Can Dan Buckner be a weapon as a flex tight end?

Texas won’t need career defining games from the likes of , or in order to win Saturday’s game. But for some of the players on the roster the first game of the 2009 season is more important. In the season’s first game there are several new names and veterans to keep an eye on who could play critical roles throughout the 2009 season.

1. - The junior is getting the opening day start for the second year in a row. An injury early in the season made the Longview natives sophomore season less than spectacular. The Longhorns don’t want McCoy to lead the team in rushing again, and McGee appears to be the top candidate to handle the load. A big game Saturday makes him the clear first team running back. A subpar game keeps Texas’ number one question unanswered.

2. - This might shock many, but if Buckner shows up big on Saturday the tight end concerns may be on the way to being over. The sophomore isn’t a true tight end, but if he can control the middle of the field as a receiver he gives the Longhorn offense a wrinkle many didn’t believe they’d have in 2009. If Buckner can just hold his own as a blocker, Texas’ offense becomes multiple, and the running game will flourish.

3. - Robinson we’ll get his shot at becoming an impact player this Saturday. In limited action Robinson has shown the ability to make plays. In the spring, Robinson showed the ability to play the pass as well as the run. He also can blitz. If Robinson can play smart, and hold his own against the run, I think he becomes the clear starter at the strong side linebacker position. His ability against the pass will keep him out there in nickel packages alongside .

4. - Really, Robinson and Acho could switch positions on this list. One of them, if not both, needs to step up and prove in a real game situation that they are ready for big time college football. Maybe the opponent on Saturday won’t allow a concrete answer, but a good showing will at least calm the nerves of the Texas faithful. Acho is as intelligent as they come, and has above average pass rushing abilities. What keeps him behind Robinson in my mind is his lack of big play ability. If he proves me wrong, Acho won’t leave the starting lineup for years to come

5. - We all know what can do when he is healthy. Not many around the program are as sure about the other defensive tackles. will get some snaps, but he doesn’t offer the athleticism that Randall does. The sophomore was heralded coming in, and it is time to prove why. Texas won’t face many teams that are going to ram it down their throat, but an up the middle pass rush is the best way to disrupt timing quarterbacks like Sam Bradford and Taylor Potts. The Longhorns need another three technique to step up, and if it isn’t Randall the next person in line is a true freshman.

6. - I truly believe Will Muschamp wants to play the slot when the Longhorns are in the nickel defense. With Thomas at the slot Texas doesn’t give up anything in the run game, and it allows the Thomas to blitz. The only way this can happen is if another safety steps up. Scott has the more raw ability than anyone in the secondary except Aaron Williams. He has played so well that he might replace in the starting lineup even when they’re not in nickel. The knock on Scott is his work habits and attention to detail. If he proves to be a smart player, Scott has the chance to emerge as one of the best players on the team.

7. - This is a huge game for Chiles in my opinion. How much, or how little, the former quarterback sees the field will illustrate the overall plans the Texas coaching staff has for him this year. There is little doubt Chiles is one of the most explosive players on the roster with the ball in his hands. But he has to be behind his teammates in route running ability. The fact he was a quarterback will help him with mid route adjustments and identifying coverage. But the Longhorns are loaded at wide receiver, so Chiles is going to have to do something special to earn more snaps.

8. - The word is the big man may play both ways this Saturday. I’m not sure if that means the experiment at defensive tackle is going better or worse than expected. But if Allen does go both ways, a good showing at one or the other could determine his future on the 40 Acres. If he struggles on both lines, Allen may end up being the biggest bust in Mack Brown’s Texas history.

9. - I almost put here instead but I’m not sure he even sees the field. I am positive that true freshman Gilbert will see the field though. Texas has too many eggs in his basket not to throw him out there early in the season to see if he can handle it. A good game Saturday more than secures Gilbert the role of backup quarterback. Struggles on Saturday will lead to concerns about Texas’ lack of quality depth behind . Like it or not, Texas is one freak play away from having a potential national championship season riding on the arm of a true freshman. If he can’t handle it against Louisiana Monroe, when will he?

10. - The clock is ticking for Tanner. And the man waiting for the time to run out is . Frankly, Snow is too good to not be on the field. On paper, Tanner is the weak link on Texas’ offensive line. It may be a waste of time debating starters along the offensive line because of Texas’ desire to rotate the group, but the fact that Tanner is above Snow on the depth chart does raise eye brows. If Tanner slips up too much he may even lose snaps to true freshman Mason Walters.

11. The kickers - It has not been announced yet who will be the kicker for Texas. Both and have performed well. Word is has also performed well when given the opportunity. Right now it appears to be a game time decision, but logic suggests both kickers will get work in what most would assume will be a one sided affair Saturday. It may not be who does anything spectacular that secures the job; it may very well be the first kicker that misses will lose the job. If one misses a kick or two, and the other goes perfect, the starting kicker will be decided. If they both struggle, or both go perfect, next week’s starter will be another game time decision.

– Harris falls into the group of players that have seen time, but has not been counted on for victories. Texas is thin at tight end, reports have suggested redshirt freshman is getting snaps at tight end so far in practices. The future for continues to be uncertain. The Longhorns need someone to step up at the position sooner than later. It is clear that would like to have a pass catching tight end in his offense. From to , Texas has utilized the tight end very well in the passing game. The position has been silent since the injury to Irby. Ian Harris contains the best skills on campus, and his ability to maximize that potential will be huge for the program. If Harris can’t step up, he is looking at Grant being a full time end with two legit recruits at the tight end position entering campus this fall. Combine that with the possibility of a return by Irby and the depth chart could swallow Harris up in a hurry.

– Allen came out of high school as one touted offensive line recruits this state has ever produced. So far, Allen has not lived up to the hype. Coach Mac McWhorther likes to give every lineman a redshirt year so the guys coming straight out of high school can get a year in the weight room and on the practice field before feeding them to the dogs on major college defensive lines. Allen did not want to redshirt as a freshman so he stands as a second year sophomore. Texas has notoriously used a three man rotation at the tackle position and right now Allen has not been able to be anything more than a serviceable third player in the trio. The Longhorns were fortunate this year in regards to injury to starters and . The duo was able to play most snaps which allowed McWhorther to use Allen when he wanted to, not when he had to. At this moment I’m not sure Allen would be the long term solution at either tackle position if one of the starters went down. Allen has to build up the confidence of the offensive staff, and he is going to have to do it in practice.

– Texas loses starter and part time starter following the . That leaves former defensive end , , and the true freshman Randall. The big man has gotten some snaps this year, but will be counted on heavily next year if the team gets what is expected out of Randall. Texas likes to have a rotation at defensive tackle to keep the players fresh. The depth at the position has continually allowed for this to be a huge advantage for the Longhorn defense, but for the first time in recent memory Texas’ defensive tackle position will enter the off-season as a major question mark. If the Longhorns can find starter quality snaps from Randall it will go a long way in answering those questions.

– It is not a guarantee that comes back to college. All reports suggest that he will, but the same could be said for and . When the money at the pro level is right in front of you it is hard to convince yourself to come do it all for free. Not just for free, but you have to study too. Either way, the Longhorns are going to be top heavy at the linebacker position next year, with all the likely starters being seniors. Robinson has played some plays this year and when he has seen the field he has been very disruptive. The redshirt freshman seems like the type of player loves to utilize. Robinson may already be the best linebacker on campus when it comes to playing in space. And with the types of offenses run in the Big 12 a player like Robinson is invaluable. A true linebacker that isn’t a liability in pass coverage is worth his weight in oil. It will be hard to take snaps away from the guys coming back, but with the possibility of Kindle’s absence and the willingness of Muschamp to play whoever is performing the best, a strong showing in the Fiesta Bowl practices would make it interesting to watch.

– By all accounts Scott has the most physical upside of any safety wearing burnt orange. What have seemed to hold him back are his practice habits on the field and in the film room. Anybody who saw Scott in the Kansas game knows the potential is there. The redshirt freshman covers more field, hits harder, and makes more plays than starter . But what keeps Gideon on top of the depth chart is the ability to understand offenses and what to do as the quarterback of the defense. Scott is not there yet and it is a testament that Gideon has been able to do such a great job in that regard considering he is also a freshman and it usually takes a few years for safeties to line up their defenses correctly. Gideon is a good player and a possible four year starter, but Scott has NFL tools. It is almost a Simms-Applewhite conversation. We all know how that one turned out.

/ – has been uncharacteristically fickle with his kickers this year. Ryan Bailey was great last year, and then Hunter Lawrence took his job before the season, then after being perfect for 2/3 of the season Lawrence misses two in one game and is benched in favor of Bailey. Maybe the competition is good for the kickers, but if a game comes down to a kick it has to be better if one guy knows he is the guy. Kicking is already stressful enough before you add in the fact you will lose your job if you miss. The next few days will determine who will be the kicker in the Fiesta Bowl, and I have a feeling the man who wins that job is going to keep it for a long time.

With the emergence of Chris Ogbonnaya and the comeback of a healthy Foswhitt Whittaker, the sophomore has become a forgotten man in the Longhorn backfield. Ogbonnaya is still suffering through an ankle injury while Whittaker doesn’t have the body to carry an entire games worth of runs. Because of this McGee has found himself still getting carries after a slow start to the season. In fairness to McGee he was banged up as well early in the year but appears to be back close to 100%. Quietly McGee has played extremely well in the last few weeks. On the road, especially in windy and cold conditions, good teams need to be able to get some plays out of the running game. Whittaker will be the main guy, but if McGee can come in and keep the chains moving the Longhorns may be able to wear out an undersized Kansas defense. McGee performs best when he is coming off the bench and with Whittaker and maybe Ogbonnaya in front of him this week McGee is right where he needs to be.

Last week many were wondering if the true freshman from Gilmer was beginning to push the older guys at the guard position for some serious playing time. The coaching staff loves Snow’s mean streak and competitive nature. This week starting center Chris Hall went down in practice with a leg injury and with the dismissal of Buck Burnette for racist comments on the internet Snow finds himself the starting center for the first time in his career. Snow should get a challenge in his first start because it is on the road and opposing teams have been found of blitzing Colt McCoy. Snow has played mostly guard on the season, but Mack Brown says he still practices snaps before every practice. Certainly Snow has concentrated more on center for the past week and a half after the dismissal of Burnette. Having the quarterback in the shotgun for the majority of the game should help the young center, but if Texas looks lost in blitz pickup we’ll know the freshman is taking his lumps.

Of course everyone looks for Kindle every game. He has become a dominant force on the Texas defense, and may have done enough over the season to become a hot target in this year’s NFL draft. This week don’t necessarily just watch Kindle’s play, watch where the junior lines up. Kindle is listed as a linebacker, but as the season progresses he has been lined up more and more at defensive end. For the first part of the season he only did this on obvious passing downs, but with Brian Orakpo missing last week’s game Kindle lined up at defensive end almost exclusively. Kindle excels when playing downhill and coming off the edge. He has struggled in space on pass coverage, so Will Muschamp has turned Kindle into Texas’ version of Lawrence Taylor. Orakpo is expected to be back, but it is unlikely he will be at full strength. Look to see the ratio of snaps at defensive end to linebacker for Kindle this week.

The red-shirt freshman safety played his best game of his young college career last week against Baylor, a week after being one of the two players that gave up Michael Crabtree’s winning touchdown in Lubbock. It was huge for Thomas to bounce back and he did, showing the mental toughness that Muschamp has been glowing about since spring practice. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the young Texas secondary faces another tough test in the passing game. The young safeties have had their struggles on the season but they have played extremely well for the most part. The best evidence for that was the long pass play the Texas defense gave up on the first play Thomas was out with a minor injury. Ben Wells came in to replace Thomas and got beat deep for the only long passing play Baylor was able to muster against the Longhorns. Thomas was able to come back into the game and continued to play well. He may have been the best player on the field for UT’s defense last week and that kind of play will be huge again for Texas to avoid an upset in Lawrence.

/

Most fans are hoping this game doesn’t come down to a field goal. Not because they don’t have confidence in the Texas kicking game, but because they feel UT should be able to win big against a struggling Kansas team. The last time Texas went to Lawrence they barely came out with a victory, so a close game is not out of the question. After being the place kicker last year Ryan Bailey lost his job in fall camp to Hunter Lawrence. The change had come without much fanfare because Lawrence was perfect on the season. That changed last week when Lawrence missed both of his field goals. In the end the misses did not matter, but when Texas lined up for their third field goat attempt Ryan Bailey trotted out for the try. Bailey made the kick and the questions about who would be the kicker going forward began before the referees even raised their arms. Bailey didn’t appear to do anything to loss his job, and he has proven he can make big kicks as he did in Nebraska. The coaches said Lawrence didn’t kick the last field goal because he was “sore”. We will know on the first field goal attempt if this was just lip service or not.

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.

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.

Quarterback and running back were deservedly named the team MVPs. McCoy didn’t have as good of a season as he did his freshman year but he definitely is the player that made this team go (when it went anywhere). Charles was also named Darrell K. Royal Most Valuable Offensive Player while the Mike Campbell Most Valuable Defensive Players were and .

In a team vote , , and were honored with the D. Harold Byrd Leadership Award. Also, in a shocking development quarterback McCoy was given the Outstanding Quarterback Award.

In a move that infuriated Internet Coaching and Motivational Experts , , and shared the honor of being the team’s Outstanding Linebackers. I’m not sure what else you can really do though as no linebacker really deserved the honor and it would be pretty embarrassing to not hand out an award for the position.

A list of all the award winners is after the jump.

George “Hook” McCullough MVP
Jamaal Charles
Colt McCoy

Darrell K. Royal Most Valuable Offensive Player
Jamaal Charles

Mike Campbell Most Valuable Defensive Player
Brandon Foster
Marcus Griffin

Lan Hewlett Academic Award
Dallas Griffin

Coca-Cola Community Service Award
Derek Lokey

Outstanding Offensive Linemen
Dallas Griffin
Tony Hills

Outstanding Defensive Linemen
Derek Lokey
Frank Okam

Most Consistent Defensive Player
Derek Lokey

Dr. Nasser Al-Rashid Strength & Conditioning Awards
Derek Lokey
Frank Okam
Tony Hills

Outstanding Tight End
Jermichael Finley

Joseph W. Moore Award for Tenacity
Roy Miller
Adam Ulatoski

Longhorn Club Sportsmanship Award
Quan Cosby

Most Consistent Offensive Players
Quan Cosby
Chris Hall

Frank Medina Rehabilitation Award sponsored by Pacificare
Cedric Dockery
Eddie Jones
Aaron Lewis
Roddrick Muckelroy
Brian Orakpo
Jordan Shipley
Limas Sweed
Luke Tiemann
Adam Ulatoski

Outstanding Quarterback
Colt McCoy

Outstanding Wide Receivers
Nate Jones
Limas Sweed

Outstanding Offensive Newcomers
John Chiles
Michael Huey
Blaine Irby
Vondrell McGee

Outstanding Defensive Newcomers
Sam Acho
Sergio Kindle
Roddrick Muckelroy

Lowe’s Most Improved Defensive Players
Deon Beasley
Jared Norton
Ryan Palmer

Outstanding Defensive Ends
Lamarr Houston
Aaron Lewis
Brian Orakpo

Outstanding Linebackers
Rashad Bobino
Scott Derry
Robert Killebrew

Outstanding Defensive Backs
Brandon Foster
Marcus Griffin
Erick Jackson
Drew Kelson

Lowe’s Most Improved Offensive Players
Jordan Shipley
Charlie Tanner

Clyde Littlefield Outstanding Offensive Back
Jamaal Charles

Roy Williams Joe Jamail Leadership Award
Drew Kelson

Valor Awards
Billy Pittman
Will Harvey
Thomas Marshall
Chris Ogbonnaya
Ishie Oduegwu
Greg Smith
Luke Tiemann

American Airlines D.X. Bible Most Team Spirited
Tony Hills

Frank Denius Most Valuable Special Teams Player
Ryan Bailey
Quan Cosby

D. Harold Byrd Leadership Award
Dallas Griffin
Tony Hills
Derek Lokey

Team Captains Award
Dallas Griffin
Tony Hills
Derek Lokey
Frank Okam

If you’re not one of the many Texas fans who made the trip to Waco you’ll have to surf through about 1,000 channels before you’ll find Versus and you’re probably only getting it if you have satellite or digital cable. Versus is on channel 603 on DirecTV, channel 151 on Dish Network, and on 470 if you’ve got Time Warner digital cable in Austin.

Here we go…

First Quarter

• I like the straight zone run play with than the zone read or the counter. Gives Jamaal a chance to hit the hole fast and get going north/south quicker.
• I like that a professional football announcer doesn’t know the difference between the zone read and a counter. Not even run out of the shotgun is a zone read.
• Three attempts towards already. One good completion, one ball he should have caught, and one that he and had a miscommunication on.
• And another pass towards Finley. Texas attempts a fake field goal after he goes out wide and uncovered but can’t get the play off quickly enough and then can’t get the ball out to him before the defense adjusted. Versus missed the whole play because we were zoomed in on kicker Ryan Bailey’s helmet.
• has been serviceable at safety this season but he is absolutely awful at adjusting to the ball in the air. He was there in coverage on a terrible Baylor pass but couldn’t make a play on the ball. Looked similar to the unnecessary pass interference penalty he picked up last week.
• Baylor offensive lineman Dan Gay IV commits a holding penalty. How unfortunate is that last name? Especially with the IV after it. You can essentially put any noun after that and hilarity will ensue.
• I’m surprised how empty Floyd Casey Stadium is. Enough Texas fans normally make that trip to fill up the place a little better.
• Second time already that I thought the Baylor defensive back got there early on pass coverage. doesn’t drop many passes, it looked like he got bumped early.
• Great punt but Jackson can’t down it before it bounces into the end zone. The only good thing to come out of the Kansas State game is punter Justin Moore.
• Versus really likes to use the camera angle from the roof of the press box. The damn thing is so high i can’t tell anybody’s number.
• and the second team offense is in there for this series. I actually like the timing of this one better than last week. The first team offense didn’t have much momentum so it’s not really going to disrupt them.
• Chiles has to be more careful with the football. First downs are important but not as important as holding onto the football. Don’t stretch the ball out in traffic on your own 40 yard line.
• Smithson Valley sucks!
• Big run by up the middle. 18 yards on the carry is probably the second teamers biggest gain against first team defenses. I think as Chiles gains more experience running the zone read the whole offense opens up. Right now he looks a little like he’s keeping and handing off randomly and not doing a great job reading the defensive end. That’s a tough read and you can only really learn in live game situations.
• Set your feet before you throw John.
• nails the 46-yard field goal into the wind. Right down the middle.

Texas 3, Baylor 0

• How sad is Baylor that the announcers are talking about their defense getting a victory by holding the second team defense to only a field goal?
• Not sure if this is their first series or not, but the young group of linebackers are in there now for Texas.
• What did they rule that play on the field? I thought I saw an official pointing that he was down before the fumble. Looks to me like the ball is coming loose a little before the Baylor running back hits the ground.
• Not sure how they ruled he was down after reviewing that play. Looked pretty clear from one angle that the ball was loose before his butt hit the ground.

Second Quarter

• I think that’s at least the fourth dropped pass today for the Horns. Colt lofted the ball a little too much but Finley should have come down with it. Interception by Baylor
• Screen to the running back for solid yards for Baylor. Looks like they’ve done their homework as well. The young guys are in there at linebacker and flying all over the place so throw screens and trick plays at them to take advantage of that aggressiveness. There’s a Baylor player down with an injury.
• Great athletic play by linebacker . Pass tipped up in the air and Norton goes up and grabs it and gets the ball back for the Longhorns.
• Wow what an incredible catch by Quan Cosby. Gets nailed while fully extending to catch a short pass but Quan pulls it in.
• Colt McCoy is an animal. Another great job of avoiding the sack a couple of times and then breaks another tackle to pick up an 8-yard gain.
• Texas is inside the ten but I’m holding my breath because of our playcalling and Charles’ ability to protect the football. Yikes.
• Great 3rd and goal play call but McCoy misses a wide open Peter Ullman in the endzone.
• Lazy pitch by McCoy on the 4th and goal option play turns into a huge play for Baylor. Muffed the option and Baylor runs 60 or 70 yards the other direction. Instead of 6 points for Texas now the Bears are in great shape. Crap.

Texas 3, Baylor 7

• Colt fall down instead of getting the one extra yard.
• Versus announcers are clearly watching their first Texas game of the year. And they’re somehow blaming that fumble on McGee despite the fact that it was an option pitch that was behind him. There’s a difference between fumbling and muffing a tough pitch.
• McCoy again takes a hit he didn’t need to. Running and making good decisions but after you get the first down don’t take a big hit for an extra yard or two.
• Great “catch” by but the officials are going to rule that he was out of bounds. Can we get a replay?? Texas picks up 15 yards though due to a pass interference.
• Jones got a knee down but did he have control of the ball at the time? Looks awfully close and we’re getting a review. We need 6, this is a big call.
• Ha! Touchdown Texas! The call is reversed by replay and ruled a touchdown for Nate Jones. I love Mack Brown’s reaction. He was like, “Holy sh** touchdown!!” Definitely looked like he didn’t think the review would go our way.

Texas 10, Baylor 7

• Great kickoff coverage by . Came flying down the field but broke down as he approached the returner and forced him sideways before he and the cavalry made the tackle back deep in Baylor territory.
• Texas front four on defense are getting no pressure on the Baylor quarterback.
• How in the hell is that not grounding? The Baylor quarterback CLEARLY was inside the tackles and threw the ball to no one 10 yards out of bounds. What an incredibly bad call on an easy penalty. Terrible.
• Bad officiating gives Baylor another first down.
• Oh they don’t notice obvious real penalties but the refs sure can call a meaningless sideline warning even when no one actually got in the ref’s way.
• on the sack, true freshman just has a knack for finding the quarterback in his limited chances. Why is Baylor calling a timeout? It’s 4th and 20.
• Baylor goes for it on 4th and long and comes way too close to completing that for a first down. Jared Norton did a good job getting depth and finding the football but has to be careful and avoid making contact with the receiver. Texas football with less than a minute remaining.
• Good decision to kick with only seven seconds left. Not really time to do anything other than pick up 5 or 6 very risky yards. Of course the Versus announcers are morons. You don’t have time in 7 seconds to throw the ball for a 30 yard touchdown and then still get off a field goal.

Third Quarter

• Colt McCoy is looking a little like the pre-Oklahoma McCoy. He’s not sharp today. Underthrew the first pass of the half badly and just laid oone right into the Baylor linebacker’s hands for an interception.
• These refs are terrible. takes about two steps before hitting the wide receiver and yet they call him for a personal foul. Weak call, I had no idea it was against the rules to play football.
• Texas could really use a nice long touchdown drive here. Get the offense in some rhythm and then get rolling.
• McGee fumbles the football. Son of a *****. Offensive lineman covers up the ball for the Horns. Announcers again show they haven’t watched a single Texas game when they call for Jamaal Charles because they think he provides better ball security.
• McCoy puts that ball in there a little higher and Shipley is able to get the first down to convert the 3rd and 17.
• Fake punt to and the Horns convert the 4th and 2 and keep the drive going. Gutsy call as Baylor would have had terrific field position if we don’t get it.
• Another great scramble by Colt McCoy. He’s been doing that a lot lately and this time he made the smart decision to hit the ground after he had the first.
• Why do our wide receivers block so poorly on those quick screens? All they have to do is hold their guy for one count to let the receiver by and we can’t do it. Shipley whiffs on this one.
• Firs tand goal for the Horns. We desperately need 6.
• Dallas Griffin looks lost on the play (mainly because there’s no Baylor guys around to block) and has a nifty little touchdown run. Important series and the Horns finish it. Nice job guys.

Texas 17, Baylor 7

• Oklahoma just scored to take their first lead of the game against Iowa State with 14 minutes left in the fourth.
• getting some playing time at safety. Looks like he’s in there for Jackson but I couldn’t tell. Nice tackle to force the Bears to punt.
• I’m sorry but that hit on McCoy was much later and cheaper than the play Kindle was flagged for earlier. The Baylor defender took three steps after seeing McCoy had clearly handed the ball off before unloading on him. If you’re going to call that crap on Kindle then you have to flag that play.

Fourth Quarter

• Dear Dan Beebe, please think about getting a less sucky TV contract so we don’t have to watch games on FSN or the even more crappy Versus.
• Nice that the Big 12 commish is more focused on the game than the Versus announcers.
• Terrible job tackling by lets Baylor receiver escape for a big play.
• Texas isn’t getting any pressure on the QB, even when we bring extra men on blitzes.
• Another uncalled and obvious late hit by Baylor. Way downfield, way after the play, and in the back.
• I powerlifted in high school too, probably a different weight class than Roy Miller though.

Texas 17, Baylor 10

• This is no fun.
• More Ishie. Looks like he might be much better in coverage than Jackson. Nice coverage on a deep pass attempt.
• Terrible return by but heck of an interception. Jumps the stop route quickly and he steps in to pick off the pass. Big play in a big situation.
• The defender has to actually stop the ball carrier to “stand up” a guy. Jamaal Charles got about 4 yards after contact, the exact opposite of being stood up.
• Great catch by Charles for a big gain. Not sure he was really open but McCoy threaded it in there and Charles pulls it down. Looks like he’s just barely in bounds but Baylor is challenging the catch.
• On the replay Charles gets both feet in bounds but announcer despite not being able to see the ball decides he’s bobbling it. Jackass. Great catch.
• Announcer again exclaims how great Charles is at ball security.
• Touchdown Vondrell McGee. Nice power run from about about the 4-yard line. Great job by the line, leadblocker , and McGee to hit the hole hard and finish the run.

Texas 24, Baylor 10

• OU just kicked a field goal to likely seal the game against Iowa State.
• Not sure I’d call that pass interference. It was a jump ball and Beasley has every right to try to get the football. Pretty ticky tack call there.
• Texas defensive line finally gets a little pressure on the Baylor quarterback and is able to run under the overthrown ball, pick it off, and return it 91 yards for a touchdown. Sam Acho was in there on the QB again but couldn’t wrap him up.

Texas 31, Baylor 10

• Watching replay of the pick, defensive tackle was again dropping back in pass coverage. I’ve noticed him doing that a ton today. I wonder if because they’re double and triple teaming him Akina has decided to bring rushers off the edge and drop him in the short middle zone.
• Please don’t talk Roger Clemens into coming back for another season. I’m tired of the drama.
• “He’s growing like a weed” Come on, how can they not make that pun? Boo.
• Why aren’t we playing more young guys on defense at this point? Need to get the young defensive backs some experience and now is as good a time as any.
• Marcus Griffin picks off the awful lob pass to close the game with his second interception of the game.

Final: Texas 31, Baylor 10

Great article from the AAS (BugMeNot) on where walk-on kicker/hero ‘s parents were when there son was knocking the game winning kick through the uprights on Saturday. His mom was in New York City on a trip with some friends and his dad was back home in Austin, both were shocked when they saw their own son out on the field with less than 30 seconds to go in the game.

Millions of Americans stared at their televisions. Who’s Ryan?

Nearly no one watching Texas and Nebraska play football Saturday recognized Ryan Bailey, jogging into swift and surprising fame through a swirl of Midwestern snow. But his parents knew their son, and when they witnessed Longhorns head coach Mack Brown pat Ryan’s helmet on the sidelines, they began to accept the sudden and thrilling and agonizing truth.

Soon, everyone would remember Ryan.

The whole article is a good read. It’s great that his parents were watching the game when their son got the call. I doubt the families of every walk-on are glued to their TV’s throughout every single game. I’m sure his parents are big time celebrities at their jobs this week.

Who knows if the kid will ever kick in another game for the Longhorns, but for at least one week he’s every fan’s favorite player.