ESPN’s Big 12 blog is ranking the top 40 players in the conference and so far they’ve named three Longhorns between 27 and 40. The latest is tackle Adam Ulatoski at number 27, here’s the write-up:
Why he was picked: Over his career, Ulatoski has become one of the most productive linemen in the Big 12. He’s started 30 games at Texas, with the first 16 in his career at right tackle before moving to left tackle before the Longhorns’ Holiday Bowl victory over Arizona State in 2007. He’s been the most productive lineman on Texas’ team the last two years.
We’ll keep track of the list and let you know where other Longhorns fall.
Other Longhorns
#32 - Earl Thomas
#37 - Chris Hall
Our live stream of consciousness posted from @40acressports on Twitter from during the Fiesta Bowl is posted below:
- It was cool when they let blind guys sing the national anthem, but wasn’t letting a blind man design the Fiesta Bowl trophy enough? #UT 25 minutes ago
- @springnet 77 is Luke Poehlmann, a very promising true freshman lineman. He deserves to start in 09 just due to his sweet mullet. 31 minutes ago
- @HookEmSarah as Mack said this week, gatorade baths are for 7-5 coaches.
plus I’m sure there nothing but whining on #UT msg boards. 37 minutes ago - What a game. Congrats Horns on the big tough win. Congrats to the seniors. #UT 40 minutes ago
- I heart Quan and Brian Orakpo. Huge sack (and good job tackling QB too.) #UT 42 minutes ago
- ANnouncers are acting like this thing is over. #UT 44 minutes ago
- Unsportsmanlike could be huge. OSU kicker has big leg. Come on kickoff team. #UT 45 minutes ago
- Tressel’s challenge gives #UT much needed timeout. Horns should actually gain yards with review. 49 minutes ago
- That was a terrible initial spot. Clearly got first down. Replay will give it to #UT if spot doesn’t. 51 minutes ago
- #UT needs to be in bigger hurry. 56 minutes ago
- Not sure who #77 for #UT is but that mullet deserves playing time. 57 minutes ago
- There’s no such thing as double pass interference, whoevere initiated contact deserves the flag. #UT 58 minutes ago
- @joneke defense has been fantastic all game long. about an hour ago
- Absolutely terrible pass interference call. Beasley has right to ball and ball was way short. F***! #UT about an hour ago
- Well defended? Malcolm Williams was wide open and Colt just put it too wide. #UT about an hour ago
- 4th quarter! Wrap this thing up boys. #UT about an hour ago
- Attaboy Colt! You too Coach Davis. All three drives this half have been good ones (sans 20 yd sack.) #UT about an hour ago
- Matt Hasselback is the NFL qb you reference? Weird. Is Tim announcing the game? #UT about an hour ago
- When do you think we’ll see screen and go to Shipley? Looks set up well. #UT about an hour ago
- 4th and 36 and we can’t even punt for first down yardage. Momentum squandered. #UT about an hour ago
- Terrible play by Colt. Has to expect pressure on RB screen call. Drive killer. #UT about an hour ago
- Dear Greg Davis, finally a designed run for Colt and you get a beauty of a TD run for #UT. Let’s go defense!! about 2 hours ago
- #90 for Ohio St is dirty POS. 2nd time he clearly and intentionly went high with his hands on Colt. Hit was fine, hands to helmet isn’t. #UT about 2 hours ago
- Very good effort by R Bobino to get first down when there wasn’t much room on fake punt. #UT about 2 hours ago
- Fiesta Bowl trophy is one of the ugliest things on the planet. #UT about 2 hours ago
- Crap. Holding call turns 2nd and inches into 2nd and long. #UT about 2 hours ago
- Set your feet Colt. #UT about 2 hours ago
- @kbohls you have to be able to trust you junior QB not to take bad risk. That one is on Colt. #UT about 2 hours ago
- Bad underthrow by Colt costs #UT chance at at least tying FG. Huge mistake and momentum killer into halftime. about 2 hours ago
- False starts on wide receivers drive me bats***. #UT about 3 hours ago
- @kbohls blame out of position linebackers (due to play and blitzes) more than D-line for long runs. Agree about QB contain. #UT about 3 hours ago
- Getting the awful feeling opposing fans felt when VY was at quarterback. Glad Pryor has no clue about watching for 1st down markers. #UT about 3 hours ago
- 2nd and goal from 17 and we run a draw to Chris O? WTF? #UT about 3 hours ago
- Speaking of running, where’s Fozzy? #UT about 3 hours ago
- No attempts to get Colt McCoy running yet. Turn him loose Greg! #UT about 3 hours ago
- Better drive by #UT offense but inability to get positive yards on 2nd & short is killing us. about 3 hours ago
- Apparently that was a token holding call earlier, some pretty blatant ones on this series but we get pressure and S Kindle gets sack. #UT about 3 hours ago
- 1st freshman mistake for Pryor. Good run but stepped out before first down with no one about to hit him. Melton rushing out of control. #UT about 4 hours ago
- Woot!!!! Apparently holding still exists outside the Big 12! Good sign for Rak! #UT about 4 hours ago
- Chris Hall is playing. Retweeting @suzhalliburton: @40acressports They used the depth chart from A&M about 4 hours ago
- Chris Hall wasn’t on official depth chart for the game but #71 is in uniform at least for the Horns. Hope he’s 100% and starting. #UT about 4 hours ago
- RT @CedGolden: Is it me or is Barry Switzer wearing a burnt orange tie with a matching hanky? #UT about 4 hours ago
- Score predictions for #UT vs Ohio State: http://is.gd/eEb5 All three of us have the Horns winning a pretty close game. about 4 hours ago
- RT @bevobeat: Blaine Irby up and about. Horns’ injured tight end was out tossing the ball around in pregame. http://twitpic.com/100fd about 4 hours ago
- Ah oh: No Chris Hall on the 3 deep at center for Fiesta Bowl depth chart: http://is.gd/eDRj True frosh D Snow gets start. about 5 hours ago
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(Side note: This is the site’s 2,500th post. Kind of cool.)
Bad news on the injury front this week for the Kansas game. We knew starting center Chris Hall would be out with a knee injury but cornerback Aaron Williams and tight end Ian Harris are also out. The true freshman Williams has been big for the secondary filling in and playing well while starting corner Chykie Brown was out, fortunately Brown is not on this week’s injury report.
Listed as questionable are two key members of the defensive line in end Brian Orakpo and tackle Lamarr Houston. Both players could play and rumors are both should be on the field today in Lawrence. Safety Ben Wells is also questionable.
With the offensive line injury, off field, and performance issues the last few weeks it is very good news that left tackle Adam Ulatoski is probable.
Will the Texas defense overwhelm Kansas?
The Texas Longhorns visit Kansas this Saturday in what could become a classic trap game. They’re on the road, it will be cold, injuries are piling up, and they’re facing an underachieving team. The Jayhawks have struggled this season after shocking the college football world last season. With all the BCS scenarios out there, the only thing Texas can control is how they handle Jayhawks. The last time a favored Longhorn team looking for a BCS berth went to Lawrence they got saved by a questionable pass interference call. Texas won’t get the benefit of refereeing on Saturday, so they must win it with a solid effort.
When Texas has the ball
Texas played a good game last week in the win against Baylor even if it wasn’t as dominating of a performance as some would have liked. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy continued his good play by throwing for 300 yards and five touchdown passes. Baylor was able to get into the passing lanes by dropping as many as nine defenders on passing plays. The Bears were able to get their hands on a number of McCoy passes and even were able to intercept three of the attempts on the day.
It doesn’t appear any Big 12 defenses match up with the opposing offenses and Kansas is no different. The only thing that will stop the Longhorn offense is the Longhorn offense. The thing to watch is the offensive line play when Kansas blitzes. Junior Chris Hall is going to miss the game, and with the dismissal of backup Buck Burnette last week, true freshman David Snow will get the start. It will be his first start and it will come on the road. Snow has played a bunch this year, but mostly at guard, and his calls up front will be key for protection. The coaching staff has been very high on the former Gilmer star and he’ll look to show why on Saturday.
On the road in November is where a team needs a running game. It isn’t enough to run the ball when the other team lets you. A great team needs to be able to run the ball when the referees, the fans, and the opposing defense know the run is coming. Texas has yet to be able to do that this year, and it is unlikely that a running game is going to appear. Help has come in the way of Foswhitt Whittaker, but even the speedy freshman is not going to be the complete answer. With McCoy beat up and unwilling to be the running threat he was early in the year UT will continue to use a stable of backs. If Texas can come out and dominate the line of scrimmage this game will not be close, unfortunately that has been something this team has lacked thus far.
The Longhorn offense will continue to go as McCoy goes. The lack of a consistent running game has put a huge load on the junior’s shoulders. He has responded in every way possible, and he is most likely going to have to do it again in order for UT to keep their national title hopes alive. The Longhorns are only one of five teams in the nation to have two receivers with over 60 catches on the season, and it is likely McCoy will continue to rely heavily on Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby. Cosby played last week through an injury and should be able to go again this week. Any help from another receiver would be a bonus.
When Kansas has the ball
The good news is that superstar Brian Orakpo should be back and ready to go after missing last week’s game because of injury. The bad news is Texas is facing another quarterback that wants to send a statement to the UT coaching staff that they should have recruited him. Texas passed the first test when they spoiled the dream of Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel. The Longhorns face another life long Horn in the form of former Lake Travis star Todd Reesing.
Kansas has struggled protecting Reesing lately, and that figures to play right into the Longhorn defenses strength. In many ways Kansas offers the same set of challenges that the Missouri offense provided. Texas was able to get pressure on Daniel and cause disruption by getting their hands up in the passing lane. The defensive line was able to knock down numerous balls allowing the group to apply pressure because Missouri was in countless third and longs. Reesing is another quarterback under six feet, in fact it is probably the reason he is not wearing burnt orange on Saturday. Will Muschamp’s defense must disrupt the rhythm of Kansas’ offense by making them one dimensional and attacking. The only way Kansas hurts Texas is if the Jayhawks can get enough out of their running game to keep Texas out of pinning their ears back on third down.
On paper it would appear the Longhorn front seven has nothing to worry about when it comes to Kansas’ run game. After a great start the linebacking unit for the Horns has struggled in the last few weeks tackling in space. Kansas does a good job of getting their skill players in space and exploiting the other team’s lack of athleticism. They don’t necessarily line up and run it at you, but they do a good job with screens and dump passes of getting their backs involved. The Longhorns will look to get pressure with four so the linebackers can shadow what the backfield of the Jayhawks tries to do.
The group under the most pressure will be the secondary. Texas has been up and down in the back of their defense, sometimes in the same game, but that is to be expected with such a young group. They have been challenged seemingly every week, and they face another test on Saturday. Kansas is also one of the five teams in the nation with two receivers with over 60 receptions. The group is led by former quarterback Kerry Meier. He is great at running routes and finding holes in the zone. Texas is hoping Chykie Brown is back from injury, but odds are even if he is the defense will look to put a number of bodies on Meier.
The Longhorns need to get some stops early so the offense can put the game away. If Texas can put some distance in between them and the underdog Jayhawks this one will turn into a route.
Texas players Roy Miller and Chris Hall spoke the media earlier this week about the season and the upcoming Texas Tech game. The Statesman has posted excellent videos of the players answering questions, which you can watch below.
Roy Miller talks about leadership and not being satisfied…
Chris Hall very happily answered all sorts of questions…
The Longhorns and Sooners are set to square off Saturday morning at the Texas State Fair. The two teams, both ranked in the top five, look to be evenly matched and both feature Heisman candidate quarterbacks running the show. As is often the case in rivalry games, it could come down to players who aren’t superstars to lead their teams to victory. Read on to see the five Horns you’ll want to watch Saturday in the Red River Rivalry.
Chris Ogbonnaya
Chris “O” had a coming out party of sorts last week against Colorado. The senior running back does a little bit of everything. He is Texas’ best blocker and receiver coming out of the backfield and with Foswhitt Whittaker’s status still up in the air Chris may have the most big play ability as well. Mack Brown tends to go with guys he trusts in games like these. The staff trusts few players more than Ogbonnaya. The kid does anything he asked too and that are the type of players who win games like these. Look for Texas to use him out of the backfield when they get him matched up with a linebacker. Anything he provides on the ground will be a bonus Saturday in Dallas.
Chris Hall
The offensive line struggled at times against Colorado. Forcing McCoy to run when he is not ready has been the recipe for success against Texas and up until that game not many people had been criticizing the big guys up front even with the running game being inconsistent because the pass protection had been so good. Hall has played every position on the line and is counted on to make the right reads and calls in regards to protection before the snap. If Texas can handle OU’s pressure allowing McCoy time to sit in the pocket then the Horns have a real chance to do damage. The holes in the running game have been there, it is on the backs to get to the hole, but knowing the backfield lacks that burst these guys need to hold their blocks a fraction longer. UT has been a block away from an explosive play more than once this year, and if they can pop one this weekend it may be what they need to get a win.
Deon Beasley
These are the types of games that prove being called a “starter” is overrated. With the type of no-huddle spread offense OU runs, Texas is going to run a lot of 3-3-5 with Sergio Kindle playing end or linebacker depending on the situation, and with Beasley coming in to play the fifth defensive back. The junior has as much talent as any corner back on the roster, and the loss of his starting job has had more to do with the impressive play of fellow corner Chykie Brown than Beasley playing poor. Oklahoma likes to pick out a few guys and try to exploit them. Beasley, along with the two freshmen safeties, would appear to be the guys. One of the corners needs to create a turnover. Brown and Ryan Palmer have shown their lack of hands. A big play by Beasley early could get the Sooners away from their game plan.
Jared Norton
Norton is taking more and more snaps away from senior Rashad Bobino. And with the opportunity, Norton is responding well to coach Will Muschamp’s aggressive, attacking style of defense. The junior from Rowlett excels when allowed to play down hill and attack the ball. He even showed some coverage skills last week with a nice break up on an out route. Texas would like to use three linebackers throughout the game and feel like they can because of Kindle’s versatility, but don’t be surprised if Kindle comes off the field with Norton and Roddrick Muckelroy at linebacker when UT goes with four down lineman. Stopping the running game will be crucial in this game to make OU one dimensional which will allow the guys on the outside to pin their ears back and attack the quarterback. If Norton can be steady in the middle it will allow the defense to unleash a full barrage of blitzes.
Hunter Lawrence
Nobody is sure what Ryan Bailey did to lose his job, but everyone is sure Hunter Lawrence isn’t giving it back. In his first year as the kicker, the ex Boerne star is four for four with a long of 46. The Red River Shootout hasn’t been decided by less than seven points this decade, but I have a feeling this one could be close and close games come down to special teams. The team that misses a field goal or gets a punt blocked or returned for a touchdown is going to lose the game. Big plays have a way of sucking the life out of the crowd and the team at the Cotton Bowl and neither teams that much better than the other where they can overcome it. I’ll take Texas’ special teams because of Duane Akina, Lawrence, punter John Gold, and kick off specialist Justin Tucker. The Longhorns have the advantage in this area for the first time in a long time, and must take advantage of it to come back to Austin undefeated.
Position Rating: B
Starters: Adam Ulatoski, Charlie Tanner, Chris Hall, Cedric Dockery, Kyle Hix
Reserves: Tray Allen, David Snow, Buck Burnette, Michael Huey, Britt Mitchell
The Texas offensive line struggled through the 2007 season due to injuries and inexperience. Injuries to important senior players forced young guys to step in and play before they were ready. Those struggles last year should however prepare the group for 2008, as every starter has significant playing experience and nine of the top 10 guys have seen previous playing time.
Adam Ulatoski and Kyle Hix are entrenched as the starting tackles. Ulatoski is the most experienced player on the line but will be moving from the right side to the left to protect QB Colt McCoy’s blindside. Various serious and nagging injuries have prevented him from becoming the dominant tackle Texas fans thought he would be, but he’s still only a junior and he’s finally healthy so this could be a big year for Ulatoski. On the other side, Hix played in every game last year as a true freshman and started at right tackle in the Holiday Bowl. He was a top recruit in the state and expectations are high for him for this season and his career. Tray Allen and Britt Mitchell will be the primary backups at tackle.
The guard positions aren’t as set in stone. The current starters are Charlie Tanner and Cedric Dockery but there is also a lot of noise about sophomore Michael “Baby” Huey. Tanner and Dockery were the starters for most of 2007 and each is a consistently solid performer. Dockery once looked like he’d follow his brother Derrick to the NFL but missed significant time with a serious knee injury in 2006 and is hopefully finally at full strength now. The three players will likely all see good amount of playing time early on as the coaches see if Huey can unseat one of the veterans. True freshman David Snow is the fourth guard on the depth chart and looks to have a bright future.
Chris Hall looks to have finally found a permanent home. After spending time at all five positions on the line last year as a sophomore he’ll anchor the line this year as the starting center. His intelligence and experience at every position should let him excel as the quarterback of the offensive line. Talented backup Buck Burnette needs to be ready in case Hall is required to shuffle around again this season.
They may not get the pub other positions do, but the offensive line is the most important piece of any good football team. After a rough 2007 season the line should be a strength in 2008. If they stay healthy it’ll mean more time for McCoy to pass and more holes for the running backs to run through, which in turn means a more consistent offense.
Related Links
Update: Bevo Sports is giving away NCAA Football 09, enter to win!
NCAA Football 09 is less than a month away, the demo is up on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network, and player ratings are starting to make their way on to the Internet. EA Sports released the team top 25 and player ratings for all those teams.
I went through the list and put the players’ real names in where possible. I had trouble with a lot of the true freshmen in the game so if you know who any of the blank names are or if I made any mistakes please let me know in the comments. It really looks like EA did a poor job this year on the roster and depth chart. Hopefully it’s a little more accurate when the game is released.
You can download Excel files of the player ratings at the bottom of this post or check out the overall ratings for the Texas team below:
| Real Name | Name | Year | Position | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck Burnette | C #66 | Soph(RS) | C | 78 |
| C #60 | Fresh | C | 72 | |
| Deon Beasley | CB #7 | Junior | CB | 85 |
| Ryan Palmer | CB #13 | Senior(RS) | CB | 84 |
| Curtis Brown | CB #3 | Soph | CB | 83 |
| Aaron Williams | CB #26 | Fresh | CB | 80 |
| Chykie Brown | CB #8 | Soph(RS) | CB | 80 |
| Earl Thomas | CB #12 | Fresh(RS) | CB | 78 |
| DJ Monroe | CB #27 | Fresh | CB | 76 |
| Roy Miller | DT #99 | Senior | DT | 90 |
| Jarvis Humphrey | DT #96 | Fresh | DT | 80 |
| Brian Ellis | DT #90 | Soph(RS) | DT | 78 |
| Ben Alexander | DT #92 | Junior | DT | 76 |
| Kheeston Randall | DT #88 | Fresh | DT | 76 |
| Chris Ogbonnayya | FB #3 | Senior(RS) | FB | 93 |
| Cody Johnson | FB #31 | Fresh(RS) | FB | 72 |
| Ben Wells | FS #5 | Fresh(RS) | FS | 84 |
| Christian Scott | FS #6 | Fresh(RS) | FS | 77 |
| Blake Gideon | FS #21 | Fresh | FS | 77 |
| Vondrell McGee | HB #2 | Soph(RS) | HB | 85 |
| DeSean Hales | HB #30 | Fresh | HB | 80 |
| Antwan Cobb | HB #24 | Soph(RS) | HB | 79 |
| Fozzy Whittaker | HB #22 | Fresh(RS) | HB | 78 |
| Jeremy Hills | HB #32 | Fresh | HB | 76 |
| Tre Newton | HB #23 | Fresh | HB | 73 |
| Hunter Lawrence | K #15 | Junior | K | 82 |
| Justin Tucker | K #9 | Fresh | K | 69 |
| Lamarr Houston | LE #33 | Junior | LE | 91 |
| Aaron Lewis | LE #95 | Senior | LE | 85 |
| Henry Melton | LE #37 | Senior | LE | 80 |
| Charlie Tanner | LG #52 | Junior(RS) | LG | 86 |
| Tray Allen | LG #70 | Soph | LG | 82 |
| Chris Hall | LG #71 | Junior(RS) | LG | 81 |
| Aundre McGaskey | LG #76 | Fresh(RS) | LG | 74 |
| Sergio Kindle | LOLB #2 | Junior | LOLB | 85 |
| LOLB #16 | Fresh | LOLB | 80 | |
| LOLB #57 | Fresh | LOLB | 76 | |
| David Snow | LT #78 | Fresh | LT | 78 |
| Britt Mitchell | LT #72 | Soph(RS) | LT | 78 |
| Rashad Bobino | MLB #44 | Senior(RS) | MLB | 90 |
| Jared Norton | MLB #11 | Junior | MLB | 85 |
| Trevor Gerland | P #17 | Junior(RS) | P | 83 |
| Colt McCoy | QB #12 | Junior(RS) | QB | 89 |
| Sherrod Harris | QB #17 | Soph(RS) | QB | 81 |
| John Chiles | QB #7 | Soph | QB | 79 |
| Eddie Jones | RE #32 | Soph(RS) | RE | 92 |
| Brian Orakpo | RE #98 | Senior(RS) | RE | 90 |
| Russell Carter | RE #97 | Fresh(RS) | RE | 77 |
| Cedric Dockery | RG #55 | Senior(RS) | RG | 89 |
| Michael Huey | RG #63 | Soph | RG | 81 |
| Roddrick Muckelroy | ROLB #38 | Junior(RS) | ROLB | 87 |
| Keenan Robinson | ROLB #53 | Fresh(RS) | ROLB | 82 |
| ROLB #4 | Fresh | ROLB | 75 | |
| Adam Ulatoski | RT #74 | Junior(RS) | RT | 85 |
| Mark Buchanan | RT #54 | Fresh | RT | 74 |
| Ishie Oduegwu | SS #19 | Junior(RS) | SS | 88 |
| Nolan Brewster | SS #36 | Fresh | SS | 79 |
| Peter Ullman | TE #86 | Senior(RS) | TE | 81 |
| Ahmard Howard | TE #13 | Fresh(RS) | TE | 74 |
| Blaine Irby | TE #19 | Soph | TE | 73 |
| Quan Cosby | WR #6 | Senior | WR | 89 |
| Jordan Shipley | WR #8 | Senior(RS) | WR | 84 |
| Montre Webber | WR #14 | Soph(RS) | WR | 83 |
| Dan Buckner | WR #4 | Fresh | WR | 79 |
| Malcolm Williams | WR #9 | Fresh(RS) | WR | 78 |
| DJ Grant | WR #80 | Fresh | WR | 75 |
| Antoine Hicks | WR #81 | Fresh | WR | 75 |
| James Kirkendoll | WR #87 | Soph | WR | 74 |
Downloads
Posted May 7th, 2008 by Brian
Filed under: Football, Quick Hits
Cedric Dockery and Chris Hall named to trophy watch lists. Dockery up for the Outland and Hall for the Rimington.
I’ll be posting periodic updates, comments, and vulgarity as the game goes on. It’s kickoff time and I’m as fired up as I’ve been since early on in the season. Let’s see how the Horns respond to a little adversity.
First Quarter
- 2 seconds in to the game and it’s clear Brent Musberger didn’t do any preparation. Brutally mispronounces Chris Ogbonnaya’s name and then calls Lamarr Houston the name of some random walk on. Houston takes the very short pooch kick off and the Horns start the game off with the ball out at the 50.
- Looked like a bad read by Colt McCoy on the zone read. Picks up close to 10 yards though and the Horns have a 3rd and 3. Big play as the team really needs to get going early.
- 3rd and short run that the line did a terrible job blocking on but Jamaal Charles breaks it for a 15 yard game.
- Mack Brown is right. Charles was hit out of bounds down low and that should have been a penalty.
- Bad awareness by Nate Jones. He was wide open but let himself drift out of the back of the end zone. Announcers have good comment though about how the design of the end zone in the stadium could be confusing.
- Greg Davis is a gosh damn genius!!!!!!! WoooOoo! Touchdown Derek Lokey for the touchdown!!! That a boy! Bill Belichick would be proud.
Arizona State 0, Texas 7
- The team really looks fired up. Let’s hope that results in some inspired play, and no let down once that energy wears off.
- Jared Norton, Roddrick Muckelroy, and Scott Derry are the starters at linebacker. That might shut some Internet coaches up (for a few minutes.)
- And Norton is already hurt. Damnit.
- Defensive package on 3rd and long includes only 3 down lineman, Drew Kelson and Deon Beasley in there as extra pass defenders. Nice new look.
- Designed QB draw play. I don’t mind McCoy scrambling (in fact he’s been darn good at it this season) but not sure we should be calling too many first quarter QB runs in the huddle.
- As Musberger talks about Chris Hall I just noticed that freshman Kyle Hix is getting the start at right tackle and they’ve moved Adam Ulatoski to the left side.
- Quan Cosby on the reverse pass. Not really anybody open and Cosby does the smart thing and just throws it away. Or maybe it twas just a terrible throw. The play wasn’t blocked well and the receivers were all covered as well.
- Sergio Kindle in there on this series. Norton back in there as well.
- Fumble! Maybe. They called it a fumble on the field at least as corner Brandon Foster appears to rip the ball out as the ASU running back falls to the ground. Looks like he had it out before his knee was down and doesn’t look like there’s 100% evidence of the contrary. Replay confirms, Texas ball!
- Hot damn! Hey there John Chiles, I vaguely remember you buddy. The young dual threat QB is in there and on the first play Charles takes the zone read hand off close to 50 yards. On the very Next play Chiles keeps it on the same play off the left end for the touchdown! (Psst… where has this been all year?)
Arizona State 0, Texas 14
- In case you hadn’t noticed, yes I’m about 5 minutes behind live on the DVR. I’ll be caught up after one or two commercial breaks.
- Wonder what the wind situation is like. Hunter Lawrence’s kickoffs have all been pretty short.
- Has Roger Clemens hired investigator to “discredit Brian McNamee” or two prove that he didn’t take steroids? Those are two very different things.
- Not only did senior Robert Killebrew not get the start at linebacker but I haven’t seen him in on defense at all yet tonight. Two series in a row where it’s nothing but the young guys and Derry is off the field as well.
- Erick Jackson got really burned on a deep pass but gets back just in time because of the underthrown ball (and maybe a little early) and the ball is tipped up and safety Marcus Griffin has the ball come right to him for the interception.
- I like the fair catch trash talk by the ASU punt returner. “Did you see the way I waved my arm and caught the ball. You can’t handle this!”
- Killebrew, Derry, and Rashad Bobino in there for this series.
- Can Musberger get anyone’s name right? It’s Dick Tomey, not Toomey. Dufus.
- Finally. McCoy scrambles and throws deep on the run and get its to his open receiver Cosby for a huge 55 yard gain. That a boy Colt.
- And Charles runs tough and right through the Sun Devils’ defense for the 15-yard TD run. Heck of a run and refusal to get tackled by one guy. The Horns are now up 3 scores and it’s still the first quarter. Come on guys keep this up, don’t let an ASU score or anything swing this momentum.
Arizona State 0, Texas 21
- Veteran linebackers in for second series in a row. Henry Melton getting some early playing time at defensive end.
- Bobino shaken up. Now both middle linebackers have needed to be helped up by the medical staff but both were able to walk off on their own power.
- We’re bring multiple linebackers on every play and if we don’t start getting to Carpenter a step quicker we could be in trouble.
The Texas Longhorns held their annual football banquet Friday night (photos) where they honored team members for their accomplishments on and off the field. Though fans and recruits do attend, the event is definitely a night for the players to look back on the season and to honor the careers of the outgoing seniors.
Quarterback Colt McCoy and running back Jamaal Charles were deservedly named the team MVPs. McCoy didn’t have as good of a season as he did his freshman year but he definitely is the player that made this team go (when it went anywhere). Charles was also named Darrell K. Royal Most Valuable Offensive Player while the Mike Campbell Most Valuable Defensive Players were Brandon Foster and Marcus Griffin.
In a team vote Dallas Griffin, Tony Hills, and Derek Lokey were honored with the D. Harold Byrd Leadership Award. Also, in a shocking development quarterback McCoy was given the Outstanding Quarterback Award.
In a move that infuriated Internet Coaching and Motivational Experts Rashad Bobino, Scott Derry, and Robert Killebrew shared the honor of being the team’s Outstanding Linebackers. I’m not sure what else you can really do though as no linebacker really deserved the honor and it would be pretty embarrassing to not hand out an award for the position.
A list of all the award winners is after the jump.
The Longhorns finally played good football in the second half last week against TCU. The defense was tough all game long and held things together until Colt McCoy and the offense got rolling. This week against a solid Central Florida team Texas will have to continue to improve and get ready for some tough games ahead. Texas fans won’t be satisfied with anything other than a blowout.
Here’s the keys to victory for today’s game:
1. Play four good quarters.
In two games this season the Longhorns have played two good quarters, today at UCF the Horns need to put together four solid quarters. The team will have to play more consistently on both sides of the football if they are going to beat the tougher teams on the schedule. The Black Golden Knights aren’t chumps, if the team takes half the game off they’re certainly capable of pulling off the upset at home.
2. Continue to run the ball out of multiple formations.
During the TCU game Texas (finally) came out and mixed a little I-formation and single back in with the shotgun offense we’ve relied on since Vince Young was destroying defenses. The change in philosophy paid off with a more effective and consistent running attack against a solid TCU defense. If the Horns can mix a straight ahead running attack and play action passing with the wide open shotgun offense, Colt McCoy and his teammates will be tough to stop.
3. Find a right tackle.
Chris Hall performed well at right tackle against TCU but he’s better suited to play inside and does not look like the long term answer at the position. Hall will get the start today but if Adam Ulatoski is going to be out for an extended time it might be worth giving one of the younger linemen a chance to earn the spot. We could see true freshmen tackles Kyle Hix and Tray Allen on the field against UCF today.
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Posted August 27th, 2007 by Brian
Filed under: Depth Chart, Football
The two-deep depth chart for the Arkansas State game has been released and is available on the official site. Like there is every year there’s a lot of co-starters on these early lists. The most interesting notes on here is that we have co-starters at right right guard in Chris Hall and Cedric Dockery and also at both safety positions. We’ll look into the depth chart in more detail tonight tomorrow.
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