Jump to content

2023 Season Thread

BurntOrange&White

By BurntOrange&White
in Football

 Share

Recommended Posts

LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49332

Posted
Posted

Player injury updates from Sark presser:

  • Majors availability for cougar high game will be determined next week. 
  • Watts is same, along with Catalon
  • Hutson improving... may be ready next game
  • Banks and Hayden are banged up and may be held out of some practices this week. 
  • JT probably doesn't practice this week.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49332

Posted
Posted

Screenshot_20231011-161330_kindlephoto-13299273.png.c8f62a514cf52513b9d64a420a937f89.png

 

After losing Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson to the NFL, the Texas Longhorns running game entered the season with a good amount of uncertainty. Steve Sarkisian places a significant emphasis on the run to set up other aspects of his offense, and while Quinn Ewers‘ improvement provided Sarkisian more aerial options, Sark wasn’t going to abandon the ability to punish opponents on the ground.

Since the beginning of the season, Jonathon Brooks‘ efforts have not only erased the uncertainty surrounding the run game, but his efforts have maintained award-winning quality play that in my mind has him as the Longhorns’ midseason offensive MVP and the frontrunner for the Doak Walker Award.

Brooks didn’t begin the season as RB1. CJ Baxter did, but Baxter suffered bumps and bruises versus Rice and Alabama to where Brooks became the bell cow Sarkisian relied on. Old hat for an old Hallettsville Brahma, Brooks has rushed for at least 100 yards in the past four games and is the current leader among Power 5 running backs in rushing yardage with 726 yards. In all of FBS, only Troy’s Kimani Vidal is ahead of Brooks with 835 yards.

Brooks tallied 164 yards versus Wyoming, 106 yards and two touchdowns versus Baylor, a career-high 218 yards and another two touchdowns against Kansas, and 129 yards and a score versus Oklahoma. He couldn’t top 60 yards in either of the first two games versus Rice or Alabama, but he found the end zone versus the Owls on a screen pass for the first score of the Longhorns’ season and was the closer on a memorable final drive in Bryant-Denny Stadium following an outing in which he found the end zone. His 726 yards and six scores have come on 108 carries.

Somehow, Brooks has eluded weekly honors from the Doak Walker Award, who issues national running back of the week accolades. In week one, Colorado’s Dylan Edwards took home the honor. Then in order, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, Florida’s Trevor Etienne, Kansas State’s DJ Giddens, Kentucky’s Ray Davis, and Florida State’s Trey Benson have earned the distinction.

Brooks was listed as a candidate for his week three and week five efforts. Though he hasn’t won an award of the weekly variety from the Doak Walker Award yet, he’s the top back in the country right now and my No. 1 candidate for the honor at the end of the year.

Texas has won the Doak Walker Award five times, tied for the most with Wisconsin. Ricky Williams won back-to-back awards in 1997 and 1998. Cedric Benson added the program’s third in 2004. D’Onta Foreman earned the honor in 2016. Robinson earned top back billing in 2022.

Should Brooks take home the program’s sixth Doak Walker, it would be the first time two different players from the same school were named the nation’s top running back in back-to-back seasons.

Right now, in addition to being the Longhorns’ midseason offensive MVP, he’s in prime position to make that a reality.

--------------------------------------------

Here are 10 more thoughts…

1: My defensive player of the first half is T’Vondre Sweat. Though Jahdae Barron and even Jaylan Ford have played great football over the first six games of the season, opposing offenses have for the most part abandoned running up the middle mostly due to No. 93.

While Ford and Barron have made the intermediate pass a tough way to earn yardage versus Texas, Sweat has been able to make most opposing team’s primary methodology of moving the football — running up the gut — a non-starter.

2: My offensive newcomer of the year is Adonai Mitchell, who leads the Longhorns in touchdown receptions with four.

3: Anthony Hill is my defensive newcomer of the year. He grows up more and more with every rep while still playing with reckless abandon alongside Ford. He makes his fair share of freshman mistakes, but the number of players more disruptive on the Texas defense can be counted one one hand with fingers left over. On3 saw things similarly, naming him a midseason true freshman All-American.

4: On Texas’ 24 red zone opportunities, the Horns have scored 11 touchdowns. That’s been a problem all year but it was the issue in Texas’ recent loss to Oklahoma. (“It sucked,” Sarkisian said.)

That’s a stat that, for a team ranked No. 9 in the country and with one loss, does not need much context. It’s simply not good enough. But for what it’s worth, here are the touchdown over red zone totals for the other teams tied with the Longhorns in red zone scoring percentage (touchdowns and field goals over trips) at No. 65.

Central Michigan: 13-of-18

Georgia State: 11-of-18

Iowa State: 7-of-12

Mississippi State: 15-of-24

Nevada: 7-of-12

Rutgers: 18-of-24

UTSA: 10-of-12

The only teams above .500 from that group are Texas, Georgia State, and Rutgers, but that the Longhorns are in that company says a lot about how much their red zone woes have been a governor on an electric offense.

5: After the game at the Cotton Bowl, Texas has two remaining games on natural grass surfaces. Both are road contests versus TCU and Iowa State. Much has been made about artificial turf versus natural grass this season, and Texas players have received a few questions over the recent few months about the topic. Nobody seems to really care all that much, but there were some justifiable complaints about the heat of the surface versus Rice. The completion of the new practice facility just south of Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium should bring about the return of a natural surface on Campbell-Williams Field.

6: Sarkisian has said in the past that he’d like to see his quarterbacks be in the high 60s when it comes to completion percentage. Ewers is currently completing 70 percent of his passes, a number that’s 12 percentage points higher than his 2022 mark. Ewers is converting on the short and intermediate targets that opposing teams are willing to cede so as not to get beat deep, but he’s also hitting more deep opportunities. He’s becoming more and more of a complete quarterback by the week.

7: Were you curious what the BCS standings would look like if they were still around?

There are a number of voters who have Alabama ahead of Texas. It isn’t just a computer thing. There are also a number of voters who kept Texas ahead of Oklahoma despite Saturday’s result.

While the BCS isn’t around, the College Football Playoff is. As a one-loss team (and likely to be one when the first rankings are released on Halloween), the Longhorns will want to tune in at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays when the committee starts revealing its pecking order.

8: The game of the week is Oregon at Washington. This year’s U-Dub offense with Michael Penix, Rome Odunze, Ja’lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillon will face possibly their toughest test with Dan Lanning‘s Oregon team. The Ducks can score with Bo Nix at the helm, too. In a high scoring affair, I’ll take the home team in the Huskies, who should be the No. 1 team in the country with a win.

9: Next Saturday marks the first time since 1995 that the Texas Longhorns will play Houston as a conference rival. It’ll also be the first time since 2001 that the Longhorns will play Houston in the Bayou City. The last time Texas made the trip to the Third Ward, the Cougars’ home venue was Robertson Stadium. UH built temporary bleachers for the game that were supposed to seat 4,000 extra fans, most if not all of them Longhorns. Just days before the game, UH told UT those bleachers weren’t safe and those 4,000 fans would be without a ticket despite the game contract calling for 10,000 seats for Texas fans. Despite suggestions to play at Rice Stadium or the Astrodome, Houston kept the game on campus. That left a taste in DeLoss Dodds mouth that made scheduling just about anything with the Cougars, especially football, a non-starter until the Big 12 placed Houston on the Longhorns’ conference schedule.

“I am in shock. I am appalled,” Dodds said according to the Associated Press.

10: Should Jonathon Brooks eclipse the 1000-yard barrier this year, he’ll join this list of rushers to reach that mark in a Sarkisian called offense.

2009 Washington: Chris Polk – 1113

2010 Washington: Chris Polk – 1415

2011 Washington: Chris Polk – 1488

2012 Washington: Bishop Sankey – 1439

2013 Washington: Bishop Sankey – 1870

2014 USC: Javorius Allen – 1489

2019 Alabama: Najee Harris – 1224

2020 Alabama: Najee Harris – 1466

2021 Texas: Bijan Robinson – 1127

2022 Texas: Bijan Robinson – 1580

 

https://www.on3.com/teams/texas-longhorns/news/1st-10-jonathon-brooks-is-the-doak-walker-award-frontrunner-and-texas-top-offensive-player-through-six-games/

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49332

Posted
Posted (edited)

Great stuff so cross-posting.  Thx to @Hookem2147

IT team update on progress of 2023 class

In keeping with the same approach as last year, Steve Sarkisian used the bye week to work towards improving depth. His way of doing that was to give the starters rest while practicing the twos and threes pretty hard. It resulted in an energetic, competitive week as players received increased reps and were able to improve their standing within the program.

This is the perfect time to discuss where the members of the 2023 class are at in their development. 

The staff loved this class when it signed, then loved it even more once the 14 early enrollees arrived. The excitement further increased once the balance of the class arrived in late May. After a full Summer, including August camp, and now six games, its safe to say the staff believes it hit a grand slam with this group.

But a few caveats apply. These are young men and young men all mature at different rates. Some are still in need of maturing as they continue to adapt to college life. A couple could probably us a good humbling that will come at some point. 

It’s no coincidence the freshmen who receive the most snaps appear to be the most dialed in — guys like Anthony Hill, Malik Muhammad, CJ Baxter, etc. It’s human nature, those who know they aren’t going to play don’t give as much effort as those who are being counted on.

These insider notes are almost entirely positive, though. 

Here’s what inside sources are saying about the 2023 signees. 

LB Anthony Hill: Just scratching the surface, three-and-done, head is in the right place and has been that way since he arrived. Just a locked in guy. Right on time to be a difference maker off-the-ball next year. 

LB Derion Gullette: Tons of potential, big offseason awaits. Still a freak athlete after the (ACL) injury. The forecast remains Will/Dime ‘backer behind Hill.

LB S’Maje Burrell: Coming along, has improved considerably, good player who will get better. Probably the Mike linebacker behind Liona Lefau next year.

LB Liona Lefau: Already come a long way and will be ready to start next year. Gets better every day. Super hard worker. Natural fit for Mike. Starter next year. They hit the evaluation.

DB Jelani McDonald: Bright future, awesome kid, super talented. Still not sure what exact position will be. Probably safety or linebacker. Interesting offseason to see where his body goes. 

DB Derek Williams: Really smart given lack of experience, picked up defense quick. Hard worker. Going to be really good, possible three-year player. Advanced for experience but still plenty of improvement to be made. Sees the field well. Perfect for SEC, can cover and hit. 

DB Warren Roberson: Very athletic. Has all the athleticism to become an NFL guy. Body type says Star but can play man at corner. They like him at Star long-term. He’s not on the quickest developmental path.

CB Malik Muhammad: Very instinctive, way ahead mentally for being a freshman. Everything is in front of him, he just can’t get complacent and he won’t. He’s a motivated kid. Starter next year.

DT Sydir Mitchell: Coming along, still needs to reshape but trending in the right direction. Needs to get quicker, faster, stronger, and just physically mature. He’s going to figure it out. Coming along mentally.

Edge Billy Walton: Needs to gain more weight. Tons of energy. Loves football. Pretty natural pass rusher, good hands and bend. Will look different with a full offseason. 

Edge Colton Vasek: Going to be really good. Hard worker. Amazing frame, has the chance to be really special. Needs to stay healthy. Has had minor issue of late, should return soon.

Edge Tausili Akana: Needs to get bigger and stronger. Has really impressive pass rushing skills, he’s a natural in that regard. They prefer him at Edge but he has to be able to set the edge first. Sort of a tweener but has skills and will eventually find a position. 

WR Johntay Cook: Really hard worker, a lot of talent, tons of potential. Wide receiver personality but really wants to win. Starter next year. Possible three-year player.

WR DeAndre Moore: Potential, chance to be great. Speed is there. Route running continually improves. Starter next year. 

WR Ryan Niblett: Super fast. Needs to improve routes, consistency with hands. Well-liked and respected.

RB CJ Baxter: Locker room guy. Adapted to UT really quick. Responsible away from the field like Bijan Robinson. Tons of potential given size and speed. Needs to get 100% healthy and play a little faster.

RB Tre Wisner: Natural football player, loves the game. Effort shows on special teams. Still learning running back on a college level. Worth ethic will get him there.

TE Spencer Shannon: Still a long way to go but has the frame. Big offseason for him. Lots of potential but needs to improve as a blocker (he’s okay there) and receiver to become well-rounded. Can become more than a blocking TE with better route running and coordination (that will come with increased strength). 

TE Will Randle: Very hard worker, team-first attitude, has a long way to go physically, needs to physically mature. Big offseason for him, too.

LT Trevor Goosby: The most upside of the O-line with the most athleticism. Good feet, needs to get more physical. That will come with strength. Currently around 295 pounds which is a solid starting point. Great work ethic.

OT/OG Payton Kirkland: Very athletic for his size, still needs to get better at taking advantage of his size. He’s a threat for playing time next year if he plays with more urgency.

RT Jaydon Chatman: Athletic with good feet, needs technical work (they all do) and to get stronger at point of attack (that’s normal).

OG Connor Stroh: Strong, can become a good run-blocker. Needs to get quicker in pass-pro. Hard worker.

OG Andre Cojoe: Arrived very young, no surprise he needs the most work. Already lost a lot of bad weight. Gets downhill run-blocking well, needs to get stronger and more comfortable in pass-pro.

QB Arch Manning: Strong arm, hard worker, will be special. Processing quicker by the day and it was already fast. Three-year player. He’s received a lot of work with the twos throughout the season, not just this past week. Feeling is Texas can win a game with either Maalik Murphy or Arch if need be.

 

There’s the belief that 10-12 of these guys will be drafted and more will find their way into NFL camps.

 

 

Edited by LTtxfan
Link to comment
Share on other sites
gmr548

gmr548 16607

Posted
Posted

Oregon goes on road as #8 to play #7. Game is a back and forth classic that comes down to the last play and easily could have gone the other way, very much validating Oregon’s ranking right behind Washington.

Oregon drops three spots below teams it was previously ranked above while a Washington rises to 5. There are now five teams between Oregon and Washington.

Make it make sense lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49332

Posted
Posted

Free article:   "Through six games, the numbers show an improved Texas team in every statistical category"

Here's a statistical comparison of the Longhorns from last season to now.

By:  ERIC HENRY

https://247sports.com/college/texas/LongFormArticle/texas-longhorns-football-2023-steve-sarkisian-quinn-ewers-xavier-worthy-jaylan-ford-jahdae-barron-byron-murphy-jonathon-brooks-bijan-robinson-doak-walker--218215601/

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Longhorn5005

Longhorn5005 33

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:


It would be nice if Okie lite lost. But I guess that also could complicate things.

Hoping the big 10 eliminates itself with losses to each other, same for pac 12. Florida state versus Duke seems to be its only tough game left with North Carolina having a favorable schedule.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
D3zii

D3zii 3708

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

 

um, that was not expected

Nah definitely wasn’t.  Cant say I’m all that surprised, definitely felt like as bad as we’ve played he could’ve gotten more run, but hind sight who knows wat was going on 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Levi

Levi 2592

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 minutes ago, D3zii said:

Nah definitely wasn’t.  Cant say I’m all that surprised, definitely felt like as bad as we’ve played he could’ve gotten more run, but hind sight who knows wat was going on 

No it definitely is. He was in the rotation on the dline and has flashed a bunch. Edit: before injury of course

Edited by Levi
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...