Watch highlights of Texas’ dominating victory over [tag]Missouri[/tag] below:
Follow along live with 40 Acres Sports on Twitter and below for our thoughts and analysis during tonight’s Texas game versus [tag]Missouri[/tag] on ABC. We’ll be live right around kickoff so join us to discuss the game right around 7:00pm tonight.
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!
The Texas Longhorns may be the most maligned 6-0, third-ranked team in the history of the BCS. The Horns won a close one last week against rival Oklahoma last week thanks to ferocious and opportunistic defense but as the season continues down the home stretch they’ll need more from both sides of the football. They’ll try to see what the offense is capable of tonight at 7pm on ABC against [tag]Missouri[/tag], check below to see how we think the game will play out…
Brian – The Texas coaches made a good number of midseason depth chart changes this week in an effort to find some sort of offensive identity for the rest of the season. Will it mean a more effective and explosive offense? Maybe. Fozzy Whittaker and the running game will be featured against the Tigers and I think Fozzy finally seizes the opportunity. Texas will get 200 yards on the ground and [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] will hit two deep balls (one to new starter [tag]Malcolm Williams[/tag]) in the passing game. The defense will make gimpy Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert wish he’d stayed on the sideline. Texas 35, Missouri 10
Ross – There are lies, damn lies – and statistics. So here we go with some stats. [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] teams are 11-0 after playing the Sooners. The Longhorns have never lost to Missouri under Mack Brown. So Texas should win tonight. I see a great defensive effort mixed in with a sputtering offense again from the Longhorns. Missouri will be inspired by playing the 3rd rank team in the country at home, but will fall short in the end. If we do not see a complete effort soon by the Longhorns, we may be wondering if this is a championship worthy team. Texas 24, Missouri 17
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 Sooners.
Pregame WTH Sooners?! What a sight to see when the Sooner band enters the playing field to a record crowd of 96,009 fans and an upside down Longhorn plastered right on the ass of a sequined OU baton twirler. Is it just me or did the OU band roll out the Oklahoma state flag a few years ago just to copy us? Nothing stirs up the emotions of the OU crowd like a powder blue flag with a twig and a peace pipe on it.
1st Quarter WTH Sooner Bench?! I know that we have Matthew McConaughey roaming our sidelines, but can you really be proud OU fans when you see Jim Ross on the bench. Yeah… that Jim Ross from the WWE with his signature black cowboy hat. You always want a fan on the sidelines that is remembered for wrestling match quotes like “that damn jezebel” or “this is a slobberknocker.”
1st Quarter (11:55) WTH McCoy?! I begin to see a trend developing with [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag]. Another first quarter turnover (fumble on the OU 31) by Colt that now has festered into three straight games. The great thing about Colt is his resilience to put mistakes behind him and press on. His toughness and running ability that many Longhorn fans would like to see more helped Texas throughout the game.
1st Quarter WTH Davis?! I need to give some credit to [tag]Greg Davis[/tag] on adding a key wrinkle to the play book. The misdirection plays to open the game with a rush draw by Fozzy Whitaker helped put the Sooners back on their heels. One complaint is that the addition of TE [tag]Greg Smith[/tag] to the game plan to thwart the oncoming OU rush was a reactionary measure when inserting the larger WR [tag]Dan Buckner[/tag] would be dictating the offense scheme to OU.
1st Quarter (11:55) WTH A. Williams?! I know everybody is aware of Aaron William’s first career sack on QB Sam Bradford that might have ended Bradford’s career at OU. The play that you may not have noticed was the touchdown saving tackle earlier of Demarco Murray which OU had to settle for a field goal. We all saw the whiff on WR Ryan Broyles which let the Sooners record their only touchdown of the day. The best way to make up for that was the fourth quarter “Stretch Armstrong” (1976 gel filled action figure by Kenner) interception of Landry Jones’ pass that he was trying to throw away.
2nd Quarter (4:52) WTH is a Muff?! Was there possession established by OU Dominique Franks or did UT [tag]Deon Beasley[/tag] dislodge the ball? Did Malcolm Williams fumble the ball at the one yard line or did he fumble it through the end zone for a touchback? I have never seen one play with so many interpretations. The rule needs to be changed next year so that a muff can be returned. I believe the refs got the call right.
2nd Half WTH Fozzy & Cody?! I saw great progress by running backs Fozzy Whittaker and [tag]Cody Johnson[/tag] with the workmanlike attitude of the Longhorn offense line in the second half to run for a total of 142 yards against the Sooners.
Whole Game WTH Horns Defense?! You cannot say enough good things about this unit. They continued to fight when the UT offense was sputtering most of the game. One of the main stats that Coach Blood looks for is creating turnovers (3 fumbles and 2 interceptions). Texas defense held Oklahoma to the lowest rushing yards total (minus 16 yards) ever in a Red River Rivalry game. Defensive MVP was [tag]Earl Thomas[/tag].
Next up for the Longhorn football team is a visit to Columbia to take on Missouri at 7pm on October 24th.
Follow along live with 40 Acres Sports on Twitter and below for our thoughts and analysis during today’s game versus [tag]UTEP[/tag] on FSN. We’ll be live right around kickoff so join us to discuss the game right around 2:30pm this afternoon.
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!
The Longhorns will be near full strength when they take the field for an early start to Big 12 conference play. Only two players are listed as out on the official injury report for the game Saturday night against [tag]Texas Tech[/tag]. Linebacker [tag]Jared Norton[/tag] is out with a shoulder injury and freshman offensive lineman [tag]Mason Walters[/tag] will miss the game due to a foot injury.
Both players were injured in the season opener and also missed last week’s game against [tag]Wyoming[/tag]. Norton’s shoulder was originally reported as not being serious but he’s now missed two games and his status is one to keep an eye on.
The biggest news may be one name not on the list, tailback [tag]Foswhitt Whittaker[/tag] is listed on the depth chart and will finally make his debut against the Red Raiders. Good luck to Fozzy, hopefully he finally stays healthy enough to get his chance.
Jared Norton reinjured his shoulder against ULM.
Just one week into the season and the Horns’ official injury list is already getting a little long, and there’s a familiar name on it that fans were hoping would be a big contributor this year. Four players didn’t make the trip to [tag]Wyoming[/tag] due to various injuries.
Running back Fozzy Whittaker is out again this week with a knee injury. Also out are offensive guards [tag]Michael Huey[/tag] with a left ankle sprain and true freshman [tag]Mason Walters[/tag] with a foot injury. Linebacker [tag]Jared Norton[/tag] has a right shoulder injury that reportedly isn’t too serious, but it’s bad enough that he’s out for this week’s game.
The offensive line depth is definitely hurting. When the season started the coaches had five starters and [tag]David Snow[/tag] backing them up and now one of the starters is out and another backup is down. [tag]Tray Allen[/tag] was working almost exclusively at defensive tackle last week and this week he’s the number two guy at both left guard and tackle.
Hopefully the line and everyone else can stay healthy this week in possibly snowy Wyoming.
Vondrell McGee gets the opening week start, is he the answer at running back?
So we know what we know about this year’s team (channeling my inner Aflac commercial). Texas has a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, experience at every position excluding tight end and Will Muschamp is a deity. We got it.
But what don’t we know? Even with the high expectations, there are some unanswered questions that could grow into concerns as the season moves forward.
1. Will a running back step up?
The same question was raised prior to last season. The question went unanswered all season, and Texas still was one second away from playing for a national title. Heading into the offseason, and into spring practice, the word was Cody Johnson had stepped up and was ready for 20+ carries a game.
That was four months ago. The week of the game, it appears the team is exactly where they were one year ago. Vondrell McGee will get the first look, Fozzy Whittaker is showing flashes of talent when he isn’t hanging out with the training staff and Cody Johnson is great in short yardage but not in shape enough to handle the load.
The loan difference is new comer Chris Whaley. The true freshman was given every opportunity to take the starting spot, but his weight and the adjustment to big time D-1 football is proving tough.
Texas may not have to run the ball to be successful, but Mack Brown sure wants to. If this team can establish a run game in Lubbock who knows what would have happened. McGee has the talent to be the lead back. The question is will Greg Davis stick with him consistently enough for him to prove it. I’m not sure Davis, or Brown, know the answer.
2. Can Texas play without a tight end?
If a team is going to have a string of tough injuries, it might as well all happen at one position. Especially at a position that last year’s group proved they didn’t need for the majority of snaps. But the loss of Blaine Irby, DJ Grant, etc., etc. may give Texas no choice but to play without a tight end.
Despite the success of last season’s offense, the Longhorns need to be able to line up with a tight end in passing and rushing situations. Without the option teams will know what kind of play is coming by the personnel that are on the field. Texas is too good for most teams on its schedule to compete either way, but in the big games the Longhorns need the flexibility. Especially with an offensive line that has proven to be road graders in the run game.
Dan Buckner has stepped up. And Greg Smith is still around to block and deflect balls to the other team. But neither is an all around tight end that can block and stretch the defense. The Longhorns offense works best with a pass catching tight end, so Buckner is the odds on favorite to win the job. But he has never had to block at this level, and it hasn’t been proven he can stay healthy while taking on defensive ends and linebackers on a play to play basis.
Texas will field a good offense either way, but without the threat of a tight end they simply can’t be one of the best two teams in the country.
3. Is the lack of depth at defensive tackle a real concern?
For most teams in the country this would be an easy yes, but in the Big 12 I’m not so sure. And how bad can the depth really be when you’re Texas? Most fans, and coaches, around the country would kill for Lamarr Houston, Ben Alexander and a couple of big time recruits to enter the season at defensive tackle.
Texas has been spoiled at the position over the last decade. It seems like every year Texas has two or three big guys in the middle that are sure fire NFL guys. The difference this year is the fans aren’t aware of the other two yet. Meet Kheeston Randall and Calvin Howell. These two young guys have the talent, and Randall has the years in the program to make a splash. Howell isn’t ready to compete every down, but he can help out in spots. That is four guys right there that can give you snaps, and one of them is an all-conference caliber player in a conference where maybe two teams try to run up the middle on a consistent basis.
If that is the biggest question mark for the defense, Big 12 coaches are in trouble.
4. Are Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho ready?
Roddrick Muckelroy won’t leave the field. Jared Norton is a senior, and will anchor the middle, but what about the other outside linebacker spot? And maybe more importantly, who will play in nickel packages?
The answer to both questions is either Robinson or Acho. It may be both. The two sophomores are battling for the starting spot with Robinson slightly out in front. Robinson is an aggressive player with the athleticism to play the pass as well as anyone in the linebacking unit. That strength may make him the starter because of the types of offenses Texas faces on a consistent basis. Acho is a smart player with the ability to blitz. Sounds like a Muschamp guy to me.
Norton has struggled on passing downs. He has also struggled with injuries this preseason. If one, or both, of these guys step up when the real games begin the Longhorns will be in excellent shape.
5. Can Texas replace the leadership of Brian Orakpo, Quan Cosby and Roy Miller?
Yes, Texas has Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley on offense, but what about defense? Sergio Kindle is the best defensive lineman, but he is admittedly not the public speaking type. Muckelroy leads the linebacking unit, but he does it quietly. And the guys in the secondary are finally comfortable with the layout of the campus.
So who is the guy? Muschamp says Lamarr Houston and Earl Thomas. I think Houston emerges this season as one of the best players in the conference. And I think Thomas plays so well the chatter of leaving early starts, well early. And both of those predictions are based on Muschamp’s perceived leadership out of the two.
It is hard to be a great player without being a great leader. It is not impossible, but I think it is hard. Houston has the ability when he is healthy. Thomas has improved a ton from last year to right now. The talent is there, if the leadership competes with what the Longhorns have on the offensive side of the ball then the comparisons to the 2005 championship team may be fair. If no one steps up, Texas will drop a game they shouldn’t.
Watch practice highlights from yesterday’s second practice courtesy of MBTF at CBS College Sports.
QB Colt McCoy passes to RB Fozzy Whittaker on the first day of practice. (Statesman.com)
Tell your family you love them and you’ll see them in January; Texas Longhorns football season is finally here. [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] and the rest of his Longhorn teammates took to the practice field early this morning to officially kickoff the 2009 season.
The team split into to two groups allowing the coaches more time with the younger players only in the afternoon. Coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] is a big fan of the split practices, “It was fun to watch the young guys live a dream of playing at Texas in their first practice tonight. I love the split practices. Everyone gets more reps and we’re only out there for an hour an 15 min. Got a great look at young ones tonight.” The team will do another split practice Monday before coming together as a full squad.
Check out photos and more links from the Horns’ first day of practice:
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