40 Acres Sports

Texas head coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] discussed bowl practices and other topics with the media at the first official press conference since the regular season ended on Thursday. The Statesman has posted the video, watch below:

Word from Orangebloods sources is that the coaches and players are fired up and practices are spirited and the team will be ready for [tag]Ohio State[/tag] in January. Could be bad news for the Buckeyes if the Horns are both prepared and pissed.

The University of Texas volleyball team fell in the National semifinals to the Stanford Cardinal.  Stanford won the final game 15-13 in the final set.  For the first time in 27 years a team overcame a 0-2 deficit to reach the NCAA title game.  It will be the third title game appearance in a row for Stanford.

The Longhorns looked good early with superstar [tag]Destinee Hooker[/tag] leading the way.  No team in the nation has an answer for Hooker’s ability to get up in the air.  Throughout the night Stanford put up to three people up for the block only to see Hooker go over the top for the kill.

Stanford was off early, but caught fire in the last three sets.  Texas struggled with communication on sets and on defense.  The experience of the Stanford squad proved to be too much for the young Longhorns.  Texas only has two seniors in their rotation so expect another long run next year.

Stanford will now play the winner of [tag]Penn State[/tag] versus [tag]Nebraska[/tag].  Penn State won the title against Stanford last year 3-2.  Penn State has swept every game since.

The NFL Pro Bowl rosters for the AFC and NFC were announced and two Longhorns were on it. Dallas guard [tag]Leonard Davis[/tag] and Cleveland defensive tackle [tag]Shaun Rogers[/tag] have both been selected to make return trips to Hawaii. This is Rogers’ third Pro Bowl selection, his first two coming after the 2004 and 2005 seasons when he was with Detroit. Big Leonard made his first Pro Bowl last year in his first season as a Cowboy.

Congrats to a couple of big former Longhorns.

Over the last several days Texas football players [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag], [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag], and [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] have brought in several All-American honors. Orakpo in particular has brought in four such honors including a first team AP All-American award today. Check out the list of honors below:

[tag]Colt McCoy[/tag]

• Second team AP All-American
• First team Football Writers (FWAA) All-American
• First team Walter Camp All-American

[tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag]

• First team AP All-American
• First team Football Writers (FWAA) All-American
• First team Walter Camp All-American
• AFCA Coaches’ All-America

[tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag]

• Third team AP All-American

Fans knew it would be close but the final 2008 [tag]Heisman[/tag] voting came down to 151 points between the first and third place finishers. Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford ended up edging out Texas quarterback [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] to take home this season’s Heisman Trophy. The two Big 12 QBs didn’t get the most first place votes (that honor fell to third place finisher Tim Tebow) but Bradford pulled in enough place votes to “earn” the trophy.

The final voting totals for the top three are below:

	1st	2nd	3rd	Total
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma	300	315	196	1,726
Colt McCoy, Texas	266	288	230	1,640
Tim Tebow, Florida	309	207	234	1,575

Kirk Herbstreit and Co. discuss how the voting broke down right after the presentation:

It wouldn’t surprise me if both Bradford and Tebow test the NFL draft waters but if they don’t we could see these same three finalists again next December. McCoy is coming back for sure and will certainly be at the top of a very short list of Heisman favorites in 2009.

Texas’ hopes for the 2009 season just got a lot higher. Junior quarterback (and Heisman leader) [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] told the Austin American-Statesman today that he would be staying at UT for his senior season. Here’s the Bevo Beat story:

Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy will stay for his senior season.

McCoy told the American-Statesman of his decision Monday.

“I’m not going anywhere,” McCoy said.

McCoy said he wants to play for a national championship, after falling one spot short of the title game this season.

“I’m coming back because we have a solid coaching staff,” he said. “And I’m coming back because I feel like I can develop the young receivers we have.”

McCoy said he will not “initiate” an evaluation with the NFL underclassmen committee. He said his coaches may ask for an evaluation for informational purposes, but he does not plan on asking them to do so.

McCoy is a redshirt junior. After this semester, he’ll have 12 hours remaining before he graduates. He said he’s planning on doing an internship this summer and will take a final course next fall, then graduate.

Freaking. Fantastic. News.

It can’t be overstated how important this is for the Longhorns in 2009. [tag]John Chiles[/tag] improved by leaps and bounds this season but he’s not ready to lead this team where they’re capable of going. This team should be in this year’s title game and (depending on who returns at OU) and with McCoy returning will likely be one of the top three teams in next year’s preseason polls. The Longhorns are less than a month away from playing in the [tag]Fiesta Bowl[/tag] and I’m already fired up for next season.

Texas defensive end [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] was announced last night as the winner of the Bronco Nagurski Trophy at a ceremony held in Charlotte, North Carolina. The award has been given annually since 1993 to the nation’s best defensive college football player as judged by the members of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Orakpo is the second Longhorn to win the award, joining 2004 winner [tag]Derrick Johnson[/tag].

• Read the university release.

Even though officially got jobbed last weekend, we still have plenty of games to enjoy and a glimmer of hope for making it to the National Championship. This Saturday determines who will be playing in Miami on January 8th. Florida and Alabama decide who will go from the SEC, and somehow Oklahoma is playing Missouri for the Big 12 Championship.

Let’s see what else looks good this weekend. I went a decent 3-2 last weekend and should continue my 75% pace this weekend.

#1 Alabama at #4 Florida (-10) – 4:00 PM EST on CBS. This is probably one of the more shocking lines that I have seen in a while. And not necessarily because I don’t agree with it, but because the undefeated, #1 team in the nation is double digit underdogs playing in their conference championship. Needless to say Alabama will have a chip on their shoulder for this one. I am still not convinced that Tim Tebow can throw the ball effectively against a good defense. Have you seen his passing touchdown highlights? They are always ugly lobs to a receiver that is wide open, never a crisp pass into coverage. I think Alabama will be able to contain the run and force Tebow to beat them through the air (which he can’t), and not only cover the spread but win outright. Take Alabama moneyline.

#5 USC at UCLA (-33) – 4:30 PM EST on ABC. Some weird controversy in this game with Pete Carroll wanting to wear the home jersey even though they are the road team. You know what, who cares, I say let them both wear home jerseys. It’s not like it is going to matter. Last weekend USC’s defense only allowed 4 first downs. This weekend they will only allow 3. UCLA is not playing well right now and is too young in the talent positions. This game was over before it even started. Take USC and give the points.

#20 Missouri at #2 Oklahoma (-17) – 8:00 PM EST on ABC.I hate when you can’t control your own destiny, but yet again Texas fans have to sit back and root against Oklahoma for a shot at the national championship. At the beginning of the year I would have said Missouri has a shot, but after we destroyed them at home this season and seeing how they have been playing lately, I will go ahead and say they have no shot at winning this game. In fact, they really don’t have a shot at covering this game. Oklahoma will get up 21-0 in the first quarter and never look back. Take Oklahoma and give the points.

Texas is entering the teeth of their pre-season schedule with [tag]UCLA[/tag], [tag]Villanova[/tag], and [tag]Wisconsin[/tag] coming up on the schedule. Texas has already been tested in the young season at the Maui Invitational. The Longhorns finished third after losing a close one to Notre Dame. Every season presents different questions about a team, but after a handful of games we’re starting to learn some key things about the Longhorn basketball team.

1. [tag]Justin Mason[/tag] is going to be the point guard. I know [tag]AJ Abrams[/tag], and his father, want him to be a point guard but the fact is the senior sharp shooter isn’t one. The former McNeil star wasn’t one in high school and he won’t be in college. Barnes allows Abrams to play point on some occasions but clearly this team is served best with Abrams running the base line working off screens. Mason showed the ability to run the point and beat defenders off the dribble when he had a monster dunk that ended up being the play of the night on SportsCenter after the Notre Dame game. Even if Abrams could run the point consistently it would put the Longhorns at a disadvantage on the offensive end if Mason played the off guard because Mason possesses fewer skills at the “2” than Abrams does at the “1”. Look for Mason to be the point guard going forward.

2. [tag]Damion James[/tag] is the key to the season. The Longhorns looked the best offensively Wednesday against [tag]Oregon[/tag] even with Abrams not being a huge part of the offense. The success was due to the focus on pounding the ball into the paint and the willingness of James to play from the inside out. James struggled the first two games of the tournament in shot selection as he seemed to try too hard in prove he can play on the wing. James is one of only six returning players in the nation to average a double-double last season. Even though this team will rely more on his perimeter skills James can not forget what has made him a star. He must attack the basket and be a factor on the glass for the Longhorns to make a run at a Final Four. James’ work ethic is unquestioned so there should be no doubt he will do whatever it takes to improve in these areas.

3. This team misses [tag]DJ Augustin[/tag]. This is a no brainer. Augustin was the best pure point guard in the nation last year and is already making an impact in the NBA. The Longhorns led the nation in turnovers (9.4) last year with Augustin at the point. Without him Texas is already averaging 15 a game this season with the combination of Mason and Abrams running the ball. As Mason, and [tag]Dogus Balbay[/tag], continue to get more comfortable as the man at point the Longhorns are sure to improve in the area. With the pressure and intensity Texas is able to produce on the defensive end it is imperative that this team value the ball on the offensive end. Nothing is going to come easy this year on the offensive end and Texas can not afford to give away possessions to good teams.

4. Defense, Defense, Defense. [tag]Rick Barnes[/tag] loves defensive teams. He must love this one. The Longhorns are already being called the best defensive team in the nation after only five games. The Longhorns pressure the ball at will and with James playing on the perimeter are able to add length and athleticism that Barnes has not been able to muster at Texas. The Longhorns are going to give opponents fits all year with their effort on the defensive end and they are going to have to keep it up, especially early in the year, as the offense finds an identity. A good defense can keep you in games that the offense is struggling in and with only one proven outside shooter on the team it is likely there will be a few games where Texas is going to have to win ugly.

Texas did everything they could on Thanksgiving night beating the Aggies 49-9. The defense was dominant and [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] may have secured the Heisman Trophy. The Longhorns wait to see how the BCS situation shakes out while we look at the top 11 performers from Thursday night.

1. [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] – McCoy bounced back from a turnover filled sophomore season with arguably the best season a Texas quarterback has ever experienced. Texas A&M had been the bugaboo for the junior star until Thursday night. McCoy did everything once again for the Longhorns accounting for four total touchdowns and over 300 yards passing. He continued to be Texas’ number one running threat while completing his passes at a record breaking clip. Texas needed to impress the voters and their quarterback made sure they did.

2. [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] – There are a lot of players that deserved the top spot on Texas’ defense but Sergio is going to get the nod. Kindle was everywhere on the night showing off his unfair athletic ability. Kindle has found his home coming off the edge for the Longhorn defense but showed Thursday night the ability to play in space. The former Dallas prep star finished with five tackles, three of which were for losses, and a sack against the overmatched Aggies. Aggie quarterback Stephen McGee thought he had something to say after Kindle’s sack but quickly realized it would have been a very bad idea.

3. [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] – The soon to be first round pick made a huge impact in his first extended game action since the injury he suffered in the Texas Tech game. Orakpo is the most physically dominating player on the field every time he steps on the field. Even facing double teams and chips from running backs and tight ends, Orakpo is able to disrupt seemingly every play. He finished with a sack and a half and added four more recorded quarterback hits. The pressure the front four produces allows the secondary to get better each week.

4. [tag]Brandon Collins[/tag] – Seemingly all year long the young receivers have taken turns making an impact as the third receiver for the Longhorn offense. It was Collins’ turn this week. Collins had a team high 103 yards on a tied for team high six receptions. The sophomore did most of his damage on middle screens out of the spread set. His 20 yard touchdown catch in the second quarter gave the Longhorn offense the momentum it needed to get the scoring rolling. Texas would score a touchdown on the next four possessions.

5. [tag]Earl Thomas[/tag] – There will be no more questions on Earl Thomas’ speed. The freshman safety made two jaw dropping plays on the night, one being when he caught speedy Mike Goodson on what appeared to be a 90+ yard touchdown reception. Despite a bad angle Thomas caught Goodson and let him know about it. Thomas gives the secondary an edge and was in on a number plays on Thursday night in both the run and pass game. Thomas has bounced back from the end of the Texas Tech game with three outstanding performances from his safety position.

6. [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] – The senior made his last game in DKR a memorable one by catching one of McCoy’s two touchdown passes. Cosby was one of the few players on this team that got on the field in the win over USC in 2005, so I’m sure he was happy to see the team back on top. Cosby has been McCoy’s rock all season and continued to come up with key third down and red zone completions. Cosby finished with six catches and 80 yards to go along with the touchdown.

7. [tag]Cody Johnson[/tag] – It is hard to account for two touchdowns and over 100 yards on the ground and not earn top five ranking but the truth of the matter is that Johnson’s yards came mostly when the game was out of reach. The big guy in the backfield did show some impressive speed on his 61 yard run late in the game. Johnson has continued to be excellent in his role as short yardage back, but could be so much more for this team moving forward if he can get his weight down 10 pounds or so. It will be interesting to see how the coaching staff uses the red-shirt freshman in the bowl workouts and in the Spring.

8. [tag]Roddrick Muckelroy[/tag] – Texas A&M managed to gain -24 yards rushing on the night. Texas’ run defense has been ranked in the top five all season in yards given up per game and while a lot of that may be attributed to the offenses that are ran in the Big 12 the man playing the best week in and week out against the run has been Roddrick Muckelroy. The junior is becoming one of the best linebackers in the [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] era. He leads the team in tackles on the year and seems to do so in every game. Muckelroy finished with a tie for the team lead with six tackles, including one for a loss.

9. [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] – Shipley had a quiet day by his standards for most of the game against the Aggies, but was able to come up with the highlight of the game on a 68 yard catch over the middle to set up a first and goal. Colt McCoy’s roommate, in case you didn’t know, caught for balls for 85 yards. Shipley seemed to be the focal point for the A&M defense which allowed other players, such as Collins, to step up. Did you know Shipley and McCoy go fishing and hunting together?

10. [tag]Roy Miller[/tag] – Roy Miller has played great in the middle all season for Texas. His impact cannot be measured by looking at the box score, but he finished with two tackles, a pass breakup, and two quarterback hits. Texas A&M could get nothing going up the middle from the run or screen game for the entire 60 minutes. Miller must be given credit for his lead blocking on short yardage situations for the offense as well.

11. [tag]David Snow[/tag] – Didn’t hear his name on Thursday? That is a good thing. With no fanfare at all the true freshman has stepped in to play center for a potential national championship team and nobody has even noticed. Texas continues to struggle in the run game and has not protected McCoy as well as they would like but Snow has stepped up tremendously with [tag]Chris Hall[/tag] injured. It is likely Hall will be back for the bowl game, and in that case Snow will get snaps at guard on top of backup center.