40 Acres Sports

Nothing gets me more fired up than watching Ducks Unlimited TV before a big Longhorn game. Do you think Versus would show a show about hunting and killing ducks if Oregon was playing instead of Texas and [tag]Baylor[/tag]? That might be a little awkward.

If you’re not one of the many Texas fans who made the trip to Waco you’ll have to surf through about 1,000 channels before you’ll find Versus and you’re probably only getting it if you have satellite or digital cable. Versus is on channel 603 on DirecTV, channel 151 on Dish Network, and on 470 if you’ve got Time Warner digital cable in Austin.

Here we go…

First Quarter

• I like the straight zone run play with [tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag] than the zone read or the counter. Gives Jamaal a chance to hit the hole fast and get going north/south quicker.
• I like that a professional football announcer doesn’t know the difference between the zone read and a counter. Not even run out of the shotgun is a zone read.
• Three attempts towards [tag]Jermichael Finley[/tag] already. One good completion, one ball he should have caught, and one that he and [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] had a miscommunication on.
• And another pass towards Finley. Texas attempts a fake field goal after he goes out wide and uncovered but [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] can’t get the play off quickly enough and then can’t get the ball out to him before the defense adjusted. Versus missed the whole play because we were zoomed in on kicker Ryan Bailey’s helmet.
• [tag]Erick Jackson[/tag] has been serviceable at safety this season but he is absolutely awful at adjusting to the ball in the air. He was there in coverage on a terrible Baylor pass but couldn’t make a play on the ball. Looked similar to the unnecessary pass interference penalty he picked up last week.
• Baylor offensive lineman Dan Gay IV commits a holding penalty. How unfortunate is that last name? Especially with the IV after it. You can essentially put any noun after that and hilarity will ensue.
• I’m surprised how empty Floyd Casey Stadium is. Enough Texas fans normally make that trip to fill up the place a little better.
• Second time already that I thought the Baylor defensive back got there early on pass coverage. [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] doesn’t drop many passes, it looked like he got bumped early.
• Great punt but Jackson can’t down it before it bounces into the end zone. The only good thing to come out of the Kansas State game is punter Justin Moore.
• Versus really likes to use the camera angle from the roof of the press box. The damn thing is so high i can’t tell anybody’s number.
• [tag]John Chiles[/tag] and the second team offense is in there for this series. I actually like the timing of this one better than last week. The first team offense didn’t have much momentum so it’s not really going to disrupt them.
• Chiles has to be more careful with the football. First downs are important but not as important as holding onto the football. Don’t stretch the ball out in traffic on your own 40 yard line.
• Smithson Valley sucks!
• Big run by [tag]Vondrell McGee[/tag] up the middle. 18 yards on the carry is probably the second teamers biggest gain against first team defenses. I think as Chiles gains more experience running the zone read the whole offense opens up. Right now he looks a little like he’s keeping and handing off randomly and not doing a great job reading the defensive end. That’s a tough read and you can only really learn in live game situations.
• Set your feet before you throw John.
• [tag]Ryan Bailey[/tag] nails the 46-yard field goal into the wind. Right down the middle.

Texas 3, Baylor 0

• How sad is Baylor that the announcers are talking about their defense getting a victory by holding the second team defense to only a field goal?
• Not sure if this is their first series or not, but the young group of linebackers are in there now for Texas.
• What did they rule that play on the field? I thought I saw an official pointing that he was down before the fumble. Looks to me like the ball is coming loose a little before the Baylor running back hits the ground.
• Not sure how they ruled he was down after reviewing that play. Looked pretty clear from one angle that the ball was loose before his butt hit the ground.

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Saturday’s game against Baylor will be on Versus at 11:30. If you don’t know what that is the Statesman can help you find it.

Baylor upsets Missouri and will face off against the Longhorns tonight at 8:20pm.

The Big 12 this year makes the Big 12 last season look like a juggernaut. Texas Tech spanked by winless Colorado, undefeated Missouri repeatedly throws the game away against the Aggies, and Oklahoma just lost Adrian Peterson for the year. The Longhorns will have to continue to win and win convincingly this year if they plan on holding off any one-loss teams from the SEC or an average Notre Dame team.

Today against [tag]Baylor[/tag] the Horns will have to battle through some injuries and beat an improving Baylor team. If the Horns play solid football and protect the football they should be able to beat the Bears on talent and depth alone.

First Quarter

• Selvin Young running down the field looking back at Quan Cosby instead of blocking on the kickoff return. Horns start off with bad field position.
• Apparently the Baylor coaches watched some Texas game film this year. Every single time a team makes a play action fake our safeties bite hard. Good fake by Baylor’s QB and the receiver runs wide open for a long TD on their first offensive play. They beat the two backups in the secondary that are starting in Deon Beasley and Matt Melton.

Baylor 7, Texas 0

• On the replay it looks like Melton didn’t bite on the play fake but just didn’t get enough depth. He flinched a little when he saw another receiver but it wasn’t the play fake.
• Longhorns getting their ass kicked right now. No fire from the offensive line at all. A three and out on the second offensive series.
• Finally a solid play for Texas. Both defensive ends got into the pocket quickly and Tim Crowder comes up with a sack.
• Looks like Baylor’s picking on Beasley. He needs to make smart plays.
• Nice call by the ref 200 yards away. Probably the right call but was way late and not from anywhere around the play.
• Huge early play for the Texas defense. 3rd and 4 for Baylor inside the 20. Texas needs to force a field goal.
• Brian Robison on the coverage as we bring a big zone blitz brings up 4th down.

Baylor 10, Texas 0

• Let’s get under center and run it down their throats.
• I don’t hate Greg Davis as much as most people, but that stat TBS just threw out there is probably a little misleading. I think the last ten years has probably been the weakest schedules Texas has ever played and they play more games and scoring is up all over the country.
• Just like the first half of the OU game, Davis is trying to be too smart in my opinion. We just came and ran three straight pass plays when our strength is clearly our running game.
• That may be the worst personal foul call I’ve ever seen. The Baylor punt returner drops the football and they call us for diving on the pile.
• Beasley looked like he was in trouble there. He made a good play on the receiver but he never turned around and looked for the football.
• It wasn’t exactly pretty but the Texas defense forces a three and out and gets the ball back. Let’s hope the offense figures out what the hell they’re doing quick.
• Good block by Neale Tweedie but the Horns are probably lucky holding wasn’t called. Texas’ tight ends have been called for a ton of those this season and that was a close one.
• Hey look what happens when we run the football?! First downs!
• And we get cute again and McCoy throws an interception. Baylor football. We need a turnover and some momentum.

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Colt McCoy, protect the football, and secondary depth.