Media/$9.95-er postgame analysis articles (Week 13)

[satyanash 14281]

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

Jeff Howe: Late Iowa State comeback sinks Texas, 23-20

Quote

No. 17 Texas didn’t just suffer a 23-20 loss to No. 13 Iowa State on dreary Friday afternoon at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, the Longhorns were dealt the kind of loss that could drastically change the future of the program. Needing a win to keep their hopes alive of reaching the Big 12 title game on Dec. 19 at AT&T Stadium, two fourth-down gambles that backfired in the face of head coach Tom Herman were the last thing a head coach whose tenure has been on shaky ground since Texas (5-3, 4-3 Big 12) lost two of its first three conference games needed.

Iowa State (7-2, 7-1) hasn’t won a conference championship since 1912, but the Cyclones are in line to do just that after forcing the Longhorns to settle for a 58-yard field goal attempt by Cameron Dicker on the final play of the game. When Dicker’s kick missed wide to the left, the attention of the burnt orange faithful immediately turned to where the program goes from and whether or not Herman will be a part of the plans in the decade-long journey of Texas to return to the status of consistent contender for conference and national championships.

This story is developing and will be updated.

Cody Daniel: No. 17 Texas squanders late lead vs. No. 13 Iowa State for 23-20 loss

Quote

The Longhorns had the ball and the lead lade, but a stagnant offense and an explosive drive from ISU ended Texas’ Big 12 title hopes.

Following early three weeks away from the game field, the No. 17 Texas Longhorns had an ideal opportunity to capture their fourth consecutive win, owning the lead and the ball late in the fourth. But a quick three-and-out followed by an Iowa State touchdown saw the Longhorns lose that lead, 23-20, with only 1:32 to play. The Sam Ehlinger-led offense marched down the field, but a critical sack with only three seconds forced a 57-yard game-tying field goal attempt, and that was just a bit too much for Cameron Dicker, who couldn’t connect.

This marks Texas’ first loss since the Red River Showdown, and more importantly, the loss eliminates the Longhorns from the Big 12 championship picture at 5-3 (4-3). This is your post-game commiseration thread.

 

[satyanash 14281]

Horns247 Staff: What's Sam Ehlinger's legacy for Texas football?

Quote

With this being Sam Ehlinger’s last home game, what will his Texas legacy be?

Chip Brown, Columnist

Sam Ehlinger will be remembered - and beloved by Texas fans - as a warrior who helped will his teams to victory in some very memorable games, from the 2018 Red River Shootout and Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia to all his other comeback wins, including this year's crazy finish at Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. Ehlinger couldn't control Tom Herman deciding to change seven assistant coaches heading into his senior year. He certainly couldn't control having a senior season defined by a global pandemic or any other off-the-field distractions surrounding the program.

If Texas could have won four more games and claimed its first Big 12 title since 2009, Ehlinger would be remembered among the best quarterbacks at UT, among names like James Brown and Colt McCoy and just a notch below the likes of national title winners Vince Young and James Street. Through his four years at Texas, Ehlinger has been a class act. He's a leader. He's a great ambassador for the university as a kid who grew up going to Texas games with his now-departed father, Ross, who was a member of the Silver Spurs at UT.

Ehlinger truly loves Texas football and has considered it a dream come true to play quarterback for the Longhorns. Texas fans appreciate that love affair. I see Ehlinger giving the NFL a go, and when his playing days are done, I could easily see him settling down in Austin and being a presence on the Longhorn Network (as long as LHN lasts) and being a respected presence and voice for UT football.

Jeff Howe, Senior writer

There’s no right or wrong way to attempt to put a value on Sam Ehlinger’s legacy. With that in mind, for me it’s trying to figure out where he fits in the pantheon of great Texas quarterbacks.

You’ve got to win either a national championship or a Heisman Trophy (or a national player of the year equivalent) to be in the elite group with Colt McCoy and Vince Young. Considering what Bobby Layne and James Street mean to the program, they’re on the next tier (Layne and Street, as a group, are in my book 1b to the 1a group of McCoy and Young).

After those four, ranking the greatest Longhorns behind center is completely subjective and in the eye of the beholder. For me, there’s four who belong on the next tier either for what they achieved from a statistical standpoint or winning conference championships: Ehlinger, Marty Akins, Major Applewhite and James Brown.

If Ehlinger can lead the Longhorns to a conference title, he’d separate himself and potentially create his own tier since he’d have the numbers and a ring to back up whatever arguments one could make about his standing in the history of the program. It’s fun to talk about Ehlinger’s toughness, his competitive spirit and the fact that he was the answer to the question that plagued Texas throughout the 2010s: ‘When is Texas going to find a quarterback?’ At the end of the day, quarterbacks are judged by wins and, more specifically, championships.

It’s unfortunate Ehlinger won’t get to make a run at a national or conference championship. Nevertheless, there’s no better way to solidify his legacy than putting a number on the wall at DKR and Ehlinger can do that so long as the Longhorns keep winning.

Taylor Estes, Managing editor

I think Sam Ehlinger should and will be remembered as the quarterback who led Texas out of the dark period of the 2000’s. There’s no denying his love for the University of Texas, not only because he grew up a UT fan, but also because of the way he’s played the game to fight his way to victory. While he isn’t the most elite quarterback to put on burnt orange and he’s struggled some this year, Ehlinger has cemented his place in the top group of quarterbacks to play for Texas. Ehlinger is truly a special player, a special person and someone fans should always appreciate for all that he has done for Texas football.

Mike Roach, Recruiting analyst

While Ehlinger won’t go down as the most talented or winningest quarterback in Texas history, I believe his name will be remembered for a while. For me, he was an incredible picture of strength during a turbulent time. An Austin kid who knew from the moment he started playing ball that Texas would be the only place he wanted to play, he was as tough as boot leather during his career. We watched him batter his body for four years being the primary running threat, and his confidence carried this team further than their talent should have at times. Throughout it all, No. 11 was there portraying an image of toughness and stability. That should be his legacy.

Nick Harris, Recruiting reporter

Ehlinger’s legacy could very well be his phenomenal 2018 season, especially the wins against Oklahoma and Georgia. However, if Ehlinger and the Longhorns could have brought a conference championship back to Austin this season, the narrative would have changed to him being the guy that led Texas to being a serious contender in the Big 12 once again. It’s fitting that a big part of his legacy rode on this final home game as he has been no stranger to big games in his career.

 

[satyanash 14281]

 

[Knoxtnhorn 5936]

Way to go Anwar.  Nice question in the post-game.

[WBT 20425]

4 minutes ago, satyanash said:

 

 

 

lulz

[satyanash 14281]

Eric Nahlin: “That was the nail”

Per a very good source that was the end of the Herman era for all intents and purposes. I do not know when the official call will be made and I won’t handicap Scenario 1 at this time. If Urban Meyer does decide he wants the job, his Fox duties don’t end until 12-19.

[clapclapclap 9000]

2 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Way to go Anwar.  Nice question in the post-game.

Trajectory is wide left.

[GringoSalado 1651]

10 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Horns247 Staff: What's Sam Ehlinger's legacy for Texas football?

 

Answer:  shitty coaching 

[Sgt Hulk 13648]

3 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Eric Nahlin: “That was the nail”

Per a very good source that was the end of the Herman era for all intents and purposes. I do not know when the official call will be made and I won’t handicap Scenario 1 at this time. If Urban Meyer does decide he wants the job, his Fox duties don’t end until 12-19.

Please god 

[satyanash 14281]

 

[Helobious 9482]

4 minutes ago, clapclapclap said:

Trajectory is wide left.

Holy shit. Imagine being in an interview & saying “that’s not for me to decide” when asked why you’re the best person for the job.

[TwiceHorn 31304]

11 minutes ago, clapclapclap said:

Trajectory is wide left.

Azimuth, imo.  Trajectory was ok.

[T-shirt Sip 2097]

18 minutes ago, satyanash said:

 

Fucking ouch. 

[dcar00 14036]

20 minutes ago, satyanash said:

 

you, your shitty staff hires, and especially herb hand broke it for them Tom.  you are a moron.  get the fuck off my university and don't come back.

[taybo20 2815]

35 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Eric Nahlin: “That was the nail”

Per a very good source that was the end of the Herman era for all intents and purposes. I do not know when the official call will be made and I won’t handicap Scenario 1 at this time. If Urban Meyer does decide he wants the job, his Fox duties don’t end until 12-19.

Excellent. 

[taybo20 2815]

Herman saying “the cake is baked” hahahahahahaha. 

[satyanash 14281]

(Jeff Howe) Tom Herman on his future at Texas: 'That's not for me to decide'

Quote

The future at Texas looks bleak for head coach Tom Herman after the No. 17-ranked Longhorns blew a 10-point lead in the second half of Friday’s 23-20 loss to No. 13 Iowa State. The loss all but eliminated Texas (5-3, 4-3 Big 12) from contention for a berth in the conference championship game and takes Herman and Co. from a position of potentially playing to win the program’s first Big 12 title since 2009 to needing to beat both Kansas State (Dec. 5) and Kansas (Dec. 12) on the road in consecutive weeks to prevent the Longhorns from losing at least four regular-season games for the 10th time in 11 seasons.

The loss drops Herman’s overall record on the Forty Acres to 30-18 with a 21-13 mark in Big 12 play. In the immediate aftermath of a loss in the final home game of the 2020 season, Herman was asked if he feels he’s the right man for the job and why the school should keep him on as head coach beyond the current season.

“That's not for me to decide,” Herman said. “I feel like where we have the program right now compared to where it was when we took over, the future is very bright. We've won a lot of big games in our time here. (Texas) didn't win the conference championship two years ago when we made the game, played for an opportunity to go to that game today and lost in the last couple of minutes. But I feel great about the trajectory of our program and where we're headed, and the things that are on the horizon.”

 

[satyanash 14281]

(Bobby Burton) Snap Judgments: A miss

Quote

Tom Herman just watched his fourth-year senior QB get sacked on a three-man rush, forcing a 56-yard field goal attempt as time expired. The result? A miss. Just as the hiring of Herman by Texas four years ago was.

**

Of course, Texas doesn't even get to that point if Sam Ehlinger fails to overcome a holding call on the first set of downs. Ehlinger made a nice couple of dump downs to the backs on the series, as well as found Jordan Whittington for a key first down. Ehlinger could have done that more often earlier in the game instead of attempting so many long, incomplete passes.

Yet that final drive was not the "turning point" in this game.

Instead, it was the two prior's drives. Herman's offense spit the bit twice.

Perhaps it was fitting for Herman's offense to come up short.

On the first drive I''m referencing, Herman called a QB power on 4th and 1. It's been Herman's favorite play since arriving at Texas, so as he lived by the sword, so too he must die by the sword. It should be noted that on that drive, the QB power play was the seventh run on the series for Ehlinger.

Furthermore, a field goal at that point of the game, rather than a turnover on downs, would have given Texas a seven-point lead.

Still, the Texas defense held. And with the ball back and with 5 minutes left on the clock, Texas failed to convert a single first down with a four-point lead. The Horns on that fruitless possession had a short run gain, followed by a poorly thrown deep ball to Jake Smith, followed by a pass to Josh Moore short of the sticks that fell incomplete.

It was a lesson in how not to play offense with a four-point lead. Instead of setting up a more manageable third down play, the Horns flailed. Just par for the course IMO.

**

Of course, that was not the only poor play call by Herman. The fake punt to Cade Brewer put a Texas defense in a difficult situation rather than the possibility of pinning Iowa State deep in its own territory.

And that series, too, was a turning point in the game because just prior to that D'Shawn Jamison had put the Horns at the 50-yard line following a nice kick return.

**

Texas essentially had three turnovers - one on a fumble by Tarik Black and two on downs in the second half - to none for Iowa State.

And while the Texas defense played excellent red-zone defense most of the day, they never had an answer for the ISU TE's down the seem or on the combo out route between the 20-yard lines.

Yes, the Texas defense has improved as the season has worn on. But an offense scoring just 20 points in the Big 12 isn't going to win many games.

**

Texas got deep-ball happy yet again, going away from a run game that had large success early in the contest.

Bijan Robinson looked poise to have a breakout game, but was relegated to after thought much of the second half.

That may have been an adjustment by ISU, but it was also the inability for Texas to find another run play that worked for the Horns.

**

The Texas DL more than did its job against ISU. Ta'Quon Graham forced a holding penalty on a key red-zone play and Keondre Coburn got a sack, ending a different red-zone opportunity.

No, it wasn't "dominating", but it was good enough for Texas to have won the game with a better offensive performance.

**

I refuse to believe that the receiver rotation at Texas is ideal.

In fact, I find it ludicrous.

Sure, Brennan Eagles had his best overall game as a Longhorn, but Jordan Whittington saw too few snaps, Josh Moore too few targets, and Ehlinger got way too happy and inaccurate with most deep balls. Jake Smith made a couple of nice catches, but those kinds of plays need to be the norm, not the irregular.

Furthermore, Black not only fumbled, but he also was called for a holding that put Texas behind the chains in ISU territory in the fourth quarter. Marcus Washington played early in the contest and blocked his butt off on Ehlinger's first TD run.

Again, I don't understand rotating so many receivers when so few of them seem to get open. What's the use of resting any of them, if the replacements can't make plays or get open?

**

Iowa State is a better program than Texas. The Cyclones don't enjoy a better group of talent - although they have several good very goof players. The key is that they execute at a much higher level on offense than the Horns. They know who they are, and what they are trying to do.

Conversely, when the chips are down for Texas, all the Horns get are four wides going deep and riding Sam's coattails, wherever that might lead.

**

Herman sealed his fate on senior day. And it's not how Ehlinger should have went out.

 

[TwiceHorn 31304]

"Goof players." I like that. I feel like we have some goof players, especially on the sideline and in the box.

[satyanash 14281]

(Ian Boyd) 5 Quick Thoughts: Tom Herman's Texas comes up short one last time

Quote

The season came down to a 57-yard field goal attempt by Cameron Dicker, which couldn't have been what Tom Herman envisioned for the decisive moment of his time at Texas. Of course it was missed.

57-yards is a long way for a good NFL kicker. Longhorn legend Justin Tucker's longest ever kick was a 61-yarder back in 2013. Some of the most famous Longhorn legends of the last decade were kickers, a symptom of woeful underachievement by the program, but Dicker pulled this shot just a little bit left and missed out on cementing his place amongst kicking legends of the past and rescuing the Longhorns' season.

The lead up to that kick was fascinating and a nice summary of the Tom Herman era which will likely now be coming to a close as they are all but eliminated from Big 12 Championship contention.

Quick thought No. 1: This was closer to the offensive vision Mike Yurcich had for this team

Texas opened the game running lead outside zone on Iowa State's softer edges in the 3-man front and were initially finding success. Cade Brewer at this stage in his career is basically just an outside zone fullback, a sad reflection on the last four years of Texas football that have transpired since he was a brilliant flex tight end winning a state championship at Lake Travis. Brewer lead effectively and Bijan Robinson started the game with nine carries for 41 yards at 4.6 YPC before Iowa State adjusted and eliminated the threat. From then on out, Bijan had seven more carries for 12 yards at 1.7 YPC.

I was curious if Texas would spend the three weeks off looking to double down on the outside zone running game and play-action shot-taking to Brennan Eagles and Josh Moore rather than moving on to more spread passing concepts with an inside zone/gap running scheme. Sure enough, they stuck with outside zone, presumably to help them extend Iowa State's front and work the edges, and they finally managed to start landing shots outside with Brennan Eagles.

But the running game dried up and Texas didn't have a page two in response despite the extra time to prepare. Eagles had a big day with five catches for 142 yards but zero touchdowns. Texas came out blistering hot but only had a 13-10 lead going into the half to show for it, thanks in part to a missed field goal by Connor Assalley. It'll always be a damning reflection on this offensive staff that they looked at the last three years of Texas football and thought outside zone and vertical play-action would be the keys to this season while simultaneously moving the starting tackle to center.

Quick thought No. 2: Texas blew a fantastic start on offense

The initial Texas drive was completely wasted when they got down to the goal line, ran a zone-read down to the one yard line, but then got into 12 personnel to try and force the ball in with tight zone on the sturdy Cyclone front. Bijan was stuffed for a loss, as inside zone plays without misdirection against teams on the goal line calling zone-stopping plays often are, and Texas was put into third and goal.

Then Texas worked a quick screen play to freshman Bijan Robinson that was dropped and it was field goal time. Four points lost. Texas finished the next drive with a brilliant crack sweep for Sam Ehlinger from an empty formation on 2nd and 14, Iowa State definitely didn't see it coming and the timing was perfect. If you're wondering if you've ever seen that play before...

Speaking of Jim Harbaugh, the Longhorns were driving again and Sam Ehlinger put the ball on Tarik Black under the safety and the Michigan grad transfer had just enough time to secure the ball well enough to count as possession before a Cyclone helmet knocked the ball out and ended the drive with a turnover. Three great early drives into the Cyclone red zone before Iowa State could adjust to Texas gameplan, 10 points. Not enough. This game had the makings of a blowout if they could have finished those two possessions.

Quick thought No. 3: Matt Campbell won this game in the middle of the field

Texas wasn't going to get pushed around by Iowa State for another 100-yard day by Breece Hall, it simply wasn't a likely outcome. Sure enough, he had 20 carries for 91 yards and a single touchdown Texas absolutely allowed to happen at the end of the game. The disparity in talent between Texas' defensive line and the young offensive line for Iowa State always made this a tough game for the Cyclones.

So what did Campbell do? Bang his head against the wall a little harder? Nope. He determined to try and still win the game in the middle of the field but to move the focal point a couple of levels removed from the trenches.

Tight end Charlie Kolar constantly found room between Texas' linebackers and safeties to the tune of six catches for 131 yards and big Dylan Soehner (6-6, 272 pounds) added another five catches for 69 yards. With those two slipping through for the Cyclones, Brock "pump fake" Purdy was able to throw for 312 yards at 8.7 YPA with a touchdown and zero interceptions, often throwing to massive and wide open people. Obviously Kolar was brilliant but don't sleep on the impact of Soehner, who was limping most of the game while alternating between securing key catches in the middle of the field and then keeping Purdy clean from Joseph Ossai in Iowa State's max protection schemes.

This is the sort of game planning defeat that has characterized the Texas program under Tom Herman. Opposing teams are able to scheme the game in such a way that they are playing the typically athletically superior Longhorns on terms where the opposing team is Texas' equal or superior. Meanwhile Texas was unable to press their advantages early when they surprisingly got big performances from their outside receivers on Iowa State's vulnerable cornerbacks and couldn't find other advantages later in the game.

On fourth and one in the fourth quarter, Texas tried to impose their will with quarterback zone against the teeth of the Iowa State defense and came up inches short running behind lead blockers Cade Brewer and Bijan Robinson. Typical. Texas wasn't at advantage in this game in the matchup between the Iowa State linebackers and those two backfield mates.

It's a perfect reflection on the Tom Herman era that Texas failed in a big moment because they tried to run the ball over the best linebacker in the conference behind a former state champion receiver thickened into a mobile bludgeon.

Quick thought No. 4: Tom Herman finally got the ball in Sam Ehlinger's hands late

Tom Herman's various big losses over the last four years have almost always come when he didn't get the ball in Sam Ehlinger's hands for the decisive moments of single-possession outcomes. This time, Texas finally reversed that trend.

First he got aggressive when Texas forced a punt and had the ball with four minutes remaining. An inside zone play to Bijan Robinson picked up four yards, and then Texas called in play-action off the counter run scheme and Jake Smith gave Iowa State the slip down field. Sam Ehlinger had to step to evade pressure from his right and then rushed it and zipped the throw out and over his man's head. A connection there is probably six points and the ball game. The ensuing third down had Ehlinger hitting Josh Moore on a shallow cross at the sticks that was barely dropped. Punting time.

Iowa State quickly marched down the field, hitting multiple shots on wide open tight ends before Texas looked up at the clock and determined they were better off allowing the Cyclones to take a quick lead rather than trying to protect both the end zone and the clock without using up precious timeouts. Everyone saw it coming and sure enough, Breece Hall found the red sea parting for him as Iowa State took a 23-20 lead.

The next drive was an opportunity for Sam Ehlinger to save the Texas season, save Tom Herman, and go down as a legend. First and 10, on their own 18-yard line... and then a holding penalty by Christian Jones made it first and 20. Iowa State put their star, senior pass-rusher JaQuan Bailey on the redshirt sophomore that Texas moved Derek Kerstetter inside to make room for and that caused serious problems in these crucial moments.

A few Sam Ehlinger scrambles, a great tunnel screen to Jordan Whittington, and some check downs later and it was third and 10 on the Iowa State 36 with 10 seconds left on the clock. Protection broke down again, the pocket collapsed around Ehlinger, and unable to escape for one last attempt at magic the Texas quarterback was dropped for a four yard loss that effectively sealed the game.

The Longhorns could never get the formula right around Sam Ehlinger despite three previous seasons of recruiting, coaching, and evaluating to determine the optimal way to maximize his abilities. Sacked when it mattered most.

Quick thought No. 5: That should be it for Tom Herman

There were several moments in this game where the Longhorns were very close to either putting the Cyclones away or pulling the game out. The early botched red zone drives, the fumble that was nearly an incomplete pass, the Ehlinger fourth down dive that was inches short, the crosser to Josh Moore that was nearly caught at the marker, and ultimately the Cameron Dicker field goal attempt that came much closer than Matt Campbell could have possibly liked.

It's always been like this for Texas with Tom Herman. They've always played their opponents close and typically come up just a little short in the biggest games. That's not how a big program like Texas should look playing mostly overmatched opponents in the Big 12 conference.

This league has constantly out-coached Tom Herman and his staff, managing to strategize advantages for their well-coached but often athletically limited teams so in the crucial moments of games they were in position to take down "Goliath" with a well-aimed sling. For four years the Longhorns have tried to win the Big 12 by trying to be the biggest, most physical team in the trenches and completely failing to either consistently own the box or to generate victories when they do.

It's time to change things up and bring in another coach and approach. Texas has failed to maximize their resources and advantages as the flagship school in the country's most football talent-rich state for long enough.

 

[satyanash 14281]

(Chip Brown) Instant Reactions: Texas falls to Iowa State, 23-20

Quote

Here are Horns247's Instant Reactions from Texas' 23-20 loss to Iowa State (7-2, 7-1 Big 12), which means the Longhorns (5-3, 4-3) no longer have control of their own destiny in the Big 12 race with games remaining at Kansas State next week and at Kansas on Dec. 12:

***

After giving up some early yards on the ground to Bijan Robinson, Iowa State began loading the box defensively and using its weakside linebacker to "heel line" along the line of scrimmage to prevent cutbacks by UT ball carriers. That meant Texas had to make plays in the passing game against man coverage, and — despite a big day by Brennan Eagles (five catches, 142 yards) — the Longhorns just couldn't make enough of those plays as the game wore on.

There were no bigger misses than Sam Ehlinger's incompletions to Jake Smith and Joshua Moore on second and third down of a three-and-out with just more than three minutes left to play. Texas punted the ball back to Iowa State, and the Cyclones drove 69 yards in five plays to a Breece Hall touchdown, putting Iowa State up 23-20 with 1:25 left.

***

The offense's inability to get into a rhythm obviously caused Tom Herman to go for it on two failed fourth downs — a fake punt pass from Cameron Dicker to Cade Brewer that came up short on fourth-and-8 from the ISU 48 with 1:37 left in the third quarter with Texas leading 20-13 and on a failed fourth-and-2 run by Ehlinger from the Iowa State 13 with Texas leading 20-16 with 8:05 left.

Those calls will be second-guessed. If you kick a field goal from the ISU 13 with 8:05 to play, you go up by seven points. Knowing how you've struggled to move the ball, you have to take the points there and make it a seven-point game. Texas didn't take the points and ended up chasing those three points on a 58-yard field-goal attempt by Cameron Dicker as time expired that barely missed wide left.

***

The Texas defense played well enough to win Friday's game, holding Iowa State to field goals on Iowa State drives to the UT  eight, 12 and 20. A 15-play, 60-yard drive by the Cyclones to the Texas 23 resulted in zero points after ISU missed a 41-yard field goal.

***

Ta'Quon Graham’s relentless play paid off in a way that few will notice on a series late in the third quarter. With ISU facing first down at the UT 13 late in the third quarter, Graham appeared to have Purdy for a sack, but couldn’t keep ahold of him. Purdy escaped for a 3-yard gain. But on the next play, Graham drew a holding penalty on ISU, setting up second-and-17. Purdy threw incomplete on the next two plays, and Texas ended up holding ISU to a 38-yard field goal.

***

Ehlinger’s 7-yard TD pass to tight end Jared Wiley that put Texas up 20-10 in the third quarter was set up by two huge plays. Texas converted a third-and-5 from the UT 16 on a nice catch-and-run by Jake Smith, who picked up 17 yards by tight-roping the Iowa State sideline. After tough runs of seven and four yards by Roschon Johnson, Ehlinger found Brennan Eagles down the right sideline in man coverage for a 45-yard gain to the ISU 11. After a 4-yard quarterback run, Ehlinger found Wiley in the back of the end zone on a nice play-action pass.

***

Texas only gave up three points in the second quarter despite losing the time of possession 11:26-to-3:34 and facing 27 plays.

***

Chris Ash didn’t blitz a lot in the first half, but he picked the right times to bring some heat, including a safety blitz on third-and-10 from the UT 23 with 09 left in the first half. Purdy felt the pressure and missed on a throw to Xavier Hutchinson in the end zone. On the play before, Jalen Green did a nice job of getting his head around to look for the ball and breaking up a pass in the end zone to Hutchinson. Iowa State ended up missing a 41-yard field goal as time expired, getting nothing out of a 15-play, 60-yard drive that took 3:47 off the clock.

***

Texas went from 15 carries for 89 yards rushing (5.9 yards per attempt) in the first quarter to three carries for minus-1 in the second quarter.

***

Great call by Ash to blitz DeMarvion Overshown with ISU facing third-and-goal from the UT 8-yard line midway through the second quarter. Overshown came through the line untouched (got credit for a quarterback hurry), pressuring Purdy into a pass thrown high and incomplete to tight end Chase Allen in the end zone. After a 15-play, 67-yard drive that took 8:00 off the clock, ISU had to settle for a 26-yard field goal after having first-and-goal from the UT 5-yard line.

***

Overshown was matched up with Charlie Kolar on third-and-4 in the first quarter. Overshown did a brilliant job of running the route better than Kolar. Overshown stepped in front of Kolar to break up the pass, forcing a punt. It was a huge play because it gave Texas a three-and-out right after the Longhorns turned the ball over on a fumble by Tarik Black.

***

The ruling of Black catching the football for a 28-yard gain to the ISU 20 and then fumbling it (with 3:09 left in the first quarter) was an accurate call by the officials. Black definitely had possession and secured the ball. It was close because Black barely got a second step with the ball before having it knocked loose.

***

Two of Iowa State’s six plays on the Cyclones’ first touchdown drive were first downs thanks to penalties by the Longhorns — a personal foul on Jacoby Jones and an offside on Joseph Ossai.

***

On Iowa State’s first touchdown, Texas ended up with Chris Adimora on ISU receiver Sean Shaw. Adimora blitzed, and Brock Purdy did a nice job of finding Shaw with a pass. Caden Sterns, instead of wrapping up Shaw at the 6-yard-line, threw a shoulder at Shaw, who is 6-foot-6 and 212 pounds, and easily sidestepped Sterns’ tackle attempt and went into the end zone.

***

Great pin-and-pull play design on  Ehlinger’s 17-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. Ehlinger knew he had man coverage on the left side of the field. Texas motioned Brewer to that side to pin the defensive end, then Texas pulled two linemen on the play to give Ehlinger a convoy of blockers on his way into the end zone. This is a play the Patriots have run with Cam Newton this year.

***

Loved the message sent by opening the game with three straight runs by Robinson, setting up a deep play-action pass for 59 yards to Eagles to the ISU 4-yard line.

 

[satyanash 14281]

Ouch.

 

[taybo20 2815]

Entitled pussies... and it's been that way for awhile. I just shake my head when I think about the DBU shirts for LSU, or losing to TCU 7 times in the last 8 seasons, or not winning a conference championship in over a decade, or players flexing after giving up first downs, or guys making really stupid plays or penalties, or coaches that don't have a fucking clue as to what is going on in the game... shit the list could go on forever

[TwiceHorn 31304]

10 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Ouch.

 

Well, except we don't have all that many 5-stars.

[phdhorn 6224]

Oh, did Texas play today?  Looks like they didn't do so good.  I was busy.

[taybo20 2815]

4 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Well, except we don't have all that many 5-stars.

Fair, but the ISU recruiting class ranking the last 4 years has been in the bottom half of the conference, and the highest national ranking was 46 each of the last 2 years. 

[TwiceHorn 31304]

1 minute ago, taybo20 said:

Fair, but the ISU recruiting class ranking the last 4 years has been in the bottom half of the conference, and the highest national ranking was 46 each of the last 2 years. 

The point stands, yes.  

 

[Rimbo 25786]

3 hours ago, satyanash said:

Eric Nahlin: “That was the nail”

Per a very good source that was the end of the Herman era for all intents and purposes. I do not know when the official call will be made and I won’t handicap Scenario 1 at this time. If Urban Meyer does decide he wants the job, his Fox duties don’t end until 12-19.

[satyanash 14281]

Chip Brown: The Good, Bad and Ugly from Texas' season-changing loss to ISU

In a game in which Texas coach Tom Herman couldn't afford any questionable decisions, he had a couple of them - both failed fourth-down calls in the second half that contributed to Iowa State coming back for a 23-20 win in Austin on Friday after Texas held a 10-point lead midway through the third quarter.

Now, after yet another disappointment this season to go along with a loss at home to TCU and a four-overtime loss to Oklahoma (not to mention lagging recruiting), the focus shifts to Herman's job security. And the possibility of Herman losing his job is real, two sources close to the situation told Horns247. More on that in a separate, post-game column coming up.

On Friday, Herman's first fourth-down second-guess was a fake punt late in the third quarter on fourth-and-7 from the Iowa State 48 that came up two yards short and led to an Iowa State field goal, cutting Texas' lead to 20-16.

Then, midway through the fourth quarter, instead of kicking what would've been a 30-yard field goal to reclaim a seven-point lead, Herman went for it, and quarterback Sam Ehlinger was tripped up short of a first down on fourth-and-1. 

Here's a look at the GOOD, BAD and UGLY from Texas' 23-20 loss Friday to Iowa State in which the Longhorns led all the way until there was 1:25 left and then barely missed wide left on a 57-yard field goal attempt by Cameron Dicker as time expired.

THE GOOD:

The Texas defense held ISU to field goals on drives to the UT 8, UT 12 and UT 20. A 15-play ISU drive to the Texas 23 resulted in zero points (because of a missed 41-yard field goal).

...

The Longhorns’ defense didn’t force an Iowa State turnover but held the Cyclones to 1-of-5 third-down conversions in the second half.

...

Iowa State running back Breece Hall, who came into the game as the nation’s leading rusher (averaging 146.1 points per game) was held to 91 yards on 20 carries (4.6 ypc).

...

Brennan Eagles came up huge Friday with five receptions for 142 yards, including receptions of 59 and 45 yards that helped set up field goal in the first quarter and helped set up a touchdown pass to Jared Wiley in the third quarter.

...

Jake Smith had two catches for 47 yards, including a 17-yard reception on third-and-5 in the third quarter that helped extend a touchdown drive.

...

Jordan Whittington, who returned from a hip flexor sprain that had sidelined him the past three games, had three catches for 26 yards.

...

Cameron Dicker, punting the ball in place of injured starter Ryan Bujcevski (shoulder), averaged 40.5 yards on his two punts, including one downed at the ISU 17. Before Dicker missed his 57-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the game, Dicker hit field goals from 21 and 42 yards. And shoutout to backup long snapper Zach Edwards, who replaced Bujcevski as the holder on field goal attempts and appeared to have a solid day.

...

Jalen Green did a great job getting his head around and looking for the ball in breaking up a pass in the end zone intended for Xavier Hutchinson late in the first half. Green also had a couple nice, form tackles in the first half.

...

Great red zone defense from Texas to hold Iowa State to a 26-yard field goal midway through the second quarter after a 15-play, 67-yard drive by the Cyclones that took eight minutes off the clock. ISU converted a fourth-and-1 from the UT 11 on the drive. But after that, Ta'Quon Graham and Chris Adimora came up with big stops on Hall and Purdy, respectively, before DeMarvion Overshown blitzed on third-and-goal, rushing Purdy into an incomplete pass.

...

Cameron Dicker appeared to miss a 47-yard field goal off the right goal post late in the first quarter. But Iowa State was called for an illegal formation (for lining up over the long snapper), giving Dicker another chance from 42 yards, and he hit it, putting Texas up 13-7 with 21 seconds left in the first quarter.

...

After an offside flag on Texas, giving ISU first-and-5 on the Cyclones’ first possession, Josh Thompson and DeMarvion Overshown dropped Breece Hall for a loss of 1.

...

Texas opened the game with three straight runs by Bijan Robinson for carries of 6, 4 and 2 yards, setting up a beautiful play-action pass to Brennan Eagles for a 59-yard gain to the ISU 4. (Texas ended up with a 21-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker for a 3-0 lead.)

...

DeMarvion Overshown had a nice pass breakup in man coverage with ISU tight end Charlie Kolar on third-and-4 late in the first quarter, forcing a punt.

...

For the third straight game, Robinson got off to a great start running the ball for the Longhorns as his first nine carries went for 41 yards (4.6 yards per carry). He finished the game with 16 carries for 54 yards (3.4 ypc). Roschon Johnson added four carries for 26 yards (6.5 ypc).

...

THE BAD:

Texas went for it on fourth down twice while holding the lead - and failed both times. There was a failed fake punt late in the third quarter with a 20-13 lead that ISU turned into a field goal. And there was a failed fourth-and-1 run from the ISU 13 midway through the fourth quarter while holding a 20-16 lead.

...

While Sam Ehlinger finished as the team’s leading rusher with 15 carries for 65 yards (4.3 ypc) and a touchdown, he completed just 17 of 29 passes (58.6 percent) for 298 yards, including just 6-of-12 in the fourth quarter.

...

When Texas could least afford a three-and-out - after the Longhorns' defense forced a punt with 4:09 left and Texas clinging to a 20-16 lead - the Longhorns went three-and-out and took only 1:00 off the clock. Cameron Dicker booted a 41-yard punt that was fair caught at the ISU 31.

...

Iowa State needed only five plays to go 69 yards for Breece Hall’s go-ahead touchdown run with 1:25 left. Hall ran for 18 yards, followed by passes from Purdy to tight ends Dylan Soehner for 22 yards and to Charlie Kolar for 17 yards before Hall ran for 9 yards and then his 3-yard TD run.

...

Texas had only one offensive possession in the second quarter as Iowa State held the ball for 11:26 compared to Texas’ 3:36.

...

Jalen Green appeared to have his right ankle rolled up by some friendly fire with just :04 left in the first half. Green and Chris Brown had coverage on a pass intended for Xavier Hutchinson and Brown landed on Green’s right leg, causing him to hobble off the field. Texas announced at halftime Green was questionable to return.

...

After Texas ran the ball 15 times for 89 yards in the first quarter, Iowa State loaded the box to stop the run and played more man coverage on the outside, daring Texas to pass, and the Longhorns did - abandoning the run in the second quarter with just three carries for minus-1 yard.

...

Tarik Black was ruled to have fumbled the ball after making a 28-yard catch to the ISU 20 with 3:09 left in the first quarter on a great hit by ISU’s Lawrence White. Black was also called for a holding penalty that Texas couldn't overcome on the 13-play drive in the fourth quarter that ended with Ehlinger's failed fourth-and-1 run at the ISU 13. The flag on Black gave Texas first-and-17 from the ISU 28.

...

Jacoby Jones was flagged for a personal foul (unnecessary roughness) with 5:50 left in the first quarter. The next play, Joseph Ossai was flagged for lining up in the neutral zone. The next play, ISU scored on a TD pass from Brock Purdy to Sean Shaw.

...

Caden Sterns, who led Texas in tackles with 13, had a horrible missed tackle on ISU receiver Sean Shaw at the 6-yard-line on Shaw’s 35-yard, catch-and-run touchdown with 4:45 left in the first quarter. Shaw is 6-foot-6 and 212 pounds, and Sterns threw a shoulder at him instead of trying to wrap him up.

...
Christian Jones got overwhelmed by ISU middle linebacker O’Rien Vance, who blasted through Jones to drop Bijan Robinson for a 2-yard loss on second-and goal from the 1. Texas ended up kicking a 21-yard field goal on the drive after Robinson dropped a swing pass on third-and-goal from the 3.

...

THE UGLY:

Cameron Dicker's 57-yard field goal with time expiring barely missing wide left, followed by the distraught faces of Texas players realizing they’d lost control of their own destiny in the Big 12 race.

[BigHorn'13 3355]

3 hours ago, phdhorn said:

Oh, did Texas play today?  Looks like they didn't do so good.  I was busy.

Imagine waking up to the middle of the first quarter and being pissed you just missed an offensive awakening with 13 points on the board, only to see one touchdown scored the rest of the game.

 

A late night didn't help but my day started off just fucking swell. 

[Bullneck 18998]

6 hours ago, satyanash said:

 

I think Herman needs the axe but it sucks to see shitheads like these chiming in on your really bad day.

[satyanash 14281]

(Scipio Tex) 2020 Iowa State Postmortem: Offense

Quote

Texas averaged nearly 7 yards per play, hit multiple big plays in the passing game, had only one turnover (a Tarik Black fumble), enjoyed reasonable field position, rolled up 448 yards of offense, and managed...20 points? What's the disconnect?

Look to 4 of 13 conversions (30.8%) on money downs and a staff that couldn't match Cyclone defensive adjustments in the 2nd and 4th quarters (Texas scored 0 points combined) after owning the Cyclones in the early parts of each half (20 points total in the 1st and 3rd quarters). Let's get into it:

Bueno:

Deep Passing Game.

The Texas Longhorns were able to scheme up multiple deep single coverage shots against ISU's Drop 8 coverages for Sam Ehlinger and the Texas wide receivers - most effectively to Eagles - but unfortunately, there wasn't enough flesh on the rest of the game plan to keep moving the chains when the deep shots didn't connect and Texas found itself in 2nd and 10 or 3rd and 3. That written, Texas still averaged over 10 yards per pass attempt and a spry Ehlinger threw with more ease and accuracy on deep posts, fades, and go routes than we've seen since UTEP. That Texas was able to scheme up multiple single shot looks against coverage heavy looks is a credit to the early game plan, as Texas staff clearly saw something in Heacock's defense that could be exploited. Unfortunately, Texas didn't execute well enough elsewhere.

Some Running Game. Texas ran outside zone effectively at times. I guess that's what they worked on for three weeks after seeing so much success with gap/man blocking schemes against West Virginia. Ha ha. This staff certainly sees the game in interesting ways. At least early, Texas ran it effectively. Frankly, I fault Heacock here for deploying in a light 3 man front with the ISU LBs at depth so that Texas OL didn't have to make pass off decisions - the OL had clear drive blocks at the point of attack, which they won, and could then leak on to the second level. When ISU started bringing LB stunts and walking guys up into gaps, you see saw the tackles for loss and the predictable exploitation of Hand's teaching of that concept. A shame as Texas is just a few coaching points away from being a rather effective running team. Ehlinger was very effective in the QB run game, averaging over 6 yards per carry after you take out sacks, and the 2nd and 14 18 yard power QB sweep touchdown that put Texas up 10-0 was a fine call.

No bueno:

Tom Herman's late game management. As originator and chief documentarian of the Turtle Tom sobriquet (you'll find my complete papers in the LBJ library once they're declassified), I expected Herman to fall back into some of his old bad habits, but he really didn't. He oversteered in the other direction, like a drunk on black ice. It's still coaching from fear, but this time it manifested itself as desperation, instead of turtling. in a game where simply coaching by the numbers would have greatly increased the chances of a Texas victory, Herman chose poorly. He had two big picture head coaching calls that really hurt Texas chances to win.

Fake Punt. Up 20-13, late in the 3rd quarter, Tom Herman dialed up a fake punt from the ISU 48 yard line on 4th and 8.

Four thoughts: 1. Anytime you're punting inside an opponent's territory and it's a doable distance, their fake punt awareness is greatly heightened. 2. Fake punts need to be built on an observed tendency in the punt rush/return deployment, not just randomly called because you prepped it. 3. If it's a throw, it needs to be very easy and the recipient needs to be a guy who can make one man miss. The throw was easy, if telegraphed, but it was schemed to Cade Brewer. 4. Finally, game context. Why risk a short field to an opponent that hasn't been putting points on the board, but has shown they can move it between the 20s? Iowa State got a cheap 3 points out of that exchange (effectively a Texas turnover) and those points came back to haunt Texas just moments later...

Foregoing the FG. With 8:25 left in the game, with Texas up 4 points, Herman opted to go for it, 4th and 2 on the ISU 13. Consider the percentages: A lay up field goal gives Texas a full touchdown lead with each team likely getting one or two more possessions. If there are no more scores, Texas wins. If Texas matches ISU scoring, Texas wins. Any additional Texas score - touchdown or field goal - wins the game. Iowa State would need to score multiple times to win. Effectively, that FG gives Texas a good probability of winning, a solid probability of tying for a potential OT, and a somewhat negligible chance of losing in regulation. As for going for it: if Texas converts, it's 1st and 10 inside the ISU 10, but there no guarantee of a touchdown. Texas finished the game with a 50% success rate on touchdowns in the red zone. So coin flip there.

This all points in one direction: take 3 if you want to improve Longhorn chances to win and maximize NOT LOSING in regulation. Unless the staff has an amazing play in its back pocket or you've been utterly dominating at the line of scrimmage, a fairly simple probability exercise combined with game context says kick the field goal.

Personnel Deployment. We already covered the fake punt. And Brewer got the lion's share of snaps at TE. However, late game puzzled me a bit. With 1:20 on the clock, 2 timeouts, and a ISU 3 point lead to surmount, Texas featured personnel packages that included a split out Cade Brewer, Schooler, Marcus Washington, and a motioned out RoJo to make the 5th wide. I'd want Eagles, Smith, Moore, Whittington forming my core four with probably Schooler as #5 if I want to go empty. Similarly, if there's a TE on the field in win-the-game hurry up, shouldn't he be the best receiving threat? Or the best extra pass blocker to help Christian Jones with JaQuan Bailey lined up in a sprinter's stance?

Herman's issues aren't just big picture Xs and Os, it's deploying the Jimmys and Joes.

Offense

QB

Ehlinger finished 17 of 29 for 298 yards and 1 passing touchdown along with a hard fought 65 yards rushing on 15 carries and another touchdown. Over ten yards per attempt, 17.5 yards per completion, no turnovers, 363 total yards, and a big value add in the running game is what you want from your senior QB. If you watched 59:50 of that game.

Sam didn't turn it over against a defense that had forced 11 turnovers in its last four games and he made some money throws deep and hit some hard intermediate out routes to the opposite hash. The only deep ball he really struggled with was the late breaking post corner-ish route that he couldn't connect with to Smith, Whittington, or Schooler. That's a very hard throw for any QB, particularly in how our guys were running it, and Sam doesn't excel at it. I'm honestly not sure why we persisted with it. He was pretty damn accurate throwing fades and deep posts with good OL protection.

Unfortunately, the late 3rd down sack with seconds left on the clock in Q4 was bad QB play and simply not allowable in that game context. It can't be pinned on the OL. No open receivers? Turf it somewhere in the vicinity of a Texas receiver and give Dicker a better shot. Unfortunately, on the replay, you can see that Sam took his eyes down to see the pressure and couldn't throw it up blindly without risking an INT. Can't drop your eyes there. Nor can you take a sack in that situation. Maybe Dicker makes it from 53 instead of 57 or 58.

RB

Hard running from Bijan as he accumulated 15-54. Only one catch for 3 yards. Good effort, but unfortunately not enough run game diversity once ISU adjusted. RoJo really played terrific football. The break was good for him. 48 yards on only 6 touches in the running and passing game. Maximized several runs and his heady decision to get out of bounds after picking up a first down at midfield on the final drive was smart play.

WR/TE

Brennan Eagles had his most effective game of the season. The offensive coaches repeatedly got him matched up in single coverage on inferior athletes (ISU's lesser cover guys had no chance) and he made them pay with multiple deep balls. 5-142 and a long catch of 59 yards. Joshua Moore drew a PI on a sideline deep route and caught another ball for 11 yards. Jake Smith didn't get involved until late in the game, but notched 2 catches for 47 yards. With Texas having success throwing it deep, I'm a bit surprised we didn't work in some complementary WR screen game or more underneath chain movers to the RBs.

Tarik Black had a very poor game in not many snaps. He fumbled a money Ehlinger throw on a deep post and then drew a critical holding penalty. Jordan Whittington caught three balls for 26 yards. Would have liked to have seen him more involved, but there's a lot I'd like to see that I don't get.

Cade Brewer got most of the snaps at TE and had a few solid blocks, but those faded over the course of the game when ISU forced more big on big. 2-14 receiving, one of those catches on the fake punt. Wiley had a red zone score in the back corner of the end zone, but was lightly used overall. I wonder if he and Liebrock watched the ISU TEs murder us in the seams with envy.

OL

They played well for extended periods, but started leaking pressures and tackles for loss or getting jammed up when the Cyclones made some adjustments and we didn't respond.

ISU's pure 3 man rush, or 3 man rush with a delay spy/blitzer has been able to get decent pressure on several Big 12 offenses, but Texas dominated in those situations on most snaps. Sam Cosmi notably had several big late pick ups on late-coming ISU defenders. Unit performance slipped when Texas had to drive for the winning score in a predictable passing situation, but JaQuan Bailey is a good player and we gave Christian Jones no help. On that drive, Jones surrendered a holding call and two pressures.

Sam effectively self-sacked on the 2nd to last play of the game. The other sack surrendered was on the bull**** slide sprint protection on 3rd and 6 at 4:45 in the 2nd quarter, which I've been bemoaning all year. We can't coach it, but insist on calling it. I've never seen a single protection fail more consistently. When it gives up a predictable sack or big hit on Sam - typically from a no-name space filler just taking the free gap for a hit on the QB - the coaches remember that we can't execute it and kibosh it for a quarter before calling it again.

A little food for thought. Against West Virginia and Iowa State, the Texas OL has won quite convincingly for long stretches early in the game against the two best fronts in the league (not named Texas), both run blocking and pass protecting, but then falls off as adjustments come to bear against an offense that lacks counterpunches (the lack of an adjustment to the predictable defensive adjustment) with some idiotic protection calls that mirror the ineptitude of Hand's Longhorn outside zone teaching rules.

Yet the dominant belief amongst the Texas fanbase is that the OL must lack "talent." No, this OL is just a microcosm of this program.

Final

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by satyanash

[satyanash 14281]

(Joseph Cook) Iowa State 23, Texas 20: Make it 11

Quote

11 years. Texas, a program that believes it should continuously be competing for conference championships and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with college football’s top programs, will go at least 11 years without winning a Big 12 Championship after a 23-20 loss to Iowa State. Four of those 11 years have been under Tom Herman’s supervision of the program. Four of those 11 years have been with Sam Ehlinger at quarterback.

What is the reasoning behind the drought? Is it the coaching? The recruiting? What is preventing the Texas program from reaching the level of success it expects? “That’s the million-dollar question that everybody’s been trying to figure out for the past 10 years,” Ehlinger said. In those 11 years, Texas has competed for two conference titles. Both occasions ended with decisive losses, including Herman’s to rival Oklahoma in 2018. In the other nine years, Texas has either never been in contention for the Big 12 or saw their chances slip away as the season wore on.

2020 fits in the latter category. Most of the depth chart of those Texas teams were filled with quality recruits yet still fell to opponents with nowhere near the star power on the burnt orange sideline. That scene repeated itself Friday against the Cyclones. Texas had a chance to close out the game and win by at least a 20-16 margin with 4:09 remaining. The Longhorn offense, which had accumulated 407 yards of offense, needed one first down, maybe two, to win on senior day and continue a march toward Arlington.

After a short run on first down, Ehlinger had two passes fall incomplete. Texas took one minute off the clock and moved forward four yards. The Cyclones responded with a five-play, 69-yard drive ending in a Breece Hall touchdown run to take a 23-20 lead. With 1:25 on the clock and two timeouts, Texas needed to travel 77 yards for the winning score. Ehlinger was sacked at the ISU 40 with three seconds left, setting up a 58-yard attempt at the tie for Cameron Dicker.

Dicker’s kick drifted left of the upright in the final few yards of flight and the program’s drought continued. “My heart is broken for the senior class and everything that they have worked for four years,” Herman said. “We didn’t do enough in this game to win it, and Iowa State did just enough to do that.” The 11-season drought between conference titles matches a program-high, when Texas had 11 seasons in between the 1930 and 1942 Southwest Conference championships.

The 2010s marked the first decade in program history without a conference title. The start of the 2020s continues the drought.

##########

11’s years at Texas are most likely approaching their end. Sam Ehlinger was honored during the Longhorns’ senior day festivities, signaling the senior quarterback is unlikely to take advantage of the extra season of eligibility provided by the NCAA due to COVID-19. “Frustrated and confused,” Ehlinger said following the game when asked about Texas missing out on the Big 12 title once again. “Wish it didn’t have to go this way.”

As is normally the case with Ehlinger, it was not due to lack of effort. He completed 17-of-29 passes for 298 yards and a score. He rushed 15 times for 65 yards and a score, but the final rush – a sack by ISU’s Latrell Bankston – knocked Texas two yards behind where it needed to be for Dicker’s final, failed kick.

“The last play of the game was four verticals with a check down underneath,” Ehlinger said. “The thought was to try and hit the check down and then call timeout to give (Cameron Dicker) a good shot at the field goal. I didn’t see the guy behind me coming. I thought I may have been able to get the ball out of my hands, but I didn’t want to risk turning it over. I had to just eat it.”

A senior day sendoff including a Texas victory would have been near storybook for the Austin native who grew up loving the University of Texas. Even with the volatility of the 2020 season both for Texas and for college football, seeing the senior quarterback who has been tasked with so much in his four seasons run out of Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium with a victory would be an image Texas would have cherished.

That image was not seen. Ehlinger is not blameless in the result. The late sack he took created the 58-yard field goal attempt at the end. He wound up short on a 4th-and-1 that Herman opted to attempt to convert rather than take a seven-point lead late in the game. Of his 12 incompletions, the responsibility fell on Ehlinger for failure just as often as it did the receiver.

Still, his Friday looked like his four years. Other players around him either were half-successful or unsuccessful in fulfilling their responsibility. Accordingly, he had to attempt to pick up the slack. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not, but more and more was placed upon his shoulders throughout the course of the game, as has often been the case in his career.

“We still haven’t played a great game where both sides of the ball were playing really well,” Ehlinger said. “That’s frustrating. I’m confused that with so much talent, we can’t put it all together. A lot of self-inflicted mistakes. Again, it leads to frustration.” Frustration that his home career ended with a dud loss. Ehlinger did a lot of good during his time at Texas, including rising through the school record book for most offensive marks. However, his career ended without being part of a team that won a conference title, and there may not be anyone more disappointed by that fact than Ehlinger himself.

 

[satyanash 14281]

(Chip Brown) Sources: Talks on Herman's fate could start in 'next few days'

Quote

Tom Herman crunched the numbers. On fourth down. On how victories at Kansas State and Kansas would mean Texas finishing the season with a .700 winning percentage “much like the .714 winning percentage we had in 2018.” Now, Texas decision-makers might be getting ready to crunch their numbers on Herman. Serious discussions among UT officials about Herman’s fate could begin “in the next few days,” a source close to the situation told Horns247 Friday night.

Herman’s fate won’t be decided based on the outcome of Friday’s 23-20 loss at home to Iowa State on Senior Day. It was a game Texas controlled until two failed fourth-down decisions began a spiral that allowed the Cyclones to come back from a 10-point, third-quarter deficit. But the loss, which effectively eliminates the Longhorns from the Big 12 race, sure didn’t help Herman’s cause any.

“We’d worked it for two weeks and knew it was there,” Herman said of a fake punt that resulted in a 5-yard pass from punter Cameron Dicker to Cade Brewer - two yards short of the first down late in the third quarter. They did a good job defending Cade (Brewer). I think if you watch the replay, you’ll see Roschon Johnson wide open on the corner route, and we missed him.”

On his decision to forego a 30-yard field goal attempt that would’ve given Texas a seven-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, Herman said, “The analytics said to go for it. You go up by two scores there if you wind up converting and scoring a touchdown,” Herman continued. “You kick the field goal and you’re up by a touchdown. I mulled it over quite a bit, but felt confident in the play (offensive coordinator) Mike (Yurcich) had called. We didn’t get it.”

After the game, Texas Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams said on the Longhorn Network of Herman’s fourth-down decisions: “The coach is supposed to help the team, not hurt the team.” And that’s what UT officials have to decide: Have enough things happened - on and off the field - this season to convince them Herman is no longer the right guy to lead the Longhorns’ program?

Herman has yet to have a losing record - going 7-6, 10-4, 8-5 and 5-3 - for a winning percentage of .625 (30-18). Despite a 3-0 record in bowl games, including a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia two years ago, Herman is 1-4 against Oklahoma, 1-3 against TCU and has seven losses as a ranked team against unranked opponents - most in FBS since 2017. Herman’s failure to have his team standing together for the post-game playing of The Eyes of Texas following the TCU and Oklahoma games - which also happened to be suck-the-air-out-of-the-program losses - was a huge sore spot with UT decision-makers, despite any pleas to the contrary.

We’ll soon see if a push by big-money donors to target Herman’s former boss - Urban Meyer - as UT’s next head coach may have accelerated judgment day for Herman. Would Meyer, who won two national titles at Florida (2006, 2008) and one with Herman at Ohio State (2014), be the first choice of first-year Texas president Jay Hartzell and/or athletic director Chris Del Conte?

Del Conte didn’t hire Herman. Former athletic director Mike Perrin and school president Greg Fenves did. And it was Fenves - not Del Conte - who signed off on a two-year contract extension for Herman following the 2018 season, sources told Horns247. “Herman’s agent (Trace Armstrong) went hard after Fenves for that extension following the Sugar Bowl win (over Georgia),” a source close to the situation told Horns247. “Del Conte wanted to wait on it. But he was overruled (by Fenves).”

Thanks to the extension, Herman is set to go from earning $6 million in 2020; to $6.25 million in 2021; $6.5 million in 2022; and $6.75 million in 2023. His contract buyout is $15 million - $5 million for each of the three years left on the contract after this season. Del Conte backed Herman after last year’s disappointing 7-5 regular season and shelled out more than $16 million in guaranteed salaries to Herman’s seven new assistant coaches, including new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and new defensive coordinator Chris Ash. Roughly $10.1 million remains on those guaranteed contracts.

It’d cost more than $25 million to buy out Herman and his assistants. It’d probably cost Texas $10 million per year over five to seven years to land Meyer, who is 56, sources told Horns247.com. A source close to Meyer told Horns247 that Meyer might be ready to get back into coaching. That source said Meyer is comfortable and enjoying working for FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff (which has its last episode on Dec. 19), but added, “He’d only consider Texas, USC and Notre Dame.”

Herman had to make hard decisions on Friday. Now, it appears to be the UT administration’s turn.

 

[Mdhorn 5911]

Zach Smith is a felon and a sociopath.  If anything, he shows that Urban doesn't always make good personnel decisions when choosing character.   Zach still doesn't understand how bad this makes him look, how out of control he'll always be because Herman owns his head.  Herman will get another job but Zach won't because he's psychotic and it's all on record.   When Herman replied "Ok, Cool," Zach probably beat the pets and wrecked his trailer.  

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by Mdhorn

[dcar00 14036]

fuck this guy.  already trying to figure out his winning percentage if he wins both games.  GET THE FUCK OUT!

what did the analytics say about running a fake punt on 4th and 8 Tom?

why would you give a kicker a throwing decision on a fake punt?

More fucking home losses to average teams.  PLEASE LEAVE!

[satyanash 14281]

Jeff Howe: Texas-Iowa State Grades

Quote

Friday’s 23-20 loss to No. 13 Iowa State that started with the offense for No. 17 Texas getting points on the game’s first two drives ended with Sam Ehlinger taking a sack against a three-man rush in the closing seconds. Perhaps nothing else better sums the mixed bag the Longhorns have been on that side of the ball through eight games and Horns247’s grades for the loss to the Cyclones feel a lot like every other edition published in 2020.

Quarterback

The only difference between Ehlinger’s performance Friday (298 yards passing, 65 yards rushing and two touchdowns) and others this season is his magic in the fourth quarter wasn’t there. Ehlinger looked healthier than he has since the Texas Tech game and it showed because it felt like there were more designed runs called and he finished them with the effectiveness shown time and again in his career when he’s right.

Texas forced the issue with deep shots and they hit on a decent number of them, but the passing game, in general, felt like it was feast or famine. Ehlinger didn’t turn it over and was much better Friday than he was in the West Virginia game, but he left some plays on the field.

Grade: B-

Running Back

After Iowa State started shooting gaps to disrupt the pin-and-pull schemes Texas was having success with early in the game, the Longhorns didn’t really have a counter other than to try and make their zone running game work. That didn't happen, which is reflected in Bijan Robinson (16 carries for 54 yards) netting only 10 yards on his final eight carries of the game (44 yards on his first eight carries, all of which came in the first quarter).

I thought Robinson and Roschon Johnson (four carries for 26 yards) did their best to make tough yards, even though Robinson continues to look like the most naturally fluid runner who consistently maximizes runs among the Texas backs. Johnson’s 13-yard catch on the game’s final drive where he made multiple defenders miss in space and got out of bounds to stop the clock was one of the best plays of the game on offense. While the numbers aren't great, it’s hard to be too tough on this group since they didn’t get a ton of help.

Grade: C+

Wide Receiver

Brennan Eagles isn’t going to be the second coming of Roy Williams, but he’s turned in a quietly consistent season and erupted for 142 yards on six catches Friday. Eagles caught a pass in the last 20 games in which he’s played going back to last season and he’s had multiple receptions in 13 of his last 15 games with only one drop on 19 receptions coming into the game according to Pro Football Focus.

Joshua Moore’s willingness as a blocker is encouraging. What he lacks in terms of bulk on his frame he does his best to make up for with toughness. Ten combined targets for Jake Smith and Jordan Whittington resulted in five catches for 73 yards. Outside of Smith’s tightrope act on a 17-yard catch-and-run, the H receivers were impressive simply based on their ability to help Ehlinger in scramble situations better than any other receivers in the program.

Brenden Schooler appearing to lose track of a ball on a vertical route in the first quarter hurt because the very next snap was the 28-yard catch and fumble by Tarik Black. Black, Schooler and Whittington were three of the five receivers to see the field outside of the starters (Eagles, Moore and Smith) and once again, the rotations didn’t make a whole lot of sense for a coaching staff that appears hellbent on forcing the issue when it comes to depth.

Overall though, considering how low my bar is set for the receiver group is every week, my grade is a little better than it probably should be due to what the guys at the top of the pecking order showed.

Grade: B-

Tight End

Jared Wiley got one target and it resulted in a 7-yard touchdown, which was good to see since he hasn't been a factor in the passing game since the Baylor game. Cade Brewer seemed to be much more effective in his fullback role than anywhere else and he’s forever going to be linked with one of the most controversial decisions of the Tom Herman era since he was on the receiving end of an ill-fated fake punt pass from Cameron Dicker.

Grade: C-

Offensive Line

Other than pass protection when the Iowa State defense tries to get pressure with just the four down linemen (outside of the last sack Ehlinger took) and the pin-and-pull emphasis in the running game early, the group was up and down throughout the day. Like the offense as a whole, there are stretches where it seemed like Herb Hand’s unit was getting it only for a penalty or a blown assignment to be right around the corner to ready to put the offense behind the chains.

The only good thing about Samuel Cosmi and Derek Kerstetter likely leaving is the staff can hit the reset button in the trenches in the offseason. Things have been so disappointing up front that any resemblance of consistency or solid play gets celebrated more than it should.

Grade: D

Offense Overall

I liked the use of more empty sets and I thought Mike Yurcich dialed up some nice calls to try and help open bigger passing windows for Ehlinger while at the same time freeing up receivers who've struggled to manipulate man coverage. Unfortunately, the self-inflicted mistakes the offense suffered (Black’s fumble, penalties that got the offense behind the chains, execution errors, losing battles in the trenches) and leaving too many plays on the field added up to a loss in the end with Ehlinger unable to save the day as he's had to do too many times in 2020.

On a day when averaging 6.9 yards per play against one of the Big 12's best defenses didn't add up to a win, I don’t think the offense regressing is the issue. The issue is outside of a few individual bright spots (Cosmi, Eagles, Robinson and Wiley) is that the offense wasn’t any different Friday as opposed to what it was through the team’s first six Big 12 games. That's to say that it’s simply not an elite unit or one the Longhorns can fully trust to get the job done over four quarters. Perhaps nothing better exemplifies the shortcomings of the unit than four scoreless drives ending in Iowa State territory.

Grade: C

***

Chris Ash’s defense limiting the rushing attack of No. 13 Iowa State to 121 yards and 3.7 yards per attempt (No. 1 in the Big 12 with 205.2 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry entering the game) and holding Breece Hall (91 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown) to under 100 yards for the first time in 2020 should’ve been enough for No. 17 Texas to avoid a 23-20 loss on Friday. Even though the offense couldn’t come through in the second half, Horns247's grades show how the defense and special teams held on for nearly four full quarters to give the Longhorns a chance to win.

Defensive Line

Outside of a sequence in the first quarter where penalties were called against Jacoby Jones (a personal foul) and Joseph Ossai (offsides) to help a Cyclone touchdown drive, there wasn’t a lot to complain about regarding the defensive line’s play. If one were to look at the box score, Ossai and T'Vondre Sweat had half of a tackle for loss and Keondre Coburn recorded an athletic, open-field sack of Brock Purdy.

The lack of perceived disruption should be credited to Purdy, who successfully escaped the clutches of oncoming Texas rushers several times. The group probably feels they left some meat on the bone and while the production doesn’t reflect an elite performance, the defensive line's play certainly wasn’t the reason the Longhorns came up short.

Grade: B+

Linebacker

Juwan Mitchell (10 tackles, half of a tackle for loss) and DeMarvion Overshown (eight tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup) did their part to limit Hall’s production. The nation’s leading rusher came into the game with 31 runs of 10 yards or more and only one of his 20 carries on Friday went for double figures. The linebackers continue to get better defending the run and making tackles in space.

Where the group struggled was when the combination of Purdy manipulating the defense and Iowa State offensive coordinator Tom Manning forcing the issue to get the tight ends open in zones over the middle of the field resulted in Charlie Kolar (131 yards on six catches) and Dylan Soehner (69 yards on five receptions) getting clutch yardage. With that said, the linebackers (including SPUR Chris Adimora, who played maybe his best game of the season) are making far more plays than they’re giving up.

Grade: B

Secondary

It felt like the cornerbacks played their best game of the year. Sean Shaw had a 35-yard touchdown by taking advantage of what at best was a poorly-executed corner blitz, but the Texas corners didn’t give up much of anything throughout the day. Jalen Green held up when Purdy tried to pick on him near the end of the first half, but one of those plays, unfortunately, resulted in a leg injury when Chris Brown rolled up on his ankle.  Green and Josh Thompson were tremendous in run support.

Was the second-half eruption by the Iowa State tight ends due to good scheming offensively by the Cyclones or deficient play by the Longhorn linebackers and safeties? It’s probably a little bit of both, but outside of Caden Sterns whiffing on an attempted tackle on Shaw’s touchdown, it’s not like Texas was missing a ton of tackles and allowing the Cyclones to pull away for big yardage at a healthy clip.

Grade: B-

Defense Overall

Friday’s performance was one where the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. Texas bent but didn’t break and a game where four opponent trips inside the 20 resulted in only 16 points (three field goals and Hall’s late touchdown run) should’ve added up to a win.

If there’s one thing the defense didn’t do well, it’s that they needed a few more havoc plays (tackles for loss, forced fumbles and passes defensed) than the seven they recorded. At the end of the day though, the improvement in Ash’s unit is evident and the preseason expectation that Texas would field one of the better defenses in the Big 12 is coming to fruition due to a second-half surge that shows no signs of slowing down with only Kansas State (Dec. 5) and Kansas (Dec. 12) left on the schedule.

Grade: A-

Special Teams

Let’s get this out of the way: the fake punt is going to bring the grade down significantly. With that said, Cameron Dicker shouldn’t be faulted for that, or for missing a 58-yard field goal since he never should've been put in either situation. Dicker made his two other field goals (even though a 42-yard kick was helped out by an Iowa State penalty after he missed from 45 yards out). He also averaged over 40 yards per punt on his two kicks.

Even more impressive than D'Shawn Jamison ripping off a 39-yard kickoff return was that he let a kickoff go out of bounds. The heads-up play gave the offense an extra 10 yards of field position in the second quarter, even though the Longhorns punted after five plays. Coaching error and poor offensive execution prevented the kicking game from putting together a winning performance.

Grade: C

 

[taybo20 2815]

Coaching: F 

[The Dark Knight 173]

4 minutes ago, taybo20 said:

Coaching: F 

Was thinking the same thing. That was the most important grade yesterday. And it was an abject failure.

[pacman 7331]

7 hours ago, taybo20 said:

Coaching: F 

For almost two decades now....

[jdhorn92 1538]

5 games sum up the Herman erA:

1. Sam fumble going in for the win at usc

2. Sam int at home vs osu. Fg would have sent to ot

3.  3rd and 17 vs lsu

4. fumble vs tcu after hurry up offense when discretion called for clock management before the fumble

5 jumping offsides vs ISU last year on 4 th down setting up their gw fg. 

[LTtxfan 48986]

Winning at TEXAS with Mensa as Head Coach is Hard!!!

[ClubWhatever 12087]

12 minutes ago, jdhorn92 said:

5 games sum up the Herman erA:

1. Sam fumble going in for the win at usc

2. Sam int at home vs osu. Fg would have sent to ot

3.  3rd and 17 vs lsu

4. fumble vs tcu after hurry up offense when discretion called for clock management before the fumble

5 jumping offsides vs ISU last year on 4 th down setting up their gw fg. 

You forgot one of the most egregious.  His first year against tech where Sam threw the INT when  the correct play would have been to run the ball and pin them deep.

[jdhorn92 1538]

3 minutes ago, ClubWhatever said:

You forgot one of the most egregious.  His first year against tech where Sam threw the INT when  the correct play would have been to run the ball and pin them deep.

Yep. That’s right. I remember. That made them bowl eligible and saved KK for a year 

[taybo20 2815]

28 minutes ago, jdhorn92 said:

5 games sum up the Herman erA:

1. Sam fumble going in for the win at usc

2. Sam int at home vs osu. Fg would have sent to ot

3.  3rd and 17 vs lsu

4. fumble vs tcu after hurry up offense when discretion called for clock management before the fumble

5 jumping offsides vs ISU last year on 4 th down setting up their gw fg. 

Can I play? 

WVU 2018 giving up a deep pass for a TD with and Holgo calling QB walk in 2pt conversion all while the gif of Herman looking nervous as fuck was created

 

[XYZ 2154]

38 minutes ago, jdhorn92 said:

5 games sum up the Herman erA:

1. Sam fumble going in for the win at usc

2. Sam int at home vs osu. Fg would have sent to ot

3.  3rd and 17 vs lsu

4. fumble vs tcu after hurry up offense when discretion called for clock management before the fumble

5 jumping offsides vs ISU last year on 4 th down setting up their gw fg. 

Not going for 2 at the end of regulation against OUsux.

[Burt Macklin 18999]

23 hours ago, satyanash said:

(Scipio Tex) 2020 Iowa State Postmortem: Offense

 

Herman’s been giving Jones 0 help even though he has a shitty TE on the field 95% of the time all season. Why stop now? Like Scipio pointed out, we’re running empty with a RB and TE who aren’t good receivers, instead of giving Jones any help at all.
 

This is obvious shit we’ve been pointing out all year, yet Mensa still can’t figure it out even when his career is on the line. Absolutely incredible. 

Edited November 29, 2020 by Burt Macklin

[BigHorn'13 3355]

18 hours ago, Burt Macklin said:

yet Mensa still can’t figure it out

He strikes me more as a square-peg-round-hole kinda guy /nonowthis(nttiawwt)

[BigHorn'13 3355]

@satyanash any chance you can post some of the coaching search/team stuff here while shit's crazy? Think I speak for a lot when I say the 2 main threads are unreadable. 

[Bigbend1812 12893]

18 hours ago, XYZ said:

Not going for 2 at the end of regulation against OUsux.

Embarrassing season opener losses to Maryland .........twice.