ESPN this season is posting video clips of all the big plays up on their video page from the games they air. Great new feature. The highlight package from Texas’ come from behind win over BYU is posted below:
And here’s the interception that may have ended Garrett Gilbert’s career as the Longhorns’ starter:
Too bad they don’t have the Jaxon Shipley to David Ash pass available.
Garret Gilbert is the most polarizing quarterback at Texas since Chris Simms, and even though he won the starting job, coming out of camp, he was not the fans choice to be the starting quarterback. While he had a decent night against Rice in week one, there was nothing shown in that game that made anyone feel that he was ready to take the job and run with it. Nobody in the Texas community felt safe knowing this team was led by Gilbert. But most fans were willing to give him a chance to prove them wrong against BYU. Unfortunately for him, that never happened. He struggled early and often in the early part of the game.
It really wasn’t anyone’s surprise when he was benched for the combination of McCoy and Ash. In the long story of Garret Gilbert, who came to the university of Texas with such promise, he has shown a long line of struggles, and it looks like we have reached the end of his story, for now. I am not one to say that Gilbert won’t have another shot at some point down the line, but for now, I think it is safe to say we have seen the last of Garret Gilbert starting. Sad to say that he went out with little opposition, to the fan favorite McCoy and surprise David Ash.
Tonight’s Texas game against BYU will be the first time the LHN deprived Longhorn fanbase will be able to watch their team this season. We’ll be active here and on Twitter and would love to have you join in on the conversation.
Follow along live with @40AcresSports on Twitter and below for our coverage. We’ll be live right around kickoff so join us to discuss the game at 6pm Saturday.
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The 2010 season hasn’t exactly gone as everyone hoped. Okay, that’s probably a huge understatement.
Texas fans knew this would be a rebuilding year while breaking in a new quarterback and finding a replacement for the most productive wide receiver in the history of the program. They didn’t expect this. It’s not just that Texas has lost games, it’s the shocking way they’ve done so without any semblance of an offense and a sieve of defense.
Depending on what happens in 2011, this can either go down as a season where the Longhorns regrouped and reloaded or it could be the end of an era. These five players will determine which way it goes:
Garrett Gilbert
Or maybe it’s Case McCoy or Connor Wood or David Ash. Or the ghost of Vince Young. Whoever it is, the quarterback play in 2010 has been terrible and you can’t win games when you’re turning the ball over as much as the Horns are this season. Not all of this falls directly on Gilbert. His supporting cast has dropped touchdown passes, struggles to run the football, and frequently makes defensive ends you’ve never heard of look like All-Americans. The 2011 season (and rest of 2010) hinges on a quarterback stepping up and making plays and making the players around him better.
Mike Davis
There have been glimpses. One of the biggest things missing from this team is a playmaker and wide receiver Mike Davis has shown that he might be that guy. He’s a favorite target of Gilbert and can make big plays after the catch. He has to continue to get better at the consistency of his hands and his route running, but if he turns the corner this offseason he could be the guy who turns an inconsistent offense into a dominant one.
Mason Walters/Christian Westerman
It’s been a while (2005?) since Texas fans were satisfied with the team’s offensive line play and this season it has hit rock bottom. Next year will feature at least three new starters on the line but that may be a good thing. Redshirt freshman Mason Walters has started every game this season and the results have been mixed, but he and current high school senior Christian Westerman may be your starting tackles next year and if they can give the quarterback a consistently comfortable pocket the suddenly Sonic Flavor Touchdowns are a little easier to come by. The entire line needs a makeover into a tougher, more aggressive unit and it starts with these two guys.
Aaron Williams
Williams has played great this season but not as great as some were expecting. The Thorpe Award candidate is a lockdown corner and a surefire first round NFL draft pick if he decides to leave but if he returns he immediately makes the Texas defense national title caliber. A return for his senior season isn’t as far fetched as it sounds, with the looming NFL labor issues more top draft picks will come back to school for another year than expected.
Jackson Jeffcoat
True freshman defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat didn’t play against Iowa State due to injury and his presence was definitely missed. He’s not an every down player (yet) but he’s already a dangerous pass rusher and guys that can go get the quarterback make everyone around them better. If Jeffcoat can stay healthy and progresses as hoped he should be a double digit sack guy for the rest of his career.
Texas fans will be watching. Who is going to step up and right this ship?
Log on to flavortouchdown.com to enter for a chance to win the Sonic Flavor Touchdown Sweepstakes. You could win a prize package and a VIP football trip for 6 to the bowl game of your choice. Hopefully the Longhorns win at least two more games this season and make it to one of them.
After nearly two whole months without Texas football, Friday was finally the first day of Spring practice. No tidbits yet (practices are closed to the public) but the official site does have a short video to watch and a nice photo gallery as well.
Probably my favorite press conference every year, Texas head coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] is finally able to talk about the incoming recruits and sits down and goes over film of each one of them. Great to hear him talk about the entire incoming class and about the strengths of each player. Definitely worth your time to watch the entire thing:
The first Wednesday of every February is the big one for recruitniks. [tag]National Signing Day[/tag] is the first day high school seniors can sign their National Letter of Intent to play college football. A Letter of Intent is a binding agreement between a player and a school so more changing their mind or flip flopping after their name is on the paper.
The Texas Longhorns don’t expect any big news, they got their big fish last Friday, but this is the day when the members of the Horns’ fantastic 2010 recruiting class can make it truly official. Three players are already enrolled and on campus, so 25 22 young men will be faxing in their letters today.
We’ll have updates throughout the day as the letters come in on Twitter at @40AcresSports and here on this page. Most of the action should take place in the morning so stay tuned.
Confirmed* Letters of Intent
- [tag]Taylor Bible[/tag]
- [tag]DeAires Cotton[/tag]
- [tag]Ashton Dorsey[/tag]
- [tag]Dominic Espinosa[/tag]
- [tag]Jordan Hicks[/tag] (first one in at 6am)
- [tag]Chris Jones[/tag]
- [tag]William Russ[/tag]
- [tag]Reggie Wilson[/tag]
- [tag]Aaron Benson[/tag]
- [tag]Greg Daniels[/tag] (this one had me a little nervous after weekend rumors)
- [tag]Tevin Jackson[/tag]
- [tag]Adrian Phillips[/tag]
- [tag]Traylon Shead[/tag]
- [tag]Darius White[/tag] (after how long it took to bring him in over OU, glad he was in early)
- [tag]John Harris[/tag]
- [tag]Trey Hopkins[/tag]
- [tag]Darius Terrell[/tag]
- [tag]Bryant Jackson[/tag]
- [tag]Mike Davis[/tag]
- [tag]Carrington Byndom[/tag]
- [tag]Jackson Jeffcoat[/tag]
- [tag]Demarco Cobbs[/tag] (last one is in!)
Spring Enrollees
- [tag]Case McCoy[/tag]
- [tag]Adrian White[/tag]
- [tag]Connor Wood[/tag]
Updates…
RT @InsideTexas: Aaron Benson has signed his Letter of Intent to play for Texas. 12 to go. #ut (8:25am)
DE Greg Daniels, LB Tevin Jackson & DB Adrian Phillips are in. Daniels came up in recent decommit rumors so good to see his LOI in. #ut (8:40am)
According to @InsideTexas, record setting Cayuga RB Traylon Shead has sent in his LOI. #ut (9:10am)
RT @gkketch: Breaking news in recruiting. Multiple outlets have Dallas Skyline LB Corey Nelson signing with OU instead of Texas A&M today (9:25am)
RT @gkketch: Just spoke with Fort Worth WR Darius White and he told me that he’s signing and faxing to Texas as I type. 19 of 25 confirmed. (9:30am)
Only a few guys left to sign. A little nervous that Jackson Jeffcoat and out of state ATH Demarco Cobbs are 2 of them. #UT (9:37am)
RT @gkketch: 24 of the 25 commitments for Texas have signed and faxed in their letters. We’re only waiting on DeMarco Cobbs, who signs a … (10:44am)
RT @jeff_howe: Just talked with Demarco Cobbs. He has signed and sent his LOI to #ut. Texas has now signed all 25 verbal commitments. #ut (11:20am)
*Information on confirmed LOI from Orangebloods.com and Inside Texas.
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 Oklahoma State.
Pregame WTH Poke Fans?! Wow, the biggest crowd in [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag] football history. You packed it in on Halloween night. You recorded 58,516 fans?! You did renovate the stadium with Boone Pickens money, didn’t you?
1st Qt. (5:56) WTH Burks?! Referee Greg Burks and his staff got a few calls wrong at the beginning of the game. The calls did benefit the Longhorns, but the personal foul call on OSU Lucien Antoine for hitting UT [tag]Dan Buckner[/tag] going across the middle was a good hard play. I wish the NCAA would get rid of the helmet to helmet hit when it does not involve the quarterback. The officials also missed it (1:19 – 2nd Qt.) when UT [tag]James Kirkendoll[/tag] was stripped of the ball when they assumed his momentum was stopped but never blew the whistle. Glad that the Horns blasted the Pokes on Halloween like a blue armadillo to make sure that these calls were not an issue.
1st Quarter (3:37) WTH PVC Man?! Oklahoma State degrades one of their own by having him hold a large PVC pipe flash card stand. A player, #23, for the Pokes holds an elaborate flip card that shows a heart, a number and an image on it for the OSU offensive package. The Poke player is auditioning for holding the leader board for the next round at the Masters.
1st Quarter (1:44) WTH Hubert?! Come on Hubert Anyiam from Oklahoma State. You had a gift touchdown pass that was perfectly placed to you by Zac Robinson on 4th down. (14:25 – 2nd Qt.) Then you got the ball ripped out by UT [tag]Sam Acho[/tag] which led to the first touchdown for the Horns. Oh yeah, great job ABC for cutting away and missing most of the play.
2nd Qt. & 3rd Qt. WTH Goonies?! The Longhorn defense played an incredible game especially the secondary which returned two interceptions for the touchdowns ([tag]Curtis Brown[/tag] – 2nd Qt. & [tag]Earl Thomas[/tag] – 3rd Qt.). But you need to slow down with all the nicknames. [tag]Lamarr Houston[/tag] comes up with the defensive nickname the Goonies because they like to goon it up with the opposing offense (Like that one). This week [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] comes up with the name “Texas Swagger” to get the team motivated to close the deal against the Cowboys. Coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] got into the act early in the year with giving out T-shirts with the logo .0128 which is the margin that they lost to OU for the Big XII championship. I guess I do not care what ploy is implemented as long as the Horns win.
3rd Quarter (10:27) WTH Case?! [tag]Case McCoy[/tag] is standing next to the lovely Rachel Glandorf (Colt’s girlfriend) and proceeds to spit on the floor right next to her. I guess the upcoming UT commit at quarterback is affecting his better judgment.
Next up for the Longhorn’s is a trip home to face Central Florida at DKR Memorial at 11am November 7th.
Texas commit [tag]Case McCoy[/tag] and possible 2011 commit [tag]Jaxon Shipley[/tag] (and their dads) faced off Friday night when Graham visited Brownwood. Both players had huge games for their teams. Shipley finished with 8 catches for 240 yards while McCoy passed for 370 yards, 4 touchdowns, and led what should have been a game-tying last minute drive.
Oh, and there is rumor that Jaxon and Case’s dads were college roommates or something. We’re efforting to get confirmation.
Link: Brownwood tops Graham, but Shipley-McCoy friendship remains strong
We’ll have a post up when the dust settles, but 2010 recruiting is underway and the Texas coaching staff has hit the ground running. The first 2010 [tag]Junior Day[/tag] was today and since last night six commits have pledged to play for the Longhorns. Make sure you’re following @40acressports and you’ll always be up to date on the latest Longhorn news including this huge recruiting weekend.
Here’s the breaking news and commits you might have missed in the last two days:
- Another 2 big defensive pickups confirmed today. Waco Midway S Ahmad Dixon and Cedar Hill LB Aaron Benson are commits 9 & 10. #UT 12:35 PM Feb 9th
- Two more commits from Garland (GHS this time) were confirmed last night. Athlete/safety Adrian Phillips and linebacker Tevin Jackson. #UT 8:02 AM Feb 9th
- Several other rumored #UT commits on Orangebloods, go check it out if you want the scoop: http://tr.im/fce6 ($) 8:26 PM Feb 8th
- DeSoto WR [tag]Darius Terrell[/tag] also committed to #UT last night. Another big (6’3″) WR like Harris, Terrell has impressive offer list. 6:31 PM Feb 8th
- Another top state DT has committed to #UT: Alief’s [tag]DeAires Cotton[/tag]. According to Orangebloods, Cotton and Bible are the state’s top guys. 6:06 PM Feb 8th
- Horns 4th commit of 2010 is a familiar name: QB [tag]Case McCoy[/tag]. Just like in his bro’s class, #UT likely looking to bring in 2 QBs this yr. 6:02 PM Feb 8th
- Denton Guyer DT [tag]Taylor Bible[/tag] is the Horns’ 3rd commit. He is Orangebloods’ top DT in the state. Big pickup. #UT 7:32 PM Feb 7th
- 2nd commit is WR [tag]John Harris[/tag] from Garland. Should be more to come and we’ll have a recap of what is sure to be a big haul tomorrow. #UT 6:30 PM Feb 7th
- Orangebloods was reporting 2 weeks ago #UT might not take any OL recruits this yr, instead [tag]Trey Hopkins[/tag] is the 1st commit of the 2010 class 6:24 PM Feb 7th
Welcome. Kickoff is a little over 20 minutes away.