Texas/Texas Tech Football Post Mortem
by Scipio Tex on Nov 2, 2008 6:26 PM CST
in Texas Longhorns and Other Football
Email
PrintAlso see HenryJames' post on pain and EyesofTX's, G, B & U.
_____________________________________
Texas/Texas Tech Football Post Mortem
Congratulations to Texas Tech. Mike Leach is a favorite at Barking Carnival but we're chagrinned to be crewing the galleon that he boarded and pillaged. That's Tech at their swashbuckling best and they did it with the national spotlight burning on their peg legs and shoulder-perched parrots. They deserve the unrestrained joy of rushing their field three or four times, a claim to national respect, and a precautionary bolus of penicillin in preparation for the ritual exchange of STDs that characterizes any big win in Lubbock. Sincere congratulations. This is a defining win for your program.
Much will be written about the last three minutes of this game and it will dominate our future telling of the contest: our failure to engage in basic clock management, porous kickoff coverage that handed Tech vital field position on a silver saddle, Gideon's Bill Buckneresque drop, Curtis Brown's failure to tackle Crabtree, Earl Thomas taking an angle that made Euclid weep...those things certainly determined the final course of the game.
But I'll offer that the ultimate outcome was written in the first half by our guys wearing headsets and our player's inability to capitalize on some key opportunities. Our staff set the tone and established a game disposition that unnerved our players and sabotaged early momentum. Tech's coaches maximized opportunity wherever they found it, while ours reminded us that the Chinese character for opportunity and crisis are the same. Make no mistake, a whiff of air escaped from our staff's tight sphincters and filtered from the coaching box and sideline into our team's early play like grit on the West Texas wind. Fairly or not (I'll argue not), the postcript for this game - how we'll recall it ten years from now - will be that a starting safety cost us the win. Fair enough. Which one? The kid playing safety with the potential coup de grace that agonizingly slipped from his hands? Or the two points that set the game's tone when we were backed up on our goalline?
Offense
After forcing a Tech punt, we took over on our two yard line. Against a team whose strength is their DL, in the most hostile venue in the Big 12, featuring a Longhorn team that struggles to run the ball consistently (and doesn't run well early in the game) our offensive staff dusted off a straight I formation we've barely used all year and asked our slowest runner to dive the ball into the line of scrimmage from five yards deep in our end zone. To make it spicy, we asked all of our OL to reach block.
That collision of stupidity, ignorance of context, and inability to assess risk was last witnessed at a four way intersection near an Insane Clown Posse concert. It's instructive that three different Tech players could have scored the safety. With all due respect, anyone who defends that play call knows macro football the way Isaac Mizrahi knows strange. Like Isaac, you may be around it all of the time, but you don't really get it.
On our next three possessions we totalled 20 yards on 13 plays, ending each with a punt. Texas Tech's D was largely as vanilla as Blue Bell ice cream. We had execution errors, dropped passes, and weird playcalls that didn't follow how Tech was defending us. On our fifth drive Muschamp's defense gave us the ball deep in Tech territory and we managed to advance five yards and kick a field goal. Tommy Tuberville texted us his congratulations. Six more of those and we're right back in it. Some of that was to Tech's credit - they sat on short routes, they disrespected our running game by ignoring play action, and they jumped a number of our routes based on tendency. However, we were their willing handmaiden. Like the cop in Life On Mars who wakes up in 1973 and must make sense of an alien world, the first half reintroduced me to Greg Davis circa 2002 - the Dallas version. Cautious, backward-looking, with a gameplan completely devoid of counterpunching. Since the loss of Irby, when was the TE ever a part of this years team's success?
We threw a ball to Greg Smith at TE, hoping for a different result than Ullmann's volleyball set interception in Colorado. Greg swatted it away like it was a menacing yellowjacket. That's not coming down on a good kid who is contributing as best he can, it's asking the coaches to put players in a position to succeed. The four wide is who we are. It's why we were the #1 team in the country. The TE position gave up two sacks to Brandon Williams, who will be a 1st Team All Big 12 DE. If you slap a receiver eligible number on your third string OT, that doesn't make him a TE. Or a more viable blocker. Next time we want to experiment with pointless self-deception, let's put a fake moustache on our TE and tell Tech he's Burt Reynolds.
We ran a QB draw on a vital 3rd and 2 that got stuffed like a sausage casing. Really, Greg? Seriously? At that point of the game, time of possession was careening Tech's way like a scotch-soaked Mangino on a unicycle. Right before our final first half field goal drive, Tech had 321 yards of offense to our 21. That's not the playcall that gets our offense moving and gives our defense a blow.
Let me be clear: the players had some costly errors of their own. It's on them too. Jordan Shipley dropped a sure touchdown that could have altered game momentum drastically. Chris Ogbonnaya ran like a Halloween vampire drained 3/10 of a second off of his 40 time. Our OL got mandhandled in the running game. Colt sacked himself twice for no reason whatsoever. I'm just wondering how much of that lack of composure had to do with Davis asking us to play left-handed.
So the question at halftime was pretty clear: had we staked Tech too much of a lead for our inevitable, predictable, and obvious comeback?
As strangely awful as it is to write, Quan's absence aided our comeback. Let me be clear: we're not where we are today without Quan. He's everything a student athlete should be and he's been remarkably productive as a player, but he can't make the two plays that Malcolm Williams made or the play that Shipley made on the punt return. It bothers me that a singular talent like Williams was Quan's back-up when he should have been logging time alongside Quan and Jordan all year long. James Kirkendoll and Brandon Collins will be fine players, but they don't offer a skill set that Shipley and Cosby don't already possess. Malcolm Williams introduces an element of athletic terror into a defense and that's something this offense sorely needs. A redshirt freshman 6'3" 220 pounder who can run a 4.4 isn't best at running precise routes with perfect timing four yards from the LOS, but excels at running through arm tackles downfield and stretching defenses. 4 catches, 184 yards and 2 TDs later, a star is born.
Newsflash: Fozzy is really good. Let's play him some more. Less than 12 carries against Baylor would disappoint me.
I have no gripes with our performance on offense in the second half - griping about an individual play call doesn't really interest me. Colt's pick 6 was on him. Shipley's punt return TD obviously deprived us of an offensive possession. I just wish we hadn't decided to play the entire first half left handed. When we engaged their defense like we had a pair in the formations in which we'd excelled all year, we rolled. Our last three possessions of the game all resulted in touchdowns. Our film will be incredibly instructive to Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Baylor. Start aggressively, don't let your foot off of the accelerator, and understand that your defense and offense must put together an integrated game plan where each reinforces the other.
Defense
Early in the game, Leach trimmed Tech's line splits to water tight and this prevented us from exploiting our obvious advantages in quickness by taking gaps. This was my greatest concern about Tech's offense and Leach was smart to make his offense more conventional by making that concession. As the game progressed, he began to tinker a bit as we wore down, but this was largely on running plays. Leach essentially ran OU's offense and a more traditional passing game and Harrell, to his credit, made some great throws to allow it. By tightening their splits, our DL were asked to walk back a 350 pounder on every snap in order to get pressure and the exhaustion resulting from that task can't be underestimated. Further, losing Orakpo was decisive as late game pressure off of the edge would have been very helpful in halting Harrell's reading War And Peace in the pocket.
Our gameplan was fundamentally sound though we didn't really do the physical matching that I thought we needed to do in the secondary. Muschamp began with a decent amount of secondary blitzing which proved redundant as they were largely running up the back our DL. He scaled back appropriately. Our attempts at zone were comically inept. Duane Akina couldn't teach zone when we had a secondary of four NFL juniors and seniors, so I'm not sure why we thought a Montesorri class would do better. The absence of Chykie Brown was significant as was Orakpo's knee injury. Deon Beasley had no business covering Michael Crabtree in the first half and we could have used Chykie Brown, who is apparently in the doghouse for some nameless offense. Not good timing Chykie. Curtis Brown had a rough game, but I don't blame the Britton pass on him. That's a sprinter catching a perfect ball in single coverage. You tip your hat and move on. Seeing Eric Morris score on him because he peeked into Tech's backfield was more disconcerting, but that was also a hell of a pass by Graham Harrell.
Aaron Williams and Roy Miller are my defensive players of the game. Aaron exemplified the mentality you need against Tech (please see the conclusion of the Shipley punt return for what he does to a Tech defender in the end zone) and was a force in pass coverage. He will be a superstar. Miller consistently got a push with Ryan Hamby clinging to him a like a koala and he was dynamite against the run. Ryan Palmer deserves a nod as well.
Our defense was ugly as hell - the Baron Batch stroll through the open gate of two DT's lined up in 3 techniques without a LB behind them was particularly galling - but the offense systematically screwed Muschamp in the first half. We gave up only one second half touchdown - Crabtree's miracle. That should have been sufficient to get the win in Lubbock and has been in the past.
Special Teams
Tucker's rugby punts were gold and played a huge role in keeping the game respectable until our offense could adjust to Daylight Savings Time. Allowing a playmaker to return a punt paid dividends. Strange, that. Hunter Lawrence was predictably great. We got our hands on some kicks as well. The only blemish, as it is most every week, was kickoff coverage. We won special teams convincingly, but it wasn't enough.
Final Thoughts
We have no reason not to win out and watch with interest as the OSU/OU/Tech round robin death match unfolds. It's highly unlikely that Tech emerges without a loss. That's no disrespect to Texas Tech - it's simply offering the proper amount to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
This was as agonizing a loss a Texas fan has ever experienced and a great object lesson for our staff to stick to its knitting. Mack and Greg, we are a four wide passing offense that uses the pass to set up the run. Write it on the chalkboard one hundred times. I know you get that today. But next time you stroll into Greg's office on Thursday feeling a little uptight and the two of you start to consider our gameplan, I'd like you to think about the man you love to quote (no, not Joe Jamail) and Dance With The One Who Brung Ya.
Let's hope for Orakpo and Cosby's good health, pray that Chykie addresses his malfeasance, and let's get the train back on the tracks. There's a whole lot of football left to be played and a Big 12 Title, a BCS game, and even a national championship are all still in play. Get your horns up and let's take care of business.
Hook 'em.
64 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
“…a precautionary bolus of penicillin in preparation for the ritual exchange of STDs that characterizes any big win in Lubbock.”
POTY
by Ag_in_TX on Nov 2, 2008 6:42 PM CST reply actions
Very good summary. I also thought Palmer played well. I’m not aware that he broke up any passes, but by inference, the fact that Tech never attacked him or Aaron Williams implies that those two played well. Curtis Brown, who played well against OSU and Bryant, was abused by Crabtree as well as the perfect strikes to the Elf and Britton.
The Reach blocking on the safety was mind-boggling idiocy. You would expect a defense to aggressively shoot gaps in such a situation, thus asking an OL to block a player to his inside is really dumb.
McCoy looked like he was mentally out of it half the time, especially noticable on sideline camera shots. Perhaps one of those shots to the head was the reason. It was a tough loss, but it would have hurt more losing this way (the last play of the game) to OU perhaps.
by Musburger on Nov 2, 2008 6:56 PM CST reply actions
Excellent work, as usual. Thanks and Hook ’em.
by Soldier of Orange on Nov 2, 2008 7:10 PM CST reply actions
Great write up as always, Scipio. I hardly ever disagree with you. People don’t realize it, but this team is really going to miss Miller next year. The guy has been nails all year and yes, Aaron Williams is one of my favorite players already. He brings it every weekend when he plays. Again, I would like to see Keenan Robinson play more as I think he has similar potential. Fozzy should start and yes, they need to use Malcolm’s talents effectively. I also thought Kindle played very well.
Can someone speculate on Chykie? Him not playing I think was the difference in this ballgame.
by Groundhog Day on Nov 2, 2008 7:13 PM CST reply actions
Supposedly Chykie was injured but available. A DB at 80-90% is basically worthless however.
by Musburger on Nov 2, 2008 7:30 PM CST reply actions
Tech has risen up to an emotional and physical peak and beaten Texas. Congratulations to them.
The difference between contender and champion is the ability to reproduce high level play. Now they get to try their hand at that this week against an OSU team that is better balanced and more versatile offensively. Wearing the bulls-eye on their backs will be very different from playing spoiler.
After an off week (I wish our October death match had an off week) they get to go to Norman. I don’t see them getting through those two games without a loss either. If they do they will be a deserving Division champion.
by hopefulhorn on Nov 2, 2008 7:30 PM CST reply actions
Musburger,
There are rumors that he is in the doghouse for off the field transgressions. Is this true?
by Groundhog Day on Nov 2, 2008 7:36 PM CST reply actions
Was Aaron Williams playing corner or safety? I haven’t re-watched the game yet. I remember him running around, but I seem to have omitted his presence on my All-Game Team. I like the shit out of Curtis Brown, personally, for a young guy.
Please see this: LINK
by dedfischer on Nov 2, 2008 7:54 PM CST reply actions
I take some solace in not being the only person who thought Ogbonnaya looked like he was carrying a piano on his back.
Could not agree more about the first half. Definite shades of the Ghost of Timid Game Plans Past.
The safety reminded me of the safety we gave up at Tech in 1994. I cannot believe people in all 254 Texas counties were not thinking “safety” when they saw us line up.
ESPN is playing the call of the Tech radio guys as I type this. Bile.
by JUICE on Nov 2, 2008 7:59 PM CST reply actions
Excellent review.
Earl Thomas taking an angle that made Euclid weep
Allow me a brief tangential thought: if ET stays within arms-length of Crabtree, he and Cu. Brown might be able to wrestle him down in-bounds and maybe have the clock run out. Doubtful on the road, I know, but don’t underestimate the awfulness of the officiating crew and their ability to screw it up in our favor. So add that to your list of woulda-coulda-shoulda’s.
by Evil E on Nov 2, 2008 8:00 PM CST reply actions
Prediction: if two of the ‘Bama/Tech/Penn St.-three-headed hydra finish undefeated, we could go down as this year’s version of the 2005 Nittany Lions — one walk-off TD away from an undefeated season and possible BCS stardom. (Theirs was a Michigan TD reception on 4th down with no time left.)
by Evil E on Nov 2, 2008 8:05 PM CST reply actions
I have no idea if Chykie was being punished. If he did something wrong, I would hope there would be a way to punish him without hurting the team. I don’t know what that would be, but I remember what Coach Bowden said when he refused to bench kicker Janokowski for a transgression prior to a Bowl Game. “Why should I cut off my nose to spite my face.”
by Musburger on Nov 2, 2008 8:15 PM CST reply actions
It appeared that Williams and Palmer were primarily lined up against inside receivers and Curtis Brown and Beasley drew the outside receivers (Usually Britton or Crabtree).
by Musburger on Nov 2, 2008 8:17 PM CST reply actions
I know I sound like a broken record, but our first offensive snap of the night drove me right over the edge.
We had done exactly what needed to be done — stop Tech on its first offensive possession. It didn’t take the crowd out, but it certainly revved them down a bit.
I could picture Davis sitting up there with his lamentated list of his first 15 offensive plays, and he was gonna run them come hell or high water.
We line up in a formation that we won’t run on first down at midfield (that’ll trick ’em) and we line up in just the play that a defense jacked up on pre-game hype can run right through.
It was beyond stupidity and it was indefensible.
by srr50 on Nov 2, 2008 8:21 PM CST reply actions
ded:
Congrats, man!
Aaron Williams played the extra corner. He was positively violent in blowing up some screens and he was glue in coverage.
by Scipio Tex on Nov 2, 2008 8:36 PM CST reply actions
Thanks. Your DL has 2 guys playing it by the book and 2 good athletes freelancing. You can have all of either and make it work in run defense. I seem to recall an interesting phenomena of your run defense improving when Orakpo and Miller were out of the game. Muschamp then had 4 guys at the same depth vs. 2 guys in the backfield and 2 playing it honest at the line. The huge running lanes tended to disappear at that point. Well, that and you went with more 4 man over 3 man fronts. I really need to watch the game again become I make too many generalizations, but I think that is what’s going on when Texas doesn’t stop the run. I saw a lot of it against OSU too.
by dedfischer on Nov 2, 2008 8:57 PM CST reply actions
Pongetti posted some probabilities on Orangebloods:
This assumes the following for simplification (none of which are 100%, but they’re up there):
Texas wins out
Tech beats Baylor
OU beats aggy
Okie State beats Colorado
Texas finishes higher in BCS than Okie State and OU for Big 12 tie-breaker purposes
Assigned Probabilities:
Tech beats Okie State in Lubbock: 60%
OU beats Tech in Norman: 85% (frankly, I think it’s closer to 100%)
OU beats Okie State in Stillwater: 70%
T = Tech win
O = OU win
S = Okie State win
by SizzleChest on Nov 2, 2008 9:23 PM CST reply actions
“…, and a precautionary bolus of penicillin in preparation for the ritual exchange of STDs that characterizes any big win in Lubbock. Sincere congratulations.”
this made me hurt with laughter.
by scagnetti on Nov 3, 2008 1:49 AM CST reply actions
Seen at the corner of Guadalupe and MLK this morning; a flashing construction sign that usually warns of road delays, detours, etc.:
DON’T
FEEL
TOO BAD
. . .
THEY STILL
GO TO
TECH
Nice to see Public Works getting into the full and bitter spirit of things.
by Parlin Hall on Nov 3, 2008 7:26 AM CST reply actions
the Chinese character for opportunity and crisis are the same
by Spider on Nov 3, 2008 7:36 AM CST reply actions
Scipio….
I have been saying this for a couple weeks now. All someone had to do is man cover our receivers, effectively giving their line time to get pressure and we would struggle. It took until week 9 for someone to get the memo.
I know everyone thought the I-form on the 1 was a bad idea, but no one is offering an alternative. The fact is we don’t have anything “effective” from there. All of our run plays are slow-developing, and I don’t see any ply/formation that would get us a guaranteed 2-3 yards.
I can’t figure out the TE blocking thing. It looked as if the TE was supposed to help. The DE had been in a 5-technique, but then lined up in a 9, making the TE have to handle him by himself on a speed rush……. bad idea!!
Other than those things I wasn’t really that upset with the playcalling. We had several chances to move the football, and just flat out dropped passes. Colt sacked himself by either footwork, or holding on to the football too long. Sometimes you just have to throw it away!!! Something we have yet to figure out. Collins……. What in the hell was he doing? He dropped quite a few passes, including one where if he doesn’t try to run before catching it, he could have gone for big yardage.
Overall, we snoozed through the first half. Anytime you fail to execute as badly as we did for two quarters, you are gonna lose a couple football games. The truth is we played bad football for 3 quarters in a row, dating back to the fourth qtr of the OSU game.
by p on Nov 3, 2008 8:10 AM CST reply actions
Wonderful stuff as always. Thanks for the read.
by EyesOfTX on Nov 3, 2008 8:18 AM CST reply actions
Great stuff as always Scip.
Let’s all keep things in perspective. Blake makes that catch and the headlines are “Colt is a Jedi” and “Same old Tech”.
Hats off to the Red Raiders. We need to stay focused and not overlook an improving Baylor Bear team.
by Art Vandelay on Nov 3, 2008 8:32 AM CST reply actions
Ketchum is now claiming we cheated and gave horse bute to Crabtree on the sideline. Could you guys do something about this guy? You created him.
by dedfischer on Nov 3, 2008 9:03 AM CST reply actions
Sorry for your loss.
To Sizzle: Why would you assume UT finishes higher than OU in the final BCS rankings? OU is going to get a good SOS bump in the computers. I know there will be a strong tendency to keep OU behind UT in the human polls, but I’m not at all sure who will end up on top.
And the really fascinating question is whether either can get/stay ahead of UF if they win out.
by Gene Claude on Nov 3, 2008 9:15 AM CST reply actions
p:
You have a number of options. One is to see how Tech reacts to our base four wide with 98 yards of green behind their corners.
Another is to line up in our Power I goalline set and account for every defender with base blocking. We get positive yardage from that formation every time we run it. You also have them terrified of play action out of it.
What you don’t do is dive your RB with reach blocking across your entire front when every Tech defender is taking a gap out of a formation you haven’t used all year with players at TE and FB who are nearly useless.
by Scipio Tex on Nov 3, 2008 9:22 AM CST reply actions
GC:
I think the thought is that pollsters get more reflective as the season concludes and they begin to assess the totality of their vote. Our head-to-head over OU is compelling. The computers will like OU particularly because that TCU win keeps looking better and better so it’s in our best interest to pull for any TCU or Cincinnati opponent.
by Scipio Tex on Nov 3, 2008 9:25 AM CST reply actions
I think most Texas fans who are familiar with our offense started praying when they saw the non-jumbo I-Formation take the field. We’ve almost had a safety on at least 2 other similar occasions this season.
by RolloTamasi on Nov 3, 2008 9:26 AM CST reply actions
Rollo:
I mentioned on the podcast that my first thought upon seeing the formation was that we were going to play action, roll Colt in the pocket, and throw deep. As we handed the ball off, both Sailor Ripley and I screamed," NooooOOOOOOOO!
This was followed by a rich exploration of language.
by Scipio Tex on Nov 3, 2008 9:33 AM CST reply actions
Scipio,
Do you agree with my assessment of your DL play? I think it’s really hurt you guys against OSU and Tech. It’s kind of how you guys were burning OU on the ground in the 2nd half. Too many dudes playing pass on one side, while the other half is playing run. They can all play the pass and cause problems in the run game by doing it through penetration, rolling the dice for TFLs. Or, you can all play run and stop everything at the LOS. Texas’ problem is you are rolling with two of each, making Houston and Kindle a liability against teams with the good OL personnel (Tech & OSU, not OU).
by dedfischer on Nov 3, 2008 9:43 AM CST reply actions
I’d have to rewatch the game all the way through. Which I can’t bring myself to do quite yet.
by Scipio Tex on Nov 3, 2008 9:44 AM CST reply actions
I was yelling “Noooo” when I saw the I-formation. I just held my breath, and then started consoling myself that at least we would never do this again.
On the play where we went deep to Malcolm Williams I was really frustrated. I saw Colt drop back and said, “NO! Run the….YEEAAAAH!”
As a Patriots fan, the play where Harrell dropped back 30 yards and was sacked out of field goal range is a blur to me. I started seeing Eli Manning throwing the helmet catch instead.
It was a roller coaster game to say the least. I’m hoping the Crabtree TD and Gideon drop aren’t haunting images in the future.
by RolloTamasi on Nov 3, 2008 9:45 AM CST reply actions
And because we didn’t have two tight ends, and because we didn’t even attempt to have the left tackle put a hand on the defensive end, Cody Johnson had to peel off and seal the DE. So that left pretty much Ogbonnaya getting the ball deep in the end zone with no on in front of him. How could it fail?
ded,
We have no control over Ketchum.
by HenryJames on Nov 3, 2008 9:56 AM CST reply actions
Scipio – Assuming Sizzleans assumptions, while TX will get some love from voters for beating the Sooners in Dallas, I think those same voters will also recognize that OU beat the same TTech team that bested the ‘horns. In the what have you done for me lately world, I think OU winds up on top in that scenario, although I must admit that for the past 2 or 3 weeks, I have been anticipating watching the ’horns perform in KC on a December night. The the temp is going to be in the teens and the horns, most of whom have never gone outside when the temp was less than 80, are gonna be feeling their dingleberry freeze and fall off, rolling down their pant legs. I was interested in seeing how the horn’s responded to that, but I can wait another year.
by BoomerFreakinSooner on Nov 3, 2008 11:20 AM CST reply actions
If the season ends with a 3 way tie for the Big 12 South between TTU, OU , and Texas, then yes, I think the pollsters will take a closer look at their ballots. It’s doubtful that Tech can lose any more heroically to OU than Texas lost to Tech. Also, I think it’s doubtful that OU crushes Tech; therefore, the difference in the round robin head to head match ups will be that only one of the three teams was able to manage a win not abetted by a home field advantage. I think that will make a difference to some voters.
by Soldier of Orange on Nov 3, 2008 11:28 AM CST reply actions
I love how an ag responds first after this write up. Not a surprise in the least.
Great read, Scip.
by So I hooks a left on the 2-1 and Lewis on Nov 3, 2008 12:19 PM CST reply actions
Of all the things concerning the Horns I’m sure that Northern US climate is near the bottom. Texas has no history under Mack Brown of struggling in cold weather. No road losses to Colorado, or Nebraska, or really anyone in that environment.
Also, beating Tech at home, losing to Texas in Dallas, and then pointing out that Texas lost to Tech in Lubbock isn’t an impressive argument.
by RolloTamasi on Nov 3, 2008 12:51 PM CST reply actions
Sooner:
Cold is the least of my concerns. We’ve always played well in it.
As for the pollsters, you’ll find that at the end of the year recency bias tends to go away and they generally look at the totality of the resume. That’s why TCU winning out is important to you. It offers you another potential win over a Top 10 team.
by Scipio Tex on Nov 3, 2008 12:55 PM CST reply actions
Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis said he regrets…
Very few combinations of words in the English language upset me as much as this one.
by Vasherized on Nov 3, 2008 2:39 PM CST reply actions
This one is mainly on Greg Davis – he should do more to help the offense.
We will see what Tech does again Mike Gundy – after all he is a man
by utstudboy on Nov 3, 2008 2:44 PM CST reply actions
Here’s Rylan Reed’s quote on Orakpo:
“Said he had to use all of his "man strength" against Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo, which he had never had to do before.”
Also,
- He said people wonder why Tech’s o-line is so good, and his response is because Tech’s d-line gives them so much competition in practice. He said Tech defensive end Brandon Williams is up there with Orakpo and Chris Long.
by dedfischer on Nov 3, 2008 2:53 PM CST reply actions
GC – I didn’t make those assumptions. Pongetti did. I was just sharing like I never do at the dinner table.
by SizzleChest on Nov 3, 2008 3:09 PM CST reply actions
Scipio, I feel the same about the Cosby injury. Dude’s made big catches all year, but watching Williams run through McBath was like watching Permian vs EP Hanks in ’94. Then on the long TD I think he was still accelerating at the end.
And Cosby doesn’t score on that punt return.
by RRR on Nov 3, 2008 3:20 PM CST reply actions
Also, I think it’s doubtful that OU crushes Tech
Have you seen OU play in Norman?
by ponderos on Nov 3, 2008 3:50 PM CST reply actions
The gap between Tech’s OL and the DL of their next 3 opponents is much greater than the gap between their respective OL and Tech’s DL, which makes it difficult for teams to maintain the same pace of scoring as Tech. This makes Tech the favorite on paper from here on out. If you haven’t noticed, we’re kind of harder to beat this year.
by dedfischer on Nov 3, 2008 4:48 PM CST reply actions
You neglect the fact that ou holds as much as your o-line. I doubt your d-line gets many hits in Bradford for that very reason. ou can definitely score with Tech barring them coming out as flat as Texas did this past week.
by Sasha_Is_A_Longhorn_Dog on Nov 3, 2008 5:02 PM CST reply actions
Ded: granted. But Tech looked incredibly vulnerable against a very poor Nebraska team that just happened to sustain drives.
If Ganz hadn’t fallen off a ladder outside a sorority house the night before the game, NU takes a win home from Lubbock.
by Parlin Hall on Nov 3, 2008 5:04 PM CST reply actions
I have been excited since the start of last season about the recruits we were hauling in. I can’t wait until Buckner, Williams, Grant, and Hales are all on the field.
by p on Nov 3, 2008 5:14 PM CST reply actions
Ponderos:
Yes I have. Given the quality of Tech’s offfense, the refusal of Big 12 Refs to call holding, and the vulnerability Oklahoma’s back 7 has shown, I doubt Oklahoma crushes Tech. I admit right readily that I might very well be wrong about this. That’s why I wrote that I doubted Oklahoma would crush Tech rather than state it as an incontrovertible fact.
by Soldier of Orange on Nov 3, 2008 7:04 PM CST reply actions
This will sound extremely biased to most of you orangebloods, but if you study the history of the BCS, you will see that it is set up to produce the most desireable TV match up. With that being said, a Tech loss will be devastating, but it will at least provide further chaos for a severly flawed system.
On this day before election day, I feel that the Dems should have the abolition of the BCS on their political agenda. In the likely event of a round robin, and the championship is left to the polls, Tech has NO chance, and neither does OSU-we are second teir draws-and the TV draw is what will determine the rankings. It is highly likely that the Big 12 may get snubbed completely to get a florida in the Orange Bowl-see LSU.
by Raider Machoy on Nov 3, 2008 8:21 PM CST reply actions
All I hear is qqqqqqq, learn to love losing, here’s the sound of all the 4 and 5 start recruits going to Tech:
by ixeos on Nov 4, 2008 10:48 AM CST reply actions
Fantastic. Thanks.
I’m right with you on our first offensive play. Their defense has spent the entire week getting pumped up and we want to go head-to-head with that? I was hoping for a sprint out with Colt where he could throw the ball away if need be, otherwise have a run/pass option.
by Fritz on Nov 4, 2008 12:35 PM CST reply actions
sir,
this is the most charitable i’ve ever seen you with greg davis. he no longer deserves scorn however, only pity.
that aside, i tip my hat to you as usual.
by old ut fan on Nov 4, 2008 4:26 PM CST reply actions
I think Greg Davis has done fantastic this season (and everyone seems to more or less feel that way) with the large exception of the 1st half of this game. I cannot imagine what he was thinking by not throwing McGee and Fozzy out there early when Tech had everyone back.
by RolloTamasi on Nov 4, 2008 5:36 PM CST reply actions
go cowboys, yee haw, and i guess go sooners, even better if sooner loses this wkd, then tech blows them out of water, or norman , hook em
by marc on Nov 5, 2008 10:01 AM CST reply actions
Generally I don’t read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to take a look at and do so! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice post.
by e juice on Oct 23, 2011 5:03 AM CDT reply actions
I’ll immediately grasp your rss as I can’t to find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Please let me understand in order that I may subscribe. Thanks.
by camera quan sat on Nov 21, 2011 2:08 AM CST reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Barking Carnival
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
