Media/$9.95-er postgame analysis articles (Week 9)

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Collecting post-game analysis articles from the TCU game here:

(Bobby Burton) Snap Judgments: Poor effort in Fort Worth

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Texas laid an egg in Fort Worth. A big fat one. When they were needed the most, the offense no-showed for almost the entire second half. The Texas defense couldn't get off the field, yielding 37 points to the worst offense in the Big 12. It was perhaps the worst overall performance by a Tom Herman team since the season-opening loss to Maryland a year ago. It was that brutal yet perhaps even more maddening because Texas has a junior quarterback and other talented pieces. Yet the offense looked like it was stuck in the mud, like Gary Patterson knew what play was called and what play Texas would check into. And the defense gave up so many big plays in the pass game it defies belief that the Horns were playing a Big 12 also-ran.

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Texas lost in every phase of the game despite dominating the stat sheet in the first half. But the end of the first half was telling. TCU got the ball inside its own 10-yard line when Texas opted to play prevent defense, rushing only three. That decision allowed TCU QB Max Duggan to get hot, drive his team the length of the field and kick a last-second field goal. Of course, there were a couple of scrambles by Duggan, where Texas' three-man rush allowed him to get outside of the pocket. Just more of the same insanely poor plays by what should be a veteran defensive line. After all, it's not like they get after the passer very well, yet they still somehow let the QB break containment in key situations. Following that drive, TCU had the momentum almost the rest of the afternoon.

**

The safety play of Texas was atrocious, particularly that of Montrel Estell. Estell was nowhere to be found for deep help on the pass D'Shawn Jamison was beaten on, and allowed the game's first touchdown on a third-down throw that should have either been knocked down or intercepted. Estell also didn't create outside containment on a wildcat run for a TD despite it clearly being his assignment. If you're wondering what's so wrong about that, well, he was looking pass from a running back. That's not smart football. That's bad football.

**

Some will surely want to take Tyler Owens to task. He gave up a couple of big plays, too. But Owens was at least competitive on both of his. He showed well in run support and actually made some nice plays on the back end, too.

**

But don't get me wrong, it wasn't all about the defense. Sam Ehlinger seemed to revert to thinking every throw had to be downfield - he didn't check down to a running back until the fourth quarter - and didn't take the easy runs often enough until it was painfully obvious the offense was going nowhere unless he did so. In other words, Ehlinger didn't take the easy stuff that Gary Patterson was giving him. Instead, he decided to make it hard.

It didn't help that there was no run game in the entire second half. After rushing for 72 yards in the first half on just 13 carries, Texas abandoned the run almost altogether in the second. Furthermore, Tom Herman's insistence on going to the hurry up offense when Texas clearly was struggling to move the ball was ill conceived strategically. Herman's overall play-calling wasn't much better.

**

The officials missed multiple penalties in the first half. Cade Brewer was clearly interfered with. That shouldn't have been a roughing call on Keondre Coburn. There was another interference that wasn't called against Duvernay in that half, and some ridiculous spots of the ball. The officials also let TCU defensive backs get away with a little extra contact that has been called in other games. I don't pick on officials too often because they tend to screw up both ways, but the bad calls in the first half, when Texas was really dictating the game, hurt Texas and any chance the Horns had of running away from TCU in the first half.

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It doesn't help that Sam Ehlinger threw four picks. The first three all mattered, and all happened in Texas territory. It's the second week in a row where Ehlinger has been overly careless with the football. And it's the second week in a row where Ehlinger didn't start taking the easy runs until too late in the game.

**

The offensive line had another down game. They had trouble handling the rush. Junior Angilau gave up another sack on a twist. And there were multiple holding penalties, and even a downfield penalty on a senior captain in the red zone.

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The play of Devin Duvernay was the highlight of the day. He seemed to be the only receiver to get open with any regularity.

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There are so many negatives about this game, it's hard to recount them all. This was a team meltdown in the second half on many levels. It's back to the drawing board. Right now, Texas is particularly bad on defense. They can't stop anyone. And on offense, the Horns seem prone to long spells of ineffectiveness. Two of the last three games have been duds. Texas looked horrible today.

(Jeff Howe) Instant Reactions: Texas can't get it done, falls to TCU, 37-27

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FORT WORTH, Texas — Following Thursday’s practice, the last of the week for 15th-ranked Texas before Saturday’s 37-27 loss at TCU, head coach Tom Herman painted a picture opposite of the one hanging over the Forty Acres following a 50-48 win over Kansas. The sky wasn’t falling, Herman said, noting that if the Longhorns played their best against the Horned Frogs, they’d good enough to leave Amon Carter Stadium with a win.

Instead of talking about a bowl-eligible team with two respectable losses, the aftermath for Herman and Co. following a lackluster showing in Fort Worth is dealing with a season that feels in danger of going off the rails. TCU true freshman quarterback Max Duggan outdueled Sam Ehlinger, who threw a career-high for interceptions and the Longhorns could only hold on for so long defensively to prop up a lifeless offense before the Horned Frogs made the backbreaking plays in the fourth quarter that seem to be routinely surrendered by Todd Orlando's group at the most inopportune times.

Texas (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) didn’t play well enough in any phase of the game to get a win. Instead, TCU (4-3, 2-2) claimed Gary Patterson’s sixth victory over the Longhorns in the last seven meetings between the two programs to leave the Longhorns searching for answers heading into a four-game stretch to close out a season that’s teetering on the brink of a once-unthinkable collapse. It most certainly appears now that the sky is indeed falling.

It was over when…

Duggan crossed the goal line from 11 yards out to finish off a 9-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to give the Horned Frogs a 10-point lead with 1:59 remaining in regulation. The Longhorns had their chances to get the TCU offense off of the field, but Duggan (19-of-27, 273 yards, one interception, two touchdowns) hit John Stephens for 16 yards on third-and-11 and Taye Barber (five receptions, 94 yards) for 36 yards on third-and-14. Duggan reached the end zone one play after his connection to Barber. A TCU passing game that entered the day as one of the worst in the Big 12 was able to make big plays down the field when it mattered.

Top Offensive Performer

While the offense sputtered and struggled throughout the day, Devin Duvernay (eight receptions, 173 yards, and a 47-yard touchdown) came to play from the jump and never took his foot off the gas. Duvernay’s fourth 100-yard receiving effort of the season and his second in as many weeks to establish his new single-game career-high in receiving yards (previous high was 154 in the team’s 45-38 loss to LSU on Sept. 7) kept the offense afloat, even if the rest of the group didn’t always capitalize on the big plays he made throughout the day. Collin Johnson made his share of big plays as well, finishing the game with 101 yards on seven receptions.

Top Defensive Performer

Brandon Jones has taken his share of criticism at times this season, but the senior captain wasn’t the reason why the Longhorns fell short on Saturday. Jones recorded a game-high 11 tackles with most of his seven solo stops going down as good open-field tackles where Jones made sound plays to get the ball-carrier on the ground. Jones also recorded 0.5 tackles for loss and an interception, which came on an awful throw by Duggan early in the game where Jones settled under the ball for his second pick of the season. Saturday was also the second 10-tackle game in a row for Jones.

Reason to Feel Optimistic

There’s no reason to feel optimistic after this one. The Longhorns are technically still alive for a chance to get to the Big 12 title game, but nothing Texas did on Saturday suggests this is a team that can put enough together in all three phases of the game to win their four remaining contests for an opportunity to get to AT&T Stadium and win the program's first conference title since 2009. Coming off a near-disaster at home in a two-point win over Kansas, the Longhorns delivered a dud of a performance on Saturday, inspiring no hope to fans and followers of the program that things are going to get better in the immediate future.

Reason to be Pessimistic

The third quarter was about as bad as Texas has played all season. It wasn't bad for a sequence or a stretch, the whole thing (with the exception of one defensive play that was the only positive thing to happen for the Longhorns after halftime) was brutal. Offensively, the Longhorns settled for a field goal the only time they got into the red zone (wasting an impressive 63-yard catch-and-run by Duvernay), turned the ball over twice, averaged 1.8 yards per rushing attempt and needed a fake-punt run by Ryan Bujcevski to extend a drive (Bujcevski left the game shortly thereafter with an injured right shoulder).

Duggan completed his longest pass of the season — a 51-yard bomb to Taye Barber where he got behind Tyler Owens to set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Sewo Olonilua. Duggan then found Jalen Reagor behind the Texas secondary for a 44-yard touchdown one play after an Ehlinger interception. When the quarter ended, Duggan was 7-for-9 for 129 yards and a touchdown. In terms of yardage, those seven completions went for enough yardage that they would’ve made up Duggan’s fourth-best passing game of the season. Getting outscored, 14-3, and being minus-2 in the turnover margin when the third-period dust settled is how the Longhorns found themselves facing an uphill climb entering the fourth quarter.

Modest Proposal

Stop playing Joseph Ossai so far away from the line of scrimmage. On a day when the Longhorns couldn’t generate anything resembling a consistent pass rush on Duggan without blitzing, perhaps the best pass rusher on the squad routinely found himself playing on the wide side of the field and too far away from the play to make a difference. Another disservice done by Orlando was when he appeared to leave his young, inexperienced safeties in vulnerable coverage situations too often at critical times in the game. Duggan’s two big third-and-long conversions on the game-clinching drive came when the Horned Frogs were able to get receivers vertical and force Montrell Estell and Tyler Owens respectively to make plays, which is the matchup TCU had to have wanted in those situations.

Drive of the Game

An 8-play, 83-yard drive in the second quarter that allowed the Longhorns to retake the lead, 17-10, with 1:11 to play until halftime after not leading the game since a 21-yard Cameron Dicker field goal opened the day’s scoring. The offense struggled to move the ball on their previous two drives (only 18 yards gained on nine offensive snaps) and things looked bleak after Jake Smith’s muffed punt put the ball on the 17-yard line.

A 25-yard hookup from Ehlinger to Collin Johnson on third-and-16 that was upheld after a review got the Longhorns out of a rut. Ehlinger hit Duvernay on the run for 28 yards on the next snap and the drive ended with a beautifully-designed wheel route where Johnson and Duvenray carried the cornerback and linebacker on the short side of the field, allowing Ingram to get wide open for a 17-yard touchdown. After looking listless for most of the first half and for almost the entire game, Ehlinger and Co. got it together in a big way on their final possession before intermission.

Best Offensive Play

Duvernay’s 63-yard gain in the third quarter was a tremendous play on his part. After catching a slant from Ehlinger, Duvernay broke a tackle in the middle of the field and beat a defender down the sideline before Jeff Gladney rode him out of bounds at the TCU 6-yard line. It’s just a shame the rest of the offense couldn’t bring the same level of consistent play to the table. It remains to be seen if the Longhorns will be relevant enough down the stretch for Duvernay to be in the mix for first-team All-Big 12 honors, which he’s earned and continues to show he deserves.

Best Defensive Play

A defense that played well for the majority of the first half started to take on water in the third quarter. The Horned Frogs scored two quick touchdowns — one off of an Ehlinger interception — to take the lead, 27-20, and the Longhorns needed something to stop the bleeding. Relief came on a first down for the Horned Frogs late in the period from their own 30-yard line. The Longhorns fanned out into a four-man front and Juwan Mitchell broke free on a blitz to sack Duggan for a 7-yard loss, the key play on a drive that ended with a TCU punt. Put on a short field after Ehlinger’s third interception of the game, the Longhorns held TCU to a field goal to keep Texas in the game. Those successful sequences were triggered by Mitchell’s sack and gave Texas a chance to be in the game in the fourth quarter.

Biggest question heading into the next game

Well, the Longhorns have a bye week next week, so at least they’re not in danger of losing another game. In all seriousness, that sums up the current state of affairs as Texas gets ready for a four-game stretch to close out the regular season beginning in two weeks with a Kansas State club that should be riding high after scoring a home upset of Oklahoma on Saturday. The biggest question is what changes will Herman make in the bye week to change the immediate outlook for his bunch?

Something clearly needs to change because a season where the Longhorns were expected to take a major step forward is now very much in danger coming undone with several big games left on the schedule (road dates with Iowa State and conference-leading Baylor in consecutive weeks). Texas doesn't need to think about bowl destinations or the Big 12 title race, the Longhorns just need to look in the mirror and figure out what they can do to be better than the unsavory product that's been produced the last three weeks.

(Chip Brown) My Take: What went right and wrong (a lot) in UT's loss at TCU

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FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas’ performance against TCU Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium was emblematic of its suddenly unraveling season. Despite several missed opportunities and other adversity (some self-inflicted, some not), the Longhorns were still in control midway through the third quarter, up 20-13. And then everything went to hell. Big plays given up by a defense with a freshman safety (Tyler Owens) making his first-ever start. And three of Sam Ehlinger’s four interceptions came in the final 20 minutes of the game.

TCU scored 13 points off of Ehlinger’s interceptions, including a 44-yard, quick-strike TD pass, one play after his second picked pass. His third interception came on the final play of the third quarter — a horrible decision in what looked like an attempt to throw the ball away. Sam Ehlinger was rolling toward the right sideline and could’ve thrown it into the stands, but threw it right to TCU free safety Trevon Moehrig at the Texas 36. Six plays later, TCU’s Jonathon Song kicked a 33-yard field goal with 11:28 left to play, putting the Frogs up 30-20.

Texas answered as Ehlinger did a nice job leading a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took 4:38 off the clock. Ehlinger completed a 12-yard pass to Collin Johnson on third-and-10 and ran the ball for 10 and 16-yard gains before connecting with John Burt for a 13-yard completion to the TCU 5 on third-and-12. Roschon Johnson plowed into the end zone on a 2-yard run with 6:50 left to play, cutting TCU’s lead to 30-27.

But the Texas defense couldn’t get off the field despite having TCU in third-and-11 from the TCU 24 and third-and-14 from the UT 47 on what proved to be the Horned Frogs’ game-winning touchdown drive. Duggan found John Stephens for a 16-yard completion and first down (against coverage by Montrell Estell) on the third-and-11 conversion, extending TCU’s drive. And then on third-and-14, Duggan found Barber for 36 yards as freshman safety Tyler Owens turned the wrong way to look for the ball, and Barber came down with it at the Texas 11.

Duggan, who was 9-of-12 passing in the second half, ran it into the end zone on the next play, putting TCU up 37-27 with 1:59 left, and Ehlinger’s fourth interception effectively ended the game. Brennan Eagles, who skipped practice for personal reasons this week, didn’t play Saturday. Texas suffered two more injuries - to tight end Cade Brewer (ankle), who was in a boot on crutches by game’s end, and to punter Ryan Bujcevski, who will have surgery Sunday on a broken clavicle (and is likely done for the season) suffered after running for 3 yards on a successful fake punt in the third quarter.

This game had some highlights but far too many lowlights, which included a dropped deep ball by Jake Smith, a muffed punt by Smith (that he recovered) resulting in a 7-yard loss, a missed 26-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker , a failed attempt to ice TCU's kicker on a 52-yard attempt before halftime, a missed sack in the end zone and ineffective red zone offense as well as costly penalties, including an offensive pass interference flag on Collin Johnson on what would’ve been a TD reception and a questionable third-down, roughing the passer call on Keondre Coburn that extended a TCU drive to a touchdown.

A fumbled kick return by TCU’s Jalen Reagor recovered at the TCU 26 by Texas walk-on Jett Bush resulted in no points after Texas’ offense could gain only 3 yards after having first down at the TCU 11, and Cameron Dicker missed a 26-yarder from the right hash. Texas also started a drive at the TCU 42 in the second quarter that resulted in no points after running three plays for minus-5 yards and punting.

Texas has all of this to think about with a record of 5-3 (3-2 Big 12) with an off-week coming up before a home game Nov. 9 against Kansas State. If there’s any good news, it’s that K-State (5-2, 2-2) upset Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1), and Oklahoma State (5-3, 2-3) upset Iowa State (5-3, 3-2), still leaving a chance for Texas to be in the thick of the Big 12 race (led by 7-0 Baylor) if UT can get itself together.

What Went Right for Texas

JOHNSON TD RUN CUTS TCU LEAD TO 30-27: Ehlinger found John Burt for a 13-yard completion to the TCU 5 on third-and-12, and Roschon Johnson plowed into the end zone on a 2-yard run with 6:50 left to play, cutting TCU’s lead to 30-27. After throwing his third interception of the game, Ehlinger did a nice job leading the 12-play, 75-yard drive that took 4:38 off the clock. Ehlinger completed a 12-yard pass to Collin Johnson on third-and-10 and ran the ball for 10 and 16-yard gains before connecting with Burt on the crucial third down conversion at the TCU 5.

Brandon Jones and Joseph Ossai combined to stop Sewo Olonilua for a 3-yard loss on third-and-2 from the UT 13, forcing a 33-yard field goal. Chris Naggar, punting in place of injured starter Ryan Bujcevski (who injured his right shoulder on a 3-yard run for a first down on a fake early in the third quarter) booted a 54-yarder to the TCU 19 on his first attempt.

DICKER FIELD GOAL PUTS UT UP 20-13 IN THIRD QUARTER: Devin Duvernay is a strong dude. He took a pass from Ehlinger at the TCU 40 and broke two tackles while tight-roping his way down the right sideline for a 63-yard gain to the TCU 6. But Texas couldn’t get into the end zone (an offensive pass interference flag on Collin Johnson negated a catch in the end zone by Johnson), leading to a 38-yard field goal by Dicker, putting Texas up 20-13 with 7:46 left in the third quarter.

TEXAS EXECUTES FAKE PUNT IN THIRD QUARTER: Facing fourth-and-1 from the UT 34 on UT’s opening drive of the second half, punter Ryan Bucjevski took the snap and ran to his left for a 3-yard gain and first down, extending UT’s drive. (Texas would ultimately punt three plays later.)

INGRAM TD CATCH PUTS TEXAS UP 17-10: Texas had Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay lined up on the left side, and all of TCU’s defenders went with them on slant routes toward the middle of the field, leaving Keaontay Ingram all alone on a trailing wheel route. Ehlinger hit Ingram for a 17-yard touchdown strike, putting Texas up 17-10 with 1:11 left in the half. On the eight-play, 83-yard drive to Ingram’s 17-yard TD catch, Ehlinger converted third-and-16 from the UT 11 with 2:11 left in the second quarter with a perfectly thrown 25-yard pass up the right sideline to Collin Johnson, who did a great job getting his left foot in bounds on the catch. On the next play, Ehlinger stepped up in the pocket and hit Duvernay for a 28-yard gain to the TCU 36.

TEXAS RECOVERS JALEN REAGOR FUMBLE: Byron Vaughns tripped TCU’s Jalen Reagor on the kick return following Duvernay’s 47-yard TD catch, and Reagor’s hand carrying the ball hit the turf as he tried to brace himself and keep from falling, and the ball came loose. It was recovered by UT walk-on Jett Bush at the TCU 26 with 10:50 left in the second quarter.

EHLINGER TO DUVERNAY TD PASS TIES GAME AT 10-10: Texas overcame first-and-16 after a holding call on Parker Braun with a 17-yard pass from Ehlinger to Collin Johnson (extended by a personal foul facemask on TCU). After a 2-yard run by Ingram, Duvernay ran an out-and-up, and Ehlinger hit him with a perfect pass at the TCU 20 and Duvernay ran it the rest of the way for a 47-yard TD catch-and-run, tying the game 10-10 with 10:57 left in the second quarter. Malcolm Roach got pressure on TCU quarterback Max Duggan on third down, forcing Duggan to throw the ball away on third-and-4 from the UT 14, after an interception by Ehlinger had set TCU up at the Texas 20. The play forced a 32-yard field goal by Jonathan Song, which tied the game 3-3 with 2:25 left in the first quarter.

JONES INTERCEPTS DUGGAN IN TEXAS TERRITORY: After TCU opened its second possession with back-to-back, 11-yard gains, Brandon Jones easily intercepted Max Duggan at the Texas 27 and was tackled at the UT 24.

DICKER FIELD GOAL PUTS TEXAS UP 3-0: After failing to convert third-and-3 from the TCU 5, as my man Bobby Burton said, Tom Herman appeared to commit “binder insubordination” and had Cameron Dicker kick a 21-yard field goal, putting Texas up 3-0 with 6:32 left in the first quarter. On third-and-3 from the Texas 38, Ehlinger hit Collin Johnson with a perfect back-shoulder throw down the left sideline for 26 yards to the TCU 12.

After Ehlinger was initially ruled short on third-and-1, upon further review, Ehlinger was determined to have gained the first down at the TCU 45 with 8:58 left in the first quarter. Texas overcame a holding penalty on Junior Angilau that created first-and-20 with a 20-yard pass from Ehlinger to Devin Duvernay on the next play on UT’s first offensive possession. Keaontay Ingram ran for 17 yards through traffic on UT’s first offensive play of the game. Brandon Jones successfully executed a fair catch at the Texas 17 on a punt after TCU’s opening drive. (Just sayin, it’s been a struggle this season … and would be later in the game for Jake Smith.)

Juwan Mitchell and Moro Ojomo made first contact, stuffing TCU’s Sewo Olonilua for no gain on third-and-1 at midfield, forcing a punt on the Frogs’ opening drive. Texas won the toss and deferred to the second half.

What went wrong for Texas

Tyler Owens had good coverage on a deep ball to Taye Barber that fell incomplete, bringing up third-and-11 from the TCU 24 with 5:48 left to play. But Duggan found John Stephens for a 16-yard completion and first down (against coverage by Montrell Estell), extending TCU’s drive.

THIRD EHLINGER INT TURNS INTO FG AND 30-20 TCU LEAD: Ehlinger threw his third interception of the game on the final play of the third quarter — a horrible decision in what looked like an attempt to throw the ball away. Ehlinger was rolling toward the right sideline and could’ve thrown it into the stands, but threw it right to TCU free safety Trevon Moehrig at the Texas 36. Six plays later, TCU’s Jonathon Song kicked a 33-yard field goal with 11:28 left to play, putting the Frogs up 30-20.

SECOND EHLINGER INT TURNS INTO TCU LEAD: TCU turned Sam Ehlinger's second interception of the game into a quick-strike, 44-yard TD pass from Max Duggan to Jalen Reagor with 4:17 left in the third quarter (with D'Shawn Jamison in coverage), putting TCU up 27-20. At that point, Duggan was 7-of-8 passing in the second half.

Collin Johnson was flagged for offensive pass interference on a touchdown catch with eight minutes left in the third quarter (an ineligible man downfield flag on Zach Shackelford was declined on the play). Two plays later, Texas settled for a 38-yard Cameron Dicker field goal that put Texas up 20-13. Texas ended up punting three plays after executing a fake punt on UT’s opening drive of the second half. John Burt laid out for what would’ve been a nice catch, but the ball bounced off Burt’s hands, incomplete. Ehlinger was initially ruled to have a first down on third-and-1 from the UT 34 on Texas’ opening drive of the second half. But upon further review, he was ruled short, bringing up fourth down.

TCU KICKS 52-YARD FIELD GOAL ON FINAL PLAY OF HALF: TCU kicker Griffin Kell (the Frogs’ “long” FG kicker) missed wide right just after Tom Herman called timeout to ice Kell on a 52-yard attempt on the final play of the first half. Kell converted the 52-yarder on his second attempt, cutting Texas’ lead to 17-13 at halftime. Texas tight end Cade Brewer left the game with an ankle injury with 1:31 left in the second quarter after having his ankle rolled up from behind.

Jake Smith mishandled a booming, 58-yard punt at UT’s 24, and the ball went 7 yards backward, where he jumped on it at the Texas 17 with 3:22 left in the second quarter. Texas came into the TCU game dead last nationally (130 of 130 in FBS) on punt returns with eight for minus-5 yards. After Smith’s muffed punt in the first half, Texas had nine punt returns for minus-12 yards for the season. Malcolm Roach barely missed a sack of Max Duggan in the end zone on third-and-9 with just more than four minutes left in the first half, and Duggan ended up running out of the end zone for an 11-yard gain and first down.

TEXAS GETS NO POINTS AFTER FUMBLE RECOVERY AT TCU 26: Ehlinger hit Collin Johnson with a 15-yard completion on second down to the TCU 11. But Ehlinger threw incomplete to Johnson on first down; Ingram ran for 3 yards on second down; and then on third-and-7, Ehlinger couldn’t connect with Johnson, leading to a 26-yard field-goal attempt, which Dicker missed wide left.

DICKER MISSES 26-YARD FIELD GOAL: Dicker made the exact 26-yard field goal from the right hash in warmups but hooked it wide left with 9:00 left in the second quarter, leaving the game tied 10-10, after Texas had recovered a Jalen Reagor fumble at the TCU 26. Parker Braun was flagged for holding, negating a 4-yard run by Ingram, on the opening play of UT’s first possession of the second quarter, bringing up first-and-16.

QUESTIONABLE ROUGHING CALL EXTENDS TCU TD DRIVE: Keondre Coburn was called for a questionable roughing the passer personal foul on a third-and-5 incomplete pass with 14:54 left in the second quarter. (Coburn was in the act of tackling Max Duggan when he released the football and didn’t do anything excessive.) The call extended a drive to a TCU touchdown (on a 24-yard pass from Duggan to Pro Wells against Montrell Estell’s coverage) that put the Frogs up 10-3 with 12:18 left in the second quarter.

Montrell Estell, starting at safety along with freshman Tyler Owens in place of injured starters (Caden Sterns, Chris Brown and DeMarvion Overshown), closed on Pro Wells in the end zone but not fast enough to bat the ball down on Wells’ 24-yard touchdown reception. Cade Brewer appeared to be interfered with on a third-and-7 pass from Ehlinger with two minutes left in the first quarter. But there was no flag, and UT punted the ball away.

EHLINGER INTERCEPTION LEADS TO TCU FIELD GOAL: Devin Duvernay stopped his route as if he was going to break it off and reverse course, but Ehlinger was already in the process of throwing the ball, so it ended up as a perfect pass to TCU linebacker Garret Wallow, who returned the pick to the Texas 20 with 3:43 left in the first quarter. The Texas defense held TCU to a field goal after the turnover.

SMITH DROP WOULD’VE GONE FOR BIG GAIN: Jake Smith got behind the TCU defense but then dropped a deep ball from Ehlinger at the TCU 40 (that would’ve been at least a 32-yard gain from the UT 28 - maybe even a touchdown) with 3:54 left in the first quarter. On the next play, Ehlinger was intercepted.

After having first down at the TCU 12-yard line, Ehlinger threw incomplete to John Burt on first down; Ingram ran for 7 yards on second down; and on third-and-3 from the TCU 5, Ehlinger ran QB power to the right for 2 yards, leading to a 21-yard Cameron Dicker field goal. An 8-yard run by Sam Ehlinger was negated by a holding call against Junior Angilau, who tackled TCU’s Ochaun Mathis on the play.

TCU converted third-and-5 with an 11-yard catch-and-run by Jalen Reagor on the Frogs’ opening drive. Sophomore safety DeMarvion Overshown (shoulder) didn’t make the trip to Fort Worth, resulting in freshman Tyler Owens and sophomore Montrell Estell starting at safety for Texas with D’Shawn Jamison and Anthony Cook starting at cornerback and Brandon Jones starting at nickel.

OTHER NOTABLES:

Texas tight end Cade Brewer left the game with an ankle injury with 1:31 left in the second quarter after having his ankle rolled up from behind.

(Justin Wells) Three Quick Thoughts: TCU 37, Texas 27

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“We’re not good. We need to be better.” - Tom Herman, following the 37-27 loss to TCU from Amon Carter Stadium on Saturday. You said it, coach.

1. The Zero Blitz.

It belongs in the dumpster. TCU landed two touchdown plays (or plays that set up TDs) on terrible blitzes. The 1-on-1 to Jalen Reagor was a fire zone where they had Jamison on him. No bueno. TCU also threw a TD pass when UT blitzed Joseph Ossai and had Juwan Mitchell drop into Tampa 2 the old fashioned way. And then gave up the 3rd-and-11 scramble earlier on the final drive by dropping Ossai from a blitz position to bring a bad and late double ILB blitz where both guys ran into blocks. Just bad fundamental football. There were some good things too, but that’s hard to see right now. Roach set the edge well, and added four TFL. When they trusted inverted Tampa 2, Texas played well enough to win. But thanks to Zero Blitz, it wasn’t today.

2. Not Sam’s Day

Texas coaches and fans hadn’t seen this Sam Ehlinger since 2017. On a day when he passed Vince Young for 2nd all-time in total touchdowns (82) and threw for over 300 yards, his four interceptions turned into 13 TCU points. Texas was kicking field goals in the first half, after being one of the top teams in the nation scoring in the red zone. Ehlinger wasn’t helped by drops, inconsistent o-line play, and receivers stopping routes. But the kid that usually has to be Superman for the Horns to have a chance was more kryptonite. This’ll sting.

It overshadows a great day by Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay (15 catches, 287 yards combined), and a healthy bounce in the step of sophomore tailback Keaontay Ingram. Poor red-zone execution, Max Duggan’s coming-out party, and playing from behind was the tale of the tape. When Cameron Dicker missed a chip shot, I believed the universe was off. Ridiculous.

3. Headed into the bye week.

Texas might be unranked come Monday, and it’s probably accurate. This loss will sit on their stomachs for the full two weeks. Kansas State comes to town in two Saturdays, coming off an upset of No. 5 OU. K-State’s formula paralyzed the Sooners. I’m not sure what we’ll see from either side of the ball, other than hopefully some healthy bodies and right minds.

 

[BigSwingingD 719]

Hey, let me sum all these up.

We fucking suck and it revolves around shitty assistant coaching managed by Herman who is ultimately responsible. 

Hook'em 

[satyanash 14281]

Burnt Orange Nation: Three thoughts as No. 15 Texas falls to TCU, 37-27

Eric Nahlin: Today's confirmation is...

Quote

Tom Herman needs to be a head coach, not a coordinator. He needs a dedicated offensive coordinator. Head coaches offer oversight to their coordinators and make sure to have a good pulse of the team. Each aspect is currently lacking. Personally I don't care how it comes about, but Tom needs to re-appropriate his own duties and unburden himself in the process. The Texas job comes with a lot of stresses, many of them very stupid, but if he's coordinating he can't possibly cover all the tasks.

Having a 7-4 split on O/D is egregious. Nobody with an IQ above 80 thought it made sense in real time, especially in a league where offense is easier to come by than defense. We kinda gave him the benefit of the doubt because it's his tenure. But it didn't make sense. So now it's time to fix things. How do y'all think Chris Del Conte felt eating that loss sitting in the house of his former employer. None of this is emotional due to the loss. It's just the green light I needed to offer thoughts I've held for some time. In fact, dating back to when the only move he made was hiring Herb Hand.

 

[satyanash 14281]

(Scipio Tex) TCU Postmortem: Defense/Special Teams

Quote

Down 30-27 after a sputtering 2nd half Texas offense finally got back on track for a 12 play, 75 yard touchdown drive, a struggling Longhorn defense (TCU scored on 4 of their 6 second half possessions) had the chance to get a stop, give the ball back to the Texas offense, and steal a game in Ft Worth. The TCU drive began with Max Duggan converting 3rd and 11 on an easy pitch and catch. The Texas defense regathered itself and behind sterling play from Malcolm Roach and Keondre Coburn, inflicted a series of negative plays on the Frogs to bring up 3rd and 14 with 2:34 on the clock at midfield. Any of this sound familiar? It's about to get more familiar.

With the game on the line, the Longhorn coaching staff telegraphed a zero blitz that exposed the Texas secondary to a series of one-on-one match-ups. Duggan read it as easily as a Clifford The Big Red Dog yarn, threw a nice ball on an automatic to green, Taye Barber went and got it, beating Owens -- a true freshman safety locked in man coverage. Another zero blitz at nut-cutting time. Another long conversion. TCU: 1st and 10 on the Longhorn 11. Still, if Texas could just hold the Frogs to a field goal, the game was still very winnable.

And the clock virtually guaranteed a first down run...so... On the next play, TCU ran a simple zone read for the Duggan score. The Texas Defense had no assignment discipline and no edge enforcement. Zero. Juwan Mitchell sat paralyzed and unblocked as Duggan scampered for the game-winning touchdown. I refuse to call it the edge anymore. From now on, it's the welll-rounded nub. 37-27, Frogs. And in only two plays, the perfect encapsulation of Todd Orlando's defense. Old habits die hard. Sad hours seem long. That's how it finished, but that's not how it started.

Texas started the game resisting many of its worst impulses and - despite a walking wounded safety corps - held TCU to 13 first half points that saw TCU rush for 93 yards (longest rush was 11 yards) while Max Duggan went 10 of 15 for 92 yards. That's not defensive domination, but it's damn reasonable. It was unquestionably winning defense. Aside from a blown coverage that allowed an open post route blitz TD (on 3rd and 17, sigh), Texas played a lot of basic 3-3-5 nickel defense, allowing the Longhorn front to dominate the LOS with numbers tackling capably behind them. Orlando also frequently used the Texas cornerbacks to set the edge, allowing layered coverage to take care of the Frog passing game while the interior of the Texas DL kicked serious ass between the tackles despite double teams at every point of attack. TCU shielded Duggan against that game plan (particularly after his ill-advised throw to Brandon Jones) and Texas was taking advantage of it.

Something seemed to shift at the end of the first half. TCU got the ball with only 1:04 on the clock at their 6 yard line, down 17-10. Their freshman QB calmly marched the Toad offense down the field, hitting easy short gains against an early prevent defense and then increasingly predictable Texas blitzes. Corner blitzes so obvious the play-by-play announcer called them out pre-snap the third time we ran the same short side corner blitz in a row. Duggan went 6 for 7 on that drive, his confidence grew, Sonny Cumbie saw what was possible if the Horns could be goaded into easy-read single coverages, and TCU got a field goal. I think TCU got a lot more than three points on that drive. They got a second half game plan.

In the second stanza, Duggan went 9 of 12 for a sizzling 181 yards while adding 72 yards rushing for the game. He did most of his damage against the Longhorn blitz (the first long ball on Owens was a 3 man rush), which revealed a lack of fundamental play that had been largely absent in the first half. The true freshman dominated with 345 total yards and three touchdowns. TCU scored 24 points and averaged 7.8 yards per play in the second half.

Given that TCU's running backs carried 28 times for 90 yards (a 3.2 yards per carry average) for the entire game running against mostly honest (or even light) Texas fronts, that's a hard pill to swallow. Yes, the Texas offense crapped the bed spectacularly in the second half, but does Texas still have a chance to win if the D stuck to its 1st half knitting? We'll never know.

DL

If you just watch the ball, you may not believe that several members of the Texas DL kicked serious ass. But they did. Malcolm Roach was a wild man with 4 tackles for loss and a sack. He also could have earned two personal fouls that weren't called and I'm not sure what's going on with respect to the coaches setting some parameters of smart play for our defenders. Keondre Coburn made number of terrific hustle plays, got good penetration, and once again made a tackle downfield on a short pass. The roughing call on him was absurd.

Moro Ojomo is really starting to show pop at contact. I'd love to see what he could be as an attacking 3 tech inside. On the first TCU drive where Texas held on 3rd and 1, Mitchell made the tackle, but it was Moro who created the disruption. Bimage had a terrific form tackle on a 3rd and 2 to stop the RB cold and short of the sticks. Graham was solid, though his two tackles aren't prominent in the box score. Chisholm got some snaps in relief. Before Orlando lost his discipline, the entire game plan hinged on these guys winning 3 on 5 inside and they consistently delivered. TCU's "normal" run game was a total non-factor.

LB

Some good and bad. Obviously, Juwan Mitchell had some lowlights, most prominent on Duggan's game clinching TD, but I wonder how much I should put on the player when it's so clear that coaching is an issue. Mitchell also had a freebie sack on a stunt and put his head in there several times while logging 7 tackles. Adeoye played well enough for us to win. Like Mitchell, he has some paralysis moments, but he flowed OK when we were in our 3-3-5 and he can handle drop zone coverages that don't expose him to 1 on 1s. Joseph Ossai had 10 tackles and was all over the place. Warrior. Clearly playing hurt. He did a nice job in coverage choking off some routes before they blossomed into something damaging. What an asset.

DB

Brandon Jones had a very good game and I'm not just talking about the interception that Duggan gifted him. He was allowed to do real safety stuff and really did a nice job as a run force and overall hustler. 11 tackles. He wasn't flawless, but I saw a ton of effort, leadership, and range. Not coincidental to his employment, IMO. Jones is at his best from depth. Period.

Montrell Estell struggled in some spots and while Brock Huard's commentary was totally appropriate about his lack of break on the ball on TCU's 3rd and 17 first half touchdown, the receiver (I believe a TE?) running that post route was inside of Estell's alignment and the deep middle of the field was wide open by defensive deployment. Contrast that with the Brandon Jones INT and how Texas had three across deep when we correctly guessed a TCU deep shot.

Tyler Owens was shielded well in the first half with defense in depth. In the second half, not so much. He did his best. Man coverage for a 6-2, 210 freshman safety probably isn't his best use. TCU hit him for two big catches totaling 87 yards and a touchdown on simple verticals. D'shawn Jamison blew a second half coverage on a five man rush. He played the go route like he had safety help and could stare into the backfield. Zero understanding of game situation there. Reagor sprinted by him for the 41 yard gimme touchdown. Fundamentals. Reagor was irrelevant except for that one play. Jalen Green was eased back into action and played very good ball. TCU had little interest in targeting him. Anthony Cook played well in more limited snaps.

Special Teams

Jake Smith flubbed another punt return, losing nine yards of field position. Dicker went 2/3 on field goals, surprisingly shanking a gimme. Byron Vaughns had a nice hit that forced a Frog KOR fumble. Terrific fake punt by Buj and a nice job of downing TCU at the 2 in conjunction with Brandon Jones. Unfortunately, Buj is now down for the year.

Final

TCU's offense was a good matchup for this defense, particularly given the current personnel situation. For 29 minutes, the Texas defensive staff played it right and surrendered 10 points. Then some old bad habits kicked in just a bit too often as the Longhorn offense started committed second half seppuku. 27 TCU points surrendered to a true freshman QB later, Texas is 5-3. On to the bye week...

 

[ImissWallyPryor 9045]

13 minutes ago, satyanash said:

(Scipio Tex) TCU Postmortem: Defense/Special Teams

 

ÛWe 

[satyanash 14281]

 

[dcar00 14036]

13 minutes ago, satyanash said:

 

yeah these guys don't watch football. this was a full team effort O, D, and ST.  in that order.

[satyanash 14281]

Kaelen Jones: Great expectations at Texas turn bleak after another loss to TCU

Quote

FORT WORTH, Texas — The grief-stricken faces of Texas’ players told the story as they walked off the field while TCU students rushed it following the final whistle Saturday night inside Amon G. Carter Stadium. Linebacker Joseph Ossai took in “The Eyes of Texas” with a dejected posture, standing with his hands on his hips before walking back to the locker room without removing his helmet. Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Keondre Coburn fought off tears.

The No. 15 Longhorns (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) suffered a stinging 37-27 loss on the road to TCU (4-3, 2-2). The Horned Frogs improved to 6-2 against UT since joining the Big 12 in 2012 and won their fifth of the past six contests against the Longhorns. Yet, Saturday’s final result was something coach Tom Herman admitted that he didn’t envision. “Obviously not the outcome that we had expected or prepared for,” Herman said.

The Longhorns’ road back to the Big 12 title game offers little room for error. But earlier on Saturday, the door had opened a little wider. Kansas State upset No. 5 Oklahoma while No. 23 Iowa State lost to Oklahoma State. No. 14 Baylor, idle this week, is the only remaining unbeaten Big 12 team. The developments provided an opportunity for UT, now entering an idle week. The Longhorns fell short, continuing to reveal more of the shortcomings that have persisted into the second half of the season.

UT’s 27 points represented its lowest offensive output this year, matching its lackluster showing against Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown. Junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger had an uncharacteristically bad outing, going 22-of-48 for a season-low 45.8 percent completion rate. The day amounted to 321 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions, the most he’s thrown in a game in his career. He had entered Saturday with three total interceptions all season and matched that mark with a pick to end the third quarter.

Ehlinger, as did Herman, praised TCU coach Gary Patterson’s defense. Both admitted the tactics weren’t necessarily complex, though. “They did a great job in coverage,” Ehlinger said. “They’ve got an experienced secondary. They didn’t do anything exotic or cut anybody loose and did a good job of bringing pressure, but also being balanced and making it difficult for our guys to get open.”

“I mean, (TCU has) the best defense in the conference for a reason,” Herman said. “We did not play at the level that we expected on that side of the ball.” The Longhorns often go as Ehlinger does, and perhaps his performance best encapsulates the struggles their offense suffered against TCU. Ehlinger’s first interception of the contest led to TCU’s first field goal. TCU later used Ehlinger’s third and fourth interceptions to cash in touchdown drives that highlighted a 17-0 Horned Frogs’ run during the third and fourth quarters. “He was off a little bit, certainly,” Herman said of Ehlinger.

Perhaps even more devastating: The Longhorns seemingly had control of the game through the opening half, taking a 17-13 lead into halftime. But they squandered opportunities to increase the margin early on. UT’s offense entered Saturday ranked fifth nationally in red-zone offense, where it was scoring touchdowns at an 85.7 percent clip. Conversely, TCU’s defense had allowed opponents to score touchdowns in the red zone on 77.8 percent of their trips, which ranked tied for 124th nationally. But the Longhorns scored touchdowns on only two of their five possessions from 20 yards in Saturday. Sophomore Cameron Dicker missed a 20-yard attempt that squandered linebacker Jett Bush’s fumble recovery during a kickoff. “That was big,” Herman said. “We’ve been so good at scoring touchdowns in the red zone for three years here. Credit to (TCU’s) defense.”

The Longhorns defense, under scrutiny for underwhelming performances throughout the year and in a narrow win the previous week against Kansas, held TCU’s offense to one pass of more than 20 yards through the first half. It contained the rushing attack to no runs of more than 15 yards through the entire game. However, UT’s secondary ultimately surrendered gains of 51, 44 and 36 that led to TCU touchdowns. Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan, who tallied 273 yards passing and 72 yards rushing, had his way with defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s unit when it mattered.

“We’re not good,” Herman said of his defense. “We need to be better. I think the off week will help. We’ve got to do a better job as coaches. The guys that are out there, we’ve got to get them ready to play. We’ve got to make plays, and got to put them in position to do so.” Orlando’s defenses have allowed 119 points in the last three games. When asked if anything over the past month has shaken his faith in Orlando, Herman answered, “No, no.”

Orlando’s defense has had to manage a litany of injuries, particularly hampering its secondary. Although the return of sophomore cornerback Jalen Green certainly helped Saturday, the absence of safeties B.J. Foster, DeMarvion Overshown and Caden Sterns — who are each expected to return by Nov. 9 to face Kansas State — have hamstrung the unit. Defensive backs Chris Brown and Josh Thompson are also out. As a result, against TCU, the Longhorns deployed true freshmen Tyler Owens and Chris Adimora, as well as sophomore Montrell Estell, with greater frequency. Owens and Estell specifically found themselves on the wrong end on a handful of TCU’s deep completions during the contest.

Senior defensive back Brandon Jones said that he doesn’t think that it’s only the younger secondary members who should be at fault for the Horned Frogs hitting on long gains. Instead, he suggested that blame should be shared by the entire team. “It’s a collective group,” Jones said. “As an offense and defense. We’ve had plenty of opportunities to be able to win that game, and we just gotta execute at the end of the day.”

With four games left in the regular season, the Longhorns’ flaws are apparent. Those same shortcomings have pushed their season to the brink. Over recent weeks, their strengths — namely the offense — haven’t executed consistently enough. UT’s second idle week should prove useful, not just from a health standpoint, but from an emotional and a mental one, too. That’s what Herman is banking on, at least.

The third-year coach was asked if Saturday’s loss represented a setback, considering the expectations that have accompanied the Longhorns this season, now through three losses, the most unexpected —and perhaps most telling — of which came against the Frogs. “There’s no setback,” Herman said. “We’ve got to push forward. We’ve got to figure out what we did wrong, figure out what we did wrong in preparation and get guys healthy.”

(Scipio Tex) TCU Postmortem: Offense

Quote

The Longhorn offense was certainly explosive early on. First, on TCU's defense (Texas had over 275 yards total at halftime as Sam threw for 211). Then, increasingly, on itself. With no back up underwear. The Longhorn passing game had four turnovers - two I'd put mainly on Texas receivers, two on the QB - and a good, if sloppy, first half was frittered away by a second half performance that made keeping up with TCU's own deep passing explosion impossible.

I could write several paragraphs about what I saw and what shifted as TCU made some personnel changes (Patterson benched a couple of dudes) and Patterson reinforced a few scheme adjustments on defense, but these observations are best summated as: Texas has a basic offense and Gary Patterson solved it once he got his secondary defenders to do what he wanted.

QB

Sam finished 22 of 48 for 321 yards with two touchdown and four interceptions after a spirited 1st half deep ball display that saw Ehlinger throw for over 211 yards at 19.2 yards per completion. He added another 49 yards rushing for the game and was effective with his legs overall. Texas was aggressive pushing the ball down the field and while that came at the cost of consistency, there were big plays aplenty and it created some running game space.

The second half was tough to watch. As TCU broke down our offense (the Frogs had an amazing 6 PBUs), #11 started to break down. I saw a lot of frustration at our lack of route adjustments and the vanilla nature of some of our passing game was increasingly evident as TCU began jumping routes and shutting down obvious route combinations. Sam went 11 of 25 for 110 yards and three interceptions in the second half. You're not going to win with that. Worst half of football I can remember from him in some time.

RB

Keaontay Ingram ran well (he had two 12+ yard runs lost to penalties) and did his job on a wide open TD catch. He had 60 yards at halftime and was averaging over 5 yards per carry. As against KU last week, TCU made some simple adjustments to our two or three run plays and he finished the game with 71 yards and only touched it five times in the second half. So much for complementary football. Ro Johnson was fine despite rushing for only 9 yards on 5 carries. It just wasn't there for him. Seeing him get tackled on a screen with no flag shocked me as much as it shocked him. For three weeks in a row, Longhorn opponents have solved the Horn running game for at least one decisive half of football. TCU held Texas to 16 yards rushing on 9 carries in the 3rd quarter. No misdirection, no constraints, no adjustments.

WR/TE

Eagles was held out for discipline reasons. John Burt had 3 catches for 21 yards, a drop, and a couple of bad routes. Jake Smith dropped another deep ball and ran a poor rounded in-cut that created another Ehlinger pick when the small TCU coverage safety claimed his space and the ball.

Duvernay's worst play was not completing an early 1st half in route that allowed a pick to Wallow. Beyond that, he was incredibly dynamic. He went 8-173-1 td, including huge catches of 47 and 63 yards. TCU really had trouble getting him on the ground in space. CJ had a great first half, winning most of his match-ups with TCU's #1 cornerback Jeff Gladney (4-83 at half). That changed a bit in the second half as Gladney and the Frog defense figured out our route combinations and Collin was held to 3 catches for 24 yards in the second half. The refs allowed physical play in press coverage and, as against OU, Texas didn't have many answers on the perimeter.

Outside of CJ and Duve, the Longhorn WR corps was largely a no-show. Cade Brewer left in the late first half with an ankle injury. Jared Wiley replaced him and played OK blocking smalls on the perimeter. He and Leitao were non-factors as receivers and TCU treated them as such.

OL

TCU got very little penetration (2 tackles for loss, 1 sack) and while their pass rushers did put some heat on Ehlinger (four QB hits, some hurries), our continued inability to help the OL with misdirection, spreading the field, or putting defenders into conflict was again evident. Both starting guards were flagged twice. Angilau and Braun had holds that hurt us and both had false starts.

Shack had a load to contend with inside with Blacklock and held his own more often than not. When he didn't? Let's just say a fresh Blacklock is a handful. The OL did their job outside of some penalties and a couple of pressures surrendered on obvious passing downs. Anyone looking at them without considering the larger structure of the offense is missing the boat, IMO.

Final

Texas lacks balance on offense. Not in terms of pure/run pass ratio (forcing 50/50 is false balance), but in terms of attacking defenses in different ways once they make adjustments to our concepts. That was evident in the second half. It was plainly evident in the red zone. The bye week would be a good chance for Texas to reflect on how it can help create some indecision for the opponent's defense.

 

[satyanash 14281]

InsideTexas: Offensive Report Card---TCU

Quote

We left some great opportunities to score more points on the field in the first half. Blame should be spread around. The one constant that is often overlooked is that the players play and the coaches teach. Regardless of the disconnect between the two real winning teams find a way to get the job done. We seem to have lost the ability to have fun playing the game. It's looks more like a full-time job at this point of the season---at least that's the way it looks to me. Here are the grades:

1---Burt---borderline.

2---Johnson---pass.

6---Duvernay---pass+

9---Johnson---pass

11---Ehlinger---borderline

16---Smith---borderline

18---Wiley---borderline

26---Ingram---pass+

52---Cosmi---pass

56---Shackelford---borderline

68---Kerstetter---pass

73---Braun---borderline

75---Angilau---borderline

80---Brewer---borderline

81---Leitao---pass

We found a way to eliminate the ground game after a very productive first quarter running the ball on early downs. Not sure whether it was by coaches choice or if Sam checked out of a base run call but we took two of our better weapons out of the equation. It's also easier on our OL when we keep the defense honest. It would also help to actually have another couple of additional series that put pressure on the defense with real options not only available but actually used.

It's going to be a long two weeks. It would be nice if we found our way back to having fun playing the game again. It's easy to put all the blame on the coaching staff but regardless of how bad a play call is for the situation it has a chance to be successful if all 11 players do their job. Sometimes that's extremely difficult but not impossible. Kinda like being a quality fan right now.

InsideTexas: Defensive Report Card---TCU

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Players play. Coaches teach. Old has-beens try to find the golden nuggets in our defensive play. We have eight games under our belt. We have been teaching and learning since August. The DL never lost the LOS. The DL tried vainly to apply pressure on passes but 3 vs. 5 isn't exactly the best situation. The DL made several outstanding plays---many more very good ones and played winning ball across the board. We also had one safety and one corner play extremely well. We had one LB that makes plays from everywhere but is hamstrung playing so far away from attacking the action too damn often. That puts a wrap on my positive point of view.

Here are the grades:

3---Green---pass

4---Cook---pass

5---Jamison---fail

6---Mitchell---borderline

19---Jones---pass

32---Roach---pass+

39---Estelle---fail

40---Adeoye---fail

42---Bimage---pass

44---Owens---fail

46---Ossai---pass

49---Graham---pass

91---Chisholm---pass

93---Sweat---pass

98---Ojomo---pass

99---Coburn---pass

I have two plays I want to discuss that show my frustration with our defensive approach. We have had eight games and a ton of practices since we started this journey. I think that's a fair amount of experience to put a respectful product on the field for these two examples. Maybe with another bye week we can come to a successful conclusion if we are actually able to identify the problems. I don't really hold out much hope but miracles never cease.

The main concern is a situation that occurs every week and we haven't taken the steps to remedy the mistake yet. We are aligned in our base? look. Nose and two 4i's plus two three technique LB's. By alignment the nose has the playside A gap. The offside LB has cutback on flow away. The playside 4i has the B gap. The playside LB has C gap and it's best that he scrapes immediately (off the 4i's butt to the LOS) where he can force, spill, or contain according to the design of the play.

We might get one scrape for every 10 times the situation comes up. We mainly get either frozen or false step inside---either way we get pinned inside or attempt to undercut the block which cuts off even more pursuit. It's not a once in a while happening---it's almost every damn time. Nobody corrects it or there is no accountability for continuing to make the mistake.

Why do we need the backer plugging the same gap the 4i is controlling? I guess it beats stunting the backer straight into the OG but I don't see the difference---we still have two in the same gap either way. We don't have an abundance of GL plays but the times we do we simply refuse to set any kind of hard spot to actually turn the flow back inside to the pursuit. If we did he might actually take the QB keeper which has scored a few hundred times against our strategy the last three years.

I still remember our college coach telling our hard spot (contain) that he didn't give a damn if the edge had to run up the campus library to the third floor he wanted that ball turned back into pursuit which should be somewhere on the second floor unless they squat to pee along the way. He had a way about him you might say. By the way, on the 3rd and 17 GL td pass that Estelle didn't quite break up exactly who had the pylon WR that was running free down the boundary?

By alignment it appeared Estelle had the deep half/third with two wide open receivers to choose between. If he jumps the post early doesn't the QB just throw to the pylon WR? You might say he had his choice. This defense hasn't had fun all season. They are not well coached (or taught) but they still need to play the game. Once the ball is snapped it's find ball and tackle ball. Players need to make plays regardless of circumstances. Good fundamentals sure make the game easier and probably more fun. Wish we would try it.

 

[Monahorns 34]

Quote

I could write several paragraphs about what I saw and what shifted as TCU made some personnel changes (Patterson benched a couple of dudes) and Patterson reinforced a few scheme adjustments on defense, but these observations are best summated as: Texas has a basic offense and Gary Patterson solved it once he got his secondary defenders to do what he wanted.

This is a bit aggravating though.  Isn't this what Inside Texas is paying him to do?  Give insight we all can't see for ourselves.  I mean, no shit, the TCU secondary changed things and played better in the 2nd half.  The question is how and what could Texas have done to counter the counters.

[dcar00 14036]

48 minutes ago, Monahorns said:

This is a bit aggravating though.  Isn't this what Inside Texas is paying him to do?  Give insight we all can't see for ourselves.  I mean, no shit, the TCU secondary changed things and played better in the 2nd half.  The question is how and what could Texas have done to counter the counters.

he knows shit. that'll be 9.95

[satyanash 14281]

Bobby Burton: Texas-TCU Grades

Quarterback

In his worst game in two years, Sam Ehlinger tried to do too much. Ehlinger didn’t play within himself, instead he forced the ball downfield and didn’t take easier gains. That mentality, and subsequent failure, led the Horns to a second half offensive malaise that caused Texas problems on both sides of the ball. Ehlinger must run the football and he has to check down to the backs more often. Not to mention, he can’t be throwing four INTs in a single game, all of them in Texas territory. The junior, as much as any single player, contributed to the Texas loss. It’s exceedingly rare, but that’s what happened.

Grade: F

Running backs

Keaontay Ingram averaged more than six yards a carry in the first half, only to be rendered completely unused and dormant in the second half. Sure, the Horned Frogs made some adjustments but the Texas running game never got back on track. Roschon Johnson was used sparingly because Ingram was clearly clicking in the first half.

Grade: B

Receivers

Devin Duvernay played lights out. That’s become a common theme for the senior who leads the nation in receptions. Collin Johnson was solid but had issues getting off of press coverage, especially in the red zone where he was called for offensive pass interference. The rest of the Texas receivers contributed very little. Jake Smith almost had a big play but it was just off his fingertips. John Burt made a key third down catch but also dropped a pass earlier in the game. Whether the absence of Brennan Eagles cost the Horns or not is uncertain.

Grade: C+

Tight ends

Cade Brewer suffered an ankle injury and it could be little wonder why the Texas offense went off the rails following that. Brewer plays the vast majority of snaps and his presence was missed. The Horns went with a mix of Reese Leitao and Jared Wileyin his place. Neither acquitted themselves particularly well, although Wiley maintained a big block on the edge to set up a Texas scoring opportunity.

Grade: D

Offensive line

The issues with Junior Angilau are reaching Pat Vahe-like status. Angilau continues to get beat in pass protection and it’s on the same type of move every time. Furthermore, Zach Shackelford had his hands full with TCU Ross Blacklock all game long. Blacklock got the better of the Texas senior. Parker Braun was called for two penalties. I’m not sure either were correct calls. Derek Kerstetter and Samuel Cosmi were solid but not spectacular.

Grade: C

Offense

The Horns were pathetic in the red zone. They went long spells of not moving the ball at all. The play-calling was too pedestrian and unimaginative. Their junior quarterback looked like Gary Patterson’s defense dazed him. And why the Horns chose to go hurry up the entire third quarter despite it clearly not working is beyond me. Sure, the Horns put up 27 points but this was abysmal.

Grade: D-

***********

Defensive line

The defensive front held the run in check in the first half and forced TCU to throw the ball. But when the Horned Frogs dropped back, the pass rush generated by the front three was meager, at best. Even one of the best rushes of the day — by Keondre Coburn — was negated by a subjective penalty. Malcolm Roachmade a few plays behind the line of scrimmage but he also lost contain multiple times by rushing too wide, thereby allowing Max Duggan to scramble for several key first downs. Ta'Quon Graham did little in the way of disruption. Moro Ojomo and T'Vondre Sweat were solid in reserve roles. Jamari Chisholm’s playing time remains a quandary.

Grade: D

Linebackers

Joseph Ossai plays so hard that it’s discouraging to see him come up on the short end of the stick. Ossai is playing through injury, too. Juwan Mitchell continued his improvement of the linebacker corps. He was key to limiting the TCU run game and got close to making a pair of sacks. Ayodele Adeoye is a step slow to diagnose the zone read and keeps getting caught up inside. He’s just not a player with much suddenness and that’s tough against the quick offenses in the Big 12. It’s come to a point in time where the lack of a third linebacker with speed is costing the Texas defense in multiple ways.

Grade: C

Secondary

Words cannot adequately express just how poorly Montrell Estell played the entire game. The safety, who has been forced into action because of injury, just isn’t good enough to compete at this level, even against a freshman quarterback. Sure, other DBs got beat, including D'Shawn Jamison and Tyler Owens, but it was Estell who was a day late so often. For his first start, Owens acquitted himself relatively well. The game-clinching throw-and-catch by TCU was well covered and just a good play by the offense. The secondary played poorly overall though, allowing Duggan to repeatedly beat them. Why the Horns won’t cross-train Jamison at another position in the face of the mounting injuries is beyond me. The Horns must get Estell off the field or else every other team on the schedule will be kicking their chops.

Grade: F

Defense

No pressure from the front three. A freshman QB picked the defense apart, both passing and running. They gave up 37 points to the Big 12’s lowest scoring offense. Sure, some of that was aided by Sam Ehlinger’s interceptions. But some of it has to do with the complete inability for this defense to make a play when it actually on matters. It’s a bad defense.

Grade: F

Special teams

Texas got a turnover off special teams but didn’t even score on that possession because of a missed field goal from Cameron Dicker. The Texas punt return team is the only squad in the country with negative return yardage for the season, adding another minus-seven to the tally this week. Ryan Bujcevski punted well and made good on a fourth-down conversion. But he was tackled hard on the play and injured his shoulder. Texas didn’t lose the game because of special teams but it wasn’t exactly perfume and roses.

Grade: C-

[El Hornarino 371]

It's always amusing to compare Burton's grades with Coach V's.

[Schulz2.0 28817]

1 hour ago, Monahorns said:

This is a bit aggravating though.  Isn't this what Inside Texas is paying him to do?  Give insight we all can't see for ourselves.  I mean, no shit, the TCU secondary changed things and played better in the 2nd half.  The question is how and what could Texas have done to counter the counters.

It’s been talked about before on previous posts. We almost never use misdirection or motion. We really only run a handful of plays and it’s become predictable. There’s no real complimentary play calling.

[Red Five 40693]

A grade of D for the D-line is dumb. 

[Sgt Hulk 13648]

The entire Texas playbook is number 1-7 on sams wrist.  That’s it 

[satyanash 14281]

Joseph Cook: Texas succumbs to familiar defensive problems against TCU, 37-27

Quote

TEXAS POSTGAME RECAP/STATS/NOTES

FORT WORTH -- Through six career games, TCU quarterback Max Duggan had not completed more than 19 passes, passed for more than 250 yards, or thrown a single interception. When he faced a depleted, boom or bust Texas defense with a season-long inability to stop Power 5 teams, he was able to make personal history. Duggan guided the Horned Frogs to a 37-27 victory, taking advantage of youth in the Longhorn secondary and general defensive ineffectiveness on his way to a career day.

“When he got out of the pocket, he’s a tough guy to catch up to and get down on the ground,” Texas head coach Tom Herman said of Duggan after the game. “He then made some unbelievable throws. Hats off. He played a great game, and their defense, it’s the best defense in our conference for a reason.”

TCU’s defense started three juniors and four seniors. Texas’ defense started two sophomore corners, a freshman safety, and a sophomore safety along with senior Brandon Jones at nickel. Caden Sterns and DeMarvion Overshown were unavailable, and BJ Foster was available for emergency situations only. The two safeties who started in their place, Montrell Estell and Tyler Owens, were beaten for several of TCU’s biggest plays. “With younger guys sometimes, the game is a lot different than practice is,” Jones said after the game.

In the second quarter on third-and-17, Duggan found Pro Wells in the end zone for TCU’s first touchdown and a 10-3 lead. Estell saw the play develop, but couldn’t reach the football before Duggan’s pass reached Wells. In the third quarter, Duggan threw downfield to Taye Barber. Owens was in coverage, but Barber was able to haul in the 51-yard catch that set up Sewo Olonilua for a rushing touchdown two plays later to tie the game at 20. They weren’t the only members of the defense that struggled. D’Shawn Jamison had his eyes in the backfield instead of on one of the best wide receivers in the Big 12 in Jalen Reagor in the third quarter. Reagor blew by him and made it 27-20 TCU with his 44-yard catch.

Texas’ defense was in a position to make a stop and offer the offense a chance to get back in the game. TCU took over with a 30-27 lead with 6:50 remaining in the game. Their first opportunity to get off the field came on a third-and-11 from the TCU 24. Texas sent a blitz that failed to reach Duggan, who found John Stephens for 16 yards. Five plays later, the Longhorns needed one stop on third-and-14 to give Ehlinger the ball back. Texas sent another blitz that failed to reach Duggan in time. He lofted a ball downfield for Barber with Owens in coverage. Barber was able to bring it in for a 36-yard gain, and Duggan rushed in on the next play to make it 37-27.

“We’re not good,” Herman said of his defense. “We need to be better. I think the off week will help. We’ve got to do a better job as coaches. The guys that are out there, we’ve got to get them ready to play. We’ve got to make plays and put them in position to do so.” The Longhorns’ hopes for a comeback were extinguished on the next drive by TCU’s Innis Gaines when he intercepted Ehlinger on a fourth and nine with under a minute left.

Defense continued to be an issue for Texas, but a problem Tom Herman alluded to following Kansas appeared for the Longhorns. Herman said that while the defense was struggling, his offense needed to improve in their complimentary football. Things like scoring off turnovers or scoring in the red zone.

When Texas received the ball in TCU territory twice in the second quarter, they scored zero points. One possession ended in a missed 26-yard field goal. The other ended in a punt. The offense did little to help in the second half. After touchdown throws to Devin Duvernay and Keaontay Ingram in the first half, Ehlinger and the rest of the offense struggled against TCU, typical of so many of the Longhorns’ trips to Amon G. Carter Stadium.

Texas now is 5-3 and 3-2 in the Big 12. Texas was able to reach the conference championship game last year with a 7-2 conference record. Those two conference losses were to Oklahoma State and West Virginia in back-to-back weeks.

Herman said Malcolm Roach addressed the team after the game and said they needed to come together and fight. He also mentioned that if they needed an example of a team coming together they should look to the 2018 team that lost those games to OSU and WVU. “We’ve lost a game, and we’ve got an open date to get back to the basics,” Herman said. “Get back to the fundamentals. Find out what we can do and who we’re going to be doing it with. The only thing to do is improve.”

For Texas to fulfill their conference title game aspirations, they’ll have to do as the 2018 Longhorns did; put on a repeat performance and improve.

 

[satyanash 14281]

CBS Austin decided they were going to call out the Texas fanbase today O_O

 

[BabaYaga 15215]

TLDR summary in one succinct visual...

[CowboyFred 1151]

lol because of course "the fans don't understand the rigors of a cfb season" (didn't watch video)

That is horseshit.  Players gotta play and the coaches gotta coach.  The fans are in charge of, among other things, bringing money in, filling the stadium, and calling out the team when it is obvious that they aren't giving a valiant effort.  Coaches and players (with a few exceptions) are failing to prepare in the simplest of aspects to the game.  If the players and coaches can't handle the shit being thrown at them (most of it justifiable), playing at a school like Texas might not be for them.  Good or bad, the eyes will always be watching us either hoping we fuck it up or hoping we fuck everyone else up.

 

Changes need to be made, period.

[satyanash 14281]

 

[satyanash 14281]

 

[ClubWhatever 12087]

That’s a good summary of the situation although it says nothing of how it came about.  

[justhookit 4184]

4 hours ago, satyanash said:

CBS Austin decided they were going to call out the Texas fanbase today O_O

 

I’ve said it before on the board, but even though he’s a Mizzou grad Bob grew up a Longhorn and is still a huge fan. We were briefly at a party a few weeks ago, pre-OU,  and I wish I could talk to him now.

[Valmy77 13122]

5 hours ago, satyanash said:

CBS Austin decided they were going to call out the Texas fanbase today O_O

 

Are we really acting like 2-year olds?

Well that is a good sign if true. It means we care and want to see the team win.

I have my doubts that is really true. We are a pretty beaten down bunch. I know I completely expected us to lose to TCU in pretty much the way we did. I expected Patterson and TCU to field a tough defense we would have problems with and I expected us to allow their shitty offense to put up some points. I hoped we might win anyway but no such luck.

As for "unrealistic" well the day everybody starts acting mature and realistic well that means nobody gives a fuck anymore. At that point our football program will be in dire straights. So I hope this dude is right. I haven't seen that kind emotional outpouring though.

[dcar00 14036]

yeah 2 years olds

in year 3, which is historically a good measuring stick to where you are as a program, we have a historically bad defense after a very underwhelming D last year.   tells me your D co-ordinator doesn't know what to do as others start figuring him out. we are actually staring at possibility(however low, tech at home may save us but new coach/seen that movie before) of missing a bowl.

we are pissed because Tom Herman isn't doing his fucking job and hired a G5 staff to coach in a P5 conference.

[Nueces River Rat 5530]

36 minutes ago, Valmy77 said:

Are we really acting like 2-year olds?

Well that is a good sign if true. It means we care and want to see the team win.

I have my doubts that is really true. We are a pretty beaten down bunch. I know I completely expected us to lose to TCU in pretty much the way we did. I expected Patterson and TCU to field a tough defense we would have problems with and I expected us to allow their shitty offense to put up some points. I hoped we might win anyway but no such luck.

As for "unrealistic" well the day everybody starts acting mature and realistic well that means nobody gives a fuck anymore. At that point our football program will be in dire straights. So I hope this dude is right. I haven't seen that kind emotional outpouring though.

Is this guy  (Bob Ballou) Tom's new Baghdad Bob?

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Nueces River Rat

[satyanash 14281]

HornSports: Story of the Season – Chapter 8

Quote

By Matt Cotcher

Question: What do you get when the most reliable player on a struggling team plays poorly? Answer: TCU 37 – Texas 27

It was a tale of two halves for Texas: In the opening two quarters, the defense played admirably and kept the Horns in the game. But in the second half, several of the recent trends that plague the Longhorn defense came home to roost and Sam Ehlinger and the offense could not bail the team out. After a season-saving field goal from Cameron Dicker ended last week’s game against Kansas, it was a tumultuous week on the 40 Acres. Rumors swirled around the team, and fans took to every outlet available to vent their frustrations.

With that backdrop, the defense opened the game by getting a stop on third down and short on TCU’s first drive. The stop seemed to be perfect timing and injected confidence in a maligned unit, sparking the Texas defense to a solid first half performance. TCU quarterback Max Duggan had that fearful look in his eyes that he didn’t know where pressure would come from in the first quarter.

As the Horned Frogs’ signal caller became comfortable with Texas’ ineffective pass rush, the game’s complexion transformed. Texas led, 17-13 at halftime, but Duggan and TCU dominated from that point forward. Before discussing how the loss to TCU impacts Texas’ season, it would be negligent not to acknowledge that Sam Ehlinger played his worst game in a year and a half. The Horns are not a good enough team to overcome sub-par play from their most important player.

Blame Ehlinger’s four interceptions on a combustible cocktail of wide receivers that don’t get separation, too many pass attempts (48), an inconsistent running game, play calling, and a player’s penchant for playing hero ball when things aren’t going well. Truthfully, each of those problems represents an extra layer of difficulty laid on top of the key to the team’s success. Better said, Texas players and coaches made their jobs harder than necessary on Saturday afternoon.

With an overall record of 5-3, the Longhorns will remain solidly in the bottom half of the Top 25. Although the team’s ceiling is higher than that, they are accurately positioned given their current level of play. More interesting is the team’s 3-2 mark in Big 12 play. There are five teams within one game of Texas in the standings, making it a fool’s errand to project the remainder of the season. The surer thing to acknowledge is that on their current trajectory Texas will not qualify for the conference championship game.

Many fans set expectations for the year at 10-2 or 9-3. With three losses on the dance card before Halloween, the Longhorns are now faced with needing to play perfectly for the remainder of the season to meet that outlook. Although it appears unlikely at this point, finishing 9-3 overall and 6-3 in the league represents a step forward for the program. Given the rash of injuries that has victimized an already inexperienced roster, winning the final four games on the schedule is a good goal (meaning it is attainable yet a stretch to achieve).

In his post-game press conference, Tom Herman referenced the way the 2018 Longhorns responded to a two game losing streak by responding with three consecutive wins to finish the regular season. Many of the players on this year’s team experienced that turnaround, making it a valid projection for this season. Before Texas writes an ending to 5-3, a much-needed bye week awaits. Two more players were injured against TCU – they will have to take a number and wait their turn at the trainer’s table.

After an unsatisfying win over Kansas, the rumor mill went into overdrive. Considering the team lost this week instead of eking out a win, the rumor mill will be busier than the team’s trainer. If Texas wins their last four games, a berth in the conference championship game remains likely. The true takeaway from the loss to TCU is that a 9-3 season and an appearance in the Big 12 Championship now hinges on Texas making dramatic and substantial improvements over their final four games.

Penalties, line play on both sides of the ball, defensive backs guarding wideouts instead of watching the quarterback, punt and kickoff returns…opportunities for improvement are plentiful. Whether that is good or bad depends on if your glass is half full or on it’s way to empty. Herman can’t worry about fan perspectives at this point, and he summed up the situation after the game in Fort Worth, “The only thing to do is improve.”

 

[justhookit 4184]

Y’all are way off base on Bob Ballou.

[Skyline 325]

[Jones] Texas Takeaways: On what QB Sam Ehlinger’s play during the last four games reveals

Spoiler

Typically, win or lose, Sam Ehlinger presents an unfazed demeanor.

But Saturday, as the Longhorns junior quarterback stomached questions about his performance in Texas’ 37-27 road loss to TCU, the sting of the result resonated.

Ehlinger contributed to the collapse, throwing a career-high four interceptions. His performance — 22-of-48 for two touchdowns — epitomized UT’s struggles.

After barely inching past Kansas at home and then losing to previously .500 TCU, it’s suddenly difficult to rationalize that Texas is indeed on the verge of reclaiming its status as one of the top teams in the country. The path back to the Big 12 title game appears treacherous.

The Longhorns on Sunday fell out of the AP Top 25 as they enter their second idle week of the season. They are leaning on veteran leadership to regroup more than they ever needed to after close losses against LSU and Oklahoma.

“The only thing to do in times like this is to come together,” coach Tom Herman said. “Not, you know, scatter.”

Ehlinger said it’s on the older members of the squad who’ve suffered through previously tough years to keep the younger players from getting stuck.

“I’m very confident,” Ehlinger said. “I think that we have a great group of leaders on the team. This is very personal for them, and we’ll get it fixed.”

Below are key takeaways following the Longhorns loss at TCU.

Ehlinger’s play has regressed in recent weeks

During the past four games (when Texas went 2-2 at West Virginia, vs. Oklahoma, vs. Kansas, at TCU), Ehlinger has not looked as sharp as a passer as he had during the Longhorns’ first four contests (when UT went 3-1 vs. Louisiana Tech, vs. LSU, at Rice, vs. Oklahoma State).

Take a look at a cumulative statistical comparison below:

First four games: 102-for-140 (72.9 percent), 15 TD, 1 INT, 1,237 yards, 8.8 yards per attempt, 6 sacks

Past four games: 97-for-163 (59.8 percent), 8 TD, 6 INT, 1,141 yards, 7.0 yards per attempt, 17 sacks

Yes, there are multiple factors that have contributed. The offensive line has surrendered a Big 12-worst 23 sacks for 145 total yards, though Ehlinger’s hesitancy to get rid of the ball and his receivers’ inability to generate enough separation in man-to-man coverage situations have also played a glaring role. Play calling must be at least considered as influencing Ehlinger’s statistical regression, too.

To start the season, Ehlinger displayed marked improvement as a decision-maker, both pre-snap and from within the pocket. It propelled him, deservedly, into conversation regarding the top signal-callers in college football. But recently, that growth has stagnated, if not taken a step back.

Each of Ehlinger’s first three interceptions Saturday resulted in points for the Horned Frogs. The second and third picks resulted in touchdowns that helped them capture a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Ehlinger’s final interception allowed TCU to bleed out the rest of the clock.

“The last one was pressing because it was fourth down and we had to get the conversion,” Ehlinger said when asked if he was forcing things on his turnovers. “But other than that, no.”

Without Ehlinger playing at a higher level, it will be hard for Texas to redeem this season.

“I understand that I just have to show up and do my job and improve,” he said.

The secondary didn’t play as poorly as you think, but young defenders are still struggling

With safeties B.J. Foster and DeMarvion Overshown ruled out for Saturday’s contest, the Longhorns were forced to dip deep into their roster for secondary support. Ultimately, it cost the unit.

Redshirt sophomore Montrell Estell and true freshman Tyler Owens each started. It marked Estell’s second start of the season; his first was against Oklahoma State, a game in which he snagged his first career interception. Saturday marked Owens’ first-ever start.

On TCU’s first touchdown, receiver Pro Wells beat Estell, cutting in front of him for a 24-yard touchdown catch that looked as though it should have been easily broken up. Estell was beat on a similar route last week against Kansas on a late, go-ahead touchdown. Later, with 5:55 left Saturday, Estell was beat by TCU’s John Stephens for a 16-yard gain that extended the drive.

Owens was exposed twice in the contest. First, in the third quarter, Horned Frogs receiver Taye Barber beat him for a 51-yard gain that set up a tying touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, Barber beat Owens again for a 36-yard catch, converting a third-and-14, preceding quarterback Max Duggan’s 11-yard touchdown run to give TCU a 37-27 lead with 1:59 left.

Only one other TCU pass play went for 20 yards or more Saturday — a 44-yard touchdown pass to star wideout Jalen Reagor, who beat sophomore cornerback D’Shawn Jamison downfield during the third quarter.

The Longhorns did improve in the sense that they limited the amount of big plays conceded against TCU. However, when it mattered most, their defense folded. Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando shoulders his share of the blame, though he’s had to play young defenders who Texas would clearly prefer to allow to develop first.

Longhorns squandered contributions from senior receivers Collin Johnson, Devin Duvernay early in the game

Early on Saturday, Johnson and Duvernay paced the Longhorns passing game and UT scoring drives.

In the first quarter, it was Johnson’s 26-yard catch that set up a Cameron Dicker 21-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Johnson hauled in a 17-yard catch before Duvernay scored on a 47-yard catch on the ensuing play. Later in the quarter, Johnson bailed out UT on a third-and-16 with a 25-yard reception. On the next play, Duvernay caught a 28-yard pass followed by an eight-yard snag, helping set up Keaontay Ingram’s 17-yard touchdown reception.

In the third quarter, Duvernay broke a tackle after snagging a pass on a slant route before turning upfield for 63 yards, which set up Dicker’s 38-yard field goal. Johnson nearly finished the drive off with a touchdown catch, but drew a flag for offensive pass interference.

Still, Duvernay’s long catch marked the last UT passing play that went for 15 yards or more.

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck has previously expressed that he believes the Longhorns boast one of the nation’s top receiving corps. However, teams have shown they’re not afraid to press UT’s wideouts and play man-to-man coverage. As simple as the tactic is, it’s proven successful at times, including when used by Oklahoma and TCU.

Perhaps UT also missed the presence of sophomore receiver Brennan Eagles, who had started each of the past five contests. He didn’t play at all against the Horned Frogs, despite traveling with the team, due to a suspension after missing a Tuesday practice and team activities. Eagles’ 19.3 yards per catch currently ranks 25th among FBS wideouts. UT missed his big-play presence Saturday.

Is this season a setback?

Perhaps, but there’s still time to determine that. The Longhorns face a challenging and unlikely route back to the Big 12 title game. Had they not lost to TCU, potential victories against unbeaten Baylor and Iowa State, without any other hiccups along the way, would have clinched them a return, regardless of how other conference foes performed. However, even with other programs slipping this past weekend, the Longhorns were unable to capitalize.

Before the season started, Herman fairly stated that UT was likely ahead of schedule after winning last season’s Sugar Bowl and notching the first 10-win season since 2009. However, the expectation was to again play for the league title. Presently, that proposition seems unlikely.

So when Herman was asked if Saturday’s loss was a setback, considering what the Longhorns had accomplished last season, then suggested that it isn’t, it’s difficult to buy.

“It’s not,” Herman said. “I mean, I don’t know that last year has to do with everything. But every time you lose — you invest so much into each week and to each offseason and to all of the training, and to not perform at your best, you’re disappointed. But there’s no setback. We’ve got to push forward. We’ve got to figure out what we did wrong, figure out what we did wrong in preparation and get guys healthy.”

The confounding amount of injuries UT has suffered, including starting tight end Cade Brewer (ankle) and punter Ryan Bujcevski (broken clavicle) — have contributed to the disappointments. But the offense’s underwhelming performance played just as important a role as the defense’s injuries and inexperienced personnel.

There are still four games left in the Longhorns’ regular season, so final judgments should be reserved. But for now, UT’s inability to overcome injuries and its lack of consistency on offense remain the most glaring shortcomings of its 2019 season. There’s still time to potentially re-write the script.

Realistically, after the losses to both LSU and Oklahoma, the Longhorns were no longer being touted as a fringe College Football Playoff contender. If anything, their performance through the middle of the season has only reinforced the notion that they are still building towards that. And that process, as painful as it has been, is going to take longer than the height of last year’s success perhaps suggested.

 

[TexasEd 8064]

Do these guys not understand what our Alma Mater means?  "The Eyes of Texas are Upon You"  

[Disco Missile 456]

On 10/28/2019 at 12:43 PM, satyanash said:

 

That's pretty much all that needs to be said.