Football Articles
There will be no Heisman trophy brought back to the 40 Acres at the end of this season. The fans can quit obsessing about it, the UT media relations folks no longer need worry about promoting any player for it, the coaches no longer need to be concerned about building anyone’s stats towards it.
Not coming to Austin this year.
Most importantly, Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley can simply remove the possibility from their minds. It’s over – now, they can just focus on winning football games.
All possibility of Heisman winning was rendered moot on Saturday, because, in the biggest game of the Texas Longhorn season, these two great football players simply did not perform. Much of that was due to horrid play by the Texas offensive line – which looked like something out of 1986 in the first two quarters of this game – much of it was due to a focus on Shipley by the OU defense, much of it was due to inexplicable play-calling by you-know-who. But mostly it was about Shipley being unable to get open, even when facing single coverage, and about Colt making bad decisions, not being in the same page with his WRs when they were running decision routes, and failing to protect the football. In fact, the best play McCoy made all day was the tackle he made on the OU defender who picked him off in the 4th quarter. That was a big one, because it most likely preserved the victory.
Oh, well. The pressure’s off now, guys. You won’t be bothered nearly as much by the media from here on out. Dan Patrick and Colin Cowherd won’t be calling for interviews every week. You’ll no longer be the lead highlights on ESPN’s Sportscenter late on Saturday nights. You won’t need to worry about buying new suits and making airline reservations to New York City in early December.
Just play football from here on out, and maybe talk your partners on the offensive line to start first quarters the same way they started the third quarter on Saturday, and you will finish this season 12-0, whip whichever mediocrity the Big 12 North sends to the Big 12 Championship Game, and get to play Alabama for the national championship in January.
Nothing wrong with that, huh? The Heisman’s overrated anyway – national championship trophies are where it’s at. Let’s win another one for Mack Brown.
Let’s go to the G, B and U:
First, the UGLY
Officiating – My goodness, where to begin? First, I did not recognize the name of the referee, Scott Novak. I am speculating that he is one of the two new referees the Big 12 put into service this year. If that’s the case, I am wondering why a rookie set of officials was assigned to call the biggest game in the Big 12 Conference this year. If I am wrong about this speculation, I apologize. But I will say they called the game like a bunch of rookies, and I won’t apologize for that. At least, however, we didn’t get Carl Richins and his crew of blind-men-when-it-comes-to-calling-holding-on-OU-or-Texas-Tech nitwits. For that, we can be thankful. But thanks to Novak and his crew, and their constant need to engage in endless reviews of plays on the field, it took 2 full hours to play the first half of a 6-3 game. That’s extraordinary. To their credit, they did manage to call a few of the most blatant holding infractions committed by the OU offensive line, so I suppose we should also be thankful for that. And the awful calls did pretty much even themselves out by the end of the game, so we got that going for us, too.
Jeremy Beal – is a filthy football player. His petulant and repeated efforts to injure Colt McCoy as the game clock wound down merit some sanction by the Big 12, sanction that I am sure will not be forthcoming.
Officiating in the Florida/Arkansas Game – We like to complain about the incompetence of Big 12 officials, for good reason. But at least we don’t have to complain about a set of officials outright handing a game to an opponent, as Arkansas fans are no doubt doing this morning. The SEC crew that called this game should be investigated under the federal RICO statute. It was that bad. They should put an asterisk by the “0” in Florida’s loss column after this atrocity.
The SEC officials who called the Florida/Arkansas game.
Texas Offensive Line Play, First Half – What is the story on this bunch and its need to sleepwalk through the first two quarters every week? Were it not for spectacular play by the Texas defense, this unit would have single-handedly cost the team a chance at an undefeated season. To their credit, they actually did a little blocking in the running game in the first half – enhanced by some actual creative play-calling and misdirection that finally showed up in the 6th game of the season – but they were just disgracefully poor in pass protection. Look at it this way: Our OL is made up of the most highly-recruited kids from the State of Texas, kids who are by and large experienced and healthy. OU’s OL is at this point a patchwork of the walking wounded, freshmen, and converted tight ends, and OU’s offensive line out-performed our offensive line by a wide margin for 2 full quarters of this game. Embarrassing is a modest way to describe it.
Next, the BAD
The Wild Horn Rears its Ugly Head – 2nd possession of the third quarter, and our offense has finally established some intensity and a little continuity. We have tied the game with our previous drive, and have now moved the ball smartly from our 23 to our 44. We clearly have OU’s defense on its heels, and have established the run in a significant way. We have great field position and all the momentum in the world. So what does Greg Davis do? Why, he pulls out the Crazy Ivan formation, which has worked in any real sense exactly one time in the dozen or so times it has been tried this season. They run a poorly-executed (every play out of this formation is always poorly-executed) reverse-pass play with Chiles pitching it to Colt, the OU defense easily reads it and the OU defender damn near decapitates Colt as he has to desperately throw the ball away. Luckily, a later pass interference call against OU keeps the drive alive, and we managed to go in for a go-ahead TD anyway. But that does not justify the continued wasting of downs with this idiotic series of plays that fool no one.
Wasted short fields – I lost count during the course of the game yesterday, so I had to go review the drive chart at Mack Brown.com to get this stat: In the first half of the game, the Texas offense began five possessions at its own 40 yardline or better thanks to good returns and great defense. They managed to score a single field goal. Three of those possessions began in OU territory. For the game, the Texas offense had 8 possessions that began at its own 40 or better, including 6 that started in OU territory, and managed to put up just 16 points. Whew.
The Fightin’ Texas Aggies – Seriously, how bad does a team have to be to get smoked that badly by a very poor Kansas State squad? I didn’t see any of this game, so I have no idea how it all came about, but there can be nothing positive for the Aggies coming out of that game. Mike Sherman remains a horrible hire. We can only hope he sticks around for awhile, but it’s hard to see how he survives too many more outcomes like this one.
Gig ‘em!
Wide Receiver Play Outside of Marquise Goodwin – Holy smokes, how much worse can it possibly be? Seriously, OU’s defense is very good, but we don’t have anyone who can find a little open space in that zone? We don’t have anyone who can get off the LOS in press coverage? We still don’t have anyone who understands the need to either break deep or come back to the QB and present a target when the QB is forced to scramble from the pocket? Who is coaching these guys again? Is anyone? Almost unbelievably, this unit is, other than the OL, the weakest unit on the team. That would have been hard to imagine before the season began, but it is the truth.
Finally, the GOOD
Marquise Goodwin, Wide Receiver – And then there’s Marquise Goodwin. He came to Texas labeled as a track guy who would also try to play football. After yesterday’s game, I’m thinking that nonsense needs to stop. This is a wide receiver who knows how to play his position. Thankfully, we had him on the field when it really counted. Nice, nice game.
The Weather at Fair Park – This was probably the 15th or so Texas/OU game I have been to in person, and I cannot remember better weather conditions, or really, anything even close to what we had on Saturday. It was a glorious day in every respect.
Offensive Line Play, Second Half – It was like night and day. I’m not sure who said what to these guys in the halftime locker room, but whoever it was and whatever was said, it worked. If these guys can perform for the rest of the season with the drive and intensity they showed in the second half of this game, we will actually deserve to be ranked in the national top 3.
Fozzy – Maybe it’s time for the weekly revolving door at the starting RB slot to end. Fozzy Whittaker is clearly the most athletically gifted RB on the team, and in this game he became the first Texas RB all year long to actually gain meaningful yardage in the first half of a game. Like Cody Johnson and Tre Newton, Fozzy understands that the only daylight to be found when running the zone read or stretch plays in this scheme is to make the cutback move against the grain, rather than follow the blockers. Unlike Johnson and Newton, Fozzy has the speed and moves to create even more green space for himself once the cutback move has been made. If he can stay healthy, Fozzy is a real potential difference-maker at the RB slot.
Here is your starting RB.
The Texas Defense – How good was the D in this game? Well, when the team assembled for the postgame festivities, the Texas crowd spontaneously broke out in the “De-fense! De-fense!” chant. That was not meant to insult the guys on offense, just a tribute to the part of the team that came to play for four full quarters on Saturday. The run defense was particularly superlative, holding OU RBs Brown and Murray to 20 total yards on 17 attempts for the afternoon. The pass defense gave up two big plays totaling 99 yards, but otherwise smoked the OU passing game all day long as well. And probably most importantly, these guys created five turnovers in the biggest game of the year. They like to say that defense wins football games – the Texas defense damn sure won this one.
Earl Thomas – Even in the context of a great overall defensive performance, Earl deserves special mention. His play in this game was extraordinary. He led the team in tackles, had 2 TFLs, forced a fumble, picked off a pass, generally blanketed his man in coverage, and was credited for a single pass breakup although I thought I had counted three. He was also seen administering CPR to three passed-out fans on the sidelines, and rescuing a kitten from the top of a tall oak tree at halftime. Just a sophomore, he was a man among men in this game, clearly the best defensive player on the field.
This is a man.
Other defensive standouts – Sergio Kindle was extremely good in this one; AJ Williams made up for a missed tackle on OU’s lone TD play with his 4th quarter INT, and Blake Gideon, Keenon Robinson and all the DTs were outstanding. OU had zip up the middle in this game.
Defensive Player of the Game – Earl Thomas, obviously.
Special Teams Player of the Game – Hunter Lawrence, whose three clutch field goals produced the winning margin.
Offensive Player of the Game – Call it a tie between Goodwin and Fozzy.
I woke up at 2:30 Friday morning, and my mind immediately engaged with thoughts about Saturday’s game. Once that happened, there was no going back to sleep. Here are some of the thoughts that went through my mind between 2:30 and 5:00 that morning:
When I was a mere lad in college, I always thought that the intense hatred I felt at that time for Oklahoma University and everything remotely associated with it would fade as I grew older. Surely, I thought, once I get to the advanced age of, say, 40 or so, the import of this game to my general overall disposition and health will begin to fade as other, more important considerations such as, oh, I don’t know, raising my children and paying my bills move to the forefront of my daily considerations.
Nope. Hasn’t happened. Not a chance. If anything, the advent of the Internet and my resulting ability over the last 13 years to converse and obsess about Longhorn football with all you fellow obsessors has only made my problem more intense, something I would not have believed possible walking out of the Cotton Bowl in October of 1975.
Another part of that phenomenon has been the creation of the Big 12, and the elevation of the Texas/OU game to a conference matchup. I remember back at the time the Big 12 was coming on-line, many observers speculated that this would actually lessen the intensity of the game, and render it just another conference game among many. What a foolish thought.
Pre-Big 12, this game frequently carried national championship implications, but the inability of any of the other Big 12 South Division programs to be really competitive, the collapse of Nebraska and the Big 12 North, and non-conference schedules filled with the little sisters of the poor and not much else have made this game frequently one that not only has conference and national championship implications, but also one that can be the only real roadblock to an undefeated season for one team or both. OU used to come out of the Texas game knowing it still had to face an equally-strong Nebraska program later in the year. Texas used to come out of it knowing it still had to go up against strong programs at A&M, Arkansas and at times SMU and Baylor before its season would end. But at this point, and really for the entirety of this century, these two programs have no equal in this conference on a year-in, year-out basis.
Also pre-Big 12, Texas could lose to OU but still have a real shot at winning the SWC. OU could lose to Texas and still have a real shot at winning the Big 8. Either team could lose this contest and still get back in the national championship hunt. Last year was an anomaly that showed OU can still do that thanks to the idiotic BCS system, but you can bet that few OU fans felt that could happen as they left the Cotton Bowl last October for their long drive back up to their double-wides in Oklahoma.
So, for both teams, and for the fans of both teams, this game is no longer just the biggest game of the season, it’s basically the whole season. Win it, and all things remain possible. Lose it, and barring something weird and unlikely happening down the road, you’re on the fast track to a mediocre finish that adds no meaningful hardware to the trophy case.
Another reason I was up at 2:30 Friday morning obsessing about this game is because I’ve grown to detest Bob Stoops almost as much as I detested Barry Switzer lo, those many years ago, and I’ve grown to admire Mack Brown almost as highly as I admired Darrell K. Royal.
Stoops is certainly not the de facto mob boss that Switzer became while running his slush-funded program, but he obviously does run right on the edge of falling off the precipice in that direction. But Stoops has adopted and maintained Switzer’s unjustly arrogant tone, even in the face of consistent season-ending failure, and regular loss to his biggest rival. His reliance on getting away with unimpeded offensive holding in order to win games has grown tiresome, even as it verges on obsolescence as Big 12 officials suddenly rediscover the fact that this is actually a violation of the rules.
But more than anything this year, it has been Stoops’s willingness to play Russian Roulette with the career and $35 million right arm of Sam Bradford that has made me feel more outright contempt for him than I had ever thought possible. Sure, Bradford’s an adult, and his parents ought to be looking out for his future, but Stoops putting this kid out on the field with a shoulder that is not sound is the height of irresponsibility. The re-injury of Bradford’s shoulder on Saturday was a virtual fait accompli, yet Stoops will pay no price at all for it, and that’s a crying shame. Just as he did several years back with Jason White, Stoops has risked a Heisman QB’s future and massive earning potential solely because he believed it would help him beat Texas. That is just contemptible behavior.
I was thinking about this yesterday, and I concluded that we are so lucky to be Texas fans, fans of a program led by a coach who simply would not engage in this sort of behavior for the sake of winning a football game, even the OU game. Oh, he probably would have counseled Bradford to come back for another year in college – pretty much any college coach would do that, and frankly, there are legitimate arguments on both sides of that question. But once he was injured, does anyone really believe Mack Brown would have put him back on the field before his shoulder was completely healed? If you do, you’re most likely an Okie or an Aggie.
Mack has taken a lot of heat over the years for being “soft” with his players, and insisting on maintaining a family atmosphere within his program. This probably cost him when Stoops first came along and put a series of more intense, more focused teams on the field than Mack was able to field. The five game losing streak that resulted was something few coaches in UT or OU history could have survived. Similar futility against OU even led to Royal getting out of the job at a very young age.
Yet Mack has persevered, and done so while insisting on running the program his way. His way has ultimately prevailed, winning 4 of the last 5 games in the rivalry, including the last three straight. With Saturday’s win, Mack’s record against his biggest rival is now evened up at 6-6. If he wants to retire at the end of this season and hand the reins to Will Muschamp, his record against OU will not longer be a blot on his tenure at Texas.
In fact, in one respect, it is now an unprecedented success.
If you look at the history of this rivalry since WWII, when the leaders of the State of Oklahoma made the conscious decision to begin purchasing the best football team money could buy as a means of lifting the spirits of the citizens in that state, you will not find another coach of either program who has managed to accomplish the feat of turning the rivalry around in his favor after suffering a long losing streak. The history of this series for both programs has been that, once a coach starts losing consistently to the other team, he is doomed. That was even the case with legends like Bud Wilkinson and Darrell Royal.
But not with Mack. He has persevered and turned it around, and done it while running a clean program that performs with class, and while facing an OU program that has remained a national powerhouse throughout.
That’s a hell of an accomplishment, and one that makes me very proud to be a fan of the University of Texas Longhorns, who, thanks to Mack’s leadership, are decidedly the good guys in this rivalry.
Thanks for that, Mack.
Hook ‘em, Horns!!!
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Trips Right said:
October 18th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Best GBU yet. Well done sir.
Bateshorn said:
October 18th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Good write up, Eyes.
Let me second the class of Mack Brown.
If the offense is going to continue to struggle in this vein, and there is no reason to believe it will not, I think it merits considering the way we manage the clock. If we are going to rely on the defense so heavily, then running the clock to zero once we’ve achieved any sort of defensible lead seems to be the prudent coarse of action. If you are going to play Raven ball, then you need to shorten the game clock as much as humanly possible.
Secondly, and I’m echo-ing other thoughts here: On what basis does James Kirkendoll ever see the field again? His behavior yesterday was atrocious, his play lackadaisacal. Malcolm Williams might get the dropsies, but he leaves it all out on the field. If we are going to have a 2nd/3rd reciever we never throw the ball to anyway, it might as well be to somebody who will block like his life depended on it.
EyesOfTX said:
October 18th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Thanks, Trips - that’s meaningful coming from you.
Bates: fully agree on Kirkendoll. Why he ever sees the field is a mystery to me. His head is just never in the game. Chiles is also very weak. The coaching of our WRs and OL is just disgraceful, and not what this program needs or deserves.
CMDR said:
October 18th, 2009 at 7:38 am
I too have given up on the Heisman, now its time to root for “anyone but Tebow.”
Eskimohorn said:
October 18th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Great GB&U, with the exception of the photo with John Saunders and his BCS shit-eating grin.
texasengr said:
October 18th, 2009 at 7:42 am
I only found one mistake…
“Yet Mack has persevered, and done so while insisting on running the program his way. His way has ultimately prevailed, winning 4 of the last 5 games in the rivalry, including the last three straight”
We lost in 2007.
Great read.
Bateshorn said:
October 18th, 2009 at 7:44 am
My problem with Chiles is they use him entirely wrong. His first couple of steps are slow, but once he gets moving, he flies. Using him on screens is just dumb. I would love to see him catch the ball on the move, I think he could do some real damage on a crossing/ drag route behind Shipley. Obviously, as that fly pattern in the first quarter showed, he has zero ability to adjust to the ball on a deep route, so that’s a wash.
FWIW, Shipley’s blocking ain’t exactly perfect. If he had even remotely impeded his man on that bubble screen to Goodwin in the 4th, I think it could have gone for real yards.
TxTower said:
October 18th, 2009 at 7:51 am
Special Mention of DE Eddie Jones for his terrific sack of Landry Jones in the second half. Nice to see him contribute in this big game.
ghostofagroundgame said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Great piece.
I think the problems with our WRs has as much to do with personnel selection as anything. Goodwin and Williams must be on the field. And Colt must learn to go through progressions and throw to people who are not two-yards off the line and not named Shipley. Colt looks a lot like 2007 Colt to me. In fact, OU linebackers dropped two vintage McCoy pick-6s yesterday, either of which would have lost us the game. Couple that with his fumble and horrible pick on the miscommunication with Goodwin, and you have a QB who hurt you far more than he helped you.
Agree about Earl Thomas. Tremendous game from him.
The Wild Horn call was indefensible. As was the repeated empty back sets on 3rd and short. GD is never getting any better.
EyesOfTX said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Oh, Gawd, don’t get me started about that empty backfield shit. It’s bad for my blood pressure.
JP said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Just a wonderful write up and I think you ‘hit the nail on the head’ in every paragraph.
How a person can pass the 40 year mark and have his hatred of ou increase is a truly wonderful thing that I shall cherish with each passing October (or day). Yes, thank you Al Gore for inventing the internet.
There aren’t many components that we can simply change on this team at the mid way point, but this doesn’t apply to receiver. Malcolm and Marquise should get a ton of snaps at the expense of Kirk and Chiles. They are simply better options. I’d like to see Jordan back inside opposite of Buckner with Malcolm and Marquise on the outside. The speed element alone would give defensive coordinators a lot more to think about, and with guys who can stretch the field it would loosen those suffocating defenses (in theory).
Thanks and God bless you, Coach BOOM MFer!!! Is there anything more to say??
t1climb1 said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:16 am
Great read Eyes.
Definitely agree that the empty set on 3rd and short needs a place in the “ugly” section. I was screaming from the stands as we came out late in the game on 3rd and 3 in an empty set. He truly is mentally challenged. I was seated directly in front of Mack’s assistant too. Hope she didn’t get too upset when I kept yelling about our OC’s retardation. Nice lady though.
ghostofagroundgame said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:30 am
One other “wrinkle” in the offensive game plan that needs to go in the “Bad” column — putting Fozzy Whittaker out at split end with an empty backfield. If you are going to run an empty set and you believe a tailback can get a favorable match-up in pass coverage then you slot the tailback inside. Because tailback covered by linebacker = mis-match in the tailback’s favor. Tailback covered by a cornerback = mismatch in the defense’s favor. And I have yet to see a really good tailback who can run a freaking deep out — which is what we had Fozzy run.
Bob in Houston said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:33 am
I hate the empty set in non-passing situations as well. Told my wife so (again) just before the pick. She was almost apoplectic when the pass was intercepted.
I also think Stoops was irresponsible to send Broyles out there. But we knew Bradford was rusty and (almost certainly) not recovered fully. We all know that this is the reason that McCoy has a short leash in the running game (even though Bradford was hurt by being sacked). They just can’t afford to lose him.
BeatenDeadHorse said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Outstanding GBU.
October 18th, 2009 at 8:41 am
I disagree that we are out of the Heisman race.
These next two games we’ll be under the national spotlight with 2 straight 7pm Saturday night games. Since Tebow and others (clausen losing) aren’t taking advantage of the spotlight, Colt still has a chance.
5 weeks from now if Colt keeps winning, he’ll be the #1 winningest QB OF ALL TIME. Not just of Texas but of ALL TIME. That will be hard to ignore… particular for those voters who see the Heisman as a career achievement type award.
kevwun said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:43 am
I think Malcolm Williams has earned a starting spot. I could name a few high profile receivers in the nfl who don’t have great hands, but still get it done.
texasengr said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Bob,
With all this talk about Colt struggling, playing like 2007-Colt, hurting us more than helping us against OU … Would it really be the end of the world if GG were thrust into the starting position?
I’m really just thinking out loud. I have all the faith in the world in Colt. I’d take him with a chance to win over any other college QB today.
GG has looked damn good though… haha
Duke of Ohio said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Earl Thomas deserves all of his accolades, but he was not without blemishes yesterday. The reason that he was injured on the sideline on that Fozzy Whitaker late hit is because he was still looking for his jock after being juked by DeMarco Murray on that long screen play that Oklahoma had on its first drive. Glad he found it.
Late Great Gil Brant said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:52 am
“I think Malcolm Williams has earned a starting spot. I could name a few high profile receivers in the nfl who don’t have great hands, but still get it done.”
The incredible pain in the ass that is T.O. Owens has eked out a nice living the past 13 or 14 years while dropping 10 -12 passes a season (he DOES NOT have good hands).. Even with all of his flaws, team after team lines up to give him another opportunity because he’s BIG, FAST, STRONG and a match-up nightmare for DB’s. Sound like anyone we know??
Bob in Houston said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Engr: I gotta go with Occam’s Razor. If the coaches trusted GG (as much as you would trust a freshman), they would have let Colt do more with his legs. I am relatively certain that they wouldn’t have let him run yesterday if they thought they could win without him doing it.
But I also think that this is causing Colt not to play instinctively, and it’s just killing his game. If he gets mad at his receivers for making mistakes, it’s because he can’t deal with those mistakes as he’d like.
uthookem said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:52 am
“Oh, Gawd, don’t get me started about that empty backfield shit. It’s bad for my blood pressure”
Exactly. Hey offense, we can’t block anyone, and Colt won’t have time to make the throw to the receiver split wide to the far side of the field, but let’s go ahead and take the extra blocker out of the backfield and give it a whirl! Better yet, let’s take an extra WR off and put in EBS. Awesome stuff. But I do have to give credit to EBS for a great catch and effort on the 3rd down conversion, it was a very good job.
JP hit the nail on the head with the receivers. Kirk and Chiles should not be on the field at the expense of Williams and Goodwin. Period.
Let’s hope Fozzy stays healthy, he is a difference maker. CJ also did a nice job and is a good change of pace.
As well as the defense played, can you imagine how it would be with C. Scott out there playing center field? Gideon is always within a step or two of being in the right place, but completely whiffed on a few tackles yesterday that hurt.
All in all, keep winning.
uthookem said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:56 am
“But I also think that this is causing Colt not to play instinctively, and it’s just killing his game. If he gets mad at his receivers for making mistakes, it’s because he can’t deal with those mistakes as he’d like.”
Bob, FTW!
I saw Colt’s stats prior to the OU game for this season and last season. This year, he had about 50 rushing yards; last year, he had about 350 rushing yards.
Late Great Gil Brant said:
October 18th, 2009 at 9:15 am
BTW, among the many attributes Goodwin has displayed in his young career, he showed Steve Smith-esque (Carolina Panther) little guy strength in shaking off the ou DB like a wet dog and trotting in to the endzone yesterday. Kid’s a baller, glad he FORCED himself on us…
rickeysdreds said:
October 18th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Sacrificing the classy Bradford to “save” an already lost season, and Beal’s tactics against Colt, are emblematic of the OU’s filth. Bob “always willing to” Stoops is an aptly named Fuhrer for the “Sooner Nation”.
Macanudo said:
October 18th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Kirk needs to get put on special teams as a wedge buster. That cheap shot was stupid.
ransomstoddard said:
October 18th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Good summary. I hope McCoy and Shipley file a lawsuit against Davis for singlehandedly wrecking their careers. Davis is so unbelievably incompetent, it’s hard to find words to describe it. He has managed to turn wide receivers like Williams into underachieving malcontents and a roster full of 4 and 5 star linemen into dancing marshmallows. Good grief, my 8 year old could bullrush every single lineman we have.
And before we get carried away with this defensive effort, let’s keep in mind that this ou offense played with a backup qb, without their star tight end, with an offensive line that is abysmal [almost as bad as ours] and their star wr injured. And they still almost beat us. We need to pray that Dez Bryant and Hunter at OSU are still out on Halloween.
This team has big time warts, but then so does every other team playing Div I football. This is just one of those years when there are not any true superstars or super teams. If you are halfway decent, you can get to a bowl. If you have a fairly decent team, you are a BCS contender. This year, UT’s miserable excuse for an offense and fairly decent defense just might be enough.
texoz said:
October 18th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Great write up as usual.
How often, if ever, did we have Williams, Goodwin, Shipley and Buckner on the field at the same time?
How in the Hell would OU, or any team, contain our offense if we had those four on the field with Goodwin, Williams and Shipley alternating mid to deep routes, Buckner over the middle. and then add in running plays from Fozzy and Colt? With Goodwin’s speed, Williams size, and Shipley’s skills, there should either be good WR match ups, or room to run by Fozzy & Colt. It’s mind bottling.
Bob in Houston said:
October 18th, 2009 at 9:47 am
texoz, I guess GD just has to think outside the bottle…
jdlooneyii said:
October 18th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Outstanding GBU this week.
Good juxtaposition of Mack and Stoops. In spite of the many things that Mack does right, however, there’s still one fundamental thing that he gets consistently wrong: misplaced loyalty. Mack has the infuriating propensity to remain loyal to assistant coaches who have demonstrated their incompetence in season after season. I mean you, Greg Davis, and I might mean you, Mac McWhorter. Think of it this way — if Mack is the CEO (and that’s as good an analogy as any) his loyalty belongs to the shareholders, not his fellow corporate officers. I get the whole coaching fraternity thing. But Mack’s loyalty rightfully belongs to the stakeholders of the UT brand — you, me, and anybody else who has a sheepskin on the wall.
ghostofagroundgame said:
October 18th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Does anyone know how many(few) snaps DJ Monroe got yesterday? And can anyone explain why there were so few? Man, I’m telling you, this team has legitimate offensive play-makers — we just refuse to put them on the field or in a position to succeed.
Flamingmonkeyass said:
October 18th, 2009 at 9:56 am
If Colt puts together a four or five game stretch to end the season that’s anything like what he did mid-season of last year I assure you he’ll be in the mix for the Heisman. In fact even he fails to live up to those standards but Texas remains unbeaten, he’ll be in the mix. Without Bradford around Colt is the most marketable guy from the Big XII and there’s no way there’s not push for him to make it to New York. The media will start using words like “gritty” and “winner” and “leader”. You know, the sort of things they already say about Tebow.
Good G B & U.
texoz said:
October 18th, 2009 at 10:18 am
You know what GD did? He played to OU’s strength instead of making OU play to our strength against them, which is having Buckner run route after route down the middle and force the LBs and Safeties account for him, instead of crashing down on the line.
TaylorTRoom said:
October 18th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Mack Brown’s record coaching in the RRS is now 6 - 6. The last Texas head coach with a losing record in this rivalry? Ed Price, DKR’s predecessor.
lurkerinthedark said:
October 18th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I thought the OU defensive gameplan was the best conceived that I have seen in a long time from them. That had a lot to do with our offense’s problems in the first half. The increased tempo in the third quarter helped reduce the confusion OU’s shifting caused.
There were indeed some questionable plays called on offense, too.
I wouldn’t call our defense “fairly decent.” Give any other defense zero offensive help and see how many hold OU to 6 points in that first half. Our defense was fantastic!
java said:
October 18th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Great GBU, Eyes! I agree with what you said, and in particular, the indictment of Stoops for playing Bradford. I think Stoops is a scumbag that sacrifices the future of players for his own ego. He makes me ill.
I agree about Kirk. I also agree that our ‘main men’ should be Williams, Shipley, Buckner, and Goodwin. Goodwin’s shrug that shook off the OU defender didn’t remind me of a freshman, but a much more experienced player.
Fozzy gave me a spark of hope.
Thanks, Eyes, for the great rundown and for the affirmation that the officials were terrible. I afraid that I might be viewing through orange-tinted glasses.
Hook ‘em!!
ghostofagroundgame said:
October 18th, 2009 at 10:56 am
OU’s gameplan was good. It was also exactly what everyone expected from them. Blitzes and stunts, jamming receivers, lots of pressure from the outside from linebackers and corners. So how do you game-plan for that? I don’t know, misdirection in the running game, screens, and draws? How many tailback screens did we run? 1 I think. How many misdirection running plays (I’m not talking about one cut back across the grain runs)? Maybe 2? Did we run a single tailback draw?
hardlymarvin said:
October 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Greg Davis just makes me ill, so many weapons on this offense, and no freaking idea how to utilize them, I can just hear his explanations for the poor performance” they played 11 guys on defense and we didn’t expect that”, their guys wore helmets and pads and we hadn’t seen that before”.
on a positive note, doesn’t it seem like every game a player named Acho, or Achoo, either causes or recovers a fumble ?
quigley said:
October 18th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
As a Sooner fan, I really enjoy reading this site and agree that for fans on both sides, this game defines the season, though you should read on about this point. Also, I agree that Mack Brown is seems like a really good guy, but this same Mack Brown was part of that mafia in Norman for a year. That year helped him land that pivotal first coaching gig.
Agreed that OU’s coaches downplay the importance of the game in the media but scheme for it annually. Since 2000 (picked that year because it is the first year both teams were nationally relevant), how many times has the winner of this game failed to win the Big12 title (UT: 2006, 2008; OU: 2001, 2002, 2003). So as far as completed seasons, that is 9 years. More than half the time, the OU-Texas winner fails to win the conference.
You can hate Stoops for Bradford’s injury but your rationale is based in conjecture regarding the counsel that he gave Bradford, conjecture regarding the injury itself, and conjecture regarding Mack Brown’s decision in similar circumstances.
ghostofagroundgame said:
October 18th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
quigley —
I kind of hate Malcolm Gladwell. But the piece he has in the New Yorker this week analogizes dog-fighting with NFL playing. One of the key points about dog-fighting is that the dog is “game” to keep fighting because of loyalty to its owner. He mentions that the owners circle the outside of the pit cheering their dogs on, knowing that the dog will keep going despite grievous injury if he believes that’s what his owner wants. Think on it.
Orange90 said:
October 18th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
As irresponsible as Stoops’ decision to push Bradford out on the field last week and this week was, his starting of Broyles in this game just 2 short weeks after breaking his scapula is even more egregious and mind-boggling. That’s assuming Broyles really was injured and Stoops wasn’t actually trying to throw off the UT coaching staff with a bogus injury report, which I wouldn’t put past him. The guy simply has no scruples. It’s all about his program which simply feeds his ego. Recruits beware.
hopefulhorn said:
October 18th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Eyes,
As usual, I agree with most of your game observations. As Scipio has pointed out, this team will go as far as its defense and special teams will take it. I am thinking that if this team runs the table, it will do so much like DKR’s 1963 MNC winners did-with stout defense and kicking and just enough offense at the right times. Damned waste, given the offensive talent on this squad, but there it is.
Further, this seems to be the Year of Winning Ugly for most of the other contenders (e.g. Florida, Alabama, USC). No one is consistently blowing up big numbers offensively while also playing kick-ass defense. Scholarship-limit parity? Defenses catching up to the spread offenses? The Big 12 calling offensive holding? All of the above?
Lastly, I’m no fan of Visor Boy but comparing him to Switzer is a stretch. Big Red Auto notwithstanding, Stoops has come nowhere close to Barry the drunk, womanizing, admitted cheater that ultimately got run out of Norman. The Jason White situation was not Bob’s finest hour. But, I am also a bit uncomfortable casting Bradford and his family as dupes to Bob’s machinations. They knew the risks and seem perfectly capable of blowing the whistle if they thought Sam was being treated badly.
That said, I do find Stoops to be a bit cocky. It tickles me no end to have won 4 of the last 5 against him. Couldn’t agree more that I would much rather have Mack as our coach.
EyesOfTX said:
October 18th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Hopefulhorn: to be clear - and I guess I wasn’t in the original post - I am not casting the Bradford family as you suggest. Bradford has reportedly received good advice from at least one and possibly more doctors to shut it down and have the surgery, and has chosen to ignore that advice. His parents have not stepped in to try to force him to take the advice. So my sympathy for him is somewhat limited, given that reality.
Having said that, the kid is 20 years old, and there is no question that his football coach is going to be an extremely influential person in his life at this point in time. The timing of Bradford’s return to play was completely up to Stoops and no one else. Period. I believe Mack, unlike Stoops, would simply not have had him out there last week or this week, knowing that he was not 100%.
Finally, Stoops was the one person who could have looked Bradford in the eye and told him to go have the surgery and get the thing fixed correctly. He chose not to do that. That, to me, is shameful.
Just my opinion.
Hook ‘em!!!
Kosciuszko said:
October 18th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Great write-up, Eyes.
I think Davis and Colt are in some toxic co-dependency relationship obsessing over a mutual desire to win a QB Heisman. That motive is the only explanation I can see for the frequent interruptions of successful offensive sequences and schemes to use QB-centric special plays (Wild Horn double reverse pass) or QB-centric schemes (empty set on third and short) where they seem so out of place.
Maybe they’ll give that a rest now that this game has taken the bloom off Colt’s Heisman rose.
kafka said:
October 18th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Great comparison of GD to Hal.
Goodwin will be 1st string on the depth chart tomorrow. Probably Malcolm, too. Greg Smith is probably going to be playing more.
The horns have plenty of talent at WR, it is not being used properly.
Fozzy and Cody looked great. More of both, please.
While I see great potential in the wild horn, it is a fact that I said to my son “please GD, don’t call the wild horn” right before the wild horn was called.
Agree that Colt lost the heisman (he was horrible in the biggest regular season game of the year) and that it is good because he will relax. He has to learn to throw on rhythm and dump it off or throw it away or run when the primary receiver is covered.
Tim said:
October 18th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Going forward can we get a pre-game roll-a-decks of Mack Brown excuses as to why UT struggled? Oh, and someone get Colt McCoy a Vagisil yeast infection kit. I have never seen so many post game excuses in any sport than what Mack and Colt bring every Saturday.
How much luck can one program get? First UT gets Texas Tech with only 1 healthy DE and missing 4 starters, now Bradford goes down after only 8 plays. Oh well, UT will win the Big 12 because they are the only team not to have a starting QB go down in the South and be rewarded with a 21 point loss to Alabama, congrats I guess.
I really want to unleash 1000 chiggers on Gerald Myers nuts for rescheduling the Texas Tech vs. Texas game this year. With Sheffield at quarterback and a healthy defensive line Texas Tech beats UT in Austin in November, then Tech would get OU at home. Oh well, I hope the ABC contract for the Houston game was worth it Gerald, you probably just cost Texas Tech their Big 12 title with all the injuries in the Big 12 this year.
ghostofagroundgame said:
October 18th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Hey Tim,
Good post. Tech is terrible. You’re fluky offense works, but only sometimes. Which is why you alwasy shit the bed against one shaky team. Like, oh, Univeristy of Houston. But sometimes you beat good teams, especially when freshmen safeties let sure-fire picks hit them in the numbers. That’s not going to happen often. Keep working that rivalry with the Aggies. You own those guys.
HenryJames said:
October 18th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Yeah, the only reason Texas won was because we had Brandon Collins, Blaine Irby, DJ Grant, Christian Scott and Jared Norton.
TaylorTRoom said:
October 18th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Tim, buddy, you have got to stop focusing on the past. Tech has a very nice team this year, and is on track for a good bowl game- the Alamo Bowl, or maybe even the Cotton Bowl. I know y’all are going to win one of those one of these days.
NVHorn said:
October 18th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
OU won the conference in 2002.
EyesOfTX said:
October 18th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Which planet does Tim live on again? Anyone?
Flamingmonkeyass said:
October 18th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Tim, how much does vagasil pay you, being their official spokesperson and all?
We beat you in September. We’d beat you in October. We’d crush you in November. When tech beats a Mack Brown Texas team it is the exception, not the norm. The numbers reflect that. History reflects that. Common fucking sense reflects that.
Woody Bombay said:
October 18th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Tim, the Horns were firing on two-thirds cylinders and beat your Wed Waiders by 10.
Ha ha ha ha ha
TaylorTRoom said:
October 18th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
About Stoops and Bradford…a bad scenario would be if Bradford were to get surgery and decide to return next year, but Jones play well in the meantime. If that happens, does Stoops give the job to Bradford next year, or make him compete for it. If it’s the latter, he really screwed Sam over by encouraging him to come back from the first injury. If it’s the former, he may be doing his team a disservice.
Bert said:
October 18th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I love how Tim makes fun of Mack and Colt’s “excuses” in the same post where Tim makes a litany of excuses as to why Tech lost to Texas. Dude is the gift that keeps on giving.
Blueshorn said:
October 18th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Good work as usual, Eyes.
I was in attendance for this much-anticipated offensive clusterfuck. I’m just glad we finally have a DC who is capable of keeping us in games that GD seems determined to concede to the opposition.
With regard to Mack, I’m glad he pulled even in the series and has a nice streak going against the dirtbags. With that said, I couldn’t agree more with jdlooneyii’s assertion that Mack’s loyalty should be the stakeholders and not his cronies. For this, I’ll never forgive him unless and until he does something about it. I’m not holding my breath.
As to the Heisman, Colt is now five wins away from being the winningest QB in college football history. I believe he could still be in the running for the award if he has a strong finish. That would require that his OC get his head out of his ass, which sometimes happens after the ZeroU game. Time will tell.
Bert said:
October 18th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I’m with Blueshorn re: Colt not being out of the running yet. We still have six (!) games remaining, so he has *plenty* of time to go on a tear and win it, especially given that no other player has come close to seizing control of it yet. Not saying he will, but it’s definitely possible.
Scipio Tex said:
October 18th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
“Special Teams Player of the Game – Hunter Lawrence, whose three clutch field goals produced the winning margin.”
I don’t that can be overstated. Two 40+ yard field goals in that atmosphere is big time.
Great write-up, Eyes. I felt similarly about Stoops during the game. I watched the game with a Sooner fan (a very sharp, successful one) and he expressed similar sentiments.
BC's therapist said:
October 18th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
It is absolutely PREPOSTEROUS for anyone to get off the Colt McCoy bandwagon-the guy has less to work with this year, his OL is putrid to say the least, and he played the best defense he’ll play all year. He had an off game, but made the big tackle at the end that saved the game and the season. That’s what Heisman winners do-make the big plays when it counts most.
Now, it’s been well-documented that I think this site is riddled with a-holes, and 75% of you are probably the khaki donning, aviator glasses wearing, Ricky Schroeder looking douche bags that soiled the Texas state fair this past weekend. Especially the guy who said Stoops was a pathalogical liar for saying Broyles was going to play in the RRR-I can’t remember who it was, but I believe his initials are HJ, and rightfully so. His “control room” is littered with so many crusty tissues it’s ridiculous. What a massive tool…
However, Colt McCoy is a standup guy, and one of the best college QB’s EVER-do you hear that you mental midgets? You don’t know how lucky you have it!
Imagine if you will, a parallel world in which you’re without your starting QB and arguably the best QB in the country (Colt McCoy/Sam Bradford) and your best receiver and scoring threat (Jordan Shipley/Jermaine Gresham). Do you see where I’m headed here? There’s not a team in this country that wouldn’t be severely crippled without their #1 QB and #1 go-to guy, and when they’re among the best in the country at their respective positions, there goes the season.
So, say what you will about Colt’s performance, but thank God every day that you’re not in the Sooners shoes. Well…more so anyway. As seen in this past weekend’s game, the teams are mirror images of each other-great defense and weak o-line. And the 16-13 score reflects that. The GLARING DIFFERENCE however, was Landry Jones’ youth and inexperience-Bradford doesn’t throw those picks. Jones has even gotten meaningful playing time this season…I don’t care how good Garrett Gilbert is, if Colt and Jordan don’t play in that game, UT might’ve not gotten a first down!
The point is, even though UT’s dynamic duo didn’t have great games, their presence alone is a calming one, and their leadership is unmatched. And for you fools who are questioning Colt and talking about GG, be careful what you wish for. You’re 6-0, and you have a Heisman runner-up at QB. Until someone jumps up and grabs it, he’s still got a great shot at the hardware. Good luck to the believers and supporters-I hope the rest of you get hit by the bandwagon you’ve abandoned.
DougNTexas said:
October 18th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
We put Chiles on the field because he changed positions and the Coaches honor that. He sure as hell isn’t earning it on the field. Same reason we use the buck package. It almost has never worked. Yet we trot it out in key games at key times.
I would love to see Goodwin,Shipley, Buckner, and Williams on the field at all times we are going to pass the ball. Two of the four have earned it out right. The other two will in time.Colt needs to quit looking for Shipley on every play, or at least don’t key on him so quickly with his eyes.. He needs to spread it around also. He also needs to pump fake it a few times in the game. They are jumping his routes by following his eyes.
Jamal said:
October 18th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Is Bradford’s situation really all that different than Colt McCoy’s before the A&M game in
2006? Colt hadn’t recovered from injuring his shoulder against Kansas State, yet Mack insisted on playing a clearly hurting QB because he didn’t trust Colt’s backup (then
true freshman Jevan Snead). And as a result, Colt re-aggravated his injury pretty badly thanks to a few cheap-shots from Aggie D-Lineman.
As well as Mack seems to carry himself with the players and media, his job is to maximize the opportunities for UT to win football games not to maximize the career prospects of his players. An example — the coaching staff re-designing the offense and “letting Vince be Vince” instead of improving his passing skills to the point where he would be a viable NFL starting QB.
It would be silly to think Mack wouldn’t make the same call Stoops made this weekend.
EyesOfTX said:
October 18th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
uhhh…ok, lessee here…
a. McCoy suffered a “stinger”, which is basically a pinched nerve. This is not a career threatening injury.
b. McCoy was a redshirt freshman at the time, a player who was at the very least two full seasons away from even being considered to be a person likely to be drafted by the NFL.
c. Bradford, by contrast, would have in all likelihood been a top 5 or so pick in the NFL draft THIS YEAR, had he chosen to go out, a position that would have earned him well in excess of $15 million guaranteed money with his initial contract, with tens of millions more possible in the future.
d. Bradford, unlike McCoy, suffered an injury that will not heal completely without surgery, and that is subject to becoming a chronic problem with continued play without the surgery.
So, yeah, uh, I guess you could say the situations are exactly the fucking same, if you’re a fucking moron.
Congratulations.
Hook ‘em!!!
quigley said:
October 18th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Ghost: I agree about Gladwell (though would like to get paid like him-speaking engagements for NYer writers are in the ~50-100K range). That article is typical of him with extension of metaphors well beyond their bounds. How his editors allow it is amazing, and that readers buy it is worse. An article about the debilitating nature of repeated subclinical brain injury would be sufficient. Throw the dogs in to sex it up. These guys, especially Bradford who is savvy and has a savvy family, don’t do it for Stoops or Mack or Lombardi. Equating them to dogs is something you are buying into. Fight it!
NVHorn-you’re right, only 4/9 years. Point still stands.
quigley said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Wait a minute Eyes. How many shoulder injuries have you cared for and fixed. Unless you have expertise in this particular area and knowledge of his particular injury, your conjecture on this issue is particularly irrelevant.
Bash Stoops for losing the game. Bash him for driving an SUV. Pick something you can know about.
uthookem said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
I had a 3rd degree AC separation as a freshman in college. I could not throw a baseball for three months. Bradford has access to much better medical care than I could get, and likely had between a 2nd and 3rd degree tear. I did not have surgery, but probably could have if I had ten million riding on my right arm.
He should not have been playing. Stoops is at fault and should (but never will) shoulder the blame.
uthookem said:
October 18th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Ha-ha. See what I did there?
SHOULDER the blame.
Damn, I’m funny.
texoz said:
October 18th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
“We put Chiles on the field because he changed positions and the Coaches honor that. He sure as hell isn’t earning it on the field. Same reason we use the buck package. It almost has never worked. Yet we trot it out in key games at key times.”
Perhaps with a better game plan for Chiles he is able to contribute? He’s had zero passes from the buck package so what are teams going to do when he lines up at QB? They’re going to play the run. How about have him throw a couple of passes to keep the defenses honest? How about not saving a trick play with the buck until OU, but instead run it earlier in the season to see how well it works? Who cares if OU learns about the “trick” play. At least now they have to defend something else besides the run from the buck package.
Crikey. I know some of our offensive players haven’t stepped it up, but some of that blame belongs with those in charge of calling the plays. Predictability is good is you’re a weatherman. Not so much if you’re an offensive coordinator.
burnt orange outrage said:
October 18th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Great post, Eyes. Reading it gave me some serious warm fuzzies.
Although I do feel that at this point, Colt is not out of the Heisman running, provided he starts putting up numbers like he did last season. Granted, this seems somewhat improbable at this point, with our OL playing like it is and GD calling for oh, around 1 pass play of longer than 10 yards per game. It really looks like Colt is pressing; he doesn’t look relaxed and hasn’t shown much of the freewheeling ability to pull miracle plays out of his rear when everything goes to hell that he did with regularity last year. This doesn’t mean he can’t, and won’t, in the next 6 weeks. He’s on pace to become the all-time winningest QB in CF history. That includes, like, a whole bunch of dudes, ya know? As for any nitwits who have the temerity to suggest Colt should be on a short leash with GG waiting in the wings…gimme a frigging break! I think the kid has earned the benefit of the fucking doubt after what he’s accomplished here. He’s basically operating with one hand tied behind his back because his OC is a myopic douchebag, and yet he’s 38-7 in his career, and in several of his losses, there were big-time extenuating circumstances, to wit:
2006
- Ohio State 24, UT 7: In his 2nd start, Colt was 19-32-154 with 1 TD and 1 INT; he wasn’t allowed to try anything “risky” as GD and Mack refused to take the training wheels off and the results were predictable — a loss to the No. 1 team in the nation. (Texas never seemed the same after the play late in the 1st quarter where Colt hit Billy Pittman with what looked like a sure TD pass only to have Pittman lose the ball at the goalline).
- K State 45, UT 42: Now THIS one definitely shouldn’t count as a loss on Colt’s official record. The kid played exactly one drive, on which he went 4-4 for 51 yards and scored on a 1-yard sneak on 4th and goal to give Texas a 7-0 lead. Unfortunately, he also was injured on the play, suffering a stinger that knocked him out of the game. The Horns’ defense was AWOL and performed shamefully (secondary in particular) while backup QB Jevan Snead actually played pretty well in getting Texas back into it before falling just short.
- aggy 12, UT 7: Colt played, but he clearly was still suffering from the effects of the stinger, and any stupid shit ass-to-mouth (aTm) fan who says otherwise is an angry, oozing pustule on a boil on a hemorrhoid on the cellulite-riddled ass of a 360-pound Bangkok phone sex worker. Colt was 17-28 for 160 and 3 INTs. Texas opened the game driving smartly to the aggy 8 but on 4th and 1, Henry Melton got stuffed and we got no points. An extremely shady offensive pass interference call against Limas Sweed in the end zone in the 2nd quarter killed another promising drive, as Colt was picked on the next play.
2007
- K State 41, UT 21: Colt’s worst game IMO, he looked out of it and Texas turned in its most shameful performance at home since the Route 66 game against UCLA in ‘97. Colt was 19-39 for 200 yards with 4 INTs and 1 TD pass. KSU scored on kickoff, punt and INT returns and though UT’s offense outgained KSU’s by nearly 60 yards, Texas got embarrassed on its home field by a markedly inferior team.
- Zero U 28, UT 21: Colt definitely did enough to win this game. Unfortunately, Jamaal Charles did enough to help us lose it. His fumble near the goal line and then his volleyball set of a Colt pass into the arms of an OU defender effectively spelled the difference in an exciting, generally well-played game. Colt was 19-26 for 324, 1 INT and 2 TD passes.
- aggy 38, UT 30: Another inexplicable loss to a team Texas should’ve wiped their ass with. Colt was 17-32 for 229 with 1 INT and 1 TD pass, and was sacked 4 times. Dennis Franchione, in his final game at aTm, unleashed Stephen McGee’s arm and Texas looked completely unprepared and completely helpless against the aerial attack from a previously plodding, ground-bound aggy offense.
2008
- TTech 39, UT 33: I think the specifics of this game are sufficiently seared into the brains of everyone who trolls this site to suffice saying that Colt, after some bad plays early (parade of incompletions, sacks and runs that went nowhere while Tech built a 22-3 lead and then throwing a pick 6 to make it 29-13) came alive and brought his team all the way back. He left the field for the final time with a 33-32 lead, but he and the offense left just a bit too much time on the clock. Colt was 20-34 for 294 with 1 INT and 2 TD passes and was sacked 4 times.
So basically, flat-out bad play by Colt has contributed to exactly ONE loss (K State in ‘07) in his time here. The kid is nails and he will be nails again before his Texas career is over. And he might win that Heisman still, although I’m sure he’d gladly forego that hardware for a little football-shaped crystal in Pasadena in January.
Oh, BTW, Tim, please, please, PLEASE cease with your ignorant, delusional, diarrhea-of-the-keyboard ravings. The fact of the matter is we beat you on the appointed date on the schedule, and any mindless suppositions about what mightpossiblymaybecould happen is as worthless as your contribution to the advancement of mankind. Take your bleeding vagina and go elsewhere, ok?
hopefulhorn said:
October 19th, 2009 at 4:25 am
Eyes,
No worries-we’re all just expressing opinions here.
You may know something about this that I don’t re:
“Bradford has reportedly received good advice from at least one and possibly more doctors to shut it down and have the surgery, and has chosen to ignore that advice.”
Links to published reports? I was aware that Sam got an independent consult from Dr, Andrews, the well-known orthopedist from Birmingham, which I thought was smart. Didn’t see anything about its contents.
Jigglebilly said:
October 19th, 2009 at 4:56 am
Great writeup except for stating that Gideon was great, he is incapable of such play.
TaylorTRoom said:
October 19th, 2009 at 5:02 am
quigley, Eyes is right. I have a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon that handles similar injuries.
Yes, the initial injury can heal with rest. How much rest? When is it healed enough to take a hit, as opposed to just throwing? That’s a judgement call. Obviously, the OU trainers judged wrongly.
Bradford isn’t a regular player. He’s a guy who can make millions based on his ability to throw, deendent upon that shoulder. Because he came back, and was reinjured, he will have to get surgery, and won’t be cleared to throw until shortly before the combine.
Coming back for this game was a decision that had little upside for Bradford, but huge upside for Stoops. The downside was small for Stoops, but huge for Bradford.
houstonearler said:
October 19th, 2009 at 9:41 am
“I would love to see Goodwin,Shipley, Buckner, and Williams on the field at all times we are going to pass the ball”
go check out the Mizzou depth chart. You may like it
Homesick Alien said:
October 19th, 2009 at 10:00 am
”
I disagree that we are out of the Heisman race.
These next two games we’ll be under the national spotlight with 2 straight 7pm Saturday night games. Since Tebow and others (clausen losing) aren’t taking advantage of the spotlight, Colt still has a chance.
5 weeks from now if Colt keeps winning, he’ll be the #1 winningest QB OF ALL TIME. Not just of Texas but of ALL TIME. That will be hard to ignore… particular for those voters who see the Heisman as a career achievement type award.”
I agree, Donny.
I’m not holding my breath, and I won’t be the least bit surprised if Colt never gets back in it. But I know this…Heisman voters are impossibly “what have you done lately?”. So much so that, after Vince kicked his ass all season long, Reggie Bush won the Heisman with one freaking return against Fresno g-damn State.
If Colt starts lighting it up in his back half of the season, your point about him potentially becoming the Winningest All-Time College QB becomes a terrific talking point.
My point: He can get back in it. Don’t necessarily think he will, but I believe he can.
Homesick Alien said:
October 19th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Colt McCoy playing against aggy in ‘06 says don’t be so quick to hold Mack up as the paragon of virtue.
Do I think he’s more scrupulous than Stoops? Absolutely. Do I think it is beyond dispute that he would play Colt with a serious injury? No.
Thoughts on the Red River Shootout « Last Row said:
October 19th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
[...] “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Texas 16, Oklahoma 13″ [...]
Travis said:
October 19th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
It is hard to say how mack and colt would be , if put in a reverse situation with the season on the line and it being your last shot to get a big 12 title … Colt is playing in that game even with only one leg … period, its easy to throw the stone , but if it was reversed we would admire colt for his courage and his balls of steel for playing hurt …I can’t stand stoops, and I think that there is a special place in sooner hell for him, but I would expect the same from Colt, he is our leader and if he could throw a ball and could stand up straight we would expect him in the game against our biggest rival- otherwise we would question his heart and think he was a pussy - for what its worth
stuckinmn said:
October 19th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
“This Texas team will not go undefeated and win the National Championship this year, in fact if this Texas longhorn team goes undefeated and wins the National Championship this year I will leave and never post on BC again” Tim
6 down, 7 to go. Oh Muschamp, I beg you, please, please make this happen. I do not have his number in my roll-a-decks (snicker), but if I did I would call him and personally plea for 7 more wins.
magnusbleuveigner said:
October 19th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Stuck,
If I remember correctly, you got on this board so you could talk shit to Tim. I think you’ll miss him.
EyesOfTX said:
October 19th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
I’ll certainly miss Tim. Every village needs an…ok, that’s mean. Nevermind.
SouthAustin Horn said:
October 19th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Tremendous content and posts all around. Not pertinent, but I just have to say it after being at Tilting at Windmills or whatever their weak ass site is called….Ponderos is a Pussy.
quigley said:
October 19th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Quoting TaylorTRoom: “quigley, Eyes is right. I have a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon that handles similar injuries.”
I imagine your friend has enough sense not to comment on patients he doesn’t see. I do. Listen, Bradford has an insurance policy. He isn’t a bumpkin and neither is the insurance company. If this was the type of injury you guys are making it out to be, the insurance company would have shut him down.
TaylorTRoom said:
October 19th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
quigley, what do you mean? Obviously, there is no insurance payout due for the injury. Bradford played, after all. QED. If Bradford never plays again, the insurance company owes him nothing.
EyesOfTX said:
October 20th, 2009 at 5:14 am
The kind of insurance policy Bradford has covers a very narrow range of “career-ending” injury. That policy is not going to have any effect on these decisions until his freaking arm falls off.
Try again.
Hook ‘em!!!