Media/$9.95-er postgame analysis articles (Week 1)

[satyanash 15603]

 Collecting all the post-game analysis articles, including those behind paywalls, regarding the Louisiana Tech game here:

Jeff Howe: Texas takes care of Louisiana Tech in season opener, 45-14

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AUSTIN, Texas — A strong first half featuring three touchdown passes by junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger paced 10th-ranked Texas to a season-opening win over Louisiana Tech, 45-14, on Saturday night. The victory over the Bulldogs where the Longhorns jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead marks the first time under head coach Tom Herman where the program has started a season in the win column.

The win not only gets the Longhorns started off on the right foot with something to build off of heading into next weekend’s home showdown with No. 6-ranked LSU, but it’s also only the second time in the last five seasons for Texas to open a season with a 1-0 record. Ehlinger’s fourth and final touchdown pass of the night (29 for 39, 276 yards) effectively put the game away for the Longhorns in the early stages of the third quarter.

Louisiana Tech drove inside the Texas 30-yard line to open the second half, but Chris Brown made a tremendous one-on-one tackle in the open field to stop Bobby Holly short of the line to gain on fourth-and-1 from the 26. Ehlinger turned the sudden change into points, leading Texas on a 10-play, 74-yard drive (a march that featured him scrambling for nine yards on a third-and-10 to set up a 2-yard run by Devin Duvernay to move the chains on fourth-and-1) before he found Brennan Eagles streaking down the sideline for a 25-yard touchdown.

Leading 31-0 with 9:06 remaining in the third quarter, the Longhorns kept the foot on the gas en route to a resounding victory over a Louisiana Tech squad that went 8-5 in 2018 and won the Hawai’i Bowl. The offense got things cooking right out of the gate with Ehlinger leading a 7-play, 57-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Duvernay. After a Louisiana Tech missed a field goal on the first possession of the game for the Bulldogs and the second series for the Longhorns ending with Collin Johnson fumbling at the end of a 15-yard catch to convert a fourth-and-3 at the Louisiana Tech 40-yard line, the Texas defense forced a punt and gave the ball back to the offense at their own 26.

That’s when Ehlinger went to work, engineering an 11-play, 74-yard drive that included an 18-yard catch and run by Jake Smith and a 14-yard scoot after the catch by Jordan Whittington. The drive ended when Ehlinger rolled to his right and hit Johnson in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown to put the Longhorns ahead, 14-0, with 13:20 remaining in the first half. The lead went to 21-0 when Jacoby Jones forced a fumble Brandon Jones recovered on the fifth and final play of Louisiana Tech’s ensuing drive. Two plays later, Ehlinger connected with Eagles for a 28-yard touchdown, the third scoring toss of the half for Ehlinger and the first score in the career of Eagles.

As good as the offense was through the first two quarters of play, the defense under Todd Orlando was on fire. In addition to the forced fumble and recovery, Jalen Green tipped a pass by Louisiana Tech’s J'Mar Smith coming off of the edge in the second quarter that landed in the hands of Joseph Ossai. Ossai’s interception led to a 43-yard Cameron Dicker with 2:56 to play in the quarter that closed out the first scoring in the first half.

Along with the two turnovers, Texas held Louisiana Tech to only 26 rushing yards (1.6 yards per attempt) in the first half. The Bulldogs also had a 3-for-8 half trying to move the sticks on third down.

(Jeff Howe) Instant Reactions: Texas rolls past Louisiana Tech, 45-14

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AUSTIN, Texas — Well, Texas no longer has to hear jokes about how nice it would be if the program actually started a season 1-0. The mantra Tom Herman has used perhaps more than any other while establishing a championship culture on the Forty Acres applies to the record the Longhorns sport after the season opener for the first time in Herman’s tenure following a convincing 38-14 win over Louisiana Tech.

Texas, ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press Top 25, scored on their first possessions of both halves and the defense forced three turnovers (not to mention a fourth-down stop and two missed field goals) en route to building a 38-0 lead through three quarters. A Louisiana Tech squad that hung around nearly the entire way in a loss to LSU in Baton Rouge last season was never in the game as the Longhorns smothered the Bulldogs from the start.

The burnt orange faithful can now move beyond the psychological impact from the last two season-opening losses to Maryland thanks to Herman’s charges looking fast, physical and focus right out of the gate. Before the fans and the Longhorns themselves turn the page and begin thinking about next week’s blockbuster tilt with No. 6-ranked LSU, Horns247 has everything to know about what went down on Saturday night at Royal-Memorial Stadium.

It was over when …

Chris Brown stopped Louisiana Tech’s Bobby Holly short of the line to gain on fourth-and-1 from the Texas 26-yard line early in the third quarter. Initially, it looked like Holly’s pass from J’Mar Smith was going to move the sticks, but the replay showed Brown’s hit was just of the 25-yard line and his driving Holly back gave the Longhorns the ball back. An ensuing 10-play, 74-yard scoring drive that ended with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Sam Ehlinger to Brennan Eagles effectively put the game on ice for Texas.

Top Offensive Performer

As good as Devin Duvernay was and as much as guys like Brennan Eagles, Keaontay Ingram, and Collin Johnson flashed at various times, it’s hard not to go with Sam Ehlinger. Saddled with monstrous expectations following a brilliant 2018 campaign, Ehlinger had a tremendous performance in the opener, enjoying a 29-for-39 night through the air for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He was only sacked once, rushed for 34 yards on eight carries (including a 9-yard scramble on a third-and-10 to set up a short fourth-down conversion on a second-half scoring drive) and didn’t turn the ball over.

Top Defensive Performer

Jalen Green had two big-time pass breakups down the field that could’ve been big plays for Louisiana Tech. Smith looked for Adrian Hardy on both occasions and Green played coverage about as well as one can against one of the top receivers in the country. Hardy caught 10 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns in a respectable loss to LSU last season, but Green held him to just two catches for 25 yards on seven targets through three quarters (when the game mattered). Green also had a tipped pass that Joseph Ossai intercepted in the second quarter.

Reason to Feel Optimistic

The way the Longhorns owned the line of scrimmage, even though the rushing numbers for Texas might not reveal a dominating effort. Louisiana Tech never got a running game going and Texas averaged 5.5 yards per rushing attempt through the first three quarters of the game. Led by the effort against the run, the defense forcing three turnovers when the game was still within reach for the Bulldogs, coming up with a fourth-down stop and forcing two first-half field goal attempts (both of which failed) is the kind of effort Todd Orlando can be proud of in an opener.

Reason to be Pessimistic

Sam Ehlinger still missed a few deep shots that could’ve gone for big yardage. The longest pass completion of the game with Ehlinger in was a 28-yard touchdown pass to Brennan Eagles. The running game was good, but it’s not like the Longhorns mauled the Bulldogs (most of that was due to play selection). As good as the defense was, the cornerback spot opposite of Jalen Green should still be considered up for grabs and the Longhorns bent a little too much for comfort at times in the middle of the field.

Modest Proposal

Use the debuting eight defensive back package in more than just third-and-long situations. Yes, the Longhorns do give up a lot of mass when they roll with a front featuring Malcolm Roach playing over the ball with Jeffrey McCulloch and Joseph Ossai flanking him, but there’s a hellacious amount of speed on the field and while DeMarvion Overshown recorded a sack when he was on the field with that particular personnel package, there were several times where he rushed a throw or otherwise impacted the quarterback.

Drive of the Game

The opening drive of the game where the offense drove 57 yards in seven plays before Sam Ehlinger hit Devin Duvernay for a 4-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Duvernay got things started off the right way with an explosive 36-yard kickoff return to set the offense up with good field position. A 19-yard run by Keaontay Ingram highlighted the drive (along with an 8-yard catch on a screen pass to convert third-and-7 at the Louisiana Tech 18) and Duvernay caught four passes for 13 yards (quick perimeter throws that appeared to be an extension of the running game) on the march. While the series wasn’t overly flashy, it sent a statement that the Longhorns mean business from the jump.

Best Offensive Play

A 14-yard screen pass from Sam Ehlinger to Keaontay Ingram on the final scoring drive of the game with Ehlinger in at quarterback (Texas took a 38-0 lead two plays later on a 1-yard run by Ingram with 2:44 left in the third quarter). The play showed how the Longhorns used their athleticism and physicality edge on the perimeter throughout the night to make yards and Ingram got an exception block from Samuel Cosmi, who pulled toward the boundary, latched onto his man and drove him about five yards deep into his own bench area.

Best Defensive Play

Three worthy candidates have already been mentioned in this article: Chris Brown’s fourth-down stop, the tipped pass by Jalen Green that turned into a Joseph Ossai interception and the sack by DeMarvion Overshown out of the eight defensive back package. We’ll give some love to the one that hasn’t been mentioned yet, a textbook forced fumble by Jacoby Jones that Brandon Jones recovered to set up the third touchdown pass of the first half for Sam Ehlinger (a 28-yard strike to Brennan Eagles). Overshown also had an interception late in the fourth quarter.

Biggest question heading into next week’s game

The Longhorns can finally start talking about LSU. Even though the defense was stout against the run, are they ready to play with the kind of mass and physicality they’re going to need in order to mash with the Bayou Bengals for four quarters? The offense was efficient, but the deep shots Sam Ehlinger missed have to be there next week. There won’t be many opportunities to make up for missed chances against one of the best and most talented defenses in the country next weekend.

 

Edited September 1, 2019 by satyanash

[Zavala 1384]

Heh. Thanks. I'll read when sober I guess.. I don't really need analysis to tell me what I just watched though. We looked great, won, the end.

[satyanash 15603]

 

[ChickenSandwich 9959]

Gracias OP

[satyanash 15603]

(Bobby Burton) Snap Judgments: A decisive opening win. Finally.

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After scoring TDs on three of its first four possessions (and the other was a Collin Johnson turnover deep in La Tech territory), the Texas offense went into a shell of sorts. It felt a little too much like last year. After the quick start and with a 21-0 lead, the Horns’ offense went three-and-out twice in a row before a last-minute drive before half resulted in a missed field goal.

**

Derek Kerstetter played himself into a starting role and it was at right tackle over Denzel Okafor. That means Parker Braun started at left guard. Hard to see him getting a redshirt this year. Braun had a mailing block late in the first half downfield on a drag route to Devin Duvernay.

**

Texas often played eight DBs on third and long. Eight. Amazing.

**

La Tech’s QB was as good or better than expected. He got the ball out quick and had a very good command of the offense. Tech moved the ball well. They just couldn’t capitalize In key spots early enough in the game.

**

Jake Smith and Duvernay in the slot will be good for the Horns this year. The entire first drive essentially showcased Duvernay from start to finish.

**

Keaontay Ingram and Jordan Whittington were healthy enough to go. But it’s clear Texas is slow-playing the amount of playing time for Whittington because of lingering groin issues. Or was he injured? The Horns had luxury of doing so after building a three TD lead and inserting Roschon Johnson midway through the second quarter.

**

Jalen Green will get beat this year. Every cornerback does. But Green is legit. Kobe Boyce, on the other hand, has some issues he must work through, or the Horns need to find a replacement. In the first half, when the game was still in doubt, Boyce was beat over the middle and celebrated a pass break up that wasn’t broken up. Later, he had an obvious pass interference penalty. Tech picked on Boyce as much as they could.

**

Joe Ossai is a big-time player waiting to happen. He still has some work ahead of him, but every good thing we saw in the Sugar Bowl showed itself again against La Tech. And he drops better into coverage than most LBs.

**

Ehlinger’s final numbers look good. The two deep balls for TDs to Brennan Eagles is something we didn’t see near enough last season. But he still missed some wide open receivers at times, especially deep down the middle. One of those misses came on the first drive of the second half. Ehlinger missed a wide open Duvernay up the seam. But that same drive may have been Ehlinger’s best of the night. First he connected with Collin Johnson on a dig route on third and long. Next he hit Duvernay on a flag route. Then he threw his second TD to Brennan Eagles, this one down the right sideline.

**

Ehlinger also threw the ball away more frequently and lives to fight another day. Three times, Ehlinger felt pressure and instead of forcing a ball decided to throw it away instead. He’s still not perfect. But he’s getting better and smarter.

**

Perhaps the most impressive skill player on the night was Keaontay Ingram. The sophomore running back repeatedly made extra yardage and ran through tackles. He is clearly a weapon. And Texas seems dead set on using its RBs more as receivers in 2019.

**

Outside of going with eight DBs so often, perhaps the biggest surprise was the max usage of Chris Brown. Brown almost never came off the field. and he played well. Todd Orlando may have found himself the quarterback of the secondary. Brown’s intelligent player and tackles well in space, even if he’s not the fastest safety. His fourth-down stop in the third quarter was textbook.

**

The roughing penalty against Brandon Jones that negated the Joe Ossai INT return for a TD came because Jones went low for the QB. I’m not saying I necessarily agree with the call but it’s important to note that two refs both threw the flag on the play.

**

Casey Thompson is a serviceable back-up. There will be a time when Texas needs him this season. Roschon Johnson looked good in limited duty.

**

Other true freshman that I saw:

Tyler Owens
T’Vondre Sweat
Jake Smith
Chris Adimora
Kenyatta Watson
Marcus Tillman
Marcus Washington
Jared Wiley
Jordan Whittington

There may have been more. But that’s who I saw at first glance.

**

DeMarvion Overshown’s interception was ultra-athletic. Ordinary players don’t make that play.

**

LSU awaits. Texas has the personnel to make it happen. But I don’t see eight DBs being a rotation very often against the Tigers. Perhaps that’s good. Todd Orlando gave LSU virtually no film to see how they will defend a power attack.

**

As with Whittington and without knowing the official injury report, the move of Kerstetter to center in the second half was either precautionary or the result of injury.

 

[Machinator 32103]

(Ian Boyd) 5 quick thoughts: Texas is finally actually 1-0

Texas won their season opener!

Texas is now 1-0 Under Tom Herman (1-0, Inc) for the first time since he took over in Austin. There was never much doubt this time, unlike every single game in Texas' breakthrough 10-4 season in 2018 in which every game included at least a degree of danger late. The Longhorns scored touchdowns on three of their first four possessions with the other on pace for that as well before a Collin Johnson fumble turned the ball over. Meanwhile La Tech failed to score until the 4th quarter.

It wasn't a 59-0 style blowout but it was a totally dominant win over a solid team executing Big 12-style tactics with a handful of Big 12-caliber players. It's never as bad as it looks nor as good, but here are some observations that I made over the course of this game.

Quick thought No. 1: Chris Brown is a player

Texas had a vastly more complicated gameplan on defense (really on offense as well) for La Tech than expected. Texas played a variety of different packages, mixed four-down looks with the normal 3-down concepts, and showed the base dime as well as the .38 special third down package that puts eight DBs on the field while McCulloch and Ossai spin down to DE and flank Roach at nose.

A significant part of the gameplan involved playing Chris Brown as a nearly full-time boundary overhang, like a B-backer. When they were in nickel he played as the boundary safety but drifted down into the box. When they played dime he did the same but Caden Sterns came in and lined up behind him in a traditional safety alignment. From that B-backer position, Brown brought plus underneath coverage, most notably on Texas' fourth down stand when he made a tackle on a quick out and brought the ballcarrier down short of the marker. The real question though at that position is the physical side of things setting the edge and blitzing into the trenches, Brown absolutely excelled there.

He created penetration slanting all the way into the B-gap and was a major disruptor coming off the boundary edge. The interesting dimension of this deployment was that by using the "joker" safety as the B-backer that meant Joe Ossai was the "rover" in dime. I didn't get a great look at his run fits but La Tech ran for 73 yards on the day at 2.8 ypc and Ossai had one interception for the books and then a pick-6 called back for an absurdly by the rule "roughing the passer" penalty.

Overall the dime looked pretty effective in the important realm of controlling the box and spilling runs to speed. Todd Orlando will unquestionably bring a ton of pressures and calls to help boost that package but early returns were good and Chris Brown was a playmaker as the joker.

Quick thought No. 2: Sam Ehlinger looked very comfortable

Ehlinger's final line on the day: 28-38 passing for 276 yards at 7.3 ypa with four TDs, zero INTs, and eight rushes for 34 yards and a few first downs with mostly judicious decision-making by the most important Longhorn.

He even missed a few big plays, hitting behind Jake Smith on an RPO slant and short-arming a wide open Collin Johnson on a vertical, either of which would likely have yielded huge returns. His timing and feel looked very on point and the RBs Keaontay Ingram and Jordan Whittington caught a combined five balls for 60 yards on a combination of 4-verticals check downs and then a brutally effective swing pass they mixed in when the left side of the OL (Sam Cosmi and Parker Braun) were aligned to the short side of the field.

They didn't show much in the way of evolving QB run game, even getting into a suspicious power set in the third quarter only to run a traditional power run for Keaontay Ingram and mixing in a pair of direct snap RB runs where Ehlinger would pretend to call an audible and then head to the sideline while they snapped it. Nevertheless, Ehlinger managed to get eight carries in, took a few licks and had his helmet knocked off, and threw a crucial lead block on a LB for a big Keaontay Ingram run where the QB led with his right, throwing shoulder.

There's just no taking the competitive fire out from that kid, all he knows is to fight and mix it up.

Texas unquestionably has a lot left they've worked on for Ehlinger. They mixed in some RPO slants for Jake Smith that yielded a late throw and incomplete pass and then a nice gain when they ran the play again and hit Smith. There will be a lot more in the RPO game next week, likely including some QB run RPOs in which Ehlinger's option are "throw" or "keep as the featured runner."

Quick thought No. 3: Keaontay Ingram and the left side

Texas flashed a pair of schemes that were absolute fire in this game that will likely be mainstays all season long. One was the swing screen I mentioned earlier. When opponents want to give attention to Collin Johnson on the boundary on third down, that leaves them vulnerable to that screen pass to the RB, which features Sam Cosmi and Parker Braun advancing out into the open field hunting for targets.

Calvin Anderson was solid in that scheme and Patrick Vahe really struggled to find targets in space, despite his skill as a puller on power and counter. But Cosmi is brilliant on the move and Braun is also excellent on the move as well as selling his initial block.

Then there's the Ingram cut, which Keaontay was working very effectively in this game while turning 11 carries into 78 yards at 7.1 ypc with a score. The Ingram cut was perhaps most deadly when they lined the TE up to the right side of the OL:

The big threat is always the cutback lane behind the TE block where the offense is adding an extra gap and looking to get movement with a double team. Lots of teams will have their linebackers shade to the cutback and Ingram excels at watching them and waiting until they get caught there before bouncing back to the strong side. When Texas lines up the TE on the right side, that means that the Ingram bounce comes late after the left side of Cosmi and Braun have had a chance to get fit under the pads of the defenders across from them and drive them off the ball. Between that and the Texas TEs doing a pretty solid job of blocking, Texas was able to do a lot of damage with their favorite play from 2018.

If Keaontay Ingram is healthy this season he should put up big numbers and hit the 1k rushing yards marker.

Cosmi was dominant in this game, Parker Braun did yield some movement in the pass-rush but he appeared to understand how to pick up the blitz.

Quick thought no. 4: The WR corps was as strong as promised

Texas opened the game by crushing the Bulldogs with a series of quick perimeter screens on RPOs to Devin Duvernay. They played with Cade Brewer flexed out quite a bit early and blocking on the perimeter for the newly converted, 210 pound H receiver, Duvernay. With his size, power, and speed Duvernay was an absolute nightmare in the screen game for La Tech. Nine catches for 55 yards and a score really doesn't tell the story of his full impact, which included several savage stiff arms and a few occasions where he picked up solid gains despite iffy blocking or hard closes by the Bulldog defenders. Duve also picked up a 4th and 1 in the run game on an outside zone play where Jordan Whittington threw a lead block for him from a two-back set.

Jake Smith subbed in a ton and got a lot of snaps and later on Jordan Pouncey got a few at the H, yet Duvernay was the leading receiver and Texas' ability to command attention on the perimeter throwing him screens was on full display. Jake Smith looked fast but did struggle to get separation a few times on some corner routes, he looks thick and strong for a freshman and should flash regularly this season. Brennan Eagles had a big game, victimizing an overstressed La Tech secondary for a pair of scores.

Collin Johnson had the fumble while fighting for a ton of YAC after a double slants play picked up a third down for the millionth time in the last two seasons. He also added to his career highlight reel, particularly with the nearly out of bounds catch he pulled in. Cade Brewer didn't have a big impact in the passing game but threw a few solid blocks and snagged throws in his direction. Malcolm Epps was the only WR to disappoint and and allowed the feisty, 5-9 Bulldog corner to jam him up at the line on a big slant where Ehlinger was looking for him that almost became an INT. Epps has yet to show, in live action, that he knows how to use use size to bully defenders out wide.

Quick thought No. 5: A few problem spots

The first time that Kobe Boyce was beat on a deep ball my thought was, "oh man Boyce, and you already have a bad reputation with the fans, this is unfortunate." It wasn't a terrible beat and Boyce was only beat because he incurred a DPI after mistiming a late ball and jumping on the WR before the pass arrived.

But over the course of the game Boyce was often targeted in the Bulldog perimeter screen game and didn't hold up well to being attacked and then got beat deep again for a touchdown. Then there was the early play in which Kobe Boyce allowed his receiver to run free down the field with the ball after the catch because he believed he'd broken the pass up and was already celebrating while the ball was advancing. That one will be extra hard for fans to forgive. Clearly Boyce has yet to put it all together yet and the big passes or DPI calls yielded burn extra badly in light of the mental gaffe and poor tackling in the screen game.

Texas gave up too many pressures and hits on Ehlinger in this one. He's smart to pick his spots in the run game and try to avoid contact when he can, but his short-yardage runs are generally now the most dangerous. It's when he's scrambling and can get hit from an angle he can't see or when he's in the pocket as teams blitz. They'll clean up some of that and some of it will just always be a risk because of his style of play.

Running back depth continues to look iffy with Jordan Whittington nursing his injury and Danny Young and Kirk Johnson still out. Roschon Johnson did look good but Texas will probably have to lean heavily on Keaontay Ingram for a high volume of snaps next week. The real shame is that they can't absorb any passing down snaps where the RB may have to obstruct a blitz from a big, powerful LSU athlete with a healthy Young.

LSU obliterated Georgia Southern. They didn't run the ball terribly well but they stuffed the Eagles and Joe Burrow averaged 10.3 ypa and threw five touchdown passes. More on that game later in the week but if you were hoping that LSU would come out flat and look extra iffy this season the early returns there were not good. Nevertheless, Texas looked a lot stronger than they have in the last several openers as well.

[RabidM 2757]

42 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Malcolm Epps was the only WR to disappoint and and allowed the feisty, 5-9 Bulldog corner to jam him up at the line on a big slant where Ehlinger was looking for him that almost became an INT. Epps has yet to show, in live action, that he knows how to use use size to bully defenders out wide.

I don't care about the camp reports. Epps plays like a pussy. We saw it in the Spring Game. Small DB's physically bully and push him around.  He's that anti-LJH. 

[cmontexas 3369]

It was Estell that got beat for the 2nd touchdown, not Boyce

[pacman 7507]

41 minutes ago, RabidM said:

I don't care about the camp reports. Epps plays like a pussy. We saw it in the Spring Game. Small DB's physically bully and push him around.  He's that anti-LJH. 

And watching Epps move out of hia cuts ia like watching am 18 wheeler take a tight turn...he is just too slow/lacks quickness

[Atticus 4216]

7 hours ago, pacman said:

And watching Epps move out of hia cuts ia like watching am 18 wheeler take a tight turn...he is just too slow/lacks quickness

He's not a receiver who will need to make high speed cuts to be effective. He really just needs to get more physical so he can run 10 yards, then body up for the rebound.

[satyanash 15603]

(Kaelan Jones) Start the clock: Texas finally wins season opener under Tom Herman, but LSU awaits

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AUSTIN, Texas — The Longhorns spent hardly any time celebrating Saturday night. For the first time in third-year head coach Tom Herman’s tenure, Texas started a season 1-0 following a comfortable 45-14 victory over Louisiana Tech at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. But the No. 10 Longhorns are already mentally preparing themselves for what’s coming next week: a highly anticipated bout against No. 6 LSU. “These night games you don’t have a whole lot of time to celebrate,” Herman said. “We’re going to celebrate for an hour and — now just one hour, 60 minutes — and then we’re moving on to Sunday’s preparation for next week’s ballgame.”

Much has been said about each of the Longhorns’ past two season openers, both losses coming against the Big Ten’s Maryland Terrapins. But UT coaches and players insisted the same result wouldn’t occur against Louisiana Tech, out of Conference USA. And there was never any question Saturday. UT dominated from the get-go. On its opening possession, junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger directed a seven-play, 57-yard drive and connected with senior receiver Devin Duvernay for the opening score. Ehlinger later threw two additional touchdowns to senior Collin Johnson and sophomore Brennan Eagles to help catapult the Longhorns to a commanding 24-0 halftime lead. That advantage increased to 38-0 entering the fourth quarter.

It wasn’t all entirely smooth sailing. Herman asserted his team at times looked a bit “rusty,” pointing out some missed throws and the Longhorns’ six penalties. Johnson, who fumbled early in the game, suffered a “mild” hamstring injury that hobbled him in the second half, while freshman running back Jordan Whittington reaggravated a groin ailment he’d been nursing, preventing him from contributing in the second half.

Nonetheless, Texas’ opener went overwhelmingly well. “You could just tell everybody was out there having fun and doing what we’re coached,” senior safety Brandon Jones said. “We train for chaos in this program. And there just really, really, really wasn’t anything in the game that just like shook us. We’re very prepared and just trust our training, and we’re just ready to go.”

Ehlinger looked strong in his junior debut, which UT will need more of against LSU. He completed 28 of 38 passes for 276 yards and tied his career-high with four touchdown passes. Duvernay impressed out of his slot role, finishing with 95 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Eagles scored twice. Defensively, the Longhorns forced three turnovers (nearly a fourth, too). Their speed wreaked havoc in the backfield, even if it only statistically amounted to five tackles for loss and one sack. The linebackers, a position group in question entering the season, looked good. The safety unit played just as well.

After an offseason of growing hype, there’s a legitimate, tangible reason for the Longhorns to be pleased with Saturday’s result. “It’s a testament to the maturity of our team and the confidence, I think,” Ehlinger said. “The confidence that we have to just let loose in the opener after the last two years. We had confidence from last season, knowing that if we play our best we’re going to win.”

Now, the Longhorns must exude their confidence into their next week of preparation. LSU opened its season with an emphatic 55-3 win over Georgia Southern. The Tigers boast a talented squad, featuring arguably the most talented safety in the nation in Grant Delpit, and quarterback Joe Burrow is running their revamped offense.

Longhorns fans couldn’t help but begin to turn their attention to the matchup when it was announced that ESPN’s “College GameDay” would visit UT in Austin for the first time since Sept. 19, 2009, as it coasted to a season-opening win. Yet, the players kept reiterating the 1-0 mantra Herman has ingrained into the program’s culture. Herman said there’s been “zero” mention of the upcoming matchup. Despite entering as 20-point favorites against Louisiana Tech, UT players didn’t overlook the Bulldogs.

Herman said he personally did “zero” offseason homework on the Tigers. He left that to the team’s analysts and graduate assistants to break LSU down. By Sunday morning, he’ll have a detailed scouting report of the Tigers, but as of Saturday night, he hadn’t watched a snap. “Maybe it’s coaching, maybe it’s unique,” Herman said. “I don’t know, but the letters LSU never came out of anybody’s mouth these entire nine months since we left (the Sugar Bowl in) New Orleans, so I don’t know. Probably a testament to a lot of things. The position coaches harping on it, our strength staff who was around them all offseason making sure that we didn’t look to that game, and then the leaders in the locker room. I mean, most of those guys — all of those guys we consider leaders were here the last couple years and know how the openers turned out the last couple years.”

Herman’s doctrines are spelled out. Hanging near where he conducted his postgame news conference hangs the goal: “Finish.” It’s followed by more priorities. The first line is “1-0.” The record resets each week, if not each day. “We’re excited for the game (against LSU),” sophomore linebacker Joseph Ossai said. “But we’re going to prepare just like we prepared for La Tech. The same exact way. Follow the same formula, work just as hard, put in the same amount of work and then come up with the same result. At the end of the day, we still gotta play football, you know?” senior defensive lineman Malcolm Roach added. “The media is hyping this game up (because) it’s two good schools playing against each other. But at the end of the day, we’re still playing football, the same way we played when we was young. So we’re gonna prepare like we prepare every week.”

It goes without saying the matchup against LSU has much more hanging on it. A win can further reinforce the notion that Texas has climbed back into the national conversation under Herman. A loss will make navigating the rest of the schedule much more difficult, with little-to-no room for error. Perhaps the Longhorns understand that, but when players spoke of the LSU game with media Saturday night, they held the same focused, unfazed presence they had held when discussing Saturday’s contest. There’s excitement, but it’s contained.

“I mean, coming to Texas, you come to play in games like this,” left tackle Samuel Cosmi said. “So, we are very excited to play LSU, and I know the guys are really, really happy to play (them, too).”

(Chip Brown) My Take: Highs, lows from season-opening win over La Tech

Quote

AUSTIN, Texas — Sam Ehlinger put up impressive numbers, throwing touchdown passes to Devin Duvernay, Collin Johnson and two to Brennan Eagles. Sophomore running back Keaontay Ingram put on a show in the third quarter, accounting for 61, twisting-and-turning yards on a 61-yard touchdown drive. The Texas defense forced three turnovers stuffed the run and unveiled its Freak (Eight) DB Package with success - keeping Louisiana Tech out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, when UT already had a 38-0 lead.

Most importantly, the Longhorns opened a season 1-0 for the first time in three years under Tom Herman, whose everyday mantra is going 1-0. (His LLC is even called “1-0 Culture.”) Texas undoubtedly walked out of Saturday night’s 38-14 victory over Louisiana Tech with confidence, which almost becomes a requirement when you consider the next Cajun Invasion to hit Austin — LSU — pounded Georgia Southern 55-3 as Tigers’ quarterback Joe Burrow completed 23 of 27 passes for 278 yards and five touchdowns.

The big negatives for Texas came late in the game, when Brandon Jones was called for roughing the passer, negating an 82-yard interception return for touchdown by linebacker Joseph Ossai with 8:04 left to play. The play left Texas safety Caden Sterns limping off the field after he fell to the ground while rushing the quarterback and Jones tripped over Sterns, causing Jones to slide into Smith below the knee, drawing a flag.

Now, we wait for an injury update on Sterns, who tied linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch with a team-leading eight tackles (six solo) despite limited action Saturday. Chris Brown started in place of Sterns, who is still recovering from a high ankle sprain suffered Aug. 11. In the meantime, let’s look at what went right and what went wrong for the Longhorns in their victory over Louisiana Tech.

WHAT WENT RIGHT FOR TEXAS:

Sam Ehlinger finished 28 of 38 passing for 276 yards and four touchdowns while running eight times for 34 yards (4.3 yards per carry), including a couple, key third-down conversions. Backup quarterback Casey Thompson got his first action as a Longhorn in the fourth quarter, completing 3-of-5 passes for 25 yards and running twice for 11 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown run that put Texas up 45-14 with 1:09 left to play.

On a night when freshman Jordan Whittington was clearly limited by coaches (complications from sports hernia), Keaontay Ingram was outstanding, rushing 11 times for 78 yards (7.1 ypc) and a touchdown while catching three passes for 43 yards. Devin Duvernay led Texas receivers with nine catches for 55 yards and a 4-yard TD reception. Collin Johnson had four catches for 59 yards and a 6-yard TD catch. Freshman Jake Smith had four catches for 31 yards, and Brennan Eagles had three catches for 59 yards and TD receptions of 28 and 25 yards.

Texas sophomore cornerback Jalen Green will undoubtedly receive a solid grade from coaches after helping limit star Tech receiver Adrian Hardy, who had 1,000 yards receiving last season, to three catches for 38 yards. Todd Orlando’s defense brought the heat and held Louisiana Tech to 73 yards rushing on 26 attempts (2.8 ypc) while holding the Bulldogs to 5-of-14 third-down conversions.

The three turnovers forced by UT came on interceptions by Joseph Ossai and DeMarvion Overshown as well as a forced fumble by Jacoby Jones, recovered by Brandon Jones. Louisiana Tech didn’t score until the fourth quarter, after Texas had a 38-0 lead. Through three quarters, a lone sack of Sam Ehlinger for a loss of 6 yards, was the only negative play by the Longhorns’ offense.

TURNOVER NO. 3 FORCED BY TEXAS: DeMarvion Overshown made a diving interception at the Louisiana Tech 27 with 2:52 left in the game that led to UT’s final touchdown of the night (a 2-yard scoring run by Casey Thompson).

THE KEAONTAY INGRAM SHOW PUTS UT UP 38-0: On a nine-play, 61-yard touchdown drive, sophomore running back Keaontay Ingram accounted for 61 yards with two catches for 35 yards and three runs for 26 yards, including a 1-yard TD run. Ingram showed great patience and followed some nice blocks from teammates, including a block by Ehlinger on a 13-yard run to the La Tech 14 and a pancake block by Sam Cosmi on a 14-yard screen pass to the La Tech 1. In desperation mode, down 31-0 with 6:19 left in the third quarter, La Tech went for it on fourth-and-5 from the Texas 39, and threw incomplete (after La Tech QB J’Mar Smith was nearly sacked by DeMarvion Overshown while throwing incomplete on third-and-5).

TEXAS GOES UP 31-0 EARLY IN THIRD QUARTER: After a great fourth-down stop by Chris Brown, Texas went 74 yards in 10 plays, taking 2:55 off the clock, capped by a 25-yard TD pass from Ehlinger to Brennan Eagles (his second TD catch of the night), giving UT a 31-0 lead with 9:06 left in the third quarter. Texas converted a third-and-5 with an 11-yard pass from Ehlinger to Collin Johnson and converted a fourth-and-1 on a 2-yard run by Devin Duvernay to keep the drive alive.

Sam Ehlinger ran for 9 yards on third-and-10 from the UT 42, and then handed the ball to Devin Duvernay for a 2-yard gain on fourth-and-1. 10 plays, 74 yards in 2:55 Chris Brown made a great open-field tackle on La Tech receiver Bobby Holly for no gain on fourth-and-1 at the Texas 26, killing an eight-play, 49-yard drive by the Bulldogs that took 2:59 off the clock at the start of the third quarter.

UT TURNS INTERCEPTION INTO DICKER FIELD GOAL: After Joseph Ossai’s interception (return) to the La. Tech 31, Texas picked up 6 yards on a 4-yard run by Roschon Johnson and a 2-yard run by Ehlinger before Cameron Dicker booted a 43-yard field goal, giving Texas a 24-0 lead with 2:56 left in the half.

TURNOVER NO. 2 FORCED BY TEXAS: Jalen Green stopped his rush, jumped in the air and tipped J’Mar Smith’s pass, and linebacker Joseph Ossai intercepted it and ran 16 yards to the La Tech 31 with 4:04 left in the halftime.

After Kobe Boyce was flagged for a pass interference, giving La. Tech a first down at the UT 21 with 7:08 left in the second quarter, Texas blitzed twice, forcing a short-arm incompletion when La Tech had a wide-open receiver in the end zone and causing a false start that brought up third-and-16. After a 3-yard screen on third down, La. Tech kicker Bailey Hale came up short on his second attempt from 43 yards.

TEXAS GOES UP 21-0 AFTER TURNOVER: After Jacoby Jones forced a fumble recovered by Brandon Jones at the La Tech 37, it took two plays for the Longhorns to score. Keaontay Ingram ran for 9 yards, and then Sam Ehlinger found Brennan Eagles on a 28-yard post route in the end zone for Eagles’ first TD as a Longhorn … and a 21-0 lead with 10:26 left in the first half.

TURNOVER NO. 1 FORCED BY TEXAS: Jacoby Jones knocked the ball loose, and Brandon Jones recovered at the La Tech 37.

TEXAS GOES UP 14-0 EARLY IN 2Q: Sam Ehlinger went 5-of-6 passing and ran for 7 yards on third-and-5 as Texas went on an 11-play, 74-yard drive to a 6-yard TD pass from Ehlinger to Collin Johnson with 13:20 left in the second quarter. Jake Smith caught his first three passes as a Longhorn on the drive (and also dropped a ball when he was wide open over the middle on a crossing route). Jordan Whittington caught a 14-yard pass on the drive as well.

FREAK DB (8-DB) PACKAGE: With La Tech facing third-and-12 from the La Tech 48, Texas unleashed its eight-DB package with Malcolm Roach at nose, Joseph Ossai and Jeffrey McCulloch at ends and Josh Thompson, Chris Brown, B.J. Foster and DeMarvion Oveshown at linebacker depth; Brandon Jones and Caden Sterns at safety; and Jalen Green and Kobe Boyce at corner. Brown and Foster blitzed, Ossai got penetration and chased La Tech QB J’Mar Smith into the arms of Overshown for a 6-yard sack, forcing a punt with 2:02 left in the first quarter.

La Tech senior K Bailey Hale missed a 43-yard field goal on the Bulldogs’ opening drive. The kick was a low, line-drive that fell short. Malcolm Roach got a hand up, but it was hard to see if he got a piece of the ball. Malcolm Roach had a 2-yard tackle for loss and Josh Thompson had a 3-yard TFL on La Tech’s opening drive.

TEXAS GOES UP 7-0 ON OPENING DRIVE: Sam Ehlinger went 5-of-5 passing for 21 yards, including an 8-yard pass to Keaontay Ingram on third-and-7 as well as a 4-yard TD pass to Devin Duvernay as the Longhorns went 57 yards in seven plays, taking 2:20 off the clock, in going up 7-0 with 12:40 left in the first quarter. La Tech safety L'Jarius Sneed, who said Texas receivers struggle with press coverage, was called for a personal foul facemask (against Devin Duvernay) on UT’s first play from scrimmage. Devin Duvernay returned the opening kickoff 36 yards to the Texas 43.

WHAT WENT WRONG:

La Tech’s J'Mar Smith completed his first five passes of the third quarter, taking the ball from the La Tech’s 25 to UT’s 26. (But Chris Brown made a great tackle on fourth-and-1 to kill the Bulldogs’ drive.) With La Tech facing third-and-1, Kobe Boyce was called for pass interference on La Tech star receiver Adrian Hardy on a deep ball near the goal line after Boyce palmed the top of Hardy’s helmet and pulled it back before the ball arrived. The 15-yard flag was UT’s first penalty of the game (with 7:08 left in the second quarter) and gave La Tech a first down at the UT 21. (Texas survived the flag as La Tech missed 43-yard field goal attempt.)

On third-and-11 from the La Tech 24, B.J. Foster blitzed and missed the sack before La Tech QB J'Mar Smith found Malik Stanley on a crossing route as Kobe Boyce, who was in coverage on the play, signaled an incomplete pass - even though it was complete. Stanley ran for another 10 yards for a 26-yard completion to the 50. The play helped La Tech overcome first-and-20 after a holding penalty.

TURNOVER BY TEXAS: Texas went for it on fourth-and-3 from the La Tech 40 with 5:02 left in the first quarter, and after Sam Ehlinger hit Collin Johnson on an inside route for 15 yards and the first down, La Tech linebacker Connor Taylor stripped the ball from Johnson and recovered it at the La Tech 25 with 4:53 left in the first. Sam Ehlinger’s first incompletion of the season after five straight completions, was a deep ball to Collin Johnson, and Johnson couldn’t reel in a one-handed catch against La Tech stud corner Amik Robertson.

OTHER NOTABLES:

True freshmen who played: Jordan Whittington, Jake Smith and Roschon Johnson played on offense. T’Vondre Sweat played on defense. Tyler Owens (kickoff), Chris Adimora (kickoff), Marcus Tillman (kickoff),, David Gbenda (kickoff) and Jared Wiley (field goal unit) also got on the field. The starting offensive line for Texas was: LT Sam Cosmi, LG Parker Braun, C Zach Shackelford, RG Junior Angilau, RT Derek Kerstetter. In the second half, Texas substituted on the O-line with Kerstetter replacing Shackelford at center and Denzel Okafor replacing Kerstetter at right tackle.

D’Shawn Jamison replaced Kobe Boyce at cornerback in the second quarter after Boyce was flagged for pass interference deep in UT’s end of the field. Boyce returned to the game later. After being suspended for the first half due to targeting in the second half of UT’s Sugar Bowl win over Georgia, Anthony Cook got playing time at the corner opposite Jalen Green in third quarter. Chris Brown got the start at safety over Caden Sterns, who is still recovering from a high ankle sprain suffered on Aug. 11. Sterns rotated with Brown throughout the game.

 

[satyanash 15603]

Anthony Rizzo: The Good, Bad, and Expected from Texas’ 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech

[AUS-97HORN 12050]

you know, if I didnt already know Chip Brown was an idiot, that article confirmed it.  Hey Chip, I know you wrote the fucking thing during the end of the game, but you might want to get the final score right you idiot

 

Texas undoubtedly walked out of Saturday night’s 38-14 victory over Louisiana Tech with confidence

[utexas8 1706]

Anthony Rizzo: The Good, Bad, and Expected from Texas’ 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech

The article says green is a sophomore is that right? I thought he was a redshirt freshman

[Machinator 32103]

Just now, utexas8 said:

 

 

The article says green is a sophomore is that right? I thought he was a redshirt freshman

 

 

Green didn't redshirt

[Machinator 32103]

(Scipio Tex) Texas-Louisiana Tech Postmortem: Defense & Special Teams

It's nice to have a football team good enough to win convincingly against an outmatched opponent when Texas brings their B game. The Texas defense can run. Now we just need them running at the right angles and displaying some fundamentals when they get there.

The Texas defense forced three turnovers and held Louisiana Tech to 14 points, all scored in the 4th quarter when the game was in hand, but gave up some yardage between the 20s against the Bulldog passing game. J'mar Smith was 34 of 51 for 331 and 6.5 yards per attempt, but the Bulldogs couldn't land any mortal wounds downfield. It's hard to bleed out from paper cuts. 

Texas dominated up front and showed improved team speed, but tackling was poor on the edge and the pressure packages, while fun, netted one sack and didn't reveal great timing or spacing. 

DL 

Dominance and depth in the trenches. That was the consistent theme of the game on both sides of the ball. The Longhorns played a lot of bodies inside and won. Part of that is a function of legitimate depth and talent. Part of that is because La Tech has a bottom quartile FBS OL. Still, when our three DL defeat their five OL, it's hard for an opponent to get much traction. 

Keondre Coburn, Moro Ojomo and T'Vondre Sweat all gave very good snaps inside despite their lack of box score output. Ojomo showed the ability to play big in there at 6-2, 280 and he's learning to use his quickness and pad level to split double teams. Sweat is the most physically ready looking interior DL freshman I've seen since Malcom Brown. He had a batted ball and a tackle and can play 4i or NT. Coburn puts out hard. Stamina will be an issue, but he's good for 35 tough snaps in the heat. This is a team strength.

Malcolm Roach was a mainstay at one DE spot. Consistently good play. If Taquon Graham played, I barely noticed. A good number of snaps for Jacoby Jones and Marqez Bimage and I liked what I saw from both. They were our most effective pass rushers. Jones isn't as strong at the point of attack and he gets a little high, but he has motor and he's a natural pass rusher. He forced a fumble, had a nice QB flush and had four tackles. Bimage looked quick and dynamic standing up or with his hand on the ground. He had a nice pressure and QB hit on 3rd down. The box score isn't crediting him, but I saw #42 out there getting it done. 

LB 

Joseph Ossai balled out. We finally have a real B-Backer with enough versatility to stay on the field in various personnel groups. In fact, any personnel group that takes Ossai off of the field for anything but a rest is one Orlando should place in his circular file. Ossai demonstrated his coverage acumen with a beautiful drop INT and should have had a Pick 6 in the 4th quarter if not for a questionable personal foul call. Ossai also had a terrific run stunt tackle for loss where he split the G/T. He looked comfortable both on and off of the ball and racked up five tackles. 

Jeff McCulloch was very solid. The Shark had eight tackles and a big hit and he looked more comfortable in space than at anytime in his career. On the negative side, he had an offsides on a 3rd down and I'm not entirely sold on him as one of our best edge rushers in the 38 Special (the 1 DL, 8 DB look), nor do I like him lined up outside the box against 4 or 5 wide to "give a different look." Playing Coburn at deep safety would be a different look, but let's stay grounded. 

Adeoye and Mitchell both played in our nickel looks, but saw limited action overall. Mitchell moves better than I anticipated and I could see him taking a leap next year when he gets a full year with Yancy. Neither impressed. 

DB

Poor tackling and angles on the perimeter. The unit can run and they don't lack in ability, but La Tech consistently attacked the perimeter of the Longhorn defense and found success in the short passing game. While that defensive approach was by design (Tech's longest throw went for 26 yards) the players need to be more aggressive in attacking the throws the scheme surrenders and reading the clues in front of them. A necessary component of keeping the ball in front of you is reliable tackling. Tackling on the perimeter was inconsistent and DBs consistently took bad angles to the ball carrier. This unit could benefit from some drill work and some Fundamentals 101. Flat out coverage busts were few, which is what you want in an opener. 

Blitzing. Blitzing from diverse personnel groups from every possible angle is fun. But when blitzing DBs from the 38 Special or Dime package overrun the passer instead of fighting across blocks, or run into each other because they didn't time or space properly, it may look innovative on a white board, but QBs who step up into the pocket will find a wide open field to survey. 

Jalen Green is clearly our #1 CB. He had two excellent pass break ups, including a tip ball that led to Ossai's first interception. He totaled five tackles, but did a have a miss and took a bad angle or two. Overall, he played well. He will be a stud. 

Kobe Boyce's play was not good. He prematurely celebrated on a play that he didn't make on a receiver that allowed a catch and run. He missed two tackles and took bad angles several times. He surrendered a wide open receiver on what should have been an easy TD and had a poor PI where he mistimed his play on the ball. In my limited viewing of Boyce to date, he's totally lacking in any ball skills.

D'shawn Jamison and Anthony Cook both played and demonstrated poor tackling angles as well. One of them needs to emerge quickly or we should start auditioning freshmen.

Josh Thompson was active with five tackles and a tackle for loss, but for a fast guy, he sure takes some poor angles. 

Chris Brown was terrific. Aggressive, active and physical. His hard tackle on the 250 pound La Tech H-Back on 4th and 1 that prevented a new set of downs was a key play of the game. He also had a tipped ball, a tackle for loss and six tackles. It's obvious why he's starting. You have to play guys like him. He plays fast and sees the field.

Caden Sterns might have had his steadiest game as a Longhorn. No big highlights but 8 tackles. On some snaps, he was 15-20 yards deep. La Tech never really tested him. 

Brandon Jones supported the run well from depth and totaled 7 tackles. His 1 on 1 surrender of a fade TD near the goal line is a reminder that he's best when protected from iso coverage. That's his NFL scouting hickey. 

Demarvion Overshown had a terrific INT in garbage time and he also notched a sack blitz, but he also missed a tackle on the sideline, took some questionable angles and was too late reacting on more than one occasion. He moves well out there, but recognition needs to catch up. 

BJ Foster had six tackles and a big hit. He also missed a tackle and blew a combo coverage. I prefer he stayed glued near the box on most downs. 

Montrell Estell had a nice tipped ball near the end zone, but also surrendered a TD where he didn't play the ball or the man. Adimora, Watson and Owens also all saw action and don't look out of place physically. 

Special Teams

Dicker hit one from 43, but missed from 49 after Sam Ehlinger took a foolish sack on 3rd and 5. 

Devin Duvernay had a nice kick return to open the game where the Longhorns actually blocked some people. That 36 yard kick return was longer than any kickoff return in the entire 2018 season. 

The Punter only had to leg it three times and he averaged 41 yards per kick with good hang time that disallowed a return. 

Excellent kick coverage. Gbenda and Owens impressed with quickness and physicality. Owens looks huge out there. 

Final Thoughts

Multiplicity abounded. Todd Orlando played a lot of personnel and showed a lot of alignments. We saw nickel. We saw dime. We saw the 38 special (Roach at NT, Ossai and McCulloch on the edges, 8 DBs). We brought blitzers from every angle - sometimes from distances with no likelihood of affecting the play in any way, sometimes two men running into the same gap and blocking each other (or tripping each other and causing a roughing penalty that negated a Pick 6). I saw us line up with four in the box against four wide again. On another occasion, La Tech motioned out the back and we were left with the middle of the field barren of linebackers or safeties. 

The multiplicity is a blessing and curse. When you teach looks and alignment, it can come at the expense of assignment. Giving a novel look is very useful. Tackling and knowing how to play your position within the larger construct of the defense is more useful. Smart offenses with capable players respond to our complexity by attacking our soundness. And when the latter is found lacking, complexity is just a way to confuse your defense as much as the opposing QB. Last year, that's where the defense fell apart.

Let's see how we coach 'em up through the early part of the season.

[Machinator 32103]

New grading system is a bit confusing. Essentially "Pass+" is a quality performance, and "Borderline" is 50/50 pass/fail.

 

[texifornia 59016]

8 minutes ago, Machinator said:

New grading system is a bit confusing. Essentially "Pass+" is a quality performance, and "Borderline" is 50/50 pass/fail.

 

Kobe getting a "Borderline" is an absolute gift

[Slacks 7063]

and by gift you mean "fake news"

[Machinator 32103]

(Scipio Tex) Texas-Louisiana Tech Postmortem: Offense

The Texas coaches had an interesting pregame problem to solve. How do you throw the ball enough to protect the MASH unit RB room (every RB that isn't injured is hurt) while still protecting Ehlinger and not allowing La Tech's relative team strength of their DBs to spoil the game plan as the Bulldogs catch on to our passing game bias? The answer was to throw it early it and often, attacking the flats and perimeter at tempo, hit the running backs in space in the passing game, stake a lead, then let the play clock run in the 2nd half and go home. That's what Texas executed against an inferior opponent that's clearly several steps down from the defensive front it had last year. 

Tom Herman's Longhorn mentor Greg Davis would have been proud to see a tempo Longhorn attack that saw 14 of Ehlinger's first 18 passes target less than 10 yards down the field, finishing the first half 20 of 26 for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns. It turns out a dink and dunk passing attack does work when your running game also averages 7 yards a carry from your primary ball carrier and the offense plays clean without penalties. 

If Texas fans are wondering how a relatively conservative game plan with minimal explosive plays can yield 45 points on the board, remember that penalty free football, very few negative plays (La Tech had 1 sack, 3 tackles for loss) and good execution means an absence of negative game scripts and minimal time spent in 3rd and long. The red zone doesn't really get tighter for us because we're running an offense that acts like it's already there. 

As Tech rolled up their coverages, Texas hit the intermediate throws needed to effectively end the game. Texas ran enough to punish the honest box, but with a healthy contingent of runners, the Longhorns would have piled up 250+ yards rushing pretty easily. La Tech's DL wasn't good and the Texas OL looks solid early. 

Good game plan by the Texas offensive staff given the personnel challenges they faced. 

OL

The starters were Cosmi-Braun-Shack-Angilau-Kerstetter. If you bought my contention (and you should) that Hand would create his best starting five without Kerstetter, then plug the Swiss Army Knife Kerstetter wherever he offered the best upgrade, then it's clear that Angilau>Okafor. The play on the field bore that out. This is an athletic unit. Pass protection was excellent on most downs. La Tech got some pressure with some blitzing, but that was on the play call, QB and WRs as much as the OL. Cosmi and Braun's mobility and accuracy in space will prove very effective as Texas continues to build out its screen and outside zone run game. In the second half, we saw #68 swing to center, Okafor came in as the third tackle and Texas hummed along. Okafor still looks a little stiff out there. The second team OL unit looks great on the hoof. Christian Jones makes me double take every time I see him. 305 pound offensive tackles aren't supposed to have 34 inch waists. Rafiti Ghirmai learned to snap.

This unit played well against a weak La Tech DL and I expect them to continue to cohere. Several of them did a good job of holding blocks, allowing Ingram to dip, delay and create positive yardage reading the second level defenders. Cosmi is dominant and his ability to find and erase smalls in space is special. Braun is still adjusting to our offense and gave up a stunt TFL he'd like to have back, but he has bad intentions out there and I dig the motor. Junior Angilau has a really strong base for a tall guard. Shack manhandled their nose tackle without help. Not sure why he went out in the 3rd quarter. 

QB

Sam was 28 of 38 for 276 and four touchdown passes. No turnovers. And still left some plays on the field. Ehlinger's command of the offense is way up and he checked us into multiple good plays and made good decisions in the RPO game. We focus a lot on "talent" as if the team with the best mean 40 yard dash will always win but a poised veteran QB who can adjust on the fly is a massive advantage in the college game. Ehlinger hit on 73.6% of his passes in the short ball control offense despite three throwaways. I was also happy to see him slide on runs. He's also improved in his short ball accuracy, putting the ball into spots that allow the receiver to make a move in stride. 

I saw a couple of things to build on. He missed a wide open RPO to Jake Smith in the middle of the field that would have gone for a touchdown. He also missed CJ on a clean go route that would have gone for six. Those are gimme throws that the next level of football demands the QB make. Missing a throw is no big deal, but missing throws that would result in an easy six imposes ceiling on this offense. Finally, #11 took a sack on a 3rd and 5 in scoring range with 14 seconds left on the clock. Dicker missed the ensuing 49 yarder. That's preferable to a turnover, but gotta throw that away. 

Casey Thompson got nearly an entire quarter of play and that's great for his development. He's a very nifty runner. 

RB

I loved their involvement in the passing game. It's a way to use them with less wear and tear overall. 7 catches for 74 yards in aggregate. Keaontay Ingram was highly effective on his 14 touches, totaling 121 yards from scrimmage. Good cutbacks and vision and he's not letting the first tackler get him on the ground. Jordan Whittington showed his ability in space in brief snaps. Finally, Ro Johnson had 9 touches and proved very game in protecting the RB corps and running some late game clock. This unit needs healing fast. Unfortunately, I think health is going to be a season long issue. 

WR/TE

Brennan Eagles debuted as a starter with two touchdown catches (a wide open 25 yard post and a wide open 28 yard go route), Devin Duvernay notched nine catches in the short passing game and Collin Johnson had a brilliant Plastic Man sideline catch for 27 yards, was missed on a streak route, and got stripped from behind on a phenomenal play by the La Tech LB, who looked like Breckyn Hager's younger, more disheveled brother. That kid had some game. 

Malcolm Epps can't play against press coverage, as evidenced by his getting jacked on a 3rd down by a player 60 pounds and nine inches his junior. He's a purely situational player who has to be allowed a clean release. Slow starter who needs more technique, strength, aggression and effort. Jake Smith had a nice debut with four catches, just missing on a wide open RPO that Sam threw behind him. Jordan Pouncey had a nice little catch and then sought contact late in the game. John Burt got open downfield once or twice, but no love.

Cade Brewer was passable, but I didn't see much from him as a blocker or receiver. Jared Wiley certainly looks the part. He'll be playing at 260+ next year. 

I like the talent level of this group, but they had trouble separating on a few plays where the OL created a five second pocket. That's stuff that future DCs will file away. 

Final 

It's rare to amass 454 yards of offense at over 6 yards per play (73-454-6.2) without some big plays sprinkled in (the longest Longhorn play from scrimmage was 28 yards), but the offense played nearly penalty free efficient football, had a lot of 2nd and short, controlled the line of scrimmage, converted 8 of 15 on 3rd down, and special teams and the defense set up some good fields. 

The lack of second half malaise was also worth noting after the Longhorns went in up 24-0 at halftime. If your response is "Big deal, La Tech!" I'd encourage you to watch the second halves of the Tulsa, K-State, Kansas and Baylor games from last year. Particularly if you're the kind of person who likes nails on a chalkboard or the musical stylings of Yoko Ono. The first two drives of the 3rd quarter went for touchdowns on methodical 9 play 74 and 61 yard scoring drives, one of them driven by some very good Ehlinger throws, the other by Keaontay Ingram's legs. That's finishing, maturity and focus. It also addresses the statistical nerd contention that Texas played too many close games last year that could have gone the other way. Not if Texas is up 38-0 after 3. Killer instinct creates season floor. 

Texas has proven it has an improved ball control version of last year's offense. The missing ingredient is hitting some big plays in the passing game that will open up every level of the offense. Let's see if Sam can execute better on those throws and the staff can scheme up some route combos that will befuddle an athletically loaded Tiger secondary.

[atomheartbevo 90647]

16 hours ago, satyanash said:

 

 

Damnit, I've got a Cub Scout leader expo that morning.

[TreatyOak 17376]

[Machinator 32103]

For you @Post Oak

(Ian Boyd) Texas run game report: Louisiana Tech

Last year we tracked Texas' burgeoning run game under Herb Hand with the weekly run game report where I broke down the concepts and results of the Longhorn rushing attack. Although part of me wonders if the emphasis this year might be more on the passing game, we're still bringing it back for another go round.

Here's the week 1 results against La Tech:

As you can see here, Texas didn't show much in the run game. How much of that was gamesmanship for the looming showdown vs LSU and how much was protecting a depleted RB room? Probably mostly the former, but Texas didn't need to run much else besides the basic "tight zone" play to bury the Bulldogs.

"QB spread zone" is what I'm calling the play where Texas blocks inside zone and the RB swings to the sideline, giving the QB a choice whether to throw the swing or be the featured runner on inside zone based on a read of the middle linebacker and his response to the RB swing. Texas ran that with Roschon Johnson and Casey Thompson on one play and Thompson kept for a nice gain.

I think "stretch" or "outside zone" has some promise for this season. They ran it once for Roschon Johnson and Reese Leitao missed his block, resulting in Johnson taking a hit in the backfield that he shrugged off before winning the soft edge behind Sam Cosmi for a four yard gain. They ran it later on fourth down with Keaontay Ingram throwing a lead block for Devin Duvernay, which picked up two yards and the first.

The four most interesting plays that Texas mixed into the run game were:

1) Tight zone with the H-back running a slant

That's not just a little trick play to mix in like the POP pass to the TE over the middle, this is an option read of the nickel. You'll notice that the hitch to the Z and X receivers are also open but if the nickel is going to give up that free release then you gotta hit the slant. As effective as this play was here, imagine hitting Duvernay on this play and then watching defenders trying to tackle him with a head of steam?

2) Power on the goal line

Last year Texas had maybe three favorite plays for scoring on the goal line. The "touchdown play" where they played 4x1 and ran tight zone combined with a bubble screen to the H-back (which they scored on against La Tech throwing the bubble and then later with Casey Thompson keeping), QB stretch for Sam Ehlinger, and then QB power or counter for Ehlinger.

I think that will all stay in the repertoire, but they mixed in a useful play against La Tech where they ran power for Keaontay Ingram from an unbalanced set. They played the TE as the left tackle and then moved in the X receiver (Malcolm Epps) to play as a sort of off ball TE next to him to help prevent backside penetration. Then they played Sam Cosmi as the TE and Cade Brewer as a FB/TE hybrid behind him on the right side and pulled Parker Braun over as well to lead on power.

This could be a tool for sparing Ehlinger from some short-yardage duties this season OR a tool for increasing the variety and potency of the Ehlinger short-yardage package.

3) Direct snap tight zone

"Oh Ehlinger is audibling again, better check the sideline to see what Coach...oh **** (POP!)"

Really good sells here on the play-fake. Just a fun scheme to mix in that may be worth a third down conversion or two in the coming season. The Patriots have been running something like this for at least a decade. When your QB tends to make a ton of checks it's pretty easy to mix in.

More food for thought, what if Texas ran this play with converted QB Roschon Johnson in at QB? Lots of double "gotcha" tricks they could mix in off this, although they could risk outsmarting themselves with those sorts of shenanigans. Maybe this is just something to play with Dave Aranda's head.

4) Power-shovel

They called this twice, the latter occasion was aborted by a penalty. I speculated in the offseason that this play might be in the mix although I figured it would be a "pitch or shovel" scheme and not a "run or shovel" play. Before I continue, here's what power-shovel is:

It's power-read on the unblocked DE, only instead of handing off to the RB on a sweep if the DE stays home the QB zips around the edge. You'll notice they put the slot into the boundary and had the outside receiver flexed out pretty far leading to a massive alley. This is a nice counter for the plays where Texas likes to put the H-back into the boundary to hunt coverage matchups.

If the DE had stayed wide to stop the QB keeper then he shovels the ball inside to the RB running power behind the pulling guard. There's a lot more Texas could do with this concept and they probably put it on film for Dave Aranda for a reason.

As a parting shot, you may have seen pundits drooling over a play that Oklahoma ran for Jalen Hurts against Houston. It's a play that looks like shallow cross but it's actually a screen with everyone blocking for the shallow. The Sooners also added a fun wrinkle where if the weak side linebacker chases the shallow cross the OL is actually blocking for a QB draw so the QB can pull it down and run into that vacated space. They've been running it for years, it's nearly automatic.

Texas stole it last year and even ran it against La Tech:

Another fun way to hit Duvernay on the move with a kicker that there's a nice counter punch mixed in with the Ehlinger draw. Btw, better blocking on the perimeter from Cade Brewer would go a long ways towards fully unleashing Duvernay and Jake Smith this season.

Fairly simple gameplan overall but plenty for the LSU staff to mull over.

[Post Oak 20566]

Thanks 

[Yuk 1616]

28 minutes ago, Machinator said:

For you @Post Oak

(Ian Boyd) Texas run game report: Louisiana Tech

 

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It would help if Brewer could even get in the way on this one.

Edited September 4, 2019 by Yuk

[satyanash 15603]

3 hours ago, Yuk said:

It would help if Brewer could even get in the way on this one.

Brewer's still a downgrade over Beck in the blocking department... but Beck was absolutely horrific as a blocker during his second year, so Brewer's at least ahead of the curve moving forward.

[sushihorn 3249]

Quote

3) Direct snap tight zone

"Oh Ehlinger is audibling again, better check the sideline to see what Coach...oh **** (POP!)"

Really good sells here on the play-fake. Just a fun scheme to mix in that may be worth a third down conversion or two in the coming season. The Patriots have been running something like this for at least a decade. When your QB tends to make a ton of checks it's pretty easy to mix in.

More food for thought, what if Texas ran this play with converted QB Roschon Johnson in at QB? Lots of double "gotcha" tricks they could mix in off this, although they could risk outsmarting themselves with those sorts of shenanigans. Maybe this is just something to play with Dave Aranda's head.

I suspect that Aranda is a secondary target.  This one looks to be aimed squarely at Alex Grinch and Lincoln Riley.  Grinch likes to stem his DL late in the play clock and shift them around pre-snap.  Let them get up out of the their stance then blow them off the ball.  It's much like a quick count in terms of forcing the DL to play vanilla base and punishing them for games up front.

[Burt Macklin 19230]

9 hours ago, sushihorn said:

I suspect that Aranda is a secondary target.  This one looks to be aimed squarely at Alex Grinch and Lincoln Riley.  Grinch likes to stem his DL late in the play clock and shift them around pre-snap.  Let them get up out of the their stance then blow them off the ball.  It's much like a quick count in terms of forcing the DL to play vanilla base and punishing them for games up front.

Grinch gives me second year Manny Diaz vibes. That OU DL had some serious gap integrity issues that King didn’t exploit until the second half and King not being able to complete a pass down field really covered up some mistakes by the OU secondary. When UH ran the simple slant/corner combo for a TD, the OU DBs failed to communicate just like they always do. I think there weee a lot of mistakes that were covered up by King’s poor passing and vision.

Edited September 5, 2019 by Burt Macklin

[Fozzz 152]

On 9/1/2019 at 12:44 PM, Machinator said:

(Scipio Tex) Texas-Louisiana Tech Postmortem: Defense & Special Teams

 

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The multiplicity is a blessing and curse. When you teach looks and alignment, it can come at the expense of assignment. Giving a novel look is very useful. Tackling and knowing how to play your position within the larger construct of the defense is more useful. Smart offenses with capable players respond to our complexity by attacking our soundness. And when the latter is found lacking, complexity is just a way to confuse your defense as much as the opposing QB. Last year, that's where the defense fell apart.

 

 

Becoming a running theme with Orlando.