Can Sam Acho corral Baylor's Robert Griffin?
The way players perform after a breakout or a disappointing game says a lot about them. With a few players out because of injury and the heartbreak of last week there are going to be some younger Longhorns that must step up for this team against Baylor. Most years the Baylor game is considered a gimmie, but this Baylor team, led by new coach Art Briles and freshman quarterback Robert Griffin, is capable of giving the Longhorns everything they can handle. These five players need to step up for this program to have success this week and beyond.
Foswhitt Whittaker
Finally after weeks of hearing that Fozzy was ready to play the coaching staff let the speed red-shirt freshman get some meaningful snaps. Once he was in the game Fozzy showed what many onlookers had been looking for from him. He averaged seven yards on only six carries in the second half of last week’s loss. Before those gains the Longhorn offense could do nothing on the ground. Whittaker’s speed and elusiveness allows him to make positive plays even when the blocking isn’t perfect. That is just what this team needs because the offensive line play has been far from perfect. Whittaker is a smaller back that has already struggled to stay healthy, so don’t expect him to get over 20 carries. Expect him to get 10 touches or so out of the backfield and a few touches on shovel passes and screens. Fozzy can be the playmaker this backfield needs for the next few years if the staff shows confidence in his ability to carry the load.
Malcolm Williams
Williams had his breakout game last week. He is another freshman with loads of upside. All year long Texas has been searching for a receiving threat to go along with Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley. It took an injury to Cosby to allow Williams the opportunity to showcase his ability in a real game, but now that he has the hope is that he can continue to make a difference. Young players have the tendency to be inconsistent from one game to the next, so if Williams can back up last week’s effort with another solid performance the Longhorn offense may become that much better. Greg Davis’ offense has been reluctant to go deep throughout the year, but in the Missouri game and then last week, Williams has shown he is the type of player that can go up and get the ball. The more confidence Davis, and more importantly Colt McCoy, show in the young receiver the better this offense will be.
David Snow
Texas Tech’s defensive line whipped up on UT’s offensive line for most of the night. Tech was able to get pressure on McCoy and shut down any thought for a consistent running game. Older guys like Cedric Dockery and Charlie Tanner are getting more and more of their snaps taken away by the younger guys. One of those younger guys is true freshman David Snow. Snow will start on the line somewhere next year. Offensive line coach Mac McWorther loves his mean streak. He has compared him to a bigger and more athletic Kasey Studdard. No higher compliment can be made in my book. With the offensive line woes it wouldn’t be completely out of the question to see Snow get a start of Dockery by the time the year ends. The one thing that may keep Dockery’s job safe is the hole left at backup center because of the departure of Buck Burnette. Snow will be the primary backup to starter Chris Hall and the snaps he will have to dedicate to center at practice may keep him off the field at guard as a starter. Don’t be surprised to see next year’s potential starting lineup on the field at the same time with Michael Huey and Snow replacing Tanner and Dockery at guard.
Sam Acho
It appears to be certain that starting defensive end Brian Orakpo is going to miss the Baylor game because of the leg injury he suffered last week. His primary backup has been sophomore Sam Acho. Early in the year, and certainly during preseason camp, Acho impressed the coaching staff with his endless motor and nose for the football. Keeping containment while applying pressure will be crucial in this game because of the type of player Baylor’s quarterback is. Next year the Longhorns lose both defensive ends and it looks like Acho will definitely be one of the replacements. Just like Cosby’s injury allows guys like Malcolm Williams and Dan Buckner an opportunity to showcase their future ability, Orakpo’s injury gives a chance to emerging players such as Acho and Eddie Jones. If Acho and Jones can gain confidence with Orakpo out of the lineup it will do wonders for this defense as it heads into the off season.
Blake Gideon
The true freshman from Leander has exceeded everyone’s expectations. Not only has he come in to a program that many felt he couldn’t compete at and held his own, he has found himself as the starter for a top 5 team in the nation at safety for every game of the year. Gideon by no means lost the game last week with his drop of a potential game winning interception on Tech’s last possession, but with a young guy who is such a competitor it is likely he walked off the field believing he did. From everything we have seen of Gideon it would appear he would bounce back and use the adversity to get better. The worry is that he’ll play like a deer in the headlights for the rest of the year trying in vein to not make another key mistake. Secondary players must have a short memory, a lesson Gideon will have to learn early in his college career. As a coach’s son and a classic overachiever there is no reason to believe he won’t. Look for him early to see if he can make a play to restore some much needed confidence.
Malcolm Williams had a breakout game in the loss
It wasn’t the greatest game for the Longhorns individually. In the heartbreaking loss to Texas Tech only Malcolm Williams had the kind of night you brag about to your friends. Most weeks it is a struggle to settle on the top 11 players, but this week it was a struggle to simply find 11 players to put on the big board.
- Malcolm Williams - All year Texas’ offense has searched for a legitimate deep threat out of their third receiver. Many around the program felt that the guy would be red-shirt freshman Malcolm Williams because of his size and speed. Saturday Texas found their deep threat, but it took Quan Cosby getting hurt to do it. Williams had without question his best game as a college player finishing with 182 yards on four catches including two touchdowns.
- Colt McCoy - Colt McCoy entered the Tech game as the clear leader for the Heisman trophy, and while Texas lost and McCoy didn’t play his best game he still led his team to a potential comeback. McCoy finished the game 20 of 34 for 294 yards and two touchdown passes. McCoy’s struggles came in large part to his offensive line getting manhandled all night. He was sacked four times.
- Sergio Kindle - It wasn’t a great day for the Texas defense, but Kindle made some plays. Kindle finished with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. The Texas defensive line failed to get pressure throughout the night giving Tech’s offense all the time it needed to make plays. After Brian Orakpo went down with an injury Kindle was being used almost exclusively at defensive end.
- Jordan Shipley - Down 5-0 in the first quarter Shipley dropped a deep pass that would have given Texas the early lead. After that play Shipley played a pretty good game. He got Texas back in the game with a punt return for a touchdown in the second half. Shipley ended his night with six catches for 45 yards.
- Roddrick Muckelroy - The Junior linebacker continues to lead Texas in tackling in seemingly every game. Saturday night Muckelroy registered 12 tackles, most coming in the middle of the field. Tech had a little success running the ball, but in the second half Texas’ defense shut out the Red Raiders until their last drive of the game.
- Earl Thomas - Most people will only remember the last play of the game where the freshmen tried to undercut Harrell’s pass to Crabtree allowing a touchdown pass. What most people won’t remember is that Thomas was playing maybe his best game as a Longhorn before he took that chance at the end of the game. Thomas had ten tackles with two pass breakups on the night.
- Foswhitt Whittaker - Fozzy has been struggling all season to get on the field. Early in the year he suffered through two nagging knee injuries only to see senior Chris Ogbonnaya secure the running back position by the time Fozzy got back healthy. The Texas staff didn’t allow the speedy freshman to make an impact until the second half, but when they did the potential big play ability he brings to the position was clear. On a night where Texas could do nothing on the ground Whittaker averaged seven yards on six carries in limited action.
- Roy Miller - When Texas did apply pressure it seemed the big man in the middle was the one applying it. Miller went down with an injury during the game but was able to get back on the field. Miller has been the most consistent player on the d-line this year. He finished the game with five tackles and one of UT’s two sacks.
- Hunter Lawrence - You know it is bad when a kicker made an impact in a loss. Lawrence continues to be the model of consistency going two for two on the game. Lawrence has been perfect on the season even though he entered it without being expected to get the job.
- Aaron Williams - The true freshman doesn’t get the chance to play as much as the other corners, but he continues to stand out every time he is on the field. Williams is quickly becoming a playmaker on special teams recording another blocked punt against Tech. He recovered a fumble, had two pass breakups, and made a great play on a screen pass during the game.
- Justin Tucker - Two kickers on one list? I know, I know, but try to find someone who made more of an impact than Tucker. The rugby style kicks he utilized on Saturday night ended up working extremely well for Texas as they averaged over 50 yards. Tucker also continues to get his kickoffs consistently into the end zone.
The Texas Longhorns are a near unanimous number one team in the country and they face a surprising Oklahoma State Cowboys team that is sitting at number six in the BCS standings. The teams will face off at 2:30pm today on ABC in one of the biggest games of the college football weekend. Will the Longhorns keep the train rolling and be one game closer to a national title shot? Find out what the editors of Bevo Sports think below:
Brian - Another top ten opponent for the Longhorns and probably another high scoring game. OSU might have the most balanced offense the Horns have faced all year and everybody of the defense will be tested. This will be a game where linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy will need to shine and he’s going to come up big. The Texas offense will continue to score in bunches and will get big days from two different running backs. This could be Fozzy Whittaker’s week to finally show he can break a big run. Texas 45 - Oklahoma State 31
Matt - Texas doesn’t get a break as they face another top ranked team for the 3rd straight week. Even though Texas has won 10 straight in this match-up, Oklahoma State has been a trouble spot for Texas in recent years, needing many a miracle 2nd half comeback to pull out the victory. I think this year Texas will jump out early at home and continue to apply pressure throughout the game. Zac Robinson can run, but the speed on the Texas defense should keep him under wraps. This one could be a shootout with both teams ranking in the top 5 in the nation, but the Texas defense will give them the win. Texas 58 - Oklahoma State 40
Mike - Oklahoma State provides a challenge this team hasn’t faced all year. For the first time a team is going to try and establish a running game against Will Muschamp’s defense. Texas’ front seven has been outstanding this year against the run and while some would say it is because their competition has consisted of pure passing teams, I think they are just that good. I see another game similar to the Missouri game last week. I don’t think Texas pulls out to a 35-0 in the first half, but I do see them winning by at least 20 points. Colt McCoy and this offense has been on a roll and they are just going to get better with the emergence of Brandon Collins, Malcolm Williams, and a healthy Fozzy Whittaker. Texas pulls away with a physical second half. Texas 52 - Oklahoma State 34
Can Aaron Lewis and the Texas defense stop OSU's balanced offense?
Every game comes down to the play of a few guys floating under the radar. Of course Texas needs Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, and Brian Orakpo to step up, but in order for Texas to keep the number one spot a few other guys that may not be “stars” (yet) need to play big. Last week a few of the guys, like Brandon Collins and Curtis Brown, were huge for Texas. Who are the five guys the Horns need to step up against Oklahoma State? Here’s what we think.
Fozzy Whittaker
The speedy freshman got back on the playing field for the first time since the UTEP game last week against Missouri. Fozzy wasted little time making an impact by breaking off a darting 20 yard run off the zone play Texas relies on. Coming into the season the coaching staff quietly believed Fozzy would be the featured back of this offense. Instead, Chris Ogbonnaya has taken the job by the horns so to speak while Fozzy healed up injuries to both knees. Ogbonnaya has far exceeded expectations, but the addition of the speed that Fozzy has could give this team the one thing they have been missing—a homerun threat in the backfield. We will know how healthy Fozzy is by how many snaps he is given.
Malcolm Williams
We finally saw the big play ability those around the program have been gushing about when Williams made a leaping catch over the Missouri defense for a touchdown. The catch ended up being his only of the day, but with it Williams may have finally become a big time player for this team. For as good as Shipley and Quan Cosby are, they are not consistent down the field threats that push safeties back. Malcolm Williams is. The deeper opposing safeties have to play, the more room underneath for guys like Shipley, Cosby, and emerging star Brandon Collins. The more game Williams can make an impact in, the bigger the impact of the underneath guys. The staff is hoping the highlight catch last week turns into a confidence booster along the lines of Limas Sweed’s catch in Ohio State.
Aaron Lewis
All the defensive line talk has centered on Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle. The teams Texas has been facing have been pass heavy which has allowed the speed guys to make names for themselves. For the first time all year the Texas defense will have to face an offense that relies heavily on the run. The defensive tackles are going to be key. Everyone knows about Roy Miller, but quietly Aaron Lewis has taken over Lamarr Houston’s spot on the majority of snaps. Lewis has played well when given the opportunity, and a big game from him, Houston, and Henry Melton is crucial for this team. If Oklahoma State’s run game can get their offense into manageable third downs, the Texas defense could get exposed.
Rashad Bobino
The senior has become the forgotten member of this linebacking unit. Late in the game last week, sometimes starter Jared Norton went down with what appeared to be a stinger. Even though all signs point to Norton playing, with the two already splitting time, it would be expected to get a bulk of the playing time against a strong running team this week. Bobino has started a large number of games in his career and has continued to be an emotional leader for this Longhorn defense. Bobino has been through the fire as one of the only Horns to say he was there for the Rose Bowl. Coordinator Will Muschamp has been pleased with all the backers play, and this game appears to be the biggest test for a group that could be the best of the Mack Brown era.
Curtis Brown
Two weeks ago fans were wondering if Curtis Brown would ever get to play at defensive back while attending the University. They saw true freshman get more playing time than the sophomore and with an already youth riddled secondary it appeared that the ex-Gilmer star would get passed up. A huge special team’s play against Oklahoma and a solid performance after Chykie Brown left the game against Missouri later and Brown finds himself as major player for this secondary. Every team in the Big 12 likes to spread the field, so more than the two designated starters get significant playing time, especially with Texas relying heavily on the nickel defense. Sources say Chykie Brown should be able to start on Saturday, but with an ankle there is always a possibility of the injury resurfacing. If that happens, it appears Curtis Brown is next in line at cornerback.
Can Rod Muckelroy hold back the OSU offense?
The number one ranked Texas Longhorns face another tough test this weekend when the undefeated and seventh ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys come to town. Texas has met every challenge so far, and must show OSU the same respect they showed Oklahoma and Missouri in order to stay at the top of the BCS. Three out of the last four times the Cowboys and Longhorns have met Oklahoma State took a lead into halftime. Texas was able to make the comeback with superior talent, but this OSU team is far better than in past years and may not give up the lead if they are able to get it.
When Texas has the ball
The Texas offense, led by super efficient quarterback Colt McCoy, has been clicking on all cylinders this season. It has been hard for the offense to top the previous week’s performance for much of the year, but this week will be especially tough considering UT played its best game of the year last week in the destruction of a good Missouri team.
As with most Big 12 teams, the defense is behind the offense, and for this reason Texas expects to put up big numbers again. The emergence of a third receiver (and a fourth and a fifth) last week was almost as big as anything that has happened for this offense this year. Sophomore Brandon Collins had a huge day, and has set himself up to be the outlet on blitzes and when a defense takes away Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby. Teams have been unable to take away Shipley or Cosby for a whole game, but it will free up even more room to work if opposing coordinators have to game plan for the young studs at receiver. For most of the year Texas has lacked a deep ball threat in the passing game. That could have changed with the acrobatic catch by Malcolm Williams which showed the freshman’s unique skill set. Fellow freshman Dan Buckner also made a big play late in the game.
The running game is improving each week to the point where this offense no longer relies on McCoy to be their leading rusher. Texas has gone from having no running backs to having four. Senior Chris Ogbonnaya is playing at a level not even the coaching staff predicted, sophomore Vondrell McGee had his best game of the season last week, freshman Cody Johnson has been unstoppable on the goal line and in short yardage situations and fellow freshman Fozzy Whittaker finally got back in action, wasting no time showing off his ability on a 20 yard plus explosion through the middle of the Missouri defense.
The success of the offense depends on the play of the offensive line. So far, they have been dominant. Opposing defenses have chosen to blitz the Longhorn offense at a high frequently. McCoy says every team they have faced has blitzed more than they usually do in their games against UT. Oklahoma State already blitzes half the time and if that rate goes up this line will be key in providing time for McCoy and holes for the backs. Texas should have a physical advantage in this game and will look to exploit it more and more as the game wears on.
When Oklahoma State has the ball
This Oklahoma State offense could be the most balanced offense Texas will play all year. It will most definitely be the best running team, maybe the only running team that Texas has faced thus far. The Cowboys rely on a running back by committee but have relied heavily on Kendall Hunter as their main running threat.
Texas’ defense has been outstanding against the run, but it may be due to the teams they have faced. We will learn an awful lot about this defense after this game. We know they can get to the quarterback, but can they stop the run and get to the quarterback when a team throws a combination of the two at them for a whole game.
Last week the defense was dominant in the first half before taking their foot off the pedal in the second. It could have been the best thing that happened to Texas this week because it gave plenty for coaches Will Muschamp and Mack Brown to complain about in film study. Some have said that the points Missouri put up in the second half (28 of them) was on the second team, but if you look back at the game only the last touchdown came with all second team guys on the field. Texas lost its passion, which is to be understood in a blow out win, but they must get it back this week and not start believing all the hype. This team looks to be great at forgetting last week and refocusing, but it only takes one flat game for all of the big wins to become obsolete.
Oklahoma State is not just a running team. In fact they may have the best receiver in the league in Dez Bryant. Bryant, a Texan by birth like everyone else it seems in the Big 12, has been tearing apart opposing defenses. Like Jeremy Maclin last week, the Longhorn defense will have to identify where Bryant is on every single play. Bryant has the ability to take it the distance every time he touches the ball, and he touches the ball in special teams, in the passing game, and on reverses and screens. Bryant is by far quarterback’s Zac Robinson’s favorite target.
Speaking of Robinson, the Longhorn defense will face a quarterback with a skill set they haven’t seen this year (if you don’t count the practice field). Robinson is efficient with the ball and has the ability to pull it down and take off if the defense breaks down. OSU uses him on different types of options to press the edge of a defense. The Cowboy offense does a great job of forcing a defense to move up before burning them deep. UT’s defense must stay at home and prevent big plays in order to come out with this win.
This is the type of game that scares a team. But Muschamp and this defense face a similar offense everyday and practice, so I expect no problems in terms of scheme for this defense.
The Longhorns get conference play started this week with a road game against the Colorado Buffaloes. Texas has been on a roll, while CU enters the game after suffering their first loss of the season last week in Florida State. Last year, Colorado shocked Oklahoma in Boulder the week before the UT-OU showdown so Texas will have to show up to play and not look ahead to Dallas if they want to leave undefeated.
When Texas has the ball
Quarterback Colt McCoy has played as good as any other quarterback in the country. McCoy has played as good as any player in the country. Period. The guy has done everything for the Longhorns: he runs, he passes, he pooch punts, if he cleaned the locker room and prepared the food would you be shocked? Me neither. A great quarterback gives a football team a chance to win every game. McCoy is a great quarterback, and shows no signs of slowing down in the first test Texas faces this season. The offensive line has been above average. While the pass coverage has been outstanding, this group must take some of the blame for a lack of production from the backs. Colorado has given up a ton of yards in back to back games to West Virginia and Florida State. A good day would be great for confidence heading into OU week.
The Colorado defense is simple, but good. They don’t blitz a lot, they don’t disguise coverage, they play mostly zone. Expect Texas to pass, and do it often with McCoy getting pre-snap reads on virtually every play. Texas is hopeful running back Foswhitt Whittaker will be back this weekend. Couple the darting style of Whittaker with the emergent bruising style of Cody Johnson and the struggling Longhorn backfield could become one of the better tandems in the nation. Take into account that both of them are freshman and it should ease the anxiety of a Longhorn fan base that is used to stars toting the rock.
The biggest concern for Texas fans should be the inability of Malcolm Williams, and to a lesser extent Dan Buckner, to become a deep threat that opposing coaches must worry about. I can not remember one deep ball thrown to either of these guys when the ball wasn’t near the goal line. Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley have been very good, but with the loss of Blaine Irby a threat down the field needs to replace the threat in the middle to allow space for Cosby and Shipley. If the offense can’t find one, the room Shipley and Cosby have been enjoying will dry up quickly.
When Colorado has the ball
Last week we finally got to see what Will Muschamp is going to do with the Texas defense. Attack, attack, attack. The Longhorn defense was flying to the ball, and when they got their they made sure Arkansas ball carriers remembered it. Never under Mack Brown has a defense been as fast and aggressive as the defense was this week. When the knowledge and experience that only comes with game snaps catches up with the raw talent and energy of this defense this group is going to remind a lot of people of the old Miami and Florida State defenses UT fans used to beg for. Mack Brown’s best coaching move may be hiring Will Muschamp when it is all said and done.
On offense Colorado is just a solid football team. They don’t do a lot of things great, but they don’t hurt themselves. These are the types of teams that can jump up and bite a better team. If Texas makes mistakes and lets Colorado hang around, the home crowd could put them over the top. However, these types of teams can also be overwhelmed if the better team applies pressure from the beginning. The best way to silence a crowd is to make big plays with your defense.
UT has already scored twice this year on the defensive side of the ball. Texas is ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense, and has been applying a ton of pressure the last two games. The combination of Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle has to keep opposing quarterbacks awake at night. With those two coming off the edge, it has almost been a guarantee someone is getting to the quarterback. Add Lamarr Houston, Henry Melton, Sam Acho, and Eddie Jones, and you can see how Texas has recorded seven sacks in each of the last two games.
Muschamp biggest contribution could be the job he is doing as the linebackers coach. Last year this same group of players looked lost in many situations. The scheme seemed to have them playing on their hills, a skill the collective group lacks. The scheme brought in by Muschamp has the linebacker’s core playing downhill and loving it. And while the group of Rashad Bobino, Roddrick Muckelroy, Sergio Kindle, and Jared Norton have been great; the next great linebacker at Texas may have had his coming out party against Arkansas in the second half. His name is Keenan Robinson. The freshman was everywhere, and just appeared to be playing at a different speed. Muschamp loves speed. I don’t know whose snaps will be taken away, but Robinson is going to play more and more.
The secondary is coming together, and it has all hinged on the play of safety Earl Thomas. The secondary is what it is, but if Thomas can play with his swagger, and the front seven keeps applying pressure they have a chance to improve greatly. The best friend to a secondary is a pass rush, and I expect Texas to blitz a lot from here on out. The young secondary will get beat a few times, but so far they have gotten better each week. Muschamp will make sure that continues.
Everybody knows to look for Colt McCoy and Brian Orakpo each game, but UT’s success in this week’s game against Rice and in the upcoming conference match-ups will hinge on the production and success of a few players that are coming into their own. Let’s look at five.
Foswhitt Whittaker
The redshirt freshman tailback was the most productive back in Texas’ offense in his only game this year. His skill set fits in perfectly with the type of offense Texas likes to run. Foswhitt averaged 6.0 yards on 12 attempts against UTEP. He had missed the first game with a knee injury but all reports suggest his knee is fine so expect more touches against Rice. Running backs coach Major Applewhite has been emphasizing receptions out of the backfield, and with Whittaker possessing the best open field moves on the team he seems to be in line to become more and more a part of the offense. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him start, and if he doesn’t start against Rice, he will be by the time Big 12 play begins.
Earl Thomas
The Rice game will be Earl’s third start at safety in college. Rice’s tight end James Casey leads the nation in receptions per game (over 9), and is sure to be Thomas’ man of the night as the defense has seemed to play Blake Gideon in the deep middle. The redshirt freshman has played hot and cold as would be expected in his first two college games, but coach Will Muschamp seems to have confidence in him. If Thomas can hold his own and wrap up when he hits a ball carrier it will help ease the anxiety of a lot of Texas fans. If he can’t, Christian Scott or Ben Wells may get more looks.
Michael Huey
The young offensive lineman got a chance for major playing time when teammate Charlie Tanner went down with a leg injury. Huey struggled at times against UTEP and must begin to move people off the line in order to hold off Tanner when he comes back as well as true freshman David Snow. Texas wants more push in the run game on the inside. Huey has the raw talent and mean streak to remind many fans of ex-Longhorn, and big bellied cult leader, Kasey Studdard, but must translate it on the field to solidify Huey as a starter for the next few years.
Malcolm Williams
Colt McCoy has played great, beyond great really in the first two games, but eventually this team will need a deep threat and the most likely candidate appears to be the 6′4″ Williams. Through the first two games it appears Texas hasn’t even looked to go deep, settling for underneath patters. As the talent of the players, and the coaches, rises the need to stretch the defense takes on added importance. Watching Williams in practice and in pre game warm ups leaves little doubt to his physical skills, but like most young players Williams needs to build his on field confidence by making big plays in a real game. Think of Limas Sweed before and after the catch in the “Horseshoe” against Ohio State. Williams will need a play like that to jump start his season and his career.
Ryan Palmer
The best player on Rice’s team is wide receiver Jarrett Dillard and one would think senior cornerback Ryan Palmer will be the guy asked to shadow him throughout the night. The Owls offer little threat on the ground, so the play of the secondary (especially on third down) will be important in preventing any thought of an upset. Dillard and Rice quarterback Chase Clement will finish their careers as the leading touchdown scoring tandem in NCAA history will try to pick on the size of Palmer, but the senior has shown an ability to hold his own against bigger receivers. Holding this group of players in check will serve as a much needed confidence boost heading into games such as OU, Missouri, and Texas Tech.
Texas heads into this week’s game against Rice off an unexpected bye week thanks to Hurricane Ike. Going into this game, the emphasis will not necessarily be on winning (that should come from just showing up), the emphasis will be on setting a tone for the upcoming Big 12 season.
When Texas has the ball
Through the first two games, one thing has become unmistakably obvious: this is Colt McCoy’s football team. This year’s Longhorns will go as far as he takes them, and so far that seems to be a good thing. After a sophomore slump that saw McCoy’s interceptions jump up significantly from his freshman year, McCoy has started off his junior year in spectacular fashion, including only throwing one interception.
On top of his improved passing game, McCoy is also leading the Horns in rushing. He is the only Longhorn to have over 100 yards on the season. This needs to change, and luckily for UT the Rice Owls are just what the doctor ordered for the Texas running game in the past few years.
New running backs coach Major Applewhite has stressed ball security and pass blocking over explosive plays in the running game, but if Texas wants to get to their yearly goals of playing for the Big 12 championship and reaching a BCS game both need to happen. Texas ranks 23rd in the nation in pass offense, but sixth in the Big 12. The good teams in conference will be able to put up points, and with the youth in Texas’ secondary, UT’s offense must find a way to control the ball and shorten the game. This offense will not be able to score with the likes of Missouri and Oklahoma. In games like this weekend’s versus Rice, the running game needs to start asserting itself.
Texas’ offensive line should be able to physically dominate the smaller Rice defense. Expect the line to come out and quiet the naysayers after being out rushed by UTEP.
The receiving corps has been solid with Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley being the go to guys. Against Rice look for Texas to try and get Malcolm Williams and Dan Buckner deep, these two flankers need confidence heading into the upcoming schedule. So far, the biggest surprise has been the play of tight end Blaine Irby who has scored in the first two games.
When Rice has the ball
Another week, another spread offense for Texas’ young secondary to deal with. The preseason schedule has worked out perfectly in terms of giving this group practice seeing the types of offense they will in the Big 12. The talent will obviously be a step up once conference games begin, but don’t be surprised if the Owl offense presents a challenge for the defense. Quarterback Chase Clement and wide receiver Jarrett Dillard are no slouches, especially Dillard who could be the best player to come out of Rice in recent memory.
Texas ranks 98th in the nation against the pass so look for defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to start bringing more pressure as the season wears on. In a game like this one where the outcome isn’t in much question UT may play close to the vest on offense and defense, but if Rice has success early look for Sergio Kindle to be unleashed. Texas has worked on a “Buck” package with Kindle coming off the edge. This should become more and more a staple of this defense.
Rice offers no real threat to Texas on the ground. The linebacker corps has played as good as it ever has under Mack Brown. Texas’ emphasis moving forward in the season is to create more turnovers and to create more pressure. With offenses running the way they do now, sacks are not as easy to come by. Muschamp keeps track of pressures and hits on the quarterbacks each week. He would like the number to continue to go up.
Position Rating: B-
Starters: Quan Cosby, Jordan Shipley
Reserves: Malcolm Williams, Brandon Collins, James Kirkendoll
The top two guys at wide receiver are as solid as they come but beyond seniors Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley there’s a big drop-off. The Longhorns will be relying on a group on unproven young players whenever the team goes to a three wide receiver set. There’s talent in that second group but none of the youngsters has stepped up and pulled away from the pack during preseason practice.
After a four year pit stop in minor league baseball Cosby has fulfilled much of the promise he had coming out of high school. He’s been a steady performer in his time at Texas and caught 60 passes for 680 yards during the 2007 season. He’s a surehanded receiver quarterback Colt McCoy and Texas fans can count on to haul in anything near him on an important third down.
As most fans know, Shipley’s biggest issue has been staying healthy. After being injured in both 2004 and 2005, he missed three games last year as well but caught 27 passes for 5 TDs. He is more a downfield threat than Cosby but can still be counted on to actually catch the football.
Cosby and Shipley are both proven commodities but neither stands over six feet tall. The Horns need big Malcolm Williams to step up to play one of the outside spots so Cosby can move inside. Williams has all the tools but as is expected from a redshirt freshman has been inconsistent in practice. If he’s not ready sophomores James Kirkendoll and Brandon Collins have impressed as slot guys.
Greg Davis will also be hoping to give this group a little boost by inserting quarterback John Chiles out wide as part of the “Q Package.†Another lightning quick slot guy Chiles will give the Horns an extra playmaker wherever he is on the field.
Overall the position has a lot of promise but a lot of question marks. If just one of the young wide receivers step up to provide a third option then the passing offense is going to be in much better shape. Cross your fingers that Williams or Dan Buckner becomes a stud quickly.
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Posted August 26th, 2008 by Brian
Filed under: Depth Chart, Football
Football season is so close you can smell it. Less than a week from now the Longhorns will finally take the field for the 2008 season against FAU and today Mack Brown and Co. released the first official depth chart of the year. We wouldn’t be true Texas fans if the first thing we did wasn’t overanalyze and complain about it, so of course we’ve done that below:
General Thoughts
- Lots of OR’s all over the place like every year. Harder to complain this year because there’s a ton of youngsters on at least one side of the conjunctions.
- Looks like there will also be a lot of situational players as well. There are several places where players (e.g., Aaron Lewis) are listed as co-starters with very different complementary players.
- Lots of youth in general, including several true freshmen. There may be some games this year where you’re yelling at the television set because of the mistakes but 2008 and 2009 should be exciting.
Offense
- No Malcolm Williams anywhere at wide receiver. Not in the top 3 at either flanker or split end. True freshman Dan Buckner right behind Quan Cosby is encouraging but overall no Williams seems like bigger story. Let’s hope the light comes on.
- Former tackle Greg Smith has been back at the position for less than two weeks but he’s already listed ahead of Peter Ullman as the blocking tight end.
- Michael Huey vs. Cedric Dockery vs. Charlie Tanner at guard. Everyone has been raving about Huey throughout fall camp but most believed he’d be cutting into Tanner’s reps not Dockery’s. The general opinion (and we all know that’s never wrong) is that Dockery is the better of the returning guards but Huey is listed behind him. Is there a strategic reason the coaches believe Huey should stay at right guard?
- The 12 names and 5 OR’s confuse me at running back. What exactly is going on there?
Posted August 21st, 2008 by Brian
Filed under: Football, Quick Hits
Horns need receiver to step up behind Cosby and Shipley. Malcolm Williams could be a stud.
Update: Bevo Sports is giving away NCAA Football 09, enter to win!
NCAA Football 09 is less than a month away, the demo is up on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network, and player ratings are starting to make their way on to the Internet. EA Sports released the team top 25 and player ratings for all those teams.
I went through the list and put the players’ real names in where possible. I had trouble with a lot of the true freshmen in the game so if you know who any of the blank names are or if I made any mistakes please let me know in the comments. It really looks like EA did a poor job this year on the roster and depth chart. Hopefully it’s a little more accurate when the game is released.
You can download Excel files of the player ratings at the bottom of this post or check out the overall ratings for the Texas team below:
| Real Name | Name | Year | Position | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck Burnette | C #66 | Soph(RS) | C | 78 |
| C #60 | Fresh | C | 72 | |
| Deon Beasley | CB #7 | Junior | CB | 85 |
| Ryan Palmer | CB #13 | Senior(RS) | CB | 84 |
| Curtis Brown | CB #3 | Soph | CB | 83 |
| Aaron Williams | CB #26 | Fresh | CB | 80 |
| Chykie Brown | CB #8 | Soph(RS) | CB | 80 |
| Earl Thomas | CB #12 | Fresh(RS) | CB | 78 |
| DJ Monroe | CB #27 | Fresh | CB | 76 |
| Roy Miller | DT #99 | Senior | DT | 90 |
| Jarvis Humphrey | DT #96 | Fresh | DT | 80 |
| Brian Ellis | DT #90 | Soph(RS) | DT | 78 |
| Ben Alexander | DT #92 | Junior | DT | 76 |
| Kheeston Randall | DT #88 | Fresh | DT | 76 |
| Chris Ogbonnayya | FB #3 | Senior(RS) | FB | 93 |
| Cody Johnson | FB #31 | Fresh(RS) | FB | 72 |
| Ben Wells | FS #5 | Fresh(RS) | FS | 84 |
| Christian Scott | FS #6 | Fresh(RS) | FS | 77 |
| Blake Gideon | FS #21 | Fresh | FS | 77 |
| Vondrell McGee | HB #2 | Soph(RS) | HB | 85 |
| DeSean Hales | HB #30 | Fresh | HB | 80 |
| Antwan Cobb | HB #24 | Soph(RS) | HB | 79 |
| Fozzy Whittaker | HB #22 | Fresh(RS) | HB | 78 |
| Jeremy Hills | HB #32 | Fresh | HB | 76 |
| Tre Newton | HB #23 | Fresh | HB | 73 |
| Hunter Lawrence | K #15 | Junior | K | 82 |
| Justin Tucker | K #9 | Fresh | K | 69 |
| Lamarr Houston | LE #33 | Junior | LE | 91 |
| Aaron Lewis | LE #95 | Senior | LE | 85 |
| Henry Melton | LE #37 | Senior | LE | 80 |
| Charlie Tanner | LG #52 | Junior(RS) | LG | 86 |
| Tray Allen | LG #70 | Soph | LG | 82 |
| Chris Hall | LG #71 | Junior(RS) | LG | 81 |
| Aundre McGaskey | LG #76 | Fresh(RS) | LG | 74 |
| Sergio Kindle | LOLB #2 | Junior | LOLB | 85 |
| LOLB #16 | Fresh | LOLB | 80 | |
| LOLB #57 | Fresh | LOLB | 76 | |
| David Snow | LT #78 | Fresh | LT | 78 |
| Britt Mitchell | LT #72 | Soph(RS) | LT | 78 |
| Rashad Bobino | MLB #44 | Senior(RS) | MLB | 90 |
| Jared Norton | MLB #11 | Junior | MLB | 85 |
| Trevor Gerland | P #17 | Junior(RS) | P | 83 |
| Colt McCoy | QB #12 | Junior(RS) | QB | 89 |
| Sherrod Harris | QB #17 | Soph(RS) | QB | 81 |
| John Chiles | QB #7 | Soph | QB | 79 |
| Eddie Jones | RE #32 | Soph(RS) | RE | 92 |
| Brian Orakpo | RE #98 | Senior(RS) | RE | 90 |
| Russell Carter | RE #97 | Fresh(RS) | RE | 77 |
| Cedric Dockery | RG #55 | Senior(RS) | RG | 89 |
| Michael Huey | RG #63 | Soph | RG | 81 |
| Roddrick Muckelroy | ROLB #38 | Junior(RS) | ROLB | 87 |
| Keenan Robinson | ROLB #53 | Fresh(RS) | ROLB | 82 |
| ROLB #4 | Fresh | ROLB | 75 | |
| Adam Ulatoski | RT #74 | Junior(RS) | RT | 85 |
| Mark Buchanan | RT #54 | Fresh | RT | 74 |
| Ishie Oduegwu | SS #19 | Junior(RS) | SS | 88 |
| Nolan Brewster | SS #36 | Fresh | SS | 79 |
| Peter Ullman | TE #86 | Senior(RS) | TE | 81 |
| Ahmard Howard | TE #13 | Fresh(RS) | TE | 74 |
| Blaine Irby | TE #19 | Soph | TE | 73 |
| Quan Cosby | WR #6 | Senior | WR | 89 |
| Jordan Shipley | WR #8 | Senior(RS) | WR | 84 |
| Montre Webber | WR #14 | Soph(RS) | WR | 83 |
| Dan Buckner | WR #4 | Fresh | WR | 79 |
| Malcolm Williams | WR #9 | Fresh(RS) | WR | 78 |
| DJ Grant | WR #80 | Fresh | WR | 75 |
| Antoine Hicks | WR #81 | Fresh | WR | 75 |
| James Kirkendoll | WR #87 | Soph | WR | 74 |
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