Practice Report From The Asset

Is this Darius’ last chance? Sounds like he’ll be pushed out if he doesn’t ball Sat?

Aggies 37
OU 17

Whoop!

Thanks for the Friday snack…. Aggie Rick is a douche… OU wins by 30…

Please move away from using “light” and “flickering” in the same sentence. It is annoying as all hell.

Optimism abounds. I like it.

Perfect game for Ash light to shine. Would like to see Hales on a jet sweep, he is Lighting in a bottle, or used to be.

Thanks for the report. It seems way more optimistic than last week due to the outlook on Ash.

I will ask the same question I did last week. Why no mention of Goodwin for the WRs? He seems to be contributing.

Also, is there reason to be optimistic for the pass rush against Tech? In other words how are Okafor and Jeffcoat looking?

Great news on Josh Cochran. If Texas does win 9 or 10, Cochran will be a big reason why. Is there any other news on the OL on people like Ashcraft or Greenlea? Any optimism there? Does the Asset have anything to say about helicopter parent?

I know that is a lot of questions, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t given us all a great amount of valuable information. Appreciate the work. Hookem.

If aggie is going to win by 20. They better put more than 37 on the board by halftime.

Texas fans win that game either way Aggie Rick .

I see a tight game, breaking open in the second half with our physciality taking over and Tech getting discouraged/quiting. I like Tech to make a game effort early (they historically get up for us), but seeing that fall short to what should be a very simple game plan of pounding them….they quit second half.

Our game plan is contingent on us not getting down to them early. I like us taking the ball first in this game, to try and seize control of the flow of the game early. If we put together a nice drive to start, even if it leads to only a field goal, I really like our chances.

" If we can find a credible passing game,"

Bingo! BingoBingoBingo! (done in John Cleese Monty Python Chinese Bingo skit voice)

That is the key. As LonhornScott’s analysis points out, it would seem that Harsin has found a way to complement the running game with an effective and safe quick passing game. Shipley’s absence is not a plus there, though. Somebody else, ANYBODY else, needs to step up NOW.

Aggie Rick nailed the score, but misplaced the teams.

Overestimate is meant here, I think.

I wish, but I’m afraid we’ll be watching another episode of Malcolm Williams: The Next Generation.

If Darius breaks out by knocking some people on their ass in the run game so we can pop a couple then thats a way to playing time as well. He hasnt been very good there.

Not sure how many balls will come his way this weekend because the gameplan is probably even more ground and pound than usual.

Not drinking the Kool Aid on 10 wins but interested to see how we do against a team that, while truly schizophrenic, does have sharp teeth.

This will be the week that The David Ash fans get to brag. We are catching a worn-out Tech team that will be forced to overplay the run. Play action passes will be wide open and this game will really help Ash’s confidence.

You jab up top with the left and follow with the right hook. The running game is starting to be a legitimate quality jab, if we can get it to Klitchko level by seasons end it will wear out opponents and then the right hook passing game can put the points up to finish them off.

“I wish, but I’m afraid we’ll be watching another episode of Malcolm Williams: The Next Generation.”

At this point, Malcolm Williams-ish production seems like the best case scenario for Darius.

10 wins? Wow. If we do get there, that’s a HUGE accomplishment considering the youth of the team and the transition of the coaching staff. I like the optimism, but I’ll be happy with 9 wins, as should most people considering what has transpired over the last year. 9 wins gives us a Top 25 finish, 10 wins probably Top 15 or Top 10.

Regardless, the future is very bright. If we do finish with 10 wins, I expect a Top 5 pre-season ranking next year.

Thanks for this and all you guys do. The pre-report tweets were an awesome addition to my week.

Any word on Des Jackson? Is his size just too much of an issue?

Loves me some Aggie Rick!

Like others, I am curious about Shipley’s situation. Is he 100% for this game?

Thanks for the usual great work.

I just need to see Ash get through a game without a turnover. I also need to see the hard sell on play action to open up some deep throws. I don’t need him to “light it up” for 400 yards, but it would be nice to see him make some great throws to keep drives alive or advance us down the field. Once teams have to respect the pass like the run, we will be unstoppable. I love where the defense is and it can only get better. I just haven’t seen enough change in the passing game to say we are improving.

Hopefully, this week will show us something different.

Aggie Rick – thanks for the tooth count.

I think the news about Edmonds and Dorsey is a good thing, not bad. Diaz may feel comfortable enough with his defense that he can move away from base looks and tailor the defense to the opponent, thus he’s focusing installing a pass rush focused DL.

Would not surprise me at all if he flips it next week, and Dorsey and Edmond see tons of practice snaps in anticipation of KSU’s ground and pound game. Double bonus is Edmonds can focus on Special Teams this week, and Dorsey gets to sort of rest up for next week.

Syd, you more of a mixed metaphor kind of guy?

Malcolm Williams had his coming out party at Tech in 08. Would love for Darius White to have anything close to that, but I don’t foresee it. I do think he’s a more credible deep threat than Mike Davis though, so if the plan is to score with the play-aciton deep ball, DW should get opportunities.

Tech’s biggest offensive threat is Doege throwing to Torres. Doege is a gunslinger and Torres is a Shipley type. Torres will catch it 99% of the time. I predict he will be a 3th-5th rounder in the draft in 2013.

meant to say 3rd not 3th

Williams came out?

It so weird to hear that our running game is our strongest component of the offense. What a turn around there. Kudos to Harsin-White and company, especially Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron. Well done young men and to those fellows blocking for you too. And, of course, Fozzy needs to be applauded as well.

Horns have 14 WRs on the roster. One of those guys must be able to go up and get the 50-50 pass.

Ash’s performance vs KU helped his confidence. The short passing game will do that for a QB.

If Foz and Goodwin are split out and get a lot of short passes, on those occasions when they do go downfield, they will pop open super quickly. Instead of throwing the long bomb on play action (and not connecting partially because the horn WRs can’t win 50-50 passes), why not hit Foz or Goodwin on the sideline just after they clear the 1st line of pass defenders? Foz and Goodwin can do the rest, running after they catch the pass. Throwing to the sideline makes it difficult for the deep safety to get there in time and makes it easier for Ash to throw a safe pass (i.e. either a completion or out of bounds). Another advantage of throwing so quickly is that the OL does not have to block for very long. The shorter pass is also easier to throw accurately and can be thrown without arch so it gets to the WR quickly (i.e. less time for the deep safety to get there).

In the red zone, if Ash throws to the back of the end zone or to the sideline of the end zone, he will significantly reduce the risk of interception.

Is Harris getting close to healed?

Onyegbule is kind of gangly but he is also 6’4" and 216 pounds and a pretty decent blocker. Maybe he could be the big guy to go deep and win the 50-50 passes. Seems likely that he doesn’t run routes well but on a fly or post pattern that doesn’t matter.

Ship’s injury is going to force some WR to step up, who will it be? My hope is that Foz and Goodwin get lots of snaps at WR and that Darius shines.

Toadvine – Yeah man, he just didn’t stay out.

Edmonds could probably do a lot of good playing somewhere on the DL (maybe DE) this week.

If the “platinum” package is what I think it is we’ll be seeing the same defense we fielded against OSU only replacing Scott with Cobbs. That should be a big upgrade in pass-rush in our blitz packages and hopefully we at least break even on run defense/pass defense taking scott out. We’ll see how strong a grasp Cobbs has Diaz’s run defense.

Looks like it’s next year for Hicks to really shine since we have 2 senior LB’s already who will be in the NFL next year and it’s hard to field more than 2 at a time in this league.

Really excited about Whaley and Jackson’s potential in this scheme. If we get back to churning out DT’s like we have been corners then this defense gets really scary next year.

Is Searels effectively the run game coordinator for Texas?

Does Searels define the pass blocking scheme (including OL, h backs, and FBs)?

Harsin’s running that show, Kafka.

I’m no expert nor do I play one on TV and didnt even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I am betting Brewer does redshirt. That seems to be the whole reasoning behind the Overstreet offer IMHO. Please, not another year with a true freshman QB.

Of course, if Brewer could legitamately beat out Ash, fine. I just done see that happening

I know references to last year have probably been overplayed and we’re all sick of them, but I just can’t help myself. Reading this report made me really realize how completely fucked we would be this year if we still had the old offensive staff. Can you imagine Greg Davis’ offense with no running game forcing Ash to throw the ball 40 times/game? Nightmares! So glad Harsin knows what he’s doing in bringing Ash along slowly. Hoping to see some improvement out of him.

Thanks for another good report. I like Hales. I hope he has a good game.

BEW – I agree and I think he redshirts (barring injury), even if McCoy is gone.

JS or Scipio,

Is there something in our pass rush technique that limits the ability of our DL or LBs to quickly raise their arms to block or deflect a QB pass sailing over their head?. Our opponent’s DL/LBs seem to have a far greater success rate at this than we do — in fact it seems somewhat RARE for us over the past few years. I can understand it when the QB has a very quick release, but we don’t see those QBs every week.

Surely its value as a pass defense has been emphasized by Bo Davis, Giles and Diaz — but without effect. What gives here?

Rio Lobo -
 
A mystery to me, man. We just don’t bat balls and it has been puzzling to me given that Jeffcoat and Okafor are 6-4+ and seem to have decent anticipation and long arms.

Can you imagine Greg Davis’ offense with no running game forcing Ash to throw the ball 40 times/game?

It woulda started with Gilbert throwing 40 times a game, but by this point in the season he’d be in a full-body cast, and McCoy would be throwing 50 times a game. Ash would’ve handed off to CoJo twice in the Rice game and never seen again.

Kafka said: November 4th, 2011 at 10:18 am
“Instead of throwing the long bomb on play action (and not connecting partially because the horn WRs can’t win 50-50 passes), why not hit Foz or Goodwin on the sideline just after they clear the 1st line of pass defenders? Foz and Goodwin can do the rest, running after they catch the pass.”

From what I’ve seen thus far this season, I’m not convinced that Ash has the confidence or the timing/anticipation to make that throw. Against a competent D, that sideline throw either needs to be on a rope, or very accurately placed … or it’s a pick. Ash’s ball doesn’t appear a ton of zip on it, and he doesn’t lead his receivers very well …. yet. I don’t think you see that play until Ash has A LOT more reps under his belt.

Another great update. Thank you, JS!

Day dreaming about a Darius White breakout game, I took a moment and rewatched one of his HS highlight clips. Nothing would excite me more than to witness him put it all together.

does “coming into his own” actually mean anything?

BimmerFan,

You might be right (I actually had second thoughts after I wrote it). Ash has the arm to throw it but why take the risk? Better to throw it short and let Foz do his thing. Or pump fake that throw to draw the deep safety and then throw deep. There are lots of opportunities with defenses jamming the box. The question is how to exploit those opportunities without going beyond Ash’s current abilities.

Cochran is a pretty vocal kid as well for being so young on an O line with a lot of upperclassmen

JS, was this line meant as a joke? 1 out of 5 starters (Snow) is an upperclassman by my count. The other 3 guys starting next to Cochran are a redshirt freshman, a true sophomore, and a redshirt sophomore. Hell, our entire 2 deep has only 2 upperclassmen out of 10, unless you count Luke Poehlmann, but it sounds like he’s moved on to being a blocking TE now, so I don’t really. I hope I just misunderstood your sarcasm font because we are chock-full of freshmen (Cochran, Flowers, Espinosa) and sophomores (Kelley, Walters, Hopkins, Porter) in our O-line 2 deep.

Other than that, awesome report. Thanks so much for what you do!

With Shipley out, why not put D. White at punt returner, where he shined in HS, to get him some guaranteed live action and keep his head in the game? Could be a move that pays off at WR.

The recruiting and development at WR has been atrocious.

KU would help anyone’s confidence but they babied Ash and rarely let him make any difficult throws against the worst defense in the country. Need to trust him more if he’s going to grow.

AW,

I think he is counting Walters as an upper classmen since he has three years in the program. There is also Tray Allen, who is still part of the two deep even if he only enters as the extra tackle with Poehlman.

what ever happened to the Ash zone read fake and then hitting DJ Grant across the middle? that is a perfect play for Ash to run and i haven’t seen it since UCLA that i can remember…

I’ve been saying for weeks

Texas Longhorns vs Washington Huskies
 in the Cotton Bowl…..

Y’all figure out what we gotta do to get there:
One hint OU & Oklahoma State will be in BCS Bowlsgames.

Cotton Bowl is tied to the SEC.
 
Washington would be a possible Holiday Bowl opponent though.
 
I say Penn State in Insight.com.

Every week, we all seem to think that we’re going to burn the opposing defense deep for overplaying the run. But we haven’t connected on a pass of 28 yards or longer since the second quarter of the Iowa State game. And this week, we don’t even have Shipley.

Hopefully, the blocking, throws and catches will be there this week and going forward, but for the time being, it doesn’t seem like there is much disincentive for opposing defenses to sell out against the run and rushing the QB.

Llog,

Close games can hinge on good decision making and the ability to catch and control the ball in a punt return situation. I don’t think you give someone that responsibiity until they’ve proven themselves sorthy of it, even if he did it in HS.

Cobbs at rover? Real nice if they give him free reign to line up and blitz/dice up doege as he sees fit. If he is given such assignment it will throw of tech off. way off. The D just needs to fend off the pass fake run/dump. Horns by 10.

Burnt orange til the casket drops.

mileslong,
“what ever happened to the Ash zone read fake and then hitting DJ Grant across the middle? that is a perfect play for Ash to run and i haven’t seen it since UCLA that i can remember…”

The defensive response to that (IIRC) was to put a safety head up on Grant. It was a two-fer because the safety could not only jam Grant at the LOS but was also well positioned to stop the horns’ outside running game.

Another potential issue might be Ash throwing in the middle since that presents a higher risk of getting picked.

California Horn,
“Every week, we all seem to think that we’re going to burn the opposing defense deep for overplaying the run. But we haven’t connected on a pass of 28 yards or longer since the second quarter of the Iowa State game. And this week, we don’t even have Shipley.

Hopefully, the blocking, throws and catches will be there this week and going forward, but for the time being, it doesn’t seem like there is much disincentive for opposing defenses to sell out against the run and rushing the QB."

The short passing game that Harsin introduced/emphasized in the KU game is effective vs a D that sells out to stop the run and blitz the QB. Screens, flares, slants, dumps all bypass that pressure in the box by getting the ball to somebody like Foz, Brown, or Bergeron in space. Ash looked pretty good throwing these short passes (imo). The QB gets rid of the ball so quickly that there is zip chance that the blitz will get to him in time.

My guess is that the biggest innovation in the Harsin O vs Tech will be using Foz much more as a pass receiver than as a TB (except as the wild Foz). It seems like the logical response to:

• getting more snaps at TB for mighty Joe Bergeron
• beefing up WR since Ship is out of the game
• Giving Ash easy passes for productive yards (via Foz gaining lots of YAC)

I can’t get the image of a swimming head out of my mind.

“You can’t underestimate the huge dividends playing so many talented freshmen in 2011 will yield in 2012 and beyond.”

Despite the fact that it is mandatory this year, it is refreshing to see so many talented underclassmen get the chance to reach their full 4-year potential and not be bridled in favor of fat-cat upperclassmen in the Mack Brown entitlement system. I can only pray that this continues to be the case in the last few years of the Mack Brown era. Throwing-open the door to competition without handicap is the way to win.

Additionally, for the benefit of those talented underclassmen who do play behind an upperclassman stud, I could only hope that Mack abandons his “don’t run up the score at all cost” mentality and let them play a full-throttle offense once the game outcome is determined. It’s called player development. Any D1 coach standing on the opposite side of the field who doesn’t understand that concept won’t be coaching at that level long.

Tech will be soft in the middle regardless if we run or pass.
their injuries have piled up at a bad time for the.
Texas 45
Tech 10
Working our way to D cotton bowl.

When its all said and done.
Brown does not play
Ash throws 7 passes, looks good, no turnovers and a long run.
Joe Burgeron celebrates his birthday with a 191 yard 3 td party.
Fozzy throws a duck, but is perfect othewise. The wildFoz cannot be stopped.
Case throws a 31 yard td pass to White. game over.

hey, 55, i’m going to help you out here.

joe is a big dude and fast. hitting him is like hitting an iceberg. an ice-bergeron, i guess.

hitting him is not at all like hitting a hamburger. so no burgeron, pal. bergeron. bergeron.

joe bergeron approves this message.

Joltin’ Joe Bergeron, IMO.

Funny how accurate the Asset was…

Didn’t know MB was hurt…thought Ashton Dorsey wouldn’t play…thought Whaley and Cobbs would…thought Miles O would be a contributor…guy obviously knows his stuff.

I love insider information.

Whaley did log some significant snaps and I saw Miles O several times seal blocking the edges on a few of our longer runs and wildcats. He also mentioned that White would get another chance and he got a TD. In regards to Dorsey he never said he wouldn’t play, he merely said he didn’t get as many practice reps so he was unsure as to what the reason was.

Great stuff, JS. And obviously prescient.

Funny how accurate the Asset was…

Didn’t know MB was hurt…thought Ashton Dorsey wouldn’t play…thought Whaley and Cobbs would…thought Miles O would be a contributor…guy obviously knows his stuff.

I love insider information.

Why do you even read this site if it sucks so much? God knows no one here would miss you if you left.

Cooler head said: November 6th, 2011 at 5:25 am
Funny how accurate the Asset was…

Didn’t know MB was hurt…thought Ashton Dorsey wouldn’t play…thought Whaley and Cobbs would…thought Miles O would be a contributor…guy obviously knows his stuff.

I love insider information.

If I didn’t think you had a child like intellect with the critical thinking skills of a toad, I might try explaining the “best laid plans” concept. Just go back to BON where you won’t have to worry about inside info
Go suck off Peter Bean

Not that there is anything wrong with Peter Bean

Chill out cooler(culo) head…if you were a fan, you wouldn’t be complaining after a win. Aren’t you glad that JP Floyd played better than Case just like I predicted…actually I didn’t. I’m just glad you think you know your stuff.

Thank’s YEH, he is all of that. I also like how he loves his OL.

I always thought a power running game would work well in a league where defense’s are built to stop the pass.

I like what the Tech DB said to one of our receivers." When are y’all going to give me some action"? Who do you think you are, Georgia Tech? I guess Tackling isnt his kind of action.