Practice: Day Six

So, Sherrod HArris has bee in the program 3 years, and is “dead even” with a true freshman. Ooops.

“Cody (Johnson) is working fullback and tailback in short-yardage/goal line, and he’ll continue to do that.”

I buy into Johnson in this role completely. Ideally we’ll see McGee as a 1st and 2nd down back, Fozzy on 3rd and long, and Johnson on 3rd and short.

LOVE Mack’s thoughts on TE. Perfect.

So, Sherrod HArris has bee in the program 3 years, and is "dead even" with a true freshman. Ooops.

You say that like you it’s something new with our back up QBs over the last, oh I don’t know 10 years or so.

Whether or not Johnson is perfect for our offense becomes a moot point again if he is the only one of the 3 that can play the entire season.

It is going to be interesting seeing where all of these guys fit in (add in Cobb, Hills and Newton, not to mention Whaley) once the season actually starts.

re: Keeping McCoy is paramount.

(sorry: bad typing fingers) . . . continuing previous message on McCoy: Suppose it’s too late to get him a medical hardship (sixth) season for the time he missed against K-State as a freshman?

Newton is the 4th back right now. He’s moved ahead of Hills and is basically your next Oingo Boingo.

So, Sherrod HArris has bee in the program 3 years, and is "dead even" with a true freshman. Ooops.

You say that like you it’s something new with our back up QBs over the last, oh I don’t know 10 years or so.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Over the last 10 years I think I’ve seen Sasquatch humping a unicorn more times than I’ve seen UT backup QBs playing in a game.

Don’t judge me.

Mack:
“On the importance of having a tight end: It’s important to have every position, but the most important thing for us is to put the best 11 guys in the field. So, if our tight end is not better than our third receiver, we’ll put an extra receiver in the game. That’s what you do.

Even if the tight ends don’t step up, what we can do when we’re trying to run the ball when everybody knows we’re going to run the ball, we can put two tackles at tight end like we did with Britt Mitchell last year."

One question for the UT offense coming into this season was whether UT would begin to catch up to OU’s extreme hurry up offense which shocked and awed college football last season. Specifically, could UT still pass efficiently while, with the same personnel, run with enough power to force the opposition defense to load up with run stoppers. If so, UT could keep those run stoppers on the field for the remainder of the drive via the hurry up offense and pick them apart with UT’s efficient passing attack. Alternatively, if the opposition defense refused to honor the run, UT could over power them on the ground.

A key component of OU’s offense that enables them to run powerfully and pass efficiently are the large TEs that they play. They block like OL in the power running game but are very difficult for safeties to cover when they go out for passes. You replace those 260 pound TEs with 180 pound wide receivers and bye bye power running game, hello run your short passing attack against dime packages.

Can those 180 pounders last the whole season catching short possession passes with the defense pounding them to the max? Ship is a super tough 190 pounder and it about killed him. IIRC, Quan is about 200 pounds and tough as they come. He’s also graduated.

UT operated at an offensive schematic disadvantage last season versus OU. OU was really exploiting the hurry up offense, UT not so much. I was hoping that UT would make strides this season in closing that schematic gap. Maybe not.

HJ:
“He’s right. I think last year’s OU game was a revelation to the offensive coaches.”

The OU game was a revelation. We finally (!!!) figured out that passing short is the way to beat OU’s blitz. Good stuff. OU was unusually weak on their special teams and gave up a return TD. Probably not going to happen this season. OU also lost their MLB (who turned out to be irreplaceable) to injury which provided the weakness that UT exploited relentlessly in the 2nd half.

UT probably does not score 45 points this year versus OU. Stoops may be smart enough to load up to stop the UT passing game and dare UT to run the ball.

If the TEs do not step up, it is a big step back for the horns. UT needs at least a couple of receivers who can block an LB and chip block a DE (i.e. funnel the DE into our OT so that the OT has a chance to block the DE). Small receivers can’t do that.

FB is probably a good position for Cody if he actually gets to play. If none of the TEs step up then maybe we play a FB instead of a TE.

Also (if the TEs do not step up), the horns are going to face defenses that are optimized for defending the pass (i.e. lighter, faster defenders). Cody might do quite well in running over some of these guys. Fozzy will have a tougher time because it will be more difficult to outrun or dodge the smaller, faster defenders. Attack power with speed, attack speed with power.

“OU also lost their MLB (who turned out to be irreplaceable) to injury which provided the weakness that UT exploited relentlessly in the 2nd half.”

I think we’ve all heard just about enough of this. Ryan Reynolds is a solid reliable “program guy”. He’s no world beater first round draft pick. OU’s talent at the position itself was just weak top to bottom if you ask me. Although I do like his movies.

OU is probably going to lose their backup Mike as well as his amateur status has turned out not to be so much on the up and up.

I don’t think Balogun was going to be seeing much time anyway. Reynolds, Wort, and Box were going to get their minutes, so MB getting his too was going to be tough.

I have tell you, Kafka is probably the second most voluminous poster I have ever seen behind rpongett. When that guy begins typing, wow. I know I am wordy, but dang. Anyway, it’s usually good enough to read, so it is just something I noticed.

In regard to the comment from kafka, however, for “loading up on the pass”, I am curious how you’d do this. Are you just saying that they should run a nickel or dime for most of the game? If so, sure. Most teams do and it’s pretty common in this conference. If there is something else I’m missing on “loading up on the pass”, help me understand it.

I think the problem with the concept of Stoops and Venables changing their schemes against us is that it goes against their pattern of behavior. They’d prefer to run their defense the way they always do, and leaving 3 LBs on the field is preferred. That typed, if they do customize in extremes for the game, it is difficult to think that they’d play away from the strength of the DL. The more likely answer is that they attempt to bring heat until they hurt McCoy or force into turnover hell. Lewis is a great blitzing LB and they’ve got the DL depth. This also gives them some cushion in the secondary, which is not their strength.

CTJ. Balogun was (is?) probably going to back up Reynolds. They’ll work in Wort as they feel comfortable, but Balogun knows the system a little better because he’s been there a year.

The thing that pisses me off is the NCAA already cleared him and now they’re basically admitting they fucked up with no restitution: http://www.windmilltilting.com/ponderos/balogun-might-be-lost-for-season

I wish our logged in handles worked across the sites, ponderos, as I’d happily respond on that board.

I appreciate the heads up on Balogun. I was thinking I had read on newsok.com that he was going to be taking a backseat to the other back-ups.

I understand the consternation from the OU fanbase about the treatment of this guy, but the rest of us see it a little differently, shockingly.

For one, I am happy to see a threat removed on the OU defense. It balances us losing Grant.

For two, no one has been treated better by the NCAA than OU over the past decade. You guys may not think so, but the Big Red Sports handslap was shameful on their end.

Finally, your notion of not self-reporting is the exact kind of thing that causes us to very simple hate the fuck out of your entire fanbase and program. It’s basically advocating cheating with no conscience. Unreal.

CTJ. It should work over there. Works over here for me.

Did anyone see Henry Melton returned a kick in the Chicago preseason game?

Yeah, I saw that.

CTJ:

I try to prune out unnecessary words from my writing. I actually like RPongett and wished he posted his video on BC. He has his idiosyncracies but don’t we all?

I’ve always enjoyed your writing. Often it strikes me as insanely optimistic but I like the spirit.

Loading up for the pass is some subset of replacing DTs with DEs, DEs with LBs, LBs with safeties, and safeties with CBs. In general putting fast guys on the field who can pass rush the QB and play pass defense but may not be that great at run defense. Schematically you play a lot more zone blitzes and stunts in an effort to bring pressure on the QB and confuse him.

“The problem with the concept of Stoops and Venables changing their schemes against us is that it goes against their pattern of behavior. They’d prefer to run their defense the way they always do, and leaving 3 LBs on the field is preferred.

…More likely answer is that they attempt to bring heat until they hurt McCoy or force into turnover hell."

True, it is difficult for coaches to change their patterns. Having said that, Stoops has had an entire off season to think about this. He knows the horns have a great passing offense and a not so great running offense. He knows that the OU blitzing that worked for the previous decade against the horns did not work so well last season because the UT short passing attack got rid of the ball before the OU blitzer could get there. Stoops is a disruptor. My guess is that he lines up some CBs right on the horns’ top possession receivers and bumps them at the LOS to disrupt timing and force Colt to check down.

Stoops is going to have to put more DBs on the field and fewer DTs. Stoops needs to sell out to stop the pass and dare UT to run. If he take his normal stop the run first approach, he is screwed.

Okam had a good game for the Texans.

CTJ:

Also I think the OU DL will focus much more on getting their hands up and blocking passes at the LOS (because they realize they probably can’t get to Colt in time and Colt has been vulnerable in the past to this technique).

“He knows the horns have a great passing offense and a not so great running offense.”

We ran for 194 yards on OU last year, I’m not so sure Stoops knows this, unless he reads BC.

This was a direct product of OU’s having to sell out for the pass late in the game, thus opening running lanes up front. Remember, most of those Chris O. huge gainers were in the fourth quarter when OU was trying to stop Colt from converting on every 3rd down and Shipley molesting them across the middle of the field. It’s not like we ran all over them at all…Stoops DOES know this.

92 of those 194 yards happened in the last 11 minutes, 62 on one play. 127 were from Chris O, who is now in the NFL. It’s reasonable to think the passing game is a greater threat.

I think it had to do more with OU’s own offensive pace wearing out their defense than it did them selling out for the pass late. On that last big run by Chris O. the OU defensive linemen didn’t even look like they could get into their stance.

I agree with Horncasting’s take, it was not OU selling out (they didn’t change a dam thing) and it was not the skill of Chris O (he may be in the NFL, but his talent is not irreplacable). I’m not trying to validate whether or not our run game is a bigger threat, I’m just questioning whether that was such a big lesson learned for Stoops, that he would be willing to deviate from his usual patterns. I agree with CTJ that the cocky bastard will not.

Vasherized – I only got to see part of the game. I noticed he had a couple of tackles and batted down a pass. Did he do anything else noteworthy? I also saw him get shoved around a bit by a guy that looked smaller than him…

I think Horncasting makes the best point in supporting Callkevin’s factual revelations on run stats…Stoops will adjust, but so will we…I know there are those that think this is an oxymoron from our POV, just watch.

The real strategy to watch, however, is how we attack the OU offense…got a feeling Bradford will be very sore come Sun morn, the 18th. Plus, we will not have those terrible ruffing the kicker calls, as AJ or others might atually get one blocked this round…that punter should have gotten an acting award…

The TO margin & Special Teams play will, much like last year, dictate the outcome of this game IMO, but the real battle will be at the line of scrimmage…I see both teams with the capability to score points. I just have confidence our DC can ‘out-think’ theirs and come with some surprises that disrupt their timing/pace. Likely to be a lower scoring game with two surpurb D’s on the field…We just need to wear theirs out once again…

Why is Cody Johnson not a “fit” with what we do on offense. I’m not a fan of the “If a RB weighs more than 210 pounds, put him at fullback” mindset.

If CJ is better than the other two guys, he should start…at TB, even in one back sets. I’ve seen enough to know the kid can play.

And he is better than the other two guys, at least right now. I don’t understand it either, kenneth. He’s the guy we need to break some tackles and help move the offense instead of running sideways and getting tackled for a 2 yard loss.

IIRC, my impression (at the time) was that the big run by Ogbonnaya was primarily the result of OU fatigue. IIRC, Ogbonnaya stretched it all the way to nearly the sideline before he turned it up field. It was pretty funny (I’ve never seen OU look so tired). BTW, I think Greg Smith might have made one of the key blocks on that play, way out near the sideline. For sure, there were some UT offensive linemen who got all the way out there to the sideline, making the blocks that sprung Ogbonnaya.

That run really inflated the UT rushing stats. That OU fatigue might have resulted from the OU hurry up offense having a small time of possession and/or maybe it was lack of defensive depth.

It is obvious to me that the UT passing attack is clearly superior to the UT running attack but, in the interest of brevity, I won’t make the supporting argument.

Stoops changed his offensive strategy significantly last season (i.e. introducing the hurry up offense) so it is not out of character for him to change his strategy (if he thinks there is a clear improvement probable).

The reason for OU sticking to their traditional defensive set may be cause their front seven has traditionally been their strength. Lately, hasn’t OU lacked talent in their defensive backfield, at least for the last couple of years? OU may not have the talent to be this flexible with their D. Were not OU’s safeties last year slower than UT’s defensive ends, as they went on to prove at the NFL combine? Does not sound like much talent to me, and I doubt if the ones replacing them are going to be much of an improvement.

UT’s running game will be better this year, if only because the RB’s are healthy. Hopefully, with one more year under their belts, the O-line or our scheme (whatever was the cause of the running game futility last year) does a better job of run blocking. I am expecting this to be the case. I expect the UT running game to be, at minimum, adequate.

But even without a running game, Texas will beat OU this year. As OU showed last year, their D is not good enough to stop even an one-dimensional UT offense, as long as that one-dimension consists of really effective and consistent short passing.

The real key to the game is how the UT D matches up with the OU O. Last year, I said before the RRS that the UT D matched up well against them (was one of the only ones) and was proven right. I double that statement this year. UT’s D has enough talent and speed to ground OU’s high flying offensive attack. Although OU’s offense is recording setting effective against crappy D’s, it is not really that effective against D’s with the athletic talent of a UT or a FU. OU will have trouble scoring against UT this year. Aside from some gimme scores at the beginning of the game, due to dumb luck, inexperience, and blown coverages, the UT D put the slammer on the OU O, and that was even with Loadholt getting away with holding ‘Rak all day long and all the blown ref calls on illegal screen passes. Assuming OU can’t get away with holding all game long (even then UT will probably still beat them), UT will steam roll over OU this year. The talent of UT’s secondary is more than enough to match up with and shut down the OU offense, it’s as simple as that.

Last year’s RRS was not as close as the game or the score indicated. UT showed last year that, in a head to head matchup, it was the far, far superior team. If not for the above mentioned breaks that went OU’s way (several of them), the game would have been and should have been a blowout in favor of UT.

Also, count me as another one who doesn’t believe that the injury to Reynolds is overblown and did not make much of a difference. A slightly above average white LB being on the field or not would not have made a damn bit of difference as to the outcome of the game. What? UT could not have exploited the middle with a slow, white LB to challenge it. Slow, white LB’s are not exactly known to be the best pass coverage guys in the world. OU’s secondary just sucked last year, and it will probably suck this year too, slow, white LB’s or no.

“I’ve always enjoyed your writing. Often it strikes me as insanely optimistic but I like the spirit.”

It’s why no one wants to hang around the guy. He’s always insisting on being the ray of sunshine in everyone’s world, even when it’s not welcome.

3 MNC in a row:

UT was behind 35-30 with about 1/2 a quarter to go in the game. That is a pretty close game. UT did win going away.

UT rushing game probably improves this season: OL is one year more experienced and stronger, Fozzy, Cody, and Vondrell all have another year under their belt. Who knows how healthy they will be by game time?

My guess is that OU continues to get away with holding and illegal screen passes. I would not be surprised if they have studied how holding is called in the Big 12 and coach accordingly (kind of like how I drive 4 or 5 miles/hour over the speed limit because I know there is a low probability of getting ticketed). My theory is that this approach helps OU during the Big 12 season but hurts them in bowl games.

It will be interesting to see how effectively the horns run this season. If the horn TEs do not step up, it hurts the run game.

UT blows out OU this season? Hard to tell without actually having seen the teams play. UT blowing out OU would be great but who knows? I won’t make a prediction until the week before the game. It will be interesting to see how OU compensates for the youth of their OL and to see how the UT DTs step up. I still have hopes that the TEs/flex TEs step up for UT.

Yes, I am aware that last years game was a close call for the Horns. I was just noting that when one actually looks at how OU scored in the game, many of their scores were based on flukes and mistakes on the Horns part and not completely due to the strength of the OU O. This could be being overly critical and refusing to take into account the real factors that are going to pop up and exist in every game. And possibly the same could be said for some of UT’s scores, but I believe that when all these factors are taken into account and the whole is looked at with a balanced eye, one can see how UT was, in fact, the far, far superior team last year in the head to head matchup. Now OU may be better at beating a bunch of no name teams more impressively than UT, but that does not seem to mean anything when the teams meet up head to head.

Also, not saying that UT will blow out OU, just that UT will more likely than not beat OU this year in the RRS, and will probably do so in a somewhat handily fashion. I don’t think the game will be a blow out, but then I don’t it is going to be a nail bitter either, assuming UT manages to avoid a series bunch bone headed mistakes.

As I said above, the real key matchup is the UT D vs. the OU O, and this matchup, from what I saw last year (no reason to think anything has changed in favor of OU), does not favor OU. In fact, when going up against a D of UT’s quality, there is a high probably that OU’s high tempo O ends up being more of a detriment for them as a whole than a benefit, as it is when they are beating up their typical no name teams by incredible margins, In doing so they end up looking great and garner all that media, heisman hype, but then, afterwards, they only to go on to lose once again in a BCS game, when they meet up with a team their own size.

Also, alot of running issues last year, I suspect, was due to injury issues. Fozzy never got going cause of his injuries, and I think Vondrell was more injured than was ever let on. Vondrell at the tail end of the year looked very effective. He looked as if he was the best RB on the roster.

Not having a TE may hurt the running game, but then consider the type of D’s UT will face on their schedule. Not exactly the most physical running stopping teams in the world. Also, if it comes to that, why can’t UT do something similar to what Tech does with its run game? They always seem to have a decent run game. Didn’t Batch average 6 yards a carry last year? Why don’t the Horns just copy what the Pirate in Lubbutt is doing? Don’t tell me the Horn’s RB’s and OL are not good enough to copy and be as effective in doing so as the talent that Tech has on hand.