Texas coach Mack Brown talks about the [tag]Wyoming[/tag] game and looks towards this week’s [tag]Texas Tech[/tag] match-up:
Brief highlights of yesterday’s Texas win over [tag]Wyoming[/tag] from Versus:
(more …)
Follow along below or with @40AcresSports on Twitter for live updates on the Texas vs. Wyoming game tonight at 2:30pm…
-
Refs just blew whistle and called delay of game with 2 seconds left on play clock. Mack is flabbergasted. #ut
-
Great effort and block by Tray Allen as Chiles takes screen pass to the house. Touchdown horns!! Nice block by M Williams too. #ut
-
#ut receivers don’t do much on most run plays. Never even leave line if scrimmage.
-
#UT defense holds on 4th down. Drive starts with nice strong 10 yd run by newton.
-
Everyone hates notre dame. Cheers from fans of all allegiances as Michigan scores.
-
Wyoming defense looks exhausted. Tre Newton takes it right up middle got 14 yd touchdown. Newton looks good. #ut 34 wyo 10
-
Okie State with comeback of their own. Now lead 28-24.
-
Colt breaks tackles, rolls left and finds Buckner alone. Buckner breaks tackles, gets block from Newton and scores!! #ut
-
Apparently MWC officials have no idea what holding is. Opposite if big 12 refs who never call it. #ut
-
Vondrell McGee limps off. Newton back in. No Cody Johnson today?
-
96 seconds into 2nd half Longhorns strike on McCoy option keeper. Whew. Don’t take foot off gas Horns. #ut 20 wyo 10
-
DJ Monroe takes short 2nd half kickoff back to wyo 40. Great start. Saw 2 #UT players high five, hope refs don’t flag them. 😉
-
Think the Wyo coach’s necklace looks like it’s made of gumballs and popcorn. #ut (2nd half bout to start.)
-
RT @ChipBrownOB: UT held Wyo w/out a single f1st down in 2nd quarter. Defense playing lights out. All 10 Wyo points traced to sp teams.
-
RT @mikefinger: Colt McCoy’s halftime numbers: 17-of-29, 166 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. If no one was watching, it actually looks respectable. #UT
-
RT @stevehabel: At half, TX has 237 yards to WYO’s 99, thanks to big final drive for TD. UT has 11 FD to 6 for WYO (none in 2nd qtr) #ut
-
Surprised by wyo taking a knee despite getting ball after OOB kickoff. Halftime. Let’s see how horns regroup. #ut 13 wyo 10
-
KIRKENDOLL!!! Fantastic run after catch on crossing route and jukes/stumbles into endzone for TD. #ut 13 wyo 10
-
Holding call gives Wyoming 7 points as #ut has punt block breakdown and cowboys take it into endzone.
-
More bad officiating. It’s not a hold just because lineman’s hands are on defenders back. Costs #ut 1st down
-
Fantastic defense by Randall and huge open field tackle by K Robinson stop wyo on 3rd and 3. #ut ball with 2:40 left.
-
@KEYE_Sports #UT is fine. They’ll win thanks to overwhelming D. (knock on wood.) but it’s not overreaction to say they’re playing awful.
-
Dan Buckner with fantastic block but Colt McCoy looking very 2007. Not good. Interception Wyoming. #ut
-
Horns get down to 3 but false start by Snow and then series of stumbles forces them to settle for fiejd goal. #ut 6 wyo 3
-
Another clueless flag by MWC refs. Call illegal forward pass when Colt was behind line of scrimmage. #ut
-
RT @chrismaka: That upside-down Horns sign is actually the official international hand sign for “I AM A COMPLETE DOUCHE BAG”
-
Surprised by wyo decision to punt with 4th and 5 on #ut 45 yard line. Horns will take ball inside their 10.
-
Kindle has gotten several shots in on Wyo qb but he’s doing good job getting rid of ball. #ut DBs giving lots of cushion.
-
Colt not looking his normal accurate self. Leaving a lot of passes way high. #ut has to punt. Tucker with nice lefty soccer pooch punt.
-
Wyo DBs off the LOS and bailing at snap. Colt having to hit underneath checkdowns. Might need to test deep middle. #ut.
-
Not sure that was 15 yd roughing but #ut will take it. Wyo hits punter and gives horns free first down.
-
Horns front 4 getting great pressure if Wyo just drops back to pass. More trouble when they zone play action and move pocket. #ut
-
After moving downfield easily Horns forced to settle for 32 yd field goal from Lawrence. #ut 3 wyo 0
-
Dont forget: Follow along with today’s #UT vs Wyoming game live here on twitter and at http://bit.ly/10exfb
-
RT @suzhalliburton: For those keeping score, #ut brought 74 players. Mack brown told us they normally take 80 on non-conf road games
-
RT @bobcatbaseball: Snow?! Rain is already blowing my mind. RT @kbohls: About to rain in dallas. Hearing chance of snow in wyoming. #ut
KXAN NBC Austin had a great highlight package of Saturday night’s opening UT win against ULM. Some great field level angles of the game and interviews with coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag], [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag], [tag]Garrett Gilbert[/tag] and others. Don’t miss the blur that was [tag]DJ Monroe[/tag] at about the 1-minute mark.
Check it out below:
Check out some quick highlights from yesterday’s Texas game versus Louisiana-Monroe courtesy of Fox Sports:
Follow along below or with @40AcresSports on Twitter for live updates on the Texas vs. Louisiana-Monroe game tonight at 6pm…
The annual Herbie Awards list was released on ESPN this week and four Texas Longhorns garner honors from the ESPN college football expert. Every year Kirk Herbstreit names his top players in several traditional and also some not so traditional categories. It’s always a fun read and Herbstreit really knows his stuff and doesn’t just pick the same 5 most hyped guys as the rest of the media would.
Here’s where the four Longhorns made his lists:
- [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag]: #6 Top Wide Receiver
- [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag]: #2 Dual Threat Quarterback
- [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag]: #4 Best Defensive Ends
- [tag]Alex Okafor[/tag]: #8 Top True Freshmen
I think all four guys are definitely deserving and no glaring Longhorn-related omissions. There’s definitely a few player that I think will earn their way onto this list (namely [tag]Earl Thomas[/tag] and [tag]Aaron Williams[/tag]) but there is still much to prove on the field for those guys.
Vondrell McGee gets the opening week start, is he the answer at running back?
So we know what we know about this year’s team (channeling my inner Aflac commercial). Texas has a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, experience at every position excluding tight end and Will Muschamp is a deity. We got it.
But what don’t we know? Even with the high expectations, there are some unanswered questions that could grow into concerns as the season moves forward.
1. Will a running back step up?
The same question was raised prior to last season. The question went unanswered all season, and Texas still was one second away from playing for a national title. Heading into the offseason, and into spring practice, the word was Cody Johnson had stepped up and was ready for 20+ carries a game.
That was four months ago. The week of the game, it appears the team is exactly where they were one year ago. Vondrell McGee will get the first look, Fozzy Whittaker is showing flashes of talent when he isn’t hanging out with the training staff and Cody Johnson is great in short yardage but not in shape enough to handle the load.
The loan difference is new comer Chris Whaley. The true freshman was given every opportunity to take the starting spot, but his weight and the adjustment to big time D-1 football is proving tough.
Texas may not have to run the ball to be successful, but Mack Brown sure wants to. If this team can establish a run game in Lubbock who knows what would have happened. McGee has the talent to be the lead back. The question is will Greg Davis stick with him consistently enough for him to prove it. I’m not sure Davis, or Brown, know the answer.
2. Can Texas play without a tight end?
If a team is going to have a string of tough injuries, it might as well all happen at one position. Especially at a position that last year’s group proved they didn’t need for the majority of snaps. But the loss of Blaine Irby, DJ Grant, etc., etc. may give Texas no choice but to play without a tight end.
Despite the success of last season’s offense, the Longhorns need to be able to line up with a tight end in passing and rushing situations. Without the option teams will know what kind of play is coming by the personnel that are on the field. Texas is too good for most teams on its schedule to compete either way, but in the big games the Longhorns need the flexibility. Especially with an offensive line that has proven to be road graders in the run game.
Dan Buckner has stepped up. And Greg Smith is still around to block and deflect balls to the other team. But neither is an all around tight end that can block and stretch the defense. The Longhorns offense works best with a pass catching tight end, so Buckner is the odds on favorite to win the job. But he has never had to block at this level, and it hasn’t been proven he can stay healthy while taking on defensive ends and linebackers on a play to play basis.
Texas will field a good offense either way, but without the threat of a tight end they simply can’t be one of the best two teams in the country.
3. Is the lack of depth at defensive tackle a real concern?
For most teams in the country this would be an easy yes, but in the Big 12 I’m not so sure. And how bad can the depth really be when you’re Texas? Most fans, and coaches, around the country would kill for Lamarr Houston, Ben Alexander and a couple of big time recruits to enter the season at defensive tackle.
Texas has been spoiled at the position over the last decade. It seems like every year Texas has two or three big guys in the middle that are sure fire NFL guys. The difference this year is the fans aren’t aware of the other two yet. Meet Kheeston Randall and Calvin Howell. These two young guys have the talent, and Randall has the years in the program to make a splash. Howell isn’t ready to compete every down, but he can help out in spots. That is four guys right there that can give you snaps, and one of them is an all-conference caliber player in a conference where maybe two teams try to run up the middle on a consistent basis.
If that is the biggest question mark for the defense, Big 12 coaches are in trouble.
4. Are Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho ready?
Roddrick Muckelroy won’t leave the field. Jared Norton is a senior, and will anchor the middle, but what about the other outside linebacker spot? And maybe more importantly, who will play in nickel packages?
The answer to both questions is either Robinson or Acho. It may be both. The two sophomores are battling for the starting spot with Robinson slightly out in front. Robinson is an aggressive player with the athleticism to play the pass as well as anyone in the linebacking unit. That strength may make him the starter because of the types of offenses Texas faces on a consistent basis. Acho is a smart player with the ability to blitz. Sounds like a Muschamp guy to me.
Norton has struggled on passing downs. He has also struggled with injuries this preseason. If one, or both, of these guys step up when the real games begin the Longhorns will be in excellent shape.
5. Can Texas replace the leadership of Brian Orakpo, Quan Cosby and Roy Miller?
Yes, Texas has Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley on offense, but what about defense? Sergio Kindle is the best defensive lineman, but he is admittedly not the public speaking type. Muckelroy leads the linebacking unit, but he does it quietly. And the guys in the secondary are finally comfortable with the layout of the campus.
So who is the guy? Muschamp says Lamarr Houston and Earl Thomas. I think Houston emerges this season as one of the best players in the conference. And I think Thomas plays so well the chatter of leaving early starts, well early. And both of those predictions are based on Muschamp’s perceived leadership out of the two.
It is hard to be a great player without being a great leader. It is not impossible, but I think it is hard. Houston has the ability when he is healthy. Thomas has improved a ton from last year to right now. The talent is there, if the leadership competes with what the Longhorns have on the offensive side of the ball then the comparisons to the 2005 championship team may be fair. If no one steps up, Texas will drop a game they shouldn’t.
Brandon Collins is expected to step up and give Colt McCoy plenty of WR options.
Maybe for the first time since 2005, the University of Texas has a legit shot at a national championship heading into the season. Sure last year was special, but at this time in 2008 the Longhorn fan base was not thinking championship rings.
It is all different one year later. In this two part series we look at the five things we know and the five things we don’t about this year’s team.
1. Colt McCoy is a bad ass.
There is no way around it. If McCoy leads this team to the national championship, and maybe picks up a Heisman trophy along the way, he will go down as the best, and most loved, quarterback in the history of the program.
McCoy has done everything a coach could want from a leader. And all reports have him playing at an elite level after a dedicated summer. Vince Young rallied Texas’ last national championship team with summer 7-on-7, McCoy did the same. Now it is time to prove it on the field. And there is little doubt that will happen as long as Colt stays healthy.
2. McCoy has targets to throw the ball to.
Sure, Quan Cosby is gone, but Malcolm Williams, James Kirkendoll and Brandon Collins may be better than the “Big 3” of Roy Williams, Sloan Thomas and BJ Johnson. And we haven’t even mentioned Jordan Shipley.
Kirkendoll is going off this year. He will replace Cosby as the safety valve on third down situations when Shipley is demanding double teams. Williams showed his big play ability against Missouri and Texas Tech last year. The knock on the sophomore is his consistency, but when the lights come on, he has done nothing but impress. He looks the part on the field, and defensive coordinators have to account for his speed on the outside. Cosby was great, but he didn’t demand a safety to play over the top. Williams can force defenses to keep a man deep to protect against the fly pattern. That will open more holes for the running game, and open up more room for Shipley,
3. Texas will pressure the quarterback.
Apparently, Will Muschamp has taken off the gloves. In year two under the feisty defensive coordinator all bets are off. Muschamp has his players flying around the ball and blitzing on every down. Gone is Brian Orakpo, but Sergio Kindle is now a defensive end/linebacker/freak of nature. Add an underrated Sam Acho, a seemingly healthy Eddie Jones and an emerging superstar in true freshman Alex Okafor and talent on the edge is not a problem.
Also, Texas has linebackers and secondary personnel to blitz. Emmanuel Acho, Keenan Robinson and Jared Norton have received rave reviews for the blitzing ability. And last year, we saw the ability of Earl Thomas and Aaron Williams coming off the edge.
4. The secondary has transformed from the biggest question mark in 2008 to the strength of the defense in 2009.
The combination of Thomas, Williams, Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown, Deon Beasley, Blake Gideon and Christian Scott is almost laughable. For the first time in the Mack Brown era, a defensive unit has a chance to be dominating. Sure, Texas has had dominate players, and even dominate units, but with Muschamp leading the way, the Longhorns may field their best defense sine the 1980’s.
Texas has all but abandoned the 4-3 as its base defense. Texas runs the nickel because of the offenses in the Big 12. Thomas’ ability in coverage allows Muschamp to bring in Scott to play safety when Thomas lines up against the slot. The depth at cornerback allows Muschamp to bring in Brown or Beasley to keep Thomas at safety if the defense needs more speed on the field.
Bottom line – this group is nasty, fast and experienced. Muschamp can do whatever he wants with the front seven, I mean six, because he knows he has a safety net in the back. Not good for the rest of the conference.
5. Texas will have the advantage on special teams in virtually every game.
I know, I know, it is just special teams and that isn’t as sexy of a topic as scoring touchdowns or creating snot bubbles. But the third aspect of football should not be overlooked. Where would the program have gone if Dusty Mangum misses the field goal against Michigan in the first Rose Bowl? Do we win a championship the next year? Who knows? Do we beat OU last year if Shipley doesn’t take a kick to the house?
Texas has two reliable field goal kickers, a two legged punter and return guys growing out of their ears. Add to that the most prolific punt block team in the last decade and opponents have no time to relax.
At least one game a year comes down to special teams play. In 2009, that is to Texas’ advantage.
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy can work on his footwork to further improve his accuracy.
Yes, Texas quarterback [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] was the most accurate passer in the history of NCAA football last season, but a completion doesn’t always mean a perfect pass. ESPN draft guru Todd McShay has a few small changes the McCoy can make to get even more accurate and improve his draft stock this season:
McCoy completed a ridiculous 76.7 percent of his pass attempts in 2008. As crazy as it sounds, there’s no question he can become more accurate by polishing his mechanics.
First off, McCoy has gotten into a bad habit of short-striding many of his passes, which leads to him throwing off-balance. Secondly, he needs to be more consistent with his follow-through as he tries to sling the ball too many times from off his back foot.
After studying McCoy’s passing skills on film, his deep-ball accuracy is underwhelming and he completes a lot of intermediate attempts that take his receivers out of stride. Sure, it goes in the stat book as a completion, but McCoy is leaving too many yards after catch on the field by missing within the strike zone.
The only way McCoy will improve in those areas is by learning to step to his target, lengthen out his stride and follow through on his throws.
If you’re an ESPN Insider read the full article to read more about McCoy and also McShay’s ideas on how fellow Heisman finalists Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow can improve their games.
Loading ...
