40 Acres Sports

You will not see the normal WTH article this week from the Red River Rivalry because there was nothing good to report. After being annihilated for the second straight year from your biggest rival, it’s a reminder of where the program stands.

The players and coaches talk about needing to get to work. Mack Brown said that I know what is wrong and I am the man to fix it. Unfortunately, we have been down this road before and the culture is not in place for this to be fixed. Sure the Horns can rally from this huge let down and win a couple of more games but the underlying problem is still there.

The problem is the culture that has been established on the 40 acres. Fans enjoy hearing how recruit after recruit say that they love the family atmosphere that Mack Brown delivers. Many coaches say that you have to de-recruit the player when you get the kid on campus. The UT staff may want to rethink how they de-recruit a player. A high school kid feels like he has already made it when he sees the facilities, the opportunities playing in front of so many people, and the fact that they are on television all the time not to mention that the LHN is there to record their every move. It is very hard for a head coach to legislate the discipline when times are tough while the team sees the head coach as more of a father figure. The last time Coach Brown, who is 61 years old, unloaded on his team and the staff, he had his first losing season and lost most of his coaches.

When Texas has won conference titles, the leadership has come from the players (McCoy & Young) themselves. Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama take their direction from their head coach. You will get a Tebow and a Bradford that will step up and take a lead role, but you know that Urban Meyer and Bob Stoops have their finger prints on their teams. Players and coaches take the identity of their head coach. Right now the identity Mack Brown exudes is an exhausted, questioning and apologetic leader.

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!!

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 Cowboys.

Pre-Game (15:00) WTH Weapons?! Where was the ATF when you needed them? Pistol Pete was shooting off guns, there were more frat paddles in the stands than the entire UT Greek system, and most of the 56,709 were wearing orange hunting gear. I bet Boone Pickens was even packing heat.

1st Quarter (14:21) WTH Randle?! The Big XII leading rusher took the second play of the game to the house for OSU. Joseph Randle racked up 199 yards and two touchdowns to gouge the Longhorns defense.

1st Quarter (8:51) WTH Parable?! Much is asked to whom much is given. With the lack of experience at the LB position, safety Kenny Vaccaro is asked to do a lot. He made up for his missed tackle on Randle by picking off QB J.W. Walsh for the only takeaway for the Horns defense.

1st Quarter (2:00) WTH Thud?! When a RB fumbles the ball a lot, coaches make the player carry a football to class. Coach Akina needs to have the secondary carry a four foot teddy bear to class to teach them how to wrap up. Adrian Phillip’s shoulder shot on an OSU receiver lead to another Cowboy score.

1st Quarter (1:47) WTH Monroe?! The career leading kickoff returner for the Horns was crowned on this play. D.J. Monroe flew down the field for an electric 100 yard TD return to give the Horns the lead until the fourth quarter. Monroe averaged 8 yards a carry on 3 touches. Get him the ball more?!

2nd Quarter (6:10) WTH Dos XX?! The most interesting man in the world was on the Horns sidelines. The goofy signage that is used to relay in plays was evident when the beer character was shown.

3rd Quarter (6:09) WTH #8?! Get ready for the #8 jersey to be one of the top 5 jerseys sold of all time on the 40 Acres. Jaxon Shipley led all receivers with 82 yards and 3 touchdowns for a spectacular night.

4th Quarter (5:48) WTH Video Ref?! Understand the overturned call to benefit the Cowboys back in the third quarter that resulted in a receiving TD. You cannot be serious that one of the Oklahoma State players did not touch the ball on the kickoff which allowed the Cowboys to start at the 35 yard line. Not enough evidence to turn the call over… you say. Hold that thought for the end of the game.

4th Quarter (2:34) WTH Red Zone?! With the type of offenses that are in the Big XII, field goals over touchdowns are a win for the defense. The much maligned Longhorn defense held the Cowboys on three different times in the red zone to come away with only a field goal. This fourth quarter stop allowed the Horns offense the comfort in knowing that all they needed was a field goal to win. Yikes!!

4th Quarter (1:30) WTH Ice Man?! A frozen rope was thrown by David Ash to tight end D.J. Grant on fourth down to keep the drive alive. He would continue his excellent night with a 32 yard pass to Magic Davis that set up the game winning TD run. David completed 30 of 37 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns. This year he has completed 78% of his passes and has only thrown one interception. Dare we say a star has been born?

Next up for the Longhorns is a trip home to play West Virginia in Austin on October 6th.

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!!

Now that we are at the quarter point of the football season, coaches are trying to find just the right words to get their team motivated and to explain the season so far to the media and fans. One such coach that has left his legacy on the 40 acres is well known for his quotes and phrases. Darrell K Royal is a living legend around these parts. Some may have negative thoughts about him as depicted by the book “Meat on the Hoof.” Others may remember him as the shy Oklahoma boy that later took young men to the heights of college football while at the University.

Let’s take a look at some of his insights that coaches could still use today.

“All the white meat is gone. There’s nothin’ but necks on the platter.”

“Dance with the one that brung ya”

“Will Rogers never met Barry Switzer”

“Football doesn’t build character. It eliminates the weak ones.”

“Breaks balance out. The sun don’t shine on the same ol’ dog’s rear end every day.”

“You never lose a game if the opponent doesn’t score.”

“If worms carried pistols. Birds wouldn’t eat ’em.”

“Three things can happen when you pass and two of ’em are bad.”

“I don’t know if Earl’s in a class by himself, but it sure don’t take long to call roll.”

“He runs faster than small town gossip.”

“He’s not very fast, but maybe Elizabeth Taylor can’t sing.”

“Don’t matter what they throw at us. Only angry people win football games.”

“Winning coaches must treat mistakes like copperheads in the bedclothes – avoid them with all the energy you can muster.”

“That guy is a big ol’ cuss…look at him rumblin’ down the field… looks like a grizzly bear haulin’ a walnut.”

“A head coach is guided by this main objective: dig, claw, wheedle, and coax that fanatical effort out of the players. You want them to play every Saturday as if they were planting the flag on Iwo Jima.”

“The tail should never wag the dog, but as long as football is in its proper place on the campus, then it’s good. I want to be remembered as a winning coach, but I also want to be remembered as an honest and ethical coach.”

It will be a sad day when we lose Coach Royal, but we know that God will have a great college coach and an even better story teller.

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 Lobos.

Pre-Game (15:00) WTH Coin Toss?! It was tough to watch Earl Campbell with his cane slowly walking to midfield. I do still love watching highlights of the Tyler Rose running over and past people. I am glad that DKR did a better sales job than the Bootlegger Boy.

1st Quarter (8:50) WTH VY?! I know that Vince Young has moved on, so who was running 49 yards for a TD from the quarterback position. David Ash had another solid game (16-22 for 221 yards) with no turnovers. I hope he continues to avoid the oskies.

1st Quarter (:00) WTH TOP?! I understand the concept of bending but not breaking when you describe a defense, but these Horns were T-O-P to death to start the game. The Lobos held the time of possession for 12 minutes and picked up 7 of its 16 first downs in the first quarter.

2nd Quarter (15:00) WTH Wendy?! Wendy’s restaurant brought back former UT kicker Ryan Bailey to kick a 40 yard field goal for everyone to win a frosty. I guess the Nebraska game in 2006 was nothing compared to the pressure of feeding 100,990 fans. He missed.

2nd Quarter (9:55) WTH Fans?! I know the UT players would like the fans to be louder. You can see the kids waving their towels to get the crowd going. The home crowd did cause a delay of game for the Lobos when the Godzillatron screamed for NOISE.

2nd Quarter (5:54) WTH Error?! I guess I have a new nickname for Nick Jordan. The kicker missed another 40+ yard field goal. I think the frosty giveaway also affected Error Jordan. Fera where are you?!

3rd Quarter (12:12) WTH Daje?! Wow. Pure speed. Daje Johnson took a shovel pass for 45 yards to pay dirt to take control of the game. Glad he did not choose his first love which was basketball.

4th Quarter (:00) WTH Critics?! I have heard a lot of critics say how this team is not dominating. Granted it does take this team takes a while to get going, but isn’t a shutout a pretty good start to the season. There is no preseason for these boys to tune up, so next week’s road game will probably show us what type of team we can expect.

Next up for the Longhorns is their first road game against the Ole Miss Rebels on September 15th.

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!!

When I first heard that the team motto was going to be RISE, I was wondering if they were using this to mean rising up from the ashes or even the dead. Next I thought of a boxing analogy about rising up from the canvas where many of your opponents knocked you out. This year’s motto means: Relentless, Intensity, Sacrifice, Emotion (Check out the 2012 Longhorn Football RISE 2012)

It has been a wild roller coaster ride when just a little over two years ago the Longhorns were playing for a National Championship. The Longhorns are a few years away from even been mentioned as title contenders. So, I am going to set the record straight and tell you what the Horns record is going to be game by game. I am even going to give you the record of the opponent when they play Texas. Here goes… nothing.

Wyoming (0-0) at Texas (0-0) Sept. 1st

This will be the easiest prediction of the season. I got both teams record correct going into this game. Texas is at home so the Horns have to win this one. Or the rest of this article is bunk. Horns WIN

New Mexico (1-0) at Texas (1-0) Sept. 8th

I have friends that went to New Mexico. They are just looking to come into Austin to have a good time. Not even the Lobos expect to win this one. Horns WIN

Texas (2-0) at Mississippi (2-0) Sept. 15th

Yes it’s a team from the big bad SEC. You know that they were the worst team in the SEC last year. They have a head coach that sounds like a character from a Spiderman movie, Hugh Freeze. New coach and wild expectations by the fan base will make this a tight game, but eventually the Horns wear down Ole Miss with their running game. Horns WIN

Texas (3-0) at Oklahoma State (3-0) Sept. 29th

Both teams have bye weeks before they face off which is a plus for the offensive sides of the ball. The Cowboys have a new quarterback, but OSU has a ton of confidence as well as playing this game at home. Will the Texas quarterback shuffle be settled by the fourth game of the season? This one is a toss-up. Let me get out a quarter. Tails Texas – Heads Cowboys. Horns WIN

West Virginia (4-0) at Texas (4-0) October 6th

The Mountaineers have four straight home games to start the season before their first road test in Austin. It’s still hot in October…right?! The West Virginia defense is horrible which should allow for a lot of UT running yards. The UT defense, lead by coach Manny Diaz, needs to keep the explosive Geno Smith in check. I hope everyone realizes that Manny will be a head coach next year somewhere else if Mack does not step down. Horns WIN

Texas (5-0) at OU (4-0) October 13th

I would like to think that sweet revenge will be the elixir that every Longhorn will enjoy after this game. But the better quarterback play and the team that doesn’t turn the ball over wins this game. Texas will come up short again. Horns LOSE

Baylor (3-2) at Texas (5-1) October 20th

Baylor will be coming off two straight losses to WVU and TCU. There is going to be a hangover effect after losing arguably the greatest Baylor athlete of all time. OK…I will give you Michael Johnson. Baylor fans will day dream of last year’s trouncing of the Horns while Texas fans will want to lay the hammer down with defense and a strong running game. Horns WIN

Texas (6-1) at Kansas (2-5) October 27th

I do not see a lot of waving the wheat at this game. The Jayhawk fans will be looking forward to the start of the basketball season when they will face Emporia State just three days after having to host Texas at a football game. Horns WIN

Texas (7-1) at Texas Tech (4-4) November 3rd

Yes. You guessed it. Here is my trap game. It will be at night. TBS loves the Red Raiders and Craig Sager will be wearing an electric red blazer. You know this team beat the Sooners last year. In the Mack Brown era, the Horns have lost only three times to Tech. All three losses were on the road and in November. Horns LOSE

Iowa State (3-6) at Texas (7-2) November 10th

Texas will want to get the bad taste out of their mouths from losing on the Plains. Perfect timing since the Cyclones will be reeling when they come off a major loss to the Sooners the week before. Look for the Horns defense to have a fumble, interception and punt return for touchdowns. This one will get ugly. Horns WIN

TCU (9-1) at Texas (8-2) November 22nd (Thanksgiving Day)

This will be the battle for second place in the Big 12. WVU will have lost to OU the week before this game. This will not equal the hype of an A&M rivalry, but it sure will be close. Both teams should be clicking offensively and the magnitude of the night may be similar to an OU game, best quarterback and no turnovers. Texas will win with a last minute field goal by the PSU transfer to give the ESPN network a ratings bump. Horns WIN

Texas (9-2) at Kansas State (7-4) December 1st

Kryptonite. Bill Snyder. The Little Apple. Take your pick. We do not beat this team. Why? I don’t know. Last time the Horns won was when Steve Jobs came out with ITunes (2003). Horns LOSE

I am predicting a 9-3 year for the Horns. I was way off with my predictions in 2010 with 10 wins (5-7) but I nailed it in 2011 with 7 regular season wins. Anybody can predict the future; just make sure you do not write it down ahead of time.

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!!

Well, the rivalry is over…at least for some time. The tussle between the Aggies and the Horns ended this year which also put to rest the State Farm Lonestar Showdown between both Universities. The made for internet contest was 19 events across women’s and men’s sports where the teams competed head to head for a possible 19 points for a trophy as big as Texas (it was a gaudy trophy at that). If the schools tied at the end of the year (which happened twice), the team that won the series championship from the previous year would be awarded the trophy. Check out the complete history at lonestarshowdown.net.

The contest went from 2004 until 2012 (8 years) where the Horns won 6 of these series over the Aggies. The two years the Aggies won were 2007-08 and 2008-09. Here are a few stats from this contest.

The biggest margin for the Aggies was 2 points in 2007-08
The biggest margin for the Horns was 10 points in 2004-05

Here are the teams that dominate during this 8 year span:

Texas Volleyball 6-2
A&M Women’s Indoor Track 6-2
Texas Men’s Cross Country 6-2
Texas Women’s Swimming 6-2
Texas Men’s Swimming 8-0
Texas Women’s Tennis 6-2
Texas Baseball 7-1

A&M won the following head to head battles during the 8 year time frame.

Soccer – Women’s Basketball – Women’s Indoor Track – Men’s Golf – Women’s Golf – Women’s Outdoor Track – Men’s Outdoor Track

Texas won the head to head battle on the following sports.

Volleyball – Men’s Cross Country – Women’s Swimming – Men’s Swimming – Men’s Basketball – Men’s Indoor Track – Men’s Tennis – Women’s Tennis – Baseball – Football

The two teams tied with a 4-4 record in Softball and Women’s Cross Country

A&M should feel proud about their sports program during this period because the program collected 8 of their 12 national championships during this time. (1) Men’s Golf (3) Men’s Outdoor Track (3) Women’s Outdoor Track (1) Women’s Basketball

Compare that to the Longhorns who secured 5 of their 48 National Championships during this series. (1) Baseball (1) Football (1) Men’s Swimming (1) Women’s Outdoor Track (1) Women’s Indoor Track

The Aggies will be quick to point out to that their football program since 1975 finished with a record of 19-18 against the Horns. We all know how the final game of this series ended to help Texas establish a decisive 76-37-5 record. During the Lonestar Showdown timeframe the Horns held a 5-3 record over the Aggies.

Isn’t it when you really want something bad enough, aren’t you suppose to get it? Many Aggies may have said that I need it, I really want it and I have to have it. You can possibly say that the Aggies wanted it more this year than the Horns, but as it turned out THE UNIVERSITY of the state took home the state title. Just don’t tell Baylor.

As we have completed another college football season, some wonder if really the two best teams were represented in the BCS National Championship Game. Many college football fans would like to see a playoff to determine a champion on the field instead of the cocktail mixture of polls and computers. Fans would be able to deal with this elixir of data called the BCS formula if they felt that 4 teams would be chosen instead of just the top 2. I would like to see the college presidents adopt the PLUS ONE model to determine the championship. Here is how I would like to see the BCS Bowls take shape first.

• Rose Bowl affiliation: Pac 12 & Big 10
• Sugar Bowl affiliation: SEC
• Orange Bowl affiliation: ACC
• Cotton Bowl affiliation: Big XII
• Fiesta Bowl affiliation: Big East / non AQ schools

We will give the Rose Bowl special treatment to maintain their tradition of having two BCS conference affiliations. The Sugar and Orange can maintain their regional BCS counterparts to help with travel and tradition. The Fiesta Bowl is the one that gets screwed because of past transgressions. They will associate themselves with the Big East or whatever comes of the non AQ schools. Most of the non AQ schools come from the Mountain or West region anyway. The new kid on the block would be the Cotton Bowl with its affiliation with the Big XII. The reason that the Cotton Bowl gets invited to the party is the money that this stadium can generate. No other BCS bowl site can boast the suites, access and marketing power that Jerry has created. The five BCS bowls will also end the doubling up that goes on when trying to host their affiliated conference and next week the BCS championship game. The playoff scenario below tries to take into consideration the geographic locations of the bowls to accommodate travel.

• Cotton & Rose will host the playoffs & the Championship game will be at the Fiesta
• Fiesta & Sugar will host the playoffs & the Championship game will be at the Rose
• Orange & Cotton will host the playoffs & the Championship game will be at the Sugar
• Rose & Sugar will host the playoffs & the Championship game will be at the Orange
• Fiesta & Orange will host the playoffs & the Championship game will be at the Cotton

The use of five bowl sites allows 2 of the non-playoff venues to continue with their affiliations and a bowl site will participate in the PLUS ONE system 3 out of the 5 years. The championship game will be played on MLK Day which is a holiday for many people. One important factor is that the BCS can still keep their claim that states “every game matters.” Another proposal is to have the BCS computers come up with the two most deserving teams after the bowl season is over. Fans do not want to hear any more about BCS computers after the regular season. At least this solution has the debate between the 4th and 5th best team getting into a playoff and not getting wrapped up in what a computer spits out.

One thing needs to be said for those that get sick and tired of the SEC winning all of these BCS Championships. Moving to the PLUS ONE model will increase the likely hood that two of the playoff bound teams will come from the SEC. Three of the past six years the SEC has had two of its teams make the Final Four in the BCS rankings. Get ready fans for even more SEC money and bravado coming from this conference. Why do you think SEC commissioner Mike Slive is in favor of the PLUS ONE model?

I am hoping that we get to see this PLUS ONE model in college football soon. Let the play on the field determine the champion not the computers.

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 Bears.

Pre-Game WTH Baylor?! This is the Big 12! This is the big boy league. I understand showing school pride to the 46,453 fans that attended the game. But having a tarp that says “This is Bear Country” in the end zone to cover up seats that should be watching RG3 versus the Horns. Come on Man!

1st Quarter (14:38) WTH RG3?! C’mon Bears give the opposing team a chance to get their head in the game. The Horns defense which includes Blake Gideon watched a perfect throw by Robert Griffin to a streaking Kendall Wright for a 59 yard touchdown on the SECOND play of the game.

1st Quarter (:33) WTH Irby?! Who does not love Blaine Irby? He made a helluva catch in the back of the end zone for the first touchdown of the night for the Horns. Do you think he might have any eligibility left?

2nd Quarter (10:53) WTH Fat Man?! I do not know what Coach Harsin called this play but this razzle dazzle play had two offensive linemen split out on either side of the formation. One lineman faked a catch on one side while Case McCoy threw a fade to Luke Poehlmann in the end zone. Love Luke’s touchdown celebration by grabbing his gut to identify him as the fat man scoring.

2nd Quarter (7:40) WTH Goodwin?! Longest touchdown pass play of the season saw Marquise Goodwin dash 80 yards for the touchdown. He added a signature triple jump step in the end zone. This was the last highlight of the regular season for the Horns.

2nd Quarter WTH McCoy?! I know everyone loves the “it” factor that Case McCoy has in his game. The read and throw he made was awful. He looked at his primary receiver the entire time and he does not have the arm strength to get it there. The interception took the Baylor to the Horns 2 where RG3 strolled in to the end zone to lead at halftime. Why were we not running the ball to secure the lead at the half?!

3rd Quarter (4:15) WTH Gilbert?! This third interception by Case McCoy was clearly a throw for Mike Davis to go after which neither one were on the same page. Case had a night in Waco like Garrett had in Manhattan. Case had 4 interceptions which Baylor turned into 17 points.

4th Quarter (7:43) WTH RG3?! The UT defense said that Robert Griffin was not going to have a Heisman type night on them. Well UT defense, RG3 is headed to New York. RG3 threw his second touchdown of the night to finish with 320 yards of passing and he ran in two scores. Looks like THE hardware is coming to Waco!

Next up for the Longhorns are the Cal Bears on December 28th in the Holiday Bowl.

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!!

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 Wildcats.

Pre-Game Respect. A great decision by the UT brass to have a moment of silence before the game for the Oklahoma State’s tragedy of losing two of their women’s basketball coaches in a plane crash. Nice touch with the OSU logo on the Godzillatron.

1st Quarter (11:03) WTH Ash?! David Ash needs to realize that you do not need to jump when you throw the football. He has a tremendous upside but the decision making is suspect. Wildcats put the first points of the game after the turnonver.

2nd Quarter (3:02) WTH Blue Chip?! Way to take the momentum right out of the stadium. Coach Brown decides to go for it on fourth down at their own 41 yard line. Tray Allen false starts which kills the drive and ends up leading to a punt and the turning point of the game.

2nd Quarter (2:51) WTH Refs?! I am getting sick of these judgment calls! The KSU punt returner, Tramaine Thompson, fumbles the ball and the Horns recover in great field position. The ref felt that the returner was scared of the oncoming pressure and decided to throw the flag. Best Mack Brown meltdown ever.

2nd Quarter (:57) WTH Mack?! KSU was trying to get into position for a score before the half. Wildcat Sheldon Smith did his best tight rope act along the sidelines with a 24 yard catch which the refs really enjoyed by deciding to make the judgment call that it was a catch. Mack you have got to challenge that call. You do not need the timeouts so why not get the booth to review it.

3rd Quarter (3:43) WTH McCoy?! I guess the golden horseshoe is back in place. Case McCoy steps in an orchestrated a 6 play – 79 yard touchdown drive. Great designed play by Coach Harsin for McCoy to hit senior Blaine Irby for his first touchdown of the year.

End of Game (:00) WTH UT Defense?! What an incredible display of domination by this unit. It was sad to see the effort was wasted with a loss. The Horns held the Wildcats to 121 yards of total offense. Collin Klein, aka Honey Badger (please), had 4 net yards of rushing on 26 carries. The other telling stat is that the Wildcats had 9 series which they had 3 plays and punt.

Next up for the Longhorns are the Aggies for the final time? at 7PM on Turkey Day.
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!!

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 Tigers.

Pre-Game (15:00) WTH SEC?! Hey SEC… did you really get a look at what you just invited to the party. A stadium that has a hill set aside for MU Fans to lay blankets and pillows to watch a game?! Did you ever think that an SEC team is now going to have to play a game in the snow with this group?

1st Quarter (13:11) WTH Acho?! Clearly the leader of the defense, Emmanuel Acho, came up with a momentum changing turnover to stop a possible opening score. Acho lead the team in tackles with 12. He is one player that Manny Diaz cannot afford to lose.

1st Quarter (10:30) WTH Turning Point One?! Fozzy Whittaker was the only real option at running back with Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron nursing injuries. Captain America, Superman, MVP, whatever you want to call him; went down with a season ending injury on the 6th offensive play of the game. The emotional leader of the offense was helped off the field as well as any semblance of a running game left with him. A true warrior!

2nd Quarter (8:55) WTH Turf?! Missouri, I understand that your stadium needs to add some seats for the invasions of the SEC rednecks. You may want to improve your turf while you’re at it since your number one running back Henry Josey sustained a season ending knee injury. You claim MU that you are getting more money by moving to the SEC. Spend it wisely!

2nd Quarter (5:02) WTH Turning Point Two?! Are we moving closer to touch football? Kenny Vaccaro had the hit of the game that any coach would be proud to show his team. The refs thought he was headhunting and threw the flag. The next play the Tigers ran over the deflated Horns defense for a 35 yard score.

3rd Quarter (3:31) WTH Special?! There is nothing special about a MU punt block earlier in the quarter which led to a field goal. But when the Horns came back with their own punt block, this turned into less of a score with a safety. I guess Murphy was on the Horns sideline because everything went wrong with this game.

End of the Game WTH Scribes?! Score one for the Sportswriters school of choice which is Missouri. MU can revel in the fact that they beat the evil empire and the LHN before they go to the SEC. Good luck boys, you are going to need it. I guess the homely girl can score every once in a while.

Next up for the Longhorns are the Wildcats of Kansas State visiting Austin at 7PM on November 19th.

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!!