Texas/Missouri Post-Mortem
I can’t think of a more dominating half of football. Let’s get into it.
Offense
Our QB is a 28 year old Joe Montana Quantam Leaped into a Texas uniform. There, I said it. When your QB goes 29 of 32 with two batted balls and a drop, throws with the accuracy of an English dart pro, uses his mobility in a way that suggest bored contempt for the frenetic blitz trying to thwart the pre-determined certainty of a 14 yard gain, and runs the offense with the ruthless calculation of Jackie Onassis on a honeymoon with a Greek shipping magnate, I’ll play the Joe Montana card. He’s completing over 80% of his passes on the year. I don’t even know how to respond to a statistic like that. It’s like a major league baseball player hitting .477 at the All-Star break; a NBA guard shooting 65% from the floor. It’s like Doperbo showering on consecutive week days. Barring disaster, Colt McCoy clearly deserves the Heisman. Throw in the hot girlfriend and I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that Colt is enjoying his college years.
This year our WRs have been doused in Lester Hayes’ levels of stickum the way Henry James sports CK One. Before this particular game our WRs bathed in industrial adhesive like a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel luxuriating on a decomposing squirrel carcass. You can’t complete >80% of your passes in the short and intermediate passing game without studs willing to take the hit and make their QB look good. Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby were their consistently awesome selves, but the stat lines contributed by Brandon Collins (6-76), Malcolm Williams (1-32-1 td) and Dan Buckner (1-51-1 td) are the reason we’re about to go from dangerous to illegal as a passing offense. Collins has turned in his pledge pin with Phi Kappa Ketcha and he’s fully active. Colt trusts him. His 38 yard hot route against the Tiger blitz was a Tijuana hot plate served up on Missouri’s last vestiges of hope. I’m sure opponents are looking forward to covering one more sticky-fingered shifty sonofagun. Malcolm Williams and Dan Buckner represent something different entirely. They are the artillery to our snipers. You can roll them up and blow stuff down. And you only need to fire them a couple of times a game to feel their impact. If the light continues to turn on for either - or both - defenses are going to get it.
Who knew that one of the great benefits of the 4 WR set was that it would substantially increase the quality of our running game? Quality is the key word here. Teams are terrified to load up the box on us and when they do, it’s clear that Colt has the autonomy to get us into a good play. We’ve created space, our zone play can breathe, Colt is running the zone read with confidence, we ran a beautiful little counter trey(ish) that sprang Vondrell for 20 on his carry, DL penetration has been throttled to sporadic, and our backs are running with decisiveness and effort. It’s plant and go and that’s what running the football is all about.
One observation: if you want to impress your friends, I can help you to predict a Texas running play with about 85% accuracy. How? Anytime we’re in 2nd and short. We’ve trended to this for a while, but this year it’s really pronounced. I noticed it early in the year and tried it in the OU game with Sailer Ripley. I think I went 9 for 9. That trend continued in the Missouri game with one exception (a three yard hitch audible). I’m not sure why we do this since 2nd and short is the freest of all downs, but that’s how we’re rolling. Have fun with it and win some bar bets.
I’m incredibly proud of Chris Ogbonnaya’s performance and some of the decisions he made in our running and passing game - 133 yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs speak to his efficacy - but the most encouraging statistic from the game was found in the performances of Vondrell McGee & Fozzy Whitaker (they combined for 8 carries for 78 yards). Their performance speaks to the fact that’s it not about the guy carrying the ball - it’s about the guys in front of them and the execution level of the schemes that we’re running from. System and execution, not some magical guy. That’s your takeaway from the game, Sports Fans. It’s amazing how those changes allow our perceptions to shift from having a team with no good backs to a team with four.
After I rewatched the game on DVR I realized our OL was far more dominant than I’d realized watching it real time and I thought they were pretty good real time. Charlie Tanner had his best game as a Longhorn - he’s our most mobile OL - and Chris Hall played his second consecutive game at a high level. God bless you, Chris. Keep it up. Adam Ulatoski is a first team All-Big 12 tackle at this juncture of the season - at least in pass protection. I’m also pretty sure that our interior OL platooning is wearing down DTs like your girlfriend’s requests to see Rent. This group’s growth from Game 1 to Game 7 has been awesome and I see no reason for it to stop.
Defense
Our front operated on the same premise of why most Sooner fans stuff with a sock: show six, deliver three.
When Will Muschamp physically crawled into Nolan Brewster’s ass after Nolan blew consecutive assignments on a Missouri pity drive late in the 4th quarter while we were still up by infinity and Nolan had the temerity to half-jog off of the field, I was immediately reminded why this team is so different. Akina feeds off of Muschamp like a pirahna and their double ass-chewings were a sight to behold. For reference: see also their sideline greeting for Rashad Bobino when he feebly dove at Washington’s feet as Missouri scored on their opening 2nd half drive. I was equally pleased to see him bathe good plays with love and to also spend most of his time on the sideline teaching with a white board. The idea of the ranting Muschamp is way overdone. The guy is very, very, very intelligent and he is first and foremost a teacher and technician. Every rep is a chance to get better and if you don’t want to buy-in, Muschamp is happy to coat you in tinfoil and bury you in the depth chart in a place so deep that a metal detector can’t find you. If you’re not pulling for Tennesse and Auburn every weekend like a maniac so we can keep this guy, you is one serious fool.
Muschamp is right that statistics are for losers. Conside that Orakpo, Miller, Melton and Orakpo combined for only six tackles on the game. Read that in a box score and you’d think it was Missouri that had 56 on the board. Our DL dominated and the only statistic that remotely does them justice for what they accomplished getting pressure rushing only 3 or 4 on 85% of our snaps, destroying the run, and protecting our secondary, is the giant W on the scoreboard. We had automatic stunts on any Missouri wide split set and we got pressure around the corner when they went conventional. This is the best DL in America. Believe it. No other DL in college football is asked to stop the run, consistently get pressure with 3 or 4, defend the screen game, and play with intensity on every down the way that this one is.
Muckelroy is the best LB at Texas since DJ and the glue that holds us all together. What a consistent player - Muschamp has clearly tabbed him as our clean-up guy and a half dozen times a game he’s asked to make a an open field tackle on a skill player that if he missed we’d be in some grief. I’m still waiting for his first miss. He’s playing at an All-American level. Jared Norton had his best game as a MLB. Sergio is now as much of a known quantity on a week-to-week basis as Miller or Orakpo. Pretty high praise for a kid that was supposed to be a DISD flake. My only prayer is that we get to see what a senior Sergio Kindle looks like in 2009 rather than see him settle for a 2nd - 4th round draft pick this year.
Ryan Palmer had a solid game that could have been great if he’d finished the deal on a sure Pick 6. Blake Gideon lit Coffman up on the sideline. Chykie Brown was dominating and losing him in the 2nd quarter to a tweak was as substantial a loss to our defense as losing a Kindle. That’s how important he has become. He’s our best cover corner and we need to get him healthy and glue him to Dez Bryant. Curtis Brown showed some growing pains, but he checks out athletically. For a skinny sprinter, he showed little reservation in sticking his nose in there on Chase Coffman in the flat and in run support. I would like to write something similar for Deon, but I’ll pass. Forgive my unabashed Aaron Williams love, but when things got chippy at the end I wasn’t surprised to see #4 trying to fight the entire Missouri OL. When you combine that sort of athletic ability with an attitude, you get an eventual All-American. It’s just a matter of time. Nolan Brewster was out of his depth as he was against Arkansas. I’d expect Scott and Wells to cement 2nd team safety if they can gain Muschamp’s trust in knowing the defense.
Special Teams
Meh.
Parting Thoughts:
This is a team that started the year strong and has played each week better than the one previous. I’m not a scientist, but I believe that is a trend line. After what I witnessed from our defense, our OL, the development of our young WRs, and the hydra-headed growth of our running game, that trend line won’t stop. This team is focused, football smart, tough, well-coached, calculating, and passionate. That’s an incredible compliment to this coaching staff. Our level of preparation each week is always good, if not great, and we’ve outcoached three consecutive Big 12 opponents.
Make no mistake, this team has a lot of talent. Real, athletic talent. But a hell of a lot of that talent rests above our shoulders.
Next up, Okie State. Grit and cowbells, boy!
Also, check out Eyes’ weekly post game of the Mizzou contest — there was no ugly.
October 19, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Chris Ogbonnaya is the best story on the team. I’m so happy for him. He deserves it. If he keeps it up, he might just find himself in an NFL training camp next year.
October 19, 2008 at 1:55 pm
“Our front operated on the same premise of why most Sooner fans stuff with a sock: show six, deliver three. ”
This is the funniest sentence you have ever written.
October 19, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Nice writeup, Scip.
Part of Muschamp’s value surfaced in that twin-pirahna moment: when you’ve taught and transformed fellow coaches as well as the players, you’ve really earned your pay.
October 19, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Well, that soft underbelly Mizzou found in our secondary in the 2nd half was kind of ugly. They were in playstation mode there for a awhile and the last (3 plays?) drive had us stepping on our own dicks. Granted we were getting into the 3-deep at that point and those kids were getting good hard lessons from a Mizzou team w/ some talent and competitors who didn’t quit, but I wasn’t encouraged by the way Daniel figured us out so much better in the 2nd half.
October 19, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Chase Coffman won’t be appearing on our future schedule, thank God.
Pettigrew at OSU is a major threat, but he has been nicked.
October 19, 2008 at 3:21 pm
You appear to be ignoring the likely possibility that Mizzou represents the North in the CCG
October 19, 2008 at 3:32 pm
One observation: if you want to impress your friends, I can help you to predict a Texas running play with about 85% accuracy. How?
I bet the Ahmard Hall dive was 90+% on 2nd and 1 when he was here. It makes no sense, but it is what we do.
October 19, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I did a study a few years back when Will Matthews was our FB–we were 90% plus FB dive in 2nd or 3rd and short. GD is all about converting.
October 19, 2008 at 4:01 pm
The Joe Montana reference is right on the money. I had the same thought midway thru the first half last night. It’s the only comparison left that does McCoy’s performance justice.
(Later occurred to me that Ogbo is doing a pretty good Roger Craig…)
October 19, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Chris Ogbonnaya is a poor man’s Ricky Watters, but with character and citizenship.
October 19, 2008 at 4:07 pm
The QB sneak by GD on second and less than a yard has always driven me crazy.
October 19, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Am I wrong in thinking Muckleroy had a tough night in coverage? Seemed like alot/most of his tackles came after the TE/WR in his area had already made a catch.
Regarding running plays on 2nd and short, I made the same comment to my wife at the game yesterday. Doesn’t make sense to me (especially on the series when we picked up 9.999 yards on first down), but GD is in such a zone right now I’m not questioning anything.
I really hope Ch. Brown and Norton are 100% for OSU.
October 19, 2008 at 7:20 pm
No talk about Acho(A freaking DE) covering a slot wr/Coffman. That is yet another praise to be given to Coach BOOM. Freaking awesome…I remember telling myself…if we keep him past this year we win the LOTTO.
October 19, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Good write up, Scipio. I’m assuming it was good - I couldn’t read the whole thing. Um, your college football team is very good.
October 19, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Phenom:
I won’t make you talk about the game, but I will ask you if you enjoyed yourself otherwise.
How was the stadium? Crowd? I hope Texas fans were cool.
If it makes you feel better, Brad Smith had 4 carries for 59 yards against the Raiders.
October 19, 2008 at 8:54 pm
This team has IT…I’ve never seen a Texas team that was a TEAM like this one!
October 19, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Greatness, a post worthy of the game.
The running game has definitely improved. I thought the running game would improve if the horns focused on more throwing and less running (because the D would have to focus so much on stopping the pass).
The 4 WRs forces the D to play a nickel, which means one less LB to tackle the running backs. The opposition DL has to focus on getting to the QB or at least getting their hands up to block the pass. That has to be good for the running game.
The 4 WRs also means that it is a bit easier for the UT TBs to get into space.
The short passing game makes life much less stressful for the OL because the blocks are not as demanding as run blocking or blocking for longer pass plays. This means the OL tends to commit fewer offsides and holds.
Great point about the toughness and pass catching ability of the UT WRs. You can’t run a short passing O without excellent accuracy by the QB and tough receivers who don’t get short armed when they are certain to take a hit. Both Quan and Ship are bona fide tough guys.
Vondrell was hurt earlier in the year so that might be part of it for him (i.e. that he is hhealthier). He looked super quick against Mizzou.
The UT passing O has aspects of the run and shoot because of the great non verbal communication between Quan, Ship, and Ogbonnaya. This ability to change routes at the LOS make it so difficult for the D to jump a route. You are exactly right that that this mental ability and trust is a huge part of the horns’ success.
A lot of people were somewhat concerned about the horns’ second half D but it just seemed inevitable to me that there had to be some kind of let down. You are exactly right that Muschamp’s and Akina’s intensity were completely justified and encouraging.
October 20, 2008 at 3:54 am
Scipio, I’m hoping we have some write ups this week on AT re the trip in general. Briefly, DKR is awesome. We sat in the new end zone, which was nicely done. The fans were cool to us. Sixth Street the night before the game was good.
Fans were nice before, during, and after the gamee. Well, we got some taunts after the game the further we got from the stadium, but nothing bad - just some steven-type “you suck” stuff. We all had a good time. Game was humbling.
October 20, 2008 at 4:19 am
Oh, and the Brad Smith factoid puts a little skip in my step.
October 20, 2008 at 6:36 am
Fantastic Victory. Only one complaint:
That little 5-6 yard out we run to Cosby IS going to get picked off for a TD before the season is over.
October 20, 2008 at 6:46 am
I don’t think Vondrell is significantly faster than earlier in the year he just has space to run. Whenever he had a hole in earlier games this year he was just as explosive.
Fozzy looked fantastic in his first run and he looked like everyone else on the other run when he didn’t have any kind of hole to run through.
October 20, 2008 at 7:18 am
Echo Phenomenal. Great time, wish we would have provided some resistance to the unstoppable force.
Was it just me, or was the Chase Daniel / Colt McCoy junior high slow dance at midfield one of the 10 most awkward sports moments of all time? If I were running the UT sound system, I would have been furiously scrambling for my trusty cassette of Joe Cocker crooning Lift Us Up Where We Belong.
October 20, 2008 at 7:37 am
GC:
I was thinking Crazy 4 U in honor of Guy Ritchie. At least Pinkel ran off before Mack could cup his face in his hands and whisper in his ear. He does that. As unreservedly gay as it was, apparently Chase’s sweet nothings were telling Colt his game stat line.
I’m glad both of you had as good a time as the game allowed.
October 20, 2008 at 7:47 am
Chase is smoove. Don’t talk about your stat line, talk about hers. I like it.
I had a much better time than the game allowed, actually. Amazingly, rough calculations are that we were in Austin for 42 hours and spent 18 of those in the same bar. I’m having trouble figuring out what I did the other 24.
October 20, 2008 at 9:01 am
I’m just impressed you made it to the game.
October 20, 2008 at 9:35 am
Things are not going well when you receive your first email from someone at the game asking if you are ready to head back to the bar at 7:24, and you think “this is a good idea.”
Beat the time we were late to the game in Manhattan after visiting numerous KSU tailgates, walked in, saw the score was 34 - 0 in the first quarter, got a pizza and walked back to Aggieville.
If there is one thing you learn quickly as a Missouri fan, it is how to sniff out a forthcoming ass whupping nice and early.
October 20, 2008 at 9:39 am
What bar?
October 20, 2008 at 9:58 am
Cedar Door. Mexican martinis not healthy.
October 20, 2008 at 10:07 am
Great choice. Much better than the usual Sixth St shit bars that most out of towners frequent.
October 20, 2008 at 10:24 am
I can’t quite figure out how Texas went from not being able to get pressure on the QB with 6 guys against Rice to being unblockable with 3 in the last two weeks. I understand that a Rice OT might have a better understanding of physics and geometry than Phil Loadholt, but still. I guess that’s a testament to good coaching. I thought we had a good chance to win in Lubbock. I’m not so sure now.
October 20, 2008 at 10:24 am
Mexican martinis not healthy.
True, but we made up for it with the early morning samplers of fried whatever’s-left-in-the-kitchen, which I devoured with extreme prejudice.
Oh, and someone tell Eyes I stole his post-game report template. I didn’t have the brainpower left to come up with my own.
October 20, 2008 at 11:23 am
Running out of superlatives regarding the Horns. Some scattershooting:
1. Loudest crowd since Houston in ’91.
2. Was the injury to Irby possible a blessing in disguise? Forced GD to go multiple wide outs which puts us in our best ball control offense. Ball control in Big 12 is gold.
3. Can’t stand having the band relegated to the end zone.
4. Hard to find down and distance on the stadium scoreboards… And when all are flashing MAKE SOME NOISE there are no stats to be found.
Hook ‘em!!
October 20, 2008 at 11:36 am
We spent about 2 hours at one of those 6th Street shit bars and retreated to the safe confines of the Cedar Door.
I believe I set a modern day record for most fried sampler platters consumed.
October 20, 2008 at 11:37 am
Yeah, down and distance was nowhere to be found. And I spent most of the small amount of time I was there staring at the videboard with my mouth agape.
October 20, 2008 at 11:39 am
Art:
1. ‘90, right? Awesome to hear.
2. Yes. Sad for Irby though.
3. I tend to ignore the band.
4. Godzillatron should show Winger videos during timeouts
October 20, 2008 at 11:45 am
you are correct. 1990. That was an angry crowd.
Godzillamatron is starting to beat me down. Everyone is hypnotized by it and commercials are getting larger applause than game action. It’s almost Orwellian.
October 20, 2008 at 11:52 am
At one point I put on my sunglasses, and I swear this was on the jumbotron:
October 20, 2008 at 11:54 am
I wish Rowdy Roddy Piper had suplexed you.
October 20, 2008 at 11:55 am
Funny, we commented on the Orwellian nature of the entire stadium. Don’t get me wrong, it is impressive, but with everyone wearing the same thing, doing the same thing, and that jumbotron, it got a little unnerving. And that’s why I just had to leave.
We also noticed that the civility of Texas fans is inversely proportional to their distance from the stadium.
October 20, 2008 at 11:58 am
Gene, you start getting into the Spurs fans the further you go. They seem to attract the same fan base.
October 20, 2008 at 11:58 am
GC, you need to attend an Aggie game.
October 20, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Scip, no I don’t.
October 20, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I’m not sure why we do this since 2nd and short is the freest of all downs, but that’s how we’re rolling. Have fun with it and win some bar bets.
Taking a guess here —- the coaches see it as a way to get the running game fired up after a slow first month of rushing (other than McCoy).