Pre-Game WTH 118 years?! I agree that egos have caused this rivalry to end. The Aggies says “It’s time for Texas A&M”… to slug it out with the SEC. The Horns have their path to blaze (LHN). Divorce is tough. Let’s reunite for the kids’ sake.

1st Quarter (7:26) WTH Tucker?! The 31 yard punt by Justin Tucker was making every Longhorn fan pull out their hair. The only good outcome was that most of his punts were never returned. He definitely made up for his punting woes at the end.

2nd Quarter (12:13) WTH Refs 1?! Keenan Robinson was called for roughing the passer when the QB Ryan Tannehill landed on him? Keenan must have pissed off the entire officiating crew because he also got called for a horse collar penalty in the third quarter when he clearly just had the jersey.

2nd Quarter (9:31) WTH Shipley?! This is not for the pass play to Irby for the first score. Before that play and the muffed punt that caused all the electricity for the Horns, Jaxon Shipley I think had the play of the game. On third down his bad knee gave way and he barely got a hand on the ball to knock it down. An Aggie defender was there ready to make the interception and take it to the house. Close call!

2nd Quarter (1:47) WTH Harsin?! Coach Harsin I am going to blame you for this interception thrown by Miles Onyegbule. Your innovative play calling gets this Horn team so fired up that they will throw into triple coverage to please you.

Halftime WTH Aggies?! Every year we lose the halftime show to the Aggies, but the Longhorn band won this one.

3rd Quarter (11:06) WTH UT Defense?! Another awesome display by the defense in the second half which got kick started by Carrington Byndom 58 yard interception return for a touchdown. The secondary was stellar throughout the night which gave the defensive front time to unload on the QB.

3rd Quarter (6:53) WTH Cowboy?! Speaking of the secondary, what a great interception by Kenny Vaccaro along the sideline. Special shout out to Kenny for wearing Fozzy’s jersey #2 in honor of him.

3rd Quarter (:31.2) WTH Mason?! I love the fire that was shown by Mason Walters along the offensive line. But I thought Mason was going to body slam Case McCoy when the team was charged with a delay of game. Just to correct everyone, Mason Walters was not offside as ESPN said early in the 4th quarter.

4th Quarter (1:15) WTH Refs 2?! I will call out the refs no matter who it benefits. The helmet to helmet hit by Aggie Trent Hunter was bogus. Let’s play two hand touch next time refs.

4th Quarter (:33.6) WTH Horseshoe?! Case McCoy showed the same moxie that is brother had against the Aggies by running 25 yards to set up the winning field goal. That horseshoe sure came in handy.

Final Play (:02) WTH Aggies?! Justin Tucker put a cold blooded kick down the middle to the disgust of most of the 88,645 in attendance which was the second largest crowd at Kyle Field. Second largest? Come on Aggies where’s the love? Wonder if Coach Sherman ever looked up at the kick? Goodbye to A&M.

Next up for the Longhorns are the Baylor Bears at 2:30PM on December 3rd to end the regular season.

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!!

Texas freshman running back Malcolm Brown rushed for 86 yards against Rice. (AP Photo)

Pregame (15:00) WTH LHN?! C’mon ESPN I know you want the biggest bang for your buck, but you are pissing off Longhorn Nation without letting the fans see the game at least on pay per view. The 101,624 in attendance saw the Longhorn Network studio set up in the Southeast section of the stadium. Coincidence that it chose that location?

1st Quarter (1:18) WTH QB Controversy?! I guess you can eliminate the controversy when you have 6 players line up to take the snap. Fozzy Whitaker had the most success in the wildcat formation when he wowed the crowd with his exploits (88 all-purpose yds. & 2 TD’s). QB David Ash will not redshirt this year because he has a package… giggle.

2nd Quarter (13:03) WTH Crime Dog?! Rice RB Sam McGuffie took a wicked shot from S Kenny Vaccaro and managed to gather himself to complete a 15 yard pass which was the longest pass play for the Owls. It was a great job by the UT defense all night in keeping Rice out of the end zone.

2nd Quarter (:35) WTH Special Package?! Guess no one was missing Coach Davis after all the different packages of players that came running on and off the field during the game. I was tired just watching the players run back and forth. Get used to the illegal motion penalties with all the different packages of players getting familiar with the new system installed by Coach Harsin.

Halftime WTH MOB?! Great job by the funniest band in the land. The Rice band made fun of the Aggies leaving for the SEC. The line of the night was when the Rice announcer said that the Big 12 and the SEC were both raising their IQ points by that Aggies move.

3rd Quarter (12:15) WTH Grape?! Garret Gilbert had a solid night for the Horns (13-23 for 239 1 TD – no turnovers). The dumbfounding play was when he was being chased out of the pocket and he flipped the ball backwards that thankfully Fozzy landed on the fumble.

3rd Quarter (5:32) WTH Out of Bounds?! I have heard the saying that a player has a nose for the end zone. Never heard of a player that is attracted to the out of bounds line. An earlier run in the first half by Jaxon Shipley was negated by him touching the end line. Thankfully his aerobatic catch for the touchdown in the third quarter was not wiped out by an apparent end line violation. Dare I say that Jaxon looks faster than Jordan?

4th Quarter (1:00) WTH Rugby?! Justin Tucker is such a great field goal kicker that I wonder about the decision to use him as a rugby style punter. Justin’s final punt only traveled six yards to set up the Owls at mid field. Great job by the UT defense and non-scholarship player Cody Ramirez to recover a fumble to end the drive.

End of the Game WTH UT Band?! It’s a great moment when the tower is lit orange and the band plays the Eyes of Texas after a win. A new wrinkle was added before the traditional ending to a game. The entire football team was serenaded by the Band’s rendition of DJ Khaled “All I Do is Win.” No one can deny that this is a brand new season.

Next up for the Longhorn’s are the Mormons from BYU at 6pm on Sept. 10th.

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!!

True freshman receiver Marquise Goodwin's kick return TD in the 4th quarter ended it. (Image: Statesman)

1st Quarter (13:44) WTH Goonies?! The UT defense (aka “Goonies” or “Legion of Boom”) gave up a 70 yard touchdown pass to A&M Jeff Fuller which got the Aggies student body kissing crazy. The defense could not come up with any significant stops most of the night (A&M had 532 total yards). Some say that the short week caused the defense to be tired. Whatever the reason for the worst defensive outing of the year Coach Blood needs to get it corrected.

1st Quarter (10:12) WTH 4th Down?! decided that he was practically going to go for it on every 4th down play (1 for 3 for the night). I do not mind the aggressive play calling but the razzle-dazzle option play to punter that traveled 15 yards to come up two yards short was ridiculous.

2nd Quarter (14:10 & 1:11) WTH 65 yards?! That is exactly the yardage that ran up the middle to gouge the A&M defense for the go ahead score to start the second quarter. The run was so spectacular that it will definitely be replayed in New York during the Heisman presentation. That also happens to be the exact amount of yardage that Colt led the offense just before the half to take back the lead 21-14. He completed 4 out of 5 passes and ran twice during this series to grab back any momentum away for the Aggies. Two signature moments that every Longhorn fan needs to remember about Colt because I know the Aggies will never forget it.

2nd Quarter (6:27) WTH Frederick?! I have heard of being juked out of your shoes, but I never thought I would see it. A&M Terrence Frederick was trying to cover UT when Terrence came out of both of his shoes. He did make the tackle in his stocking feet after the 12 yard completion.

Halftime WTH Aggie Band?! Well we lost another halftime to the Aggies. Will we ever win one?!

4th Quarter (6:57) WTH Goodwin?! The great equalizer after your rival just scored a touchdown to bring them within 3 points in the 4th quarter. returned the kickoff 95 yards for the final margin that sealed the win for the Horns. Speed kills and Marquise had the ultimate answer.

Next up for the Longhorn’s is the Big XII Championship against the Huskers at 7pm on Dec. 5th.

Pregame WTH UT Fans?! The Horns have not played a home game in close to a month and you need the alumni band to help fill out the upper deck. Yes, I know the game started at 11am, but there were way too many empty seats for the 2nd ranked team in the nation. Now I know why they announce the attendance (101,003) in the third quarter.

Kickoff (15:00) WTH Adidas?! Even before the kickoff, the UCF football team, wearing Adidas, was hexed because of a contract dispute. Newly signed Marcus Jordan (UCF basketball player) wore his dad’s Nikes which caused Adidas to terminate their $3 million dollar contract with the school. Never bite the hand that feeds you. The football team never had a chance.

2nd Quarter (5:22) WTH Jekyll?! Maybe I should call you Mr. Hyde. UT kicker boots a 70 yard kickoff which is not returned. Great Dr. Jekyll! Then Justin ( 3rd Qt. 11:31) proceeds to uncork a 16 yard punt. Come on Mr. Hyde! You know things are going good with the Horns when you’re complaining about the punting.

4th Quarter (13:01) WTH Jordan?! What an incredible pitch and catch between and for an 88 yard touchdown. After the game you put together (11 catches 273 yards), you deserve to take a bow. How about a Heisman pose like threw down? I guess your offense lineman wanted you to take a curtain call at the end of the game when they pushed you out to acknowledge the student section who was cheering your name.

Whole Game WTH Defense?! No interceptions. No fumble recoveries. Not even a touchdown? What is happening?! Oh yeah, UCF is 2 of 12 on 3rd down. The defense holds an opponent to lowest score of the season (3 pts.). Yeah, this group is OK. Defensive MVP was clearly .

WTH Big XII?! Can the Longhorns continue the season as an Independent? Take the Longhorns win-loss record out of the mix and the rest of the Big XII record is 57-44. Only four teams after the first week of November are even bowl eligible.

Next up for the Longhorn’s is a trip up north to Waco to face the Baylor Bears at 11am Nov. 14th.

The Whole Game WTH Davis?! – I know that execution has a lot to do with our running game. I can see that it is difficult to sell to a UT offense lineman that firing out and hitting your man at the snap of the ball can be as successful as back pedaling and protecting the quarterback who is completing 73% of his passes. But Coach Greg Davis needs to stop falling in love with solving a non-existent running game (62 yards with an average 1.8 yards/carry) with throwing more. Texas was up against the 111th ranked run defense in the country with Colorado which does not bode well for our next meeting against OU. If we cannot stop the opponents’ interior run blitzes (thanks for trying with the shovel pass), we will not be going very far this season.

2nd Quarter (2:55) WTH McCoy?! – I know that you are not supposed to pull on Superman’s cape, but I do not like the trend that I am seeing. This scenario is occurring way too much with Colt McCoy giving up an early turnover for the opponent to jump on for a score. I now that he was rushed out of the pocket on this play but his handling of the football caused the fumble to end up in the Buffs hands. He cannot continue this type of results if the team wants to contend for the title.

3rd Qt & 4th Qt. (13:37 & 14:13) WTH Tucker?! – I know the coaching staff loves that fact that you’re ambidextrous with your feet, but Justin Tucker (28.8 yards/avg.) you have to be able to punt better than the 25 yard & 5 yard efforts respectfully that you gave on your rugby style kicks. I know that our lack of covering skills on kickoffs makes you feel that much better about your style.

3rd Quarter (12:32) WTH Muckelroy?! – Your tip of QB Cody Hawkins pass early in the 3rd quarter ended any type of momentum that the Buffs were trying to establish in the second half. Roddrick Muckelroy was clearly the defensive MVP with 11 total tackles and 1 crucial sack to start the fourth quarter.

The Whole Game WTH Shipley?! – Not only did you single handily put your stamp on the Horn’s offense ( 11 catches for 147 yds.) with incredible catches (1st Qt. 7:33 & 2nd Qt.:46) but you changed the momentum again with your ability to take it to the house (3rd Qt. 12:29) on a 74 yard punt return (thanks for blocking referee Cooper Castleberry) to end the Buffs hopes. You can start talking about Jordan Shipley in the same breath as Michigan’s Desmond Howard when he was starting his Heisman run back in 1991.

3rd Qt. & 4th Qt. WTH Punt return unit?! – Great job by the Longhorn punting unit to set up a back breaking return for at touchdown by Jordan Shipley and a crowd raising punt block by Marquis Goodwin that resulted in Ben Wells running it in for the score. We need more great special teams next week!

4th Quarter WTH Hawkins?! – Coach Dan Hawkins changed his Colorado family and his nuclear family at the same moment with the pulling of his son Dan Hawkins for redshirt freshman Tyler Hansen. The move came along with 5 false start penalties in the quarter which added to the Buffs accumulating 20 penalties for the game which resulted in 140 penalty yards. Thanks Coach Dan for pulling the plug on your season with your son who will definitely want to join you for Halloween festivities at your house later this month.

Next up for the Longhorn football team is Oklahoma at 11am at the Cotton Bowl on October 17th.

1st Quarter (7:02) – Texas Tech punt coverage team has the first WTH? when a short punt of 38 yards by Tech’s Donnie Carona ends up in the hands of an oncoming who makes every TT player turn and trail Shipley for a 46 yard touchdown. WTH Raiders?!

1st Quarter (7:00) – Two seconds later Bevo asks WTH? when Jordan decides to jump over the reins that supposedly holds on to this two thousand pounds of twisted steel and sex appeal… thank you Godzillatron moment. No Texas football player has ever ventured so close to one of the most revered mascots since the Tyler Rose. WTH Shipley?

2nd Quarter (3:30) – , UT punter, asks “WTH?” when he fist pounds the television/time clock referee (this is the guy that has the orange gloves and wanders aimlessly out to the middle of the field). Why the heck are you interacting with him? 28 seconds later he precedes to girlie punt the ball 19 yards to the Raiders 30 yard line out-of-bounds. WTH Tucker?!

4th Quarter (11:59) – WTH were the referees thinking? The entire 101,297 DKR crowd was wondering aloud, with a few cuss words, what ref Tom Walker and his crew was smoking when an incomplete pass to Texas Tech’s Alex Torres was turned into a personal foul, late hit on . And then they threw in a roughing the passer call to cover their asses. On top of that WTH?, the very next play, which was a 2 yard loss for Tech, the same refs missed a blatant jersey hold by the Tech offense in front of everyone. WTH Walker?!

4th Quarter (11:49) – WTH should be defined as “Where the heck is my helmet?” when QB Taylor Potts had his head handed to him by the most ferocious sack by . Play of the night!! WTH Sergio?!

4th Quarter (3:40) – “WTH?” is what the entire Texas Tech and Texas fan base said when Mike Leach decided to call a rushing play over right tackle that netted only five yards in the middle of the field. TT down by 10 points. WTH Leach?!

Final Score: Texas 34, Texas Tech 24

Next up the University of Texas at El Paso at 2:30pm at DKR – See you there!

• One last wyo incompletion ends the game. Horns win! #ut 41 wyo 10 2 days ago
• @gkketch I think Newton has earned his shot (and mcgee has lost his) but how much of his success is tired wyo defense? #ut 2 days ago
• What’s the spread? Would safety and 33 point lead mean #ut covers? #gamblingproblem 2 days ago
• Refs just blew whistle and called delay of game with 2 seconds left on play clock. Mack is flabbergasted. #ut 2 days ago
• Garrett Gilbert in for Horns. DJ Monroe at rb. #ut 2 days ago
• What just happened on Versus? I didn’t see, my eyes were closed. #ut #stupidtexastech 2 days ago
• McCoy likely done. 8:30 left score is #ut 41 wyo 10 2 days ago
• Great effort and block by Tray Allen as Chiles takes screen pass to the house. Touchdown horns!! Nice block by M Williams too. #ut 2 days ago
• #ut receivers don’t do much on most run plays. Never even leave line if scrimmage. 2 days ago
• Don’t think we need Shipley still in there returning punts with horns up big. #ut 2 days ago
• Earl Thomas and Gideon have hands about as good as mine. ET misses pick 6. #ut 2 days ago
• RT @gkketch: I believe Texas might have a new starting running back. Introducing Tre Newton… #UT 2 days ago
• Headed to 4th quarter, horns with comfortable lead: #ut 34 wyo 10 2 days ago
• #UT defense holds on 4th down. Drive starts with nice strong 10 yd run by newton. 2 days ago
• Everyone hates notre dame. Cheers from fans of all allegiances as Michigan scores. 2 days ago
• Wyoming defense looks exhausted. Tre Newton takes it right up middle got 14 yd touchdown. Newton looks good. #ut 34 wyo 10 2 days ago
• With way #ut defense is playing wouldn’t gave minded punt there. Of course I’ll also take nice 4th down conversion to Buckner. #ut 2 days ago
• @MattMackowiak isn’t it great to have a qb who puts up numbers like that when he “sucks”? 2 days ago
• Okie State with comeback of their own. Now lead 28-24. 2 days ago
• Chykie Brown shakes his head after incompletion, no flag is thrown. #ut 2 days ago
• Colt breaks tackles, rolls left and finds Buckner alone. Buckner breaks tackles, gets block from Newton and scores!! #ut 2 days ago
• Tre Newton with very nice run. Loses a shoe and C Johnson in. Oline looking a little better. #ut 2 days ago
• Even Shipley fake FG not working today. More special teams blocking problems. #ut 2 days ago
• Apparently MWC officials have no idea what holding is. Opposite if big 12 refs who never call it. #ut 2 days ago
• Vondrell McGee limps off. Newton back in. No Cody Johnson today? 2 days ago
• Aaron Williams with big strip to get #ut ball right back. Sam Acho recovers. 2 days ago
• Just noticed it was Tre Newton in on td run. Getting early playing time today. #ut 2 days ago
• 96 seconds into 2nd half Longhorns strike on McCoy option keeper. Whew. Don’t take foot off gas Horns. #ut 20 wyo 10 2 days ago
• Horns quickly down to 15 yd line. Let’s see a redzone conversion!! #ut 2 days ago
• DJ Monroe takes short 2nd half kickoff back to wyo 40. Great start. Saw 2 #UT players high five, hope refs don’t flag them. 2 days ago
• Think the Wyo coach’s necklace looks like it’s made of gumballs and popcorn. #ut (2nd half bout to start.) 2 days ago
• RT @ChipBrownOB: UT held Wyo w/out a single f1st down in 2nd quarter. Defense playing lights out. All 10 Wyo points traced to sp teams. 2 days ago
• RT @KEYE_Sports: Mack says Justin Tucker faked the punt on his own. #ut 2 days ago
• RT @mikefinger: Colt McCoy’s halftime numbers: 17-of-29, 166 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. If no one was watching, it actually looks respectable. #UT 2 days ago
• RT @stevehabel: At half, TX has 237 yards to WYO’s 99, thanks to big final drive for TD. UT has 11 FD to 6 for WYO (none in 2nd qtr) #ut 2 days ago
• Surprised by wyo taking a knee despite getting ball after OOB kickoff. Halftime. Let’s see how horns regroup. #ut 13 wyo 10 2 days ago
• KIRKENDOLL!!! Fantastic run after catch on crossing route and jukes/stumbles into endzone for TD. #ut 13 wyo 10 2 days ago
• @jfoster640 or maybe he DOES need to go to Shipley everytime. 2 days ago
• Horns really really really need to answer. #ut 2 days ago
• Holding call gives Wyoming 7 points as #ut has punt block breakdown and cowboys take it into endzone. 2 days ago
• More bad officiating. It’s not a hold just because lineman’s hands are on defenders back. Costs #ut 1st down 2 days ago
• Kirkendoll drops 1st down. Think #ut is really missing Quan. 2 days ago
• Fantastic defense by Randall and huge open field tackle by K Robinson stop wyo on 3rd and 3. #ut ball with 2:40 left. 2 days ago
• 3rd and 1 and Texas offensive line gets zero push. Punt time again. #ut 2 days ago
• @KEYE_Sports #UT is fine. They’ll win thanks to overwhelming D. (knock on wood.) but it’s not overreaction to say they’re playing awful. 2 days ago
• Dan Buckner with fantastic block but Colt McCoy looking very 2007. Not good. Interception Wyoming. #ut 2 days ago
• Great defense and another 3 and out. That side is holding up their end. #ut 2 days ago
• RT @crowan: Watching the game on vs. Tired of my 9 year old asking what male enhancement is. These commercials have got to go. #ut 2 days ago
• Horns get down to 3 but false start by Snow and then series of stumbles forces them to settle for fiejd goal. #ut 6 wyo 3 2 days ago
• Another clueless flag by MWC refs. Call illegal forward pass when Colt was behind line of scrimmage. #ut 2 days ago
• RT @chrismaka: That upside-down Horns sign is actually the official international hand sign for “I AM A COMPLETE DOUCHE BAG” 2 days ago
• Great scramble by Mccoy to get 15 on 3rd and 13. First and goal for #ut 2 days ago
• Finally a long play to Kirkendoll. #ut ball down at 20. Kirk fired up, hope rest of team is too. 2 days ago
• RT @bevobeat: Referees have now surpassed Versus in suckage. #ut 2 days ago
• Refs then get rule wrong after unsportsmanlike call. No clue. #ut 2 days ago
• Random terrible unsportsmanlike call by refs. Chykie was nowhere near defender. Awful. #ut 2 days ago
• Tucker takes a chance and tried to run for 1st down on fake punt. OMG. Wyo ball on #ut 13. 2 days ago
• DJ Monroe in and gets 2 straight carries. Nowhere to run. 3rd an 10. #ut 2 days ago
• Surprised by wyo decision to punt with 4th and 5 on #ut 45 yard line. Horns will take ball inside their 10. 2 days ago
• Kindle has gotten several shots in on Wyo qb but he’s doing good job getting rid of ball. #ut DBs giving lots of cushion. 2 days ago
• Vondrell McGee has been #ut running back on every play. #ut offense still struggling. Punt team. 2 days ago
• Great read by Gideon breaks up pass on 3rd and 2 and forces punt. Shipley with short return. #ut 2 days ago
• Wyo starting qb not super accurate/consistent. #ut D needs to make him pay with an INT. 2 days ago
• Colt not looking his normal accurate self. Leaving a lot of passes way high. #ut has to punt. Tucker with nice lefty soccer pooch punt. 2 days ago
• RT @suzhalliburton: Buckner limps off on his own. #ut 2 days ago
• They try deep seam to Buckner but he can’t hold on after big hit. #ut 2 days ago
• Wyo DBs off the LOS and bailing at snap. Colt having to hit underneath checkdowns. Might need to test deep middle. #ut. 2 days ago
• Not sure that was 15 yd roughing but #ut will take it. Wyo hits punter and gives horns free first down. 2 days ago
• Horns front 4 getting great pressure if Wyo just drops back to pass. More trouble when they zone play action and move pocket. #ut 2 days ago
• Both teams running a fast paced hurry up offense. #ut 2 days ago
• After moving downfield easily Horns forced to settle for 32 yd field goal from Lawrence. #ut 3 wyo 0 2 days ago
• Dont forget: Follow along with today’s #UT vs Wyoming game live here on twitter and at http://bit.ly/10exfb 2 days ago
• Good pass rush on forts drive. #ut defense forces 3 and out. 2 days ago
• Much much much better kickoff for Tucker. Touchback out back of endzone. #ut 2 days ago
• Found a place showing the #ut game. At Champps in Los Colinas. Horns bout to kickoff. 2 days ago
• RT @suzhalliburton: For those keeping score, #ut brought 74 players. Mack brown told us they normally take 80 on non-conf road games 2 days ago
• Follow along with today’s #UT vs Wyoming game live here on twitter and at http://bit.ly/10exfb 2 days ago
• Official #UT vs. Wyoming injury report: http://bit.ly/NAcRv 2 days ago
• RT @suzhalliburton: Fozzy whittaker also is out for wyoming with a right knee injury. #ut 3 days ago
• RT @bobcatbaseball: Snow?! Rain is already blowing my mind. RT @kbohls: About to rain in dallas. Hearing chance of snow in wyoming. #ut 3 days ago

Nolan Brewster runs back an interception of Sherrod Harris. (MB-TF)

For the returning starters the spring is for retuning and building chemistry with the new faces around on the team. For the new faces and younger guys the spring is about gaining confidence from the coaches and your teammates. The spring game isn’t always about the starters. Players coming off a red-shirt year or three year guys buried on the depth chart can make a statement and jumpstart the summer offseason program. The 2009 Jamboree had the usual faces making plays (), it had a few missing (, ), and it had a few emerge. We look at who had the best performances and who may have made a name for themselves in this year’s game.

1.

The sophomore safety was the best player on the field on Sunday. Thomas had the play of the day when he intercepted Colt McCoy’s pass attempt and then outraced the Heisman candidate to the pylon. The Longhorns played predominately out of the 4-2-5, and it sounds like Earl Thomas is the choice at the nickel spot covering the slot. is also get a look at the slot, but right now it looks like Will Muschamp would rather bring in Christian Scott at safety than to corner. The truth of the matter is Muschamp is probably comfortable with either, but having three safeties on the field will help with run support and blitzing. It all depends on the play of Thomas, and if Sunday is a forecast of what is to come, Muschamp will have a lot of options come the fall. Thomas has a chance to be an All-American type player in his sophomore year. He has the talent and the dedication to do it.

2.

His stats weren’t that great, two catches for five yards. Nobody on offense lit up the stat book on a day that was brutally windy. But when Williams is on the field he has a chance to beat any corner deep. The guy looks the part. He can run, he can jump, he can catch. Colt McCoy has had his struggles in the deep passing game, he missed Williams twice on throws deep down the field on one Williams caught it out of bounds and on the other one he overthrew the open Williams by a few steps. All summer long these two needs to work on connecting down the field because the ability to get deep is one that the Longhorns lacked last season. It is utterly amazing the success UT had on offense last year considering the lack of true running game or deep ball. It makes what Colt did last year that more impressive. Williams can force double teams on the outside with his ability to beat one-on-one coverage. That will allow more room for Shipley, Brandon Collins, and James Kirkendoll. Williams hasn’t been counted on for a whole game yet so his conditioning is still a concern, but his talent is off the charts.

3.

The kid should be thinking about prom instead he is getting the start for the first group at the University of Texas’ spring game. did the same thing last year and every one dismissed it as just an able body’s thing and it wouldn’t be the case by fall. Well, Blake Gideon started every game last year and it is too early to say if Okafor will have the same honor, but it is clear he will get some snaps. The true freshman from Pflugerville started where Sergio Kindle is likely to be, but when Kindle plays linebacker that position will be open. Eddie Jones will be back in the fall and the coaches like , but don’t overlook the freshman. He doesn’t play like a freshman, and I don’t the coaches are going to treat him like one. If he can add some strength and a little weight in the offseason he has a chance to be a real force this year. At the worst he’s a situational pass rusher and a candidate to be a middle guy on kickoffs and punts.

4.

The true sophomore is lost in the shuffle in a crowded secondary group, but this spring he has made a case for some real playing time. Brewster made the first big play of the game, an interception off of a bobbled pass thrown by to tight-end . Brewster is an instinctive, hardnosed football player that excels at safety and in special teams. With Thomas, Scott, and Blake Gideon all in line for major snaps it is hard to see where Brewster is going to fit in. But with the offenses in the Big 12 and the three safety formation that Muschamp is going to being the fourth safety may be the defensive equivalent of being the fourth receiver for the Longhorn offense. Brewster is one sprained ankle from being a possible starter for a national championship contender. And he has shown so far he is capable of stepping up.

5.

It is unlikely that Mitchell has won a starting spot at right tackle in the absence of because of injury, but the junior may have cemented himself as the third tackle in the rotation. Texas likes to rotate lineman every third series or so in real game action, and with the injury history of both starters Hix and senior having quality depth at tackle is huge, especially to a football team that passes so frequently. The offensive line wasn’t dominating on Sunday, but they were more than solid in the passing game. Mitchell held his own against Sam Acho and Alex Okafor and opened the hole for the first rushing touchdown of the game. Tray Allen has struggled to make an impact at tackle, and some think he should be moved inside, with the emergence of Mitchell over the last half of spring practice has made that move a possibility.

6.

It was pretty clear that was one of the starting corners. He has a chance to be the best corner in the conference. It was unclear, however, who would get the other spot. Would the coaches give the nod to the older player or the most talented player? Aaron Williams, just a sophomore, was thought of the player with the most upside at the position and it looks like that upside is being realized sooner than later. AJ has manned the starting corner spot all spring and has brought rave reviews for his consistency and talent. The former Round Rock McNeil star will be on the field somewhere, either at corner or at the slot in the nickel formation and even showed some return skills in the Spring Game. Williams is in the mold of Nathan Vasher, Michael Huff, and Aaron Ross. He has a chance to be a star.

7.

It seems the former Westwood star is the forgotten man at the wide receiver position. He doesn’t get the same hype as Malcolm Williams, Jordan Shipley, and even . But Kirkendoll just gets the job done day in and day out. He is a great route runner, he has reliable hands, and he can play on the inside and the outside. The junior also proved he can perform in the big games when he made a few clutch catches late in the Fiesta Bowl win over Ohio State. It looks more and more likely that Texas will go to a four wide receiver set for a good amount of snaps because of the problems at the tight end position. That means even more time for Kirkendoll. In the Spring Game he was tied for most catches with three and had a nice 12 yard gain on a reverse.

8.

The defensive tackle position has to be the most worrisome position on the team. Texas needs someone to step up next to and so far the senior has done a good job. It is now or never for Alexander and he has to realize that. The coaches were thinking of moving Houston, a former defensive end, to the nose tackle position but the emergence of Alexander has allowed him to stay at his more natural three technique. Muschamp has said he’d like to have at least five defensive ends and five defensive tackles to rotate. Right now it looks like the defensive end rotation will not be a problem if everyone is healthy. Texas has three dependable defensive tackles right now with a few more on the roster and two incoming freshman showing up in the fall. Texas is going to need one of those two if not both to come in and provide depth. Alexander needs to do everything he can to improve his conditioning and quickness to handle the Big 12 offenses. He will never be an every down play against those styles of offense but 40 to 50 snaps a game would be huge for this team.

9.

The evolution of the Big 12 offenses has required the linebackers to be just as good in pass coverage as they are at stopping the run. Texas has two reliable and proven linebackers in and (three if you count Sergio Kindle), but Norton is a prototypical linebacker who excels against the run but can look lost at times against the spread offenses. Robinson on the other hand is has the perfect skill set for the Big 12 and Muschamp’s defense. The speed and athleticism he has at linebacker is rare. On Sunday he blanketed tight-ends and running backs. The sophomore can blitz as well. Robinson is a player that could play all three downs in this defense and don’t be surprised if it is Muckelroy and Robinson playing linebacker in the 4-2-5 as the season wears on.

10.

Not many punters can be considered weapons, but Tucker will be for Texas this year. Last year, he made an impact with his rugby style punts last year, and it looks like he has added another foot to his arsenal. The right footed punter rolled to his left and with his left foot he downed a punt inside the 10 yard line on a rugby punt. He also had a few regular punts that looked good. As a team punting isn’t a good thing, but it is nice to have such a versatile player taking the deep snaps. Besides taking away opposing returners with the rugby style punt, his athleticism combined with his ability to roll both ways will provide huge opportunities for fakes. And with his proficiency with the rugby style Texas can call fake punt options where he can roll one way and if it is open he can run and if it isn’t he can punt at the last minute. It will be huge in close games.

11.

I know he didn’t play on Sunday, but the play at the running back position proved that Johnson needs to be the guy unless freshman comes in and impresses. For the first half of the spring Johnson ran with the first team and impressed the coaches enough that and Greg Davis haven mentioned every down back with Johnson’s name. The question on the sophomore bruiser has always been conditioning. The coaching staff has tried to get his weight down, but really the important thing is his body fat. He may not fit perfectly into the current offensive scheme, but Texas has too many negative plays in the run game and Johnson gives you a back that will push the pile forward at the very least. The fact is Texas doesn’t need the run game to be one of the best in the nation; they just need to be able to pick up small chunks of yards when they need to. Johnson being able to stay on the field will be a big part of that.

Texas vs. Kansas tweets

• RT @suzhalliburton: Just saw Blake Gideon. Am told he’s fine. I was standing with Quan Cosby and Gideon waved at the WR. #UT postgame
• A couple of good Jeremy Hills runs and then a kneel down ends the game. Final score: #UT 35, KU 7 late fourth quarter
• And the defense holds despite the extra and goal snaps for KU. Sack and fumble recovery by #UT on 4th and goal from the one. Big stop. during fourth quarter
• Has Chykie Brown been playing today? If he’s not healthy why is he playing now? Did I just miss him earlier? during fourth quarter
• Roughing passer by R Palmer is huge penalty. Gives KU 1st down instead of 4th and long. Now #UT defense needs 4 more stops. during fourth quarter
• Backups are in for #UT defense in front 7. We need stops and to hold them at 7, every point matters this time of year. Right @kbohls ? during fourth quarter
• Texas safeties are really hitting today. Gideon, Scott, and Thomas have all gotten in a good lick or 2 for #UT defense. during fourth quarter
• Great run by Fozzy. We’re definitely trying to milk the clock here. Love to see long drive and get some points, then get Colt out of there. during fourth quarter
• Collins makes up for his false start by getting wide open on post route. Looked just like play last week against BU. 36 yd TD. #UT 35, KU 7 during third quarter
• Christian Scott sure likes to fly around at safety. Big hit, strip the RB, then recovers the fumble for #UT. Texas needs to put this away. during third quarter
• Not sure where the safety was but Cosby makes the catch on the slant on 3rd down for the TD. Good protection & good throw. #UT 28, KU 7 during third quarter
• Three straight Kirkendoll catches. That was a LOOOONG WR screen/hitch. Don’t like the play call but Kirk fought and got the 1st down. during third quarter
• Very nice catch on a quick slant by James Kirkendoll gets #UT another first down. during third quarter
• First long McCoy run in several weeks. Middle of the field opened up wide for him and he took off for 25 yards out to midfield. during third quarter
• Christian Scott catches like the guy he replaced (Gideon). Scott can’t hang on to the floater. #UT during third quarter
• Why do our DBs interfere after they’ve got great coverage? Beasley was there but got a little handsy once the ball was in the air. #UT during third quarter
• Blake Gideon is down with head/neck injury. Took a big hit from KU RB. during third quarter
• Wild 4th and long catch by KU extends drive and KU punches it in. Huge play keeps Kansas in the game. #UT 21, KU 7 during third quarter
• Blitzes by #UT defense have been successful today but KU has given QB decent time if we only bring 4. during third quarter
• Why can’t we run block like that outside the red zone? Another easy TD run, this time by Chris O. #UT 21, KU 0 during third quarter
• KU moved first and then Dockery. Bad false start call by refs but it was a close one. Sets up tough 3rd and 15. during third quarter
• #UT fakes the FG on 4th down and Shipley flies over top of everyone for 1st. Aggressive 3rd and 4th down play calls. during third quarter
• #UT will start 2nd half with good field position as kickoff goes out of bounds. start of third quarter
• RT @bevobeat: Halftime stats: Run yds: TX 38, KU 3 … Pass yds: TX 122, KU 99 … First downs: TX 12, KU 4 … McCoy 14 of 19 passing. during halftime
• First half ends with #UT leading by 14. Great job by the defense so far but the offense needs to pick it up. Remember style points matter. end of second quarter
• @bevobeat I’d rather not have repeat of Nebraska in snow. How bout a big 2nd half performance and an easy win? during second quarter
• Colt has all day to throw and then eventually scrambles in from about 5 yards out for the score. Great blocking. #UT 14, KU 0 during second quarter
• #UT coaches doing great job finding ways to get Fozzy involve in the offense. Couple of nice receptions on this drive. during second quarter
• Quan Cosby made great diving effort for the pass but I think he retweaked his back doing it. #UT during second quarter
• Bad chop block call against KU. But it doesn’t matter as next play is 20 yd gain. #UT during second quarter
• #UT offensive line is struggling pretty badly opening up running holes. during second quarter
• Looks like pretty clear fumble. Let’s hope replay doesn’t F it up for #UT during second quarter
• Great job by Shipley on the (as usual) mediocrely blocked WR tunnel screen. He fought and dove and just got the 1st down. during second quarter
• First issue with using Twitter to live bog. POS servers go down all the time. While we were out, #UT defense had another big 4th down stop. during second quarter
• Kansas just blew up rubgy punt with a quick edge rush and Tucker shanked it. #UT defense will have to defense a short field again. during second quarter
• 1st quarter ends with #UT holding 7 point lead. Horns will have to head into the wind now. end of first quarter
• good pressure by Acho and Houston on 4th down. #UT defense gets the ball back after the turnover. great job. during first quarter
• First snap for McCoy under new center D Snow is a fumble by #UT. Crap. KU football during first quarter
• Gotta be able to get a 3rd & 1. KU fans are pretty dense (& so is replay crew) as McGee was down for about 4 seconds before ball came out. during first quarter
• 3 and out for the defense. Pass into triple coverage popped the ball up in the air and could’ve been a pick for #UT. Punt time. during first quarter
• I LOVE that we’re finally able to run the ball on 2nd & 10. Great job by V McGee to scoot in for the game’s first TD. Gr8 run. #UT 7, KU 0 during first quarter
• Like the deep post to Shipley on 3rd and 5. Easy pass interference call for the refs givs #UT first down. during first quarter
• KU’s leading WR Meier is having hamstring issues which could be a story throughout the game. during first quarter
• KU linemen are cutting the d-line at the snap and so far it’s working. Kindle got his hand up and knocked that one down though. #UT during first quarter
• No Orakpo yet, FSN just said we’d see him mainly on passing downs. during first quarter
• Lots of guys down there on the opening kickoff but #UT missed two tackles. Still stopped them short of the 20. start of first quarter
• Gosh Mark Mangino looks warm. pregame
• Almost kickoff, if FSN is live the KU crowd looks pretty nonexistent. #UT pregame
• Retweeting @bevobeat: Real men don’t need sleeves. http://twitpic.com/lxle pregame
• RT @kbohls: Blistering cold. KU basketball SID told me it’s 30 degrees. Wind makes it much worse. Pity the players who don’t play today.#ut pregame

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Fozzy Whittaker rushed 15 times for 77 yards

The Longhorns bounced back with a solid win against an improved team on Saturday in front of a lackluster crowd at DKR Memorial Stadium. The student section was empty for the beginning of the game and the blue hair section emptied pretty early in the second half. Luckily the football team doesn’t front run like the fans seem to and showed up to play. With a couple of key guys down with injury some of the usual suspects and a few under the radar guys stepped up in the win.

1. - Coming into the game the thought was that Cosby wouldn’t even play. The Waco native felt good enough to go against his home town team and didn’t disappoint. Cosby got the scoring going on a touchdown pass from on Texas’ first drive. When Cosby and are on the field together this offense is on a different level. The senior finished the game with 111 yards on eight catches including two touchdowns.
2. - The smallish senior cornerback gets overlooked in Texas’ secondary because of the perceived ability of the younger guys at his position, but Palmer is a leader on this team and continues to perform better than anyone could have ever imagined. Baylor had tied up the score at 14 in the second quarter when Palmer made the biggest play of the game on a 23 yard interception return for a touchdown. It was the catalyst for the 31 point run UT would go on to put the game away. Palmer added a sack and a pass breakup to his stat line later in the game.
3. - It says something about this season’s play of Colt McCoy and the expectations of the UT fan base when the junior signal caller can throw for five touchdowns and 300 yards and many still feel like he under performed. McCoy didn’t have his best game of the year but he was solid while completing 26 of 37 attempts. The Heisman contender has relied less on his legs to make yards only gaining 22 yards on the game. But he is buying more time in the pocket and keeping plays alive for his receivers. Yes he threw two interceptions, but it was a big win and a good day for McCoy.
4. - The big guy in the middle made his two tackles on the day count by recording both of them as sacks on Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin. gets all the press clippings, but the loss of Miller after this season will be the most costly for the Texas program. The senior dominates his gap on nearly every play and has the ability to go from run stopping to pass rushing at will. His play at defensive tackle may not even be what he does best. When Miller lines up at fullback and lead blocks on short yardage situation he is devastating.
5. - After a rough week last week Thomas rebounded to play his best game of his career. He didn’t record any interceptions or sacks but he was all over the field and made sure tackles all game. The freshman safety made a good play in the end zone on an early Baylor drive and showed how valuable he is when Baylor scored on a long pass on the first play Thomas missed with an injury. It was the only big play the Bears would get in the passing game because Thomas came back in on the next possession. It was important for Thomas to rebound and get some confidence back and he did with a team leading five tackles, with three coming for losses.
6. - Shipley makes catches when he has to. It is that simple. He is a third down catching machine. Every time McCoy needs to make a play or convert a first down it is obvious Shipley is the first progression on the route. Shipley is a senior who will most likely be back next year because of a medical redshirt that will surely be rewarded. His chemistry with McCoy is better than any receiver-quarterback combination to ever play at Texas. He finished the game with six catches for 81 yards and another touchdown. Shipley has scored a touchdown in every game this year.
7. - I think Texas has found their running back. The staff knew they had one all along, but it was nice to see the speedy freshman be able to carry the load and get over 15 touches. Whittaker possesses a burst that no one else on the roster has, and with the type of offense Texas has moved to his ability would figure to go best with the schemes. Fozzy has struggled with nagging knee injuries all year, but appeared to make it through the game without any problems. With figuring to come back next week it will be interesting to see how Greg Davis and Major Applewhite distribute the snaps. Ogbonnaya will get the third down snaps, but Whittaker should begin to get more and more on first and second down.
8. - Despite what the numbers show, Texas’ run defense was solid throughout the night. Baylor finished with 201 yards of total rushing, but 130 of those yards came on three runs (two on options by Robert Griffin and one late in the game by a running back). For the most part the front seven (six for most of the game) played extremely well. Muckelroy lead the team in tackles again, tied with Earl Thomas with five, but showed his speed when he chased down Robert Griffin on one of the speedy quarterbacks long runs. Muckelroy has turned into the best linebacker of the group because he has finally been able to stay healthy.
9. - Quietly Henry Melton is becoming an above average defensive end. After struggling at running back for his first few years at Texas, Melton was finally convinced to move to defense by pointing out that is where he would make money at the next level. It might not be the most noble reason to agree to move positions, but however it happen it has helped both Melton and the Longhorns. With Brian Orakpo out Melton was allowed to stay on the field on third downs, and he responded with three quarterback pressures to go along with his two tackles. The light has finally come on for the big guy out of Grapevine.
10. - Throughout the season Tucker has done a good job on kickoffs by getting good height and distance on his kicks. Beginning last week Texas began going to the “rugby” style punts with Tucker being the man executing the duty. This style of kicking doesn’t allow for returns and also provides for opportunities to fake the punt if the opposing team doesn’t cover the edge. Texas hasn’t tried to fake off of it yet, but Tucker does have the athleticism to pull it off when they do call it. He only had to punt once, but it went for 53 yards and forced Baylor to go the length of the field.
11. - Somehow Bailey lost his job to during preseason practices. No one had mentioned it because up until the Baylor game Lawrence had been perfect on his extra points and perfect on his field goals. Against Baylor Lawrence missed both of his field goal attempts, one being a chip shot, and was replaced for the last kick by last year’s starter Ryan Bailey. Mack Brown said Lawrence’s leg was “sore”, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bailey trot out for Texas’ next field goal attempt.

Malcolm Williams had a breakout game in the loss

It wasn’t the greatest game for the Longhorns individually. In the heartbreaking loss to only Malcolm Williams had the kind of night you brag about to your friends. Most weeks it is a struggle to settle on the top 11 players, but this week it was a struggle to simply find 11 players to put on the big board.

1. - All year Texas’ offense has searched for a legitimate deep threat out of their third receiver. Many around the program felt that the guy would be red-shirt freshman Malcolm Williams because of his size and speed. Saturday Texas found their deep threat, but it took Quan Cosby getting hurt to do it. Williams had without question his best game as a college player finishing with 182 yards on four catches including two touchdowns.
2. - Colt McCoy entered the Tech game as the clear leader for the Heisman trophy, and while Texas lost and McCoy didn’t play his best game he still led his team to a potential comeback. McCoy finished the game 20 of 34 for 294 yards and two touchdown passes. McCoy’s struggles came in large part to his offensive line getting manhandled all night. He was sacked four times.
3. - It wasn’t a great day for the Texas defense, but Kindle made some plays. Kindle finished with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. The Texas defensive line failed to get pressure throughout the night giving Tech’s offense all the time it needed to make plays. After Brian Orakpo went down with an injury Kindle was being used almost exclusively at defensive end.
4. - Down 5-0 in the first quarter Shipley dropped a deep pass that would have given Texas the early lead. After that play Shipley played a pretty good game. He got Texas back in the game with a punt return for a touchdown in the second half. Shipley ended his night with six catches for 45 yards.
5. - The Junior linebacker continues to lead Texas in tackling in seemingly every game. Saturday night Muckelroy registered 12 tackles, most coming in the middle of the field. Tech had a little success running the ball, but in the second half Texas’ defense shut out the Red Raiders until their last drive of the game.
6. - Most people will only remember the last play of the game where the freshmen tried to undercut Harrell’s pass to Crabtree allowing a touchdown pass. What most people won’t remember is that Thomas was playing maybe his best game as a Longhorn before he took that chance at the end of the game. Thomas had ten tackles with two pass breakups on the night.
7. - Fozzy has been struggling all season to get on the field. Early in the year he suffered through two nagging knee injuries only to see senior Chris Ogbonnaya secure the running back position by the time Fozzy got back healthy. The Texas staff didn’t allow the speedy freshman to make an impact until the second half, but when they did the potential big play ability he brings to the position was clear. On a night where Texas could do nothing on the ground Whittaker averaged seven yards on six carries in limited action.
8. - When Texas did apply pressure it seemed the big man in the middle was the one applying it. Miller went down with an injury during the game but was able to get back on the field. Miller has been the most consistent player on the d-line this year. He finished the game with five tackles and one of UT’s two sacks.
9. - You know it is bad when a kicker made an impact in a loss. Lawrence continues to be the model of consistency going two for two on the game. Lawrence has been perfect on the season even though he entered it without being expected to get the job.
10. - The true freshman doesn’t get the chance to play as much as the other corners, but he continues to stand out every time he is on the field. Williams is quickly becoming a playmaker on special teams recording another blocked punt against Tech. He recovered a fumble, had two pass breakups, and made a great play on a screen pass during the game.
11. - Two kickers on one list? I know, I know, but try to find someone who made more of an impact than Tucker. The rugby style kicks he utilized on Saturday night ended up working extremely well for Texas as they averaged over 50 yards. Tucker also continues to get his kickoffs consistently into the end zone.

Don't let Jeremy Maclin beat you

Another week, another tough opponent for the Longhorns. This week it’s and their Heisman candidate quarterback Chase Daniel in a national primetime game on ABC. The Texas defense will be trying to slow down the Tigers’ offense while and the offense attempt to continue to put up huge numbers on the scoreboard.

Read on below to see what the keys are for the Longhorns to come out on top:

1. Use Missouri’s wide splits against them.

ESPN was useful for the first time in years when they posted a video breakdown of how Oklahoma State’s defense slowed down the Mizzou offense. The defensive end instead of trying to get outside simply takes advantage of the wide splits and speeds right at the quarterback while the defensive tackle twists outside to provide contain pressure. The Missouri offensive coaches better either have come up with a counter for that or change strategy completely because if they don’t and are going to blow things up all game long.

2. Don’t let Jeremy Maclin change momentum with a kick return.

Last week against the Longhorns were down by 11 when a big kickoff return for a score completely flipped the game’s score and momentum. Texas can’t let Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin do the same thing in this game. Texas needs punter and kickoff specialist to either kick it away from Maclin or put it high enough and deep enough that the coverage teams can do their job.

3. Continue developing third receiving option.

Last week Shipley and together absolutely torched the OU defense but at some point this year the Horns will face a team with cornerbacks who can man up against those guys. The team needs to find another option Colt McCoy can rely on. Sophomore caught three passes against the Sooners and may be becoming that guy. Now that the Texas offense will be using more four wide receiver sets both Collins and will get their chances and need to step up.

The Longhorn offense is still searching for a third option in the receiving game. Against the Sooners Collins made a few plays and looked like a good option out of the slot. The sophomore ended his day with three catches, which was the most by a receiver not named or . With Texas moving into more four receiver sets Collins’ role should increase as defenses adjust to Shipley playing in the tight split. Yes Texas is 6-0, and yes they’re number one in the nation, but this offense will not achieve maximum production until a third receiver surfaces. People have been waiting for freshman and to be that guy, but it seems like that will not happen this year. It is easier for smaller, slot receiver types like Collins and to earn a quarterback’s trust mid-season. Last week Cosby proved he can get deep. One of the slot guys needs to step up and take heat off the top two guys.

Don’t watch what he does, watch what he doesn’t do. Last weekend, for the first time this season UT’s base offense was four receivers and a running back. The tight end position was all but eliminated from the game plan save for jumbo package situations. It will be very telling for this team’s game plan going forward in the year if Greg Davis’ offense comes out running this formation for the majority of the snaps. Ever since the injury to earlier in the year, the offense has searched for a way to attack the middle in the passing game. Injuries and a lack of production from the reserve tight ends caused the staff to search for a new way. They found it last week in Jordan Shipley. If you see a lot of number 86 on Saturday (that is Ullman’s jersey number), we’ll know the formation had more to do with match ups than philosophy. But if Ullman and back up are only seen near the goal line, everybody will know the Horns have a new base offense.

The front four of the Texas defense is playing at a different level, and so far most of the attention, rightfully so, has gone to and . Quietly Melton, the senior starter and former running back, is having a very solid year. He is not going to wow anybody with his pass rushing ability, but he plays hard at the point of the attack and has shown the ability to chase down and make a play on a scrambling quarterback. As Orakpo continues his All-American play more and more focus will be shifted to his side in terms of running back and tight end help. Coordinator has used Kindle as his pass rushing specialist opposite Orakpo, but does not like to leave the speedy linebacker on the line on downs when a pass is not certain. That duty goes to Melton, and if he can add more pressure from his position on first and second down there is nothing this defense can not accomplish.

The true freshman from Round Rock McNeil high school has been outstanding. Last week in the Oklahoma game senior starting cornerback went down with a hamstring injury. Williams was the first guy off the bench. With Williams in the game UT’s secondary was playing three freshman out of a five man secondary against one of the best passing offenses in the nation. The group played well, only allowing seven points after the 10 minute mark of the third quarter. This week’s game sees another top passing offense on the other side of the field, and with Palmer’s status in doubt the secondary may get to play a whole game with three freshmen (two true freshmen) in the secondary of a number one ranked team. will likely get the start if Palmer can’t go, but Texas has relied on a five defensive back for most of the snaps. It seems clear that Williams has passed up sophomore for now, so a serious amount on snaps will likely go to Williams even if Palmer can go. A hamstring injury lingers and many times a player can start but have a hard time finishing ballgames. The colder weather expected for the game can’t help.

and

Don’t kick it to Jeremy Maclin. Please don’t kick it to Jeremy Maclin. There are only a few ways Missouri can pull the upset. One of them is big plays in the return game. Last week the Longhorns proved that points on special teams can turn a game around, and if Maclin takes one back early in this game it could be the spark that lights the fuse for Missouri’s upset. The loss for the Tigers last week against has made people forget how good this Missouri team can be. Two weeks ago outsiders favored Missouri. This all changed because of one win and one loss. Texas won last week because of the kicking game and turnovers. The Longhorns could easily lose this one because of the same things if Gold or Tucker punts to Maclin through out the game. There is an argument to just kick it deep and rely on your coverage, but why chance it? I’d put my faith in Will Muschamp and the defense over the kick coverage every game. What about you?

Can Colt McCoy make like VY against the Buffs?

Texas opens up Big 12 play tonight at 6pm against a good team coming off their first loss of the season. The Buffaloes are a talented team heading in the right direction thanks to head coach Dan Hawkins and the play of his quarterback son, but the Longhorns are 13-point favorites and if they do their job they’ll win the game.

Read below for the Longhorns’ keys to beat the Colorado Buffaloes:

1. Don’t look past Colorado to next week.

Texas fans are already making plans and looking forward to next week’s huge match-up with but the team can’t do the same. The Buffaloes are easily the toughest team Texas has faced and can easily pull off the upset if the Horns don’t play as well as they should.

2. Don’t give up a big kickoff return.

WR Josh Smith is Colorado’s biggest weapon, particularly on kickoff returns. Nothing kills momentum worse than giving up a backbreaking return after a touchdown. The kickoff coverage team has been solid so far but they haven’t faced a guy like Smith. Kicker needs to what he’s done all year and put his kickoffs high and in the end zone and he’ll completely neutralize Smith’s abilities.

3. Pressure quarterback Cody Hawkins.

After back-to-back weeks of seven sacks the Texas defense suddenly has one of the top pass rushes in the country. The Colorado offensive line has been decimated by injuries and and company need to take advantage. The real test comes next week but this will be a good indicator of what the defensive line and linebackers can do against an offensive line that doesn’t average sub-260 pounds. Texas needs to hound Cody Hawkins and bring him down for at least three sacks tonight.

Cody Johnson runs against Arkansas

Saturday at 6pm on FSN the Longhorns will start Big 12 play against . The Buffaloes are easily the Horns’ toughest opponent of the season so despite four blowout wins the team still hasn’t proven anything. Texas will lean on as they do every week, but Texas will also need these five other players to step up to take care of business:

The Texas coaches and fans thought the running game would be led by the tandem of and . While Whittaker has struggled to contribute as expected because of injuries to both knees, McGee has just struggled. Enter former fullback Cody Johnson. The big man has looked like the best ball carrier on the team not named . Mack Brown has preferred big, downhill runners throughout his career, a la Natrone Means and . And even though the UT running game doesn’t appear to suit Johnson’s strengths he has excelled. If Johnson can outperform McGee again, this time in a conference game, it seems likely that the combination of Johnson and Whittaker when he is healthy will lead the running game going forward into the season.

Texas has to find a third receiver. The physical appearance and upside of and led many to anoint them the leaders for the position. But through four games it is clear that McCoy does not trust these two yet for whatever reason. Colt does seem to trust Kirkendoll, who made a nice run after the catch early in last week’s blowout of . The loss of allows defenses to key on and . If Texas wants to continue their success through the air, one of the young receivers must step up. This week is Kirkendoll’s week to solidify himself as that guy.

There is no doubt that the true freshman from nearby Leander High School has exceeded expectations. After only being out of high school for six months, Gideon finds himself leading a young but talented secondary for the Texas Longhorns. Most 18 year’olds would be overwhelmed, but the coach’s son appears to be taking to his new position like a duck to water. Gideon hasn’t made a whole lot of huge plays, but according to defensive coordinator , Gideon is lining up the defense correctly. I think Muschamp, a former college safety, sees a lot of himself in Gideon and for UT fans that is assuredly a good thing. Teams are going to try and confuse the secondary to create big plays, if Gideon can limit these by being smart and aware, the Longhorn defense could become one of college football’s best this year.

If nobody else is running, I’d like to nominate myself as the President of the Keenan Robinson fan club. This may be premature but Robinson has looked like a star in the making every time he is on the field, albeit in cleanup duty. He has the speed and nose for the football that Muschamp craves in his line backing unit. Overall the group of , , , and has looked great, but Robinson gives this defense the ability to keep three linebackers on the field against three receiver sets. The other linebackers on the team struggle in space. With Robinson’s speed and ball skills, he is a prime candidate to get more time as the opposing offenses become faster. The problem is deciding whose snaps the talented freshman cuts into. The combination of Robinson and Muckelroy at linebacker with Kindle playing rush end appears to be the best combination for Texas on obvious passing downs.

Historically, Texas has not done great on kick coverage. Don’t believe me? Watch the DVD of the first Rose Bowl Texas played in. With the talent on campus, it has appeared the Horns have struggled to find the types of players it takes to excel on special teams coverage. Kick coverage is more about willingness and want to than superior athletic ability. Kickoff specialist Justin Tucker is making this quandary obsolete. Tucker has been booming the ball, forcing touchbacks at a rate not seen on the 40 acres. It’s beginning to seam that on balls he doesn’t kick into the end zone come at the coach’s request in order to get a look at the coverage unit. Against teams like , , , and special teams could decide the game. A weapon like Tucker, and on the punt team with John Gold, gives Texas an advantage in every game.

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:

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• Texas player ratings
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I’ll be posting my live thoughts and opinions below.

First Quarter

Nice to see we tackled more this spring, much more so that we did more full contact drills than in a scrimmage like this.

Here’s the spring roster off the official site. Definitely going to be needed today.

gets the start today at left tackle with out.

I thought had dropped that pass but on the replay cornerback made a nice diving play to break it up. Collins probably needs to use his body better though to prevent the defender from being able to do that so easily.

I don’t know about that interference penalty on Beasley. threw a nice pass but put it over ‘s wrong shoulder. He had the position and Colt should have been able to put it in a more catchable position.

Not a good job on the reverse by . As the backside defensive end his responsibilities are RCC (reverse, counter, or cutback) and while he held his spot for a moment he started to pursue too quickly. Not a good job by the corner/safety over there either, the moment they saw Shipley going back the other way they should have been screaming at the top of their lungs.

is in street clothes on the sideline, I didn’t realize he was hurt. I assume that’s why true freshman got the start at safety for Team Tradition. Okay that’s the last time I’ll mention these lame team names.

and screwed up the hand-off on their first play of the day. Zone read and Chiles tried to change his mind and keep it but they put in on the turf.

On his first pass attempt Chiles makes a decent throw to Collins but he looked like he was tripled covered. The pocket was still holding so I think John could have waited another tick, bought himself some time, and looked for a more open receiver.

Nice run by ended with him delivering a blow to . Good play though by Thomas to hold on despite the big hit and make the tackle.

I hope we’re not planning on playing freshman kicker . We’ve already got and and I want one of them to win the kicking job this year so we can afford to redshirt Tucker.

sure looks like a football player. Big old sucker. Nice play by him bringing down Whitaker.

Second Quarter

Pass game isn’t clicking at all for either group right now. Have we completed a single pass yet?

just whipped Allen (who is now at guard), but I think Miller will do that to a lot of linemen this year.

Not a good throw by Chiles on the scramble but freshman receiver has to make a better effort on the ball on that. Even if he doesn’t think he can catch it he’s got to keep it from being picked.

Wow. McCoy missed Shipley running down the middle of the field all by himself. The offense is really out of sync right now. I don’t usually put much stock in these games but this is not looking good.

Third Quarter

“Disconcerting the snap count,” I’ve never heard that penalty called that before.

Running back Fozzy Whitaker has been the most impressive player I’ve seen so far today. Lots of good looking runs and able to break stuff even on the runs up the middle.

Chiles definitely does a good job of moving in the pocket and escaping pressure, but I’ve yet to see him do it and turn it into a successful passing play. If he can do that he’s going to be tough to defense.

Fourth Quarter

Great job that time by . Had defender in his face quickly after a bootleg and was able to pull up and find open for a good gain.

And in now. He and Harris are both being rumored to be transferring, as long as one sticks around the QB situation should be fine. If they both leave we’re in trouble.

needs to take better angles going after the QBs in the open field. It seems on every good scramble it was Earnest trying to run them down from behind.

Good strip of by linebacker . Not sure if he was down or not but it was a good play by Robinson. Hills better do a better job holding onto the football if he wants to see the field.

Kinne was probably sacked on that play but he just launched a great deep pass to Buckner down field. Probably not a smart pass but showed a good arm and might be one of the best throws of the afternoon.

And a nice scamper by Harris off the read for a touchdown. Not sure if it’s the defenses or what, but the two guys rumored to be gone both looked good.

The class is headlined by defensive backs Aaron Williams and DJ Monroe, who along with safety Nolan Brewster, should anchor the Texas defensive backfield for the next four or five years. On the offensive side WR/RB DeSean Hales is electric with the football in his hands and wide receiver Dan Buckner is huge and will catch anything thrown in his general direction.

Here’s the full list of signees:

Name	Position	Rating	Hometown
	LB		Dallas
	DB		Denver, CO
	OL		Austin
	WR		Allen
	RB		Giddings
	DB		Leander
	WR		Austin
	RB		Klein
	ATH		Mansfield
	RB		Alief
	DT		Cedar Hill
	LB		Nederland
	DB		Angleton
	RB		Southlake
	OL		Brenham
	DT		Beaumont
	RB		Brenham
	OL		Gilmer
	K		Austin
	DB		Round Rock

Congratulations to the newest Texas Longhorns!

Here’s the rest of the future Horns who made their list:

Here are the Texas commits and targets to watch for:

Name	Number	Position	Commit?	Ranking
	24	Safety	Yes
	4	Wide receiver	Yes
	44	Linebacker	Yes
	25	Defensive back	Yes
Rahim Moore	15	Safety	No
Darrell Scott	2	Running back	No
	76	Guard	Yes
	23	Kicker	Yes
	7	Cornerback	Yes

I’ll post some relevant updates and thoughts below:

First Quarter

• Nice looking punt by Justin Tucker. He’s been recruited as a placekicker but it certainly wouldn’t hurt if he could help out as a punter as well.
• DJ Monroe makes a good break on the football and knocks the pass up in the air for Nolan Brewster to pick it off. A third Texas commit, Dravannti Johnson, was also right there after the play was over. Impressive play by Monroe.
• Fantastic catch by Dan Buckner taking advantage of his size to go up high and grab the ball over a shorter corner. Definitely something I think we’ll see a lot of during his Longhorn career.

Second Quarter

• Good coverage by corner Aaron Williams but he gets beat deep. Williams has reportedly been very impressive this week and may be on the verge of getting a fifth star. He’s got good size but his speed (despite being listed with a 4.4 forty time) may mean he ends up at safety.
• It’s pretty clear where the Terrelle Pryor/Vince Young comparisons come from. The kid is big and natural and makes things look easy. Vince became Vince because of his intangibles and the improvements he made while in school, if Pryor can do the same he’ll be special.
• Monroe doesn’t look afraid of contact. Came flying up on screen and made a solid tackle behind the line of scrimmage.
• Another play by DJ Monroe. Good high punt by Tucker and Monroe gets down the field quickly as one of the gunners and covers up the ball after the East returned muffed it.
• Good tackle by Williams. I love to see secondary guys who can actually tackle.

Third Quarter

• I haven’t noticed Darrell Scott much. I don’t think he’s been in on a ton of snaps.
• Safety Rahim Moore, who is committed to UCLA but is still being recruited by Texas, just made a big hit on a pass breakup then popped up and gave the double hook ‘em. Don’t know what our chances are but new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp won’t hurt.