SB Nation - Kenny Vaccaro

Texas Football 2012: Fixing A Sorta Broken Defense

Wescott Eberts — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:45:36 -0000

For Texas Longhorns safety Kenny Vaccaro, the answer to the Longhorns giving up fewer big plays following the game against Wyoming was for the defensive players to take their heads out of the magazines. Other players mentioned a lack of communication, in particular on the play that resulted in the final Cowboy touchdown, when the player in coverage didn't have the expected help over the top.

After Texas allowed New Mexico to control the football during the first half, the idea was simply to play better assignment football, an ability that was tested by the Lobos and often found wanting.

After giving up numerous big plays against Ole Miss, notably plays that helped keep the Rebels and their fans at least somewhat in a game that otherwise would have gotten much uglier, much earlier, the explanations weren't as simple.

In fact, on Tuesday, when head coach Mack Brown was asked if there was a common denominator in the mistakes, here was his reply:

No, if it was a common denominator, it would be easy to fix. What you do is you take every young person. So for a [LB] Demarco Cobbs, not to call him out, but just a name, [defensive coordinator] Manny [Diaz] will sit down with him and he will go back through every missed tackle or missed assignment he's had for the first three games. He'll ask him his opinion. He'll ask him what happened.

To actually call out Cobbs, the junior linebacker hasn't been as good as expected early, for taking some poor angles, missing some tackles, as he did on the long Jeff Scott touchdown run, wouldn't be overly harsh.

The queries of individual players will happen across the board:

At the same time we'll do that with every player on defense that has missed an assignment, like we still have a penalty on third down and long. We've done that three times this year. We can't have it. Gosh, we had a great blitz in Bo Wallace's face, hit him right as he was throwing it when they made the third-and-18 down the middle. We got to cover better. The long touchdown catch by Moncrief, we had him covered. Safety didn't take the proper angle to get there. Those are things we can fix. Just got to fix them.

Not a bad time to have a bye week, given the issues.

One of the potential culprits is the lack of tackling work in practice -- according to reports, the coaching staff had some disagreements about the level of physicality that was necessary in practice and ended up spending most of the fall in thud tempo. It's a rather weak excuse for not being able to wrap up, but still a legitimate possibility. Expect tackling fundamentals to be a focus in practice this week.

As well as taking away big plays in general:

We are giving up too many big plays. It happened some to us early in the season last year. We got better at the end of the year, but still gave up some against Baylor. We still have some tackling concerns.

Against the Rebels, Texas missed 16 tackles according to ESPN ($), giving up 214 yards after initial contact, though Mack Brown put the number at nine. He did point out that two missed tackles resulted in 97 of those yards. Solving those issues will go a long way towards improvement:

You take that out, you take scores out. We can't continue to do that with this league, the way that people score. We just have to keep working on it.

Work that won't be able to extend beyond next week before Texas seriously risks being exposed and giving up 40 or more points against Oklahoma State.

Brown does, however, feel positive that the coaching staff can help facilitate some improvement:

The good thing is, it can all be cleaned up. The mistakes in the secondary, the inconsistency, are things that we can fix. We have to do it, do it better. Have two weeks to do it before we head to Stillwater. Same thing with the tackling. We're taking each play out and showing the guys the nine plays we missed tackles.

In that sense, the by week came at an opportune time, as instead of working to prepare for the next opponent, the staff can linger on those mistakes.

Brown was also quick to point out that he had cautioned against the high expectations of fans and media entering the season with such significant projections being made regarding the linebackers:

We're showing them exactly what happened and what we need to fix so we can improve it. We'll just go back to work on those issues. I said in pre-season, "These have been issues in spring and fall." We said, "We lost a lot of seniors down the middle, and those four seniors are being missed right now and the young ones have to pick it up and do a better job."

Aside from the defensive line, which is mostly doing a good job besides some mistakes in playing the read-option game against Ole Miss, the biggest problems are in the linebacking corps and the secondary.

In his post-portem, Scipio Tex identified five issues with the defense right now -- poor tackling, poor communication, the option, fundamentals, and identity. The team will work on the tackling, which goes along with fundamentals. The communication has been better from the first game and defending the option is mostly about assignments. Set to face a running quarterback in Oklahoma State redshirt freshman JW Walsh, mistakes in that area could result in some big gains on the ground for the Pokes.

Finally, identity is the biggest problem at the moment. The loss of Jordan Hicks to injury illustrated how reliant defensive coordinator Manny Diaz can be on his players to make their own adjustments, which resulted in some late calls from the sideline after Hicks went out as Diaz tried to out-maneuver the Ole Miss offense. Diaz loves to have the final say with the offense, but he may have to give that up in an effort to simplify and avoid the type of breakdowns that the Longhorns are experiencing right now. The problems seem to extend to the secondary, with players out of position on some critical plays.

Diaz has also shifted from a two-deep look that often used five defensive backs and two linebackers in conference play. This season, the Longhorns are playing one deep safety in the middle of the field and three linebackers, which helps the numbers in the box, but can lead to some major issues if the safety help is late, which it certainly has been at times. Or there with a poor angle, as the one that Adrian Phillips took on the long Moncrief touchdown reception.

To make an adjustment, Diaz would have to leave his linebackers more exposed against the running game, a decision he probably doesn't want to make because he can't quite trust them to be in the right place, with the exception of Hicks, who is battling his hip flexor injury at the moment. Going back to two deep safeties would help provide some more margin for error against the pass, but could result in more consistent gains on the ground.

Another consideration there? Vaccaro is too versatile in the box and in coverage to leave him as the deep safety -- it devalues his playmaking ability.

A related issue is the poor zone coverage from Texas, which seems to have been the issue on several of the third-and-long conversions by opponents through the first three games. Cobbs is okay when he's in man coverage, but struggles with the zone concepts, which the Longhorns traditionally have taught extremely poorly in the past. It may be time to mostly abandon those. Edmond as well has had some troubles getting the right depth on his drops and identifying opposing receivers, with the exception of his interception return for a touchdown.

As touched on a bit just above, run fits were at the center of discussions last year, especially early in the season when the Longhorns gave up big runs to both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State because linebackers weren't in the right gap. It's happening again, quite often against the option game as Steve Edmond's lateral quickness has been exposed somewhat, along with poor run fits in general by players like Cobbs, who isn't putting himself in the right positions often enough.

Diaz has mostly gotten a free pass from Texas fans for doing an excellent job during his first season, but he's not pushing all the right buttons right now and needs to find some answers for problems that could derail a shot at the Big 12 title because of a defense that was expected to be elite again this season, but so far has been well short of it.

There were growing pains last season as Diaz worked to completely install his defense. Looking back, it seems that the transition from thinking out there and playing quickly and without hesitation was aided tremendously by Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho, neither of whom will be walking through the ball of the football offices any time soon. Or if they do, they certainly won't be able to put on pads.

The growing pains weren't expected again. With some questions about the identity of this defense, especially in the back seven, it looks as if there will be some more this season. Have been some. To beat West Virginia, Oklahoma, and probably even Oklahoma State, Texas will have to reduce the number of mistakes that have been happening through the first three games.

Dolphins-oriented 2013 Big Board

Keith Beebe — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:00:13 -0000

Part of the fun in watching the 2012 Miami Dolphins come together under new head coach Joe Philbin is acknowledging that Miami's front office will continue to add talent at receiver, pass-rusher and in the secondary over the next few seasons. Their first opportunity to do so, however, might be the most critical, as the 2013 NFL Draft will offer the positional talent the Dolphins both want and need.

No doubt about it, this young Miami team can get a lot better if the front office plays its cards right. Thus, I present to you a brief rundown of the college prospects who will make the most sense for the Dolphins come next April.

1) Jarvis Jones, OLB Georgia (6'2", 245)

Sort of a no-brainer at this point, since the Dolphins need to dial up more heat on opposing quarterbacks, and Jones is the definition of "dialed-up heat on the quarterback." Very much a pass-rusher in the Von Miller mold, especially because he's an excellent 3-4 fit who could be just as effective as a 4-3 outside linebacker. Miami will probably have too high a pick to get a crack at drafting Jones, but I dare to dream.

2) Sam Montgomery, DE LSU (6'4", 260)

Montgomery gets lost in the all the talk about teammate and fellow defensive end Barkevious Mingo, but it's Montgomery who is LSU's most complete pass-rusher.. Montgomery is up to 260 pounds this season, and he continues to prove himself to be an agile defensive end with advanced instincts, outstanding hand use and the ability to dismantle the run.

3) Keenan Allen, WR California (6'3", 204)

Yes, I realize Joe Philbin comes from a Green Bay culture that doesn't believe in using day one picks on receivers. However, Cal's Keenan Allen is very much the type of receiver Philbin needs to take Miami's receiver corps to the next level. Allen has outstanding hands, good speed, size and diamond-precise route-running ability, and he plays like a supercharged Jordy Nelson on tape. Probably my favorite overall prospect in this draft.

4) Barkevious Mingo, DE LSU (6'5", 245)

The flashier and more sudden of LSU's tenacious pass-rushing duo, Mingo's outrageous length, freak athleticism and cheetah-esque closing ability will bring an element of fear to opposing quarterbacks at the NFL level. I would love to unleash this guy on AFC East quarterbacks. Repeat: love.

5) David Amerson, CB North Carolina State (6'2", 190)

Amerson got a lot of crap for his inauspicious start against Tennessee on Labor Day weekend, but he's a big-time corner prospect with range, technique and fluidity. He's big enough to warrant talk of a switch to safety in the pros, but his prowess as a ball-hawk cornerback with the coverage skills to lock down NFL receivers is what makes him so special. Very much a corner in the Asomugha mold.

6) Manti Te'o, ILB Notre Dame (6'1", 247)

Te'o would be considered by some as a luxury pick, but he's both a classic and prototypical prospect at the middle linebacker position.. A supremely gifted defender with rare instincts, Te'o excels at eliminating the run. He also has a Courtney Upshaw-like ability to disengage from blocks with ease.. And hey, it's not like Karlos Dansby's getting any younger here.

7) Dee Milliner, CB Alabama (6'1", 200)

Milliner isn't as well known as Amerson or Johnthan Banks, but he might be the most complete corner in the country right now. Fast, fluid and physical, Milliner's game in many ways resembles Darrelle Revis'. As a result, he'll likely be the first corner selected next spring. As to whether he gets out of the top 10 remains to be seen.

8) Eric Reid, S LSU (6'2", 215)

I have no idea why Reid hasn't received much attention from draft analysts this fall. He's only the most complete safety in the country, boasting prototypical size, physicality and exceptional awareness in coverage. I see him as a stronger and perhaps more versatile version of Mark Barron.

9) Robert Woods, WR USC (6'1", 187)

A receiver in the Reggie Wayne/Greg Jennings mold, Woods' stock has dipped a bit in the wake of teammate Marqise Lee's emergence, as well as USC's recent struggles. Woods is a master route-runner with top-notch hands, however, and he'd immediately become an ultra-reliable target for Ryan Tannehill.

10) Kenny Vaccaro, S Texas (6'1", 212)

Vaccaro's as good a coverage safety as you'll find in the college ranks, possessing the burst and awareness necessary to dominate in a centerfielder-type role. He's like a bigger, more physical version of former Longhorn safety standout Earl Thomas.

11) Tavon Austin, WR West Virginia (5'8", 175)

Scouts Inc. finally came around on the explosive Tavon Austin, so I should probably include him on my Big Board, as well. Austin is arguably the best route runner in the country and excels at creating yards after the catch--essential qualities in the West Coast offense--and he'd give the Dolphins' receiver corps a sort of Randall Cobb-like presence. Who the hell is going to say no to that?

12) Terrance Williams, WR Baylor (6'2", 200)

My man-crush on Williams lives on. The lanky Baylor speedster has a lot of James Jones in his game, and possesses the lift to go up and get the football. Fast, raw and dynamic, Williams could be a day two steal, and if he was good enough to be an essential part of Robert Griffin III's receiver corps in Waco, he's certainly good enough to play a pivotal role in Miami's up-and-coming passing attack.

Big 12 Games Review: Baylor Bears | Oklahoma Sooners | Kansas State Wildcats |

Nickel Rover — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 19:20:33 -0000

If you haven't guessed, I'll be doing a weekly feature where I shine the spotlight that sits atop the Nickel Rover base of operations (imagine Micro Machines Night Attack) upon our various league foes.

This week, I choose Baylor to withstand my barrage of spring-loaded plastic missiles. How are those Bears doing in the post-RG3 world?

If you watched them play last year, you should be aware that they fielded one of the 5 greatest offenses in league history, arguably the most explosive.

Their 3 defeats against KSU, A&M, and OSU were largely the result of giving up 210, 266, and 327 rushing yards respectively while posting an overall turnover margin of -6 for those games.

RGIII roasted those teams as he did everyone else with OSU the only qualifier for a "down game" in which he had a stat line that went 33-50, 425 yards, 1 TD pass, 2 INTs, 1 rushing TD, and 8.5 yards per attempt.

The trick to their system revolved around simple spread principles, much like Urban Meyer or Chip Kelly's offenses. This isn't the Air Raid where spread formations are used to achieve specific strategic aims, the strategic aim is to spread people out. They used wide splits, lightning fast receivers removed far off the ball (3 receivers with 800 yards or more), a Power back (Ganaway), and of course RGIII.

This is more of a "spread-to-run" system that is ultimately seeking to punish teams with play-action like many traditional offenses. Hypothetically, if you could handle their Zone and Power running game, you could eliminate their play-action passes that devastated everyone in the league. The trick was getting hats in the box against the run with sprinters lined up outside, a track-star QB who could run the ball, and a 240 pound running back who blew through arm-tackles all year en route to a 1500 yard, 6.2 YPC season.

Very problematic.

This year they their bowling ball RB, the best receiver, and the demi-god who put on a clinic in executing both the spread and play-action offense. I suspect the offensive line will be more or less as solid as last year, and they return enough of last year's cast in the receiving corp where this doesn't seem to be the weakness either.

Very often a seemingly immortal foe in sports will become completely unraveled if you pull away the right jenga piece and I suspect this has happened in Waco this season. QB Nick Florence has proven to be a pretty capable player and they have him executing the same play-action throws that tortured secondaries last year.

However, without the running game, everything comes apart. If you don't need to sneak defensive backs into the box to outnumber the run and account for the QB, then all the speed at WR for Baylor becomes far less problematic. These guys aren't Ryan Broyles or Jordan Shipley, they don't burn you running every route in the book with precision and head fakes, they just run past you.

Starting back Jared Salubi has run for 5.8 yards per carry thus far against SMU and Sam Houston St, including a 17 carry-80 yard performance against the Bearkats that won't keep Diaz or Stoops up at night. They have other options, including 220 pound short-yardage back Glasco Martin and our old friend Lache Seastrunk, but Salubi is the man for now.

They've been willing to use Florence in the running game to good effect (8.7 yards per carry) but are they willing to give him 8 carries per game in league play? What will those numbers look like with Kenny Vaccaro or Jake Knott chasing him down?

The biggest problem for the Bears is pass-protection. Their OL was secretly vulnerable to a good pass-rush last year and both OU and UT were able to get guys in RGIII's face. Unfortunately, his footwork and ability to feel pressure, escape, and deliver perfect strikes to receivers 50 yards downfield negated this potential weakness. They also bought time with play-action.

How will Florence and the passing game hold up with 2 new OT's and a diminished running game? Even if Florence proves to be one of the better passers in the Big 12, his very solid skill set is not the treasure cove that was Griffin.

Two games into the season, their rushing numbers are about a yard better than what they averaged last year overall while their yards per pass attempt are down almost 2 yards. This suggests that defenses are prepared to make Florence and the passing game beat safeties and corners who aren't terribly concerned with the running game.

All that said, the key to another successful (8 wins) season in Waco was never going to be immediately replacing RG3. Baylor didn't play defense last season and marginal improvement there could make a huge difference. Like at QB, the effects of Art Briles improving recruiting haven't really taken hold yet here.

They have three sacks thus far, are replacing an actually solid tandem of DTs, and return a secondary that is still fairly slow at the safety position which is constantly having to help an undermanned front against the run. The linebacking corp is getting better and the secondary is probably not as bad as people guess, but without better players at DE to set the edge or rush the passer the ceiling is pretty low. They can do little better than play bend-don't-break and hope an offense can't run them over or throw interceptions.

Texas and Oklahoma can run them over and catch them at home, the odds of them taking down the 2 league giants again is less than a percentage point. West Virginia is not interception prone and also plays them at home, running game-based Iowa State also plays them at home. Their closest equal is Texas Tech, who they play in Arlington in a competition to draw the best overlooked DFW recruits.

Those 4 road games are almost certain losses while the home game against KSU and the neutral-site showdown with Tech are dubious as well. Baylor's slip from legendary Big 12 offense with horrendous defense to strong Big 12 offense with still-terrible defense should be pretty steep.

A .500 record in league play would be astounding, if they can get to 5 wins and take down some recruiting rivals like Tech, OSU, and TCU that would actually be a strong result. These guys have a pretty cool new stadium and some talented young players coming up the pipe. I do expect Baylor to rise above "perennial doormat", but what I've seen so far this year suggests an inevitable collapse.

Next week we'll examine the results of KSU vs. OU. That game could answer several major questions that are likely to determine the Big 12 race this year. They are:

1). Can Oklahoma run the football?

KSU has a very solid run defense and we've talked about how a revitalized running game in Norman would play to their personnel strengths and make yet another league title very likely.

2). Can Oklahoma stop the run?

They'll get some of their Big DTs back, and more importantly can move David King to DE on running downs. Corey Nelson doesn't seem to be playing at full-speed as a traditional linebacker yet, and Javon Harris vacillates between enforcer and open-field target.

OU's linebackers are excellent in coverage, the blitz with Wort or Nelson is very effective, the secondary is very strong up the middle and on the sidelines, and the base rush from King and Washington is strong. But before Mike Stoops can show off what he's done on the back end they get KSU and Texas in consecutive games.

Traditionally OU always plays strong run-defense so I think a direct challenge to their identity in the form of a loss in either game could really challenge their team.

3). Klein the passer

Klein's passing obviously sets the ceiling for this offense much higher. Is the KSU passing game ready to take on the better pass defenses in the conference? OU's might be the best, and they won't be afraid to make Klein beat Colvin and Hurst on the sideline.

4). KSU pass defense

It simply wasn't that great last year. They did a good job picking off passes but the pass-rush was inconsistent and the middle of the field was patrolled by whitey and vulnerable to assault. Oklahoma's OL has looked beatable by stunts and good edge rushers so Meshak Williams and Adam Davis could make a statement here.

If Landry Jones roasts them again it won't necessarily tell us too much but a strong performance might indicate that KSU is the true front-runner.

After these two teams probe and hit each other we'll have a much better idea of what the Big 12 will look like this year and where Texas is likely to end up.

Poll

Who wins the KSU at OU game?

Kansas State Wildcats

136 votes

Oklahoma Sooners

196 votes

332 votes | Poll has closed

Ole Miss-Texas Travelogue: From Austin To Oxford And Back

Wescott Eberts — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:00:47 -0000

The Genesis

Admission -- I can be kind of a crappy planner. Just ask my ex-girlfriend, who sometimes had to go behind my back and talk to my mom to make sure that certain trip plans would get done.

It's a remnant of a past self, but a remnant that occasionally re-surfaces. Like my planning for the trip to Oxford. Offered a place to stay several weeks ago, the idea of going gestated and marinated in my brain, but it wasn't until PB mentioned that several friends were going on Wednesday that it turned absolutely serious.

With confirmation of a ride on Thursday and accommodations, the only remaining obstacle was a ticket. Solved by PB's friends, who had an extra. Sometimes, life just comes together, no small feat considering the length of time most had been planning their Oxford adventure.

I'm a lucky guy.

The Trip

North from Austin up I-35 to Waco, where the churches begin to outnumber the people. East from Waco through the cow pastures of east-central Texas, overrun in many places by noxious weeds. Through the Lone Star State's bible belt, home of small towns with their pockets of grinding poverty. To the piney woods of east Texas, where churches still outnumber people and Donut Palaces are ubiquitous.

Outside Tyler, two church signs in a row by the side of the road, then a sign for a concealed handgun class.

"At the church," someone jokes.

Into Louisiana. Land of casinos. Darkness comes, and the landscape racing past the windows of the car is wrapped in mystery. Except for the casinos, with their gaudy neon lights, promising good luck and easy money.

Shreveport. More casinos. A weathered gas station attendant points us to the nearest liquor store, the deep lines etched into her face the signs of hard living. Next to the register, a keychain breathalyzer. By the door, Swamp People hats. Somehow, it all seems so Louisiana.

Mr. Thrifty Liquors, home of discounted Arbor Mist, a packed parking lot, security guards experienced on this day in removing loitering visitors, and raised eyebrows at the purchase of Maker's Mark, perhaps the finest liquor purchased in the store for some time, at least judging by the surprise of the clerk. It all seems so Louisiana.

Monroe, a city known for a high crime rate, especially assault and larceny. A stop at Chik-Fil-A, including the purchase of sandwiches for the evening and the morrow, the latter of which are eventually consumed 24 hours later with little to no ill effects.

On the drive home, one remains in the bag in the backseat, the subject of repeated jokes and suggested science experiments. The consensus becomes that the salt contained therein could preserve the sandwich indefinitely.

South at Vicksburg, headed to spend a night in the decaying town of Port Gibson, one of the oldest settlements in Mississippi, the site of a key defeat for the Rebels against the Union, and a town that now seems stuck in another era.

Upon arrival, a zombie totters in a crosswalk encased in the shadows cast by a tree blocking the light of the nearest signpost, the creature's destination, origin, and intoxicant of choice unknown.

Someone cracks that if zombies invaded Port Gibson, no one would know for months. That the town is too backwards to even know about bath salts.

The former slave quarters loom in the back of the 150-year-old home, along with the old kitchen, which were known for burning down in those days. The ancient floorboards inside bear the mark of years, the tread of feet long departed, of lives come and gone, perhaps forgotten, leaving only a tangible yet ungraspable presence of their passing.

There's something haunting about the history of the place, but the bed is welcome after a long day in the car and stories swapped over Miller Lites and bourbon.

Early morning in Port Gibson. Cool enough that the humidity lies dormant as simply that extra hint of coolness from the moisture in the air, as the fingers of summer slowly lose their grasp and slide again into the abyss otherwise known as fall in the South, ever with the promise of a spring return, fists clenched and ready to throw the flurry of haymakers and uppercuts that are summer.

I walk outside to take a picture of the slave quarters and a shiver passes down my spine -- my first encounter with the Deep South, with such legacies, face to face. A heavy weight of the past that I can only suppose is like the humidity of a Mississippi mid-summer day, when the angry sun bears down in concert with the suspended water particles, heavy all like the ball and chain.

Across the street, a long-abandoned building with cracking plaster exposing the bricks, a secret never supposed to see the light of day, an utterance never meant to pass through lips and into the world, the marks of time slashed across the building that have removed the skin lying over scarred welts from a cat o' nine tails, weathered wooden doors assaulted by the elements and bottles of Cobra malt liquor in paper bags thrown into a gap between stairs and door all while desperation and hopelessness and poverty lie thick in the air like the sticky-sweet stench of booze left festering.

Other antebellum houses, once proud, now decayed and decaying. The memories linger, the haunting reminders still clear, though the opulence has long since faded.

A mural by a lamppost with a banner that proclaims Port Gibson as a Real-Life Postcard. On the mural, a sign for the Peanut Butter and Jelly theater, whatever that is. What appears to be a former slave, accompanied by the script, "What is is/This freedom." Another poignant reminder of the past, as if there needs be another.

Up the Natchez Trace, the ancient road that once connected Natchez, Mississippi and Nashville Tennessee, a road used by Native Americans and European fur traders and then modernized by Thomas Jefferson, which helped foster the development of towns like Port Gibson.

Today, it's commemorated with the parkway and the trail, most of which, from Port Gibson to Jackson, lies completely undeveloped and outside of cell phone reception. The Trace is off the grid.

Early morning fog hangs in the fields, in the openings in the forest, more ancient than the Trace itself. The fog, the legacy of the South, of slavery and secession, shot through at intervals by sunlight, by advancement, by the breaking of old traditions. By hints of modernity, even in the undeveloped Trace.

Out of the Trace and around Jackson, the capital and largest city in Mississippi. North to Batesville, where Longhorn fans mob a gas station and we stock up on ice, water, but not Vitamin Water Energy. This is important, because the absence is distressing, the previous night of sleep too short. On such a weekend, small distresses lay heavy amid the thrill of travel.

East to Oxford.

Oxford

We head to the media parking lot, in the shadow of Vaught-Hemingway stadium. An Ole Miss fan ambles over, curious how a group of Longhorn fans secured such a spot. He's friendly and jovial, that unique combination of good old boy and salt of the earth. We invite him to the tailgate next year in Austin and share a few stories. His hospitality is not an anomaly -- it's the way it is in Oxford.

The Grove

A tent village amongst the old-growth oaks. Inflatable Colonel Rebs. Chandeliers, flower arrangements, linen tablecloths, excellent food. In many ways, the Grove resembles most tailgates around the country, just concentrated in a small area, then elevated with those unique Southern touches and the welcoming hospitality that is so completely Southern as well.

The people are friendly and helpful, as advertised. Many Ole Miss fans walk by and welcome us to Oxford, offer their hopes that we enjoy ourselves. Only one low-level taunt in the student parking lot of the apartment building where we still the night. Otherwise, it's nothing but "Hotty Toddy."

The ladies of Oxford, as pretty as advertised, with their sweet Southern charm and graceful acceptance of compliments. Most in heels or wedges, smiles concealing whatever pain they may feel while walking around the Grove. We joke that they must take classes on how keep their hair perfect in the humidity, how to walk in heels. There are remarkably few falls given the treacherous conditions -- drunkenness, walkway edges, the roots of the giant oak trees.

These ladies are professionals, dressed to impress in their heels and skirts, with no particular concern for wearing the Rebel red and blue -- there are green dresses, black dresses, polka dot dresses, nude dresses. The surprise? Cowboy boots for the more practical, more country girls. Commonplace in Texas, their presence here in Mississippi is unexpected.

The Longhorn ladies hold their own. The favored combination of skirts and cowboys boots not outmatched by the Oxford finery, the effort level perhaps elevated a notch by the competition.

There are friends, co-writers. A random encounter with Inside Texas recruiting analyst Eric Nahlin. A reminder of beers owed, with full payment to be made at a later time. Half of 40AS and his lovely better half and beautiful baby, walking past and hailed down for a conversation. Billfromlaketravis and his girlfriend, in matching seersucker pants and skirt (Bill was wearing the pants).

Texas fans everywhere, resplendent in burnt orange. A shocking number -- hardly outnumbered by Ole Miss fans. They mingle freely and easily with opposing fans who are most certainly not the enemy, but rather an excuse to take in a scene unrivaled anywhere else in the college football world.

The Walk of Champions. Two hours before the game, the team marches through the Grove to accept the adulations of fans. Upon their passing, drinks fly in great parabolic arcs, the contents jettisoned from the red solo cups for which the Grove is known, dousing the crowd packed around the walkway.

I turn to a gorgeous young Ole Miss coed at the tailgate and ask her if it's normal. She says it is, and we both agree that taking in the game covered in the stickiness and beer and mixed liquor drinks is no way to live. There appear to be few females in that particular crowd and it's a rare undignified moment for a fanbase that conducts itself with unusual class.

On a day that was a marathon and not a sprint with the 8:15 pm start time, it's a tribute to both fanbases that there are few, if any, highly intoxicated persons wandering through the Grove prior to gametime and no noticeable conflicts between Texas and Ole Miss fans, who mingle amiably the entire afternoon.

The Game

Ole Miss fans get to the stadium early, with many in their seats 30 minutes before the game. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium isn't the most imposing venue in the SEC, holding just more than 60,000 students, but the sight of 50,000 Ole Miss fans waving their red pom-poms in unison is an impressive sight, and they are at full throat to start the game.

A first down for the Rebels and a punt give the ball to the Longhorns, but another punt returns the ball to the home team before Bo Wallace fails to identify Texas sophomore middle linebacker Steve Edmond dropping into the flat. Edmond fulfills the talk about his excellent hands, snagging the pass easily and then showing some athleticism to find his way into the endzone, quieting the rowdy crowd.

The crowd has a noticeable impact on the Longhorn playcalling -- each first down through much of the game results is a run call and it's clear that Bryan Harsin wants to ease David Ash into the contest to help him acclimate to the first hostile environment encountered in the 2012 season.

When Harsin does unleash Ash, the results are more spectacular than any offensive performance in recent Texas history.

Yet, every time it seems that the offense is ready to completely shut the door on the pesky Rebels, the defense gives up a big play, especially through the air, which was completely uncharacteristic of essentially the same group last season, which didn't give up long touchdown passes the entire season until being sliced and diced by RGIII at Floyd Casey.

Eventually, the explosive Texas offense buries the Rebels under a rain of Ash bombs to Mike Davis and Marquise Goodwin, an offensive line mostly dominating at the point of attack, and hard-charging running backs, from the starters down to DJ Monroe, Johnathan Gray, and Jeremy Hills, who punish Ole Miss opponents at every opportunity.

Similarly punishing are the Texas defensive linemen early in the game, hitting Wallace early and often, with Kenny Vaccaro then essentially delivering the killshot to the ribs. While Wallace stays in the game, he walks gingerly off the field after nearly every possession thereafter, appearing by the end as if he would not take another quarter going against that Longhorn defense for any amount of money.

By late in the third quarter, most Ole Miss fans have departed to either break down their tailgates in the Grove or work on winning the after party, leaving a large contingent of Longhorns to revel in the road victory.

On a trip to the concourse at the start of the fourth quarter, as Ole Miss has the ball, the crowd reaction seems to indicate a big play by the Rebel offense -- one of the loudest outbursts after halftime. Instead, the PA announcer reveals it was the second interception of the night for Quandre Diggs, one of the high points in a relatively uneven performance.

Such was the evening -- cheers befitting the home team reserved by the end for the visitors by the visitors.

By the final whistle, the 10,000 or so Texas fans, very few of whom left the stadium early despite the blowout, drown out the Ole Miss band with the Texas fight song. Then, in a perfect end to my first road game as a Longhorn fan, I belt out a triumphant Eyes of Texas at the top of my lungs with all the similarly jubilant burnt orange faithful laying claim to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as the Texas flag waves near the endzone. It is a scene to behold.

Perhaps aided by the cool of the evening, I get chills. There's always something special about singing the Eyes after any big victory, but doing so in an opposing stadium, letting another fanbase know, on their own turf, that the Eyes of Texas are upon them? That's a unique feeling.

The Return

An early morning sunrise in Oxford. Smart student living apparently includes parking lot littering. There's trash everywhere. Fast food containers. A broken bottle of pre-mixed Jack Daniels.

Oxford recedes into the rearview mirror, giving way to the gently rolling hills of Mississippi, verdant still in late summer.

Sleep, sweet sleep, through the morning. Through Mississippi, Arkansas.

Lunch in Texarkana with the church crowd at McAlister's Deli. Two splashes of burnt orange in a sea of Sunday's finest, with two more heathens less prominently displaying their allegiance.

Four worshippers who had paid their respects at the altar of football the night before. At peace with our own higher powers.

Wildflowers by the side of the road outside Mount Pleasant, Texas, conjured up from the earth by the recent rains.

More rain, steady rain. A band of it from the Mexico border, through San Antonio, Austin, Waco, the entire I-35 corridor to the Metroplex, moving slowly north, a steady, not-quite-soaking rain that kindly falls gently enough so as not to inhibit the steady march homeward.

Rain all the way home, past the Czech Stop in West, kolaches topping off the weekend's poor diet. YOLO, no? A diet to come.

Rain to the doorstep in Austin. Rain on Friday at departure -- 68 degrees. Rain on return -- 68 degrees.

One weekend. Roughly 24 hours spent on the road. Only 18 hours spent in Oxford, but memories enough for a lifetime. A vocal chord-destroying rendition of the Eyes of Texas with 10,000 other Longhorn faithful in the most friendly hostile environment imaginable will make those. The Grove, packed to the gills, will make those. Laughs with good people will make those. A look into the ever-brightening future of Texas football will make those, defensive lapses aside.

All of a sudden, it's good to be a Longhorn football fan again.

Hook ‘em, from Austin to Oxford and back, and all points in between. And a Texas-sized thanks to all those wonderful Ole Miss fans. Y'all, and the Grove, were as hospitable and impressive as advertised.

For more on Rebels football, visit Ole Miss blog Red Cup Rebellion, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills.

Post-Game React: Texas Throttles Ole Miss 66-31 in Big Play Party

Peter Bean — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 08:47:22 -0000

Texas 66 Ole Miss 31: Celebration Thread | Game MVPs | Recap | Box Score | Game Notes

Texas went on the road for a game getting hyped in ways you normally don't see until November, and gave Ole Miss students the excuse they sought to bail for the after parties midway through the third quarter, running away with a 66-31 win over the Rebels. The Longhorns offense erupted for 676 total yards by averaging a ridiculous 8.7 yards per play, and scored 59 points in just under 50 minutes of play before finally calling off the dogs, in the breakthrough offensive performance that UT fans have been waiting for since 2009, when the program's offensive decline began.

After struggling with slow starts in the first two games, the defense impressively shut down the Rebels in the first quarter and outscored them 7-0, only to suffer an epidemic of big plays in the 2nd and 3rd quarters that allowed Ole Miss to hang around and -- on the bright side -- David Ash and the Texas offense to keep piling on points.

Following the romp in Oxford and sitting at 3-0, Texas isn't without flaws but on the whole looks to be in the strong position that we hoped to see, and if it had to be one way or the other, it's preferable by an order of magnitude that the offense is outperforming expectations and the defense has work to do to improve.

David Ash dominates. Heading into this season, most Texas fans were hoping for David Ash to prove that he could grow into a solid, mistake-averse quarterback capable of keeping defenses honest with efficiency and timely playmaking. Few if any expected to see him epitomize that standard through three games, but that is precisely what he has done, and suddenly the biggest advantage the rest of the conference appeared to have over the Longhorns appears to have fully disappeared.

It's impressive if unsurprising that through the season's first three weeks, 6 of the Top 10 QB Ratings in the country are held by Big 12 quarterbacks, and while no one would have predicted before the season that David Ash would be among them while Landry Jones would not, thats precisely where we are:

Ash has been nothing short of phenomenal thus far, and his performance at Ole Miss on Saturday night looked like the big leap forward we were hoping he was capable of making at some point. Ash's decision-making continues to be stellar, but in Oxford we saw him take shots down the field when the opportunities presented themselves, and while that alone would have been progress, he connected on four of his six attempts, drawing a pass interference on another. His 45-yard strike to Mike Davis to the Rebels' 8 yard line was the prettiest long downfield bomb Texas fans have seen in a long time -- splitting two defenders to hit Davis in stride -- while on the other three Ash threw short and to his receivers' outside shoulders where they had an opportunity to make a play on the ball but weren't in danger of being intercepted.

As he's done with everything else thus far, it's likely Ash's downfield passing will only continue to improve, and with the ability for his quarterback to punish teams downfield we're finally starting to see the Bryan Harsin offense at it is designed to succeed. It's a particularly fearsome attack with Ash because of his mobility and -- still vastly underrated and under-discussed by fans -- his outstanding touch on short passes, as beautifully evidenced on his perfect touchdown to Ryan Roberson last night or on any of the dozen beautifully thrown screen passes he's delivered this season. Texas never had a competent screen pass during Greg Davis tenure, and it's a lot of fun to see us doing it exceptionally well with athletic linemen, an unfair stable of backs who can catch it and make plays, and a quarterback who has remarkably good feel, accuracy, touch, and timing on the play.

Goodwin and Davis strike big play gold. Early in the second quarter Marquise Goodwin took a sweep around the edge for a 69-yard touchdown to extend Texas' lead to 17-7, but the emphatic protest of a United States Marine notwithstanding, that was just the beginning. After a distressing sophomore season that raised questions about his level of engagement, Mike Davis built on his strong performance last week with a career-best performance against the Rebels. Along with the beautiful 46-yard touchdown reception, Davis had 4 more receptions totaling 78 yards, plus a pass interference call drawn on another, showing great effort fighting for the football on each pass thrown his way.

As for Goodwin, he did nothing but make big plays, with his two receptions on the night going for 102 total yards, the latter a 55-yard touchdown that provided the game's final margin. Ash has been the big story in the early going, but it doesn't happen -- not to this degree, anyway -- without above-expectations performances from his receivers, as well. It's one thing when the defense just has to figure out how to stop one of the Shipley brothers, but something else entirely if Texas is able to attack and punish from multiple fronts, with multiple big-strike weapons. That? That's just frightening.

Backfield brilliance. One of those fronts, of course, is Texas' ever-improving ground attack, which just overwhelmed Ole Miss pretty much from start to finish. In fact, my only two regrets last night were Joe Bergeron's injury and the fact that Mack Brown decided to take a knee at the end, which succeeded insofar as the broadcasters dutifully characterized the move as "classy" but failed in my book for denying Jeremy Hills the opportunity to score his first career touchdown.

Beyond that, Texas' rushing attack looked as strong as it has since 2005 in overwhelming Ole Miss. Before he got hurt, Joe Bergeron was doing a great job pounding the Rebels between the tackles, where after last night he's now amassed 194 of his 207 yards on the ground. Some fans have grown impatient with starting Bergeron and having to wait for Malcolm Brown, but I actually love the tactic of having Bergeron pave the way forward initially, which increases Brown's effectiveness in getting to the edge. Both backs are excelling doing at what they do best, and outside of Tuscaloosa the Longhorns running back duo is second to none.

And that's to say nothing of DJ Monroe, Daje Johnson, and Jonathan Gray. Johnson's already broken a long one, but while Gray hasn't just yet, as I said last week and as was evident in last night's 9 carries for 50 yards, he's an incredibly impressive runner in terms of his feel and ability to accelerate when it's there and fight for optimal gain when it's not, and it's just a matter of time before he breaks one.

As for Monroe? The final tally: 1 carry, 10 yards, 1 touchdowns -- and yes, 1 defender trucked to get there.

"Just give it to DJ and let him go get it." I hear you loud and clear, Mr. Denius. Loud and clear.

Blocking Brigade (now with Tight Ends!) The offensive line mostly gets noticed when it screws up, which is why Texas fans have spent so much of the last four-plus years talking about the team's guys up front. Ole Miss' defense was thin on depth and undersized at every position, but boy did this group of Longhorns look good controlling the line of scrimmage, asserting their superiority both as rush and pass blockers.

In particular, this group continues to impress more and more with its ability to operate in space -- from Donald Hawkins perfectly sealing the edge on a Malcolm Brown rush, to the full brigade setting up a picture-perfect downfield escort on a screen pass to Joe Bergeron. This is an athletic group that's playing well together and is well-suited to doing the multitude of things Bryan Harsin wants out of his offense. On a staff full of coaches doing impressive jobs, Stacy Searels is second to none.

Last but not least, I'd be remiss not to at least mention the rapidly improving blocking that Texas is getting from its tight ends. In particular, Barrett Matthews was a difference-maker all night on Saturday, delivering fantastic work on the edge all night long in one of the quietest but most encouraging performances on the team.

Enjoy the process. Although the intent was to cover the entire team in this post, it's already 3:30 AM and we're 1,500 words in with just the offense already, so let's recognize that there's plenty of time in the upcoming bye week to discuss the defense and special teams and end this thing on a high note.

Ole Miss scorched Texas for 159 yards across 3 plays that netted the Rebels 17 points (and probably should have been 21). It was painful to watch, and disturbing to see given the letdowns in the opener versus Wyoming, but the silver lining I mentioned last night is important: a good bit of the defense's problems thus far are of the "capable of better" variety, as opposed to just "incapable."

That was evident across a number of impressive stretches -- most notably across the Rebels' first three drives, when the defense limited Ole Miss to 25 yards on 11 plays, with two punts and an interception that it returned for a touchdown. Edmonds looked great reading the quarterback and stealing in front at the last moment to snag the pick six, Brandon Moore made a brilliant read on a screen, halting his pass rush to provide the coverage that allowed his teammates to sack Wallace, Adrian Phillips made two impressive open field tackles coming up in support. Texas' defensive line played well all night long, and Alex Okafor delivered a performance that recalled some of the stuff we saw from Brian Orakpo during his senior year.

Texas' inexperienced linebackers are making a lot of mistakes in terms of positioning themselves properly to flow to the ball and avoid blocks, and Jordan Hicks' injury status is a critical development to monitor, but the secondary is just making the football equivalent of a double fault in tennis. There's no way to sugarcoat the sloppiness of the performance thus far, but while the defense has not been good, there's plenty of evidence to believe that there's a good defense in there.

All of which is to say that as far as struggles go, Texas is in about as good a position as possible in terms of opportunity to improve. While there wouldn't be much reason to feel optimistic if David Ash had gotten off to a slow start, it's a different thing altogether to hope that Carrington Byndom, Quandre Diggs, and Kenny Vaccaro start playing up to their demonstrated capabilities.

Expectations are a tricky thing, but I genuinely feel sorry for anyone who isn't enjoying watching this program start to come together under the outstanding work done by this staff, and isn't finding themselves excited by how high the ceiling is for Longhorns football again, and hasn't been fascinated to watch the process from the ground up.

Yes, this is Texas, and yes, we play for championships... but for far too much of its history Longhorns fans have simply wanted to decree it. Instead of build it.

Darrell Royal built it. Mack Brown built it, then slipped. And with his current staff, he's building it again.

Enjoy it. Or you really don't have any business demanding it.

Hook 'em

Enemy Insight (Part 1): Inside Texas vs Ole Miss on Saturday Night

The Ghost of Jay Cutler — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:15:53 -0000

Peter Bean of Burnt Orange Nation and I are resuming our conversation which began earlier this week. Perhaps you saw it here? If you didn't, click that link and read it, then head here for the beginning of this second installment of our conversation leading up to the Ole Miss Rebels v. Texas Longhorns game this weekend. At this point, we've moved past the Grove, the Square, and the pretention of the Ole Miss fan base and onto the actual reason we're all here: football. Enjoy.

So let's just start at the top, because things did not end well for Houston Nutt, and he left behind a bit of a mess.

Were you a fan of the Hugh Freeze hire when it was made? I've been impressed with the job he's done since taking the reins, and he certainly seems to have done well in getting this team ready for the early season. I would imagine that Ole Miss fans have started to view the hire in a different light given the way that he's handled things so far.

Few Ole Miss fans were impressed with Freeze when he was hired, and with good reason.

Freeze's biggest disadvantage at winning the hearts of Ole Miss fans is that he was a recruiting coordinator and assistant coach under Ed Orgeron. He was a guy that most of us were already familiar with and, in that case, a "safe" or "easy" hire. In addition, his association with Coach Orgeron had him behind the eight ball from day one regarding fan perceptions of him.

Furthermore, it seemed to be a bit of an insult for our program to go the safe or easy route to make a hire that had potential to be something bigger, especially after going the safe and easy route to hire Houston Nutt. Fans were hoping that maybe our athletics department would just throw all the money they had at Mike Leach or Rich Rodriguez, for example. Instead, they hired a guy who was basically begging for the job.

But I think that last point is exactly why he was hired. I think the athletics department and boosters made a potential long-term decision by hiring Hugh Freeze. They decided against hiring a mercenary or a journeyman for a coach in favor of hiring a guy who actually wants to be at Ole Miss. Hugh Freeze's parents went to Ole Miss, and he himself grew up just one county northwest Oxford. North Mississippi is where is family is from and that is where he wants his family to be. If he does a good job for us, the chances of him leaving for something else are pretty slim.

Considering that, I have warmed up to the hire. And as you've pointed out, he has shown a real knack for game preparation and playcalling not demonstrated by our previous couple of head coaches. He has also made some incredible moves for us on the recruiting trail, if you consider the season we are coming off of.

Speaking of Freeze's playcalling, I read somewhere that Mack Brown compared his hurry-up offense to those types of offenses Texas is likely to see in Big Twelve play. Would you agree with that sentiment? I ask because our players are saying that Texas' defense is good enough to serve as a "primer" for SEC play of sorts. Could the same be said for Hugh Freeze's offense as it relates to Texas' defense?

I think that's a perfectly fair assessment, but I'll be honest: I expected that when Texas played Ole Miss the Rebels would be a subpar offense still struggling to get comfortable with Freeze's style. But here we are, and Ole Miss appears to be significantly further along the growth curve than I expected -- thanks largely to Bo Wallace, who looks like he's going to win a lot of football games over the next three years.

Over the last decade, the Big 12 has been one of the most prolific and innovative conferences in the country with respect to offense -- in large part because of the coaches that schools have hired, but also, I think, because the conference has been second-to-none in terms of having elite quarterbacks: Vince Young, Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Robert Griffin III, Brandon Weeden, to name just a few, and despite losing three QBs to the first round of last year's NFL Draft, the Big 12 is still the top conference at the position in the country again in 2012, with top-to-bottom quality and three Heisman contenders at the top (WVU's Geno Smith, K-State's Collin Klein, and OU's Landry Jones). And the styles that Big 12 offenses play are very much as quarterback-centric as you would expect. Teams spread the field, hurry up, put a lot on the QB in terms of diagnosing plays, and pass the hell out of the ball.

My sense is that Hugh Freeze's offense is a good bit more rush-oriented than what most Big 12 teams are doing these days, but I do think that it's fair to say that the styles have some meaningful similarities. And in that sense it's a perfect ramp up to conference play, now that the Rebels have a quarterback who can make the defense pay. With LSU and Alabama, you're worried about whether you can match them physically in the trenches; the challenge for Texas on Saturday will be much more like that the team faces week in and out in the Big 12. Part of that is Freeze's style, but the other big factor is that Wallace is so good on his feet, and you have to worry about him making a great play even after you've shut down what the offense intended to do. That's a skill that's not only dangerous, but can be extremely deflating to a defense.

Nor can Texas fans take much solace in the fact that Wallace is a sophomore, making his third start under a new coach. Wallace lit up the JuCo record books last year, and he spent a year with Freeze at Arkansas State before heading to Mississippi Community College. So yeah, here we are and though I may not have expected it back in March, I'm anxious about Wallace and Ole Miss in ways similar to how I'll feel when Texas faces Nick Florence and Baylor.

Tell Texas fans a little bit more about Wallace and how he's looked through his first two games. I have to imagine that Ole Miss fans are surprised at how competitive they suddenly find themselves thinking this team can be in 2012.

It truly has been surprising to see Bo Wallace play as well as he has the past two weeks. Not only does he seem to have a good understanding of the playbook and offensive identity Hugh Freeze is trying to establish, but he has also demonstrated himself to be a good decision maker and athlete.

What is remarkable about his in-game performances thus far is that he is showing all of us something that we did not at all see during practices. Maybe he shines in actual game time in a way he does not on the practice field, or maybe the teams we have played have been just that significantly overmatched, but either way, few of us who saw him during offseason workouts and scrimmages would guess he would have 573 yards of total offense and seven total touchdowns after two weeks. He is moving using his feet well to set up his throws. He is making good choices on option plays. And he is generally locating his passes very well. He does have less than ideal velocity on his passes, but that has yet to come back to bite him.

Of course, maybe that just has to do with the competition played and the incredibly low expectations of the Ole Miss fan base right now. Regardless, we're surprised and excited to see him doing so well. And the fact that he's just a redshirt sophomore is very, very encouraging.

What type of pass rush should Rebel fans look for against Texas? What about the Longhorns secondary? Of course what we will see this week will be much more talented and athletic than what we have seen over the past two weeks, but what should Ole Miss fans expect to Texas utilize to defend against Wallace and the hurry-up offense?

Along with Wallace's playmaking ability, the hurry up aspect of the Freeze attack is probably the biggest neutralizer to what is a very fast, physical, deep, and talented Texas defense. This unit is already very good, but like last year's group they're only going to get stronger and stronger as they year goes on -- in part because there's a good bit of coordination required by Manny Diaz's defense, and Texas lost three seniors from last year's unit that were the ones to set all the pieces in place. I can't help but worry a little bit about the hurry up causing some problems for Texas at times.

If not, though -- if this group is at peak performance? You can expect to see a defense that's right up there in the same neighborhood as LSU and Alabama. Like Nick Saban's best units, this Texas defense smothers you with a devastating secondary and a constant barrage of pressure from a variety of angles. While Saban is the undisputed master, Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is a brilliantly promising radical whose unorthodox background and approach have liberated him in some incredibly interesting and useful ways. (Or confusing, if you're on the other side of it.)

When Will Muschamp left to take the Florida job, the question among UT fans was not whether his replacement would be a downgrade, but by how much; making it all the more remarkable that Manny Diaz is not only the most wildly beloved assistant that Texas has had in the Mack Brown era, but Longhorns fans -- without taking anything away from Muschamp, or their feelings about him -- find themselves oddly thankful that Muschamp's departure paved the way for Diaz's arrival. His philosophy is to fortify and own the middle territory of the football field, protect against big plays, mix and match resources to bring pressure from every conceivable look, and force the opponent to beat the defense by successfully executing low-percentage plays and sustaining drives. His concern about an 8 yard gain is subservient to his concern about a touchdown, and he calculates that his attack can get you into a 4th and Punt (or Field Goal, if it comes to that) before you can get to the end zone. And most of the time, he's right.

Beyond the variety of looks that Ole Miss will get from Diaz's defensive attack, the other key component of this year's defense is, as I mentioned, the secondary. Both Carrington Byndom and Quandre Diggs are flat out ballers at the corners -- outstanding in coverage and great at making plays on the ball -- while at safety, Kenny Vaccaro and Adrian Phillips are both tremendously athletic and physical, with keen, natural football instincts that make both fearsomely disruptive players. All four of these guys love to get physical, love to hit, and are great in support of the run - without giving up an inch in terms of their ability to cover. These guys are why I think Bo Wallace's ability to make some plays with his feet when nothing is there will be so important for Ole Miss.

Let me ask you, though: who else's offensive performance do you see as critical for Ole Miss on Saturday?

Head on over to Burnt Orange Nation for the answer, plus the rest of our discussion about Saturday night's big game.

Dalton Santos Is The Good Kind Of Crazy

Wescott Eberts — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:25 -0000

Texas Longhorns freshman middle linebacker Dalton Santos is starting to develop a reputation. Among fans, among his teammates, coaches. Also, with opposing players.

Delivering a handful of big hits in kickoff coverage through only two games has a tendency to do that. Actually, though, it took Santos less than two games to develop that reputation with opposing players.

In fact, Santos described on Tuesday ($) a scene from the New Mexico game. He was closing in on a Lobo ballcarrier near the sideline. What does someone says before they get hit by Santos? "Oh, no," of course. Wouldn't you?

When I made that tackle on the sideline in the New Mexico game, the guy I hit said, 'Oh no.' Literally, I promise you that happened. I thought it was pretty neat. He literally looked at me square in the eyes and said, 'Oh no.' It was nuts. But it was cool. Then I lowered the boom on him.

There's a reason his teammates call him Crazy White Dude. Kid just picks up nicknames and monikers -- Hellboy, Roadhouse, Man From Van, the lovable maniac.

Santos just has that mentality:

Every play, you have to have that intention to come downhill and just blow people up. I don't think I'm crazy. A bunch of guys call me crazy. They call me 'Crazy White Boy.' I don't know. That's the name I've got. I like it. It's pretty cool. It's different. I don't know.

Bro, you're definitely crazy. Definitely. There is no debating this. But it's the good kind of crazy.

Fellow linebacker Tevin Jackson sensed that crazy on Santos quickly:

I knew he was going to be part of the "Wild Bunch" as soon as he stepped foot. I knew that for a fact, because that has him written all over it. His presence and just [the way he] goes down there and [tackles.] He feeds off that.

Known as a mean dude himself for his infamous Rivals picture mean-mugging in a wifebeater, Jackson no doubt noticed Santos bringing hell with him when he arrived. Kinda easy to notice something like that, especially with McConaughey running around screaming about it and throwing his horns up.

By the way, the Wild Bunch is the name of the kickoff coverage unit. Santos was born to be part of a Wild Bunch at some point in his life.

The Man From Van takes a lot of pride in being a part of the Wild Bunch:

Tremendous pride. Tremendous pride. I mean that bunch there, the "Wild Bunch" – we call it the "Wild Bunch" – I mean those are the guys. Those are the guys that want to run down hill, and just hit people. And make big plays. And get everybody excited. Because we set the tone. Most of the time we’re either on the field first, or on the field the next series. But we set the tone. We come down there and lock somebody up, and [senior S] Kenny Vaccaro is going to go crazy. [Senior DE Alex] "AO" [Okafor] is going to go crazy. Those guys are going to feed off of that. The fans go crazy. And when the fans go crazy, we feed off of it. So just that alone is really neat. We take tremendous pride in it.

Santos has certainly made an impression on Vaccaro, who has named the middle linebacker as one of his favorite young players.

Sometimes being crazy to just runs in the family, and Santos is no exception. He comes by his disposition honestly, as his father was apparently a lunatic on the field as well:

I guess it was from starting at a young age, playing pee-wee football. My dad was always like that. It was just that mentality of being the nastiest dude you can be out there. The mentality of being, "I’m going to be the best player. But not only am I going to be the best player, but I’m going to be the nastiest guy out there." And you want people to know that. You want to have that presence with you. So when you step out on the field – is this guy about to come hit me? That’s the presence you want to carry out there.

The presence of carrying hell with you, apparently.

His father has had some sage advice for him in the past:

When I was young my dad said linebackers are half stupid and crazy. You've got to be half crazy out there but have enough sense to know what you're doing, and then you've gotta not care and throw your body on the line and knock somebody smooth out.

At this rate, somebody is going to get knocked smooth out by Santos. Unless opponents stat performing the Peyton Mannning crumple when he gets in the area, which is hardly out of the question given the reaction of that New Mexico opponent last weekend.

Santos, of course, almost didn't end up at Texas, decommitting late from Tennessee and switching his pledge to the Longhorns. Only two games into his career, he's already a star on special teams and the back-up middle linebacker. So while he's not close to fulfilling his prediction of coming in and earning a starting job, he has shown himself already to be the most valuable among the three linebackers taken in the 2012 class.

The time that he spent down in Orlando at the Under Armour game with several Texas pledges helped convince him that he wanted to become a Longhorn, if possible:

Let me tell you something, those guys in the locker room – [freshman DT] Malcom Brown, [freshman RB] Johnathan Gray, [freshman LB] Peter Jinkens – guys I met down at [an all-star] game, those are really the guys that brought me here. Being out there, and playing with those guys, being able to call the defense and them listening. Just the way we bonded from being on the airplane together. Just from meeting each other. We just clicked. And it was something I didn’t feel at other places. And I knew at that point, if it came knocking here, [Texas] is where I wanted to be. With them dudes. And I wanted to know that I could step out on that field and shed blood, sweat, and tears with them.

Hopefully not too many tears. There's been some sweat already. And if there hasn't been any blood yet, there will be.

That's just how Santos rolls.