Looking Through The Keyhole

Knew befre last sexson we had gone bust at RB.
Now QB could be headed in the same direction.

    Glad for your reference on past DB’s. Griffin was castigated for
2 plus years. I was so hoping for JG to stay. Even with a veteran
DB field think 2006 Ohio State and then 2007 DC.
I had Davis, Mad Dog, and then McWhorter/Akina on my please go list.
I still think he was a compromise candidate after JG left but hey an $81k increase was nice.

Nice write up. Entertaining but not a fun read for anyone with high hopes for next season.

The OL is at an all time low under MB and that is pretty frightening. The OL has almost never been great under MB / GD.

If GG is the best QB we have, it should be sobering to contemplate that he just might be the worst QB at Texas in over 20 years. It is hard to imagine he can beat UCLA, OU or aggy.

Gilbert’s interception was maddening. On several other plays he made good reads, put the ball in safe places, and demonstrated better mechanics than Case is likely to ever have. Then there was that interception.

Ditto on the linebacker issue, when hicks is back we’ll have 3 guys who are best suited to play Will in this scheme. Instead we seem to be putting Keenan there, Acho to weakside, and Hicks as the Sam/field side player.
Things will start to fall into place more when Cobbs is Sam, Hicks can play Will, and Chet Moss somehow becomes the starting Mike while the fanbase screams for Edmonds because one time on TV he knocked out a kick returner.

I like that Searells seems to be saying screw it with the OL and just lining up our strength: Hopkins-Snow-Walters inside and relying on what can happen if we can actually do something well rather than putting Hopkins at tackle where his excellence would be neutralized. Wylie has his work cut out this summer trying to find a 2-deep at tackle from Allen, Kelly, Poehlmann, Greenlea. One of those guys about whom you write “shirt him, give him 2 years in S&C” needs to come out of the woodworks soon.

And when writers mix fruit and lightbulb metaphors, that further complicates their growth.

Bill Little smiles and begins a column.

Awesome. Once again, I wonder why our punter can’t kick the ball with at least 1.9 hangtime at a 30 degree angle. All signs point to Medding Mack giving the incumbent QB a chance to be our worst 3’year starter since before I was born. Admittedly sample size consists of 3plays in the otherwise shitty orange and white scrimmage, BUT Diggs looks like a natural DB with the skills and tons of upside. Basically anti-Gideon. Gideon and Gilbert could be our motto this year, just like Take Dead Aim was it for the RoseBowl run in 2005! Malcom Brown and Shead please, then Brown and Gray for 2012-2017.

Funny and very true comment about Jeremy Hills. I would like to see a RB rotation of him, MB1, and Monroe. Then I would like to see Dominque Jones at TE. Followed by Wood at QB. Then give me Allen at RT and Kelley at LT. Then give me some Malcom Williams doing some legal crack backs (stay high Malc) and some Darius White and Jackson Shipley blocking downfield. Finally, you give me some Harsin schemes where the defense doesn’t know what the fuck we are going to do pre-snap, and By God I think we will actually be able to run the ball. That has to equal a bowl game right? Or at least not getting blown out by K-State.

Wow! That really sobered me up from my Nyquil binge. But at least I can look forward to you hosting The View. I’ll set my DVR!

I’m setting my football excite-o-meter at “hopefully we’ll look good by the end of the year”

Great stuff, Scip. Please re-post in early August, as is. We’ll learn essentially nothing between now and then yet, somehow, still need a good sobering up.

The OL is at an all time low under MB and that is pretty frightening. The OL has almost never been great under MB / GD.

I guess I may be responding to a troll post, given, inter alia, that the 2005 line had like 4 or 5 future NFL’rs on it.

But anyway, by way of trolling you raise an interesting point – I would say the OL actually has some talent on it, and is more talented in 10, or arguably 09, it’s just that its slanted towards the younger classes (witness the two best linemen maybe being Walters and Hopkins, and the junior and senior classes being dryer than the dunes of the Talamaklan, outside of Snow and Tray “Vaporware” Allen).

good summary of our situation. thanks.

A jewerly magnet made of pudding, eh?

I CAN BENCH PRESS YOU, SKIPPY!

But please buy my DVD set first.

parlin for the win!

Where is Tevin Jackson going to play? Can he give us some depth at DE?

That was a painfully good write up. Kind of like having your doctor tell you jokes while you’re getting a rectal exam.

No mention of Diggs with the DBs? I’m surprised you didn’t single him out among the young guys. He’s got the physical tools and the mindset already.

"Bill Little smiles and begins a column." Outstanding, parlin.

I won’t get into the QB pissing match here, but if our QB won’t lose games outright, can limit turnovers, and can convert 40% on 3rd down, we’re in business.

Shannon Kelley, Mark Murdock and Bret Stafford approve of this message.

Will Russ punted in the Spring Game like he’d just been bailed out that morning after a Nyquil binge that left him naked on the lawn of the Chi-O house, so, if true, my hat is off to him. He’s a legend.

I spent the night at SRD once. Does that count for anything? I can haz scholarship now?

I may be changing my mind somewhat about how I see the changes. Before now, I was more optimistic about a big improvement on the offense and apprehensive about the defense – chalk it up to familiarity with Harsin/Applewhite and a lack of same with Diaz.

My impressions are now somewhat flipped – I feel better about the defense and see the challenge being more of a maturity/experience/growth matter that should work itself out over time. On offense, I like the moves at OL and WR, but I’m concerned about QB – I’m troubled by what appears (at this point) to be Mack’s not-so-invisible hand influencing that side of the ball.

Time will tell, I guess. I’m just not convinced that the "all positions are open" sign truly applies to the offensive side of the ball.

I think that is what almost means.

My biggest problem with our recruiting the last 5 years, not taking enough OL. With the hit/miss ratio so high for the position, you just can’t have recruiting classes with 3 OL or less. Ever. Under any circumstances. We finally looked at the depth chart last year, freaked out and took 5. I would take 5 almost (that word) every year. Water under the dam, though. We are what we are now. A young, completely rebuilding team with almost no good upperclassmen. That said, the interior of our line will be above average, it’s the outside that is the problem.

As for the QB situation. One thing that I haven’t seen mentioned is that McCoy would not last a half with our OTs. His mechanics broke down in a controlled scrimmage where he wasn’t even under live fire. When he is eligle to get hit, it’s going to be difficult for him to get back up. At least GG can take a pounding and keep going. If it were me based on looking through the keyhole, it would be Wood then Gilbert then Case (assuming Ash RS) and the order wouldn’t be close between the three. Wood may look like Tarzan, play like Jane, but at least he looks like Tarzan and I haven’t seen enough to know he plays like Jane.

Skill position on O? Who knows? They look o.k., but if you can’t block or seal the edge, does it matter? Harsin has his hands full trying to figure out how to get the ball in their hands in the less than 2 seconds whichever QB is out there will have to get them the ball.

Defensively, for all Muschamps supposed wizardry, the move of Okafor to DT and the substantial p.t. alloted Johnson at DE were two awful personnell decisions. He also never recruited a plug and fill LB to my knowledge. He definitely had his shortcomings and that is not even touching the safety positon.

This defense will get much better as the season progresses and if the CBs can cover a little and if the Safeties can keep the play in front of them, they have a chance to be good. I’m not near as worried about the DTs as some as long as Randall stays healthy. LB and DE is a strength. It should be difficult for anyone to run outside the tackles on us.

All in all, it will be the rarest of years (98?) where a Mack Brown team improves throughout the season. I’m guessing we go from below average to above average through the course of the year and beat the ever living shit of some poor team in whatever half assed bowl game we land. This should get the program moving back to what we expect for the 2012 season.

…jewelry magnet,,,pudding…

Splorting coffee out the nasum is bad enough, but my keyboard will never recover from its oatmeal shower. At least my sinuses are relieved.

"(Muschamp) also never recruited a plug and fill LB to my knowledge."

Edmond?

I have a feeling we are going to roll out a bunch of our TEs and H-backs to do nothing more than chip blockers on the edge. All they have to do is buy time for one of our QBs to over or underthrow Mike Davis. It will be like the McCoy-Shipley years except the QB won’t have to run much run because we will be in max protect on passing downs and he won’t be able to hit the broad side of a barn. If Mike Davis had octopus arms we would be in business.

I think Edmond is like 6’3, that would be one incredibly tall plug and fill LB. But I don’t follow recruiting that closely. Maybe he projects as a Mike, but that would surprise me at that height.

My biggest problem with our recruiting the last 5 years, not taking enough OL. With the hit/miss ratio so high for the position, you just can’t have recruiting classes with 3 OL or less. Ever. Under any circumstances. We finally looked at the depth chart last year, freaked out and took 5. I would take 5 almost (that word) every year.

I agree completely. For a position group that comprises nearly a quarter of your starters, it’s absurd that we have gone years with only three (plus/minus) OL scholarships given out yet we had stockpiled marginal TEs like cordwood.

I lost it at “a new S&C coach who will no longer be mistaken for 2nd chair tuba or a jewelry magnet made of pudding.” That’s gold, Jerry. Gold!

"(Muschamp) also never recruited a plug and fill LB to my knowledge."

Tariq Allen I guess.

He never recruited a “plug and fill LB” because the position was made obsolete by the proliferation of spread offenses in the Big 12. That may be changing, although I’m not sure yet.

The OT situation is just infuriating. I think sometime around 2008 we all saw where this was heading. I’m half expecting Greenlea to be starting there in November.

If a true freshman is starting at tackle, that’s a hell of an indictment of Mack and McWhorter.

And we damn near didn’t offer Greenlea. Points taken on Allen and the spread.

How does Tevin Jackson fit into this picture?

Great post.

Here’s my take on the freshmen who will play.

Edmond’s a Mike who’ll get some snaps early next season. He’s not a run stuffer per se—he’s more of a bad mofucka like the dude from Fast Times.

I think Desmond Jackson gets into the rotation early, especially on passing downs. He’s a lot like a faster Booger Kennedy. Give him a gap and tell him to play sic em.

Quandre Diggs will be a starter before the season is done. I don’t know if that’s good or bad yet. I can see Josh Turner getting into the mix if Phillips and White get injured, torched, or both.

DE’s, I’ve got nothing. I don’t think we signed one to be honest unless Kendall Thompson grows into a player here. There’s no immediate help on the way regardless.

Oline, Greenlea is going to play a lot. He’s been told as much by our staff. Westerman is a monumental putz for picking Auburn. He would have been a four year starter here. Flowers may get some run early if/when Hopkins is bounced outside. He can take snaps from Ashcraft and Allen.

QB, I think Ash should redshirt, but fuck he’s good. Not. A. 3star.

RB’s, if the strength of the Oline is our interior triangle, then Brown will be welcomed to college football early and often. I hope he’s preparing himself physically to run between the tackles. I can’t wait to see how Bergeron is used as a William Floyd type fullback threat, although that may have to wait to 2012.

WR, Shipley’s going to be our second best wide out the moment he gets to campus. Wyatt has been using Shipley’s name as “the stick” in practices to motivate those WR’s already on campus. “Little Shipley’s on the way, you better work your ass off!” Onyegbule is intriguing but I doubt he gets much playing time unless there are injuries.

TE, McFarland is much bigger and athletic than we thought he’d be. He’s already pushing the upper classmen.

Hopkins is our best athlete on the line. He doesn’t have the ideal size you want at tackle but he has the best feet. Slide him over and plug in Aschraft / Allen at Guard.

Tevin Jackson will get his first real chance to make a move in August. As will Steve Edmond. Hopefully one of them can provide some physical depth at LB. One of the trainers on the team said Aaron Benson is coming on as well.

Love the writeup, fear the message.

While we don’t know a ton right now, what we do know tells us that we’re probably not going to be hoisting any hardware of note in 2011. What I’d love to know is Mack’s appetite for embracing the concept of a ‘rebuilding year’, either out of the gate (probably inconceivable) or after our second loss (maybe)? I have the sense that we will have the pieces in place to make a run at a Big XII title in 2012, so what’s the willingness to enter a ‘play the kids’ mode and risk an additional stinker or two in 2011 that may pay dividends in a season that you have a much better chance of pulling off something memorable? The first positions that spring to mind here would be Wood over Gilbert (admittedly with little idea of what Wood can or would be), possibly Greenlea over Allen if he’s not panning out at OT, or Young Afolete X over Gideon/Scott.

From years of watching Mack, I feel comfortable in saying that he’s shown marked biases towards risk aversion and try-hard upperclassmen, and that he’s very driven by recruiting (certainly no fault there). That plus his likely (and again, hard to fault) desire to establish a marked turnaround with his new staff after last year’s fiasco makes me think that most 2011 vs. 2012-and-beyond playing time decisions will bias towards trying to eke out that marginal win in 2011.

Hopefully we come out and blow the doors off everyone, GG regains the Favor of Heaven, the young guns grow up quick in the secondary and we have the best of all possible worlds, but I get the feeling we’ll be living in some pretty interesting times.

Here’s what I took from Scip’s post:

1. Mack Brown was sound asleep at the switch for a long, long time.

2. Only now are we beginning to appreciate just how bad things had gotten under Davis/McWhorter/Kennedy.

3. You don’t have to wonder how the QB situation will sort itself out; just remember that Mack ESFJ Brown is Bryan INTJ Harsin’s boss.

4. But for the fact that a lot of very good HS football players wanted to play Buck end for Will Muschamp or DB for Duane Akina, we’d be New Mexico State.

5. Comparatively few 3, 4, and 5-star HS football players have realized their athletic potential playing for Mack Brown.

Good writeup, Scip. Couldn’t agree with you more.

“2. Only now are we beginning to appreciate just how bad things had gotten under Davis/McWhorter/Kennedy.”

About 18 months ago: “Greg, I want to go to a more balanced attack, with the QB under center, with a real power running game.”
“Great Mack, good idea!”
About nine months ago: “Wait, Greg, do you know how to do that?”
“Um, no, I thought you did.”

Perhaps a slight oversimplification, but that’s how I think it went down.

I want ALL POSITIONS!!!

First Ruby Rod quote on teh Longhorn Interwebs?

Good writeup as usual.

I view 2011 is entirely a developmental year and dont care that much about the bottom line. If we go 6-5 on a rising trajectory at year end and somehow settle the QB question, good.

If we go 8-4 and dont develop the next championship team at Texas in the process that doesnt move the needle.

Unfortunately most of the questions are going to be answered by young unproven talent. That is historically out of Macks comfort zone, but to his credit hiring a lot of young firebreathing assistants is out of his comfort zone too, and nobody made him hire those guys.

I think at some point this year we will have to ditch a lot and go very young. Pain for gain.

This is going to the other side of the coin when we would beat bad teams but knew the football wasnt good. This year we will lose and have some horrible blowups but the fans need to be looking for progress on the little things. I dont think the progress will show itself until after OU.

Just looking for glimmers here. That is how bad the rot had gotten in Austin. Hopefully be November we start looking like Texas again and maybe we can ruin ATMs season.

I am very optimistic intermediate term, but short term we have a ton of holes. Harsin has to be a little shocked at the QB, TE and OT situation overall.

Malcolm Brown is the wildcard. If he somehow really elevates the run game with our good interior OL, that changes everything. Its an alien concept so not sure how that works.

This is going to be all about the process and not so much the results in 2011. I am actually cool with that.

“5. Comparatively few 3, 4, and 5-star HS football players have realized their athletic potential playing for Mack Brown.”

I think this is overstating things when you compare Mack’s record versus others the past 10 years. Texas still has a pipeline to the NFL under Mack that no one else can match. You could argue it’s on a downward spiral. I could argue that EBS has a legitimate shot at a pro career with his 40-inch vertical and Senior Bowl performance.

Bartoncreek on the OL: agreed big time on not taking enough O Linemen yearly. We have been too busy taking like 5 damn WR’s and too many non NFL dimension TE’s every year when 3 – 4 are plenty if you get good ones.

Also with regard to Edmonds, he is pretty instinctive and brings the wood in a violent manner. Maybe like Brian Erlacher as a MLB in dimension and style. He will be a logger of significant playing time early IM best guess.

QB has already evolved into RB as the Mack plan for taking “one guy” and hanging his hat on them is crushing the pipeline. Would you believe Kinne should probably the starting QB here right now?

May Jerry Gray enjoy endless diarrhea.

Even if OT is a huge weakness, it really doesn’t matter how good or bad they are, just how well do they match up against our competition this coming season. Do other teams have quality DE/OLB talent to take advantage of our weakness? Von Miller is gone from A&M, so do they have anyone else? OU always finds a way to wreak havoc on our O-line, so it doesn’t matter who they have. What about OSU, Baylor, Missouri, and Tech? Are our guys servicable against those teams, or are we in trouble regardless of the competition?

Last season there was a write up on here going into great detail about the quality of DE / Buck LB players on each team in the Big 12. It’d be great if the major contributors to that article could assuage our fears or just go ahead and instruct us to get in the fetal position now.

“Arriviste said: April 6th, 2011 at 5:46 am

I guess I may be responding to a troll post, given, inter alia, that the 2005 line had like 4 or 5 future NFL’rs on it."

Which is not at all inconsistent with this: The OL is at an all time low under MB and that is pretty frightening. The OL has almost never been great under MB / GD.

I am encouraged by the newbys, but for this season and next the OL newbys will likely bring next to nothing to game day. Combine that with GG and we are unlikely to have a winning season.

If only trolls share that opinion then the trolls out-number the sunshine pumpers on every bbs on the net.

Last year we went 5-7 and with halfway competent coaching we go 7-5.

My expectations are for 7-5 and a constant improvement as the year goes on with an impressive bowl win that carries over into next year. I think those are realisitc goals. Firing the tumor that was Greg Davis was worth at least two wins, IMO.

Some quick observations:

QB: Gilbert is not the answer. Not saying McCoy needs to start but Gilbert needs to start at Sam Houston State next year. If Mack forces Gilbert upon us 7-5 is not even realistic.

OL: Offensive line play will be much improved. Better players with better coaching in a real scheme. Of course it is not hard to improve from rock bottom but there were already encouraging signs in the spring game. Players actually running to spots trying to block someone…..guards not falling to the ground to change their tampon. You know, positive signs.

RB: Total fucking train wreck. Brown better be Cedric God Damn Benson when he reports in August.

WR: This position is allowed to block? What are these crossing routes you speak of? Surely you would get flagged for that in a real game. Mike Davis is the truth. We are in good shape here. Strength of the offense.

TE: Whatever. Harsin is smart enough to get something out of the 43 players at this position.

DE: Our top 3 are as good as anyone in the conference. Need to find 1-2 bodies that can help for depth but this is looking to be a real strength.

LB: Remember when we started Killabrew-Bobino-Derry in 2007? What was an abortion now might be the deepest and most talented group in the entire country. 2014 Texas offensive line better than the 1995 Cornhusker line?

DB: The young guys will get abused in the OU game but will make some plays. I cannot believe Diggs was almost not offered by Texas. That would be like passing on Mike Davis after Junior Day.

Is Aldon Smith back? You can bet solid money that Washington or Lewis or someone at OU is going to be developed into an end that can hurt us badly. The Tech end who embarassed us last year should be back, Aggy has had 2 years to build depth behind Von Miller at OLB and I trust DeyRuter to find ways to hurt our tackles.

Unless Smith is back I can’t think of any Beals or Von Millers in the league who will feast on poor tackle play but that hardly means such people don’t exist.

The problem is that we may not find out how bad our problems are until OU. Last year was a momument to horrific offensive game-planning as much or more than it was a function of poor talent development, despite what Vinny Cerrato thinks. Rice, BYU are both wins in any season. UCLA will be a lot worse next year without their seniors on D. We could go into OU 4-0, poised to get our asses kicked through the rest of the conference schedule, and then the entire season will end up wasted on trying to make do with a group of underwhelming upperclassmen, with talented underclassmen missing out on their chances to develop.

Aldon Smith is in the NFL draft.

The DE that tore them a new one from TT last year I am guessing suffers a distinct dropoff in results when not going against players named “Britt”.

50 Years, if you’re going to troll so much can you please at least try to be funny or something?

Arriviste: How about going against players named Tray or Paden?

Scott Smith (the Tech DE that filled up his highlight reel against us last year) was suspended for the rest of the season the next week for an undisclosed violation of team rules (anyone know what happened there?), and is apparently still in Tuberville’s dog house:

http://www.redraiders.com/2011/03/31/texas-tech-post-spring-depth-chart/

Judging by the zinger to holyshitIhadn’tthoughtofthat ratio, I would say that today is approximately April 6.

It sucks that arguably our best unit [WR] has to rely on our shakiest unit [QB] to thrive.

Running game could change everything and actually our OL should be decent between the tackles.

People just have to tap the brakes because Texas is going to take some hits next year but I am really excited about the talent pipeline and new coaching. Its just gonna take some time to bake the cake.

Foundation building time. Back to basics thank god.

The QB position makes me want to go all RED RUM over and over. I watched the spring game on DVR yesterday and Gilbert looked exactly the same as last year. I agree with you that whoever did the AP write-up on McCoy must have just looked at the box score. He had about 2 good throws that weren’t scrambling bad Colt-like. If we want to run a dink & dunk offfense that doesn’t require anything more than a 3-step drop, then sure, Case is your guy. Connor Wood’s form looked impressive, then again he was playing on 7th string. Or was that John Paul Floyd?

So is Jaxson Shipley coming in and immediately cracking the two-deep on that WR list? I think everyone is praying for yes. Is it possible that he just wore lifts and donned a #87 jersey on Sunday? I don’t think I even noticed Barrett Matthews on the field on Sunday.

I was actually decently impressed with our interior OL, but I’m not sure if that was a function of our DL talent being on the ends (sans Randall, of course), or because we’re genuinely going to be Justin Blalock and not Charlie Tanner good on the inside. Just being competent at tackle scares the bejeesus out of me. I have a feeling we’re going to long for the days of Adam Ulatoski, if we didn’t already.

Praise Shuttlesworth that Harsin has the keys to this engine instead of Greg Davis. There’s your optimism on offense.

Did McFarland play last Sunday? I don’t remember seeing him.

It’s also worth pointing out that the QBs have been learning this offense for all of six weeks, and it’s considerably more complex than what they’re used to. We should have been bracing for them to look shitty, and we were, but for the other, better reason that our OT situation is a joke. GG is 19, and has been primarily coached by a truly bad OC for all but two months of his college career. Let’s at least give him until the OU Game to see if he can turn it around. He’s a lot less culpable than the junior and senior OL who have apparently spent the last few years developing a crippling fear of the weight room and taking estrogen supplements.

"Edmond’s a Mike who’ll get some snaps early next season. He’s not a run stuffer per se–he’s more of a bad mofucka like the dude from Fast Times."

Yep. Your answer’s much more complete than my earlier response, but it’s precisely my point. Edmond has great range for such a big cat, so he’s certainly not only a "plug and fill" LB, but he’s a Mike all the way.

And when writers mix fruit and lightbulb metaphors, that further complicates their growth.

Bill Little smiles and begins a column.

Now you just cool your horses. Bill Little is a literary Steinbeck.

As opposed to a football Steinbeck?

5th element yea

Texastough: perhaps I didn’t execute that joke well…

nick rov-

I’d say there’s a likelihood he’ll do some stat-paddin’ against Paden.

RIM. SHOT.

“Comparatively few 3, 4, and 5-star HS football players have realized their athletic potential playing for Mack Brown”

Dimitri – that might be the dumbest thing I have ever read. Texas has won more games, and put more players in the NFL than virtually any team in the NCAA since 2000. Wow, just, wow.

Maybe my sarcasm meter is off, and you were just kidding, but just in case…

http://www.texassports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/active-nfl.html

Remember that 2010 was billed as a “rebuilding” year, too. Instead, it turned out to be a demolition year. Very little was developed, other than confirming that Mack loves him some upperclassmen, regardless of the clear fact that “rebuilding” involves shitcanning the underperfoming, and trying desperately to find replacements.

Like most of you, I expect actual rebuilding this year, and I won’t be depressed (much) by even a 7-5 record… IF we show progress.

But if I see Juniors and Seniors repeatedly leaping into the stands to fellate dachshunds, and not being ass-chewed, sat down and replaced with one of the 12-year-olds… well, let’s just say I will be less than gruntled.

I am with you on the 5th Element, Scip.

The Trey Graham part. ZOMG – soo good.

Ugh, hopefully this is the best summer EVAR

I cannot believe Diggs was almost not offered by Texas. That would be like passing on Mike Davis after Junior Day.

Newy, the fact that Davis was our biggest impact freshman last year and that Diggs is the odds-on favorite to take that title this year simply boggles my mind when it comes to Mack’s recruiting preferences.

Ditto.
The Fifth Element is a masterpiece of cinema art.
Ruby Rhod is one of my all time favorite characters.
Bruce Willis’s best film, imho.
And Leeloo…Wheeehooo!!!

I’m glad you brought it up. It provided a needed bright spot amongst football angst.

So y’all think Gilbert gets nervous in the service?

MOOLTI-PASS!

We green?!

Looking Through The Keyhole review: “If you enjoy sci-fi, dark thought, or self struggle this book is for you.”

I think Scipio simply replaced book with team.

Just read a nauseating puffery piece on a pay site written by an ex player. I guess lunch with Mack and an invite to practice earns program propaganda in return.

Scip, that is a big steaming pile of brilliant. The Hope Diamond in a pretty damn good jewelry box portfolio.

Harvey Penick approves of your avatar, Art.

“Just read a nauseating puffery piece on a pay site written by an ex player. I guess lunch with Mack and an invite to practice earns program propaganda in return.”

Pat Culpepper routinely slammed the program (and indirectly, Mack) in public last year during the debacle. I did not read the article you speak of, but I have read ones where he basically said Mack and Co coached the team like pussies.

With the exception of true freshmen, it is doubtful that OL players will be playing just one OL position (such as left guard or right guard). Because there is so little depth on the OL and injuries are likely to occur, Searels will cross train his OL guys to the max extent achievable. He also seems to be focusing on aerobic fitness and stamina training more than we’re accustomed to (compared to the previous regime). The improved fitness should allow players to play a few more minutes per game. The position cross training will give Searels much more flexibility in his substitution patterns. The implication is that Searels is going to get the most minutes PT possible out of the few OL that are ready to play Div 1 football. So we have that going for us.

Since the offensive tackles are not up to snuff, they are going to get lots of help from TEs, H backs, and fullbacks. This should improve both the pass blocking and run blocking quite a bit. The downside is that if you play an H back and a fullback, that is two fewer WRs that can play. If you then play DJ Monroe at WR, you are down to one classic WR (who is going to be double teamed if he is any good). The QB has to figure in his pre-snap read if his primary target is probably going to be doubled and be ready very quickly to dump the ball to a secondary target. It sounds easy but requires good timing in that the H back, fullback, TE, flex TE, or TB needs to finish his initial block and be ready to catch the dump pass when the QB has to get rid of the ball. The horns have not been good at dump passing for quite a while but maybe Harsin is the guy to fix this problem. Good dump passing under pressure is the difference between a drive destroying sack or interception and a nice little gain that keeps you on schedule WRT down vs distance. If the horns are going to play a lot of H backs, fullbacks, and TEs, they have to be proficient at dump passing. This is potentially an area where the horns could improve a lot compared to recent years.

The addition of much more pre-snap motion to the horns offense will tell the horns offensive players whether the foe’s defense is playing man or zone. This should permit the horns’ receivers to more intelligently attack the defense and get open much quicker. If the foe is in zone, the horns’ receivers know to go to a whole in the zone and turn for the pass. If the foe is in man, the horns’ receivers might run a very quick, short crossing route.

Lots of completed quick short passes by the horns permits them to stay on down vs distance schedule, is less demanding and fatiguing for the OL, builds rhythm and confidence for the QB and the WRs, fatigues the foe’s defense and rests the UT defense. What facilitates all this good stuff are very quick, context sensitive routes by receivers that are determined by reading the foe’s response to pre-snap motion by the horns. This is an area where the horns will improve a lot compared to last year.

The horns may be rich in WRs but it will be hard to get them on the field against a good defense. If you replace the guys who help the OTs block with WRs, there is a good chance that the QB may not have enough time to throw accurately to any of the WRs.

Assuming Malcolm Brown gets most of the TB snaps, it would not be surprising if Fozzy plays a lot of snaps at WR at the expense of DJ Monroe. Fozzy runs well and is a much, much better pass catcher and route runner than DJ. If DJ wants loads of snaps at WR, he has to catch the ball OK.

I find it implausible while Mack Brown is running the show.

This is the same man who, in an Austin-area commercial, looks into the camera and smiles pleasantly while saying “Most people never heard the name ‘Duchenne’ until their adorable boy was diagnosed with a horrible incurable disease.”

Grasp of reality? Suitable response to it? Not his strengths.

Every time I see that commercial, I expect him to start clapping after that line.

NPR show on backroads Saskatchewan sounds like the perfect Sunday afternoon to me.

Parlin winning. I second.

“About 18 months ago: "Greg, I want to go to a more balanced attack, with the QB under center, with a real power running game."
"Great Mack, good idea!"
About nine months ago: "Wait, Greg, do you know how to do that?"
"Um, no, I thought you did."
"
Nordberg wins, Parlin a close second.