Texas/ULM Post-Mortem

by Vasherized on Sep 8, 2009 1:45 PM CDT in Texas Longhorns and Other Football

It's about damn time.

After a brutally hot summer, the payoff for the first weekend of college football in Austin was hazy skies with a high around 90 degrees -- Alaska weather for these parts and all around prime tailgating conditions which Trips Right and I took full advantage of like Scipio at a Marin High School cotillion. After I used a combination of GPS, cat calls, and smoke signals to find Trips' setup in the corner of the Jester parking garage, we kicked off the season with some Habanero fajitas (sprinkled with some grubs his kids had expertly unearthed) and ice cold beer. Plural. Then he sold me a extra ticket for $20 that included some tricky parlay and now I think I owe him about $180. Adding to the resounding success of this tailgate was the fact that HenryJames was out of town.

For those lampooned elsewhere than DKR, let me remind you there is no better place to be on a Saturday in September than the 40 Acres. Kudos to the folks in Admissions -- the talent level is higher than ever.

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If you're into blondes ...

A few things that stood out watching the game live:

I saw on the scoreboard that OU lost and heard from about 80 people that Bradford was injured. Not a bad start to the season for Texas. Stoops basically stole about $30 million from Gresham and Bradford by convincing them to come back. Bradford is out for 2-4 weeks, OU falls out of the Top 10 and Gresham is reportedly out for the season although Stoops is already denying it. Karma, bitches.

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I'm such an asshole.

Yes Bob, you are.

Marquis Goodwin was a shoestring tackle on the sidelines from taking a pass from Gilbert to the house. He was your third leading WR in limited action. Huck needs to start a Gilbert to Goodwin yardage log file in hypertext markup language right now.

D.J. Monroe's kickoff was a thing of beauty and helped ease the pain of Chykie getting scorched for a 75 yd TD the play before. Monroe needs at least 15 touches per game at KR, RB, and WR. No, he's not Percy Harvin or Ramonce Taylor but our own little version of something potentially as dangerous. We shall call him ... D.J. Monroe. I loved seeing him and Goodwin lined up next to eachother on the last kick return.

Kenny Vaccaro leading the team in tackles was a shocking stat given the kid didn't make any noise this spring or summer coming off an injury. Although he isn't in the preferred whiteboy overachieving Trahan/Ungar mold, it looks like we may have found a gunner in Vaccaro. If anything, he played like somebody who was just really happy to be out of the Valley. Get ready for the quote: "We'd love to have 85 Kenny Vaccaro's on this football team."

David Snow logged the equivalent of starter's minutes, as it should be. He's quickly becoming our best lineman. I haven't rewatched the game but he and Hix dominated their side of the line in the first half. Whenever we had a breakdown in pass protection it came through Tanner and/or Hall. Before Huey was carted off with an ankle injury, he was back to his old aggressive, mauling ways. Mason Walters looked pretty good in the second half once he got a few plays under his belt. Running scheme be-damned, you have to like our depth on the OL.

Tray Allen had a huge block to spring Gilbert's TD run. If anything, his temporary move to DT has brought out more aggression in his run blocking. I'll take it.

It speaks volumes that even with Brandon Collins out, Chiles and Buckner were your next two guys over Malcolm Williams in our preferred 4 WR shotgun set. I'm assuming he dropped a shitload of balls in practice this week. But it was good to see Chiles and Buckner make tough catches and move the chains. It jibes with the practice reports but consistent production from either wasn't a given headed into the season and Chiles seems to finally be onboard with the transition to WR. It was never a question of physical skill but committing to dropping weight, quit pouting about the position change, and learning the playbook. It's still mildly concerning when your second most explosive WR logs one catch for 9 yards and is buried on the depth chart to start the season. Malcolm did spring a nice block on Monroe's TD.

Will anybody be able to stop Colt to Shipley this year? Money, as usual. Ship racked up 6/167 at halftime.

Rod Muckelroy was all over the place and angry when he got there. Mack gave him some kind of weekly award for this but it's what you should expect out of your LBs. It's just been missing since DJ and we have been Killebrewed into accepting average LB play. Keenan Robinson didn't show up big on the stat sheet but showed good lateral quickness running down a RB on the sideline and always seemed to be around the ball. As opposed to, say, Tyrone Jones.

E. Acho had one nasty hit that forced a fumble while big bro Sam had a nice game with two recovered fumbles. Alex Okafor made the most of his minutes with two TFLs for -8 yards to lead the team. You'd like to see at least one sack against an acronym like ULM but we started out last year without any sacks until game 3 before logging five against Arkansas. Eddie Jones played a whole game without getting hurt and looked good in the process. We are absolutely loaded at DE.

Houston and Randall held their positions well in the interior DL as most of ULM's rushing yardage in the first half came from losing containment on the edges.

The game in Stillwater on Halloween just got a lot bigger with Okie State beating Georgia, as predicted. I might have to go HenryJames and slap some bitches. In costume, of course.

On to Laramie.

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If you can find the stadium in this picture, Sailor Ripley will pay for your ticket and transit by horse mount.

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great

by Donald Mohler on Sep 8, 2009 2:26 PM CDT reply actions

After I didn’t see Malcolm Williams on the field the first couple of series, I was afraid he’d been studying with Brandon Collins. Then I saw him, and was relieved, until I realized I was drunk and was watching Justin Tucker. That must have been one god awful week of practice for Malcolm.

by nordberg on Sep 8, 2009 2:31 PM CDT reply actions

5 guys (2 new starters and 3 frosh) on offense played much better than anybody had a right to expect: DJ, Buckner, Chiles, Goodwin, and Gilbert. Wow! You have to think Malcolm is going to bust his ass to beat out Chiles and we are going to see the Malcolm who showed up against Tech last season real soon. There is much more size and speed among the receivers this season. Buckner and Malcolm (I’m assuming Malcolm will play much more this season than last season) are big bodies who are excellent targets for Colt. DJ and Chiles should both be great YAC guys (with Chiles also being a big for a guy who runs a sub 4.4). It should be easier for Colt to throw short this season because there are more big guys (who can shield the ball away from the defender better than a smaller guy) and super fast guys who the defense will have to give an initial buffer.

Goodwin has world class speed and DJ is super quick, too. The new super fast guys (DJ and Goodwin) and the really big/tall fast guys (Malcolm and Buckner) will all require deep support (i.e. a safety deep protecting against the long ball). I think most teams defending the horns will have to put a couple of safeties deep to protect against the home run.

I don’t see how defenses will be able to put a bunch of guys in the box against the horns. If the horns play 4 receivers who are super fast and/or tall, it seems like the opposition will need about 6 DBs. That only leaves 5 guys to rush the passer/defend the run. Given that Colt runs pretty well, my guess is that the horns are going to face more zone this season.

by kafka on Sep 8, 2009 2:49 PM CDT reply actions

Nice write-up, and good to hear that Trips got my parking spot. $400 a year for the Brazos Garage, only to get these emails and windshield fliers before home games:

“All vehicles must be relocated from your garage [ ] night, [ ], 2009, before midnight. Failure to relocate your vehicle will result in it being towed. Vehicles will begin to be towed at midnight and no further emails or phone calls will be made.”

No doubt what makes the mare go on home Saturdays.

by parlinhall on Sep 8, 2009 3:04 PM CDT reply actions

Nice job, Vasherized.

My only memorable moment watching the game from a bar was an older Mexican gentleman screaming “Goddamn dat Chewy Brown!!” over and over in broken English on the long pass play when Chykie broke coverage. I laughed until the second half with this refrain going through my head and actually encouraged him to repeat it several times whenever ULM completed a pass, regardless if it was to Chewy’s side of the field.

Bold (OK, not so bold maybe) prediction, we’ve seen the last of Brandon Collins in a Texas uniform.

by sizzlechest on Sep 8, 2009 3:17 PM CDT reply actions

It was probably Chewed-on Brown after Muschamp got done.

by jr69 on Sep 8, 2009 3:59 PM CDT reply actions

Gracias, amigo.

I’m liking the Dan Buckner to Flex End move. I was skeptical, but he seems to have taken to it very well.

I’m fine with McGee sitting down and letting Monroe get his carries. How many fumbles do you have to have before your ass is on the bench?

Garrett Gilbert is pretty damned good…and will get better. I was encouraged to see Mack let him pass the ball and not force him to be a ball distributor.

by Levander Williams on Sep 8, 2009 4:03 PM CDT reply actions

It’s no Mizzou preview, but it will work. rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt

by jamdog on Sep 8, 2009 4:20 PM CDT reply actions

Doesn’t anyone have a doubt that if Muschamp was the offensive line coach that Tanner and Hall would not be starters. The great thing about this line for next year is that the 3 best players return in Hix, Huey, and Snow. Ulatoski is fine but overrated. Walters will start next along with another youngster. Our O-line will be even better next year.

I like what I see from Monroe and Newton. Both need more time. At what point do we throw in the towel on McGee? I just don’t think he has it. Hopefully, Fozzy can get healthy as he has shown flashes when 100 percent.

Gilbert is going to be sick and the weapons he will have will almost be unfair.

by groundhogday on Sep 8, 2009 4:35 PM CDT reply actions

Sizzle,

By the end of a long day of tailgating pretty much everyone sounds like an old mexican dude.
.

Kafka,

We are certainly stacked at WR but Chiles isn’t a 4.4 guy and I doubt he ever was.
He’s primarily a possession receiver in the slot. The presence of Shipley opens things up for the other guys.

by Vasherized on Sep 8, 2009 10:58 PM CDT reply actions

Vash:

Why are you comparing Chiles and Ship? Ship is an All America candidate (or at least all Big 12 candidate) while Chiles will probably end up getting fewer snaps than Malcolm at the WR position he shares with Malcolm.

How do you know exactly how fast Chiles is right now? He was a sprinter in high school and rivals listed him at 4.4 in their writeup. Scout listed him at 4.39. I guess we’ll see how fast he really is at the combine.

I didn’t write about Ship because my post was focusing on new contributors, i.e. either new starters or freshmen. Since Ship is not a new contributor, I did not mention his obvious abilities.

by kafka on Sep 8, 2009 11:32 PM CDT reply actions

“He’s (Chiles) primarily a possession receiver in the slot.”

Nothing wrong with being a possession receiver but he brings a lot more than that. At 6’2", 205 pounds (he has lost weight and gained speed since converting to WR from QB), he is 3 inches taller and 25 pounds heavier than Collins and Kirk. His larger size makes it much easier for him to do the following (compared to Collins and Kirk)

block larger players on screens and running plays
more easily shield the ball from defenders on quick slants over the middle
fight for 50-50 balls down field
break tackles
defeat jams at the LOS

In addition he throws the ball pretty well now (11 passes completed out of 13 passes attempted in 2008) so he is a definite threat on a “halfback” pass.

by kafka on Sep 9, 2009 9:28 AM CDT reply actions

I wasn’t comparing Chiles and Shipley. I said that the presence of Shipley is creating a lot of 1 on 1 opportunities for Chiles, Kirkendoll, Buckner, etc.

Chiles put on about 20 pounds since high school to play D1 QB. He has since lost some of that weight but I would wager still runs above a 4.5. Just like Limas Sweed did at the combine, which is plenty fast for college and the NFL. Do your really trust the 40 times published by scout and rivals? Jamaal Charles ran a 4.38 at the combine, just for comparison.

Chiles’ lower body is built more like a LB than a WR. It’s good for breaking tackles, not necessarily for takinga 60 yard hitch & go to the house. I’d love to see it but I’m certainly not expecting that from him.

by Vasherized on Sep 9, 2009 9:31 AM CDT reply actions

“Tray Allen had a huge block to spring Gilbert’s TD run. If anything, his temporary move to DT has brought out more aggression in his run blocking. I’ll take it.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You may have just found the answer to how we make our OL more aggressive. Have them all play DL for part of practice, i.e. have them go DL against the 2nd/3rd string OL.

by texoz on Sep 9, 2009 9:48 AM CDT reply actions

Better yet, have the starting OL and DL just flip sides, for part of practice. Could be a train wreck, but it would give everyone a new perspective.

by texoz on Sep 9, 2009 9:49 AM CDT reply actions

The 40 times from Scout and Rivals are not reliable but they are all we have (for 40 times) until the combine. There is no reason to single out Chiles’ 40 time in Scout and Rivals as being unreliable since this same problem applies to everyone’s 40 times (until the combine). Chiles’ high school coaches claimed that they timed him with 3 stop watches (not electronic timing) at 4.3. Great point about Jamaal.

Fast WRs draw double teams but so do large WRs. Chiles is big and fast. He is going to be tough to deal with on deep 50-50 balls without safety support.

You weren’t comparing Chiles and Shipley? Sure looked like it.

Mack has already made the point that in 2008 opponents primarily played man to man pass defense on the horns and blitzed a lot. He surmised that this was because they did not fear the horns’ receivers (Ship, Quan, Kirk, and Collins) ability to beat man to man coverage. This was an unusually short group of WRs, Ship was the only guy in that group that is at least 6 feet tall.

This new group of WRs are going to be harder to cover with man coverage because of their superior speed and/or size. The big question is how well do they catch the ball?

by kafka on Sep 9, 2009 10:17 AM CDT reply actions