Texas quarterback [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] has rocketed to the top of every Heisman poll and this week garnered every single first place vote in the poll of ESPN’s experts. But he also has at least one vote from someone that matters, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow:
Tebow, who could become the first player since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin in 1975 to win consecutive Heismans, said Monday that Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is his top choice right now.
“Being smart and just looking at guys who are having a good year, he obviously is someone to look at and would probably be my top guy I’d vote for right now,” Tebow said. “He’s playing extremely well and doing a great job leading his team and handles it with a lot of class, too.”
Like every other former winner, Tebow has a vote in the poll along with 870 media members. If the season ended today, it appears that Colt would receive a ton of first place votes and run away with the award.
Chris Ogbonnaya had 133 total yards.
The number one ranked Longhorns had an impressive win in front of a national audience last Saturday when they beat the Missouri Tigers 56-31. The game wasn’t even as close as the final scored would indicate as Texas jumped on Missouri early, taking a 35-3 lead into halftime. Some of the usual suspects and some new faces came up big in a night that could turn out to be the highlight of the 2008 season. Here is the big board:
- [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] – Could anyone else be on top of the board? The Heisman front runner turned in his best performance of the season Saturday night. Colt went 29 of 32 (92%) for 337 yards and two touchdowns. He also added two touchdowns on the ground. McCoy is playing better than anyone in the country and seems to break a UT passing record every single time he steps on the field.
- [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] – No Texas defender put up huge stats this weekend, but Kindle was everywhere all night. His athleticism is second to none as he showed on one play chasing down a Missouri reverse after being blocked. The linebacker/defensive end ended the night with five tackles and one of UT’s two sacks of Chase Daniel.
- [tag]Chris Ogbonnaya[/tag] – Ogbonnaya has come out of nowhere to become the unquestioned go to back in Texas’ backfield. For the first few games of the season Texas fans and their staff were searching for a guy to break out. It was Chris “O” all along. The former wide receiver led the team in rushing, gaining 68 yards on 13 carries including two touchdown runs. The senior’s main strength may be what he does when receiving out of the backfield where he added another 68 yards on six catches. McCoy is driving this team, but the emergence of Ogbonnaya has been the best thing that has happened to this offense so far this season.
- [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] – His stats will not impress you: only one tackle. But how he changes a game can not be measured by a box score. O-Sackpo as his teammates are calling him forced Chase Daniel to move around all night. He forced Daniel into Kindle’s arms for one sack and caused the hurried throw by Daniel in the end zone that led to Ryan Palmer’s interception. Orakpo has been unblock able all year, and will be on everyone’s All American team as this year finishes.
- [tag]Brandon Collins[/tag] – Yes, Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby had more catches but the emergence of Collins as a third receiver was huge for this team. He made a huge catch early in the game to get the offense going and continued to make plays in the slot throughout the night. Collins finished with six catches for 76 yards clearly becoming the best option not named Shipley or Cosby for McCoy in the passing game. As important as it was in this game, the impact of Collins’ night will have an effect on how defenses have to prepare for this offense moving forward.
- [tag]Blake Gideon[/tag] – This guy impresses more and more with each game. Watching the true freshman on TV does not due him justice. Gideon makes all the calls for the secondary, frequently barking out calls or make hand gestures right before the snap because he saw something that needed to be changed. He is a sure tackler that isn’t afraid of contact as he proved when putting a lick on tight end Chase Coffman early in the game. The combination of Gideon and fellow freshman Earl Thomas has improved significantly to the point that the safeties are becoming a strength of this team instead of a liability.
- [tag]Charlie Tanner[/tag] – The big guys on the offensive line need some love. Tanner went out early in the season and the so called experts (message board coaches) thought that the injury could be a good thing for the line because it would allow higher rated Michael Huey to get more game time. The fact is that this unit struggled with Tanner not in the lineup and the proof is that now Huey and David Snow take senior Cedric Dockery’s snaps when they come into the ball game and not Tanner’s.
- [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] – The chemistry between Shipley and McCoy is unfair at this point. Shipley has become essentially the tight end for this football team and frankly the offense is more explosive because of it. Shipley ended the night with another touchdown (he has scored at least one in every game) on eight catches for 89 yards. Missouri showed Shipley respect by not kicking to him at all on the evening.
- [tag]Roddrick Muckelroy[/tag] – “Muck” probably deserves to be higher on the list because he led the team in tackles once again accounting for 11 total on the night. Missouri’s offense got away from the run early because of the score but Muckelroy was still able to make an impact. The junior linebacker doesn’t make the “wow” plays that Kindle and Orakpo do but there is no doubt that Roddrick is the best and most complete linebacker on the team. He has struggled with injuries in his career but has stayed healthy and come into his own this season.
- [tag]Ryan Palmer[/tag] – There was concern coming into the game that the senior cornerback wasn’t going to be able to play because of the hamstring he injured in the Oklahoma game. Palmer played and made a big impact on the night, recording Texas’ lone turnover on an interception and almost making another pick early in the game that would have been returned for a touchdown if the not so sure handed corner would have held on. Palmer may not have the physical gifts that some of the younger defensive backs on the roster have, but he plays hard and with an attitude that I think is beginning to rub off on guys like Chykie Brown and Earl Thomas.
- [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] – McCoy is going to get a lot of credit for the passing attack, and rightfully so, but Cosby and Shipley have played at another level this whole year. Cosby finished the night with seven catches for 74 yards. Cosby plays harder than anybody on the team and just appears to max out his ability on every snap of every game. He contributes in the return game on punts and kicks and has become one of Texas’ better blocking receivers. With Shipley moving inside, Cosby has become UT’s go to outside receiver and he has yet to disappoint.
Saturday night with a national television watching the Texas Longhorns showed everyone (well, almost everyone) that they’re the clear number one. They took a very good [tag]Missouri[/tag] team behind the woodshed and beat them handily. In a near perfect first half the Longhorns jumped out to a 35 – 0 lead before the Tigers knew what hit them.
Watch the ESPN highlights of the game:
Stay tuned to Bevo Sports for more coverage of the Mizzou game and preview of Texas and [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag].
The #1 Texas Longhorns versus the #11 Missouri Tigers is the biggest game of the weekend in college football. The two high scoring offenses will match-up tonight at 7pm in a nationally televised game on ABC and ESPN Gameday was live from the forty acres this morning. With an even bigger target on their backs than usual, can the Longhorns continue their high level play and stay at the top of the polls? See what the editors of Bevo Sports think below:
Brian – [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag] did a great job slowing down Mizzou’s offense in their upset last week and Texas is even better on that side of the ball. If OSU can get after Chase Daniel with their defensive line than [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] and [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] are going to have huge games. With their defense the Tigers will need to score 50+ to win against good teams, they’re not going to do it tonight. Texas will frustrate Daniel into making mistakes and the Horns are going to win big because of it. Texas 48 – Missouri 27
Matt – Many Longhorn fans seem to think this game is going to be easy. This scares me a little. Missouri is a tough team and they don’t average 555 yards (383 yards passing) for nothing. And then you have the fact that Texas just gave up 5 passing touchdowns. And then you have Chase Daniel who is probably still pissed off with past recruiting issues and will probably be trying extra hard to prove Texas wrong. Now with all of that said I think Texas will be ready for this game and won’t get caught in all the hype the #1 ranking brings. This will be be a high scoring affair (the O/U is only 65). Texas 48 – Missouri 38
Mike – Last week I made the mistake of picking against Texas. This week I’m torn between made to look like an idiot for two straight weeks and jinxing the Horns by picking them to win. I’m hoping [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] and [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag] are enough to overcome my jinx because I’m picking Texas in this one. Both teams have Heisman Trophy candidates at quarterback, both teams can make plays in the special teams, and both teams are coming off of season changing games. The difference in this one will be turnovers and pass defense. I think Texas holds the advantage in both of those categories. McCoy is going to shred an overmatched Tiger secondary and the combination of Orakpo and Kindle will remind Chase Daniel why he always wanted to be a Longhorn. Texas 41 – Missouri 20
Don't let Jeremy Maclin beat you
Another week, another tough opponent for the Longhorns. This week it’s [tag]Missouri[/tag] and their Heisman candidate quarterback Chase Daniel in a national primetime game on ABC. The Texas defense will be trying to slow down the Tigers’ offense while [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] and the offense attempt to continue to put up huge numbers on the scoreboard.
Read on below to see what the keys are for the Longhorns to come out on top:
1. Use Missouri’s wide splits against them.
ESPN was useful for the first time in years when they posted a video breakdown of how Oklahoma State’s defense slowed down the Mizzou offense. The defensive end instead of trying to get outside simply takes advantage of the wide splits and speeds right at the quarterback while the defensive tackle twists outside to provide contain pressure. The Missouri offensive coaches better either have come up with a counter for that or change strategy completely because if they don’t [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] and [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] are going to blow things up all game long.
2. Don’t let Jeremy Maclin change momentum with a kick return.
Last week against [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] the Longhorns were down by 11 when a big [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] kickoff return for a score completely flipped the game’s score and momentum. Texas can’t let Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin do the same thing in this game. Texas needs punter [tag]John Gold[/tag] and kickoff specialist [tag]Justin Tucker[/tag] to either kick it away from Maclin or put it high enough and deep enough that the coverage teams can do their job.
3. Continue developing third receiving option.
Last week Shipley and [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] together absolutely torched the OU defense but at some point this year the Horns will face a team with cornerbacks who can man up against those guys. The team needs to find another option Colt McCoy can rely on. Sophomore [tag]Brandon Collins[/tag] caught three passes against the Sooners and may be becoming that guy. Now that the Texas offense will be using more four wide receiver sets both Collins and [tag]James Kirkendoll[/tag] will get their chances and need to step up.
Former Texas running back [tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag] may get his first NFL start this Sunday for the Kansas City Chiefs when they face off against the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs have suspended Pro Bowl RB Larry Johnson after being charged with assault earlier in the week for a February incident in which he allegedly shoved a woman at a nightclub. Either Charles or Kolby Smith will get the start in his place.
Officially, Johnson was “deactivated” and not suspended by the team:
Running back Larry Johnson will not be active this week when the Chiefs meet the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. Johnson has not been “suspended,” head coach Herm Edwards said today, and his deactivation is not related in any way to Johnson’s pending court case. He won’t be active for the game because “he broke team rules and the consequences are he won’t play this weekend,” Edwards made clear.
“Larry Johnson is not suspended,” Edwards said, “for if you know suspension he can’t be at the facility and he can’t practice. Larry practiced yesterday, he practiced today.” Edwards said Johnson will return to the field next week.
Charles hasn’t gotten a ton of carries this season (21 for 98 yards) but he is averaging a healthy 4.7 yards per carry and has also caught 12 passes for 68 yards. Possibly getting your first start (and for sure getting a bunch of carries) against a tough Titans’ defense isn’t ideal, but it is a good chance for Jamaal to show he should be getting more than six touches per game. The Titans and Chiefs play Sunday at noon on CBS, but the game is not being shown on TV in this area.
The University of Texas faces the Missouri Tigers Saturday night in primetime on ABC. ESPN Gameday will be in town for the first big game in the new and improved DKR. The Longhorns are ranked at number one in the nation after their upset win last week in Dallas. Everybody knows the Colt McCoys and the Brian Orakpos, but football games usually come down to the play of few unsung players. Here is five, technically six, to look for this Saturday.
[tag]Brandon Collins[/tag]
The Longhorn offense is still searching for a third option in the receiving game. Against the Sooners Collins made a few plays and looked like a good option out of the slot. The sophomore ended his day with three catches, which was the most by a receiver not named [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] or [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag]. With Texas moving into more four receiver sets Collins’ role should increase as defenses adjust to Shipley playing in the tight split. Yes Texas is 6-0, and yes they’re number one in the nation, but this offense will not achieve maximum production until a third receiver surfaces. People have been waiting for freshman [tag]Dan Buckner[/tag] and [tag]Malcolm Williams[/tag] to be that guy, but it seems like that will not happen this year. It is easier for smaller, slot receiver types like Collins and [tag]James Kirkendoll[/tag] to earn a quarterback’s trust mid-season. Last week Cosby proved he can get deep. One of the slot guys needs to step up and take heat off the top two guys.
[tag]Peter Ullman[/tag]
Don’t watch what he does, watch what he doesn’t do. Last weekend, for the first time this season UT’s base offense was four receivers and a running back. The tight end position was all but eliminated from the game plan save for jumbo package situations. It will be very telling for this team’s game plan going forward in the year if Greg Davis’ offense comes out running this formation for the majority of the snaps. Ever since the injury to [tag]Blaine Irby[/tag] earlier in the year, the offense has searched for a way to attack the middle in the passing game. Injuries and a lack of production from the reserve tight ends caused the staff to search for a new way. They found it last week in Jordan Shipley. If you see a lot of number 86 on Saturday (that is Ullman’s jersey number), we’ll know the formation had more to do with match ups than philosophy. But if Ullman and back up [tag]Greg Smith[/tag] are only seen near the goal line, everybody will know the Horns have a new base offense.
[tag]Henry Melton[/tag]
The front four of the Texas defense is playing at a different level, and so far most of the attention, rightfully so, has gone to [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] and [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag]. Quietly Melton, the senior starter and former running back, is having a very solid year. He is not going to wow anybody with his pass rushing ability, but he plays hard at the point of the attack and has shown the ability to chase down and make a play on a scrambling quarterback. As Orakpo continues his All-American play more and more focus will be shifted to his side in terms of running back and tight end help. Coordinator [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag] has used Kindle as his pass rushing specialist opposite Orakpo, but does not like to leave the speedy linebacker on the line on downs when a pass is not certain. That duty goes to Melton, and if he can add more pressure from his position on first and second down there is nothing this defense can not accomplish.
[tag]Aaron Williams[/tag]
The true freshman from Round Rock McNeil high school has been outstanding. Last week in the Oklahoma game senior starting cornerback [tag]Ryan Palmer[/tag] went down with a hamstring injury. Williams was the first guy off the bench. With Williams in the game UT’s secondary was playing three freshman out of a five man secondary against one of the best passing offenses in the nation. The group played well, only allowing seven points after the 10 minute mark of the third quarter. This week’s game sees another top passing offense on the other side of the field, and with Palmer’s status in doubt the secondary may get to play a whole game with three freshmen (two true freshmen) in the secondary of a number one ranked team. [tag]Deon Beasley[/tag] will likely get the start if Palmer can’t go, but Texas has relied on a five defensive back for most of the snaps. It seems clear that Williams has passed up sophomore [tag]Curtis Brown[/tag] for now, so a serious amount on snaps will likely go to Williams even if Palmer can go. A hamstring injury lingers and many times a player can start but have a hard time finishing ballgames. The colder weather expected for the game can’t help.
[tag]John Gold[/tag] and [tag]Justin Tucker[/tag]
Don’t kick it to Jeremy Maclin. Please don’t kick it to Jeremy Maclin. There are only a few ways Missouri can pull the upset. One of them is big plays in the return game. Last week the Longhorns proved that points on special teams can turn a game around, and if Maclin takes one back early in this game it could be the spark that lights the fuse for Missouri’s upset. The loss for the Tigers last week against [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag] has made people forget how good this Missouri team can be. Two weeks ago outsiders favored Missouri. This all changed because of one win and one loss. Texas won last week because of the kicking game and turnovers. The Longhorns could easily lose this one because of the same things if Gold or Tucker punts to Maclin through out the game. There is an argument to just kick it deep and rely on your coverage, but why chance it? I’d put my faith in Will Muschamp and the defense over the kick coverage every game. What about you?
Not sure any weekend will be able to top the match-ups we saw on Saturday, but there are plenty of good games to watch tomorrow. You get to start your day off with an early SEC battle with #22 Vanderbilt playing at #10 Georgia. Then you get a nice afternoon game with #16 Kansas playing at #4 Oklahoma. After that I suggest you take a quick nap and then it will be time for #1 Texas to take on #11 Mizzou in the marquee match-up of the day. Gameday will be in Austin, as will I.
Let’s take a look at the rest of the big games. FYI, I went 3-1 last weekend against the spread (for around the 5th straight weekend). Hopefully some of you are making some money with me.
#22 Vanderbilt at #10 Georgia (-15) – 12:30 PM EST on ESPN Gameplan. How will Vanderbilt respond to their first loss of the season? I’ll tell you how, they will get destroyed by Georgia in Athens. Let’s just take a quick look at the numbers here. Georgia is averaging 440 yards in total offense and Vanderbilt is only averaging 262.5 yards. Georgia is averaging 280.8 yards passing and Vanderbilt is only averaging 102.7 yards. This has blow-out written all over it.
#16 Kansas at #4 Oklahoma (-20) – 3:30 PM EST on ABC. Talk about a line jump, this game was set to open at 14 and was immediately bumped up to 20. Seems like a big number to me. Oklahoma’s best defensive player Ryan Reynolds is out for the season and their defense is fresh off allowing 438 yards to Texas. Kansas’ 7th ranked passing offense should keep them in the game. I don’t expect Kansas to win, but I think they can hang in there and not lose by 3 touchdowns.
#12 Ohio State at #20 Michigan State (+3.5) – 3:30 PM EST on ABC. I guess you won’t really be able to watch this game since the OU game will be on, but this one could get interesting. Ohio State should be on high upset alert as Michigan State has been on a roll winning their last 6 games. You may know by now I am a big advocate of the run game, and that is where Michigan State excels with Javon Ringer already racking up over 1100 yards. And just so you know since Pryor took over the quarterback duties from Boeckman, the Buckeyes have had the 10th worst passing offense averaging 128 yards per game. I am liking Michigan State here, money-line.
#11 Missouri at #1 Texas (-5) – 8:00 PM EST on ABC. I remember reading Hornfans last week and noticing most people seemed pretty level headed in that it would take a great game to beat OU. Now if you read Hornfans you will see a lot of people talking about how we will dominate Mizzou and how we will be all over Chase Daniel, etc, etc. This scares me a little. Missouri is a tough team and they don’t average 555 yards (383 yards passing) for nothing. And then you have the fact that Texas just gave up 5 passing touchdowns and you can see where my concern is. With all of that said I think Texas will be up for this game and ready to defend their #1 ranking. Home field advantage is the key here.
Can the Longhorns stop Missouri's Chase Daniel?
It could have been a match-up of top three teams but Missouri’s loss to [tag]Oklahoma State[/tag] takes just a little away from this Saturday’s game between the Longhorns and Tigers. With the Horns now the number one team in the country every game is huge so the atmosphere for a night game at DKR should still be incredible. ESPN’s College Gameday will be present once again as the Longhorns try to keep another dynamic offense from scoring as many points as [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] can muster.
When Texas has the ball
Texas’ offense looked great last week against a solid [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] defense. The offense found a running game in the second half, they proved the wide receivers could get deep in one-on-one coverage, and coordinator [tag]Greg Davis[/tag] showed an ability to make adjustments and exploit a defense’s weakness. All of these things had not been proven heading into last week’s game.
Missouri’s defense has not looked so good. They probably played their best game last week in the loss to Oklahoma State. The Tiger defense struggles in pass coverage, so expect Colt McCoy, [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag], and [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] to have another big day. The Longhorn offenses wants to find a third receiver, but at this point any production outside of Shipley and Cosby will be considered a bonus. Texas will be able to move the ball against Missouri, but the Horns must capitalize inside the red-zone with touchdowns not field goals.
The offensive line is playing great and should have a physical advantage across the board on Saturday night. McCoy helps the big guys out by buying time in the pocket. If McCoy can break contain and put Mizzou’s linebackers in awkward spots Texas will move the ball with ease. The Tigers must force McCoy to stay in the pocket and make mistakes to have any chance.
The running game has come alive the past two games because of senior [tag]Chris Ogbonnaya[/tag]. His name has been typed so much the past two weeks that sports writers can finally spell it without referring to the media guide each time. At this point it appears Fozzy Whittaker will not be a factor this year. His knee injuries have only allowed him to play in one game, and I don’t expect the coaches to give the redshirt freshman many carries in big games moving forward. The ball will be in Ogbonnaya’s hands a lot in the running and passing game, but the key may be the short yardage play of [tag]Cody Johnson[/tag]. If the big guy can continue his success there is not much defenses can do against this team.
Like last week, Texas faces another high powered offense with the ability to score quickly and frequently. It will be up to McCoy’s offense to put points on the board, and to take time off the clock. Last week Texas was brilliant in this regard. The offense picked up third down conversions when they needed to and stuck with the running game even when it appeared they had no chance to make plays. This effort wore down the Oklahoma defense and got Sam Bradford and the Sooner offense out of rhythm. Texas outscored OU 25-7 in the last quarter and a half last week and will need that type of effort again to come out with a victory.
When Missouri has the ball
Missouri may be the best offense this Texas defense has to face this year. Quarterback Chase Daniel is a Texas native and has expressed his interest on many occasions to prove he should have been recruited harder by the Longhorn staff. Daniel isn’t the most dangerous player on Mizzou’s team however, that honor goes to red-shirt sophomore Jeremy Maclin. Maclin can do it all, he catches, he runs, and he is deadly in returns. It will be interesting to see what coordinator [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag] comes up with to defense Maclin. If cornerback [tag]Ryan Palmer[/tag] isn’t healthy I’d suspect Texas shadows Maclin with a safety over the top. If Palmer can go, look for the senior to get matched up on Maclin for most of the game. Both guys are small and quick and would provide a great match up on the outside. Missouri does a good job of moving Maclin around; Texas’ most important job pre-snap will be to identify the dangerous Maclin.
The Tiger offense creates big plays, but they don’t necessarily do it through deep passes. Daniel likes to get the ball out quickly underneath and let his playmakers make plays with their feet. Texas’ best weapon on defense is their pass rush, led by [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] and super freak [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag]. Missouri will look to throw a lot of screens. The screen game was effective against Texas in their last two games because of the Horns eagerness to get to the quarterback. Unlike McCoy, Daniel is not a great quarterback if he is forced to move around and create plays. It will be up to the front four to provide that pressure for Texas’ defense because the linebackers will need to be used to stop the short passing game.
Texas faced a great tight end last week, and will face another one this week. Missouri’s Chase Coffman is one of the best in the nation. [tag]Roddrick Muckelroy[/tag] was in coverage for most of the second half against OU’s Gresham, if Coffman has early success Muschamp will go back to this strategy. But Texas must be careful to not forget about the running game. UT’s defense has been great against the run. They face a decent back this weekend in Derrick Washington. Washington leads the nation in scoring. He is a powerful back that has the ability to make big runs if he can get to the second level with a full head of steam.
Missouri’s offensive line uses big splits, like Texas Tech, to provide more time and space for their quick passing game. Last week, Oklahoma State tried to go inside the tackles in order to force Daniel to scramble. Texas would like to get conventional pressure from the corner, but may use this strategy if no pressure is being made. I’d expect a lot of three defensive end looks, or a 3-3-5 look with Kindle playing linebacker or defensive end depending on the circumstances. If Texas can put pressure on Missouri and keep everything in front of them it has a chance to be a great night for the Horns.
Good interview up on Dan Patrick’s site with Dan and [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag]. Colt talks about beating OU, being on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and of course the SI cover jinx. Click play to listen to the eight minute interview below:
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