40 Acres Sports

WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from the Texas game against the New Mexico State.

Daje Johnson was electric with the ball in his hands against New Mexico St. (Photo: Getty)

1st Quarter (11:38) WTH Crash Davis?! We’ve heard about this quick strike offense. Nothing would have been better than to have Mike “Magic” Davis get the team into the red zone. He ended up fumbling the ball to end any hope of a first score. He would more than make up for it later.

1st Quarter (3:29) WTH Punter?! What a letdown when your team cannot make a first down. Well, looks like punter Anthony Fera puts a little more excitement into 4th down with a booming 68 yard punt that is downed at the 1 inch line!

2nd Quarter (15:00) WTH Godzillatron?! A lot of us are happy that LHN is on Time Warner Cable. Too bad the University forgot to pay their cable bill for the stadium’s television set which was on the blink and out for a good portion of the quarter.

2nd Quarter (8:45) WTH Head Games?! Never seen that one before. The NMSU backup quarterback signaled for the snap just as his wide receiver was coming in motion. The ball bounced off the receivers head and rolled around as a fumble. At least the receiver, Bergstrom, used his head and recovered it.

2nd Quarter (1:48 & 1:08) WTH Wonder Twin Powers?! This duo did not transform into an animal and water, but it did electrify the dormant UT crowd (99,623) before halftime. The explosive TD catch and run by John Harris (54 yards) and Daje Johnson (66 yards) made the walk into the locker room a little less uncomfortable.

3rd Quarter (15:00) WTH Gutsy?! The coaching staff for NMSU decided to try an onside kick. No risk it… no biscuit. Did not work, but you gotta give them credit for trying.

3rd Quarter (10:27) WTH Ash?! David Ash galloped 55 yards for a touchdown to pad his rushing stats for the night. (91 yds. rushing + 343 yards passing) He had a tremendous second half. Let’s hope he wakes up earlier for the next game versus BYU.

4th Quarter (15:00) WTH House of Pain?! As the kids say “Epic Fail.” The crowd did not respond when the loud speakers starting playing “Jump.” Time to kill any thoughts of making this a tradition. I been to a few Badger football games… this is not a Wisconsin type fan base.

4th Quarter (2:34) WTH Magic?! Mike Davis redeemed is nickname with a spectacular one foot in bound catch in the end zone. Too bad the refs missed it when they did not signal touchdown but decided to call pass interference. Luckily the replay booth got it right and awarded the TD to Davis.

4th Quarter (:00) WTH Major?! 715 yards! The most yards EVER recorded by a Longhorn football team. Guess the Applewhite offense is up tempo. Greg Davis must have been smiling after this one.

Next up for the Longhorns is a trip to Utah to play the Cougars of BYU on September 7th.

Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on twitter at @40AcresSports or follow me at @Horns1991. HOOK EM!!

Magic… Momentum… Anything?

As we get closer to the start of the 2013 Football Season, the question needs to be asked where is this team headed. An even bigger question is what is the state of the Longhorn Men’s Athletic program?

Magic is described as the appearing to perform supernatural feats using sleight of hand. Back in the day there was a term used as “Sooner Magic” where the unexpected would occur for the OU Football team. The term came from epic tussles between the Sooners and Cornhuskers. That magic and momentum carried to other games where the Sooners would do the unimaginable. Just look at their last National Championships when OU who was a 10.5 point underdog beat the Seminoles 13-2. Texas had a similar run of “magic” when Vince Young took a team that had just lost 0-12 to the Sooners in 2004 and went on to win 20 games and two Rose Bowls plus a National Championship. Now look at these two programs and tell me where the “magic” is at. The magic is with the other teams in the conference.

Kansas State: Just came off the greatest sports year ever with a Big XII Championship in football, baseball and basketball in 2012-13.

Oklahoma State: Won the Big XII Championship in 2011 and owns a better overall record over the Sooners for the past three years.

Baylor: Has a Heisman Trophy winner, a new stadium being built and a winning record over the Horns in the past three years.

Texas Tech: At least they have a new coach and an inspired fan base that has a lot of hope for the future.

TCU: Is finishing up their renovations to their stadium and has plenty of momentum with a solid coach and a win over the Horns last year.

And then there is A&M: A multi-million dollar stadium renovation that will make it the biggest football stadium in Texas, solid footing in the tough SEC, and a Heisman Trophy winner. Oh yeah, I forgot… we do not care about them anymore since they are not in the conference.

So with everyone else having momentum beginning this football season, what is in store for the Longhorns in 2013. Here is a video to get you going before we go game by game.

New Mexico State (0-0) at Texas (0-0) Aug. 31st

At least we can say we beat the Aggies this year… even though there from New Mexico. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (1-0) at BYU (1-0) Sept. 7th

This game will tell much of the story for this year’s team. Win impressively and the fan base will believe a BCS game is in the cards. The Horns squeak by this team with their altitude sickness in check, and then the fan base is in for a rollercoaster ride. Lose this game and we will wonder if Mack will make it back next year. Horns WIN (close)

Mississippi (2-0) at Texas (2-0) Sept. 14th

This game just got tougher since the Rebels posted a 7-6 record last year in the SEC. The only reason I can predict a win for the Horns is because this game is at home. Again the aftermath of Provo determines this outcome. Horns WIN (close)

Kansas State (3-0) at Texas (3-0) Sept. 21st

The sorcerer from Manhattan will have his team ready to play. I think momentum of the home crowd and the pending bye week ahead will get this team ratcheted up to take it out on the Cats. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (4-0) at Iowa State (2-1) October 3rd

A Thursday night game?! Are we in the AAC? Do we need the exposure to help our recruiting? Guess Horns want some extra time to get ready for the Sooners. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (5-0) vs OU (4-1) October 12th

The Sooners will be coming off back to back tough games (ND & TCU) before the Red River Rivalry. I cannot see the play of the Belldozer causing much harm unless Manny and the defense cannot stop the run like last year. Hope the extra time gives Applewhite something for Stoops’ defense to chew on. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (6-0) at TCU (4-3) October 26th

Trap game! TCU will have the toughest part of their schedule behind them and they will be looking to turn their season around with a win. The Horns will have another bye week to start dreaming about an undefeated season. The more desperate team will win this one. Horns LOSE (close)

Kansas (2-5) at Texas (6-1) November 2nd

Get ready for a pissed off bunch of Horns in Austin. They will take it out on the Jayhawks who will be reeling from 5 consecutive losses coming into DKR. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (7-1) at West Virginia (3-5) November 9th

I see the urgency in the Horns to not let another TCU moment come back to haunt them. Playing for the first time ever at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, sounds like the stadium was named after an impressionist painter; the fans will try to make it an intimidating venue. The Longhorns take care of business in the fourth quarter. Horns WIN (big)

Oklahoma State (9-0) at Texas (8-1) November 16th

This is the defacto Big XII Championship game in Austin. Both teams are talented and will be coming on strong for this pivotal matchup. Last year I flipped a coin and I predicted the Horns would win (Horns won a close one). Just flipped it. Horns LOSE (close)

Texas Tech (7-4) at Texas (8-2) November 28th (Thanksgiving Day)

The rock star coach will be a little less flamboyant coming into Austin. The talent on the field should show up with the Horns still smarting from last week’s lost to the Cowboys. Fans will breathe a sigh of relief after this one is over on Turkey Day. Horns WIN (close)

Texas (9-2) at Baylor (8-3) December 7th

Say so long to Floyd Casey Stadium which is the smallest stadium in the Big XII. A sloppy game played by both teams as they try too hard to impress the bowl committees. Both running games will be on display on a miserable day for offense. The Horns emerge victorious to reach Coach Brown’s bar for a successful season. Horns WIN (close)

Just so you know… close means 10 points or less and big is 14 points or more.

I am predicting a 10-2 year for the Horns. You can check my past predictions to see that I was not too far off in 2012 & 2011. I hope to see some magic and some momentum from the Horns this season because I don’t think Mack Brown has anymore tricks up his sleeve.

Texas City brothers running back D’Onta and electric inside wide receiver Armanti Foreman of Texas City have committed to Texas.

Texas needs a big 2013 from David Ash.

Big things are coming for Texas in 2013: Especially for Junior quarterback David Ash. I’m not calling for an improvement over his sophomore campaign. I’m calling for a transformative season. A season in which each and every one of us has to applaud and give credit where it is due. A season that will require Ash to be mentioned in the same conversation as (gasp!) Layne, Street, Applewhite, Young, and the McCoy (the good one, not the amateur film maker).

Yes. You’re correct — you just read that.

Colt McCoy left Texas as the winningest college quarterback of all time. His junior and senior seasons were two of the best ever by a Texas passer. Check out McCoy’s stats for a reminder of just how great he was in his career and his two Heisman finalist seasons:

Here’s where I feel Ash will be for the upcoming season. Yes, his predicted passing total of 4,014 yards surpasses McCoy’s best year of 3,859 yards (2008). The 36 touchdown prediction also surpasses McCoy’s best year of 34 (2008). This is where I get crazy, the point where if you had yet to question my sanity-you begin to. I think Ash out rushes McCoy’s best year as well. I should be on medication and a strong dose of it, correct? Ash will come away with a grand total of 780 yards and 9 rushing touchdowns. That total surpasses McCoy’s best season on the ground (561 yards in 2008), but falls short in the number of touchdowns (11, in 2008). It also surpasses the best single-season passing yardage and touchdown totals of Vince Young in 2004 (3036 yards/26 touchdowns), Chris Simms in 2002 (3357 yards/ 21 touchdowns), and Major Applewhite in 1999 (3357 yards/21 touchdowns).

Check out my predictions for each game in 2013:

This would be a monumental season for Ash and the Longhorns. An 11-1 record places them at the top of the heap come play-off time and poised to fight it out for a national championship. Quarterbacks over time have shown the most growth between their sophomore and junior seasons. It will be interesting to see how well Ash performs when he has an Offensive Coordinator that will make it imperative to get the ball to his best play makers in areas where they can maximize their abilities. No more multiple shifts and personnel groupings.

Yes, I am pumping sunshine. Bask in it. Soak it in.

I can’t wait to see the first time the Longhorns come out 4 wide with Jaxon Shipley, Mike Davis, Daje Johnson, and Cayleb Jones and either Jonathan Gray or Malcolm Brown in the backfield.

How do you cover that?

Whose the poor linebacker tasked with keeping up with Johnson or Gray/Brown?

Feel free to let me know just how crazy you think I am in the comments below. I’m sure many of you will have something witty to say. I will be more than happy to eat crow if I’m off base and rest assured I will say “I told you so!” if given the opportunity.

Here’s to hoping I get to do that a minimum of 12 times next year.

Palo Duro WR Montrel Meander gives the Longhorns a speed threat for the 2013 class.

Welcome to the 40 Acres Montrel Meander. Meander, a 6’3″, 180 pound WR/S from Palo Duro High School in Amarillo became the fifteenth 2013 commitment after a last minute official visit to Austin. Meander had long been committed to Washington State, but flipped this weekend in favor of the good guys.

Meander is an athlete. He can play either safety or wide receiver. As a spread wide receiver he shows excellent straight line speed and could be the deep threat this offense so desperately needs-especially with the departure of the drastically-under used Marquise Goodwin. His route running is raw, but he shows great separation at the line of scrimmage and a willingness to go across the middle and make a tough catch.

As a safety, Meander showed really good instincts and takes good angles when tackling. He shows the ability to cover sideline to sideline, sheds blocks well, and wraps up-all of which are sorely needed in the Texas secondary.

Meander’s number one weapon however, is his speed. The young man can fly. Track speed doesn’t always transfer to football speed, but in this case it does. He has documented track times of 21.55 seconds in the 200 meters, 10.9 in the 100 meters, as well as a 4.46 second 40 yard dash and boasts a 21’3.5″ long jump.

Check out some of Meander’s highlight video:

Will he be a tool for Major Applewhite or for Manny Diaz? He could help either side. My bet is that he ends up at wide receiver at least for the time being.

The Texas offense will be better in the next season due to the departure of offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin and his manic, almost bi-polar play selection. Major Applewhite remains Co-Offensive Coordinator, but will now share the role with wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt. What will make 2013 better than 2012 is that Major Applewhite will be doing what he should have been doing for the last two seasons: calling plays and coaching quarterbacks.

The Alamo Bowl is a small sampling to draw conclusions from, however, it showed that Applewhite has the ability to maximize the talent on offense. He crafted roles for guys based on their unique skill sets. Absent from the Alamo Bowl was Harsin’s dogged insistence on forcing round pegs into square holes. Applewhite didn’t try to outsmart anyone; no mass substitutions, no multiple shifting at the line of scrimmage, no trickery. The game plan wasn’t perfect, but it showed one key element that seemed absent for much of the past two seasons: the ability to adjust when the original plan wasn’t working.

Simply put, Harsin wasn’t a good fit at Texas. The players didn’t respond to him. They didn’t relate to him. Harsin wasn’t a Texas guy. Major Applewhite is Texas. Every recruit in the Southwest knows the name. Their mothers and fathers remember the Big XII Championship game and the Holiday Bowl. Applewhite has the infamous “It” factor that Harsin lacked.

Please don’t get me wrong… I don’t think the 2013 season will be all sunshine and rainbows, but we will see a more cohesive team. We will see more discipline. We will see more accountability. We will see more heart. The old saying, “Attitude reflects leadership” certainly applies here. I don’t see this next iteration of Longhorn football cowering to Oklahoma or self-destructing against West Virginia.

I heard Trent Dilfer last week discussing the Harbaugh brothers and he said, “they get the most from the least and the best from the best.” This immediately made me think of Applewhite’s Alamo Bowl press conference quote when asked about the differences between his offense and Harsin’s. He replied, “…I’ve always felt like even as a player this game is about players, put [the ball] in the best guys’ hands and let them make plays. I think sometimes we over think it a little bit as coaches, so I’m excited to watch these guys go play.”

I’m excited to watch these guys go play as well.

Watch this video below and it will give you a taste of what the players think of Applewhite:

Aggies are wanting to call themselves DBU now? Pretty funny and typical Aggie. Check it out about 4:30 into this video:

Based on what exactly? Their whopping three un-/barely drafted players riding the pine? To put it in perspective Texas, the real DBU, has that same number if you only count guys with the last name Brown. And Chykie and Tarell are both playing in the Super Bowl this weekend.

Silly Aggies. You can change conference but you can’t stop being yourselves. I guess the next Aggie video will probably claim they should be called “The U.”

[Update: Hammad did in fact commit to Texas. See ESPN’s story. – Brian]

The Longhorns are looking to continue stockpiling big bodies after Monday’s commitment by Desmond Harrison. Coach Stacy Searels is believed to be closing in on yet another top notch offensive line prospect: Irving High School Tackle, Rami Hammad. Hammad’s measurable are impressive: 6’5″ and 320 pounds. Hammad is ranked by Rivals as the 172nd prospect nationally, 28th at his position, and 78th overall in the state of Texas. Hammad took an official visit to the 40 Acres this past weekend that lead to him to end his his nearly three month commitment to Baylor.

Hammad now lists a top four of Texas, TCU, Baylor, and Oklahoma and is set to announce at 5:00 PM today. It is believed that Texas is clearly the team to beat for Hammad due to how quickly he backed out of his verbal commitment to Baylor after the weekend visit to Austin.

A quick film study of shows Hammad to be an aggressive and nasty blocker. He will sustain blocks 10-15 yards downfield on running plays and has a strong base in passing sets. He’s not nearly the physical specimen that Desmond Harrison is, but it’s easy to see that he has a mean streak and isn’t afraid to mix it up.

(more …)

If you were to describe the perfect offensive lineman, it would sound something like this:

• Around 6’6′ – 6’8″
• Over 300 Pounds
• Athletically built-not sloppy
• Big enough to hold hid ground against the pass rush
• Fast enough to get to the second level on run plays
• Strong enough to pancake a defensive end

All these things can be said about the newest member of the 2013 Longhorn football team, Desmond Harrison. Harrison’s arrival can not come soon enough for a Texas team that desperately needs a dose of nastiness in the offensive line.

The time and effort that offensive line coach Stacy Searels and Offensive Coordinator Major Applewhite expended to land Harrison shows just how much of a priority solidifying the tackle position is for 2013. Having Desmond Harrison on campus makes EVERYONE better and here’s why:

• Championship teams are built from the inside out-specifically the offensive line.
• A strong offensive line extends drives: punts become field goals; field goal become touchdowns. More touchdowns leads to more victories. Victories are a good thing. They keep people employed. They keep fan bases happy. They keep stadiums full. They keep bank accounts full.
• Jonathan Gray and Malcolm Brown have larger holes to run through. Bigger holes mean more rushing yards. High rushing totals allows for play action passing. Ash is a much better quarterback when there is a running game that can put up big numbers.
• David Ash has more time to progress through his reads and has larger throwing lanes. A comfortable David Ash with wide throwing lanes makes Jaxon Shipley and Mike Davis better receivers.
• Extended drives leads to a rested defense. If their offense isn’t on the field, that severely restricts the other team’s ability to score points.

Adding Harrison will lead to some changes in the offensive line depth chart. If Harrison is everything he’s expected be, he’s penciled in as the starting left tackle from day one. This will prompt last year’s Juco signee, Donald Hawkins to shift inside to either guard or center. Another possibility at the center position would be Mason Walters. Either would be an upgrade over incumbent Dom Espinosa, who was often over powered by the bull rush and lacked the speed to get to the second level. Not to mention the debacle that was the West Virginia game, but there’s no reason to beat a dead horse here.

Is Harrison a sure fire starting left tackle in the NFL? If I could answer that with any degree of certainty my bank account would look much more attractive than it does now. However, I can saw with a high level of confidence that he has enough God-given athletic ability to have a chance to hold up a jersey at the draft and flash a Hook ‘Em for the cameras.

The question surrounding Desmond Harrison is the same one that has surrounded every other elite prospect that has walked into DKR: Will that talent be developed to its full potential? Will he get stronger? Will he get faster? Will his tendency to play too tall and rely on his freakish athletic ability be corralled and coached into flawless technique paired with unreal athleticism?

I have faith in Stacy Searels, Major Applewhite, and Bennie Wylie. I am supremely confident that Harrison is the real deal and will be an impact player from the first snap of the 2013 season.

Take a look at his film (#68) and see what you think. Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. Let me know what you think his impact will be and who he reminds you of:

We don't want Greg Davis back, but some of his ideas could help the Texas offense.

OK. I do not want Coach Davis to drive up to the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center and unpack his things. I do however want us to think of the concepts that Greg Davis learned on the job to help Texas make an impressive run to unprecedented glory on the 40 acres.

We saw how the offense sputtered around in the first half of the Valero Alamo Bowl until something clicked to help propel the Longhorns to a 31-27 win. What clicked? Something that Coach Davis learned when installing the spread offense. You need to have a threat at the quarterback position. Look at what is happening to the teams in the Big XII, A&M, Oregon, Ohio State and even the NFL. Coaches across the country are realizing that you need the quarterback to be a threat to run and throw. College kids want to know that they have a chance to go to the next level. Look at the success that the Redskins and Seahawks in the NFL are having with rookie quarterbacks that can run. You cannot have a QB that is destined to run every play, but you do want one that is mobile in the pocket and can be a “threat” to run to make defenses think.

One of Greg Davis’ faults was the thinking that Texas can out talent the opponent no matter the scheme. Bryan Harsin brought the schematic and creative advantages that the UT offense needed. Unfortunately, Coach Harsin fell in love with only certain plays for certain players where the offensive packages were more important than the talent that was out there. The SEC offenses (specifically Bama) which is what Mack Brown wants to emulate with a grind it out running game that does not rely on the quarterback to win the game is no longer viable. Look at how Louisville with its dynamic quarterback put it on Florida in the Sugar Bowl. And who single handily brought down Alabama in their own back yard, but Johnny Football. Look at what Nick Saban said about the no huddle offense before he ran into the Heisman Trophy winner which is predominantly lead by a fast break quarterback.

Greg Davis used the threat of a running quarterback with a wide open passing attack which opened up lanes for the running backs. In case you forgot, we have had individual 1,000 yard rushers while Davis was calling the plays. No Longhorn running back has yet to reach over 780 yards rushing in the past three years under the so called smash mouth running game (OL needs to share in some of the blame). My prediction is that Johnathan Gray will be the next 1,000 yard rusher to join the last back to do that Jamaal Charles. (2007 – 1,619 yds.)

Where can you find these dual threat quarterbacks? Right here in our back yard. Quarterbacks in high school have 7 on 7 tournaments to hone their skill of reading coverages and making quick decisions in the passing game. The best athletes on the field are playing quarterback in Texas. Hell, Texas is the only state in the country that has a dedicated class time assigned to a sport or PE. Dual threat quarterbacks are being used in every type of classification in the sport. Why do you want to recruit a care taker at quarterback when you need something dynamic to keep stronger and faster defenses guessing? We have dual threat quarterbacks on campus and more are coming up through recruiting. David Ash used his legs to jump start the offense in the bowl game and that running helped him open up the passing game.

Major Applewhite may hold the key to the concepts that Coach Davis used while at UT. Coach Applewhite had a great quote after the bowl win when he said that it is not about the X’s and O’s but about the culture of our program and keeping people accountable to be successful. I beg that Coach Brown will let Major carry out his plan on offense. I venture to guess that Major will use this quote from Michael Jordan to the team this offseason, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”