Posted March 30th, 2009 by Mike
Filed under: Feature, Football, Spring Football
Texas will enter the 2009 season with national yitle hopes after a stellar 2008 campaign. In fact, Mack Brown was pointing towards 2009 last offseason as the team he was looking forward to taking to his second title. Even with the anticipated success there are a few question marks on the field.
1. Will the offensive line play get better?
Texas struggled to run the ball late in games all of last year. Mack Brown wants that to change. So much so that all accounts point to the team spending most of the spring figuring out what needs to change. Outsiders point to scheme, but this is the same scheme that allowed Vince Young, Selvin Young, and Jamaal Charles to rack up tons of yards in 2005. The difference is Kasey Studdard, Jonathan Scott, and Justin Blalock won’t be in the starting lineup. The big guys up front have been good, but not great, and with most of them now in their third and fourth year in the program there are no more excuses. Texas’ offensive lineman must play stronger at the point of attack for this offense to be as balanced as Brown wants it to be. The Longhorns may not have a true game breaker in the backfield, but they’re good enough to do damage if given the holes. If Texas can get a running game going the offense could be the best ever at Texas. Guys like Charlie Tanner, Michael Huey, and Kyle Hix need to step up and be as dominant as most think they can be.
2. Who is going to step up at running back?
For most of the spring Cody Johnson was running with the first team. Texas is looking to go under center more this year, and Johnson is clearly the best downhill runner on the roster, at least until Chris Whaley reports. Unfortunately, Johnson got hurt and will miss the spring game on Sunday. The door could be no more wide open for the likes of Vondrell McGee, Foswhitt Whittaker, Tre Newton, and Jeremy Hills. The staff knows what they have in McGee and Whittaker. McGee is explosive and a hard runner, but doesn’t offer the receiving and/or blocking skills position coach Major Applewhite stresses in his players. A lot of people feel like the staff wants Whittaker to be the guy because of his skill set, but the little guy just can’t stay healthy. There hasn’t been a huge buzz around Hills or Newton but an eye opening spring game could set them up for playing time in the fall. The fact is somebody needs to step up because the running game is the only thing holding this offense back.
3. Who will get to the quarterback?
We all know Sergio Kindle will be on one side, but who will be the other defensive end? Texas feels like Kindle will replace the production provided by soon to be multi-millionaire Brian Orakpo, but who will replace Kindle’s? Right now it looks like Sam Acho will get the start with Eddie Jones and maybe even freshman Alex Okafor getting looks on pure rushing situations. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has Acho’s brother Emmanuel working at the buck end position along with starting inside linebacker Jared Norton. More than likely it won’t matter who is on the field, Muschamp won’t allow the defense not to get pressure. How much will Texas show in the spring game is a question that can’t be answered, but with a secondary that returns all but one contributor it is likely that Muschamp will unleash the hounds this year. The question is will he apply pressure because of his personnel like last year, or will he have to do it with scheme.
4. Who’ll play in the nickel formation?
For all intents and purposes the Longhorn defense is a 4-2-5. Texas says their base is a three linebacker set, but with the offenses they face in the Big 12 more times than not five defensive backs on the field. Going into the spring there were grumblings about the perceived battle between returning starter Blake Gideon and the message board deity Christian Scott and who will get the snaps, but it looks like Muschamp has found an answer, and that answer is both. The speed and versatility of Earl Thomas has allowed Muschamp to play him in the slot while keeping the brains of Gideon on the field while not sacrificing the athletic gifts of Scott. The cornerback situation appears to have already settled despite what anybody says. Right now Chykie Brown and Aaron Williams are locked in as the starters with Curtis Brown and Deon Beasley backing up. In the past it has been hard for underclassman to jump over guys with more experience but it looks like the talent of Williams is too much to overlook. The true sophomore to be has a chance to be one of the best defensive backs to come through the 40 acres if what the staff thinks about him is true. The whole formation depends on how Thomas does in the slot. If he can stay there, Texas can have three safeties on the field.
5. Who will step up and lead?
We know who the likely candidates are on offense. Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, and Adam Ulatoski would figure to take charge on that side of the ball. All three levels of the defense will lose the guy most pegged as their emotional leader. The defensive line lost Roy Miller and Brian Orakpo, the linebackers lost Rashad Bobino, and the defensive backs lost Ryan Palmer. If last year’s team taught us anything it is that leadership or the lack there of can never be overlooked. If you need any other evidence take a look at the Cowboys. From a talent perspective Kindle and Roddrick Muckelroy would lead the charge, but both of those guys are quiet and low key by nature. Lamarr Houston has been said to be taking charge in the front seven and Thomas has it locked in the secondary. The team keeping the momentum and mentality of last year will ultimately decide if all the goals are met this season.
Position Rating: B
Starters: Adam Ulatoski, Charlie Tanner, Chris Hall, Cedric Dockery, Kyle Hix
Reserves: Tray Allen, David Snow, Buck Burnette, Michael Huey, Britt Mitchell
The Texas offensive line struggled through the 2007 season due to injuries and inexperience. Injuries to important senior players forced young guys to step in and play before they were ready. Those struggles last year should however prepare the group for 2008, as every starter has significant playing experience and nine of the top 10 guys have seen previous playing time.
Adam Ulatoski and Kyle Hix are entrenched as the starting tackles. Ulatoski is the most experienced player on the line but will be moving from the right side to the left to protect QB Colt McCoy’s blindside. Various serious and nagging injuries have prevented him from becoming the dominant tackle Texas fans thought he would be, but he’s still only a junior and he’s finally healthy so this could be a big year for Ulatoski. On the other side, Hix played in every game last year as a true freshman and started at right tackle in the Holiday Bowl. He was a top recruit in the state and expectations are high for him for this season and his career. Tray Allen and Britt Mitchell will be the primary backups at tackle.
The guard positions aren’t as set in stone. The current starters are Charlie Tanner and Cedric Dockery but there is also a lot of noise about sophomore Michael “Baby” Huey. Tanner and Dockery were the starters for most of 2007 and each is a consistently solid performer. Dockery once looked like he’d follow his brother Derrick to the NFL but missed significant time with a serious knee injury in 2006 and is hopefully finally at full strength now. The three players will likely all see good amount of playing time early on as the coaches see if Huey can unseat one of the veterans. True freshman David Snow is the fourth guard on the depth chart and looks to have a bright future.
Chris Hall looks to have finally found a permanent home. After spending time at all five positions on the line last year as a sophomore he’ll anchor the line this year as the starting center. His intelligence and experience at every position should let him excel as the quarterback of the offensive line. Talented backup Buck Burnette needs to be ready in case Hall is required to shuffle around again this season.
They may not get the pub other positions do, but the offensive line is the most important piece of any good football team. After a rough 2007 season the line should be a strength in 2008. If they stay healthy it’ll mean more time for McCoy to pass and more holes for the running backs to run through, which in turn means a more consistent offense.
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I’ll be posting periodic updates, comments, and vulgarity as the game goes on. It’s kickoff time and I’m as fired up as I’ve been since early on in the season. Let’s see how the Horns respond to a little adversity.
First Quarter
- 2 seconds in to the game and it’s clear Brent Musberger didn’t do any preparation. Brutally mispronounces Chris Ogbonnaya’s name and then calls Lamarr Houston the name of some random walk on. Houston takes the very short pooch kick off and the Horns start the game off with the ball out at the 50.
- Looked like a bad read by Colt McCoy on the zone read. Picks up close to 10 yards though and the Horns have a 3rd and 3. Big play as the team really needs to get going early.
- 3rd and short run that the line did a terrible job blocking on but Jamaal Charles breaks it for a 15 yard game.
- Mack Brown is right. Charles was hit out of bounds down low and that should have been a penalty.
- Bad awareness by Nate Jones. He was wide open but let himself drift out of the back of the end zone. Announcers have good comment though about how the design of the end zone in the stadium could be confusing.
- Greg Davis is a gosh damn genius!!!!!!! WoooOoo! Touchdown Derek Lokey for the touchdown!!! That a boy! Bill Belichick would be proud.
Arizona State 0, Texas 7
- The team really looks fired up. Let’s hope that results in some inspired play, and no let down once that energy wears off.
- Jared Norton, Roddrick Muckelroy, and Scott Derry are the starters at linebacker. That might shut some Internet coaches up (for a few minutes.)
- And Norton is already hurt. Damnit.
- Defensive package on 3rd and long includes only 3 down lineman, Drew Kelson and Deon Beasley in there as extra pass defenders. Nice new look.
- Designed QB draw play. I don’t mind McCoy scrambling (in fact he’s been darn good at it this season) but not sure we should be calling too many first quarter QB runs in the huddle.
- As Musberger talks about Chris Hall I just noticed that freshman Kyle Hix is getting the start at right tackle and they’ve moved Adam Ulatoski to the left side.
- Quan Cosby on the reverse pass. Not really anybody open and Cosby does the smart thing and just throws it away. Or maybe it twas just a terrible throw. The play wasn’t blocked well and the receivers were all covered as well.
- Sergio Kindle in there on this series. Norton back in there as well.
- Fumble! Maybe. They called it a fumble on the field at least as corner Brandon Foster appears to rip the ball out as the ASU running back falls to the ground. Looks like he had it out before his knee was down and doesn’t look like there’s 100% evidence of the contrary. Replay confirms, Texas ball!
- Hot damn! Hey there John Chiles, I vaguely remember you buddy. The young dual threat QB is in there and on the first play Charles takes the zone read hand off close to 50 yards. On the very Next play Chiles keeps it on the same play off the left end for the touchdown! (Psst… where has this been all year?)
Arizona State 0, Texas 14
- In case you hadn’t noticed, yes I’m about 5 minutes behind live on the DVR. I’ll be caught up after one or two commercial breaks.
- Wonder what the wind situation is like. Hunter Lawrence’s kickoffs have all been pretty short.
- Has Roger Clemens hired investigator to “discredit Brian McNamee” or two prove that he didn’t take steroids? Those are two very different things.
- Not only did senior Robert Killebrew not get the start at linebacker but I haven’t seen him in on defense at all yet tonight. Two series in a row where it’s nothing but the young guys and Derry is off the field as well.
- Erick Jackson got really burned on a deep pass but gets back just in time because of the underthrown ball (and maybe a little early) and the ball is tipped up and safety Marcus Griffin has the ball come right to him for the interception.
- I like the fair catch trash talk by the ASU punt returner. “Did you see the way I waved my arm and caught the ball. You can’t handle this!”
- Killebrew, Derry, and Rashad Bobino in there for this series.
- Can Musberger get anyone’s name right? It’s Dick Tomey, not Toomey. Dufus.
- Finally. McCoy scrambles and throws deep on the run and get its to his open receiver Cosby for a huge 55 yard gain. That a boy Colt.
- And Charles runs tough and right through the Sun Devils’ defense for the 15-yard TD run. Heck of a run and refusal to get tackled by one guy. The Horns are now up 3 scores and it’s still the first quarter. Come on guys keep this up, don’t let an ASU score or anything swing this momentum.
Arizona State 0, Texas 21
- Veteran linebackers in for second series in a row. Henry Melton getting some early playing time at defensive end.
- Bobino shaken up. Now both middle linebackers have needed to be helped up by the medical staff but both were able to walk off on their own power.
- We’re bring multiple linebackers on every play and if we don’t start getting to Carpenter a step quicker we could be in trouble.
Posted February 7th, 2007 by Brian
Filed under: Football, Recruiting
We’ll be updating this list as we get news (mostly from Rivals) of which players have officially signed their letters of intent and if everything goes as planned will be the newest Texas Longhorns in August. The first two players to become Longhorns were Ian Harris out of San Antonio and Cody Johnson from Waller. Keep checking back here because we’ll update this list as we hear more names.
Confirmed Signings
- Ian Harris
- Cody Johnson
- Kyle Hix
- Tray Allen
- Michael Wilcoxon
- Russell Carter
- Aundre McGaskey
- Tyrell Higgins
- Sam Acho
- James Kirkendoll
- Brandon Collins
- G.J. Kinne
- Ahmard Howard
- Keenan Robinson
- Malcolm Williams
- Blaine Irby
- Earl Thomas
- Christian Scott
Early Enrollees
- Curtis Brown
- John Chiles
- Michael Huey
- Andre Jones
- Ben Wells
- Fozzy Whittaker
Update: Just added Blaine Irby and Earl Thomas to the list which leaves only Christian Scott remaining. The stud safety just was the last player to commit to the Horns (just this weekend) and it looks like he’ll be the last one to fax in his letter of intent as well. Hopefully he’s not having any second thoughts. (10:38 am)
Update: Christian Scott’s letter is in and confirmed by both Rivals and Inside Texas (thanks Eric!). That means all 24 recruits, 18 today plus the 6 already on campus, are signed and will officially be Longhorns either this summer or in the fall if their grades are in order. Congrats to the class of 2007 and welcome to the family. (11:58 am)
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