40 Acres Sports

Will McCoy be able to pick apart the Buckeyes' D?

The Texas Longhorns have a lot to prove tonight when they face the tenth ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Texas fans have been screaming for months that they, not [tag]Oklahoma[/tag], deserved the chance to play for a national title and if they need to win tonight to help their case. The Buckeyes are the best defense the Horns have faced all season and if they can win and put big points on the scoreboard there’s still an outside shot of a split national title.

Check out our predictions for the game below…

Brian – Texas hasn’t faced a defense as tough as Ohio State’s all year long but there aren’t any Big 10 offenses in the same league as the high-powered [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] led Longhorns. OSU’s young quarterback Terrelle Pryor will make a few plays but the Texas pass rush should also force some huge mistakes. I think [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] is headed for a huge performance in his last game in the burnt orange. If the Horns slow down running back Beanie Wells than they win, it’s that simple. Texas 34 – Ohio State 21.

Matt – The rubber match between these two teams looks like it could be another instant classic. If you look at the major factors here, Texas clearly has the advantage. You have Colt McCoy versus a freshman, an offensive line that should dominate, and a defensive line that puts serious pressure with just their front four. Pryor looks like he will be a good qb, but he just doesn’t have the experience right now. I think [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag] will have a field day with him and Texas will control this game. Look for a close game early and then Texas will pull away late. Texas 38 – Ohio State 20.

Mike – Texas isn’t where they want to be. The team has to feel like they should be playing [tag]Florida[/tag] in Miami for the BCS championship. In years past the possibility of playing flat would be on everybody’s mind. The combination of the makeup of this team and the coaching staff has most believing the Longhorns will come to play Monday night. The game won’t be as easy as some are making it out to be because of Ohio State’s power running game and their defense which will be the best UT faces all year. Texas has too much speed and Will Muschamp will do everything he can to keep the Buckeyes true freshman quarterback off balance. It will be tight early, but expect the Longhorns to pull away late. Texas 31 – Ohio State 17

Another day another high school all-star game full of future Texas Longhorns. Tonight five Texas commits will play in the Under Armour All-America Game live on ESPN at 7pm Central. Fans will be able to see a large chunk of the future Texas offensive unit as quarterback [tag]Garrett Gilbert[/tag] and tight end [tag]Barrett Matthews[/tag] will also have three big hogs blocking for them up front in linemen [tag]Mason Walters[/tag], [tag]Paden Kelley[/tag], and [tag]Thomas Ashcraft[/tag]. Gilbert, who won two state titles and broke Texas state passing records as the quarterback of Lake Travis High School, is ESPN’s number one ranked quarterback prospect.

The positions and numbers of the Texas commits and targets are listed below:

Name	Number	Position	Commit?	Ranking
[tag]Thomas Ashcraft[/tag]	75	Offensive Tackle	Yes
[tag]Garrett Gilbert[/tag]	7	Quarterback	Yes
[tag]Paden Kelley[/tag]	70	Offensive Tackle	Yes
[tag]Barrett Matthews[/tag]	89	Tight End	Yes
[tag]Mason Walters[/tag]	72	Offensive Tackle	Yes

View the full Under Armour rosters.

We’ll have thoughts on players from both all-star games later this week.

Robert Timmons, Marcus Davis, and Alex Okafor will play for the Longhorns (Rivals.com)

Today’s US Army All-American Bowl is the first of two high school all-star games this weekend that will give Texas fans the opportunity to see some future Texas Longhorns play against elite competition. Back in 2002 this game was our first chance to see how special a young man named Vincent Young might be. Today, seven commits and a few possible blue chip targets will play at noon today on NBC for the West squad.

The defensive line will be full of Horns with tackle [tag]Calvin Howell[/tag] and ends [tag]Alex Okafor[/tag] and the uncommitted stud Devon Kennard likely spending a lot of time in the East backfield. I also want to see how running back [tag]Chris Whaley[/tag] looks and if a big back can fit into Texas’ spread offense.

Here are the Texas commits and targets to keep an eye on during the game:

Name	Number	Position	Commit?	Ranking
[tag]Tariq Allen[/tag]	43	Linebacker	Yes
[tag]Marcus Davis[/tag]	28	Cornerback	Yes
[tag]Calvin Howell[/tag]	99	Defensive Tackle	Yes
Devon Kennard	42	Defensive End	No
Dre Kirkpatrick	13	Cornerback	No
[tag]Alex Okafor[/tag]	80	Defensive End	Yes
[tag]Garrett Porter[/tag]	78	Offensive Tackle	Yes
[tag]Greg Timmons[/tag]	81	Wide Receiver	Yes
[tag]Chris Whaley[/tag]	25	Running Back	Yes

View the full US Army rosters.

We’ll have thoughts on these guys and the rest of the game this weekend.

ESPN has posted several good videos and articles on the future Longhorns participating in this weekend’s Under Armour All-America Game. Players like [tag]Garrett Gilbert[/tag] and [tag]Mason Walters[/tag] are getting the chance to impress on a national stage and according to Bobby Burton of Rivals.com Gilbert in particular has done so. With five future Longhorns in the game they’re also getting an early opportunity to hang out together, something that will help the group hit the ground running once they get onto the 40 Acres.

ESPN got each of the guys to say a few things about the experience of playing in this game and about choosing to go to Texas. In the first few seconds of the video future [tag]LSU[/tag] athlete Russell Shepard (who seems like a really good kid) passes by and tells the interviewer that future Horn Gilbert is the best QB in the country. I guess the Texas coaches got it right at quarterback after all. Watch below:

The players seem to get along well, which is particularly key for the three offensive lineman. It’s also great to hear that they’ve already got their eyes on a national title:

Mason Walters is 6-foot-7 and nearly 300 pounds. Still, the physically imposing offensive tackle is dwarfed by the larger-than-life expectations that constantly surround the football team at the University of Texas.

As one of five Texas commits participating in Sunday’s Under Armour All-America Game (ESPN, 7 pm), Walters is a principal member of a Longhorns recruiting class that is tall on talent. He says despite each individual’s ability, the group puts a single goal — a collective goal — at the top of its New Year’s resolutions.

“We want a ring,” Walters said. “That’s not a question. We don’t care about awards and stuff individually. I think that the guys want the team to win a national championship in the future. It’s something you can say, but it’s a lot of hard work.”

Under Armour All-Americans Garrett Gilbert, [tag]Paden Kelley[/tag], [tag]Thomas Ashcraft[/tag] and [tag]Barrett Matthews[/tag] will be joining Walters in Austin next year. Together, they constitute the core of a class that has nine players in the ESPNU 150 and was ranked third in ESPN.com’s most recent breakdown of the top recruiting classes.

Walters also shared his quick personal New Year’s resolutions which include his Halo 3 rank and getting fellow future UT linemate Paden Kelly to cut his hair. Mason certainly looks and sounds like a man already. Watch Mason below:

Love to see the kids bonding as this group of guys along with the players at the US Army All-American Game will make up the core of future Texas teams. You can catch Under Armour practices on ESPNU this week and the game will air live Sunday night at 7pm.

After getting bad news on Christmas, Texas fans awoke to more bad news on the first day of 2009. Three redshirting freshmen did not make the trip to Arizona for the [tag]Fiesta Bowl[/tag] due to various reasons. The three players are defensive tackle [tag]Jarvis Humphrey[/tag], linebacker [tag]Dravannti Johnson[/tag] and wide receiver [tag]DJ Monroe[/tag], all of which are important four-star 2008 recruits. The Statesman reports that each of the players was left behind for a different reason and that none were “serious”.

Unsubstantiated (and hopefully untrue) rumors on Orangebloods are that Monroe is a grade casualty and “don’t expect him back.” That of course would be counter to what the Statesman is reporting that none of the three issues were serious and if true would cost the Horns a possible future dynamic playmaker. Losing Humphrey for the spring or longer would also be a huge blow at one of the team’s least deep positions.

While they obviously would not be playing in next Monday’s game against [tag]Ohio State[/tag], bowl practices are a time when young players gain a great deal experience during the extra practice time and these guys are missing reps. Hopefully all three players are still in school and back on the practice field for spring football.

Rivals has posted an interview from new Orangebloods.com editor Jason Howell with three of the Texas commits participating in the US Army All-American Bowl this Saturday at noon. Jason talks to [tag]Alex Okafor[/tag], [tag]Tariq Allen[/tag], and [tag]Greg Timmons[/tag] about their experience preparing for the game, going up against top competition, and being part of the Longhorn family.

Man I love Timmons hair, definitely a look that should never have gone out of style. All three players look like they’ll represent the University well, and Allen and Okafor in particular are very well spoken young men.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
	#10 Ohio St. (10-2) vs. #3 Texas (11-1) Jan. 5, 7:00 p.m. (Fox) Favorite: Texas by 8

The Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes will face each other for the third time in the last four seasons on January 5th in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Splitting the home-and-home series back in 2005 and 2006, the two teams will get the chance to settle the score on the field. The Longhorns are disappointed to be here while the Buckeyes have been embarrassed the last two seasons in BCS championship games, which team will show up in Glendale, Arizona motivated and ready?

As in seasons past, Ohio State relies on a dominating defense and their running game to win games. Behind captains and All-Americans James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins the OSU defense is in the top 10 nationally in several categories including total defense and scoring defense. On the other side of the football true freshman blue chipper Terrelle Pryor has started at quarterback since the USC loss and got better every week. Pryor is good, but running back Chris “Beanie” Wells is both the star and the workhouse who lugged it for over 1,000 yards this season despite missing three games.

The Horns are of course led by Heisman finalist QB [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag]. McCoy and the Texas offense lit up scoreboards all season long even without a consistent rushing attack. McCoy found his favorite targets [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] and [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] to the tune of 3,445 yards and 32 TDs while blowing away Daunte Culpepper’s completion percentage record. The Texas defense has been re-energized by head coach in waiting [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag]. Thanks to the outstanding play by Nagurski Trophy winner [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] and [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] the defense has been a strength despite extreme youth in the secondary. They match-up well against the Buckeyes as the nation’s number two rushing defense.

Players to Watch

Texas: QB Colt McCoy, WR Jordan Shipley, LB Sergio Kindle, LB Roddrick Muckelroy
Ohio State: QB Terrelle Pryor, RB Beanie Wells, LB James Laurinaitis, CB Malcolm Jenkins

40 Acres Fiesta Bowl Coverage

• Bowl Game Looms Large for Texas Team
• Five Longhorns to watch: Fiesta Bowl
• Three redshirt freshmen don’t make trip to Fiesta Bowl
• Some Players need to step up in Bowl Practices

Related Stories

• ESPN Accuscore prediction: Texas 32, Ohio State 25
• Title solidifies Brown’s standing
• Buckeyes are aware of lack of respect
• Big D in Texas?
• Ranking the bowls

Related Videos

• Mack Brown press conference
• ESPN Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Breakdown

Justin Mason, Gary Johnson, and Varez Ward helped swarm the Wisconsin offense

After losing to [tag]Michigan State[/tag] this weekend the Longhorns bounced back with a tough win over the Wisconsin Badgers. The team went into Madison and game away with a close 74-69 win, only the eighth time in seven seasons a road team has won at the Kohl Center. #8 Texas is now 10-2 on the season.

The game again came down to the final moments when forwards [tag]Gary Johnson[/tag] and [tag]Damion James[/tag] made huge plays for the Horns. Johnson, who had another excellent performance with 16 points and 8 rebounds, banked in a long, ugly clutch 2-pointer with less than 30 seconds left to go in the game. On Wisconsin’s next possession James blocked a layup attempt and then pulled in the rebound to put an end to their hopes of victory. James finished the game with 18 points and 15 rebounds.

After struggling in his last game, Texas’ leading scorer [tag]AJ Abrams[/tag] scored 21 points but needed 21 shots to do it. He shot okay from beyond the arc but was only 5 for 14 from 2-point range. Abrams must improve his efficiency if the Horns’ offense is going to find any consistency this season. Backup point guard [tag]Dogus Balbay[/tag] had his best game at Texas by providing a spark off the bench with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in only 17 minutes of playing time.

The Longhorns are now off for the rest of 2008 until they host Appalachian State on January 2nd at the Erwin Center. Big 12 conference play will start against [tag]Iowa State[/tag] on January 10th.

Game Statistics

Related Links

• Game recap
• Game stats
• Game notes
• ESPN360 replay

Last night the Texas Longhorns went to Madison and took down a [tag]Wisconsin[/tag] team that had only lost eight home games in the last seven years. [tag]AJ Abrams[/tag] and [tag]Damion James[/tag] led the team to a 74-69 win with 21 points and 15 rebounds respectively. Watch video highlights below:

Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley will be back catching Colt McCoy passes next year

As expected, Texas wide receiver [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. After missing his first two seasons due to injuries to his knee and then hamstring, Jordan was almost assured of getting the extra year but the NCAA sometimes works in mysterious ways. His return means Heisman runner-up [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] will have his favorite target back for another run at a title and more postseason honors.

[tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] will be gone to the NFL but now Shipley, [tag]Brandon Collins[/tag], [tag]Malcolm Williams[/tag], and [tag]James Kirkendoll[/tag] will all be back. The youngsters grew up a lot this season and if Williams or [tag]Dan Buckner[/tag] step up outside next year’s receiving corps could be even better than this season. Add a tight end and a running threat to one of the country’s top offenses and Texas fans should be pretty excited about the numbers that will be put up in 2009.

The official press release from the university is posted below:

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas’ request for a sixth year of eligibility for WR Jordan Shipley was granted by the NCAA on Monday, Longhorn head coach Mack Brown confirmed. That means Shipley, who missed the entire 2004 and 05 seasons due to knee and hamstring injuries, will return as a senior in 2009.

“It is definitely a blessing to be able to play one more season at Texas,” said Shipley. “This is such a great place, and I’ve had an unbelievable experience. Obviously, it started slow due to the injuries, but I couldn’t be happier with the NCAA’s decision to give me one of those years back.”

Shipley was named third-team All-America after posting 79 receptions for 982 yards (12.4 ypc) and 11 TDs in 2008. His 79 receptions rank second on UT’s single-season list, the 982 yards rank fifth and his 11 TDs are third. Shipley’s 6.6 receptions per game are tied for 18th nationally and his 81.8 yards per game rank 29th. He also returned both a punt and a kickoff for a TD during the season, becoming just the fourth Longhorn to do so in a career.

“We’re really excited for Jordan and our team that he’s been granted a sixth year,” Brown said. “It was so disappointing for him as he fought through injuries and wasn’t able to play his first two years, but he never wavered. He continued to work hard and stayed positive through it all and has become a tremendous player for us. His efforts should inspire those who are going through tough times, that if you stick with it, you can overcome that adversity.

“Jordan’s a great student and athlete who also is a tremendous role model in the community. He is a guy who represents everything that is good about college football, so he certainly is deserving of being rewarded by getting the year back.”

For his career, Shipley has recorded 122 receptions (No. 8 on UT’s all-time list) for 1,628 yards (No. 9 on UT’s all-time list) and 20 TDs (T-No. 2 on UT’s all-time list) during his 39-game career (20 starts). He set a UT record by catching a TD pass in eight consecutive games to open 2008, bettering Limas Sweed’s seven-game streak in 2006, and has caught a TD pass in 11 of his last 15 games.