40 Acres Sports

Wow, what a game. I must say that after [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] scored so quickly on their first two possessions, I thought we were going to get run out of the Cotton Bowl. Thankfully Jordan Shipley stepped up and Colt McCoy was able to keep the team calm. After that our defense made some big plays and Colt seemed to have full control of the game.

My favorite play of the game was easily the Quan Cosby block where he laid out #11. And my least favorite had to be the horrible penalty call when we supposedly “ran into” the punter. That punter has been watching too much soccer because that was some serious flopping.

So now Texas is 6-0 and #1 in the nation. No more relaxing, the target is on our backs. But enough of that, let’s see how each position fared against OU:

Quarterback – Overall Grade: A-

Even though [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag]’s stats don’t really show he had a great game, I felt his leadership and calmness was the key to victory against OU. Colt finished with 28/35 passing, 277 yards, and 1 touchdown. The most important stat Colt put up Saturday was zero turnovers. Colt simply didn’t make any mistakes. Colt definitely put himself into the thick of the Heisman race with this victory, and I think it is about time. Sam Bradford may have had better numbers, but I would take Colt any day.

John Chiles actually got some early playing time, probably trying to catch OU off-guard, but it was to no avail. Chiles did absolutely nothing and continues to disappoint.

Running Backs – Overall Grade: A-

[tag]Chris Ogbonnaya[/tag] got the start again Saturday, and I think he proved why. He ended up with 127 yards on only 15 carries, including a long 62 yard run which sealed the game for Texas. And even though [tag]Cody Johnson[/tag] only got 3 carries, he made the most of them scoring touchdowns on each one. He has proved he is a great goal line runner, and he and Ogbonnaya are proving to be a lethal 1-2 punch. In our most important game of the year so far, [tag]Vondrell McGee[/tag] ended up with only 1 carry for -2 yards. I think it is safe to say the coaches know who to give the ball to now.

Wide Receivers – Overall Grade: A

I didn’t think Texas could win this game with only 2 receivers, but the combo of [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] and [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] was just too much for the Oklahoma secondary. Shipley seemed like he was open on every play and made some key first downs. He finished with 11 catches, 112 yards, and 1 touchdown. Cosby was all over the place too adding 9 catches and 122 yards. Cosby may be a little undersized, but he probably has some of the best hands in the Big 12 and always seems to make big plays. The rest of the receivers combined for 4 catches and 16 yards.

Defense – Overall Grade: B+

Even though I think the defense played great, I do have to dock them for allowing 5 passing touchdowns. The greatest part of the defense on Saturday is that I actually noticed our safeties, and in a good way. [tag]Blake Gideon[/tag] seemed to always be around for the tackle, and [tag]Earl Thomas[/tag] ended up with two interceptions. Both young safeties seem to be coming around and I can’t wait to see how much more they can improve before Missouri. And [tag]Roddrick Muckelroy[/tag] was simply ridiculous. He led the team with 16 tackles, 13 of them solo. Didn’t you notice every time OU ran the ball they seemed to go nowhere? Yeah, that was “Muck”. [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] showed again that he is scary athletic. Kindle flies around the field with reckless abandon, and the combo off him and [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] coming off the edges is just too much for most teams to handle.

Special Teams – Overall Grade: A

The A mainly comes from Jordan Shipley’s 96 yards kickoff return in the 2nd quarter. Texas was down 14-3 at that point and it looked like it could be a blow-out. I think that play single handedly kept Texas in the game and was the spark to get the team going. [tag]Hunter Lawrence[/tag] added 3 field goals and looks like he is a kicker that we can rely on in tough situations.

Overall Grade: A-

How can you not be pleased after that game. Even after the referees giving OU a free touchdown, Texas still prevailed. Now Texas faces the pressure of being #1, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier. They only have #11 Missouri, #8 Oklahoma State, @#7 Texas Tech, and @#16 Kansas. And did you realize the Big 12 Conference South Division has 4 teams in the top 8? That has to be a first.

In his weekly press conference, Texas head coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] discusses the upset victory over [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] and the players that excelled during the game. Mack names the players of the game for the defense, offense, and special teams, discusses the Horns being ranked number one, and looks ahead towards [tag]Missouri[/tag].

Watch Mack Brown’s 22-minute press conference:

The Texas Longhorns were led to victory in the [tag]Red River Rivalry[/tag] by two wide receivers that ABC/ESPN’s studio guys called “no names” before the game. Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby combined to catch 20 passes for 234 yards and Shipley added a momentum changing 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown as well. Check out the hottest 11 Longhorns after the [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] game:

1. [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] – Shipley led the team in catches with 11 for 112 yards and a touchdown. He did most of his damage in the middle of the field once Oklahoma linebacker Ryan Reynolds tore his ACL. Shipley’s biggest play came on special teams when he took a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown that kept Texas in the game. Without that play Oklahoma is still number one in the nation.
2. [tag]Roddrick Muckelroy[/tag] – “Muck” is a beast. He led the team in tackles again, this time compiling 16 with 13 of them being solo. He did a good job when matched up on OU tight end Jermai Gresham and completely shut down the Sooners running game. Sergio Kindle gets the attention, but Muckelroy is the best linebacker on the team.
3. [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] – What is there left to say about Colt? The guy is everything you want in a quarterback. He has now won two out of three in the Red River Rivalry and has played good in each game. He finished the day 28 of 34 for 277 yards and a touchdown as a passer while adding another 59 yards on the ground. He kept plays and drives alive when he had to, and most importantly never made a mistake to take his team out of the game.
4. [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] – Cosby is a man. Literally. He is a few years older than the guys he is playing with and against because of his baseball career. The maturity exudes off of him when he is on the field. He had nine catches for 122 yards, and may have had the play of the game when he decleated Lendy Holmes on a Jordan Shipley pass reception. Texas finally found a deep threat and it was Cosby all along.
5. [tag]Brian Orakpo[/tag] – “Rak” is officially rich. The big defensive end has played great all year and has finally become the dominant presence the staff hoped he would be. He racked up seven total tackles, two sacks, four tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery. By the end of the game OU quarterback Sam Bradford was looking for him after every snap. Orakpo has made this defense go, and will be a top pick in the upcoming draft if he can stay healthy.
6. [tag]Earl Thomas[/tag] – Sure he made a few mistakes, but the red-shirt freshman made two interceptions of Sam Bradford with one setting up a field goal before the end of the first half. Thomas has the attitude that is infectious to the rest of his teammates, and as he gets more and more comfortable playing in the deep middle for Texas his athleticism and hunger for the game have become evident to everyone. This secondary play hinges on Thomas and for the last few games that has been a good thing.
7. [tag]Chris Ogbonnaya[/tag] – All Spring, summer, and for four games of the regular season the staff and the fans have been searching for a go to running back. The whole time it was senior Chris Ogbonnaya. Chris “O” became the first running back of the year to go over 100 yards in a game when he ran the ball 15 times for 130 yards. He had two big runs in the second half, the last one sealing the game. He can run, he can catch, and he can block. Look for his role to expand moving forward.
8. [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] – The athleticism of Sergio Kindle is off the charts. He finished the game with five tackles and a sack, but his effect on a game can not be measured. He flies around the field, and when he hits someone he hits them hard. I thought he was going to break Sam Bradford in half on his lone sack of the game. The combination of Orakpo and Kindle coming off the edge gives Texas an advantage that it has never had, and the two will be the key to stopping the high powered offenses Texas still has to face.
9. [tag]Cody Johnson[/tag] – Last week I said two touchdowns will get you on the big board every week, so three has to right? The big guy only had three carries, but he made them all count. His role seems to be cemented with the emergence of Ogbonnaya as the goal line and short yard specialist.
10. [tag]Blake Gideon[/tag] – The true freshman plays quietly in games. He is always where he needs to be and makes sure tackles when he has the chance. Gideon has become the quarterback of this defense which is remarkable when you realize he was at the prom less than six months ago. He had eight tackles and a pass breakup against OU. The best part is the combination of Thomas and Gideon still has four years of eligibility.
11. [tag]Hunter Lawrence[/tag] – Lawrence made all three field goals he attempted. The margin of victory was 10 points. Coming into the season many expected [tag]Ryan Bailey[/tag] to continue to be the kicker, but Lawrence has grabbed the position and won’t let go. He has a powerful leg and has been perfect on the season. Odds are a game or two will come down to his leg and right now Texas has got to like their chances when it does.

The play that had Texas fans up out of their seats screaming the loudest Saturday against [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] didn’t end up being a touchdown. Quarterback [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] found an open [tag]Jordan Shipley[/tag] across the middle and hit him in stride. Shipley was headed to the end zone for an apparent score when BOOM, fellow receiver [tag]Quan Cosby[/tag] flies in knocks the daylights out of OU’s Lendy Holmes with a bone jarring block.

Shipley ended up being ruled down inside the one yard line, but that didn’t matter as the Horns eventually scored and Cosby’s big hit will be watched over and over by Texas fans for some time.

It was a thing of beauty. Enjoy it with an animated .gif and some YouTube clips:

Watch a couple more angles of the play after the jump.

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The Texas Longhorns picked up one of the biggest wins of Mack Brown’s career Saturday as they upset the #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners 45 – 35. The Horns went down repeatedly but responded to every punch with one of their own until they finally knocked out the Sooners (literally) in the fourth quarter. A huge win for the Texas program quite possibly setting up a run at a national title.

Watch the ESPN highlights of the game:

Wow, what a great game. It seemed to have everything. Incredible quarterback play, kick-off returns, interceptions, horrible referee calls, great coaching, you name it.

Apparently [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] isn’t invincible. In fact, OU still sucks!

Time to celebrate. Thank you Mack Brown. More analysis to come.

Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during today’s game versus [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] on ABC. We’ll be live right around kickoff so join us to discuss the game right around 11am tonight. Today’s live blog may be a little less active from our end as we’ll be watching the game a lot more intensely, but we’ll definitely be adding thoughts and commenting on the game and you’re welcome to as well.

Feel free to leave comments and questions using the live tool, but not all comments will be published. Read below for more notes on comments and how the live blog will work. Hook ’em!

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In the 103rd match-up between hated rivals Texas and [tag]Oklahoma[/tag] both teams are again among the nation’s elite teams. The Sooners are #1 and the Longhorns are #5 and both have legit shots at a national title if they come out of today’s [tag]Red River Rivalry[/tag] with a win. ESPN’s College Gameday is at the Texas State Fair and you should be too, but if you’re not the two teams will be on ABC HD at 11 am.

Which quarterback will stay hot? Can the Longhorns pull off the upset and become national title contenders? Read on to see what the editors of Bevo Sports think will happen today:

Brian – This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Longhorns but the coaching and more importantly the attitude of defensive coordinator [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag] has this team and Texas fans believing. Both the Longhorns and the Sooners have been completely dominant this season and both have Heisman candidate QBs, which defense will step up? I think it’s Muschamp’s guys and I think thats means an upset win for the Horns. OU QB Sam Bradford will hit a couple of good long passes but the Texas front seven will get enough pressure to protect the secondary. Texas 27 – Oklahoma 21

Matt – For a #5 team in the nation, Texas has managed to keep a relatively low profile this year. I think that has been a blessing in disguise since it has let the team grow without a lot of added pressure. Honestly if you asked me to pick this game at the beginning of the season, I would probably have said Oklahoma without even a doubt. But with the way Texas has played this season and their improvement on defense, they have a legitimate shot of coming out of this one with a victory. Both offenses have overpowering stats and high profile quarterbacks. Neither quarterback has faced any adversity, and I think that will change greatly for Sam Bradford this week. Will Mushcamp has something going here in Austin, and I think that will be the difference in the game. Texas 38 – Oklahoma 37

Mike – I just can’t make myself pick Texas. I want to, but I can’t. Texas doesn’t have a receiver that presents any type of deep threat, a tight end that can catch, a running back with any burst, and their two safeties are freshmen. The Longhorns are playing great and coach Muschamp has every one believing, but Oklahoma is still the favorite. The Sooners have an advantage at every position excluding the defensive line and maybe quarterback. Can Texas win? Of course, but if a gun was to my head and I had to make the right pick to save my life I wouldn’t be picking UT (this should be how every pick is made). The game will be close and it will come down to protection and turnovers. OU will squeak it out at the end because of a better running game and less turnovers. I hope I’m wrong. Texas 24 – Oklahoma 31

The Longhorns and Sooners are set to square off Saturday morning at the Texas State Fair. The two teams, both ranked in the top five, look to be evenly matched and both feature Heisman candidate quarterbacks running the show. As is often the case in rivalry games, it could come down to players who aren’t superstars to lead their teams to victory. Read on to see the five Horns you’ll want to watch Saturday in the [tag]Red River Rivalry[/tag].

[tag]Chris Ogbonnaya[/tag]

Chris “O” had a coming out party of sorts last week against Colorado. The senior running back does a little bit of everything. He is Texas’ best blocker and receiver coming out of the backfield and with Foswhitt Whittaker’s status still up in the air Chris may have the most big play ability as well. [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] tends to go with guys he trusts in games like these. The staff trusts few players more than Ogbonnaya. The kid does anything he asked too and that are the type of players who win games like these. Look for Texas to use him out of the backfield when they get him matched up with a linebacker. Anything he provides on the ground will be a bonus Saturday in Dallas.

[tag]Chris Hall[/tag]

The offensive line struggled at times against [tag]Colorado[/tag]. Forcing McCoy to run when he is not ready has been the recipe for success against Texas and up until that game not many people had been criticizing the big guys up front even with the running game being inconsistent because the pass protection had been so good. Hall has played every position on the line and is counted on to make the right reads and calls in regards to protection before the snap. If Texas can handle OU’s pressure allowing McCoy time to sit in the pocket then the Horns have a real chance to do damage. The holes in the running game have been there, it is on the backs to get to the hole, but knowing the backfield lacks that burst these guys need to hold their blocks a fraction longer. UT has been a block away from an explosive play more than once this year, and if they can pop one this weekend it may be what they need to get a win.

[tag]Deon Beasley[/tag]

These are the types of games that prove being called a “starter” is overrated. With the type of no-huddle spread offense OU runs, Texas is going to run a lot of 3-3-5 with [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] playing end or linebacker depending on the situation, and with Beasley coming in to play the fifth defensive back. The junior has as much talent as any corner back on the roster, and the loss of his starting job has had more to do with the impressive play of fellow corner [tag]Chykie Brown[/tag] than Beasley playing poor. Oklahoma likes to pick out a few guys and try to exploit them. Beasley, along with the two freshmen safeties, would appear to be the guys. One of the corners needs to create a turnover. Brown and [tag]Ryan Palmer[/tag] have shown their lack of hands. A big play by Beasley early could get the Sooners away from their game plan.

[tag]Jared Norton[/tag]

Norton is taking more and more snaps away from senior [tag]Rashad Bobino[/tag]. And with the opportunity, Norton is responding well to coach Will Muschamp’s aggressive, attacking style of defense. The junior from Rowlett excels when allowed to play down hill and attack the ball. He even showed some coverage skills last week with a nice break up on an out route. Texas would like to use three linebackers throughout the game and feel like they can because of Kindle’s versatility, but don’t be surprised if Kindle comes off the field with Norton and [tag]Roddrick Muckelroy[/tag] at linebacker when UT goes with four down lineman. Stopping the running game will be crucial in this game to make OU one dimensional which will allow the guys on the outside to pin their ears back and attack the quarterback. If Norton can be steady in the middle it will allow the defense to unleash a full barrage of blitzes.

[tag]Hunter Lawrence[/tag]

Nobody is sure what [tag]Ryan Bailey[/tag] did to lose his job, but everyone is sure Hunter Lawrence isn’t giving it back. In his first year as the kicker, the ex Boerne star is four for four with a long of 46. The Red River Shootout hasn’t been decided by less than seven points this decade, but I have a feeling this one could be close and close games come down to special teams. The team that misses a field goal or gets a punt blocked or returned for a touchdown is going to lose the game. Big plays have a way of sucking the life out of the crowd and the team at the Cotton Bowl and neither teams that much better than the other where they can overcome it. I’ll take Texas’ special teams because of [tag]Duane Akina[/tag], Lawrence, punter [tag]John Gold[/tag], and kick off specialist [tag]Justin Tucker[/tag]. The Longhorns have the advantage in this area for the first time in a long time, and must take advantage of it to come back to Austin undefeated.

BevoBeat has posted three nice long videos of interview sessions with [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag], [tag]Ryan Palmer[/tag], and [tag]Chris Ogbonnaya[/tag]. The team sounds ready to come out and give the Sooners hell. Watch the videos below to see the guys talk about this week’s match-up.

Colt McCoy talks about being a Big 12 quarterback and how much he loves the week of Texas/OU:

Ryan Palmer says the team needs to practice hard and the defense needs to tackle better to stop the Sooners’ offense:

Chris Ogbonnaya shares a story about the “lovely” Sooner faithful:

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