Monday Practice Report From the Asset: The Offense

Interesting trying to read into the tea leaves as to what the amount of snaps mean for each player and position. I think the QB snaps sounds pretty sharp to me. Focus a little more on those two and see what you got. Those counting Case out because of his are strength are probably going to be right, but maybe not. He seams like a baller and a scrapper to me and that can go a long way in heady QB play.

Interesting also to see how the O-line turns out. Interesting, in fact, for the first time in years it seems like we are playing with the pieces until we complete the puzzle. Very nice. Thanks for the report.

Sooooo my friend, they threw the hackamore back in the tack room and put the ole bit in your mouth to rein you in…. not surprised.
The info you’d been feeding us had enough details as to concern em.
How ironic that the first (and only) picture of Malcolm Brown to make it on the Mack Brown slide show is of him catching the ball… go figure, right.
I firmly believe we’re gonna see a renewal of the “Bellard” effect of 1968 only with a cat named Harsin.
I guess it’s safe to say the Horns will be harsining around with other teams defenses from here on out.
Keep the info coming hay-sus… however muted it may be.
HookEm

I thinks it’s safe to say that we’re all happy to hear about Allen having success at the LT position. I’m a lil’ worried bout Lil’ Ship and Mike D having a case of the dropsies though…

Sounds like we’ve identified our five best OL and are now just trying to align them the best way possible. Works for me (as opposed to, say, starting Britt Mitchell for 12 games).

So does the coaching staff know exactly who the Asset is or are they just fishing…throwing out a general warning that “we will find out who’s leaking this info and pull your scholly or fire you?” Geez…seems their treating this like it’s Watergate and they’re hunting for Deep Throat.

yes, thanks for the report. slow drizzle on a parched field.

agree with bm on how nice it is to see the line arrangement being tinkered with to max what we have. sounds like we are getting somewhere, and how nice to hear allen is taking the bit.

great to hear that malcolm is clicking again. goosebump stuff there.

the really big word is qb, of course. very interesting how the staff is pecking at that situation too to see how it responds. i liked your characterization of case. dovetails with the impression i’ve gotten from numerous corners.

by all means protect your sources. would it be possible to get a list of don’ts from belmont, maybe?

Nordberg, who?

I am concerned about the drops as well.

The writing certainly appears to be on the wall for Wood. He seems to be locked in at 4 and has very little chance of moving up the depth chart.

This report turns the conventional wisdom re: the depth chart on its head with Gilbert and Ash flipping spots at 1 and 3 and Chase remaining firm at 2. What a difference a year makes for ol’ Garret Gilbert

regarding the ‘dropsies’, i’m betting switching out qbs plays to that.

Good point, yeh…

any clue as to whether the belmont warnings are aimed at bc or just in general? there are several reports, you know.

Glad to hear Malcolm is getting back in the mix of things. I’ll be interested to see how he progresses.

On the Qbs…
I refuse to put myself in the situation of a big let down when GG walks out onto the field vs Rice as the starter, so I won’t expect anyone else to start the season. Although I doubt he finishes the season as the starter.

I am feeling giddy like a little school girl counting down the days until kickoff!

regarding snow at guard. let’s not forget that this is a very different offense, and how he played previously might not be a good indicator for how he will fare in this setting.

Thanks as always, JS.

Very intrigued to see the snap breakdown through the next scrimmage after this report – if nothing else it’s hard to say that Case and Ash haven’t earned the right to run a good amount of first-team reps over the next few days.

Good news on Brown as well – really looking forward to seeing what he can do following some mobile and hostile OL.

Interesting news on the OL – I wonder if the staff is ultimately willing to write off Mason’s struggles against Okafor as a feet wet/growing pains kinda deal or if it has really spurred them to think that a different solution is needed at RT. It seems like Hopkins is our best bet to succeed wherever he’s placed and Mason seems to have a lot of what we want in a guard so it may be that this sticks. Really glad that Espinosa seems to be holding his own and then some at C since Snow’s mobility at the other guard spot should be a huge asset.

For all that’s up in the air, I hope we experiment to our heart’s content through Scrimmage #2 and then post our starting 22 on the board and say “We’re gonna go with what we got.” Two weeks ain’t that long to rep for Rice, but I think we can get there if we make all the hard choices at the end of this week.

On a side note, as far as I’m concerned Mack 3.0 is welcome to stay on as long as he likes, but it’ll be interesting to see if our next head man has a more relaxed policy towards ‘sources’ that aren’t revealing any strategically/tactically compromising information – or at least a policy that’s remotely cognizant of 21st-century communications and social media realities.

Can’t stop the signal, Mack.

As much as I lust after details, generalized observations without details will do.
Such as:
“some receivers looked really awesome”
“one of the QBs is totally taking over and will win the Heisman”
“a running back will rush for 2000 yds”
“the defense might not allow any points this year”

Stuff like that. PROTECT THE SOURCE.

nobis- social media realities or not it’s still info to the enemy as much as it is to us. love the reports of course but dialing them back isn’t something to slag bellmont et al about

Everyone who predicted some combination of Ash and McCoy, take a bow for now. Who knows what will happen next practice/scrimmage?

i think the staff might equally be concerned that comments could whet unhealthy expectations or the part of fans, as well. off-hand comments can quickly become gospel.

*on the part of fans

yeh

I doubt it. I think it’s that our opponents are definitely sniffing around and trying to figure out what to scheme for when we come to play for them. Adding Harsin and Diaz has definitely caught the rest of the CFB’s attention. They don’t want to be caught by our players “falling out of helicopters and coming out of secret holes in the ground.”

*when we come to play them.

The warnings went out to the everyone in the program and weren’t about a specific site. The word blog was used in that warning, however.

Good one Jesus,

Does this indicate 1 and 2 are McCoy and Ash for Rice?

JS

Come to NY. We’ll have you lay low until it’s safe to re-surface (RIce game). No one will find you in the boroughs.

meh. there will be plenty of game tape for consumption by the time most teams play us.

We aren’t good enough to hold anything for conference play or even BYU or UCLA

I heard after giving the warning, Mack executed senior defensive lineman Luciano Martinez in front of the entire team to show he meant business.

As I’ve tweeted before, McCoy could be the compromise starter at QB. McCoy isn’t as good as Ash, but he is a sophomore and effective at moving the sticks. That being said, I’m solidly in the Ash camp.

Great news on Tray Allen. I thought it was a blessing in disguise when he was injured last year. In 2010, the light still hadn’t come on for Tray and the 2011 team would desperately need senior leadership. Could Tray be yet another Texas 6th year senior success story? I certainly hope so. If Searels is able to coach Tray into the NFL Draft, just hand him the Broyles’ Award.

Big Ern wins.

ok, but the staff might consider any fan site as a blog. maybe. caution, regardless.

oh, no doubt, aria. i prolly shudden have said ‘equally’. but i bet there is a component of that.

speaking of. apostle, he said it looks like the two are being given an ‘audition’. this may just be covering their bases. we dunno.

BFLT, that’s the feeling I get as well. Start McCoy and work Ash in situationally to get his feet wet and take advantage of his running ability. Gilbert bides his time and Wood transfers. If we start Ash it’s Katy bar the door.

Practice time is too limited for experimental auditions. GG is in serious trouble if 2 guys are getting more reps than he is

yes, he ‘erned’ it.

esq, it might only be yesterday or a couple of days. that wouldn’t be that much.

pressure (internal and external) off garrett might do him wonders.

N0-scholly Martinez wasn’t eating up space…why execute him? Now if Mack REALLY wanted to make a point it would’ve been with Bible or Aires. Or both.

How much more vague are they shooting for exactly? An anonymous player allegedly held an oblong ball with three points of pressure?

I don’t recall you giving away much that would be considered classified details. Or is this more of the “Don’t say anything negative about any player” variety? Just curious which parts they deem objectionable.

Hope observations don’t get watered down too much. Good reports all the same. Thank you.

Believe me, Martinez had it coming.

Saul, my guess is they don’t want anything leaked because at some point it might be sensitive information. Thanks for the kind words, though.

BFLT, that’s the feeling I get as well. Start McCoy and work Ash in situationally to get his feet wet and take advantage of his running ability. Gilbert bides his time and Wood transfers. If we start Ash it’s Katy bar the door.

If Gilbert is running 2nd or 3rd team behind two underclassmen, wouldn’t he see the writing on the wall and transfer to a I-AA school for his last season? If Ash is ahead of him as a true frosh, there’s no way he’s falling behind after gaining a year of experience.

you know, it’s interesting to me to see how differently this offense appears to view right tackle.

the old regime would stick someone they didn’t know what to do with over there, and this latest band of yardage thieves seems dead set on securing the right flank.

Brick probably. But there’s a solid chance of either McCoy getting hurt or faltering and GG getting the nod as starter while they keep Ash in there situationally. Remember the plan since spring ball was to give Ash a specialty package to run for a handful of drives each game.

Now the second Ash takes a starter’s amount of snaps the other three are likely gone.

“after gaining a year of experience”

that wasn’t a year of experience. he has one more year to erase than the others.

I think Hookem247 had a lot more specifics about plays in the scrimmage than Jesus did.

By the way, E. Acho told reporters today, “We’ve tried to break Ash, but we can’t. He doesn’t get rattled.”

Wow

“"after gaining a year of experience"

that wasn’t a year of experience. he has one more year to erase than the others."

Yes, this is like talking about the Texans releasing “5 year veteran” David Carr in 2006 as if he wasn’t worse leaving than he was arriving.

Thanks to the Asset. Watch out for your cornhole.

Sounds like a real QB competition. The T Allen news is fantastic, I hope he keeps it up. Contract year.

Viper, maybe, but they also had two completely contradictory reports—one saying McCoy looked like the best QB, the other said Ash did. That probably gives them more cover.

J,

True, I think maybe to a non-experienced not critical eye McCoy would look better as he seems to be having the luck of the irish on some of those deep balls starting in the spring game.

Either that, or the source is named Brad.

Concerning the offensive shuffles . . . I’m thinking this is part of the tinkering Stacy Searels couldn’t do last spring because we had so few O-linemen (no freshmen, 3 players sidelined by injury).

This also sounds like building in depth and flexibility. Snow has been listed on various reports as playing both guards and center. Porter is a swing center-guard. Hopkins and Walters have spent time at their expected guard spots, plus right tackle. Poehlmann at guard and tackle. Etc. . . .

I’d be curious who the best looking true freshman lineman is. I expect all five to redshirt, but with two (hopefully more) tackles due in next summer, it’d be good to play a freshman tackle in 2011.

USC started Barkley as a true freshman,and I don’t believe any of the upperclassmen transfer. What makes you think all 3 of our guys will?

I have changed my position on this. Go with Ash if it’s that obvious. I really don’t want to sacrifice a loss or two fucking around with guys who shouldn’t be playing.

And not all three will transfer. Next year’s depth chart would look something like 1) Ash 2) McCoy/Gilbert/Wood, 3) Brewer.

Chill ya’ll, it’s done.

USC’s payroll is too big. Plus Snoop throated to cap two of them if they transferred.

Keep Ash, McCoy backs up, and Mykkele could be an emergency option if ever needed.

Shane, I like the cut of your jib.

Really find it hard to believe that Gilbert is going to get burnt. 1. Must be a new Mack; 2. Gilbert was really good in HS – although that was a long time ago.

Why are the best linemen playing the right side? To protect the phantom lefty’s blind?

Brick,

I may be wrong here, but Gilbert still has his redshirt year remaining. I imagine that if he were to transfer, it would be within the FBS to a school with a favorable depth chart at QB in two years.

e-ag, it’s because of something in our offense, but we can’t tell you about or martinez gets it.

vipe, they are saying that with mccoy, don’t look at the means. look at the ends.

there are a bunch of sayings encapsulating historical wisdom among contract designers, and one of my faves goes like this: “if it’s stupid but it works, it’s not stupid.”

EnglishAg: “2. Gilbert was really good in HS – although that was a long time ago.”

Go back and watch his highlight reels. Lot of single-read plays; not a whole lot of complexity.

EnglishAg,

Interesting article about the Saints on ESPN right now. Basically, the Saints don’t spend much money on tackles but pay out the mouth for guards because Drew Brees is short and needs the front of the pocket solid so his passes don’t get batted down. For that particular offense, it makes sense to have better guards than tackles.

For the HarsinWhite offense, those interior linemen are more important to the plays we will run this year.

Gilbert will start against Rice

Which is worse, Starkville or Collie Station? If MSU develops a rivalry with MSU, will the winner get the Golden Chicken Coop?

Outside of the players, there’s got to be at least a couple of dozen staff members attending practices & scrimmages.

If you include the players, that’s well over 100 people. And I don’t see what the non-scholarship players have to fear.

Outside of perhaps using water torture, I don’t see how Mack & Co. can discover the identity of The Asset.

“If MSU develops a rivalry with MSU”

is that anything like masturbation? if so, the ags are going to love that place.

joetx, we don’t want a witch hunt.

English Ag -
 
Why are the best linemen playing the right side? To protect the phantom lefty’s blind?
 
Left vs right is irrelevant in the interior OL, but the answer at OT is that Boise likes to help out the LT by alignment with a TE, H-Back, or FB chip to hamstring pass rush.

@ yeh – You don’t think there’s one already under way?

Even if the reports of Ash’s badassness are true, I’ll be stunned if Gilbert does not start the season. It took a blowout loss to OU for Mack to finally start a redshirt freshman VY over Mock, so now he will go with a true freshman without being backed in a similar corner?

If he does that, I’ll be convinced that Mack 3.0 truly is a new model.

“Now the second Ash takes a starter’s amount of snaps the other three are likely gone.”

If Gilbert, Wood and McCoy are all quitters, then who cares. Is there really a scenario where all three leave if Ash wins the starting role and before the season starts?

If that’s the case, then addition by subtraction. All Mack & Harsinwhite need to worry about is being as transparent and fair as possible (to the players) – which Mack does better than most coaches. When making a decision of this magnitude, playing games (i.e. “packages for Ash”) that even Fanboys can see through, will not retain personnel.

Ash was rated 3 stars coming out of high school. Gilbert was 5 stars. Colt McCoy 3 stars. Vince Young 5 stars. Blake Gideon was 2 stars. Others could be named, but the point is recruiting is not a perfect science, let’s keep that in mind as our coaches persue these kids from school.

I hear other schools (like A&M) say, "we’re not getting the top recruits like UT is getting. And I say “so what??” They had Steven McGee, whom they sat on the bench because he was playing lousy, and now that guy is playing very well in the NFL. Does that say something about the coaching at A&M??

Player don’t always work out, but sometimes the coaching is not there as well.

“thujone said: August 16th, 2011 at 11:42 am

Chill ya’ll, it’s done"

What it be, bro?

“I hear other schools (like A&M) say, "we’re not getting the top recruits like UT is getting. And I say "so what??”

So what = Texas has been going to BCS bowls and winning a NC while producing a shitpot of NFL players, while aTm has been a .500 program, whose highlight over the last decade is a 4 loss season.

Where’s Superman when you need him?

(Rose Bowl, Jan 5, 2006)
OL man – “Yo VY, they know what play we’re going to run?”

VY – “So?!?!”

C’mon, I agree with keeping the play book & overall evaluations general in nature but this team, if they truly develop that swagger MB always talks about, will role over their competition when they are completely confident in themselves and their playing.

Keep it real but keep it coming JS. You, Tips, Highway, Cigar Grande, Asset and Co. are doing one HELLUVA job!

\m/

It’s time to encourage Wood to transfer…NOW. The writing on the wall is clearest that he’s 4th and not getting a sniff at Texas. Better to sit out this year and use the two years of eligibility at Tulsa or wherever.

We need to take away his snaps and give it to the 3 QBs who have a shot at getting in a game this season.

Read somewhere that some players were interviewed today and comments from Fozzy and Gideon were both very positive on Ash’s leadership characteristics.

Part of Ash’s package has to be the deep throw and Ash in an open field offers a lot of options. Once the field shortens McCoy becomes a welcome option. He can throw quick slants and outs plus the sideline route which leaves less room for a defender to make a play. I liked another’s comments about him stepping into his throws though. When he can set up he can throw a shot—it’s when he’s moving that the ball wobbles.

Some of the qb troubles may be resolved when they get hit though. Hope Case has some mass somewhere or can avoid much of the contact. I bet we also see a package that involves both Case and Ash in the backfield. But what I like about both of these guys is their mobility so they they can shift the pocket or keep it moving or bootleg/jettison the qb.

Off Mike Finger’s (SA and Houston Chron sportswriter) twitter:

1. Players who did talk confirmed the positive rumblings about QB David Ash. Fozzy Whittaker said he’s “stepping up into a leadership role.”

2. Safety Blake Gideon on Ash, a true frosh: “He’s a fiery guy. It’s serious for him, and we could tell that from the start.”

Wood will look good at Tulsa, SMU or even Baylor.

Don"t know about this Mike Finger guy but by his tweets he seems to be pretty pissed at the shit Mack is shoveling out at these media gatherings. Honestly, I’d HATE to be a freaking sportswriter covering the ’Horns. Being forced to sit through pressers where a whole bunch of nothing is said.

About the only good thing you can say about a Mack Brown presser is that he’s a pretty genial guy and usually doesn’t yell at people like, say, Bo Pelini does.

Otherwise it’s all sugar-coated vanilla with a little bit of marshmellow fluff on top…and occasionally a maraschino cherry that’s been sitting on the counter for several days to get good and stale. That’s what it must seem like in a Mack Brown presser…STALE.

Houshorn09- I believe the VY “so” quote was from the OU game of 2005 just prior to throwing the bomb to Pittman. Of course, it could apply to almost any offensive play of that era.

“Saul, my guess is they don’t want anything leaked because at some point it might be sensitive information. Thanks for the kind words, though.”

what i don’t understand is what exactly so they think is so classified, are they worried about rice? because after they game everyone is going to see the plays they run…seems very silly to me. pro teams are this secretive…

let me retype this…

what i don’t understand is what exactly do they think is so classified, are they worried about rice? because after the rice game everyone is going to see the plays they run…seems very silly to me. pro teams aren’t this secretive…

“Houshorn09- I believe the VY "so" quote was from the OU game of 2005 just prior to throwing the bomb to Pittman. Of course, it could apply to almost any offensive play of that era.”

Especially against OU.

I know that in 2005 when we were walloping Missouri, Sendlein or Studdard responded to some trash talk from the Mo. defense by saying, “We’re running the ball right over there, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Sure enough, we ran to that spot and punched it in for a touchdown.

GMan,

Mack is not ever going to change. He is a bloggers dream come true, because the people, want more information than he is willing to deliver. He is going to be increasingly prickly about info regarding the QB depth chart.

“what i don’t understand is what exactly so they think is so classified, are they worried about rice? because after they game everyone is going to see the plays they run…seems very silly to me. pro teams are this secretive…”

I think it much more about managing the fans’ reactions to personal decisions.

“I know that in 2005 when we were walloping Missouri, Sendlein or Studdard responded to some trash talk from the Mo. defense by saying, "We’re running the ball right over there, and there’s nothing you can do about it." Sure enough, we ran to that spot and punched it in for a touchdown.”

I’m pretty sure it was early in the game and VY called a keeper and pointing right at the LB talking trash and letting him know he was running right at him. VY ran past him for a TD.

Ding, ding, ding….we have a winnah. Topwater claim your prize.

Mack knows the Horns-based Interwebs will BLOW UP when he says GG is starting the Rice game. He’s just delaying the inevitable.

David Ash is conspicuously absent from today’s photo gallery. May be a deliberate move to quiet some of the buzz, or maybe simply balancing out after featuring him prominently in the galleries and videos thus far. Or maybe (probably) there is nothing to take from that at all.

Nice to see some pics of Chet Moss as FB, though, and another shot of Malcolm Brown catching the ball.

This thread makes me really look forward to TLN replaying every single game from Vince’s career, and me recording them.

Especially the ‘05 ou game, which I don’t have.

Thanks for all the updates, JS. Can’t wait to finally see this team in action in a few weeks.

Speaking of action, I am in NY, NY, so I am going to go and enjoy myself. You boys behave. I’ll check in on y’all tomorrow.

That VY story reminds me of one I heard from a reporter— when he was through with his interview of VY and was about to leave, he asked him, off the cuff: “By the way, what’s your favorite play?” To which Vince replied, “Me, on two.”

I’m excited about this season if the “every position is open” concept is actually visited upon the guy taking the snaps. This will get fun.

On that third picture in the photo gallery today, unless Turner is a midget, it looks like Harris could slam it if there was a basketball goal there.

I will not be enraged if GG is the Rice starter.

I will be disgruntled if he does not take us to at least two TDs in our first three possessions.

I will be extremely disgruntled if he plays the whole game looking like the 2010 model, win or lose.

I will be enraged if afterwards MacBrown tells reporters “We wanted to put Ash in, but he wasn’t warmed up, and we didn’t want to hurt Garrett’s self-confidence.”

Did anyone think that Tray Allen’s body language and tone of voice was negative on Mack’s web site video?

Imagine if OU knew what Boise had been practicing.

Even though I love the practice reports, I have no problem with Mack trying to keep a tight lid on things.

After watching MNF last night, I think Case McCoy has a possible NFL backup career ahead of him.

Isn’t he essentially Greg McElroy 2.0?

I didn’t get that from Tray’s interview, 2th. He’s seemed quietly confident to me.

Winds of change on the 40. If Gilbert starts against rice, it’s only to keep him from transferring before next Tuesday. Writing is on wall for Ash to be anointed after seeing the player quotes today.

Imagine if OU knew what Boise had been practicing.

Back in the day, when practice was still open (so you know it was a long time ago), there was an understanding that trick plays were not to be reported. Injuries and position changes (depth chart moves) were fair game.

But if there was, say, a QB practicing a quick kick, or a halfback pass… that was off limits.

They’ve posted nothing here that would fall into your category.

Back then there weren’t 20+ websites/blogs/twitter accounts trying to outdo each other and publish every piece of information they could get their hands on.

I don’t believe the Ash package of special plays has been made public.

“N0-scholly Martinez wasn’t eating up space…why execute him? Now if Mack REALLY wanted to make a point it would’ve been with Bible or Aires. Or both.”

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