up Jermichael Finley career highlight video, I swear half the plays are against Oklahoma. Where he was covered by… drumroll please… Ryan Reynolds).
One more thing, Reynolds’ replacement Brandon Crow, who OU fans blame solely for the loss to us, registered five tackles in barely over a quarter of action. That’s right, Reynolds’s replacement logged almost twice as many tackles than he did. So, that’s it, Ryan Reynolds is good not great and his injury didn’t hurt OU all that much. The next time snotty dirt burglar fans try to use his injury as an excuse, drop the hammer of knowledge on them.
3. Our “calls”
You know, cause between the refs screwing them AND losing the greatest linebacker every to step put on a pair of shoulder pads, what chance did OU have to win the game? This might be beating a dead horse, but I decided to look into this for the record. There were three main calls that drew criticism: the two roughing the passer calls and the “fumbled” interception in the end zone that was ruled an incomplete pass.
- The first roughing the passer call was a BAD call that went in our favor, no question about it. This call bailed us out of a 3rd and 14 and probably resulted in a “free” 3 points for us. No excuses.
- The second RTP penalty was correct. It wasn’t malicious, but Colt was a good four steps out of bound when Travis Lewis shoves him in the back and jerks his jersey. It looked to be one of those “I’ll hit you late, but not hard enough to get a flag” shenanigans that OU seems to specialize in. Keep your hands to yourself Mr. Lewis!
- The dropped interception…I don’t even know what to say. It’s like trying to explain to a grownup why water is wet; you don’t even know how to begin because the point is so blatantly obvious that any explanation feels asinine. Anyway, here goes… IF a player catches the ball, maintains possession, but when he hits the ground the ball gets jarred loose, IT IS NOT A CATCH!! Invariably there is always some moron who chimes in (usually very know-it-allish) “The ground can’t cause a fumble!” No, it can’t, but it damn sure can cause an incompletion. Learn it, live it, love it.
4. OU’s tomfoolery
Before I can get into this, I think everyone out there that supports the Burnt Orange can agree that Oklahoma cheats worse than a meth-addicted three card Monte dealer. However, that seems to be a common theme in ANY heated rivalry; the Haggys and Red Faders swear that the refs give us every call. The difference is, in this case it is totally true (see Big Red Auto Imports and any game film of an Oklahoma). But instead of making random claims, I decided to game to the game film:
- 1st drive of the game (that didn’t take long, did it?), Lamarr Houston beats Duke Robinson off the ball and has a beeline to sack Bradford. Robinson grabs Houston’s jersey and spins him (blatant holding) and Bradford has time to let the play develop and hit the running back for a 34-yard gain. There is no way that WASN’T holding! So instead of a third and long (if Houston makes the sack) or 2nd and 20 (if the refs could have found their flags), OU had a 1st down in Texas territory.
- In the second quarter, 2nd and 19, Oklahoma runs that jailbreak screen and Manual Johnson is a good yard past the line of scrimmage when he catches the ball. That would have been okay, except for the three OU linemen downfield. Instead of a 2nd and 24, they get 3rd and 6.
- In the third quarter, same situation that I just described, only this time Johnson is a good two yards past the line of scrimmage when he catches the ball. Instead of 3rd and 15, they score a touchdown.
That’s three infractions calls that OU got away with, all which lead to touchdowns. And don’t even get me started on Loadholt; he grabbed Orakpo so often I think he wanted to date him. Don’t be shy Phil, tell him how you feel!
- In the sake of fairness, there were a couple of plays I thought OU got away with something turned out to be legit. A few of their jailbreak screens WERE behind the line of scrimmage (nullifying the illegal man downfield) and the first touchdown where I thought Manual Johnson never broke the plane (he clearly did).
- You want proof of the Big 12 media bias for the Sooners? Trent Williams, the All-Big 12 first team and winner of the lineman of the year award, was absolutely destroyed by Sergio Kindle. Sergio beat him for a sack, two QB pressures and drew a holding penalty against Williams. DeMarcco Murray, who was a repeat selection on the All-Big 12 team first team, did absolutely nothing against us, gaining seven yards on six carries. And the Big 12 coach of the year Bob Stoops? He spent the entire second half taking turns looking confused, and then constipated.
In closing, now that I have watched this game for the third time, this was Oklahoma’s best shot. Seriously. DeMarcco Murray was healthy (for all the good he did), Oklahoma busted out their maddeningly effective jailbreak screen for this game (which we had no time to prepare for, as opposed to Florida) and they converted all their opportunities inside the red zone. For all the smoke being blown about how OU was a different team at the end of the season, with all due respect, so were we. Our freshman safeties had grown up, the young receivers had emerged and our defense was playing lights out (allowing 16 points combined it its last 2 regular season games). We could have played them again and the result would have been the same.
God, I can’t wait for October 17th!
After what had to be one of the most difficult weekends of his life Texas wide receiver Quan Cosby has found a new home and signed a rookie free agent deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. Estimated by most draft experts to be a 5th or 6th round draft pick Cosby went completely unselected in the 2009 NFL Draft and also was forced to sit uncomfortable next to the great Bill Cosby wearing a football helmet.
Though he was assuredly disappointed with not being selected, as a free agent he was able to pick the team and contract that was the best situation for him. With TJ Houshmandzadeh gone and Chad Johnson disgruntled as always, Quan has a good chance to make the team and contribute. Cosby chose the Bengals over offers from Detroit, Seattle, Houston, San Diego, Indianapolis, Minnesota and St. Louis.
Texas right guard Cedric Dockery also has reportedly signed a free agent deal with the New Orleans Saints.
We will have updates on Ryan Palmer and the other undrafted Horns when they happen. Also follow @40AcresSports on Twitter for breaking Texas sports news.
Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during today’s second day of the NFL Draft that will take place starting at 9:00am on ESPN and the NFL Network. You can catch our live thoughts by tuning into this page and you can also participate in the conversation.
We’ll also be embedding Twitter posts from @40AcresSports and with the hashtag #UTdraft right in with the other notes. Feel free to leave comments and questions using the live tool, but not all comments will be published. Read below for more notes on comments and how the live blog will work. Hook ‘em!
Notes: Comments on the article itself will be turned off till after the game. The Writer can view all comments sent to them but only they can publish your comments for everyone to see. The “autoscroll” feature ensures you’re always shown the newest content without having to refresh or scroll your screen. Subtle sound effects alert you to new content as the writer publishes it. You can turn these features on or off by using the controls at the bottom of the Live Blog.
Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during today’s NFL Draft that will take place starting at 3:00pm on ESPN and the NFL Network. You can catch our live thoughts by tuning into this page and you can also participate in the conversation.
We’ll also be embedding Twitter posts from @40AcresSports and with the hashtag #UTdraft right in with the other notes. Feel free to leave comments and questions using the live tool, but not all comments will be published. Read below for more notes on comments and how the live blog will work. Hook ‘em!
Notes: Comments on the article itself will be turned off till after the game. The Writer can view all comments sent to them but only they can publish your comments for everyone to see. The “autoscroll” feature ensures you’re always shown the newest content without having to refresh or scroll your screen. Subtle sound effects alert you to new content as the writer publishes it. You can turn these features on or off by using the controls at the bottom of the Live Blog.
Check out our projections for how this weekend’s NFL Draft will shake out below along with the picks of some of the league’s draft experts. We’ll be providing live updates on the draft and the Longhorns players who might be selected here on the site and in 140 characters or less on our Twitter account.
Here are the picks for the 2009 40 Acres Mock Draft:
| 40 Acres | Kiper | Kirwan | Gosselin | Actual | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Lions | M Stafford | M Stafford | M Stafford | M Stafford | M Stafford |
| 2. Rams | J Smith | J Smith | M Sanchez | J Smith | J Smith |
| 3. Chiefs | T Jackson | T Jackson | T Jackson | T Jackson | T Jackson |
| 4. Seahawks | M Crabtree | M Sanchez | J Smith | A Curry | A Curry |
| 5. Browns | A Curry | A Curry | A Curry | M Crabtree | M Sanchez |
| 6. Bengals | A Smith | A Smith | E Monroe | A Smith | A Smith |
| 7. Raiders | J Maclin | E Monroe | A Smith | J Maclin | Heyward-Bey |
| 8. Jaguars | E Monroe | M Crabtree | BJ Raji | E Monroe | E Monroe |
| 9. Packers | M Jenkins | BJ Raji | B Orakpo | M Jenkins | BJ Raji |
| 10. 49ers | BJ Raji | J Maclin | M Crabtree | M Oher | M Crabtree |
| 11. Bills | M Oher | B Orakpo | M Oher | A Maybin | A Maybin |
| 12. Broncos | B Orakpo | R Ayers | B Cushing | BJ Raji | K Moreno |
| 13. Redskins | M Sanchez | B Cushing | E Brown | M Sanchez | B Orakpo |
| 14. Saints | R Ayers | M Jenkins | M Jenkins | V Davis | M Jenkins |
| 15. Texans | A Maybin | A Maybin | A Maybin | C Matthews | B Cushing |
| 16. Chargers | B Cushing | M Oher | R Ayers | B Cushing | L English |
| 17. Jets | P Harvin | P Harvin | J Maclin | Heyward-Bey | J Freeman |
| 18. Broncos | Heyward-Bey | C Wells | R Maualuga | B Orakpo | R Ayers |
| 19. Bucs | J Freeman | J Freeman | J Freeman | R Ayers | J Maclin |
| 20. Lions | R Maualuga | R Maualuga | P Jerry | B Pettigrew | B Pettigrew |
| 21. Eagles | K Moreno | K Moreno | K Moreno | K Moreno | A Mack |
| 22. Vikings | K Britt | K Britt | E Britton | J Freeman | P Harvin |
| 23. Patriots | C Matthews | D Brow | C Matthews | P Jerry | |
| 24. Falcons | P Jerry | V Davis | E Hood | D Butler | |
| 25. Dolphins | B Pettigrew | Heyward-Bey | P Harvin | P Kruger | |
| 26. Ravens | V Davis | B Pettigrew | Heyward-Bey | R Maualuga | |
| 27. Colts | E Hood | P Jerry | J Laurinaitis | C Wells | |
| 28. Bills | E Britton | P Loadholt | L English | M Unger | |
| 29. Giants | Z Hood | C Matthews | H Nicks | Z Hood | |
| 30. Titans | D Butler | D Butler | V Davis | A Smith | |
| 31. Cardinals | C Wells | E Brown | C Wells | D Brown | |
| 32. Steelers | M Unger | M Unger | A Mack | E Wood |
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