Media/$9.95-er postgame analysis articles (Week 12)

satyanash · November 17, 2019

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

(Burnt Orange Nation) Iowa State tops Texas on a last-second field goal: Post-game commiseration thread

(Bobby Burton) Snap Judgments: Comeback all for naught

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Malcolm Roach inexplicably jumped offsides on a field goal attempt with just a little more than 2 minutes remaining in the game. That mental miscue gave Iowa State the chance to run the clock out for a game-winning kick. The Cyclones succeeded, and the Horns drop to 6-4 on the campaign. But this game was not about just that one play.

There was an entire series immediately before that one that was perhaps more telling. In that series, Texas got the ball back with the lead with four minutes to go in the game. The Horns reverted to 11 formation (one tight end playing h-back and one running back) that yeilded them fewer than five first downs all game long instead of sticking with a four receiver, one-back set that helped Sam Ehlinger engineer a comeback.

The result? Texas went three-and-out and it gained a grand total of one yard. It was a curious decision by a head coach that failed to have many answers for his offense for much of the game. In fact, Texas only moved the ball when throwing it against the Cyclones. Yet with the game on the line, Herman dialed up to weak-side runs and a tunnel screen that was read well by the Cyclones defense.

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To even get to the point where Texas was leading late in the fourth quarter took an excellent effort by Ehlinger and the Texas receiving corps over the game's final 18 minutes. Texas scored twice in that timeframe, moving the ball through the air on key passes to Devin Duvernay, Keaontay Ingram, Brennan Eagles and a go-ahead score to Malcolm Epps on fourth down. The other touchdown came on a zero coverage route by Ingram straight down the middle of the field that caught the Cyclones off guard.

Eagles may have had his best overall game on Saturday. His deep catchdown the sideline at the end of the first half set up his touchdown catch a couple of plays later. He also made a 30-plus yarder on a 2nd-and-35 play that kept the fourth quarter TD drive alive as well as another third down catch on the same drive.

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Until that last drive of the first half, Texas had done virtually nothing all game long. The Longhorn offense was completely stymied and looked like they were running in molasses.

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Chris Naggar was almost the hero of the game with his 66-yard punt to push Iowa State back inside its own 20 on the final drive.

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Herman's decision to go for it on fourth down in the first half in Iowa State territory also backfired on the coach. Even more curious, Herman called a QB power run play that went absolutely nowhere. Herman is either lacking creativity or unwilling to cede the idea that opposing coaches can scheme for that exact play and mitigate the numbers advantage he proudly touts as his reasoning. Regardless, the QB power run is batting less than .500 this year in short-yardage near the goal line.

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Roach jumping offsides reminds me of Phillip Geigger running into the punter against Colorado. Useless penalty. Same poor result.

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The Texas defense played well most of the game. DeMarvion Overshown seemed to flash a couple of plays, as did Juwan Mitchell. The Texas DL allowed some yardage in the run game in the first half but seemed to tighten those lanes in the second half.

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For yet another time, Texas was on the receiving end of a turnover, a nice INT by D'Shawn Jamison, yet completely squandered the opportunity. Even given the ball on Iowa State's side of the field, the Horns couldn't do anything.

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How many times did you see a Texas or Iowa State player slip on the turf? Both teams had trouble with their footing and it hurt both sides equally.

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Texas didn't start moving the ball effectively until they went into four and five wide receiver sets. And not until Ehlinger started hitting the backs on checkdowns did Texas really start to test the ISU defense.

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The Texas offense played extremely poorly most of the day. Without a strong effort by the Texas defense, the Horns could have been run out of the stadium. Yet the Horns' defense gave up an easy touchdown drive on the first series of the game and on the first series of the second half. The bomb in the second half appeared to come at the expense of Chris Brown who got sucked up on a crossing route. Still, the Horns' D hung in there for large portions of the game.

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At 6-4, this team is the definition of average. The offensive play-calling came up short again and again. Some of Herman's decisions didn't do the team any favors. And his team played undisciplined football at just the wrong time.

(Jeff Howe) Instant Reactions: Iowa State hands Texas a crushing loss, 23-21

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Too many penalties, too many missed opportunities on offense and too many mistakes in the clutch cost Texas a win and, in all likelihood, a chance to play for the Big 12 championship. The Longhorns battled, but the self-inflicted wounds they suffered eventually caused them to bleed out all over Jack Trice Stadium in a road loss Iowa State on Saturday, 23-21.

For head coach Tom Herman and Texas (6-4, 4-3 Big 12), the chance to play for the program’s first conference title since 2009 will have to wait another year barring something unforeseen happening down the stretch. If it comes to fruition that Texas doesn’t make a return trip to AT&T Stadium in December for the Big 12 title game, it will mark the first time in the era of the Associated Press Top 25 that the Longhorns will go through a full decade without winning a conference title.

Iowa State (6-4, 4-3) made more plays when it mattered, won the line of scrimmage battle and sent Texas home with a loss fitting of a decade where the program is now guaranteed to end with each season having no less than four losses. It was a day in Ames where the Longhorns simply weren't consistently good enough, causing their miscues to add up to a defeat in a season that's drawing to a close in an incredibly disappointing fashion.

It was over when…

Texas jumped offsides with 2:12 to play as Iowa State was lining up for a go-ahead 42-yard field goal. Even if Connor Assalley made the kick, Sam Ehlinger (22-for-40, 273 yards, three touchdowns; 27 rushing yards) would’ve gotten the ball back with more than two minutes to play. In other words, there would've been plenty of time to drive down the field and get the ball in a position for Cameron Dicker to attempt another late-game field goal, a situation where he's been clutch. Alas, the penalty allowed the Cyclones to get a fresh set of downs and run the clock down. Assalley’s 36-yard try split the uprights with no time on the clock.

Top Offensive Performer

Devin Duvernay (nine receptions, 107 yards) went over 1,000 receiving yards on the season by recording his sixth 100-yard receiving performance of the year, tying him with Roy Williams for the single-season school record for performances at or over the century mark. Four of Duvernay’s nine receptions came on third down (64 yards), each of which moved the sticks. On a day when the Longhorns were without Collin Johnson, Duvernay was once again the most valuable and reliable piece of the offense.

Top Defensive Performer

He’s not playing anywhere close to 100 percent health, which makes the performance Caden Sterns put together even more impressive. Sterns delivered his best performance of the season, recording eight tackles (seven solos) with two tackles for loss while fighting his tail off in coverage throughout the game. Overall, while there were certainly some things in need of cleaning up, the secondary delivered their best collective performance of the season. The loss can’t be blamed on the back end.

Reason to Feel Optimistic

Outside of the first drive of the game where Brock Purdy drove Iowa State 59 yards in eight plays to a touchdown and the opening drive of the second half, which was a one-play, 75-yard drive as Purdy escaped the Texas rush and found Deshaunte Jones wide open down the field for a touchdown on the first play after halftime, the defense played as well as could’ve been asked.

The Longhorns forced two turnovers on downs (one was fake field goal attempt that failed) and turnover while holding Purdy and a red-hot Iowa State offense to a 3-for-14 day on third down. Todd Orlando has matched up well with Matt Campbell, Tom Manning and the Iowa State offensive staff in each of the two previous seasons and the Longhorns held their own on Saturday.

Reason to be Pessimistic

The Longhorns beat themselves. Period. Even though Texas has gained a reputation under Herman of being a team that won’t give up and will fight until the bitter end, the offensive performance (or lack thereof) until late in the third quarter (specifically, rushing for 54 yards on 26 carries), the numerous dropped passes, penalties (six for 55 yards) and the (albeit a few) defensive lapses added up to Texas not being able to come home with a win. These aren’t signs of a team going through a rough patch. The issues are becoming systemic because they keep popping up repeatedly.

Modest Proposal

The Longhorns have got to figure out how to start games in a faster manner. Herman said at the beginning of the week that the staff hadn’t discussed the slow starts much due to that they’ve won their share of those games, but Saturday marked the fifth time in seven conference games where Texas has fallen behind early in the first quarter. Playing catch-up from the jump is the furthest thing from controlling the game.

While Ehlinger pulled the rabbit out of his hat on fourth-and-goal from the 7-yard line on the final touchdown for the Longhorns, a questionable fourth-down decision and/or play-call left points on the field when Ehlinger was stuffed on fourth-and-2 from the Iowa State 21-yard line in the second quarter. Herman admitted following the TCU game to feeling conflicted in those situations and it would’ve been nice for the Longhorns to have points, especially since the failed conversion followed a D'Shawn Jamison interception.

Drive of the Game

It might be the drive of the year and it was certainly the march that saved the game for the Longhorns. Ehlinger moved the offense 89 yards in 15 plays, taking 6:43 off the clock and ended it with a scramble against the grain to evade the Iowa State rush before firing a 7-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Epps for the go-ahead score with 5:37 to play. There were three third-down conversions on the drive, the last one coming on a 26-yard connection from Ehlinger to Duvernay, which was one play after Brennan Eagles ripped off 30 yards on second-and-35 to make up for an offensive pass interference call that got the Longhorns behind the chains.

Best Offensive Play

A 14-yard touchdown reception by Eagles with 17 seconds to go in the first half will go down as one of the best catches by a Texas wide receiver in the current decade. After gaining 59 yards of total offense on their first six drives, the Longhorns saw Ehlinger lead them down the field on a drive that started with 47 seconds to go until intermission and it took all of four plays to drive to the Iowa State 14-yard line with 24 seconds to go in the half. Ehlinger found Eagles near the front right pylon of the end zone and while replay confirmed he caught the ball, it also confirmed that the defender first made contact with him in the end zone, which awarded him a touchdown.

Best Defensive Play

Before Ehlinger took the offense on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Keaontay Ingram, Brandon Jones had a critical pass breakup thanks to pressure from Jamison to get the defense off of the field on third-and-18. There were probably bigger plays that could be pointed out, but the play in question highlights one of the best defensive performances of the season (which feels largely wasted in the heat of the moment due to the other issues the Longhorns dealt with throughout the afternoon).

Biggest question heading into the next game

Can the Longhorns self-scout, game-plan and be better prepared to face Baylor next week than they were on Saturday? Nothing seemed to click early for Texas in Ames and while the defense eventually got things straightened out, the offense took entirely too long to get going. This loss proves that there are some tremendous coaching staffs in the Big 12, one of which the Longhorns saw on Saturday and another they’ll see when they travel to Waco to battle the Bears. Everything simply has to be better than it was on a day when the Longhorns just weren’t good enough to get the job done.

(Ian Boyd) Five quick thoughts: Texas gives away the Big 12 in Ames

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That game absolutely looked like two heavily flawed teams with conference title hopes leaving everything they had on the field in pursuit of a big win. Evidently Iowa State's bad luck streak was no match for Texas' horrendous initial game plan and then end of game management.

The Longhorns came into this game looking to impose their will on the Cyclones despite missing Collin Johnson and Cade Brewer, but that wasn't happening. Iowa State played an exceptional game, locking down most of Texas' favorite concepts and winning a large number of battles in the trenches to hold Texas to 54 rushing yards on 26 carries. The Cyclone offense was a bewildering blur, particularly early on, motioning TEs and WRs all over the place to create a dozen classic spread formations but with all kinds of rule-breaking alignments in terms of who was there.

The Longhorns were down 20-7 at one point and then appeared to be on the verge of getting routed. Then Tom Herman handed the game to Sam Ehlinger and was rewarded with a pair of 80-yard drives and a 21-20 lead to do with what he would with 5:22 left in the 4th quarter. With the game back in his hands, Tom Herman promptly dropped it and gave away any realistic chance of Texas winning that elusive Big 12 championship.

Quick thought no. 1: Sam Ehlinger played outstanding football

Lots of offensive players deserve some accolades for how they stormed back to take the lead with those two 80-yard (80 and 89) drives. Devin Duvernay caught crosser after crosser to pick up several third downs and keep Texas alive in that game. He finished with nine catches for 107 yards on the day. Roschon Johnson and Keaontay Ingram were giants on check downs, picking up steady gains with hard running and brilliants hands that made those long drives from four and five-wide sets possible. They combined for 6 catches, 62 yards, and a TD.

Brennan Eagles was inconsistent but made an outstanding play worthy of Collin Johnson's position to put Texas within three (10-7) before the half. Malcolm Epps rewarded a stubborn insistence by the Longhorns on putting him in crucial spots with a big touchdown catch to take the lead. Flex TE is a better look for him, he's still not quite there on realizing his potential there obviously but you can see flashes of something interesting.

Ehlinger was the best player on the field, going 22-40 for 273 yards at 6.8 ypa with three TDs and zero INTs, working most of the game against a defense flooding zones and bracketing multiple receivers or alternating in blitzes. It took an awful lot of patience and scrambling to get Texas in the lead working against those defensive calls without Collin Johnson or a run game.

Quick thought no. 2: Texas DBs played a great game

The DBs for Texas kept them in this game for a while. The gameplan was essentially wild blitzing all night with DBs left to track the ISU receivers on different motions and wonky formations with flex TEs. D'Shawn Jamison played a great game and snagged an INT that seemed to just find its way into his hands after he used his hands in press to deny an angle on a slant. Iowa State had to spend a lot of the game throwing comebacks outside on Texas cornerbacks because they couldn't win over the top against the Texas blitzes, eventually Jalen Green, Kobe Boyce, and Jamison had worked that out and were starting to take away those comebacks as well.

Brandon Jones and Caden Sterns also had tough tasks, essentially making sure that Orlando's non-stop zone blitzing didn't result in anyone springing free. Chris Brown, BJ Foster, and DeMarvion Overshown were used a little more like linebackers, hanging around and picking up receivers and tight ends while the LBs were firing into the backfield on snap after snap.

Todd Orlando went all in on being able to bring enough pressure both in terms of variety and literal heat on Brock "pump fake" Purdy that they could turn the Iowa State OL into a negative that cost the Cyclones the game. That worked out decently, but only because of the play of Texas' DBs in coverage all day. Obviously they had one major bust to start the second half that ended up being the difference in the game, it was pretty remarkable that there weren't more.

Quick thought no. 3: Tom Herman's play-calling on the final drive was absurd

Playing conservative with a lead is one thing, trotting out hopeless formations and run calls that failed you for the entirety of the first half while backed up on your own 10-yard line with four minutes on the clock and a one-point lead is nonsense. You're going to end up punting pretty quickly and then you're kicking to midfield or so to a team that will have three minutes and will need only to pick up a couple of first downs (which they've been doing all night) to be in position to kick a game-winning field goal. That Texas used the 12 personnel sets there with TEs that Iowa State had been abusing all game was just icing on the cake.

The last thing Iowa State wanted to see there was Texas going back to work in the spread sets and trying to drive down the field as though they were still facing a deficit. Instead Herman gave them exactly what they wanted. As has happened in every Texas loss this year, Tom Herman allowed the game to come down to the Texas defense rather than Sam Ehlinger.

Somehow that didn't cost Texas the game though because Iowa State didn't field Chris Naggar's punt. Incidentally, Naggar has been exceptional since coming in for Bujcevski. It's bizarre and frankly a little disconcerting that a freak injury led to an upgrade for Texas' special teams. Perhaps you wouldn't normally think much of it but Texas' special teams have appeared to lack oversight all year so it makes you wonder. On that note...

Quick thought no. 4: Texas lost the game on a special teams gaffe

Not over the full game, but on one crucial moment when they committed an offsides penalty that gave Iowa State a first down and allowed them to run down clock before making an easier kick attempt that they could guarantee would be the last play of the game. It was very similar to the ending of Texas' recent game against Kansas. Unbelievable mistake by a unit that's been prone to committing mistakes all year long.

Texas has yet to play a game where the offense and defense both played up to their potential and the special teams unit has regularly been a sieve that has erased margin for the team. There needs to be major accountability on special teams in the offseason. I'm sure right now the Texas staff is working insanely hard, particularly Herman, at every level under the pressure of needing to win every week and things are slipping through the cracks. In the offseason Herman needs to figure out why his staff couldn't handle delegation more effectively and reorganize the entire department.

Quick thought no. 5: Texas just wasted a prime season by a championship caliber quarterback

Oklahoma hasn't been great this season, they've been highly vulnerable. Alex Grinch turns out not to be a magician that can completely overturn years of bad defensive play. Jalen Hurts is still the guy that was benched at Alabama for putting a ceiling on the Tide in big games with his poor play as a passer. The rest of the league is the rest of the league. Texas had a roster filled with NFL-caliber talent and, for the first time since Colt McCoy took this team to a National Championship game, an elite upperclassman QB. They've wasted it. Anytime you fail to compete for a Big 12 title at Texas these days is a bit of a letdown. Failing to compete for one with one of the greatest QBs in program history is an epic failure.

There's nothing that can happen this season now that will prevent it from forever having a bitter taste. In the biggest game of the season Texas came in with a bad offensive gameplan that couldn't find anything against Iowa State's defense. Then they essentially asked Sam Ehlinger to bail them out of it. He did, then they conspired with Iowa State to play keep away and prevent him from being allowed to win the game. What a sickening display.

satyanash · November 17, 2019

satyanash · November 17, 2019

Ketch and Anwar are absolutely LAYING into Herman on the OrangeBloods Live channel...

satyanash · November 17, 2019

(Chip Brown) MY TAKE: Stephen King couldn't have written this ending

AMES, Iowa — Stephen King couldn’t have scripted a horror story with this kind of ending. After 55 minutes of football that wouldn’t be safe for work, Texas did the unthinkable and took the lead, 21-20, after overcoming second-and-35 to throw a fourth-and-goal, 7-yard touchdown pass from Sam Ehlinger to Malcolm Epps with 5:37 left.

But then, with Iowa State lining up for a 42-yard field goal with 2:12 (a kick ISU’s Connor Assalley missed badly), Texas did the unthinkable and was flagged for offside, allowing the Cyclones’ offense to keep driving. And three plays later, after ISU coach Matt Campbell bled the clock down to three seconds left, Assalley hit a 36-yard attempt on the final play, giving ISU a 23-21 victory that ruined Texas’ chance to turn its season around.

There is so much to tear apart in this one, including Tom Herman’s decision not to attempt a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter - after a D’Shawn Jamison at the ISU 39 - instead of a failed fourth-and-2, QB power run to the right by Ehlinger. As well as the Texas offense coming out with a completely lackluster drive with 4:01 left from its own 15, when Ehlinger ran for no gain, then Keaontay Ingram ran for no gain and Ehlinger threw incomplete on third-and-10.

With the Longhorns’ season on the line, the offense ran only 1:01 off the clock instead of getting back into tempo - the ONLY way Texas moved the ball all night. Still, a 67-yard punt by Chris Naggar forced ISU to start at its own 18 with three minutes left. But completions of 15 and 22 yards followed by back-to-back pass interference calls on Jalen Green and Caden Sterns helped move ISU into field goal range.

But when the Texas defense appeared to force a 42-yard field goal attempt with 2:12 left (plenty of time for Texas to answer, because Herman used his timeouts to keep some time for the UT offense) - the Longhorns committed an unthinkable unforced error by going offside. And the rest is history.

If you were to describe the Longhorns’ in the first 55 minutes of Saturday night’s game at Iowa State, it wouldn’t be safe for work. With 12:20 left to play, the Texas offense had 35 yards rushing (1.8 ypc) ... was 3 of 12 on third-down conversions ... had seven of its first 11 drives end in three-and-outs but still somehow trailed by only 20-14. (And it might’ve been 20-17 if Herman had attempted a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter instead of a failed fourth-and-2 following an interception by D’Shawn Jamison).

But going with their hurry-up offense, Texas got to the ISU 38, then overcame second-and-35 (thanks to a holding call on Sam Cosmi and an offensive pass interference flag on Brennan Eagles) with passes of 30 yards to Eagles and 26 yards to Devin Duvernay. en route to a 4th-and-goal, 7-yard TD pass from Ehlinger to Epps, capping a 15-play drive (6:43 off clock) as Longhorns took a 21-20 lead with 5:37 left. Now, Texas finds itself 6-4 (4-3 Big 12) and has to go on the road to face Baylor next week in a game the Longhorns will likely be an underdog before facing Texas Tech to end the season.

What went right for Texas:

After doing almost nothing offensively all game, Texas mustered a 15-play scoring drive with 5:37 left in the game, which was capped off by a fourth-down touchdown pass to Malcolm Epps in the end zone to give Texas its first lead of the day. DeMarvion Overshown dropped Breece Hall for a 3-yard loss on first down. Juwan Mitchell blitzed and pressured Purdy into throwing the ball away on second-and-13, and Malcolm Roach tipped Brock Purdy’s pass on third-and-13 from the ISU 47, forcing a punt with 12:20 left to play.

D'Shawn Jamison blitzed and got pressure on Brock Purdy, who threw incomplete on third-and-18 from the UT 38, forcing a punt with 2:40 left in the third quarter. Iowa State lined up to attempt a 48-yard field goal, and then motioned most of the line over to the left, leaving holder Blake Clark to take a direct snap. But his pass to tight end Chase Allen, fell incomplete as ISU fans complained loudly, wanting a pass interference call against Chris Brown, giving the ball back to Texas at the UT 31 with 7:35 left in the third quarter.

EAGLES’ TD CATCH CUTS ISU LEAD TO 10-7 AT HALF: Brennan Eagles made a great catch in the end zone while coming back toward Ehlinger for a 14-yard touchdown completion with 17 seconds left in the half, cutting ISU’s lead to 10-7. The TD was set up by Ehlinger hitting Eagles on a 33-yard pass to the ISU 25 with 35 seconds left and then hitting Devin Duvernay with a 9-yard completion to the 14 with 24 seconds left. With ISU facing third-and-9 from the Texas 18 in the final minute of the first half, Kobe Boyce had a nice pass breakup in the end zone. ISU attempted a 35-yard field goal and made it, giving ISU a 10-0 lead with 47 seconds left in the half.

JAMISON INTERCEPTION GIVES TEXAS BALL IN ISU TERRITORY: Just like he did at West Virginia (when he had two interceptions), D’Shawn Jamison came up with a huge pick of Brock Purdy at the ISU 39 with 12:02 left in the second quarter.

TEXAS STUFFS FOURTH-DOWN ATTEMPT: Joseph Ossai got pressure on a blitz, and forced Brock Purdy to throw it away on fourth-and-3 from UT 33 with 14:11 left in the second quarter for a turnover on downs. Duvernay did a great job of getting a foot down on 18-yard catch on third-and-10 from the Texas 32 with 5:34 left in the first quarter to avoid a third, straight three-and-out to open the game.

After giving up a touchdown on Iowa State’s first drive, the Texas defense settled in and came up with four straight stops, including two, three-and-outs and an interception by D’Shawn Jamison at the ISU 39. After giving up an eight-play, 59-yard touchdown drive on Iowa State’s first possession, the Longhorns held ISU to a three-and-out on the Cyclones’ second drive.

What went wrong for Texas:

I said in the moment, Herman had to attempt a 38-yard field goal (with the wind) - after Jamison’s interception - instead of going for it on fourth-and-2 in the second quarter, because it was early in the game, you’re on the road in desperate need of points in what is likely to be a one-possession game. Instead, Herman went with one of his fourth-down favorites, quarterback power to the right, and Ehlinger was dropped for a 1-yard loss, giving Texas nothing to show for Jamison giving the ball back to his offense at the ISU 39.

Midway through the third quarter, seven of UT’s first 11 drives were three-and-outs. Caden Sterns hobbled off the field favoring his right knee with 4:37 left in the third quarter. He returned. On third-and-1 from the UT 28, Texas had a four-receiver, one-back set on the field - and the receivers on the field (from left to right) were Brennan Eagles, Jake Smith, Malcolm Epps and Al’Vonte Woodard. Ehlinger looked to his left, where Eagles and Smith did a terrible job of trying to get open against man coverage. Keaontay Ingram tried to chop block end Will McDonald, who jumped over Ingram and was able to sack Ehlinger for a 4-yard loss.

A 13-yard run and 21-yard pass from Purdy to Deshaunte Jones (the play in which Joseph Ossai was injured), helped set up a 48-yard field goal by Connor Assalley, putting ISU up 20-7 with 12:09 left in the third quarter. Suddenly trailing 17-7 just 14 seconds into the third quarter, the Texas offense opened the second half with three straight incompletions - drops by Malcolm Epps and Eagles and a bounce pass to Eagles, who was open beyond the sticks.

ISU OPENS SECOND HALF WITH 75-YARD TD PASS: On the first play of the second half, ISU ran a running back wheel route to the right side, and some of the Texas secondary was playing man, some weren’t. The confusion allowed Iowa State receiver Deshaunte Jones to run unnoticed from the right side, and Brock Purdy, after ducking out of pressure, hit him for a 75-yard TD. That put ISU up 17-7 just 14 seconds into the third quarter.

After ISU opened the second half with a 75-yard TD bomb to start the second half, the Texas offense has some work to do after producing this in the first half ... 134 yards of offense ... Run: 33 yards on 17 carries (1.9 ypc) ... Pass: 101 ... and 1-of-7 on third down ... squandered an INT by Jamison at the ISU 39 (zero points)

TEXAS WASTES JAMISON’S INTERCEPTION: After Jamison’s interception gave Texas the ball at the ISU 39 with 12:02 left in the second quarter (with UT trailing 7-0), the Horns went for it on fourth-and-2 at the ISU 21 instead of attempting a 38-yard field goal with the wind. Ehlinger ran a Herman, fourth-down favorite - QB power to the right - and it was stuffed for a loss of 1 yard.

Roschon Johnson was wide open for a dump pass from Ehlinger on third-and-7 from the Texas 36 early in the second quarter, but Johnson slipped and fell down, causing the ball to fall incomplete, forcing UT’s fourth straight punt to open the game. Texas was called for a false start on a punt with 8:46 left in the first quarter. After a 7-yard run by Keaontay Ingram on the first play of UT’s second possession, a sideways pass to Duvernay went for minus-2 yards, and then Ehlinger was taken down for a “coverage” sack on third-and-5, forcing a punt. Brock Purdy opened the game 4-of-5 passing for 23 yards, including a 2-yard TD pass to tight end Charlie Kolar.

CYCLONES GO UP 7-0 ON THEIR OPENING DRIVE:

Iowa State mixed taking time to line up on offense and going tempo. After a first-down, 10-yard pass to La’Michael Pettway to the Texas 22, the Cyclones went tempo and caught Texas still trying to get lined up. Breece Hall ran an outsize zone left and ran for 20 yards to the 2. Then ISU went tempo again and let tight end Charlie Kolar go unchecked off the line for a wide-open, 2-yard TD pass with B.J. Foster pointing at Brandon Jones as if to say, “That was your man.”

With Collin Johnson (hamstring) out, Texas started a four-receiver set of Marcus Washington, Malcolm Epps, John Burt and Devin Duvernay, and Washington dropped a third-down pass near the first down marker on UT’s first drive. Both teams had shown a tendency to start slow offensively this season. Unfortunately, Texas was the only team start slowly on offense Saturday. The Longhorns’ first two drives were three-and-outs for a total of 2 yards. Meanwhile, Brock Purdy opened the game 4-of-5 passing for 23 yards, including a 2-yard TD pass to tight end Charlie Kolar. After four possessions, Texas had 15 plays for 28 yards and was averaging 1.2 yards per carry (nine carries for 11 yards).

satyanash · November 17, 2019

HornSports: Texas falls short of comeback in Ames, loses 23-21 to Iowa State

AMES, Iowa — Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell was winless against the Longhorns headed into Saturday’s contest. In fact, the Longhorns were the only team in the Big 12 Campbell hasn’t beaten during his tenure as head coach of the Cyclones. Campbell’s bad fortune against Texas ended on Saturday evening, as did Texas’ hopes of a Big 12 Championship Game appearance, with the Cyclones defeating the Longhorns 23-21 at Jack Trice Stadium.

The Cyclones (6-4, 4-3) dominated the Longhorns (6-4, 4-3) for most of the game, but Texas made a charge in the fourth quarter, erasing a 13 point deficit and taking a one-point lead. Penalties by the Longhorns on Iowa State’s final drive, including a costly one by linebacker Joseph Ossai, allowed the Cyclones to extend the drive when the game clock was a factor and timeouts were sparse. The win made the Cyclones bowl eligible and left the Texas coaching staff scratching their heads, still in search of an identity ten games into the season.

Texas entered the game with the 4th best 3rd down conversion rate in the country. They finished the day 6-17 on third down, well-below their average. The coaching staff knew that in order to beat the Cyclones, they had to outrush and outgain the Cyclones on offense. Neither happened, with Texas totaling 327 total yards to Iowa State’s 466. Sam Ehlinger threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns and Cyclone quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 354 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

The lack of rushing production hurt the Longhorns in their upset bid over ISU. Ehlinger led the team in rushing with 27 yards, but the team as a whole gained just 54 yards on the ground on 26 attempts (2.1 average). Texas played its brand of offensive football for a total of around seven minutes in this contest. The win by Iowa State ends a three-game winning streak by Texas and makes the Cyclones bowl eligible for the third straight year under Matt Campbell.

GAME RECAP

After a quick three and out for the Longhorns on the game’s opening drive, Brock Purdy and the Cyclones wasted no time on offense. Running back Breece Hall rushed for 40 yards on four carries to set up a two-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to tight end Charlie Kolar, who was wide open in the end zone. Iowa State held a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.

At the 12:02 mark in the second quarter, D’Shawn Jamison intercepted Purdy at the Iowa State 36 yard line. Texas drove to the Cyclone 22 yard line before facing a 4th & 1. Ehlinger kept the ball on the snap and was wrapped up for no gain by ISU defensive back Greg Eisworth. The Cyclones added a 35-yard field goal from Connor Assalley with :47 left on the clock to increase their lead to 10-0.

Sam Ehlinger engineered a 5-play, 75 yard scoring drive that took just :30 to give Texas their fist points of the game. The drive included pairs of passes to Devin Duvernay and Brennan Eagles. Eagles’ 14 yard acrobatic reception as he tapped a toe in the end zone before going out of bounds capped the drive. The Longhorns had just 59 yards of total offense prior to their final drive in the second quarter. They finished the first half with 134 total yards.

The Cyclones took the wind out of the Longhorns sails to open the 3rd quarter, using just one play to regain a 10-point lead. On the first play from scrimmage, Purdy eluded several Texas defenders and then took advantage of blown coverage to connect with Deshaunte Jones for a 75-yard touchdown. There wasn’t a Texas defender within 20 yards of Jones when he reeled the pass in.

Assalley’s 48-yard FG at the 12:09 mark extended the Iowa State’s lead to 20-7. Texas scored 14 unanswered points, with the first touchdown coming from Ehlingher to Keaontay Ingram early in the fourth quarter. After forcing an ISU punt, Texas marched 89 yards and converted a 4th and goal with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Ehlinger to Malcolm Epps. Texas held their first lead of the game, 21-20, with 5:37 left on the game clock.

On 4th & 5 from the Texas 25 yard line at the 2:16 mark, the Cyclones lined up for a field goal in attempt to regain the lead. In a costly mistake, Texas LB Joseph Ossai jumped offsides giving the Cyclones a fresh set of downs. The Longhorns had just two timeouts remaining, and Iowa State was able to run the clock down to :04 before Connor Assalley kicked a game winning 36-yard field goal. The Longhorns head to Waco next Saturday to face the Big 12-leading Baylor Bears.

satyanash · November 17, 2019

ClubWhatever · November 17, 2019

Ian Boyd is smarter than our coaches.

satyanash · November 17, 2019

23 minutes ago, ClubWhatever said:

Ian Boyd is smarter than our coaches.

What's funny is, Ian Boyd ardently defended our coaches last year while we were going through the defensive slump vs. Okie Lite and WVU. But as far back as the WVU game he and Scipio Tex were seeing the signs of what was to come.

Texasrocks · November 17, 2019

It is weird that Herman makes "aggressive" decisions to go for it on 4th down and then makes really conservative calls. He allows Orlando to play a high-risk defense with the constant blitzing from BFE and then goes ultra conservative on offense any time he gets the lead. He must suck at poker.

TwiceHorn · November 17, 2019

10 minutes ago, Texasrocks said:

It is weird that Herman makes "aggressive" decisions to go for it on 4th down and then makes really conservative calls. He allows Orlando to play a high-risk defense with the constant blitzing from BFE and then goes ultra conservative on offense any time he gets the lead. He must suck at poker.

I'm gonna guess it's a sign of immaturity as a coach. He wants to project aggression, but it isn't really him. So he's constantly vacillating between this facade of aggressive ass-kicker and the reality of being pretty conservative. He's not honest with himself about who he is as a coach.

If he was more authentic, it wouldn't mean he'd be so conservative, but by faking being the opposite, it only makes him more conservative when it's a high-stress situation.

Edited November 17, 2019 by TwiceHorn

satyanash · November 17, 2019

13 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I'm gonna guess it's a sign of immaturity as a coach.

Herman is 44. He's the same age as Rhule (who has completely turned around a dismal 1-11 Baylor squad in two years) and eight years older than Riley, who went from OCing East fucking Carolina to leading blOU to two straight Big 12 titles and playoff appearances. Herman's not some young coach growing into his potential, this is who he is and who he's going to be moving forward. The question is, should Texas be satisfied with that?

Edited November 17, 2019 by satyanash

MirrOlure · November 17, 2019

I'm gonna guess it's a sign of immaturity as a coach. He wants to project aggression, but it isn't really him. So he's constantly vacillating between this facade of aggressive ass-kicker and the reality of being pretty conservative. He's not honest with himself about who he is as a coach.
If he was more authentic, it wouldn't mean he'd be so conservative, but by faking being the opposite, it only makes him more conservative when it's a high-stress situation.

satyanash · November 17, 2019

DaysOff · November 17, 2019

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None of that shit is happening

satyanash · November 17, 2019

Joseph Cook: Longhorn offense disjointed in last-second, 23-21 loss to Iowa State

Quote

Texas’ offense had more drives resulting in zero or fewer yards than drives ending in touchdowns in a 23-21 loss to Iowa State that eliminated the Longhorns from Big 12 Championship contention. Two of those scoring drives came in the second half, the second giving Texas a 21-20 lead. The Longhorns had an opportunity to bleed the final few minutes of clock out as they had against Kansas State one week prior. UT put together a fourth gain-free drive for its eighth three-and-out, and put the ball back in the hands of a Cyclone offense that drove to the Texas 19.

With four seconds remaining, ISU kicker Connor Assalley nailed a 36-yard field goal to win the game. “Obviously, a really, really poor performance by our offense in the first few quarters,” Texas head coach Herman said postgame. “We've got to really examine our gameplan in the run game and our execution. To not be able to run the ball the way that we thought we would be able to, that was the biggest difference.”

The problem side of the ball for most of the season for Herman was the defense. This time, it was the offense, his specialty, that struggled to do much of anything save for two remarkable drives. The Longhorn offense took the field for the final time with 4:01 remaining in the game. Draining the clock was the goal, and it would be a difficult task considering how effective Iowa State was on defense most of the night.

Any success Texas had on offense came through the air. Ehlinger totaled 165 of his 273 passing yards on Texas’ two second half scoring drives, including 63 yards after his team was penalized into 2nd-and-35. However, for the Longhorns to win they would need to run the football. What was true most of the night held true once again. Running plays on first and second down gained nothing, and a third down screen to Devin Duvernay fell incomplete after ISU’s Jamahl Johnson batted it down.

Following the game, Herman stated he believed the prudent strategy was to run time off the clock and force Iowa State to use its timeouts, believing his team would gain yardage on the ground. He then said he believed the prudent third down playcall was to throw a screen, and credited Johnson for his play. It wasn’t what Texas was expecting, even though it was a similar result to most of Texas’ efforts on the ground. One week after rushing for 214 yards versus Kansas State, Texas amassed 54 rushing yards on 26 carries. “We pride ourselves on being able to run off the clock and keep our defense off the field and we weren’t able to do that when it came down to it,” Ehlinger said.

The final three-and-out created by the Cyclone defense gave Iowa State the ball back with 3:00 remaining in the game. Their offense received huge boosts from two defensive pass interference calls on Jalen Green and Caden Sterns, but the Longhorn defense held for a third down stop that brought Iowa State kicker Connor Assalley on the field for a 42-yard field goal.

However, penalties once again hurt Texas as Joseph Ossai was flagged for being offside, giving the Cyclones an opportunity to set up for a closer kick. Three plays later, Assalley hit the 36-yarder as time expired. Texas’ defense performed admirably and held Iowa State in check for most of the game. Even though the Longhorns put together eight sputtering drives, Todd Orlando’s defense did get off the field at several key junctures.

The two notable lapses resulted in 14 Cyclone points. On ISU’s first drive, multiple Texas defenders fell for Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy’s pump-fake. Charlie Kolar was left wide open in the end zone for a two-yard score. On the first play of the second half, Purdy escaped what looked to be a sure sack and heaved a ball for Deshaunte Jones. No Longhorn defender was near Jones and his jaunt to the end zone extended ISU’s lead to 17-7. Still, it was an effort that kept Texas in the game despite a poor offensive showing.

“I thought our defense played admirably given all the three-and-outs, poor field position, and all of the things,” Herman said. It took 29:13 of game time for Texas to even get on the scoreboard. Five of the first six Longhorn drives ended in a Chris Naggar punt. The only outlier was a six-play, 17-yard drive that began via a D’Shawn Jamison interception, and ended with Sam Ehlinger falling short of the yard to gain. The lone first-half score for the Longhorns was a highlight-play catch by Brennan Eagles for a 14-yard score.

With the result, Texas falls to 6-4 with a 4-3 conference record, removing Texas from Big 12 Championship contention. The expectations for the season included a return trip to Arlington, but the chances of that occurring nosedived to zero with this loss. Still, two games remain and Ehlinger believes Texas will play hard even without the trip to AT&T Stadium as a possibility.

“I believe the guys in the locker room love each other enough to keep each other focused and keep working,” Ehlinger said. Should that happen, Texas could very well win its next two games for eight regular season wins. If his belief doesn’t hold true, topping Baylor and Texas Tech could prove difficult.

satyanash · November 17, 2019

Tonight's loss didn't sit well with former players...

closetohumping · November 17, 2019

42 minutes ago, BigOrange1 said:

eh, if we are against guys who haven't done it as a P5 head coach, its hard to get excited about a lifelong coordinator.

4 hours ago, satyanash said:

Does the second comment mean what I think it means?

3 hours ago, ClubWhatever said:

Ian Boyd is smarter than our coaches.

He’s actually a sharp guy

Fozzz · November 17, 2019

2 hours ago, satyanash said:

Herman is 44. He's the same age as Rhule (who has completely turned around a dismal 1-11 Baylor squad in two years) and eight years older than Riley, who went from OCing East fucking Carolina to leading blOU to two straight Big 12 titles and playoff appearances. Herman's not some young coach growing into his potential, this is who he is and who he's going to be moving forward. The question is, should Texas be satisfied with that?

Herman could make a great position coach or maybe even a coordinator.

Fozzz · November 17, 2019

44 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

Does the second comment mean what I think it means?

He’s actually a sharp guy

He does his homework, which is more than you can say for 95% of the guys in his field. However, I think he drank too much of the koolaid with Tom, although he has come around this season.

Girdwood · November 17, 2019

3 hours ago, satyanash said:

Tonight's loss didn't sit well with former players...

Williams, Diggs, Acho never won shit here. They need to stfu.

pacman · November 17, 2019

5 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

I'm gonna guess it's a sign of immaturity as a coach. He wants to project aggression, but it isn't really him. So he's constantly vacillating between this facade of aggressive ass-kicker and the reality of being pretty conservative. He's not honest with himself about who he is as a coach.

If he was more authentic, it wouldn't mean he'd be so conservative, but by faking being the opposite, it only makes him more conservative when it's a high-stress situation.

Authentic? This from a guy (Herman) who demands accountability and no excuses from his players while dodging accountability and naking excuses for himself and the coaches.

He has turned Texas football into his personal frat house with his buddies and they aren't doing shit to look like they have a shred of competence.

SydneyCarton · November 17, 2019

4 hours ago, Girdwood said:

Williams, Diggs, Acho never won shit here. They need to stfu.

I never strapped up and won shit. Should I shut the fuck up?

we’re lucky to have nfl alums that are passionate and want us to win. I hope they double their efforts.

BurntOrange&White · November 17, 2019

I never strapped up and won shit. Should I shut the fuck up?

we’re lucky to have nfl alums that are passionate and want us to win. I hope they double their efforts.

Exactly this.

gmr548 · November 17, 2019

Williams, Diggs, Acho never won shit here. They need to stfu.

Girdwood never won shit here. He needs to stfu.

Also, Williams and Acho were here in 08-09 so your statement is just wrong relative to them. All three were all big 12 during their time here - contributing far more than you or anyone else on this site ever will.

Wherever the bar for being allowed to talk is, if they're below it, so are you. Act accordingly.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

TwiceHorn · November 17, 2019

10 hours ago, satyanash said:

Herman is 44. He's the same age as Rhule (who has completely turned around a dismal 1-11 Baylor squad in two years) and eight years older than Riley, who went from OCing East fucking Carolina to leading blOU to two straight Big 12 titles and playoff appearances. Herman's not some young coach growing into his potential, this is who he is and who he's going to be moving forward. The question is, should Texas be satisfied with that?

One can be chronologically quite old without learning to be an authentic person, to be "comfortable in your own skin." It's not a function of age. It could be a function of experience. But most likely its just the personality type.

PJ Fleck is a guy that is who he is, like it or love it. That he's comfortable with it is probably a key factor to his success.

TwiceHorn · November 17, 2019

5 hours ago, pacman said:

Authentic? This from a guy (Herman) who demands accountability and no excuses from his players while dodging accountability and naking excuses for himself and the coaches.

He has turned Texas football into his personal frat house with his buddies and they aren't doing shit to look like they have a shred of competence.

Well, right. That's another angle on it. Not inconsistent with what I said, at all. The guy doesn't know who he is, as a football coach and maybe even as a person. That's going to produce all kinds of inconsistencies.

It's like the bully or really cool kid who's actually incredibly insecure. Always projecting some outward facade.

BigHorn'13 · November 17, 2019

1 hour ago, gmr548 said:

Girdwood never won shit here. He needs to stfu.

Also, Williams and Acho were here in 08-09 so your statement is just wrong relative to them. All three were all big 12 during their time here - contributing far more than you or anyone else on this site ever will.

Wherever the bar for being allowed to talk is, if they're below it, so are you. Act accordingly.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Was just coming to post this. Probably word for word. Fuck at this point, I'd share a joint with Dylan Haines and have a good time talking about how stupid this fucking staff is. Then immediately go back to hating the shit out of the guy.

TwiceHorn · November 17, 2019

Scip's image for the post-game thread cracked me up. Also lets you know what he's thinking. He's not going to say it until the end of the season I don't believe.

BurntOrange&White · November 17, 2019

Image isn’t showing up for me.

TwiceHorn · November 17, 2019

www.barkingcarnival.com

pacman · November 17, 2019

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Well, right. That's another angle on it. Not inconsistent with what I said, at all. The guy doesn't know who he is, as a football coach and maybe even as a person. That's going to produce all kinds of inconsistencies.

It's like the bully or really cool kid who's actually incredibly insecure. Always projecting some outward facade.

Was only trying to add to, in support of, your post...

satyanash · November 17, 2019

Bobby Burton: Texas-ISU Grades

Quote

Quarterback

Sam Ehlinger played well in specific spurts and always in a specific style of offense. The junior found success in 10 personnel (1 running back and four wide receivers) but was almost completely flummoxed in 11 personnel (one tight end and running back). And he certainly performed better when he had more time in the pocket to dissect the defense. But Ehlinger and the Texas offense were absolutely shut down until late in the first half. The numbers aren’t great but the leadership was good, especially giving Texas the lead late in the game despite all of the problems in the first three quarters. Some will disagree with this grade but Ehlinger missed too many open receivers, like a streaking John Burt, and didn’t seem to have a good feel for the Cyclones pass rush in the first half, which complicates matters for a struggling offense.

Grade: B

Running backs

The Cyclones crushed the Texas run game, limiting Texas to just 50 yards on the ground for the day. Keaontay Ingram ran eight times for nine yards. That’s just how meager the performance was. Yet the Texas RBs actually contributed heavily as outlets in the passing game — something that Ehlinger would be wise to do more often. Both Ingram and Johnson are good pass-catchers and can make yards after the catch. The highlight of the game was Ingram’s TD catch against zero coverage straight down the middle of the field.

Grade: C

Wide receivers

Devin Duvernay once again showed why he is one of the nation’s best and most reliable receivers. Duvernay came up big time and time again, though he did have a big drop on the Horns’ final TD drive. Even then, he redeemed himself with a third down catch later in that very drive. Brennan Eagles caught four passes, all of which were clutch in one way or the other. Malcolm Epps' reception in the end zone was the first contested catch he’s seemingly made all season, but it came at a great time. John Burt blocked poorly, but gave great effort on a comeback route to negate an interception. Al'Vonte Woodard made a nice contested catch on the sideline. The Horns clearly missed Collin Johnson, especially in 11 personnel.

Grade: B

Tight ends

Ugh. Reese Leitao was a mediocre blocker and provided nothing in either the run or pass game other than occasional help in pass protection. If that’s the case, Texas needs to explore other options. The use of the tight ends was a team negative on Saturday.

Grade: F

Offensive line

Pass protection was solid against three man rushes in the second half. But in the first half, Ehlinger seemingly never had enough time. And the Texas run game never, ever got going. Run lanes were non-existent. Samuel Cosmi was also called for another hold at an inopportune time in the fourth quarter. The unit simply is not living up to expectations. Is that on the players, the play-calling or the line coaching? Perhaps it’s an indictment of all three.

Grade: C-

***

Defensive line

The Texas D-Line looked helpless to start, allowing the ISU run game to get going. And the pass rush never got home either. But after that initial drive, the DL got better. Malcolm Roach, Ta'Quon Graham and Keondre Coburn pushed the pocket and held their gaps. Moro Ojomo played a ton and seemed to be distributive at times as did Marqez Bimage in more limited action. T'Vondre Sweat was curiously absent. The DL played good enough to win but not great.

Grade: B

Linebackers

The return of Jeffrey McCulloch helped solidify the LB corps, which went primarily with the trio of McCulloch, Juwan Mitchell and Joseph Ossai most of the game. Mitchell was particularly disruptive, timing blitzes well and making some jarring hits. Ossai played well even if he wasn’t always near the line of scrimmage where he is better. The linebackers, as a unit, were solid all game long.

Grade: B+

Secondary

Texas blew coverage twice in the game. The first came on the game’s first touchdown where Brandon Jones never saw a receiver creep into the back of the end zone into his responsibility. The second came on the first series of the second half when Chris Brown got sucked up on a crossing route underneath, only to allow Iowa State to get deep behind him. No one was within 10 yards of the ISU receiver. Otherwise it was a solid game. Jalen Green and Kobe Boyce both had nice pass breakups. B.J. Foster and Caden Sterns were solid. DeMarvion Overshown flashed more than once. D'Shawn Jamison made a nice interception. Jones and Brown had up and down performances.

Grade: B

Defense

Take away the one-play drive to start the second half and the Texas D held Iowa State to just one touchdown, which came on the game’s very first possession. Every Texas fan would have taken that performance before the start of the game. Yet it wasn’t enough, in part because of the big play given up, but more so because of Texas’ ineffectiveness on the other side of the ball. The Longhorns appear to be playing a more solid brand of defense since the return of Foster and Sterns to the lineup. With the addition of McCulloch and Overshown, perhaps they defense is getting even better.

Grade: B+

Special teams

Well, if it’s possible, the grade of the special teams performance hinged on a single play, or non-play actually, when senior Malcolm Roach jumped offsides on a field goal attempt with two minutes left in the game. The penalty allowed ISU to run out the clock and attempt the game-winning field goal. It negated a terrific punt by Chris Naggar, a 67-yard rugby style scribbler, that had pinned the Cyclones inside their own 20. Tom Herman declined to utilize Cameron Dicker in the first half opting instead to go for an ill-conceived fourth-down run instead of taking the points.

Grade: D

satyanash · November 17, 2019

(Scipio Tex) Iowa State Postmortem: Defense/Special Teams

Quote

I'll begin with special teams. Despite the positives of Chris Naggar's punting in tough wind conditions, this unit once again showed itself to be poorly coached and led, most glaringly in situational football. There is no single voice with ultimate authority for that unit in-game, which means that smart football isn't being coached or reinforced to players who do not grasp the game situation or are simply caught up in the emotion of the moment. Most players (and fans) can only see the game in terms of an individual making a play. Coaches exist to remind them of the value of doing your job or the larger game context.

These are not bang-bang plays either. Each of these coaching and player failures happens after a change of possession or time outs. Plenty of time for coaching and the bottom line reinforcement of game situations they should have talked through in practice. When team captain Malcolm Roach went offsides on 4th and 4 with 2:16 left on the clock with Texas up 1 point and ISU about to attempt a 42 yard field goal (a distance where the Cyclones are 3 of 7 on the year), the deficits on our sideline hit home enough for even the casual fan to see.

Anyone want to bet me that the most obvious coaching point that needed to be made during the timeout when it was 4th and 4 and ISU was about to line up with 2:16 on the clock was not made? I mean explicitly explained. In the moment. Not hinted at. Not covered three weeks ago in special teams walk thru on a Friday. I mean explicitly made. With a coach looking his charges in the eyes, instructing them on the game situation.

"Guys, it's 4th and 4 and we're up a point. He misses, we win. If he makes it, it's fine. We have the ball with plenty of time on the clock, Sam is kicking ass, and we have a good kicker of our own. We'll drive down and win. The only way to guarantee a loss is gifting them a new set of downs by jumping offsides. Ya'll hear me? We can't do that. They may even try to hard count you. Ignore it. Watch the ball. Hold your water, then get a good push when the ball is snapped. Keep your poise."

Roach jumped trying to "make a play" by anticipating the snap count. ISU was gifted with a new set of downs, burned down the entire clock and got a favorable 36 yard field goal attempt centered in the middle of the field. That's how you lose a game. That's how you lose a season.

Defense

Texas was absolutely terrific on money downs, holding ISU to a combined 3 of 16 on 3rd and 4th down. That includes holding ISU to 1 of 9 in the second half. That's how ISU was held to 23 points despite two blown coverages for touchdowns, some poor LB play and our typical containment issues.

After a predictable stumbling Orlando opening drive score which highlighted several old bad habits (the delay six man jogging blitz paired with off coverage at 11:26 in the first quarter was remote thru the television screen worthy), Texas woke up and consistently played press man outside with at least one safety deep (often two) and matched coverages to the front.

Unfortunately, an offseason of instructional neglect and stumbling into a sane base defense sometime in the second quarter against KSU means that our issues are multifactorial. Issue #2? Assignment knowledge. Playing guys in a different position every week comes at a cost. Some of that's injury. Some of that's coaching.

Two blown coverages surrendered 14 points. An uncovered TD to their best red zone option when Texas had 4 on 3 outside (4 covered 2 and left the biggest threat Kolar alone) and a wide open 75 yard touchdown to Deshaunte Jones after a Brock Purdy scramble that revealed that some Longhorn DBs thought they were in man while others thought they were in zone. That wasn't hurry up confusion. That was the first play out of the half.

Texas also surrendered 101 yards to Breece Hall on 24 carries, but Hall did his primary damage with 14 carries for 79 yards at halftime exploiting Longhorn LB play and containment issues. After the half, he went 10-22. Texas continues to struggle with containment and edge principles, both at the line of scrimmage and outside at the cornerback position. It's simply not being properly taught.

Even with all of that considered, the Texas defenders played hard and the Longhorn cornerbacks, particularly Jamison, showed tantalizing glimpses of what might have been if this staff had played their cards differently starting back in the Spring and Fall. Amazingly, you can blow coverage assignments, have terrible ILB play and not play the edge particularly well, but if you play to the strengths of your DBs and don't zero blitz from Guatemala every third down, you can play respectable ball by just owning money downs with superior athletes and a QB throwing off rhythm.

DB

D'shawn Jamison had long streaks of total dominance in press coverage and he totaled 9 tackles to go with his interception. He's not afraid to squat on routes and that makes him incredibly dangerous against Big 12 QBs who are accustomed to certain route concessions. His interception was a classic example of showing the WR a clean release, surprise setting him, then standing in the slant target area for the pick. He was really good on 3rd downs when we walked him up. He struggled with containment in the screen and run game. He is a very instinctive player who benefits from simple assignments with his face mask about eighteen inches from the receiver.

Jalen Green had a fantastic PBU to set up the fateful ISU field goal attempt. He also played the ISU screen game extremely well, unlike his counterparts. He didn't always exhibit an understanding of the coverage we were in or game situation and had some ill-advised penalties. Probably very hard to jump into a game mid-stream. I still believe has elite potential with the right coaching.

Kobe Boyce had a very nice PBU in the end zone when he got his head around (a miracle!) on an ISU 3rd and 9 from our 18. Could've been a pick. Like Jamison, he struggled with contain. Anthony Cook was solid until his injury. He can play credible press coverage against big body wide outs. Caden Sterns played hurt all game and limped through the entire second half. Hat tip to him for battling through. Nice close and tackle on a Purdy bootleg. He also had a sack.

Demarvion Overshown had a dazzling TFL where he split two ISU OL who outweighed him by 90 pounds each. He is so damn sudden and can play bigger than he is. I know where he'd be playing at the other Big 12 schools. He also lost the edge or ran straight up the field to take himself out of a play multiple times. The most egregious example was surrendering a 12 yard gain to Hall when an unblocked Overshown simply ran by him straight up the field. When you feel yourself unblocked on the edge, flatten and take a look around. That's Football 101.

BJ Foster now plays 3-4 different positions at an average level. I'd like to put him at one and let him excel. Brandon Jones was valuable in clean-up and had a brilliant PBU on a 3rd and 18 attempt late in the game. Chris Brown did a nice job claiming space and using the sideline on Kolar when they were iso'd. Also had two clean open field tackles.

LB

Orlando believes that he can play prototype OLBs inside because the word LB appears in their title. It doesn't work. Ossai failed as a run diagnostician and looked like a guy being asked to play an alien position. Because he was. Just because he's fluid in pass coverage doesn't make him Luke Kuechly as a run game diagnostician. He doesn't know the fundamentals. When he blitzed or played on the edge, he looked a lot better and had two QB hits on Purdy. This was a silly misuse.

Juwan Mitchell is a terrible player right now. He has no idea what's happening in there. Blitz him, I guess. For him to demonstrate fewer skills the longer he's under the care of our staff is a bit of an indictment. Orlando thinks he'll get better if he squats more though. Alternatively, you could teach him football. There was no second level pursuit or LB play. Either the run got stopped at the LOS or behind or it went straight to the secondary.

DL

Some puzzling snaps early when we seemed to be asking our DL to take a lateral step before engaging instead of attacking up field. Perhaps that was too muddy ISU blocking assignments, but it didn't work. I saw Coburn get doubled and pancaked doing this. I couldn't always tell based on camera angle. What was clear is that ISU was often doubling two Texas DL playside, leaving the inside linebackers unblocked and letting any exterior DB contain guys sprint up the field and then run in that open Breece crease. Once Texas effectively forced ISU into 1 on 1 match-ups by run blitzing , the DL cleaned up on the ISU running game.

ISU also simply bypassed the interior of the Longhorn DL and attacked the edge with some success. Coburn had a nice pressure on a pass rush. Ojomo did as well, nearly sacking Purdy. Roach had 4 tackles and a tipped ball. Graham was active, but asking #49 or #32 to be arc runners in certain pass rushing sets is counterproductive. Particularly with Joe Ossai standing inside off of the ball doing his best Mike Singletary impersonation.

Final

It was encouraging to see Texas play press man-under coverage paired with more sane blitz schemes that don't vacate the middle of the field or concede hot routes. Marrying your coverage to your front is groundbreaking stuff. I thought this would be our core identity back in March. We stumbled into it last week. As surprising as it may be for you to read given the season struggles of the Texas defense, the recipe for a good college defense is on this roster. Unfortunately, ingredients don't cook their own meal.

jinx · November 17, 2019

Is anyone else sick of hearing about how much these guys love each other? I don't give two shits about who loves who as long as they can play smart football. Did Ossai and Roach decide they hated their teammates on that FG attempt? Or are they just completely uncoached on special teams?

ClubWhatever · November 17, 2019

2 minutes ago, jinx said:

Is anyone else sick of hearing about how much these guys love each other? I don't give two shits about who loves who as long as they can play smart football. Did Ossai and Roach decide they hated their teammates on that FG attempt? Or are they just completely uncoached on special teams?

The love thing is supposed to be about effort. I think it’s one thing Herman has actually done right. We don’t ever get blown out. It’s partly because the team is tight and plays hard.

Slacks · November 17, 2019

Williams, Diggs, Acho never won shit here. They need to stfu.

Which years did you play?

Slacks · November 17, 2019

I never strapped up and won shit. Should I shut the fuck up?

You know you should stfu. I know you won't stfu.

SydneyCarton · November 17, 2019

10 minutes ago, Snacks said:

You know you should stfu. I know you won't stfu.

Lol. Outta rep. My man, we need to grab beers.

nineliveslost · November 17, 2019

3 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Scip's image for the post-game thread cracked me up. Also lets you know what he's thinking. He's not going to say it until the end of the season I don't believe.

Help a slow brutha out....

TwiceHorn · November 17, 2019

4 minutes ago, nineliveslost said:

Help a slow brutha out....

The triumph of Herman during the two minutes we led the game. As he prepared to piss the lead away.

Edited November 17, 2019 by TwiceHorn

Goodman · November 17, 2019

5 minutes ago, nineliveslost said:

Help a slow brutha out....

Some GA doing a touchdown sign, not sure what @TwiceHorn is trying to say.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Goodman

Bobby_Batronic · November 17, 2019

1 hour ago, satyanash said:

(Scipio Tex) Iowa State Postmortem: Defense/Special Teams

TO is terrible at identifying his best players and best alignments before the season and has to luck into something mid season that works. It’s Davisian level personnel management and evaluation.

We flat out stumbled into the lightening package part way through 2017. It took about half of 2018 to quit playing that passive ISU tribute defense, and only 9 games into 2019 before Todd clues into the fact that we have great athletes that suck at zone.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Bobby_Batronic

Goodman · November 17, 2019

6 minutes ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

TO is terrible at identifying his best players and best alignments before the season and has to luck into something mid season that works. It’s Davisian level personnel management and evaluation.

We flat out stumbled into the lightening package part way through 2017. It took about half of 2018 to quit playing that passive ISU tribute defense, and only 9 games into 2019 before Todd clues into the fact that we have great athletes that suck at zone.

Herman has been just as bad. Was telling everyone how great the OL was going to be in 2017.

TwiceHorn · November 17, 2019

30 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

The triumph of Herman during the two minutes we led the game. As he prepared to piss the lead away.

It's a none-too-subtle clue who Scipio thinks blew the game.

satyanash · November 17, 2019

(Kaelen Jones) ‘Too little, too late’: In latest reality check this season, Texas’ Big 12 title hopes fizzle

Quote

AMES, Iowa — Texas is most likely out of contention for a berth in the Big 12 championship. The No. 19 Longhorns fought to keep that aspiration alive Saturday against Iowa State. They survived early blows from the Cyclones, rallying to take a lead in the fourth quarter. “But,” as UT coach Tom Herman said, “it was too little, too late.” The Longhorns fell 23-21 after a game-winning 37-yard field goal by ISU kicker Connor Assalley that easily sailed through the uprights at Jack Trice Stadium. As he raced across the field in celebration and the Cyclones swarmed him, the Longhorns, who had won on a field goal the week before, could only walk away in disbelief.

The biggest remaining hope in a season that had started with grand expectations has essentially vanished. And the Longhorns (6-4, 4-3 Big 12) squandered it. Three times on Iowa State’s final possession, UT drew penalties. “As backbreaking as it gets,” Herman said.

The first, a defensive pass interference call against cornerback Jalen Green, was declined; Cyclones receiver La’Michael Pettway disregarded Green’s contact, making a first-down reception anyway. But when ISU quarterback Brock Purdy — who threw for 354 yards, two touchdowns and one interception — targeted tight end Charlie Kolar and Longhorns safety Caden Sterns bumped into him along the sideline, the Cyclones progressed to UT’s 30. They trailed by 1 with just less than three minutes to go.

The Longhorns defense — maligned all season for its inability to slow opposing passers — had largely outperformed expectations, holding the Cyclones to 20 points through three quarters. Green atoned for his previous penalty by cleanly breaking up Purdy’s third-down throw to Pettway again. The Cyclones lined up for a 42-yard field goal with 2:12 left. Despite the UT offense’s abysmal three-and-out on its previous series, it looked as though it would get another possession and subsequent chance to win the game.

However, the Longhorns, who can only blame themselves, never got the chance. Senior defensive lineman Malcolm Roach — followed by sophomore linebackers Joseph Ossai and Juwan Mitchell — jumped the snap and drew an offside penalty. It gave the Cyclones a fresh set of downs. UT, having exhausted its timeouts, helplessly watched as ISU drained the rest of the clock to set up the walk-off kick.

“It was kind of in their hands from that point,” senior safety Brandon Jones said. And with that, the Longhorns likely watched their goal of a championship slip from their grasp. “We just stopped ourselves,” junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger said. “We had opportunities to make plays and we didn’t. It’s hard to win a football game when you don’t make plays.”

On a day UT needed its offense to produce, it faltered. The Longhorns went three-and-out on a season-high eight possessions. They produced just 54 yards on 26 carries (2.1 yards per rush) after producing 100-yard efforts from sophomore Keaontay Ingram in two of the past three contests. Just last week against Kansas State, UT tallied 214 rushing yards on 36 carries (5.9 yards per rush).

“To not be able to run the ball like we thought we would be to able to,” Herman said, “is the biggest thing.” The passing game wasn’t any more reliable. With senior receiver Collin Johnson out with a hamstring injury, fellow senior Devin Duvernay had a typical productive outing (nine catches, 107 yards), but even he dropped a pass. Sophomore Brennan Eagles’ four catches for 84 yards and an incredible touchdown snag didn’t suffice, either.

Until Eagles’ score capped a five-play, 75-yard drive spanning 30 seconds at the end of the first half, the offense looked lifeless. It continued to sputter through the second half. Still, Ehlinger willed two scoring drives, including the go-ahead series midway through the fourth quarter when he converted a fourth-and-goal, surviving pressure to miraculously find Malcolm Epps in the end zone.

Ehlinger was at a loss for words to explain UT’s offensive inconsistency, pausing for 11 seconds before attempting to find an answer. “When we get in a groove, we’re rolling,” he said. “But we’ve gotta find a way to tap into that more often.”

On Saturday, the Longhorns didn’t tap into that capability enough. And now they’re left wondering what could have been. The only long-term goal Herman ever willingly ascertained at the beginning of the season was the possibility of returning to the Big 12 championship game. After Saturday’s defeat, that chance is worryingly slim. No longer does UT control its destiny.

It begs the question: Where do the Longhorns stand as they enter the final weeks of Herman’s third season in Austin? Preseason notions of this team breaching the College Football Playoff — even with the talent it possesses — always appeared a bit far-fetched, considering the attrition, particularly on defense. It’s easy to forget the dreadful situation that Herman walked into nearly three years ago, and how far the program had to come.

However, the manner in which the Longhorns suffered their defeats this season, and nearly faltered in eventual wins, has not met the standard expected as the program tries to take the next steps. Self-inflicted wounds have haunted the Longhorns throughout the year. On Saturday, they culminated in a gutting defeat that has forced UT to readjust its focus toward playing in a bowl game as opposed to competing for a conference title.

“It hurts,” Jones said. “Especially for the seniors. This is our last chance and last opportunity to get to that point. But it doesn’t end here. We’ve still got some season ahead of us.” If anything, Saturday’s defeat serves as a blunt reminder that the Longhorns still have work to do to regain their status as a perennial national contender. Regardless of expectations, that rebuild is still in-progress. However, there is pressure for the program to reach desired heights sooner than later.

While 2019 was not the season for the Longhorns’ great expectations to be met, there are still opportunities this season. At the very least, next week’s trip to Baylor will provide them a shot at proving what they’re capable of when playing at their best. “I believe that the guys in the locker room,” Ehlinger said, “love each other enough to keep each other focused and keep working.”

pacman · November 17, 2019

30 minutes ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

TO is terrible at identifying his best players and best alignments before the season and has to luck into something mid season that works. It’s Davisian level personnel management and evaluation.

We flat out stumbled into the lightening package part way through 2017. It took about half of 2018 to quit playing that passive ISU tribute defense, and only 9 games into 2019 before Todd clues into the fact that we have great athletes that suck at zone.

TO isn't a coach. He is a copy cat hack.

anacardo · November 17, 2019

Subscribed for Scip’s -150 degrees below zero takes on that offensive performance.

satyanash · November 17, 2019

InsideTexas: Offensive Report Card----Iowa State

Quote

I guess somebody somewhere understands our offensive strategy but it's sure not me. I can tell you that we continue to prove we've worn out our welcome for the QB power as our go-to short yardage desperation. I just didn't realize until yesterday that we decided to prove it twice in succession and once again in each half including first down when we needed to run three minutes off the clock.

I might have mentioned a few times how maybe a new voice calling plays might give this offense new direction but I'm now firmly convinced this head coach will never allow his influence reduced in any form or fashion. Despite the absolute time shortage spent study planning we are going to be a shoot from the hip operation as long as this guy is calling the shots. Career play-calling coaches will continue to take his ass to the cleaners because they can anticipate with documented proof just how predictable he calls the game. Here are the grades:

1---Burt---fail

2---Johnson---pass

6---Duvernay---pass+

11---Ehlinger---pass

13---Eagles---pass

26---Ingram---pass

52---Cosmi---borderline

56---Shackelford---borderline

68---Kerstetter---borderline

73---Braun---pass

78---Okafor---borderline

81---Leitao---borderline

83---Woodard---pass

85---Epps---borderline

15---Washington, 16 Smith, and 18 Wiley did not play enough plays to grade.

Duvernay (6) is our best player and our most consistent. Ehlinger (11) had too many off target throws to grade a plus. The collective OLine (plus 81 Leitao) played handicapped because of our refusal to run the damn ball---balancing the thought pattern for the defense helps put doubt in minds. We give up on the run when one play doesn't score like it's drawn up on the chalkboard.

Burt (1) and Epps (85) are not exactly weapons and positively lack effort in blocking phase of the game. We are in deep trouble when Collin doesn't play. Both RB's Ingram (26) and Johnson (2) had too many slips and trips but gave solid effort. It might be time to kick Kerstetter (68) back out to RT and bring another guard into the game. Just an opinion but it appears to me we are losing ground at two positions (RG and RT) by moving Derek out of his comfort zone (RT).

The best I can say about this offensive is they played hard---not well but hard. They better stay hooked up cause Baylor has something to play for and will get after our ass.

InsideTexas: Defensive Report Card---Iowa State

Quote

This defense played hard. They had a very poor opening drive. They gave up a long td pass when one defender forget it was man and his safety forgot he was responsible for the deep half. In between they gave up three field goals. That's 23 points and in this league that should spell win. We should not overlook that fact. We decided to blitz the QB. Bet they never saw that coming. There was seldom a play when one or both LB's blitzed. I guess that's the best option when you can't or won't teach them how to play LB. Iowa State damn sure teaches LB's. See if you notice any difference between the the way they play the position.

We have some guys that are selling out their bodies for the greater good. Talk about taking one for the team. If they were instructed in basic fundamentals we would have something to talk about. We take some of the most difficult to succeed routes know to man and still get a job done. It's a shame on this side of the ball---we don't play smart and it's not entirely their fault. Here are the grades:

3---Green---borderline

4---Cook---pass

5---Jamison---pass

6---Mitchell---borderline

7---Sterns---pass

15---Brown---borderline

19---Jones----pass

23---McCulloch---pass

25---Foster---pass

31---Overshown---pass

32---Roach---pass

38---Boyce---borderline

40---Adeoye---borderline

42---Bimage---borderline

46---Ossai---borderline

49---Graham---pass

98---Ojomo---pass

99---Coburn---pass

Sterns, Overshown, Foster, Jones, Roach, Ojomo, and Coburn played like warriors despite making fundamental errors along the way. Overshown would have several more tackles if we had just contained (turned the ball back to pursuit) but he still took a few bad angles. Sterns showed he's not 100% but he stabbed the ball without giving ground. Jones will hustle all out and save our bacon along the way but still got lost on the long td pass.

Foster played well early but might be injured again. I truly believe he will be a terrific player once we give him a single position and not 85 different alignments, stunts, coverages, and responsibilities. Coburn and Ojomo are quality inside guys that would have bigger impacts on the game if they weren't ask to eat blocks to free our non -existent LB's to make plays. Sweat belongs in the same breath.

Roach made the worst mistake of all by jumping offsides on the first field goal but was steady with a couple of big plays. Ossai and Mitchell are completely lost at inside backers. They are Shultz----they know nothing, they see nothing. they react to nothing. Solution---blitz both every down. Problem is this eliminates second level pursuit but keeps them from looking totally clueless.

Boyce gives up contain every time. Jamison ducks his head back inside and then gives up the boundary. Green plays that well but lacks good judgement in other areas. Cook was solid until injured. Watson made a tackle in coverage. Baylor and Brewer will give us all we want next week. It would be nice if Mims could rest another week but I wouldn't count on it. Teams headed in opposite directions and we are the one headed south. Buckle up---they won't take any prisoners.

hookem48 · November 17, 2019

4 hours ago, satyanash said:

Bobby Burton: Texas-ISU Grades

Sam didn't miss a streaking Burt, Burt started jogging then couldn't catch up to a perfect fucking pass, should have been a TD.

Levi · November 17, 2019

I’m not a fan of young guys complaining about time on the field because I believe coaches can see the bigger picture in overall development. But gawd damn I’d be pissed if I had to sit there and watch Epps or Burt play in front me at this point in the season. Some guys are better practice players than they are in games and right now, I feel like Burt and Epps are lighting up Boyce in practice but can’t do shit against a competent corner on Saturdays.

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