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So, we see that Cody has now been named as the FOURTH “starting” RB for the Longhorns for the tenth game of the season. Gee, there’s a shocker, huh?
Let’s recap how the season has progressed at this position thus far:
Vondrell McGee was the starting RB on opening day, and held that position through the game with Wyoming. He proceeded to rush for a nifty 70 yards and 4.7 average in game one against ULM, and followed that up with 61 yards against Wyoming.
But he had a problem in the Wyoming game - he was in for virtually all of the first half, during which Wyoming’s defense was fresh and did a good job of stuffing our run game. Tre’ Newton played much of the 2nd half, as Wyoming’s D got gassed, and - surprise! - was able to look very damn good playing against exhausted players.
The following week against Tech, a similar pattern emerged. Vondrell was not able to get anything going against a fresh Raider defense, and then suffered a minor injury. In comes Tre’ Newton, who looked better and better as the game went on, ultimately putting up 88 yards, most of it in the 2nd half as the Tech defense tired. Shocker.
The following Monday, the Texas coaches named Newton the starter for the UTEP game. Bad news for Tre’, as it turned out.
Tre’ thus had to get most of the first half carries against the Miners, again when their defense was fresh and thus dominating our mediocre offensive line in the run game. He ended up being basically pulled for the 2nd half, during which the ground game went berserk against an exhausted UTEP D, with Vondrell putting up a Longhorn season-high 102 yards for the game.
New starter for Colorado: Vondrell. We were all stunned, right? Wrong.
Again, the same pattern repeated itself. Vondrell was ineffective in the first half against a fresh CU defense. The RB by committee approach returns in the second half, and frankly didn’t improve things at all as Texas totaled a whopping 46 yards on 25 attempts for the game, the worst effort of the year in a season that has been almost uniformly awful for the Longhorn running game.
But Fozzy Whittaker, seeing his first action of the year, gained 12 yards on 1 impressive carry, and guess who becomes the starting RB for the OU game?
If you guessed Fozzy Whittaker, you’re far from alone, so don’t be too impressed with yourself.
Fozzy had an awesome game against OU - at least, it was awesome in the context of the performance of the running game in this particular season - whipping up 71 yards against a very good Sooner defense. So, holy cow, Texas actually had a guy starting at RB for two straight games when the ‘Horns traveled to Missouri the following week.
But even though Fozzy was the starter vs. the Tigers and managed a 4 yard average on mostly first-half carries, the RB by committee reared its head once again, and he was limited to 9 total carries, as Cody Johnson began to see his action increased. You can see what’s coming, can’t you?
Fozzy was again the starter against OSU - 3 straight weeks! - but again, saw his action decreased, as Johnson’s ramped up, and Colt became more involved in the running game. Fozzy, the starter, carried only 6 times, Johnson 9 and Colt 11. Fozzy’s days as the starter, playing against the fresh defense, were obviously numbered.
Last week against UCF, Fozzy again was the starter, and yet again saw his participation limited to the third most carries, behind Johnson and McCoy. Cody did a good job of getting the ball into the endzone with two long red zone runs, finishing with 44 total yards, 33 of them coming on the two TD runs.
On this season’s Texas team, that performance is plenty to earn a guy the starting RB job.
And so it was that yesterday, Cody Johnson was named the starting RB for this week’s game against Baylor.
Obviously, he is doomed. He will now have to take the most carries early in the game when the Baylor defense will be fresh and will almost certainly dominate our offensive line in the running game. He will probably see his YPC diminish as a result, and probably see himself yanked unfairly from the game just about the time the Baylor D begins to tire. Whichever back comes in to take his place and gets the most second half carries as the Baylor D becomes exhausted will likely put up better stats, and begin to regain favor with the Texas coaching staff.
Sad to say, Cody’s days as the starter are probably numbered. This appears to be the “system” the staff is using these days, such as it is.
Enjoy it while you can, big guy.
Hook ‘em!!!
Fried Rice said:
November 10th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
We just need to recruit better at this position, since obviously, no one has been able to step up yet.
CloseToJumping said:
November 10th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I know you’re just bullshitting, Fried Rice, but the word is that this is one of those instances where on field performance is affecting the decisions the recruits are making. Whereas, when a recruit talks about academics, we can be assured that they are full of shit, when they talk about offensive style and depth charts, they mean it. I don’t always buy that, but supposedly it is legit here.
Malcolm Brown, Hershel Sims, Aaron Green, and Marquez are all looking in different directions than Texas. That will be one big fucking whiff if that unfolds.
nordberg said:
November 10th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I think we get Sims, and that big dude whose name escapes me right now.
Bob in Houston said:
November 10th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
I’m impressed that our OL is less tired in the second half than the other team’s DL.
There’s something to take out of this.
Levander Williams said:
November 10th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
The absurdity of this situation leaves me speechless. It’s as if Mack sees it as a challenge to win with this approach and prove his critics wrong.
CloseToJumping said:
November 10th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
nordberg-
You’re thinking of Bergeron? He’s a stud H-back type. Leonard from Rutgers, Schmitt from West Virginia type guy. Yeah, he’s a take.
I don’t hear a whole lot of hope on Sims, so maybe you get different data points than I do. Hope that is the case.
Minnesotahorn said:
November 10th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
It’s truly sadfunny to watch our coaching staff actually mimic the more moronic sections of our fanbase in their cluelessness about the ground game’s failings. Scipio from earlier this year:
“Fozzy will save our running game! He has elite quickness!
Cody will save our running game! He’s a big back!
Vondrell will save our running game! He’s well-rounded!
DJ Monroe will save our running game! He’s fast!
Tre Newton will save our running game! He runs north/south!”
I hope you read that in Greg Davis voice.
Gristle McThornbody said:
November 10th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I believe it was Einstein who defined insanity as (paraphrasing here) doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.
hopefulhorn said:
November 10th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
This is like a twisted SNL skit on the Alcoholic family. The dysfunctional, denial-ridden adults take turns scapegoating each kid to avoid acknowledging the Elephant in the Room (bad scheme). How long, O Lord?
texasengr said:
November 10th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Maybe I’m crazy, but CJ seems to make the most sense as a starter.
He’s a beast. He runs over DB’s. Let him make the first 10 runs of the game and deliver some blows. He will wear out a defense quicker than any other back we’ve got.
I hope that even if his YPC dwindles, the coaches see the positive in letting him start.
So What You're Saying... said:
November 10th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
That Colt’s the starting running back?
nordberg said:
November 10th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Yeah, Bergeron, ctj. From what I’ve seen and heard he’s about as close to a lock as there is outside of Jaxon Shipley.
TXinDC said:
November 10th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
My favorite game to play when watching games now is counting how many times each tubby white guy on the line just completely falls forward on their face during a run play.
The Monroe sweep in the first quarter this last Saturday saw THREE of them fall down. I don’t think that’s been beat this season.
jinx said:
November 10th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
You should also count the number of times that the play ends and OL are standing around the play blocking no one. Just don’t make it a drinking game unless you don’t have to drive for the rest of the day.
CloseToJumping said:
November 10th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
We start 8 white guys on our offense. Somewhere, Darrel Royal approves. Bear Bryant is smiling. And I am panicking.
NY Horn said:
November 10th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Do you guys feel there is a reason why our offensive line’s complexion tends to be “lighter” than many of our competitors or is this at random? I thought I remember someone on the internets mentioning a rumor (read rumor - not trying to make a character assassination here) that our o-line coach may have a penchant for preferring Chris Hall’s over Ciron Black’s.
Groundhogday said:
November 10th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
The same problems that have plagued Brown/Davis at Texas are the same exact problems that plagued them at UNC. Texas ran the ball well with VY and and Ricky when they couldn’t uncoach sound offensive line fundamentals. Does anyone remember how Benson struggled before VY took over?
scagnetti said:
November 10th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
the elephant in the room just took a dump
Horncasting said:
November 10th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
I’m really surprised that Aaron Green continues to be as highly ranked as he is. IMO he is living off 2 ridiculously good games from his sophmore year. Aside from those games his performances, against San Antonio competition no less, have not really looked the part of a national, must have RB recruit.
I’ve seen him play in person 3 times, and while he certainly looked good, he really didn’t strike me as any better than a number of other RB’s San Antonio has produced recently. In fact I’d put him on about par with Reagan’s Marcus Wright (who ended up at Georgia Tech). He’s fast and he runs really well through wide open holes and around the corner.
The SA area coaches I’ve talked to don’t think he is anywhere near the player Malcolm Brown is.
Horncasting said:
November 10th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Chris Hall was a backup plan offer after Ciron Black chose LSU.
We’ve recruited plenty of black OL recently, but have had bad luck with them flunking out (Webb, Watts), not panning out (McGaskey) or taking a long time to develop (Allen).
Ashcroft is redshirting this year and Hopkins is coming in next year.
CloseToJumping said:
November 10th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Horncasting-
There is no real reason for us to be thinking much on Green. I have heard everything is above board and the dude just wants to leave.
In regard to OLs, my expectation is that things change after this season. I’ve typed on it before, so I’ll simply type here that I think things change after the year.
NY Horn said:
November 10th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Malcolm Brown would be real nice, especially if we move more under center with GG.
NY Horn said:
November 10th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I think the use of Allen this year is an interesting issue in itself. He seems like in the chances he has had he has performed decently but really hasn’t had the opportunity to make a huge impact with how sparingly and erratically he is used.
bigdukesix said:
November 10th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
We start 8 white guys on our offense. Somewhere, Darrel Royal approves. Bear Bryant is smiling. And I am panicking.
You give racists a bad name.
dasmithjones said:
November 11th, 2009 at 6:09 am
He also said “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
I guess we need better athletes if we intend on staying the course with our running scheme. Honestly, they are about to wear me out with their running “game”.
Kosciuszko said:
November 11th, 2009 at 10:57 am
It’s just a lot easier for Davis/Brown to field questions each week on who will start than on why the running game sucks so bad. Kinda like how us older guys talk a little louder when we feel an unavoidable, unsilent, fart coming on.
I’ll eat my words if Cody gets 20 or more carries this game in a productive manner.
Beavis said:
November 11th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Our running game sucks more than anything has ever sucked before…
UT_BKC said:
November 11th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
It was either here or BON where someone looked at all of CJ’s runs, and only 2 of them netted negative yards (i think, or maybe only 2 of them went for non positive yards, something like that). After this past game when he got more carries in our regular offense in the first half (non goal line), I think he at least doubled his number of negative yard carries.
I bet he doubles it again this week.
The General said:
November 11th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Look on the bright side, at least he isn’t penciled in at tight end.
Sailor Ripley said:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
BYU said:
November 12th, 2009 at 1:09 am
nothing wrong with white guys on your offense!!!
realmccoy said:
November 12th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Can’t Buck Burnette just say that he is sorry?
Mysterious Package said:
November 12th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
The layup questions at the press conference’s are a joke. Statesman doesn’t know what to ask, just happy to be invited