Media/$9.95-er postgame analysis articles (Week 2)

[satyanash 15358]

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

Wescott Eberts: Texas narrowly edges Tulsa, 28-21, after fourth-quarter scare

(Scipio Tex) Final: Texas- 28, Tulsa- 21

(Bobby Burton) Snap Judgments: Staving Off Tulsa

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It may be hard to believe, but "staving off Tulsa" is exactly what just happened. Texas looked disjointed on offense on just about every drive except three or four all night. The Horns, like last week, even went an entire quarter (the 3rd) without a single first down on four different possessions. It was the very definition of an ugly win.

**

I'm sure some will say, "yeah, but a win is a win". Well, I guess so if you choose to look at it that way. But I tend to look at things a tad more critically and I'd caution every Texas fan to do some of the same or they risk overvaluing any such victory. Consider the following:

- Zero first downs in the third quarter on four possessions.

- Last week, Central Arkansas scored 27 points against this same Tulsa defense. Texas scored just 28.

- The Texas defense couldn't muster any sort of pass rush. This is going to be a major issue as league play begins.

- Tulsa dropped two TDs passes and missed three field goals.

- Texas didn't shore up its punt game, giving up a blocked punt.

**

There were a few bright spots. Caden Sterns and BJ Foster both got the first INTs of their career in the first half. PJ Locke lit up a ball carrier probably with the hardest hit in DKR since either Tony Brackens on the Texas Tech kicker or Bryant Westbrook on Notre Dame's Randy Kinder. Keontay Ingram is the real deal. But those bright spots pale in comparison to the question marks that remain about this team.

**

The lack of offensive imagination and execution is too often stupefying. Running quarterback sweeps may work against Tulsa but it's not going to against the majority of the Big 12. It certainly didn't work last year, yet somehow the Horns are trotting the same play out there for short yardage this season. We'll see how that goes in future weeks. Again, excuse me if I don't share the faith the Texas coaches obviously do.

**

I've already said Tim Beck should be reassigned post haste. My thoughts on the matter didn't change one iota tonight. Instead, it was just more of the same. Texas continues to play for long stretches without controlling the football and moving the chains. As much as I think Ehlinger lacks the capability to ever be a big-time QB, it's the play-calling and decisions on offense itself that give me the most concern.

**

Josh Thompson and Kobe Boyce were both beat for touchdowns. Both are back-ups. At least the TD against Thompson was fairly well contested. Boyce was beat, and beat badly.

**

Daniel Young barreling over the defender was probably my favorite moment of the night. If nothing else, Young has some fight in him.

**

After two games this season, there's really no nice way to say this. Texas looks like a bad football team. The offense is putrid (and that's putting it nicely). The defense has issues rushing the passer and on the back end, and has Malcolm Roach playing woefully out of position. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Texas wins 8, 9 or even 10. But Texas looks closer to a 3-9 or 4-8 squad than they do an 8-4 one after Maryland and now Tulsa. Sure, it was a win. But it may be the ugliest one I can remember in years.

Chip Brown: Good, bad and ugly from Texas' 28-21 win over Tulsa

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AUSTIN, Texas — As has become customary for the Longhorns these days, they can't seem to make anything look easy - not even when two of the nation's best safety recruits in the 2018 class (Sterns & Foster ... more in a second) forced UT's first two turnovers of the season in the first half of a 28-21 win over Tulsa Saturday night. This is how close the game ended up: Tulsa was credited with three missed field goals of 29, 43 and 36 yards and dropped two touchdown passes. A win is a win, and the Longhorns (1-1), who played without starting center Zach Shackelford (foot) and starting safety Brandon Jones (ankle), now turn their attention to USC, which was trailing Stanford, 17-3, in the fourth quarter. As always, there was good, bad and ugly in Saturday night's win. Here it is ...

GOOD

Sam Ehlinger finished 21 of 27 passing for 237 yards, including touchdown passes of 40 yards to Lil'Jordan Humphrey and 11 yards to running back Tre Watson. Watson led UT’s rushing attack with 18 carries for 74 yards (4.1 ypc). But freshman Keaontay Ingram continues to lead the team in yards per carry after running 10 times for 64 yards (6.4 ypc). Daniel Young absolutely trucked Tulsa safety Manny Bunch (No. 10) on a 30-yard run from the Tulsa 43 to the 13 with just less than a minute to play. Young finished with three carries for 41 yards (13.7 ypc)

Humphrey led Texas in receiving with seven catches for 109 yards and the 40-yard TD reception. Texas ran the ball for 241 yards on 47 carries (5.1 ypc). The Texas defense, which did not record a sack against Tulsa’s up-tempo offense, held the Golden Hurricane to 3-of-14 on third down and was led by Anthony Wheeler (7 tackles). The Longhorns won the turnover battle 2-1 after freshman safeties Caden Sterns and B.J. Foster each grabbed interceptions in the first half, turning Sterns’ pickoff into 7 points.

TEXAS GOES UP 28-14 WITH 6:25 LEFT: After UT’s first four possessions of the second half resulted in zero points, Texas found itself clinging to a 21-14 lead and reeled off a 13-play, 75-yard drive to a touchdown, converting two third downs on Ehlinger rushes and overcoming second-and-13 after a holding call on Lil'Jordan Humphrey. Ehlinger was 7-of-7 passing on the drive, capped with an 11-yard catch-and-run by Tre Watson down the right sideline into the end zone.

P.J. Locke laid out for a hit on Tulsa RB Corey Taylor, causing a fumble recovered by the Golden Hurricane at UT’s 27 with just more than four minutes left in the third quarter. Thanks to sideline-to-sideline, consecutive plays by linebacker Gary Johnson on third and fourth-and-goal from the Texas 5, Tulsa was unable to parlay a strip sack of Ehlinger into points with 6:53 left in the third quarter. At this point in the game, Jeff Howe asked me what the game would look like if Tulsa had a kicker? And I responded, “Or a receiver who could catch?”

After Tulsa kicker Nate Walker missed field goal attempts of 29 and 43 yards and suffered what would’ve been his third missed field goal of the game (wide right from 36 yards), Texas’ Kris Boyd was flagged for running into the kicker on a flop by Walker. So Tulsa, took the field goal unit off the field and lined up to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the UT 14, but got flagged for a false start. So Tulsa brought out backup kicker John Parker Romo to try from 36 yards, and Romo also missed wide right.

LIL'JORDAN HUMPHREY TD CATCH PUTS TEXAS UP 21-0: Texas capped its first drive of at least 80 yards this season with a 40-yard, catch-and-run touchdown in which Humphrey caught the ball on the 15 and stiff-armed a Tulsa defender all the way into the end zone, putting Texas up 21-0 with 3:28 left in the second quarter. Lost highlight on the play was Tom Herman running down the sideline, pumping both fists as Humphrey ran toward the end zone.

Keaontay Ingram made three tacklers miss from point-blank range on a 10-yard run right before Sam Ehlinger hit Lil'Jordan Humphrey on a 40-yard, catch-and-run touchdown in the second quarter. After Tulsa blocked a Texas punt and drove to the UT 12, Kris Boyd broke up a pass into the end zone on second-and-6, and Malcolm Roach broke up a pass on third-and-6, forcing a 29-yard field goal attempt that was wide right with 5:34 left in the second quarter.

Texas couldn’t convert an interception by freshman safety B.J. Foster into points, but freshman punter Ryan Bujcevski angled a 38-yard punt toward the right sideline, and it one-hopped at a right angle out of bounds at the Tulsa 5 with 12:46 left in the second quarter.

STERNS & FOSTER: Freshman safety Caden Sterns recorded UT’s first turnover of the season on Tulsa’s first offensive play. UT’s second turnover of the season came on an interception by freshman B.J. Foster with 1:23 left in the first quarter. Texas converted Sterns’ interception into a touchdown. UT didn’t capitalize on Foster’s interception.

INGRAM TD RUN PUTS TEXAS UP 14-0: Keaontay Ingram made his first touchdown run in DKR a memorable one, juking two defenders and bouncing off a third for a 29-yard run down the right sideline into the end zone. Texas hasn’t had a back with this kind of speed and wiggle since the first decade of the 2000s. We won’t talk about how he might’ve helped Texas in the second half of the Maryland game. Ingram’s TD run came on a four-play, 56-yard drive that put Texas up 14-0 with 1:58 left in the first quarter and included a 13-yard pass from Ehlinger to Collin Johnson.

Ehlinger found Brennan Eagles alone down the right sideline for 35 yards to the Tulsa 39 on second-and-10 on UT’s second possession of the game. Ehlinger followed that up with runs of 6 and 14 yards and then rolled right and threw it to tight end Andrew Beck for 12 yards, setting up first-and-goal for Texas at the Tulsa 7.

TEXAS TAKES 7-0 LEAD AFTER STERNS’ INT: After freshman safety Caden Sterns’ interception on Tulsa’s first offensive play, the Golden Hurricanes were called for consecutive offside penalties, moving the Horns from the Tulsa 47 to the Tulsa 37, setting up a 36-yard strike on a post route from Sam Ehlinger to Lil'Jordan Humphrey to the Tulsa 1. Ehlinger faked a handoff to Tre Watson on the zone read and took it into the end zone for a 1-yard TD run, putting Texas up 7-0 with 14:18 left in the first quarter.

STERNS FORCES TURNOVER ON FIRST PLAY: Caden Sterns intercepted Tulsa QB Luke Skipper on the Golden Hurricanes’ first play from scrimmage, giving the Longhorns the ball at the Tulsa 47 with 14:45 left in the first quarter. Skipper was flushed to his right on the play by linebacker Gary Johnson.

BAD

Texas suffered eight penalties for 65 yards and benefited from Tulsa missing three field goals and dropping two touchdown passes.

TULSA CUTS TEXAS LEAD TO 28-21 WITH 4:53 LEFT: It took Tulsa just five plays and 1:32 to go 75 yards for a touchdown on a 35-yard pass from Luke Skipper to a wide-open Keenen Johnson, who got behind Kobe Boyce for the score, cutting Texas’ lead to 28-21 with 4:53 left. While Tulsa was scoring two touchdowns to cut UT’s lead to 21-14, Texas’ offense came up 0-for on three possessions in the third quarter and on its first possession of the fourth quarter, running a total of 14 plays for 36 yards:

* Three-and-out (3 plays for 6 yards - punt)

* A strip sack of Ehlinger resulting in a lost fumble

* Four-and-out (4 plays for 15 yards - punt)

* Five-and-out (5 plays for 18 yards - punt)

TULSA CUTS TEXAS’ LEAD TO 21-14: Tulsa took possession at its own 39 after a 32-yard punt by Bujcevski and converted third-and-5 with a 48-yard pass to the Texas 1 with Josh Thompson in coverage. Golden Hurricane running back Shamari Brooks scored on the next play, cutting Texas’ lead to 21-14 with 12:38 left.

TULSA CUTS TEXAS’ LEAD TO 21-7: After the Texas defense helped hold Tulsa to zero points on three previous drives inside the UT20 (to the UT19, UT12 and UT4), Tulsa took advantage of a 24-yard punt by Ryan Bujcevski to the UT33 and scored in six plays, capped by a 4-yard TD run by Shamari Brooks. Needed a better effort from Charles Omenihu on Brooks’ TD run.

STRIP SACK OF EHLINGER: On second-and-7 from the UT28 with just under 11 minutes left in the third quarter, Ehlinger got flushed from the pocket to his left and got caught for a strip-sack by Tulsa linebacker Trevis Gipson. Tulsa recovered at the UT32.

A holding call on Texas left tackle Calvin Anderson negated a 7-yard pass from Ehlinger to Ingram on UT’s first drive of the third quarter. Texas couldn’t overcome the penalty as Ehlinger was dropped for a 2-yard loss on third-and-2 from the UT33 and then punted.

P.J. Locke was beaten on a post route into the end zone that should’ve been a Tulsa touchdown, but receiver Jarion Anderson simply dropped a ball that hit him in the hands on third-and-6 from the 19 with 1:21 left in the second quarter. Tulsa’s Deven Lamp beat the block of Anthony Wheeler and blocked Ryan Bujcevski’s punt, giving Tulsa the ball at the Texas 45 with 8:15 left in the second quarter.

With Tulsa facing first down from its own 5, Breckyn Hager was flagged for roughing the passer with 12:30 left in the second quarter, and I think the ref thought Hager’s arm hit Tulsa QB Luke Skipper in the head when he came down on Skipper. But replays seemed to show Hager’s arm came down on Skipper’s shoulder pad.

After driving from the UT 26 and having first-and-goal from the Tulsa 7, the Longhorns came away with no points. Ehlinger threw to Cade Brewer for 6 yards to the Tulsa 1, and then Ehlinger carried twice for 0 and minus-1 yard, setting up fourth-and-goal from the 2. Ehlinger then rolled to his left, held the ball too long and threw incomplete to Collin Johnson in the corner of the end zone.

Tulsa had third-and-13 from the Texas 46 and was able to convert it by throwing for 11 yards on third down and then running off right tackle for 7 yards on fourth-and-2 with 11 minutes left in the first quarter. The drive ended with a missed 43-yard field goal attempt (wide left).

UGLY

Not being able to put away Tulsa after taking a 21-0 first-half lead.

(Ian Boyd) 5 Quick Thoughts: Surviving tropical storm Tulsa

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The juxtaposition of all of Saturday's events are not going to give Texas fans much excitement. Texas had to weather a late, second half "surge" from Tulsa to pull out a victory that a good Longhorn team should expect to have locked up before halftime. The game actually appeared to be pretty safe heading into halftime but Tulsa QB Luke Skipper started to make some plays with his legs on third down and the Texas D began to wear down as the Golden Hurricane poured on 21 points after finally abandoning their pathetic attempts at FG kicking.

Meanwhile Texas A&M took a Clemson team with a surprisingly in cohesive defensive backfield down to the wire before coming up short, as is their wont. That juxtaposition, of Texas A&M battling the no. 2 team in the country down the wire while Texas struggled to finish off Tulsa, is going to drive many Longhorn fans even deeper into madness. On the bright side, as I write this Stanford is up 17-3 on Texas' week three opponent (USC) with Trojan freshman QB JT Daniels throwing repeated INTs to close the game.

In the meantime I've got five quick thoughts on why this wasn't the beatdown that Texas fans expect from a contest with Tulsa. Overall, this is a ball control offense that's missing a few key ingredients to execute the strategy.

Quick thought no. 1: Texas lacked explosiveness

I've been explaining for a few weeks now that this is essentially a B1G offense. Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Collin Johnson are big, matchup weapons while Devin Duvernay is a "take the top off" kind of deep threat. Tulsa played Texas' anti-Oklahoma State gameplan back at them. They dropped safety help over the receivers and made Texas prove they could work the ball down the field methodically.

Now, let's pause and note something, Texas ended up running the ball 47x for 241 yards and two TDs at 5.1 ypc. Those aren't jaw dropping numbers but they're pretty darn good. The trouble was that they struggled to translate that into points due to lack of field position or lots of explosives plays in the passing game.

Quick thought no. 2: That was hopefully a turning point for Sam Ehlinger

Ehlinger's fumble in the third quarter was a really bad play that helped give Tulsa serious momentum in this ball game. He had a running lane and was trying to make more of the opportunity and pull up and throw, only to be caught from behind without great ball security and cough it up. He was met by Breckyn Hager at the sideline with what appeared to be a fiery "get your head in the game!" kind of salute.

Things came to a head when Texas' lead had just been cut to 21-14 and the Longhorns had to start another drive on the 25. What followed was essentially the blueprint for what a good 2018 Texas drive should look like. The Longhorns mixed in their 4x1 "tight zone or bubble to Lil'Jordan Humphrey" option play quite heavily and were executing the bubble screen at a considerably higher level than against Maryland both in terms of Ehlinger's read and accuracy as well as the WR blocking. They trusted Keaontay Ingram with some carries and were (as is almost always the case) rewarded.

But the most hopeful points started when Ehlinger converted a third and three with a scramble. He picked up the gain easily but then also finished the run on top of a Tulsa defender and came up talking trash. A different Ehlinger commanded the rest of the drive, making multiple checks and audibles to set up protections and runs, culminating in a check to a speed option play on third and seven that he personally converted with a big cutback.

Then they put a half smile on @Scipio Tex's face by hitting Tre Watson for a score on a little play-action toss off the power-read play. Tulsa fired right back with another score but Texas was pretty much in command of the game at that point and methodically ran the clock out with another drive punctuated with another Ehlinger third down conversion and then some angry running by Danny Young on a worn out Tulsa front.

Ehlinger finished the game completing 21 of 27 passes for 237 yards, two TDs, and zero INTs (but the one bad fumble). He also got 12 carries that turned into 51 yards and a TD. This is a very different offense when he's running the ball regularly. It makes it much easier for them to deal with conservative coverage shells (by simply running over the outmanned fronts) and it gives them more tools for ensuring easy, automatic gains on first and second.

I would bet considerable amounts of money that they have a lot of QB run game and other various wrinkles in their back pocket that they're saving for USC next week and then the Big 12 slate. The expectation was to come in and just out-execute Tulsa en route to an easy win. Obviously they're going to need those wrinkles and dimensions along with a few other improvements to expect this formula to yield the expected season.

Quick thought no. 3: The D ran out of gas

The first two TD drives by Tulsa were similar to Texas' breakthrough drives in that they involved third down conversions from QB Luke Skipper using his legs. Up till that first TD drive Texas had been shutting the Hurricane down on most third downs with the team pursuit rushing Skipper and the offense and preventing any kind of rhythm.

Gary Johnson was doing a great job of patrolling from the middle on third down and preventing Skipper from finding any time, until Skipper was able to put a stiff arm on him and then you could see the Longhorn defense start to wear down. Tulsa held the ball for 8:16 of the third quarter as Texas ran only 12 offensive plays (other than punts).

For Texas' ball control approach to work against up-tempo Big 12 offenses it's not enough to get to 28 points if there are long dry spells that leave the defense out to dry and in bad field position for extended periods of time. That will result in this unit wearing down, getting caught, making mistakes, etc and erase margin that Texas can't really afford to give away.

On that note, Ryan Bujcevksi is very hit or miss right now. With time he'll probably be a very effective punter but he has demonstrated on a few occasions now that he doesn't do his best work backed up in his own end zone. Some may recall that freshman Michael Dickson had a big part in Texas' 2015 defeat against Oklahoma State when he shanked an important punt from deep in Texas territory. They need to continue to develop this guy and help him get comfortable but they also need to be aware that this is an iffy component to the "punt and play defense strategy" that can't be paired with long dry spells.

Quick thought no. 4: Keaontay Ingram

Because of his punishing runs over worn out Tulsa defenders, Danny Young will probably be the favored back going into future weeks. Keaontay Ingram turned 10 carries into 64 yards and a score on one of the more impressive runs I've seen from a Texas RB this decade. Tre Watson (18-74) and Danny Young (3-41) are running hard and well but Texas needs explosiveness and Ingram is a special runner.

Here was the score, on an iso/zone run in the first half where he showed off his vision, burst, and cutting ability. The whole offense works better and is catalyzed when Ingram is out there running the football because he knows how to manipulate defenders and then he can run by them, sucking in attention and opening up passing lanes. He went from six carries in week one to 10 carries in week two, that workload will probably continue to increase and probably needs to in order for Texas to realize their goals for this season.

Quick thought no. 5: A good learning experience for the young secondary

Supposedly Tom Herman told someone at LHN that Zach Shackleford was one of the most indispensable players on offense. Either Herman was looking to help set lower expectations or there was some kind of misunderstanding as there was little evidence of that.

Losing Brandon Jones though? That's obviously a big deal and the Texas D had to roll with freshmen (RS or true) at three and sometimes four positions in the secondary in this contest. Early on the young safety tandem was ascendant, each picking off a pass to help give Texas early momentum. Josh Thompson showed well early with a few break-ups and moments of good man coverage in the end zone.

Then Tulsa started to find their legs and beat Kobe Boyce badly on the TD pass that made it 28-21 and had Texas fans holding their breath. For the young guys that had to be counted on in this game on defense, it was surely nice to get some mistakes on film to learn from without taking an L in a big game. Texas needs Brandon Jones back but they also need for the young guys to get better. They're all going to play a lot this year and probably be asked to play a key role for the 2019 team in a year.

This was fun, who else thought this was B.J. Foster and was shocked to find out it was P.J. Locke?

I'm sure many will be in meltdown mode because of A&M's impressive, moral victory on the field and likely recruiting victories from the big weekend. In the meantime, this Texas team has a lot to tighten up and sort out in order to be able to put together team efforts that result in lots of victories in the coming months. At least they were able to figure it out in this one.

 

[UTEX_ME 4257]

I am told we suck.

[elfenix 34658]

 

 

 

that'll be $9.95

[satyanash 15358]

Jeff Howe: Texas escapes home opener with win over Tulsa, 28-21

AUSTIN, Texas — An uncomfortably close fourth-quarter contest isn’t what the crowd gathered at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for the 2018 home opener had in mind. Nevertheless, Texas was able to pull away from Tulsa and score a 28-21 win. The Longhorns (1-1) hit an offensive lull in the second half, totaling only 36 yards on their first 18 snaps coming out of halftime. After Tulsa (1-1) scored two second-half touchdowns to cut it to a 21-14 game with 12:38 left in regulation, the Texas offense finally went to work.

Sam Ehlinger engineered a 13-play, 75-yard drive where was 7-for-7 throwing the football and converted a pair of third downs with his legs. The drive ended when Ehlinger hit Tre Watson for an 11-yard touchdown, Watson’s first score as a Longhorn and an important as his reception in the flat he turned up the field gave the Longhorns a two-score lead.

Even though Tulsa answered the Texas score with a 5-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, the Longhorns held on to claim their first win of the season. The final possession of the night saw Ehlinger covert a third-and-1 with a 3-yard run while Daniel Young, seeing his first action on the night, ripped off a 30-yard run on second-and-1 from the Tulsa 43-yard line to seal the victory.

While Texas seemed to fall asleep for large stretches of the second half, there was no slow start akin to the season-opening loss to Maryland in this one as the Longhorns came out sizzling on both sides of the ball. Caden Sterns made a tremendous play on Tulsa’s first play from scrimmage, intercepting a Luke Skipper pass the Golden Hurricane quarterback threw up for grabs along the Texas sideline. Two Tulsa neutral zone infractions got the ensuing drive for the Longhorns started and a 36-yard bomb down the seam from Ehlinger to Lil'Jordan Humphrey was the highlight of a 3-play, 47-yard drive that ended when Ehlinger called his own number and went untouched into the end zone on a 1-yard scoring run.

After a failed fourth-and-goal conversion attempt from the Tulsa 2-yard line, the defense forced a punt that got the offense the ball back at their own 44-yard line. A 7-0 lead became a 14-0 advantage four plays later when Keaontay Ingram knifed his way through the Tulsa defense for a 29-yard touchdown on his first carry of the night.

While the offense bogged down in the second quarter the defense kept the Longhorns at arm’s length from the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa missed two field goals in the second quarter and Texas was able to overcome Ryan Bujcevski experiencing a blocked punt for the first time in his career thanks to a 5-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Ehlinger to Humphrey for a 21-0 lead with 3:28 left in the half, an advantage the Longhorns took with them into the locker room at intermission.

Texas won the battle in total yardage (478-353) and on the ground (241-189). Ehlinger, in a performance boosted by his late-game efficiency, was 21-for-27 on the night for 237 yards through the air and two touchdowns to go along with 51 rushing yards on 12 attempts.

Watson (18 carries for 74 yards) led all Texas rushers while Ingram (10 carries, 64 yards and a touchdown), Young (41 yards on three carries) and Humphrey (two rushing attempts for 19 yards) made key contributions. Humphrey led all receivers with 109 yards on seven catches; Collin Johnson had 37 yards on four receptions while Brennan Eagles recorded his first career reception with a 35-yard catch in the first half.

Defensively, the Longhorns were led by Anthony Wheeler (seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss), P.J. Locke III (five tackles, a forced fumble), Sterns (four tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and an interception), Breckyn Hager (two tackles, one tackle for loss) and B.J. Foster (one interception). Texas will be back home next weekend for a highly-anticipated non-conference tilt against No. 17-ranked USC (7 p.m., FOX). The Trojans (1-1) fell to 10th-ranked Stanford on the road Saturday, 17-3.

[satyanash 15358]

(Bobby Burton) Texas-Tulsa Grades: Offense still struggles

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Horns247 Publisher Bobby Burton delivers his grades for the Texas offense from the Longhorns' 28-21 win over Tulsa.

Quarterback

If you look strictly at the stats — 21 of 27 for 228 yards, two TDs and no INTs — you might think it was a sterling performance from Sam Ehlinger. But it was actually far from it. Sure, Ehlinger was largely productive on the night but this is probably the worst defense Texas will face all year, and Ehlinger inexplicably hibernated the entire third quarter allowing Tulsa to make a game of it. However, there were definite improvements. There was no late-game turnover. He threw a couple of timing passes in great spots, like the toss to Tre Watson for a TD. Yet it’s still his decision making that is most questionable.

Grade: C

Running back

This unit is possibly becoming the best group on the offensive side of the ball. Keaontay Ingram’s quickness is elite. So is his vision and ability to bounce off tacklers. Hopefully his knee injury isn’t major. Tre Watson is running hard and deserves his carries. Daniel Young’s explosion in the fourth quarter, trucking a safety on the way to sealing the game for the Horns, was outstanding. So was Ingram’s 30-yard TD run. Just as noticeable was Kyle Porter’s absence.

Grade: A

Wide receiver

The Texas receivers made solid plays all night. Outside of a key fourth-quarter drop by Lil'Jordan Humphrey, I felt like they played a more complete game and were much better blocking on the perimeter. Humphrey’s use in the wildcat was a return to a formation the Horns used a year ago. Like at running back, the best news was the smaller rotations, giving fewer snaps to the players who are not as good as the starters. Brennan Eagles and Josh Moore caught their first passes and looked the part.

Grade: B-

Tight end

Cade Brewer must improve his blocking. He was called for holding twice, one time nullifying what would have been a big first down coming out of the Horns own end zone. Andrew Beck was solid in the run game.

Grade: C-

Offensive line

The Texas OL held up all game long. Sam Cosmi was particularly impressive at right tackle in his first start. Left tackle Calvin Anderson is terrific in pass protection. Derek Kerstetter had some issues on the interior and Pat Vahe still has problems blocking in space, moreso than normal OLs. Still, it was the second game in a row where the OL played good enough to win. It just wasn’t dominating.

Grade: C

Offense

Texas racked up almost 500 yards of total offense. But that doesn’t tell the real story. Texas floundered way too often and did so for extended periods of time which allowed Tulsa to get back in the game. And outside of just a couple of pass plays, it was the Texas run game that had the explosive plays. The play-calling looks disjointed and too often rudimentary (a QB keep on third-and-four probably won’t work against the majority of the Big 12) and the decision-making by the QB is questionable at best. It’s like the whole thing is too often two steps too slow. Thankfully, Keaontay Ingram gave the unit a breath of fresh air this week. Scoring just 28 points against Tulsa, who gave up 27 to Central Arkansas the week before, is as close to failure as you can get.

Grade: D

Chip Brown: Was that an Ehlinger revelation late in Texas' win over Tulsa?

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AUSTIN, Texas — Seems like we can look at Texas’ 28-21 win over Tulsa — another one of those all-too-familiar wins that felt like a loss — a few different ways: Glass half full … Glass half empty … Glass half shattered. Let’s barf out the glass-half-shattered view and work our way up. (And stay with me for the glass half-full, because there might’ve been a significant revelation made by quarterback Sam Ehlinger in the fourth quarter Saturday night.)

The glass half-shattered:

Texas is doomed for yet another mediocre season, because the Longhorns, in their own stadium, couldn’t put away a team that went 2-10 last year that barely escaped Central Arkansas last week. On top of that, did you see Jimbo and the Aggies almost pulled off ... never mind. UT’s performance was embodied in the first quarter when it had first-and-goal from the Tulsa 7 and then second-and-goal from the 1 and failed to come away with any points. None. Zero. Nada. In fact, if Tulsa hadn’t missed three field goals of 29, 43 and 36 yards and dropped two touchdown passes, the Golden Hurricane likely would’ve upset Texas!

The glass half-empty:

The Longhorns didn’t make enough improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 to make you think they’ll have any chance at a winning record by mid-season with games against USC, TCU, at K-State and the Red River Shootout straight ahead. …

… For the second straight game, the Longhorns’ offense went into Witness Protection Mode in the second half, posting only seven points and getting outscored by the opponent. Last week, Maryland outscored Texas 10-7 in the second half. This week at home, thanks to holding calls against the Horns on two of three drives in the third quarter as well as a strip-sack fumble by Ehlinger, Tulsa outscored UT 21-7 in in the second half. …

… Through two games, Todd Orlando hasn’t used much Lightning Dime, when he has ends Breckyn Hager and Charles Omenihu lined up outside the offensive tackles, allowing them to rush the passer. This year, they’re lined up between the tackle and guard, where defensive tackles typically line up. Against Tulsa, Orlando preferred playing base defense instead of blitzing, and through two games, Texas has one sack (Kris Boyd vs. Maryland). …

… For the second straight game, freshman punter Ryan Bujcevski had a shank from deep in Texas territory that gave the opponent field position inside the UT 35. Last week it was a 15-yarder that went out of bounds at the UT 20. This time, it was a 24-yard shank off the left side of his foot from the UT 9 that went out of bounds at the UT 33 with 4:39 left in the third quarter, leading to a Tulsa touchdown that triggered the Golden Hurricane’s 21-7 rally in the second half. …

… Texas’ special teams was worse in Game 2 than in Game 1 as UT lacked any punch in the return game (last week Brandon Jones had big-play punt returns of 33 and 27 yards), and in the second quarter against Tulsa, the Longhorns suffered a blocked punt, when Anthony Wheeler blew a blocking assignment. “That was on me,” Wheeler said.

… For the second straight game, Texas was the most penalized team on the field (eight flags for 65 yards), including three offensive holding calls in the third quarter that helped derail the UT offense.

The glass half-full:

When it mattered most, after Tulsa had cut Texas’ lead to 21-14 early in the fourth quarter, the Longhorns’ offense went 75 yards in 13 plays with Ehlinger completing 7-of-7 passes (most of them screens and check-downs), including an 11-yard, catch-and-run TD by Tre Watson, putting UT up 28-14 with 6:25 left. (More on this in a second.) …

… Despite playing without starting safety Brandon Jones, the Longhorns’ defense forced its first two turnovers of the season on first-half interceptions by freshmen safeties Caden Sterns and B.J. Foster. …

… Despite playing without starting center Zach Shackelford (foot), the Longhorns’ offense ran the ball 47 times for 241 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and two touchdowns while not giving up a sack. (The only sack given up last week wasn't even the line's fault, because Ehlinger tried to turn a drop back into a run and got stuffed.)

… After giving up 13 explosive plays in Week 1 against Maryland, including touchdown passes of 65 and 20 yards as well as touchdown runs of 28 and 17 yards, the Texas defense gave up eight explosive plays, only one of them for a touchdown (a 35-yard TD pass with 4:53 left to play). …

… Freshman running back Keaontay Ingram (10 carries, 64 yards, 6.4 ypc) is a total stud with incredible cutability, making defenders miss at point-blank range as shown by his 29-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. Coaches promised more carries. But considering Ingram only had six carries (for 37 yards, 6.2 ypc) against Maryland, his 10 carries Saturday didn't seem like a big enough raise. Tre Watson got almost double Ingram's carries (18 for 75 yards, 4.1 ypc).

… Lil’Jordan Humphrey had the kind of night he could/should have most every game (seven catches for 109 yards, including a 40-yard TD catch as well as two carries for 19 yards with one coming on a direct snap). …

… The blocking by receivers downfield was improved, helping spring eight running plays of 10 yards or longer, including Keaontay Ingram’s 29-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and a monstrous, 30-yard run by Daniel Young in which he trucked a Tulsa safety in the fourth quarter. …

So, after considering all of these views of UT's 28-21 win over Tulsa, from the gloomiest of gloom to the search for a silver lining, here's the thing that sticks out to me the most: Ehlinger going 7-of-7 passing on the Longhorns’ 13-play, 75-yard drive for a touchdown in the fourth quarter that took 6:13 off the clock and put UT up 28-14 with 6:25 left. A close runner-up was Texas’ 10-play, 56-yard drive to kill the final 4:53 of the game after Tulsa cut the Longhorns’ lead to 28-21.

Forget Ehlinger's quick start, going 6-of-8 for 108 yards, including passes of 36 yards to Humphrey (that helped set up a touchdown) and 35 yards to Brennan Eagles (that should've helped set up another touchdown, except UT came away with no points after having first-and-goal from the 7). It's the end-of-game situations that have been Ehlinger's undoing.

Saturday night, Ehlinger was back in a situation eerily similar to last year's regular-season finale against Texas Tech, when two late interceptions caused Texas to lose a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead and lose the game. This time, Ehlinger took the offense 75 yards in 13 plays by relying on short passes — screens and check-downs — as well as his legs to convert third-and-3 and third-and-7 before throwing a check-down pass to Watson, who turned it into an 11-yard touchdown reception.

If Ehlinger can continue to show a mature patience and rely on those high-percentage, check-down passes, instead of looking to hit home runs in late-game situations, often striking out, he’ll continue to develop as a quarterback and move this offense forward.

“You can never go broke taking a profit,” Ehlinger said of his series of short passes in the fourth quarter. “To take check-downs is the next step of quarterback play. It’s knowing and understanding, when they’re dropping seven or eight guys, take that check-down. It advances the offense. It’s a nice, 5-yard gain. And with athletes like Keaontay (Ingram) and Tre (Watson), it’s really hard for linebackers to match up on them. We’re going to continue to take those chances. That 13-play drive that took six minutes was something we knew we had. It was something we knew we could do, and it was really, really delightful to see that.”

It was a long week for Ehlinger after throwing two late interceptions as the Texas offense, with three chances to take the lead with a touchdown at Maryland last Saturday, instead finished a 34-29 loss with three straight turnovers. It made myself, and others, I'm sure, wonder if Ehlinger had entered some uh-oh-here-we-go-again, late-game, turnover vortex that he couldn't escape.

But in leading Texas' two, final drives against Tulsa, Ehlinger, who finished 21 of 27 passing for 237 yards and two touchdowns with one lost fumble as well as 12 carries for 51 yards (4.3 ypc) and a rushing TD, proved something to himself. “It’s really fulfilling for me, because I knew I could do that,” Ehlinger said. “I’ve always known that. And to be able to do that and prove that to myself — that that’s in there — it’s going to help me a lot.”

We’ll know starting next Saturday, with USC in town, if Ehlinger really has come to rely on the check-down pass, which is a necessary growth step for any successful quarterback. As Ehlinger said, you won’t go broke taking a profit. And Texas fans have seen their share of broke from this offense, especially in the third quarter the past two weeks (in addition to the offense's overall regression of last season).

With Herman giving every indication Ehlinger is his man, the offense will go as Ehlinger goes and grows. The two, final drives Saturday night might’ve gotten lost amid the varying views of whatever had transpired inside DKR before that. But there might’ve been some seeds planted in Ehlinger in the final minutes of a win that felt like a loss that could take root and lead to some glass-half-full outcomes. With the four-game gauntlet Texas is facing next, those seeds can’t sprout soon enough.

InsideTexas: Offensive Report Card---Tulsa

Quote

This offense is at best a work in progress. We had some individual star quality plays but overall we lack polish and coordination. The effort is much better than the results indicate in too many instances. It's hard to figure out why we get in a bigger hurry to fail to execute certain plays. Is there any real rhyme or reason to the thought process of calling plays amongst our faculty of number callers?

It's easy to find the difference makers on this offense. If you want a genuine treat watch 52 (Mr, Cosmi) the entire game. Cosmi's block on Ingram's td run is remindful of the Mike Williams and Justin Blalock days---you know when we had a RT that dominated the LOS. Cosmi is a work of art on the bounce block and switch block (pass pro). In short, he's fun to watch. 

Ingram is different. Splitting the defenders on his td run was a thing of beauty. You often find the RB choosing one defender over the other (bounce out or cutback) but to divide the pair is something you are born with, not taught. Watch 26's blocks on the LJH sweeps if you want to see a complete football player. He's special because he plays the game natural. 

Speaking of LJH he's in the hunt for being a difference maker. He did drop a pass---that only made him human. He gets the job done period. Humphrey's blocking improved big time. That was his biggest weakness. LJH is a player. 

Anderson (66) was solid but doesn't have the drive (power) punch that Cosmi (52) exhibits. Vahe (77) was up to the challenge for the most part---his two weak areas remain pass blocking and finding contact in space. Rodriguez (72) had typical problems at center including three high snaps. The main area of concern for Rod was the amount of times he completely whiffed their nose on a swim stunt. Kerstetter (68) had an aces and spaces game. He looked great on some efforts but he might not have enough lead in his pencil to stay at OG. 

Beck (47) is the strangest player on this offense. When his assignment is to block down (angle block usually attached on the LOS) he is a huge plus to our offense. However, when pulling, leading, or isolating (from the backfield) he too often can't find his assignment for some strange reason. Beats my two pair. 

Brewer (80) had several nice blocks but made two very costly holding penalties to cancel his atta-a-boys. Eagles (82) had a nice catch/run and one good block. He also had two poor blocks. DuVernay (6) had a very uneventful game. His two targets were basically uncatchable---his blocking definitely improved though. Moore (14) had two good catches---he hasn't figured out that blocking thing yet. 

Johnson (9) is still a threat to break a tackle I'm told but seeing is believing in his case. Watson (5) is a tremendous pickup---he's a gamer as a runner and pass receiver---he will block also. I strongly believe Danny Young (32) made the most of his chances yesterday. It's extremely difficult to go from starter (RB) in game one to not getting a carry until late in the 4th quarter (game two) without any apparent negative play on his part. 

Rotation, for this entire staff (more later), is very limited and in some areas that is not a good thing. Here are the grades:

11---Sam---(P)---B+

32---Young---(P)---A-

5---Watson---(P)---A-

26---Ingram---(P)---A-

6---DuVernay---(P)---B+

9---Johnson---(P)---B

14---Moore---(P)---B

82---Eagles---(P)---B

84---Humphrey--- (P)---A-

47---Beck---(P)---B+

80---Brewer---(F)---B-

52---Cosmi---(P)---A-

66---Anderson---(P)---B+

68---Kerstetter---(P)---B

72---Rodriguez---(F)---B-

77---Vahe---(P)---B+

Beat USC.

 

[satyanash 15358]

Joseph Cook: Sixty-minute effort needed against Tulsa for Longhorns in 28-21 victory

Three rushers with more than 50 yards, two total rushing touchdowns, and 241 total yards on the ground at 5.1 yards per carry? Check. 21-of-27 passing with no interceptions for 237 yards and 8.8 yards per attempt? Check. Out-gaining the opponent, winning the turnover margin, and having the opponent miss all three of its field goal attempts? Winning the time of possession battle by nearly nine minutes? Check and check.

Texas doing all that and the result being a 28-21 win over Tulsa? Check?

Texas head coach Tom Herman’s team surged to a 21-0 lead at the halftime whistle thanks to rushing touchdowns from Keaontay Ingram and Sam Ehlinger, and a scoring connection between Ehlinger and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. The Longhorns went back into the locker room looking like they were doing all the right things against a Tulsa team that worked to beat Central Arkansas one week prior.

“Was really excited about the way that our players responded to what we challenged them to do after last week, which was to come out and have fun and they did,” Herman said after the game. “They played loose. They played free. They played with a smile on their face in that first half, and I was really, really proud of that.”

Something changed drastically during halftime. Herman said he pressed the team to make sure they didn’t get complacent when they returned to the field for the second half. As a result, he believes the same symptom of “trying too hard for each other” crept back into the team. “I wanted to make sure that we came out and played hard,” Herman said. “I was pretty hard on our guys at halftime, and I think you sensed a little bit of that pressing again. So I’ve got to remember what brought us to that point of being up 21-0 and that was playing loose and care free.”

A sloppy Ehlinger fumble on the second drive of the half didn’t help. That drive was one of three beginning in the third quarter that ended in a Ryan Bujcevski punt, not all of which were high quality kicks. After Bujcevski’s second punt, a 24 yard effort, Tulsa capped off a 33 yard drive with a Shamari Brooks touchdown run. Texas stalled out once again early in the fourth quarter on a drive that lasted 1:56. Tulsa scored on the ensuing drive to make it a one possession game at 21-14.

Texas then put together one of its best drives of the season. Ehlinger found Humphrey twice and Ingram once before handing it off to Ingram to set up third and three. With his receivers covered downfield, Ehlinger bowled over a couple of defenders for a pivotal first down. Without a conversion, the momentum would have swung in Tulsa’s favor. “I honestly wasn’t thinking that we needed a spark,” Ehlinger said. “I was thinking shoot, it’s third and four, no one’s open, this guy is coming down hill, and I need to get this first down.”

The Longhorns moved the football, but were faced with another long third down in Tulsa territory. Ehlinger improvised again, rushing for 14 yards when he only needed seven. Two plays later, Ehlinger found Watson in the flat, and the grad transfer scampered into the end zone to put Texas ahead 28-14. The Golden Hurricane didn’t give in there, scoring on the very next drive to make it a one score game once more. That lead to what was Texas’ best drive of the season.

With 4:53 left in the game, Texas began the drive on its own 25. A screen pass started it off before Watson gained the first down on the ground. Watson rushed again, leaving Texas with one yard to go on third down. Failure to get it could have resulted in Tulsa getting the ball back with some momentum, but Ehlinger got three yards when he needed one. Then, Daniel Young came in.

Young rushed for 39 yards over the next two carries and flattened a Tulsa player in the process. As a result, Texas was able to kneel the ball twice on the Golden Hurricane 11 yard line to close out the 28-21 victory. “In a one score game to get the ball back with 4:53 on the clock, your opponent with two timeouts, and to end it in victory formation, that’s a sign of a team that can finish,” Herman said. “Was really proud of that.”

According to Herman, the same issues that plagued the Longhorns in Maryland to open the game plagued them upon their return to the field in the second half in Austin. Despite having a stat line that would have indicated an easy win, Texas had to grind this game out until the very end. He didn’t blame it on pressure. Rather, he once again said it came from an emphasis on players trying hard for their teammates. “I think they know that they are prepared,” Herman said. “I don’t think it’s the pressure of Texas. I think it’s more of the wanting so badly to play well for their teammates that we tense up a little bit.”

The “wanting it so badly” resulted in Texas almost getting into full-on a scrap fest with a game they dominated on the stat sheet. Two dropped balls by Golden Hurricane receivers in the end zone and the three missed field goals are more evidence this game could have been a lot worse for the Longhorns despite the statistical dominance. If it’s a mental thing rather than a on-field thing, Herman has a tough psychiatric task ahead of him prior to welcoming the talented USC Trojans to Austin next week.

“We’ve got a lot of lessons to learn and a lot of things to clean up, but those pills are a lot easier to swallow when you win.”

[utexas8 1695]

I’m curious to see what Nahlin says... especially through out the season. I think Ian is just gonna go down with the ship, just like he is with Harbaugh

He said this last week. Lol

[satyanash 15358]

(Bobby Burton) Texas-Tulsa Grades: Defense does enough

Quote

Horns247 publisher Bobby Burton delivers his grades on the Texas defense after the Longhorns' 28-21 win over Tulsa.

Defensive line

While the Horns sufficiently kept the Tulsa run game under control, the lack of a pass rush really showed. Texas never really got to the QB. Neither Chris Nelson nor Charles Omenihu got anywhere near the QB much of the night. Texas did have some trouble keeping the Tulsa QB from gaining nice yardage on scrambles. It was a decent effort but not a good enough one against many of the better teams to come.

Grade: C-

Linebackers

Gary Johnson almost seemed to disappear at times. Anthony Wheeler was solid. Malcolm Roach made a couple of nice plays but was largely challenged on the outside. Jeff McCulloch saw some action when Wheeler exited with an injury.

Grade: C

Secondary

It was an up and down night. BJ Foster and Caden Sterns each made nice picks in the first half. And Kris Boyd played relatively well overall. But, other than a big time forced fumble, PJ Locke had a forgettable night. And Kobe Boyce was posterized for a TD and Josh Thompson looked just a step slow in coverage.

Grade: C-

Defense

Texas was forced into several short field situations and played well in most of those scenarios. The Horns even held Tulsa to just three field goal attempts in the first half despite their three trips to the red zone. But the Horns looked gassed in the fourth quarter after the Horns’ offense failed to get a single first down in the third quarter. The D’s performance simply wasn’t very good, especially in the second half where Tulsa scored all of its points.

Grade: C-

Special teams

Ryan Bujcevski is no different than what his cousin was as a freshman. A fifty yard boot followed by a 25-yard shank. Of course, Texas still doesn’t seem to have its punt protection down, giving up an easily blocked punt. Punt returner D'Shawn Jamison made an ill-advised high school-like move in his only real attempt. The punt block was a major miscue and the two shanks weren’t much better.

Grade: D

InsideTexas: Defensive Report Card---Tulsa

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This defense is not last year's defense. It's not even close in too many areas. Many want to believe we have a shutdown group---I'm not among those faithful. I see glaring areas that are going to cost us until we fix the recognitions and techniques associated with those responsibilities. Many may argue that argument but sometimes the truth hurts. We gave Tulsa too many opportunities to continue drives with poor declarations and consequently bad alignments while the ball was being snapped. Some may blame inexperience but the truth of the matter (Hendley) was the culprits were two and three year lettermen. 

You can't attempt to change the declare because the ball will be snapped while you are changing sides of the formation. Most coaches instruct players to play the play on a miscall and try to get it right on the next snap. At least you will be sound (balanced) if you stay with the initial declare. We gave up three big gaining sweeps and a crucial first down on a zone with poor decisions to change sides of the formation. 

We can't understand the art of scraping at any level (except Sterns). If we are asking a DE to play a four eye with B gap responsibility then we must get a scraping LB into the alley immediately on any chance of flow. We flat-ass stink at this accepted technique from both of our LB's (that play every down until they are rendered hopeless wounded soldiers). McCulloch (23) should have played sooner and more often after his performance last week---rotation problems we shouldn't have. Sad.

Malcolm Roach was very good this week. Sterns and Foster made terrific interceptions---both of these guys aren't typical freshmen. Boyd was very good. Locke had a momentum big hit tackle. Thompson looked the part of a nickel but also had problems with deep coverage. Graham and Bimage had very productive stints in reserve roles. Boyce struggled when left on an island. Johnson and Wheeler have trouble getting off big boy blocks. Hager and Omenihu are stacking furniture and little else. Nelson and Wilbon aren't getting the penetration that Poona provided every week. That pretty much tells this week's story.

Here are the grades:

90---Omenihu---(P)---B

44---Hager---(P)---B

49---Graham---(P)---B+

42---Bimage---(P)---B+

97---Nelson---(P)---B

94---Wilbon---(P)---B

23--McCulloch---(P)---B

33---Johnson---(P)---B

45---Wheeler---(P)---B

32---Roach---(P)---A-

2---Boyd---(P)---A-

7---Sterns---(P)---A-

11---Locke---(P)---B

25---Foster---(P)---B+

29---Thompson---(P)---B

38---Boyce---(P)---B

Beat USC.

 

[Tailleur17 361]

The Texas football program is broken. 

That’ll be $9.95.

[satyanash 15358]

Scipio Tex: Texas-Tulsa Post-Mortem

This offense is less than the sum of its parts. That's objectively true with only 28 points on the board despite a lot of yardage generated and 21 on the board at halftime, but you really see that subjectively in game review. It's strange to see 9 or 10 Longhorn players "win" on a given play and the offense gets a no gain or a negative play. Conversely, Tulsa had some big second half gains for their offense, where only a handful of players at critical spots "won." Why is that?

I attribute that primarily to coaching, but that doesn't make the players blameless. We're just really poor at situational football. Someone has to cut that negative feedback loop and unless Vince Young or Colt McCoy is strolling on campus to act as the human pencil eraser for our mistakes, then the staff better start creating some situational awareness. Because this team writes in Sharpie. Messily. This may be what Ahmad Brooks means when he talks about "clutchability", but it's also possible he's referring to grip strength, driving a stick shift like Jason Bourne, or the Iron Sheikh's camel clutch.

After a fast, confident start that saw Texas playing with tempo and Sam Ehlinger dealing with confidence (at one point, he was 10 of 15 for 168 yards), Texas struggled to put points on the board in the second half due to persistent drive-killing penalties, key drops, a foolish Ehlinger sack fumble where he passed up on an easy twenty yard run, listless play calling and a failure to turn to Page 2 (Chapter Title: The Defense Adjusted, Now What?) in the game script. It's also worth noting that the Longhorn defense drew the harder assignment against the Golden Hurricane. The Tulsa defense is better than last year, but wasn't exactly loaded with ballers at every level.

Great works of art are generally not created by committee. Consider the difference between Soviet architecture and the Sistine Chapel. Or reading a Mad Lib instead of F Scott Fitzgerald. We are running an offense by committee and while collaboration is a laudable concept during game week, you need one confident, in-tune decision-maker running the show on Saturday while the rest of the staff in the booth and on the sideline acts as his eyes and ears, offers suggestions, and feeds up contextual input to the decision maker so he can call his shots and mind meld with his QB. Especially if you want to play fast. 

Without that, it's just you and your girlfriend or wife trying to decide what you want for dinner. I dunno...Mexican. I dunno...what do you want? Maybe Thai? I dunno...you pick. No, you pick. Before you know it, you've sat there for 30 minutes. And you're still hungry. Someone needs to say we're eating Indian and get the show on the freaking road. If she doesn't want Indian, offer to drive her thru McDonalds and she can order anything she wants on the value menu. I solve problems, people.

**

OL 

They played fine overall. I would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that this group has been competent through two games this season. Deprived of the starting center, Hand moved Kerstetter to guard and Rodriguez to center. The plus of this move is that it gave young Sam Cosmi the start at right tackle and that kid has some real strength, pop and aggression. Terrific job. He's not leaving the line-up. Anderson was fine on the other end - his primary ding was a hold and getting powered over twice. It's clear that he's more of a footwork, positioning, screening type of tackle who uses athleticism to win. He can't fire out straight up on a fellow big guy and bury him. This is the defining characteristic of our OL, save Cosmi. It's fine. You coach accordingly. If you call and scheme the running game correctly and put in a RB like Keaontay Ingram, technical competence and covered up defenders are all you need for the runner to work magic and find daylight.

Kerstetter is probably the second most athletic player on the OL, but he is not a guard. If you have trouble with getting rocked back at tackle, things don't get easier inside. Particularly when you're 6-6, lack anchor, and have a naturally high pad level. In space, he's good and he moves well. I'd love to see him more on a counter. Covered up, he's going to struggle some against the 330 pound DTs of the world who can muster three hard plays and walk Derek back before waving for an oxygen hose. Rodriguez has the same deficiencies as Kerstetter but lacks his athleticism. What he does offer is reliability and communication. Vahe is the same dude that he was as a freshman, but he has been more consistent.

WR/TE

Andrew Beck played pretty good ball. I think he benefitted from facing a lower level of athlete out on the Tulsa perimeter and this allowed him to bully some people, but boy he really prefers playing in a closet. If there's space and he's on the move, guys run right under him or matador. Cade Brewer had a dumb hold that killed a second half possession and erased a 25 yard Tre Watson run. If you understand the play and where the runner is going, all you need is to occupy the guy, you certainly don't need to grab jersey when the runner is already past you. Situational football.

LJH reminded us that he is a large powerful human who can run. He had a key drop on a 2nd half 3rd down and 8 that we really needed, which was maddening and entirely on the player, but it's hard to ignore 4 dominating catches for 90 yards in a half of play. That he finished the second half with 3 catches for 19 yards is a commentary about our headsets as much as Tulsa's adjustments.

Eagles had an nice long catch, but otherwise contributed forgettable snaps. Duvernay wasn't part of the game plan, but he played hard on the snaps I observed. CJ just sort of floats in and out of games. He didn't play poorly, really. He's just not there all of the time. It's clear that they want to integrate Moore into the game for his quickness. This offense lacks that quality at WR and it's needed.

RB

Ingram is a real RB. The electric decisiveness of his cut on his long touchdown run isn't teachable and he has a "play fast" setting that makes his 40 time in shorts irrelevant. For his size, he also runs with some fortitude. Obviously, he's special and hopefully his knee is alright. 10-64-1 was a just taste of what he can do.

Tre Watson played good ball. He's one gear away from being really dangerous, but like Ingram, he's able to set up this OL group well by running with vision and seeking cutbacks. He chipped in 18 carries for 74 yards, but also had a nifty 25 yard run negated by a hold and scored effortlessly on a swing pass near the goal line. HMMM. Perhaps we should do that more. WHO KNEW THESE BACKS CAN CATCH?

Daniel Young came in pissed off and took it out on the world. 3-41 yards in the 4th quarter helping us burn clock and a fantastic beatdown of a Tulsa safety in the open field. He's a nice complement to the other two.

Our backs are improved. Let's use them. They can do other stuff than just run the ball. It would help an erratic QB find some security blankets and introduce some perimeter quickness to a passing game that lacks it. In my opinion, a glaring omission in the offense.

QB

We saw a lot of good Sam on Saturday, but the second half roll out fumble strip sack and his indecisive ball handling on a 3rd and 2 zone read did not inspire complete confidence. Say it with me: situational football. He finished 21 of 27 for 237, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions and ran well for 54 yards on 12 carries. He looked to be in total command in the first half. I didn't really see grossly degraded play in the second half (beyond the sack fumble) on most downs, it was really about staid offense, penalties and dropped balls. I don't really put that on Ehlinger.

I'm convinced that Ehlinger is a different QB at tempo. I don't know if that fully relieves him of key errors, but we might consider playing him that way for a game given that we have seen good things in short windows. What exactly do we have to lose? 

Final

A superior team coasting in the second half and having to scramble to win at the end isn't exactly new in college football or sports in general. But when you consider what we've seen from this team so far, Longhorn fans are reasonable in their concerns, perhaps even disgust.

In 1999, Mack Brown's Year 2, I watched a bored, ineffective Texas team sleepwalk in a 18-13 home win over Rice. After the game, Mack Brown gave the identical postgame press conference that Tom Herman did on Saturday. Be happy with wins, I saw a lot of great things, it's hard to win, half of teams lose every week etc. The next week, Texas beat Baylor 62-0. Then got creamed by KSU at home in the infamous Apple Turnover game. The same squad beat OU after going down by 17 points and then upset #3 Nebraska the next week. Then finished the season with three consecutive losses.

Football has a lot of variability and while I'm not going to get into a "that 'ol ball sure do bounce funny" lecture, this team can get better. The talent is sufficient. They were four touchdowns better than Tulsa, but the score says otherwise. So, maybe not. This team can also get worse. And we're not going to have any idea from week to week. So "enjoy" the ride.

**********************************************************************

I think there are currently two big camps of defensive philosophy.

One favors complex defenses (or at least complex appearing "looks") where fronts change, defensive backs present confusing pre-snap pictures and players are used interchangeably. Of course, you run the risk of busting a lot doing these things (see Joe Lee Dunn, Mississippi State) so complexity is reduced for the defenders by giving them assignments. You go here. You run here. You watch this guy. You run through this gap. You look complex, but it's actually pretty simple for the players to execute. The downside is that you may create a defense of robots who don't really understand broader precepts, but only know how to execute your calls. Get you in the wrong call against a hurry-up offense and they can't fix themselves. And you end up matching wits with the offensive coordinator play to play.

The other school favors simple looks on defense and a lot of time spent on recognition and broader fundamentals. And you really teach every player THEIR POSITION. Yes, there are assignments, but it's all steeped in principles. Contain. Scrape. Here's how I jam. I'm showing outside leverage, so I know they want to attack me inside. The idea is that, over time, players will start to understand the big picture, what offenses are trying to do, and begin to meld instinct with that understanding. In essence, learning to play your position really well creates complexity for the offense because you have defenders making their own adjustments to what they see in real time. The downside is that big picture simplicity - declared fronts and coverages - can be exploited by simple pre-snap reads and coverage beaters. If a a good offensive mind knows how you're lining up every play, they can really scheme you.

There is no right answer. The best answer is a combination of both. However, in my estimation, right now this Longhorn defense is too heavy in Camp #1. When you see the defense repeatedly bust containment on a mobile QB on money downs (just as they did against Maryland - remember Kasim Hill's easy 4th down conversion?) and our linebackers don't seem to understand that when they're not blocked and there's a motion man hauling ass through the backfield, it's time to start thinking bail out and run down that jet sweep. Similarly, watching our defensive backs exhibit the eye discipline of a cross eyed Siamese cat is maddening. They don't seem to understand how the coverage they're in will be attacked.

In the second half, Tulsa converted a 4th and 7, a 4th and 6 (21 yard QB run, no contain), 3rd and 5 (7 yard QB run, no contain) and a 3rd and 2. A stop on all four of those money downs results in zero Tulsa points. But no stops? 21 points. That's bull**** football.

I like Todd Orlando, but this isn't getting it done. Tulsa may have only had 21 points, but they also dropped two wide open touchdowns and missed 3 field goals. They left meat on the bone and it wasn't because of talent advantages. It was bad positional play, mental mistakes and poor situational football.

I don't really care what Todd is calling. Dudes aren't playing their positions right. I think an old salt like Coach Venable probably heaved a few sighs and sunflower seeds were spat in disgust watching it. 

DL

I warned in my preview that Tulsa's OL was actually legit and that they are that. They also do a nice job schematically of making outside rushers worry about stuff other than getting to the QB. Still, that doesn't explain the total lack of pass rush on money downs and a poor job of containment in the second half. Given that it's happened two games in a row, I'm starting to wonder if those principles are even being adequately instructed. Is Giles coaching them up on this stuff? Because it's pretty straightforward football.

Chris Nelson is a fine run stopper but a zero as a pass rusher. That's where we miss Poona. He basically started giving up on attempting a rush on Tulsa's All Conference center for most of the second half. Ta'quon Graham continues to impress me. Strong, moves well, has heart. Let's get him more snaps. Hager and Omenihu were basically non-factors as pass rushers. If they require standing up on the edge to get pressure, then they're not the players I thought they were. Part of their appeal is the strength and quickness to play inside and use their first step to get past slower athletes. We need an initial disruptor to push the pocket or force the QB to bail so the dogs can chase and eat. We're not getting it.

LB

Roach actually played really well. He's not playing Mike as he did against Maryland and I'd prefer him on the LOS, but he was absolutely not the problem on Saturday. I keep reading comments from people talking about him, but find some other whipping boy. It's still tough for me to watch Wheeler. Just no recognition at times. Tulsa's offense isn't exactly complex. You should have a feel for this stuff pretty quickly. Gary Johnson needs to understand when he's unblocked, something is amiss. And they're probably not running right at him. Get your eyes on the football and use those wheels.

DB

We saw some great stuff from Thompson early, but he and Kobe Boyce both showed terrible technique on the long throws each surrendered. Those led to 14 points. Boyd drew a tough assignment on a big boy receiver and did pretty well. He walked into the kicker and drew a penalty, which is the most Kris Boyd thing possible. PJ Locke had an absolutely terrific hit in the open field where it looked like was shot out of a cannon, but that was his highlight. Sterns and Foster both played well. I'm not sure if one of them had some deep responsibility on a couple of Tulsa downtown shots, but each grabbed a pick and I love their range and activity level.

Special Teams

We're going to have be patient on Buj, but the blocked punt was certainly not on him. We gave up a jailbreak inside. Remember, that happened after we went for a Duvernay kill shot on 3rd and 2 on Tulsa's side of the field (which was an OK call) and then meekly punted on 4th and 2 instead of going for it. The football gods punished Herman for his timidity. That's why the punt was blocked. Crom did it.

Final

Sometimes it's odd to grade our players individually in a game as it seems to suggest that the player and our coaching are separate. So I can watch Bimage play really good football for a stretch, but if he or one of his DL mates blows a key containment, I really wonder if it's their issue or related to how they're being coached or the particular play call.

I still believe this defense has the talent to be effective. But we need to worry a tad less about scheme during the week and run some refreshers on fundamentals and positional precepts. I don't think defensive coordinators have an easy job and maybe the players they get from high school are devoid of some fundamentals having faced nothing but empty set spread offenses their entire HS careers, but we're recruiting kinesthetic geniuses. They can learn movement patterns and physical ideas a lot faster than genetic trash like the rest of us. So coach 'em up the way you want 'em to play.

Beat the Trojans. Hook 'em.

[LTtxfan 49911]

Great Thread..... Thanks Satyanash

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