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 Kansas State.

1st Quarter (15:00) WTH Ash?! What a way to start off the game?! If there was ever a game that the Horns needed to start fast this was it. Instead on the very first snap the team gets a delay of game penalty. Ash played brilliantly but he did not return in the 2nd half. Prayers going out to David Ash.

1st Quarter (7:01) WTH Espinosa?! Are you allergic to the red zone? Last week you false started when the offense was on the 1 foot line and now you fumbled the snap that Ash has to fall on when you are at the 8 yard line. Both miscues ended up with the Horns kicking a field goal. Dominic please take a chill pill. Wondering if the time on the clock would have been better if it was at 4:20?

WR Kendall Sanders hauled in 3 passes for 80 yards, including this 63 yard TD.

1st Quarter (2:16) WTH Colonel?! OK. Not a good nickname, I agree. But Kendall Sanders was good lookin’ on his way to a touchdown that covered 63 yards to put the Horns up 10 to zilch.

2nd Quarter (3:54) WTH Gutsy?! Both fourth down conversions during the game were huge. The completion to Jaxon Shipley by Ash for 10 yards so close to the end of the half was a statement of confidence and clutch by the offense. No trickery on this conversion.

3rd Quarter (12:22) WTH Back Breaker?! The KSU John Hubert fumble that went right into the arms of UT Desmond Jackson was a huge momentum swing because the Cats were driving on their first possession of the half. Another back… butt breaker was coming later!

4th Quarter (7:22) WTH Target?! I agree on the interpretation of the new rule that went against Steve Edmond. I believe the KSU linebacker Tre Walker that called this team soft at Big XII media day may want to change his words to dirty. I will take dirty over soft any day. Just ask Sergio Kindle.

4th Quarter (2:46) WTH Sanchez?! KSU Jake Walters channeled his inner Mark Sanchez and butt fumbled a crucial touchdown run at the five yard line. Wonder if Jake said “Oh Crap!”

4th Quarter (1:26) WTH Sports Clips?! I saw the new marketing campaign for this chain of sports barber shops. Show the three clips that KSU players had on the Longhorn special teams to spring Tramaine Thompson. I enjoyed the sheer magnitude of venom that most of the 95,248 fans displayed that fired up the UT defense to put the clamps on any more scoring!

Next up for the Longhorns is a road game against the Cyclones of Iowa State on October 3rd.

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!!

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:

Small town running back Traylon Shead will get a chance to show his skills to the nation. (Image: Rivals)

The second big high school all-American game of the year happens this Saturday at noon when at least six future Horns take part in the US Army All-American Bowl on NBC. No expected new commits for Texas at the game but it will be a chance for fans to see a bunch of future Longhorns compete against top notch talent.

The most interesting commits to watch may be quarterback [tag]Connor Wood[/tag] and running back [tag]Traylon Shead[/tag]. In these wide open all-star games QB and RB are two of the spots where you get the best reflection of what a player is actually capable of. Shead is one of the most prolific prep running backs in the history of Texas high school football and today will be a great chance to see what the stud from tiny Cayuga can do against the country’s best.

On the defensive side of the ball watch for defensive end [tag]Reggie Wilson[/tag] and linebacker [tag]Tevin Jackson[/tag]. Both players are incredible athletes who can fly around the football field. With the pass happy game plans it should mean lots of chances for Wilson to get after the quarterback.

(click to view the positions and numbers of the Texas commits …)