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.
Sergio Kindle intends to (re)introduce himself early and often to Sam Bradford Saturday.
The game Texas and [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] fans have been looking forward to and stressing about for 364 days is finally upon us. Saturday morning the two Big 12 powerhouses will face off in a game that has lost a little luster with the Sooners dropping two early games, but the rivalry always makes this the biggest game of the year. If Texas wins the path to a possible national title shot gets a little clearer, do the editors of 40 Acres Sports think it’ll happen? Find out below:
Brian – After last year’s offensive shoot out (45-35!!!!) this year’s game should be a battle of two strong defenses. Texas’ secondary was just a bunch of pups last season but this year they’ve been one of the team’s biggest strengths. Those guys will be helped out against OU quarterback Sam Bradford by a surprising defensive line including end [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag]. OU’s offensive line is a weak spot so expect Mr. Kindle to be in Bradford’s head and in his face all game long. The Horns will also get a big momentum boost or score from either the defense or [tag]DJ Monroe[/tag] and the return game. Texas 27, Oklahoma 13
Matt – Bottom-line, this game will be close. Texas’ defense has looked strong this year in my opinion, but they have not faced the type of athletes that Oklahoma will be putting on the field. OU’s running back duo is about as good as it gets, and after watching Sam Bradford play last week I am convinced that is shoulder is not bothering him at all. For the Horns, someone needs to step up big at running back. Last year it was Ogbonnaya. Who will it be this year? Expect Jordan Shipley to make a big play at wide receiver/punt returner, just like he has done all year and did last year in the Red River Rivalry. Texas 33, Oklahoma 27
Ross – I compared every position between the Longhorns and the Sooners. The Sooners can boast a better running attack and a better defensive front four (QB play I felt was even). Which should lead me to a Horns win. One looming issue is the caliber of opponents that both teams have faced leading up to this game. OU has played a much tougher schedule and has not survived the trip. The Horns are still trying to put it all together (ie. UTEP game). I am concerned with Colt McCoy’s penchant for an early miscue (fumble or interception) and we all know that the turnover battle is a huge factor with this game. My prediction for the game is that it will be a close one. Texas 24, Oklahoma 23
ESPN’s college football expert Todd McShay breaks down last year’s Texas 45 – 35 victory over [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] and the adjustments offensive coordinator Greg Davis made to win the game. Watch:
When I was a kid, my parents tried to teach me not to do anything stupid. If there’s anything today’s modern parent should be teaching their kids it’s if you’re going to do something stupid, don’t film it and put it on the Internet. No one told that to these Sooner fans, watch and enjoy:
Apparently, the original poster of the video realized how embarrassing this is and took it down. Fortunately for all of mankind, some intrepid UT fan won at the Internet and has reposted the video on YouTube.
The lyrics, the choreography, and the video production values all appear to have taken a decent bit of time, so kudos on the effort. Man is this embarrassing though. I feel bad for the younger kid roped into doing this. His day at school tomorrow is going to be rough. Oh wait, he’s from Oklahoma, I’m pretty sure they don’t actually continue on past junior high.
By the way, it’s 8:15pm and OU STILL SUCKS! Hook ’em!
Fired up for the Red River Rivalry yet? Watch this video now and you will be:
Saturday can’t get here soon enough.
Of course this week wouldn’t be complete without including the usual funny audio and images from the years past. I mean who can forget the crying Sooner kid so perfectly captured by ESPN HD? Time to celebrate this week with music from the band Apollo XVIII. Still not sure if they are still a group, but their music is timeless.
Apollo XVIII – None Suck Better
Apollo XVIII – OU Sucks
If anyone has any other funny pictures or audio/video, please feel free to link them up in the comments.
Watch below as ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit talks about Sam Bradford’s return to the field and Texas’ need to win out and control their own destiny if they want any hope of another national title:
ESPN’s Pat Forde takes his weekly dash around college football and this week of course there’s a lot of talk on the Red River Rivalry. Good read.
The 2009 college football season is quickly approaching and with it brings the annual ritual of naming the [tag]Red River Rivalry[/tag] as one of the top games of the upcoming season. This time it is ESPN blogger Bruce Feldman putting the [tag]Texas[/tag]/[tag]Oklahoma[/tag] match-up at the top of his list for “must-see” games of the year:
1. Texas vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 17
You won’t find a better QB battle this year than when Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy get together. It’s no stretch to think the Heisman, the Big 12 title and possibly a BCS title game berth will be on the line here. Oh, and there’s also the jilted feeling from the Longhorns for being passed over by the Sooners last year, a team they beat in this one in 2008. The Sooners, who have lost three of the past four, need to reassert themselves in the rivalry.
Chris Ogbonnaya scores against the Sooners.
Sometimes, I love ESPN Classic. Usually when they replay college football during the “dog days” of the season (May-July) that keeps my ever-present desire for college football that much sharper. One such occasion occurred last week, as ESPNC replayed the Texas/OU 2008 game in all its glory, unless you’re a Sooner. So, with pen and paper in hand, I decided to cue up my DVR and record some observations in hindsight (i.e. when I’m not shot gunning Modello’s and cursing whatever evil demon Bob Stoops sold his soul to). Enjoy!
1. Our offensive line got whipped in the first half.
Colt was running for his life in the 1st half, and our passing game was relegated to quick passes out of necessity. I forgot how badly we got worked in this area early on. The three first half sacks really could have been six were Colt not so mobile.
2. The Ryan Reynolds myth.
I have officially had enough of this crap; YOU know what I’m talking about, cause we’ve all heard this excuse since about five minutes after the final gun in the RRS. We only began to move the ball once Oklahoma’s leader Ryan Reynolds left the game with a knee injury, and IF he stays healthy it would have been a different story. If you need a refresher, just read this OU stooge or check the game recap at Red Dirt Kings.
Funny thing about it… Reynolds wasn’t even on the preseason All Big-12 team; after he tears his ACL every Sooner fan will tell you he’s the best MLB in the country. Let’s look at some hard data:
For the game, in which he lasted about 2 1/2 quarters, Reynolds registered 3 tackles. What’s more, two of them game on his first series (he stuck [tag]Chris Ogbonnaya[/tag] for no gain, and then limited him to a 3 yard run). So, for those of you math majors, in the remaining 2 quarters he played (which translates to five series) he made ONE TACKLE!! Why the drop off in production? Simple once we went to the 4 WR formations, Reynolds became obsolete. He’s your typical OU linebacker, he plays the run aggressively and rushes the passer, but if you get him in coverage he is vulnerable. Three separate times in the first half, [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] either shook him loose or made him miss badly on a tackle. It was a totally mismatch, and St. Reynolds became Donnie from The Big Lebowski…totally out of his element. The longer he would have stayed in the game, the worse he would have looked.
So, why did we start to move the ball better in the second half? Because their defensive line wore down, giving Colt more time to find holes in the zone defense Oklahoma was playing. Reynolds being in there would have lead to him having to cover someone down the field, and we’ve seen that movie (go cue up [tag]Jermichael Finley[/tag] career highlight video, I swear half the plays are against Oklahoma. Where he was covered by… drumroll please… Ryan Reynolds).
One more thing, Reynolds’ replacement Brandon Crow, who OU fans blame solely for the loss to us, registered five tackles in barely over a quarter of action. That’s right, Reynolds’s replacement logged almost twice as many tackles than he did. So, that’s it, Ryan Reynolds is good not great and his injury didn’t hurt OU all that much. The next time snotty dirt burglar fans try to use his injury as an excuse, drop the hammer of knowledge on them.
3. Our “calls”
You know, cause between the refs screwing them AND losing the greatest linebacker every to step put on a pair of shoulder pads, what chance did OU have to win the game? This might be beating a dead horse, but I decided to look into this for the record. There were three main calls that drew criticism: the two roughing the passer calls and the “fumbled” interception in the end zone that was ruled an incomplete pass.
- The first roughing the passer call was a BAD call that went in our favor, no question about it. This call bailed us out of a 3rd and 14 and probably resulted in a “free” 3 points for us. No excuses.
- The second RTP penalty was correct. It wasn’t malicious, but Colt was a good four steps out of bound when Travis Lewis shoves him in the back and jerks his jersey. It looked to be one of those “I’ll hit you late, but not hard enough to get a flag” shenanigans that OU seems to specialize in. Keep your hands to yourself Mr. Lewis!
- The dropped interception…I don’t even know what to say. It’s like trying to explain to a grownup why water is wet; you don’t even know how to begin because the point is so blatantly obvious that any explanation feels asinine. Anyway, here goes… IF a player catches the ball, maintains possession, but when he hits the ground the ball gets jarred loose, IT IS NOT A CATCH!! Invariably there is always some moron who chimes in (usually very know-it-allish) “The ground can’t cause a fumble!” No, it can’t, but it damn sure can cause an incompletion. Learn it, live it, love it.
4. OU’s tomfoolery
Before I can get into this, I think everyone out there that supports the Burnt Orange can agree that Oklahoma cheats worse than a meth-addicted three card Monte dealer. However, that seems to be a common theme in ANY heated rivalry; the Haggys and Red Faders swear that the refs give us every call. The difference is, in this case it is totally true (see Big Red Auto Imports and any game film of an Oklahoma). But instead of making random claims, I decided to game to the game film:
- 1st drive of the game (that didn’t take long, did it?), [tag]Lamarr Houston[/tag] beats Duke Robinson off the ball and has a beeline to sack Bradford. Robinson grabs Houston’s jersey and spins him (blatant holding) and Bradford has time to let the play develop and hit the running back for a 34-yard gain. There is no way that WASN’T holding! So instead of a third and long (if Houston makes the sack) or 2nd and 20 (if the refs could have found their flags), OU had a 1st down in Texas territory.
- In the second quarter, 2nd and 19, Oklahoma runs that jailbreak screen and Manual Johnson is a good yard past the line of scrimmage when he catches the ball. That would have been okay, except for the three OU linemen downfield. Instead of a 2nd and 24, they get 3rd and 6.
- In the third quarter, same situation that I just described, only this time Johnson is a good two yards past the line of scrimmage when he catches the ball. Instead of 3rd and 15, they score a touchdown.
That’s three infractions calls that OU got away with, all which lead to touchdowns. And don’t even get me started on Loadholt; he grabbed Orakpo so often I think he wanted to date him. Don’t be shy Phil, tell him how you feel!
- In the sake of fairness, there were a couple of plays I thought OU got away with something turned out to be legit. A few of their jailbreak screens WERE behind the line of scrimmage (nullifying the illegal man downfield) and the first touchdown where I thought Manual Johnson never broke the plane (he clearly did).
- You want proof of the Big 12 media bias for the Sooners? Trent Williams, the All-Big 12 first team and winner of the lineman of the year award, was absolutely destroyed by [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag]. Sergio beat him for a sack, two QB pressures and drew a holding penalty against Williams. DeMarcco Murray, who was a repeat selection on the All-Big 12 team first team, did absolutely nothing against us, gaining seven yards on six carries. And the Big 12 coach of the year Bob Stoops? He spent the entire second half taking turns looking confused, and then constipated.
In closing, now that I have watched this game for the third time, this was Oklahoma’s best shot. Seriously. DeMarcco Murray was healthy (for all the good he did), Oklahoma busted out their maddeningly effective jailbreak screen for this game (which we had no time to prepare for, as opposed to Florida) and they converted all their opportunities inside the red zone. For all the smoke being blown about how OU was a different team at the end of the season, with all due respect, so were we. Our freshman safeties had grown up, the young receivers had emerged and our defense was playing lights out (allowing 16 points combined it its last 2 regular season games). We could have played them again and the result would have been the same.
God, I can’t wait for October 17th!
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