Posted April 30th, 2014 by Ross
Filed under: Football, Spring Football

Here are my thoughts after watching the Longhorns at the Spring Game under Coach Strong, Clint Eastwood style.

The Good

The defense as expected was the shining star after the first drive by the offense resulted in an early touchdown. The defense line led by Caleb Bluiett (8 tackles & 2 sacks) ran roughshod over the offense line. The real test is to see if this group can excel against better offenses.

The defense backs had its share of interceptions lead by Mykkele Thompson who returned one back for a score. The QB play did not give much of an indication if this group will be up to task, but they gained a measure of confidence in the way they played.

Malcolm Brown and Jalen Overstreet showed promise in their running styles (Thunder & Lightning) in the way they attacked the defense. It was good to see these two step up as the passing game will start with a big question mark.

I liked that Coach Strong put the offense and defense on opposite sides of the field. It gave the fans the experience that one group was going against the other in a game. Charlie Strong strode across both ends of the field during the game to watch the coaches and the players actions.

The Bad

We knew that the QB play would be the most scrutinized position on the field. It was evident that Tyrone Swoopes needs more time to develop as a passer. The athleticism is evident but the decision making and the timing of his release leaves room for doubt. If the incoming Max Wittek and Jerrod Heard can take the reins, it might be better to have Swoopes be the tight end that would remind us of Jermichael Finley. I will trust this coaching staff that they will put the kids in a position where they will succeed.

The offense line needs to come together quickly. There were some key absences on the line, but the boys in the trenches need to step up. The moving pocket allowed the line some success, but ultimately these road graders need to help this stable of running backs.
The audio coming from the Godzillatron was horrible. The timing and the placement of the music was bad. The big video board will be replaced because the company that created this monster is no longer around to feed the beast or get replacement parts. I hope the Athletic Department revamps the way they use this tool for the upcoming season.

The Ugly

The practice uniforms that the kids are wearing are hideous. I am going to the give the coaching staff a break because they have been preoccupied with establishing their culture and attitude with the team. I have been an advocate of providing the players an alternate game day jersey that will energize the players and help with new recruits.

As Clint said in the famous movie, “You see, in this world there’s two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig.” Will the Longhorns have the loaded gun on the field or will they be the team digging?

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Posted December 10th, 2013 by Ross
Filed under: Football

What a difference 30 minutes make in one’s life. How many times have we heard the comment “Give me 30 Minutes and…”?

In 30 minutes you could get a pizza back in the day. Sitcoms were supposed to make you laugh in that amount of time. Your girlfriend or wife has said at least once in their life, give me 30 minutes and I will be ready to go. It takes at least that much time to go from Cowboy Stadium to the American Airlines Center in Dallas (minus traffic). There are countless workout videos that promise a fitter you in that amount of time.

30 minutes in a football game is one half of the game. Stop with the analysis that a half of football usually takes an hour and half to complete. Work with me here. Two 15 minute quarters offered the fate of the 2013 Longhorn football season. The start of the football season with a 1-2 record saw the fan base throw up their hands and say enough is enough. Mediocrity is not something that the fans like served season after season after posting a 30-20 record over the past 4 seasons. Something changed the dynamic of the 2013 season when the Horns went to Dallas and whipped up on OU. The season looked salvageable with a Big XII title in the mix. Another slip up at home (12-10 record at home during the same four year stretch) against Oklahoma State caused fans to reflect on the season while Coach Brown focused on one game at a time. Fans look at every loss and over analyzed while coaches and players need to be focused on the task at hand. Horns fans even had to reassess their loyalty after cheering for the hated Sooners to come through earlier in the day. That is why even on the final day of the regular season the Longhorns had a chance to claim the Big XII outright with 30 minutes left.

Tied 3-3 at halftime in Waco with all the “Case Closed” shirts donned by Baylor fans hoping for their own Brazos Miracle. The Horns were hoping to win the game while the Bears expected to win the game. Amazingly those 30 minutes could have resulted in a birth in the Fiesta Bowl, a Big XII Championship and surely a 10 win season. Thirty minutes would have erased a roller coaster season and solidified Mack’s determination to right the ship. Heck 30 minutes would have yielded a sign shop order to put ’13 on the upper deck of DKR. Thirty minutes would have earned Mack another $5 million dollars for the 2014 season, because no one is going to fire a BCS bound coach.

The regular season has ended and Coach Brown has decided to give way to another regime since it has been four years trying to get the momentum back. Mack will be remembered for many positive things including a family atmosphere, a strong relationship with Texas High School kids and coaches plus a winning program that included a national championship. It will be very difficult to replace such a dynamic and classy coach as Mack Brown. I will miss him on the 40 acres but in his own words “I hope with some new energy, we can get this thing rolling again.”

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 @40AcresSports or follow me @Horns1991. HOOK EM!!

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Posted November 30th, 2013 by Ross
Filed under: Football

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 Texas’ matchup with Texas Tech.

Pregame WTH Turkey Day?! We all know that the Thanksgiving Day game will always be a home game for the Horns. Will the fans ever be electric after stuffing their faces all day? The revolving opponents will not install much more enthusiasm or the lame senior introductions before kick-off. Get the players away from the end zone and let them stand in front of the entire crowd with their parents at the 50 yard line. Come on Mack… send them off right!

1st Quarter (9:94) WTH Erxleben?! Not only did Ryan get dissed by his Dad’s alma mater and have to go to Lubbock to kick. But this fleet footed soul decided on his own to take off after no one decided to check on him. Fifty one yards later the Red Raiders were on the scoreboard with their only TD of the half.

1st Quarter (:00) WTH Human Tricks?! The biggest ovation of the 1st quarter was when they trot someone out to kick a field goal in front of the “announced” 100,668 in attendance. They need to break out an old fashioned punt, pass, and kick competition to get this tryptophan fan base entertained.

2nd Quarter (:05) WTH Action Jackson?! The defense had an outstanding outing with 9 sacks and great coverage all game long. A huge play was turned in by Jackson Jeffcoat as Tech was 8 yards away from pay dirt. Jackson recorded one of his three sacks on Baker Mayfield which forced a TT field goal.

3rd Quarter (13:57) WTH Replay Booth?! The officials had a terrible day because they ate way too much and they were asleep at the wheel. Even the replay booth official missed on reversing a fumble call on the Horns. Marcus Johnson was stretching for extra yards when the ground caused the fumble. The booth missed another call when a Tech punt returner did not touch the ball.

3rd Quarter (10:04) WTH Royal?! The scoreboard showed another one of Darrell Royal’s favorite saying that you need to dance with the one that brought you. Coach Applewhite took that saying to heart when sticking with the run all game long and producing two 100 yard rushers of Malcolm Brown & Joe Bergeron.

4th Quarter (14:56) WTH Pretty Boy?! Looks like Coach Tom Cruise needs to instill some discipline with his team. Tech was flagged for 11 penalties for 102 yards. Will Smith (not the actor) laid out Mike Davis after he had clearly caught a touchdown pass from Case McCoy. Tech had a frustrating day with their season starting 7-0 and it ended up going 7-5.

4th Quarter (8:14) WTH Officials?! The officials blew another judgment call when they moved the sticks and gave Jalen Overstreet a first down. The replay booth wanted to take a look at it so that Fox Sports could get another commercial timeout since no was really watching by this time.

Next up for the Longhorns are the Bears in Waco to say goodbye to Floyd Casey Stadium on Dec. 7th.

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!!

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Posted September 26th, 2013 by Ross
Filed under: Feature, Football

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 Kansas State.

1st Quarter (15:00) WTH Ash?! What a way to start off the game?! If there was ever a game that the Horns needed to start fast this was it. Instead on the very first snap the team gets a delay of game penalty. Ash played brilliantly but he did not return in the 2nd half. Prayers going out to David Ash.

1st Quarter (7:01) WTH Espinosa?! Are you allergic to the red zone? Last week you false started when the offense was on the 1 foot line and now you fumbled the snap that Ash has to fall on when you are at the 8 yard line. Both miscues ended up with the Horns kicking a field goal. Dominic please take a chill pill. Wondering if the time on the clock would have been better if it was at 4:20?

Kendall Sanders

WR Kendall Sanders hauled in 3 passes for 80 yards, including this 63 yard TD.

1st Quarter (2:16) WTH Colonel?! OK. Not a good nickname, I agree. But Kendall Sanders was good lookin’ on his way to a touchdown that covered 63 yards to put the Horns up 10 to zilch.

2nd Quarter (3:54) WTH Gutsy?! Both fourth down conversions during the game were huge. The completion to Jaxon Shipley by Ash for 10 yards so close to the end of the half was a statement of confidence and clutch by the offense. No trickery on this conversion.

3rd Quarter (12:22) WTH Back Breaker?! The KSU John Hubert fumble that went right into the arms of UT Desmond Jackson was a huge momentum swing because the Cats were driving on their first possession of the half. Another back… butt breaker was coming later!

4th Quarter (7:22) WTH Target?! I agree on the interpretation of the new rule that went against Steve Edmond. I believe the KSU linebacker Tre Walker that called this team soft at Big XII media day may want to change his words to dirty. I will take dirty over soft any day. Just ask Sergio Kindle.

4th Quarter (2:46) WTH Sanchez?! KSU Jake Walters channeled his inner Mark Sanchez and butt fumbled a crucial touchdown run at the five yard line. Wonder if Jake said “Oh Crap!”

4th Quarter (1:26) WTH Sports Clips?! I saw the new marketing campaign for this chain of sports barber shops. Show the three clips that KSU players had on the Longhorn special teams to spring Tramaine Thompson. I enjoyed the sheer magnitude of venom that most of the 95,248 fans displayed that fired up the UT defense to put the clamps on any more scoring!

Next up for the Longhorns is a road game against the Cyclones of Iowa State on October 3rd.

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!!

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Posted September 18th, 2013 by Ross
Filed under: Feature, Football

Mack Brown and Manny Diaz

Mack Brown fired Manny Diaz to try to fix the defense. So… now what?

This is the second time in less than a year that you will not see the normal WTH article this week. The loss to Ole Miss 44 – 23 is another step in the decline of the program. The first time I did not write a weekly WTH article was after the shellacking by OU last year. I need to explain why I am not writing my usual article, and I also want to tackle the coaching situation at UT.

The reason that I did not give a moment by moment account is because I left the game after the third quarter when Ole Miss took a punt to the house to make the score 37 – 23. I did not know what was going to happen next, but I assumed that the team had given up any hope of winning and so did I. You have every right to rip me for not staying until the end of the game to sing the “Eyes of Texas” win or lose. To let you know my track record, I have never left a game (season ticket holder) win or lose except for one other time. I left at halftime of the 66 – 3 rout by UCLA. The 1997 season was John Mackovic’s last year when the team went 4-7. I have the same feelings now as I did 16 years ago about this team and their head coach. I will continue to support the team by attending and cheering the Longhorns at the very next game. At that moment when Ole Miss went up two scores, I felt the only real message I could send to the administration, coaches and the media is to leave the game and have them see the empty seat. I hope the message that was interpreted from the empty seats was this is not the type of effort or standard to be played at DKR. I can deal with losing to a better team or the team having an off day. This team has lost its edge and confidence in the present coaching staff. The fan base has a sense of apathy towards this team and its coaching staff which is deadly for a program. I welcome your thoughts if I totally missed the mark on my exit.

In regards to the coaching situation at Texas, Coach Mack Brown has eliminated any chance of getting another good assistant coach to ever come here because of what he did by firing (excuse me… reassigning) Manny Diaz. I am not going to argue the point if he should have gone or not, but no self-respecting coach is going to be on a program that has no stability and is not a cohesive group. I have to imagine that the other coaches are getting their resume together because they know that Mack is not long for this job. I will be totally shocked if Mack Brown does not step down after this season. My biggest concern is that the Regents, President Powell, and the new Athletic Director try keep all the assistants together by hiring Major Applewhite to coach this team. We all understand that change is evident, but do not try to lessen the change in order to keep the status quo.

I hope they clean house and return an edge to the program that is lacking. Oh yeah, the edge should come from the Head Coach not the assistants or the star players.

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Posted September 12th, 2013 by Ross
Filed under: Feature, Football

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 BYU.

David Ash

QB David Ash was hounded and pounded by the BYU defense all game long

1st Quarter (15:00) WTH Lightning?! Is it me or did every college football game have a weather delay. Just wish Mother Nature would have made this game unplayable. Texas handled that part of the plan pretty well.

1st Quarter (5:04) WTH 3 & OUT?! How many of these do want to start in a game? (three consecutive 3 & out) Did anyone tell the offensive coaching staff that there were second string defensive backs in the game?

2nd Quarter (9:30) WTH Special?! Texas you are on the road. The defense just stopped the BYU offense. Texas you are ahead in the game 14-10. Why did you call for a blocked punt? Stupid is as stupid does. Three plays later after the roughing the punter penalty, BYU goes up for good.

2nd Quarter (7:26) WTH Stat Line of the game?! 6 plays (includes the punt), -5 yards of offense and 22 seconds of possession time. Welcome to the up tempo offense we were promised.

Halftime (:00) WTH Charmin?! ESPN halftime crew back in Bristol was dying to say it on television. The Longhorns are “SOFT”. I think the Big Blue Stop Sign that showed up on 3rd down affected the Longhorn offense.

3rd Quarter (9:57) WTH Manny?! I can still hear Mack Brown yelling at Coach Diaz about getting the defense to stop their quarterback. QB Taysom Hill of BYU ended up with 259 rushing yards & 3 TD’s.

3rd Quarter (:00) WTH Gashed?! The most rushing yards ever given up by a Texas defense which was 550 yards and they gave it up before the fourth quarter ever started. I predict that Lee Corso will never pick the Longhorns to win the rest of the season. Guess my prediction for the season is in grave jeopardy.

4th Quarter (15:00) WTH Luke Bryan?! ESPN chose to open the fourth quarter with a Luke Bryan country song. They should have used the song “Wasting Bullets!”

Next up for the Longhorns is a game at home against the Ole Miss Rebels on September 14th.

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!!

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Posted August 29th, 2013 by Ross
Filed under: Feature, Football

Magic… Momentum… Anything?

As we get closer to the start of the 2013 Football Season, the question needs to be asked where is this team headed. An even bigger question is what is the state of the Longhorn Men’s Athletic program?

Magic is described as the appearing to perform supernatural feats using sleight of hand. Back in the day there was a term used as “Sooner Magic” where the unexpected would occur for the OU Football team. The term came from epic tussles between the Sooners and Cornhuskers. That magic and momentum carried to other games where the Sooners would do the unimaginable. Just look at their last National Championships when OU who was a 10.5 point underdog beat the Seminoles 13-2. Texas had a similar run of “magic” when Vince Young took a team that had just lost 0-12 to the Sooners in 2004 and went on to win 20 games and two Rose Bowls plus a National Championship. Now look at these two programs and tell me where the “magic” is at. The magic is with the other teams in the conference.

Kansas State: Just came off the greatest sports year ever with a Big XII Championship in football, baseball and basketball in 2012-13.

Oklahoma State: Won the Big XII Championship in 2011 and owns a better overall record over the Sooners for the past three years.

Baylor: Has a Heisman Trophy winner, a new stadium being built and a winning record over the Horns in the past three years.

Texas Tech: At least they have a new coach and an inspired fan base that has a lot of hope for the future.

TCU: Is finishing up their renovations to their stadium and has plenty of momentum with a solid coach and a win over the Horns last year.

And then there is A&M: A multi-million dollar stadium renovation that will make it the biggest football stadium in Texas, solid footing in the tough SEC, and a Heisman Trophy winner. Oh yeah, I forgot… we do not care about them anymore since they are not in the conference.

So with everyone else having momentum beginning this football season, what is in store for the Longhorns in 2013. Here is a video to get you going before we go game by game.

New Mexico State (0-0) at Texas (0-0) Aug. 31st

At least we can say we beat the Aggies this year… even though there from New Mexico. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (1-0) at BYU (1-0) Sept. 7th

This game will tell much of the story for this year’s team. Win impressively and the fan base will believe a BCS game is in the cards. The Horns squeak by this team with their altitude sickness in check, and then the fan base is in for a rollercoaster ride. Lose this game and we will wonder if Mack will make it back next year. Horns WIN (close)

Mississippi (2-0) at Texas (2-0) Sept. 14th

This game just got tougher since the Rebels posted a 7-6 record last year in the SEC. The only reason I can predict a win for the Horns is because this game is at home. Again the aftermath of Provo determines this outcome. Horns WIN (close)

Kansas State (3-0) at Texas (3-0) Sept. 21st

The sorcerer from Manhattan will have his team ready to play. I think momentum of the home crowd and the pending bye week ahead will get this team ratcheted up to take it out on the Cats. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (4-0) at Iowa State (2-1) October 3rd

A Thursday night game?! Are we in the AAC? Do we need the exposure to help our recruiting? Guess Horns want some extra time to get ready for the Sooners. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (5-0) vs OU (4-1) October 12th

The Sooners will be coming off back to back tough games (ND & TCU) before the Red River Rivalry. I cannot see the play of the Belldozer causing much harm unless Manny and the defense cannot stop the run like last year. Hope the extra time gives Applewhite something for Stoops’ defense to chew on. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (6-0) at TCU (4-3) October 26th

texas-tcuTrap game! TCU will have the toughest part of their schedule behind them and they will be looking to turn their season around with a win. The Horns will have another bye week to start dreaming about an undefeated season. The more desperate team will win this one. Horns LOSE (close)

Kansas (2-5) at Texas (6-1) November 2nd

Get ready for a pissed off bunch of Horns in Austin. They will take it out on the Jayhawks who will be reeling from 5 consecutive losses coming into DKR. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (7-1) at West Virginia (3-5) November 9th

I see the urgency in the Horns to not let another TCU moment come back to haunt them. Playing for the first time ever at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, sounds like the stadium was named after an impressionist painter; the fans will try to make it an intimidating venue. The Longhorns take care of business in the fourth quarter. Horns WIN (big)

Oklahoma State (9-0) at Texas (8-1) November 16th

This is the defacto Big XII Championship game in Austin. Both teams are talented and will be coming on strong for this pivotal matchup. Last year I flipped a coin and I predicted the Horns would win (Horns won a close one). Just flipped it. Horns LOSE (close)

Texas Tech (7-4) at Texas (8-2) November 28th (Thanksgiving Day)

The rock star coach will be a little less flamboyant coming into Austin. The talent on the field should show up with the Horns still smarting from last week’s lost to the Cowboys. Fans will breathe a sigh of relief after this one is over on Turkey Day. Horns WIN (close)

Texas (9-2) at Baylor (8-3) December 7th

Say so long to Floyd Casey Stadium which is the smallest stadium in the Big XII. A sloppy game played by both teams as they try too hard to impress the bowl committees. Both running games will be on display on a miserable day for offense. The Horns emerge victorious to reach Coach Brown’s bar for a successful season. Horns WIN (close)

Just so you know… close means 10 points or less and big is 14 points or more.

I am predicting a 10-2 year for the Horns. You can check my past predictions to see that I was not too far off in 2012 & 2011. I hope to see some magic and some momentum from the Horns this season because I don’t think Mack Brown has anymore tricks up his sleeve.

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Posted April 5th, 2013 by Ross
Filed under: Basketball

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? Well, the Men’s Basketball team was clearly not up to the task this year. Suspension, stamina, resilience, and any other critical words you can come up with would fit this team. The prism that people use to look at this program is based on 14 years of Tournament visits with a few Elite Eights and one trip to the Final Four. What the fans should be looking at is a broken mirror that has the Horns in a 7 year lock of bad basketball dating back to our highest point.

That high point for the Texas program was the 2007-2008 season where the team was led by DJ Augustin, A.J. Abrams and Damion James who put up the most wins during the Rick Barnes era (31 wins). A trip to the Elite Eight plus the last time this program could claim a share of the Big 12 title were just a few of the highlights for this program. Ironically, the Kevin Durant led team a year before put up only 25 wins and lost in the second round. The Horns just finished the 5th year of this broken mirror curse. Since that high mark, Texas has gone 47-37 in conference play and the low moment for the program was missing out on the NCAA Tournament this year for the first time in the Barnes tenure.

Many fans have a looking glass that tells them a Big 12 championship and a deep run in the Tournament is coming closer with this group of talented players. Unfortunately, this is a rear view mirror approach on what it used to be around here. The biggest reflection needs to be taken by Rick Barnes to see if he has the stomach to continue fighting like another coach on the 40 acres. Barnes has created some great moments and recruited some unbelievable talent that went on to the NBA.

Now players are looking to transfer or getting fed up with Barnes’ coaching style. But just like another 15 year veteran coach at UT, the head man needs to realize that his legacy is set, and he needs to ask if himself if he has any more left in the tank.

But the biggest problem with the Texas Basketball program is who is looking at the mirror right now. The fans and I include myself in this assessment are the ones that broke the mirror. We do not demand more from our basketball coaches and players like other fan bases. We are quick to move on to spring football which allows the team to feel complacent and second class. When you start hearing coaches pleading for noise and asking for students to come make the Erwin Center a festive atmosphere, you know you have a much deeper problem than just a need for some more wins. Do you think ESPN will ever have a College Game Day visit at a UT basketball game? I know that people say that the product needs to be better in order for fans to show up. That logic works on professional teams where the athletes get paid. (Insert joke here on college athletics) Attendance at men’s home games continue to slip. Four years ago the average home attendance at the Drum was 14,629…and now the Hum Drum posted a 10,945 average attendance for the 2012-2013 season. The Frank Erwin Center (seats 16,374) with all the bells and whistles still does not configure the student section to get the most excitement generated at the games and the alumni show up late as always. The seating arrangement needs to be changed or make late arrivals have to sit up in the balcony until halftime and somehow get students charged up to attend games. I have even seen an article or two saying that this Texas job is one of the top 5 jobs in college basketball. We as fans have a long way to go to even come close to that type of ranking for the fan base. We need to be the ones to generate the change or pressure in order for the players and coaches to reflect our passions and demands.

The eerily similar path that the two head coaches on the two most high profile teams at UT are working with a lame duck athletic director makes for interesting fonder but does not help fans see any hope for change. Maybe the curse of the broken mirror will be done in less than 2 years. By that time DeLoss Dodds should be riding off into the sunset and a coaching change might be in order for us to change the culture and attitude about our program.

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 @40AcresSports or follow me @Horns1991. HOOK EM!!

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Posted January 21st, 2013 by Ross
Filed under: Feature, Football

Greg Davis

We don't want Greg Davis back, but some of his ideas could help the Texas offense.

OK. I do not want Coach Davis to drive up to the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center and unpack his things. I do however want us to think of the concepts that Greg Davis learned on the job to help Texas make an impressive run to unprecedented glory on the 40 acres.

We saw how the offense sputtered around in the first half of the Valero Alamo Bowl until something clicked to help propel the Longhorns to a 31-27 win. What clicked? Something that Coach Davis learned when installing the spread offense. You need to have a threat at the quarterback position. Look at what is happening to the teams in the Big XII, A&M, Oregon, Ohio State and even the NFL. Coaches across the country are realizing that you need the quarterback to be a threat to run and throw. College kids want to know that they have a chance to go to the next level. Look at the success that the Redskins and Seahawks in the NFL are having with rookie quarterbacks that can run. You cannot have a QB that is destined to run every play, but you do want one that is mobile in the pocket and can be a “threat” to run to make defenses think.

One of Greg Davis’ faults was the thinking that Texas can out talent the opponent no matter the scheme. Bryan Harsin brought the schematic and creative advantages that the UT offense needed. Unfortunately, Coach Harsin fell in love with only certain plays for certain players where the offensive packages were more important than the talent that was out there. The SEC offenses (specifically Bama) which is what Mack Brown wants to emulate with a grind it out running game that does not rely on the quarterback to win the game is no longer viable. Look at how Louisville with its dynamic quarterback put it on Florida in the Sugar Bowl. And who single handily brought down Alabama in their own back yard, but Johnny Football. Look at what Nick Saban said about the no huddle offense before he ran into the Heisman Trophy winner which is predominantly lead by a fast break quarterback.

Greg Davis used the threat of a running quarterback with a wide open passing attack which opened up lanes for the running backs. In case you forgot, we have had individual 1,000 yard rushers while Davis was calling the plays. No Longhorn running back has yet to reach over 780 yards rushing in the past three years under the so called smash mouth running game (OL needs to share in some of the blame). My prediction is that Johnathan Gray will be the next 1,000 yard rusher to join the last back to do that Jamaal Charles. (2007 – 1,619 yds.)

Where can you find these dual threat quarterbacks? Right here in our back yard. Quarterbacks in high school have 7 on 7 tournaments to hone their skill of reading coverages and making quick decisions in the passing game. The best athletes on the field are playing quarterback in Texas. Hell, Texas is the only state in the country that has a dedicated class time assigned to a sport or PE. Dual threat quarterbacks are being used in every type of classification in the sport. Why do you want to recruit a care taker at quarterback when you need something dynamic to keep stronger and faster defenses guessing? We have dual threat quarterbacks on campus and more are coming up through recruiting. David Ash used his legs to jump start the offense in the bowl game and that running helped him open up the passing game.

Major Applewhite may hold the key to the concepts that Coach Davis used while at UT. Coach Applewhite had a great quote after the bowl win when he said that it is not about the X’s and O’s but about the culture of our program and keeping people accountable to be successful. I beg that Coach Brown will let Major carry out his plan on offense. I venture to guess that Major will use this quote from Michael Jordan to the team this offseason, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

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Posted October 26th, 2012 by Ross
Filed under: Football

Many fans want the head coach, Mack Brown, to step down at the end of the season. The 2011 turnaround was ushered in with a host of new coaches and a rejuvenated Mack Brown. This 2012 season is under scrutiny because of the horrible loss against OU, the lack of defensive presence and the perceived lack of fight with this team. Mack will eventually leave, but he plans to stay as long as he can while posting winning campaigns. (what is a winning campaign?) Mack Brown says that he has the support of the administration, the athletic department and most of all the big money boosters. Problem is that the people that need to work on this situation may not be on the 40 acres right now. Mack Brown will be the head coach at least until after 2014 season. Let me count the ways:

DeLoss Dodds – Will not end the Mack Brown era because he wants to end his legacy with hiring the second greatest coach in the program history. DeLoss has a $1 million buyout that goes into effect after August 2014. The next AD, which will not be Mack Brown, will have to make the call on the next coach.

Big Money Booster – Will not fire Mack Brown because of all the relationship building and the good will that he has established. They want Mack to retire when he is ready. The word around the program is that the 2013 season is supposed to be the year for a BCS trip for the Horns. A total collapse (another 5-7 season) is the only scenario for them to act.

President Powers & the Regents – Read the latest edition of Texas Monthly and you will see that these two entities have plenty to deal with that has nothing to do with football.

Longhorn Network – This entity does not have control over the coaching decision, but they can certainly influence it. The network would not be here unless Mack Brown was present. Even though, the coach is quick to criticize the amount of time he spends with LHN.

Mack Brown – He is too much of a competitor to leave the ship. He wants to fix this more than anyone, but unfortunately his desire to go out on top may further erode the program. The spirit is willing for Mack but the flesh is weak which means he does not have the energy to reach the high standards that he has set to turn this program around.

Side Note: If Gene Chizik is fired from Auburn, get ready for him to join the defensive staff to try and correct the ills that many people blame Manny Diaz.

I agree with every one that says if you are going to point out the problem you better have a solution. Everyone has names that they want to throw out. I have to give credit to my friend Country Ham that came up with this coach as we were brain storming for a possible candidate for next year or more likely in 2014 if the luster has not left this coach. My suggestion is Dan Mullen who is the head coach for Mississippi State Bulldogs. He has a .622 winning percentage in the SEC over the past four years. He currently has an undefeated team which he will eventually secure his third winning season at MSU. The 40 year old coach will bring the edge, youth and program selling approach like Mack. He has a no nonsense approach with the media, and I think he would gravitate to the big stage which includes LHN. Mack has set the tone by recruiting coaches from the SEC, and Dan Mullen fits right into that direction. Dan does have credibility with 2 National Championship rings and comes from the Urban Meyer coaching tree if that does anything for you.

Mack will eventually leave because he will not want to pass Darrell Royal’s all time record for wins which is at 167. (Mack has 142 wins to date). The biggest issue is where is the program headed more than what is Mack Brown want to do.

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!!

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