SB Nation - Christian Scott

Postgame React: Texas Takes Care of Colorado, 38-14

Peter Bean — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:25:38 -0000

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

Game MVP: Jordan Shipley caught 11 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, then added a 74-yard punt return for a score that sealed the game for the 'Horns.

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The outcome was: incomplete. In thinking and trying to write about Texas' 38-14 win over Colorado, I find myself returning to the following three related points:

Texas won the game. Given the result (Pasadena) that is guaranteed to follow if Texas wins each of its remaining regular season games, the victory must be acknowledged and celebrated.
The team's performance was uneven overall -- outright terrible in some areas, brilliant in others, and up-and-down everywhere else.
Discussing those performances is a relatively easy chore; the tremendously difficult challenge involves speculating about what tonight's performance might tell us -- good and bad -- about the rest of the season and, more immediately, next week in Dallas.

Speculating about what's in front of the team first requires we correctly diagnose what is and isn't working. I'm certain that, at least for me, getting that right means a second (and probably third) viewing of the game are in order. Tonight, though, we dive into our first-take impressions of the performance. Join me after the jump for my initial reactions, then hop down to the comments and share with me your own.

The Offensive MVP was: Jordan Shipley (11 catches, 147 yards, 1 TD receiving / 3 punt returns, 88 yards, 1 TD). The Roommate's 11-catch, 147-yard evening was almost embarrassing, considering that Texas' offense more or less devolved into a two-man game. No kidding at all: if the McCoy-Shipley duo were any less sensational, this would be one painfully frustrating team to watch. As it is, the two are damn effective -- far more than any single pair has the right to be -- and they deserve a standing ovation.

With that said, the centrality of the offense's focus on the McCoy-Shipley connection raises two related questions, one easy and one hard: First, would the offense be better if it were not so hyper-focused on these two? And second, is this offense capable of thriving in some other form? The first question is the easy one to answer: for this offense to be great, it would need to develop into a more balanced and robust attack. What's difficult to say is whether it can or will...

For now, suffice it to say that Shipley is your unquestionable offensive MVP against Colorado, especially if light of his game-ending 74 yard punt return for a score. Whatever Texas' other issues on offense, the senior wideout is every bit the elite playmaker his most vocal fans always insisted he would become. On a night when virtually everything I wrote about this game wound up flipped on its head, it was perhaps fitting that Jordan Shipley spent so much time at split end, where his abuse of single coverage was the offense's only constant all night.

The Offensive offensive LVP was: Greg Davis. And now we get to the WTF WAS THAT portion of the program, starting with the running game. Removing from the stat line the 2 sacks of McCoy for -12 yards, Texas rushed the ball just 23 times for a pitiful 58 yards (2.5 per attempt). The Longhorns rushed for 22 yards in the first quarter, -1 in the second, 4 in the third, and 28 in the fourth. It would be easy enough just to say that tonight's offensive performance was a repeat of the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, except that tonight those 11 excellent Buckeyes defenders were played by a group of Buffaloes who, coming into the game, had surrendered an average of 201 yards per game on the ground (111th nationally), at nearly 5 yards per attempt. West Virginia's Noel Divine gained more yards on one carry against Colorado than Texas did over an entire game.

Far above anything else that happened tonight, it was the utterly forgettable performance rushing the football that both angers and concerns the most. I can accept that this group isn't going to rush for gobs of yards against most solid defenses, but I had been under the impression that the ineptitude was so limited. Let's just be blunt about tonight's performance: this one's on the coaches and, in particular, Greg Davis. We can and will talk about the various personnel/performance issues, but the fundamental failing here was one of preparation and coaching. It's hard even to know where to begin, given the ease with which we could devote an entire postgame react to this single topic. For now, a few ~~points~~ rants on tonight's rushing misery:

Against Colorado we saw front and center why earlier this spring I strenuously objected when the coaches communicated an interest in using Cody Johnson in a featured role. First of all, on the "kind to Cody" side of things, there's the impact such a role might have on Johnson's proven value as an exceptional short yardage and goal-to-go tailback. But second, there's the idiocy of thinking a guy with his skill set is a legitimate option as the featured tailback in our rushing scheme -- for crying out loud, the quick guys often struggle to get to the rushing lanes we try to create. Now, is it possible to design a rushing scheme in which Johnson could succeed as the main man? I think so. But is this offense's one such scheme? It's incredible we even have to ask.
There is plenty we might say about the myriad sins committed by Texas' offensive linemen, but let's be up front about the fact that they are in many ways set up to fail. There are the many well-documented issues relating to the scheme itself, yes... but even beyond that, Davis's woefully weak overall approach to the endeavor all but guarantees the lousy results. No joke: Texas would be better off evolving to the point of conscious disregard for the run than it is with this "we care enough about rushing that we'll continue to make predictable stabs at it from time to time, but at the first sign of adversity we're mostly going to pass, except for the awkwardly timed plays in which we remind ourselves that we care about rushing."
Related to the approach, of course, is the play calling. There is absolutely no synergy whatsoever between the passing and rushing attacks, and neither one serves to set up and/or support the other. On the worst nights, the end result is what we saw against Colorado: 25 or so irregularly called rushing plays that not only lack coordination with the aerial plan of attack, but all too often subvert it. The inverse, of course, is true as well: it is hard to imagine any coordinator with such a strong passing attack at his disposal do as little as Davis does to deploy it in a way that would support successful rushes. Again, Texas would be better off consciously committing more to the pass, if only for the benefit of being able to develop a complementary plan for rushing the ball.
Having said all that makes it nearly pointless to spend much time on personnel, but hell, if we're going to hand the ball off to our tailbacks and ask them to make water from wine, how difficult is it to conclude that the speedier and shiftier the tailback, the better? When on Texas' last drive the coaches finally got around to using their speediest and shiftiest tailback, Fozzy Whittaker was -- like his predecessors throughout the game -- rudely greeted behind the line of scrimmage almost as soon as he'd been handed the football. But Whittaker managed to scamper out of a tackle, reversed course, fired his jets to take the corner, and wound up turning his lone carry of the game from a three-yard loss into a twelve-yard touchdown. Even if it's naive to think any one player could rescue this mess of a running attack, it's not too much to ask that we at least put in the runners with the best chance to make their own magic?
If you're wondering: after holding Baylor to 6 yards rushing on 17 attempts, Oklahoma has now surrendered just 268 yards rushing on 150 attempts (1.7 yards per rush). As much as anything else that Texas did well in last year's 45-35 win, they found a way to rush the football successfully -- 161 yards on 35 attempts (4.6 ypa). The favored Sooners, of course, did not, managing just 48 yards on 26 carries (1.8 ypa). If you're wondering what the blueprint looks like for this year's Oklahoma team to similarly knock favored Texas off its title track, it begins and ends right here. If next Saturday Texas is as impotent rushing the football as they were against Colorado, Texas fans will have to hope that either our own defense is even stouter or Colt McCoy has one of his best days as a Longhorn.

All those words, and we've barely discussed the passing game? Amazing... I'll keep it brief, then.

There was much more to be encouraged by the points of strength on display in the passing game, but there's no getting around the fact that from these points of strength Texas is extracting an uncomfortably low amount of value. Successful plays in the Texas passing game tend to flow from a chaotic scramble by McCoy at least as often as they neatly follow from design. It's schoolyard football, and while it's nice that the top two jocks are on our side making plays, they won't be able to do it all themselves when the opposing teams have athletic talent like our own.

More to the point, they shouldn't have to. Texas is not Rice, and McCoy and Shipley are not Chase Clement and Jarett Dillard. There is real opportunity for systematic excellence in Texas' passing attack, and though this isn't the space to chart all those X's and O's, I'm guessing we can all agree that the current version of the Colt McCoy offense -- however successful, however exciting -- too often produces at rates suboptimal to the talent of the players comprising it.

The Defensive MVP was: Roddrick Muckelroy and Sergio Kindle. We could highlight other names from what was, in the end, a good night for the defense (127 total yards allowed, 2.2 yards per play, 2 INTs, CU 3 of 15 on 3rd down), but Muck and Kindle were simply in a different class. Both seniors attacked tonight's game with enormously fierce intensity -- indeed, in the early going, too much, leading to several undisciplined plays. Once they settled into the flow of the game and played within their assignments, the speed and power with which these two were flying around the field making plays was truly beautiful to behold.

Muckelroy completed his evening with a team-best 11 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss (1 sack) and a pair of passes broken up. Kindle finished with 6 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, and countless teammate-springing pass rushes; an advanced box score would undoubtedly show Kindle with half a dozen assists. The aggression and raw speed with which both players hone in on the football instills in the opposition a visible sense of urgency to make a play immediately.

Beyond those two, the defense benefited from terrific play from every Longhorn on the line. Sam Acho was only a smidge less brilliant than Muck and Kindle, if at all, Lamarr Houston wreaked havoc in the backfield each and every time Colorado tried to block him with one man, and Ben Alexander had a career night with 5 tackles and solid penetration with his rush.

Ten gallon hat tips to Emmanuel Acho and Earl Thomas, as well, both of whom were absolutely filthy at various points in the game. Thomas is already a bona fide star, while it's a real delight watching the younger Acho develop as a player: once his intelligence and aggression finish melding with his outrageous physical gifts, he's going to be as destructive a linebacker as Texas has had in a while.

The offensive Defensive LVP was: Blake Gideon and Keenan Robinson. Fans have rightly thought it incomplete to talk about Gideon the past two years without acknowledging his many important contributions, which tonight should include his terrific diving interception. Of course, complete evaluation of Gideon also means that there is no avoiding his limitations, either. When you get down to it, what we think about Gideon comes down to which of those two lenses we're looking through when we ask the question: Given the team's needs, Gideon's contributions have been indisputably important; and... given a truly high-elite defense's goals, Gideon's limitations are unmistakable. I understand if fans prefer to limit the discourse to the former, but tonight seems the right time to spend a few words on what he is not.

Gideon's most obvious sins on Saturday night were the two highly visible ones on Colorado's opening drive -- a terrible point-blank missed tackle on Sumler, followed three plays later by Gideon's late arrival to Devenny's touchdown catch. The missed tackle was atypical -- merely a mistake, which everyone is prone to from time to time. The late coverage, however, exemplifies the bigger problem with Gideon: he is a step shy of being a playmaker. It was easy to see on the late coverage, but it's equally easy to see in the box score, where Gideon on Saturday was credited with just a single tackle. Some of that's opportunity -- he spent a good bit of time in deep coverage -- but he's got just 16 tackles through 5 games this year, to go with just 2 passes broken up.

The complete story about Blake Gideon is this, then: It's not that he typically plays as poorly as he did early in tonight's game, it's that he is at almost all times merely adequate. Texas can live with adequate if there aren't costly mistakes, but in either case the truth of the matter is that Texas could use an upgrade. With Christian Scott derailed for the year, Gideon will likely stick and, if he's solid and can continue to avoid costly mistakes, give Texas "enough." But we should understand what he is, and needn't gloss over what he is not.

Moving down the chopping block, I take no pleasure in singling out Keenan Robinson for subpar play tonight, but even someone as bullish about the kid as I am has to say that this was not his finest game. Prior to tonight, the young linebacker had been handling about 80% of his responsibilities impressively well, with a smaller portion of his performance trailing behind. But where his weaknesses had heretofore manifested themselves sporadically over the course of several games, tonight he was not so fortunate with the distribution, as he spent much of the first half struggling with his positioning both in pass coverage and in navigating CU blockers. While the good news is that he has displayed all the physical tools (good speed and excellent strength) requisite to play the position very well, his inexperience has regularly caused him to take the wrong path to a play, leaving him too far away to close for a tackle or helplessly walled off by blockers from where he needs to be. It's all teachable stuff, so there's little about which to be concerned in the long term -- here's to hoping he learns a lot from film review of tonight's game.

On the Milk Carton: Malcolm Williams (0 catches). No need to reopen all the same wounds, but for all the McCoy-to-Shipley brilliance, it's scary to imagine that Texas is going to try to win 13 games without developing a deeper, more well-rounded offensive arsenal. And it's hard to imagine that Malcolm Williams can't or shouldn't be a part of that. You didn't have to spend much time watching Florida's defense tonight to realize there aren't any happy endings for a one-dimensional offense against so fast and powerful a defense as the Gators. More importantly, Texas won't even get the chance to dethrone the Gators if the Longhorns' offense is as stale in the Cotton Bowl as it often was tonight.

Garrett Gilbert watch: 1-1 passing, 2 yards. Those of us who predicted a blowout by halftime thought Gilbert might get his first taste of Big 12 action, but it was not to be. On the bright side, he completed his only attempt to raise his completion percentage up over 80 on the season.

Oklahoma Fear Factor: 8 out of 10. (5) is the baseline. +1 for Texas' disastrous rushing performance tonight; +1 for the offense regressing to Colt-looking-for-Shipley; +2 for the implications of Davis's failure to develop this offense against the easy portion of the schedule; +1 for Sam Bradford being healthy enough to start; -1 for Jermaine Gresham on the sidelines; -1 for Bradford lacking any downfield weapons; -1 for Oklahoma's OL making their rushing game average; -2 for Texas' phenomenal special teams; -1 for the positive results in our coaching staff when they feel a sense of urgency after a sketchy performance; +4 for the intensity of the rivalry.

Heading into next week I feel: Conflicted. How should fans feel after a win like tonight's? Should we focus on the win and Texas remaining unbeaten, celebrating the brilliance of McCoy-to-Shipley, the excellence of the special teams, and the overall dominance of the defense? Or is it naive to look past the abysmal rushing performance, the lack of diversity in the passing game, and the team's hyper-dependence on Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley?

Indeed, there's your million dollar question, Longhorns fans: Are this team's strengths exceptional enough that Texas will still win even when all the team's weaknesses pop up in the same game?

Against average competition, the answer is clearly yes, but what about against Oklahoma, Missouri, or Oklahoma State? Is Texas strong enough to overcome another half like last year's opening period in Lubbock?

The related question, of course, is whether there are reasons to believe the team can improve on its weaknesses. How fundamental are the troubles, what viable solutions appear to exist, and how likely are they actually to develop?

Though I don't think anyone can definitively say they have all the answers, I invite your thoughts on any and all of the questions posed throughout this post. For my part, I obviously am at this point conflicted, torn between my excitement about the team's many strengths and the nagging worry about the offense remainiong vulnerable to occasional bouts with mediocrity. For what it's worth, my sense after five games is that the defense, special teams, and overall roster composition are substantially stronger than last year -- sufficiently so to mitigate the offensive question marks. Whereas in 2008 Texas was vulnerable to a bad game on both sides of the ball, it's difficult to envision the 2009 defense coughing up big points and needing a pick-me-up. If that's correct, then Texas can win any given game if either the offense has a good day or, in the case of a pedestrian performance by the offense, Texas' defense and special teams put points on/keep opposing points off the scoreboard.

That's all speculative, though, and with the best team on the schedule awaiting us next Saturday, it's going to be one hell of a stressful afternoon in Dallas if the coaches don't have a successful week of practice righting some wrongs. Because I'd rather not find out whether on an afternoon Texas' offense only scores twice, the Longhorns defense really is, as I hopefully suggest, good enough to carry the team to a Red River Shootout victor, anyway.

Hook 'em 'Horns. OU Sucks.

Snap Shots: Discipline and Screen Defense

Peter Bean — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:08:16 -0000

I'll probably bump this up front and center again early next week, since the weekend's live action will shove this down the page pretty quickly. But the post is done, so if you're here and reading it, dive in to the fun.

With the exception of our look at Sergio Kindle's speed rush, the Snap Shots series primarily has focused on the offense. Today, we spend a few minutes with the defense, and in particular the unit's work against the screen. What follows is a frame-by-frame breakdown of Texas' exceptional work disrupting an attempted screen during the first quarter of the UTEP game. The Miners may have been outmatched in this contest one way or another, but this particular play neatly illustrates a host of broadly applicable points about this year's defensive unit.

THE CONTEXT: It's 3rd and 10 for the Miners, who line up in a look the Longhorns will see many, many times this season: shotgun with aces spread wide, a tailback alongside the QB.

TEXAS' DEFENSIVE SET: Texas is in its base nickel package, the alignment of which is telling about how Muschamp wants to defend the spread passing attacks we'll often see. First, note the alignment of the secondary: the corners Curtis and Chykie Brown are in soft-press coverage, the nickelback Aaron Williams is up on the line pressed over the strongside slot receiver, Earl Thomas is eight yards deep over the weakside slot, and Gideon is twelve yards deep behind Chykie and Williams.

Rod Muckelroy and Keenan Robinson are your LBs, Eddie Jones and Sergio Kindle are upright on the ends, while Sam Acho slides inside to flank Lamarr Houston on the interior. You'd have to sub Christian Scott for Gideon to get a faster, more athletic group of 11.

If you're wondering why you should care about this, please recall, first of all, that Chizik, Akina, and McDuff were defending these offensive sets from the 4-3; but second, it's also worth looking at how Muschamp and this young-a-year-ago defense have matured. It's not difficult to see how nicely Texas is aligned pre-snap to handle this set, and we could spend an entire post talking about the niceties of the alignment and personnel alone.

[NOTE: CLICK ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE]

At the snap: As Vittatoe receives the snap, Texas brings five rushers towards the line -- tackles Houston and Acho strike to engage on the inside, while the highlighted trio of Kindle, Muckelroy, and Robinson move forward. Note, however, Eddie Jones, shaded in the picture below: he's most likely sitting in a read (taking away the quick pass to the weakside slot) or, possibly, simply disinterested in rushing based on something he sees.

Reading the D: As UTEP's interior receivers start downfield, two potential screen receipients run strongside (green lines below). The observation here is centered on Texas' defensive ends: Sergio Kindle has properly altered his rush to account for the tailback sliding outside while Eddie Jones continues to hold his ground unengaged, watching Vittatoe for his cue.

The match up: It's easy to see from the frame below what factors will control the outcome of the play. As Vittatoe starts to pass the bubble screen, UTEP's left guard (shaded) has what looks like a good line on Eddie Jones, who is making his initial step towards the play as he sees what's coming. Note that if a second from now UTEP's left guard successfully engages Eddie Jones, there's a nice gap in the middle of the field, thanks to a nice seal block from the center on Keenan Robinson (just inside the left hashes).

Heads up: As the ball is released, UTEP still looks to be in good position to make a solid gain out of this: the left guard has what looks like a good angle towards Jones, Acho (shaded) is engaged with a blocker, and Robinson is sealed inside by the center. Look closely, however, at the shaded area (might be helpful to click the image to enlarge): If you peer in close, you can see a small, but crucial detail: Acho has both kept his head up (eyes on the QB) and used his arms to keep separated from the back-pedalling, upright left tackle.

Zooming in: A fraction of a second later, you can start to see why this screen is going to fail. At the left of the image the shaded Sam Acho, eyes on the ball, is disengaging from the left tackle, while Eddie Jones (shaded near the 20 yard line) has begun his close on the play with a quickness that -- in a mere split second -- has turned what looked like a good angle for the left guard a not-so-hot one.

Ball arrival: As the ball arives, Acho is disengaged and lurching towards the receiver, while Eddie Jones is racing past what is now an out-of-position left guard for the Miners.

Might as well drop it: The UTEP receiver drops the screen pass, in all likelihood because he can't help but notice that Sam Acho and Eddie Jones are about to crush him at the same time.

Fail: What looked like a promising play at the outset turns out to be a painful incompletion, thanks to Acho and Jones's discipline and athleticism.

The lesson: Texas is defending the screen game exceptionally well so far in 2009, in a way that highlights a bevy of important points:

Healthy and in his fourth year in the program, Eddie Jones has emerged as a difference-making DE.
Citing Sam Acho's "intelligence" is not a meaningless throwaway line. He's a versatile, strong, quick, and well-techniqued playmaker Muschamp can use on the outside and interior.
Sergio Kindle is not a one-dimensional head hunter. When he's asked to rush the QB, he's thriving; when his assignment requires something else, he's there.
Will Muschamp's intensity is endearing, but it's his ability to coach superior athletes into disciplined, aware defenders that is most encouraging.
The defensive line may be an injury away from being a worry again, but the group that we're seeing is more than just adequate -- it's damn good.

Off-Week Injury Report

40AS — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Rod Aydelotte - AP

Once again, the Longhorns count their blessings as there but for the grace of God go we...

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Another high-profile Big XII quarterback went down this week, with Baylor star and PB's favorite non-Texas player Robert Griffin tearing his ACL. We feel terrible for both Griffin and the Baylor fans, who entered the season with higher-than-usual expectations largely due to Griffin's proven prowess. Here's to a quick recovery for the young man.

Thankfully, there is again a dearth of news on the burnt orange injury front as the Longhorns remain, on the whole, relatively healthy. (We knocked on wood as soon as that sentence went down, we promise). Christian Scott and Brandon Collins remain out for their academic issues, though at least we got a little bit of good news on that front before the Tech game.

No one is listed as "out" right now for the Colorado game. Fozzy Whittaker is still questionable with his knee issues, although honestly his chances of busting into the backfield playing time mix even if healthy get bleaker and bleaker with each Tre Newton carry. Mason Walters is also listed as questionable as of now.

That's it, and hopefully the 'Horns can rest and stay healthy during the off week.

[Update]: Both of the services are reporting that freshman defensive back Eryon Barnett will miss the rest of the season after injuring his shoulder. Some tough luck for Barnett, who tore his ACL last fall and worked hard to get ready for the season. --GoBR--

Postgame React: Texas 41 Wyoming 10

Peter Bean — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:59:35 -0000

More photos » by AAron Ontiveroz - AP

Colt McCoy is surprised to learn that his receivers are not eight feet tall.

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The outcome was: A matter of perspective. Today's game was sort of like being invited as a guest to dine at the restaurant with the three-star Michelin rating and the prettiest view in the city, only when you get there, the waiter botches your appetizer and takes two hours to bring you the main course, and when it finally arrives, it's not the steak that you ordered but some sort of fish. As you walk out the door after your meal, you're about to start complaining to your wife about everything that went wrong, but have to stop, because you realize not only was the entree you ate as tasty as anything you've ever had, but the restaurant next door burned to the ground while you were eating.

"You know what," you have to say, "that was pretty good, wasn't it?"

It sorta depends how you look at it, right? We might look at Texas' first half of offensive mediocrity, the special teams idiocy, and the tight halftime score and conclude, "Bad Texas. Bad, bad Texas." On the other hand, we might look at the second half, the final 31-point margin, and the scoreboard in Stillwater and conclude, "A fine day to be a Longhorn, indeed."

I'm inclined to the latter view for a number of reasons, confident that our special teams are better than that, Colt McCoy is better than that, our defense is straight sexy, and the second half showed some glimpses of what might be ahead for this Texas offense. Join me after the jump for discussion of Texas' 41-10 victory over Wyoming.

The Offensive MVP was: Dan Buckner & Tre' Newton. The sophomore "tight end" finished with 6 catches for 86 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown, while the redshirt freshman tailback scampered for 62 yards on 8 carries (including a 13-yard TD run) and hauled in a reception for 15 yards for good measure. These two, of course, are the fish in our happy metaphor -- not the steak we were expecting in August, but unarguably delectable nonetheless. Let's start with Buckner. It's fair to say Buck won't be a mauling blocker for our running game like Brandon Pettigrew was for Oklahoma State last year, but I've seen enough in two games to feel good about Texas' offense being strong enough to win the Big 12. He's got terrific hands, good body control, unfair height, and a powerful, long stride that make him a terrible match up for linebackers and safeties alike. As Colt grows more comfortable with him, he's going to be a force that elevates our pass and run games alike.

As for Newton, let the debates begin: how much should he play? Everyone was impressed with the redshirt freshman, and rightfully so, but those who bagged on McGee (who left with an ankle injury) are throwing out the baby with the bathwater. McGee finished with 61 yards on 11 carries (5.5 per), caught 2 passes for 9 yards, and picked up the blitz like a champ, freeing Colt to scramble around in the first half, staring at triple-teamed Jordan Shipley for 15 seconds. So no, the case for Newton has nothing to do with the ineffectiveness of a healthy McGee, who's been perfectly solid through two games. The difference is in the fit: Newton comfortably slides through our running lanes from the shotgun more naturally than does McGee. It's not an easy thing to do, which is why a guy as obscenely talented as Jamaal Charles often looked so lost trying to figure out where to go. There's a certain feel required to guesstimating where our zone-blocking ballerinas are going to create a crease and then slipping through it with downhill force. McGee is, in his third year, starting to get good at it; Newton looks like he's been doing it all his life.

If that's right, and not a small sample size anomaly, Newton needs more carries. More downs, period. He hits the LOS well, can catch passes, and picks up the blitz. There's a lot to like here. Even if we still like the steak.

The offensive Offensive LVP was: Charlie Tanner. Sometimes, I wish I'd not included this part of the Postgame React way back when I started it, because it's hard to bag on kids who do so many things right, even if they struggle on Saturdays. And Charlie Tanner does a lot right, by all accounts a true program soldier, terrific teammate, and student athlete. Unfortunately, superior blocking is not on the list. But Mack Brown professes to have turned a corner on his philosophy about all this, so we can just be blunt about it: If it's true that the best guys must play, and that those who don't have a role to play on the team by accepting their diminished roles, then Charlie Tanner should not be a starter. When Michael Huey was healthy, David Snow was a better option at left guard. And after this week's subpar performance, I'm of the mind that Tray Allen -- who showed up to play in the second half -- is the better option, too. We can focus on the quality of the other options, or we can just point out that Charlie Tanner is struggling. Either way, experience as measured in starts made is useless when the starts made are not quality ones. Move Tanner down the depth chart. Starting now.

Update: To be fair to Tanner, I meant to mention in here somewhere that his fellow starting linemen were particularly good, either. Ulatoski still doesn't move his feet well enough to be consistently good and Hall is an underized reacher. The right side of our line was better, but overall this unit has hardly been the asset we're told the "90 combined" starts means that it will be.

The Defensive MVP was: Sam Acho and Lamarr Houston. With a fist bump to the outstanding Keenan Robinson, one of My Guys for 2009, this has to go to Sam Acho and Lamarr Houston, who were just treacherous for Wyoming all day. Acho finished with 6 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss (1 sack) and 1 fumble recovery and was as big a mismatch as Wyoming faced all day. The difference between Acho and his fellow defensive ends -- all talented and effective in their own right -- is his discipline. Rarely will you see Acho over-eagerly shoot up the field and out of position like you might with Okafor or Kindle; he's a model DE right now.

As for Houston... well, there aren't many bigger fans of the young man than yours truly and this was perhaps his finest game as a defensive tackle for Texas. Wyoming simply had no answer for his quickness, and with tag-teammate Kheeston Randall doing a better and better job all the time of occupying blockers, Houston's being freed to make plays like few inside guys can. I love the kid.

The offensive Defensive LVP was: None. No disrespecting anyone on this unit today, as they were nasty and focused from the start, not the least bit rattled by the offense's pedestrian start. I'd love to see this unit with Christian Scott in there -- Gideon is still solid, but limited -- but even there, given this team's week-to-week talent advantages and manageable schedule, there's a lot to appreciate in #21. What's really fun about this group is that they're so much further along than they were at this time last year, and yet they still might have as much room to grow as did last year's group. Randall is a great player who's just learning how to react, instead of think, out there -- getting better every down. Acho and Kindle are already great, and have guys behind them who will be soon. My man crush on Keenan Robinson swells by the minute. Curtis Brown is putting his athletic quickness to better and better use, Thomas and Williams are All-Conference guys, Gideon is as steady as you can hope for, and Chykie just needs more every-down focus to be as good as anyone out there.

(A nod here to our special teams, which were comically bad. I could literally do nothing but laugh when Gold's punt was blocked for a touchdown. A week after I beamed that we might have the "best special teams in the country," we got this circus. An anomaly, I'm sure, but still hysterically awful.)

On the Milk Carton: Malcolm Williams. I have lots and lots of nice things to say about John Chiles and James Kirkendoll, but what do we make of Malcolm Williams' lack of meaningful production so far? Is it an opportunity thing? A Malcolm thing? A small sample thing? A Greg Davis thing? I'd like to say that part of it is a schematic thing, but you know what, I watched Colt McCoy gobble up single coverage with Limas Sweed in 2006 (12 TDs) and have to believe that's doable at some level still. I'm open to your answers, if you have any. For now, I wait and wonder.

Garrett Gilbert watch: 2-3 for 16 yards. Not much of a factor today, thanks to the sluggish start keeping Colt in the game through most of the 4th quarter. Still, it doesn't take much to see from Gilbert that he may be literally the prototype quarterback for the offense Greg Davis has developed with Colt McCoy and wants to run moving forward. His arm is plenty strong, his accuracy is otherworldly, and his football instincts are natural and well-developed. If he stays healthy, he's going to win and win big.

Texas Tech Fear Factor: 4 out of 10. (5) is the baseline. +1 for Taylor Potts threw for 467 yards and 7 TDs today; -1 for Taylor Potts will be starting his third career game in Austin; -1 for Taylor Potts will be a Texas Tech quarterback in Austin; +1 for Texas' offense being vulnerable in a shootout; -2 for Will Muschamp not letting Texas get in a shootout; +1 for Greg Davis and his offensive line; +1 for Colt McCoy trying to do too much; -1 for Texas vastly superior depth on both sides of the football.

Heading into next week I feel: Demanding. Two games down, two comfortable wins, and two performances with lots to like and a few lingering questions that need resolving for this team to achieve its goals. I'll be the first to hush someone who tries to tell me I should panic, but neither will I deny that the current level of play leaves the team vulnerable to upset.

And that's the thing, really: I'm still extremely excited about this team and its potential, but the difference between the 2009 Longhorns being excellent and Pasadena-bound may well turn on how large or small are this team's margins for error. Last year, the margins for error were very slim; we pretty much had to have Colt McCoy play perfect football or we could be beat. He was nearly perfect, and so was the team. To elevate above and beyond that this year means increasing those margins for error. I'd argue we've seen that so far on the defensive side of the ball, but not yet on offense.

Texas Tech is one such team that can beat the Longhorns on a bad day. We saw it last year and, while it seems less likely to occur in Austin, could happen this year. I'll be watching closely this week to see what Texas brings to the field against Mike Leach, looking for lessons learned from last year and from the first two weeks of the season, in which Texas has been very good, but not yet truly great.

Ten Thoughts on Texas Football: Week One Notes

Peter Bean — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:41:51 -0000

Ah, sweet football returns. Unfortunately, yours truly got pulled away to a wedding in Bend, Oregon, filled with guests who didn't think an opening weekend wedding much a problem since the Ducks opened their season on Thursday evening. While I managed not to get sucker-punched, I did fall way behind on my football consumption. Time to start getting caught up... your week one thoughts are after the jump.

D.J. Monroe is faster than you.

All our anxiety about Fozzy Whittaker and whether Texas could find a big play threat at tailback? Gone. The anxiety now rests squarely with Fozzy and -- with the promising debut of redshirt freshman D.J. Monroe -- whether by the time he gets healthy there will be a role for him. Setting aside what it means for the depth chart, the most exciting aspect of what Monroe brings to the team is an explosiveness Texas is going to need to run the table this year. Whether they need it in a shootout with one of the Oklahomas or Missouri, or down the road against a top-tier bowl opponent like Florida (look familiar?), Monroe is precisely the kind of offensive weapon the Longhorns need to open up the field, provide big plays, and make defenses think. As good as McCoy has been, just wait and see what he and the offense are capable of with a guy like Monroe in the mix.
Speaking of Monroe, how good might the Texas special teams be this year? D.J. was the highlight on Saturday, but in the return game alone, don't be surprised to see if either Jordan Shipley and/or Aaron Williams run one back for six at some point this season, too. Texas has an All American-caliber punter in John Gold, a nifty niche guy in Justin Tucker, and two proven veterans (Hunter Lawrence and Ryan Bailey) pushing each other on place kicks. Throw in the nasty athleticism the Longhorns deploy on kick coverage, and you might be looking at the nation's best special teams.
Back to the tailbacks: Sophomore Cody Johnson is one of those guys who's easy both to overrate and underrate. On the one hand, his steadiness and inability to lose yards make him a tempting choice for a featured role... if you're trying to win the 1985 Big 10 championship. (The Texas coaching staff flirted with the idea in the spring, but, perhaps fortuitously, Johnson tweaked his hammy and the coaches thought the better of it.) On the other hand, in discussing what Cody is not it's easy to under-appreciate just how much value he adds to the team as a short distance and goal to-go specialist. If it's possible there's one aspect of Tim Tebow's game that actually manages to be underrated, it's in this role; the one time Tebow came up short last season, Ole Miss stunned the Gators to hand them their lone loss on the season.
And finally, what do we make of Vondrell McGee's performance? Obviously, rotten tomatoes on the two fumbles, but outside those two ill-fated carries, the junior accumulated a solid 77 yards on 13 carries (5.9 per), including a nice finisher at the goal line for six. The optimistic take here is that McGee's proven himself fumble-averse in the past and if he needed a reminder of its importance, best to have the slip up against ULM in the season opener. A McGee doubter may have noted Tre Newton's strong fall camp and 28 yards on 4 carries Saturday and begun to wonder whether there's about to be a logjam of competition for featured carries. Whatever your take, all should agree that the competition and increasingly promising looking set of options are good things.
It's an absolute joy to watch Rodderick Muckelroy play football. At Texas, we're treated to scores of outrageously athletic and talented kids, but there's a third dimension to truly special players -- guys who so clearly live and breathe the game -- and Muck's got it in spades. He understands the game, wants to understand the game, drinks it all in, and plays with that unbridled passion that you can't teach. We're lucky to have him.
Because it's our team, and our obsession, we've been hyper-focused on what this Texas defense lacks (proven play at DT, outside Houston), but I think on Saturday we started to see why the strength everywhere else led me to conclude that "it's the defense that gives me the most confidence Texas can run the table." For starters, the talent Texas is fielding at defensive end is simply unfair. Kindle got the preseason press and Sam Acho looks poised to have the breakout season we expected. And then there's Alex Okafor, who I honestly thought might have to go through a year of dealing with outsized expectations from the fanbase before breaking through; after watching him in the spring, fall, and week one, I think he's ahead of where Brian Orakpo was as a true freshman and has a legitimate chance to develop into the #1 overall NFL Draft pick in four years.

At linebacker, the situation is so strong that Jared Norton's ankle injury isn't a major concern. We've already discussed Muck, but both Keenan Robinson (one of My Guys this year) and Emmanuel Acho look more than just ready for big minutes -- they demand them. Hell, even Dustin Earnest is starting to look like he can contribute quality minutes if need be, surprising me much like Georgia fans must have been surprised by the contributions of a one Will Muschamp 20 years ago.

As for the secondary? Its quality won't be catching anyone by surprise, but even today it's worth stepping back to contemplate just how silly the situation really is -- when guys like Deon Beasley can't crack the starting lineup, Ben Wells can't crack the two deep, and someone as supremely talented as Christian Scott better get his act together (on and off the field) if he expects to play. There's simply no room for error, no matter your pedigree: kick ass or sit down.

All told, this is, at the least, a defense whose glaring weakness is a problem fans can confront without panic, and whose upside is the potential to become as good as we've seen on the 40 Acres in the last 25 years.
I've been clamoring all off-season about how disappointed I'd be if Texas brought in Garrett Gilbert to run-run-run-punt away the fourth quarters of games. He's only getting his feet wet and we needn't overly-celebrate his delightful debut, but at least where his performance was an indication that Mack Brown and Greg Davis intend to play the second team offense, I couldn't be more pleased. If the opposition can't stop the second team, it's their problem not ours. Keep it coming, coaches.
We've talked a lot about the competition for playing time in the secondary, but what about the army of talent at wide receiver? And how about Dan Buckner? We'll find out more about how well Texas can slide in and out of the blocking/receiving tight end sets with impunity, but the early returns on Texas' flex-threat are terrific. There aren't many defenses who can stop this offense spread out four wide, especially if the running backs are making defenses pay for selling out on the pass.
I, for one, am glad Texas was far from perfect on Saturday night. No question, they were sufficiently impressive, but one of my worries for this team was that things would come just a little bit too easy in the early going. The Texas Longhorns online presence is a magnifiently rich one, but perhaps even more so than godfathers like Geoff Ketchum at Orangebloods, I'm not sure anyone has devoted more words to analyzing Mack Brown from a big picture perspective than I have. Part of that's five years at this website and three years writing The Eyes of Texas magazines, and part of that's just the fact that I can't control my word counts, but the biggest reason I've hammered out so many words on this topic is that I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about it. None of which is to say I'm the authority on Texas football (you won't find a better post-game breakdown than this guy's, for example), but you won't find many out there who have so systematically analyzed Mack Brown and the Texas program from a big picture perspective during his tenure.

I point all that out to qualify my argument that there was as much value in Saturday's bad moments as good. This should all probably be a post of its own, but for now, at least, the Cliff's Notes: First, I'm glad Colt McCoy threw an interception. One of the keys to Texas' offense improving upon 2008 depends firmly upon Greg Davis not feeling comfortable with the idea that he can just ride Colt McCoy's exceptional talents. To be sure, Texas can be very, very good just riding McCoy's coattails, but to give the team the best chance of running the regular season and, should it do so, maximize its chances of beating a ridiculously great team like Florida, the Texas offense needs to be as well-rounded and explosive as possible. We want to put Colt in a position to bring home the trophy because defenses have to key on more than just him; to the extent that Colt's early mistakes open Davis's eyes to the idea of building a more robust offense, they are a positive.

Second, I'm glad Vondrell McGee fumbled the football. Related to the first point, mistakes like McGee's in non-contests serve a dual purpose -- reinforcing among the players that the details matter, and among the coaches that the competition for playing time must be a season-long evaluation. You perform, you play. Nothing else matters.

Third, I'm glad that the defense allowed 20 points. Because right now, Will Muschamp is either literally or metaphorically out there with his defense, staring at the Jumbotron, out of his mind with rage that he has to see the number 20 beneath the visitors' name. Watching his post-game press conference was both amusing and awe-inspiring; it was literally all Muschamp could do to sit there and answer questions about a game in which his defense had mostly played well. He rushed through his answers, visibly annoyed, and visibly eager to get back in the locker room to get to work.

Fourth, I'm glad that Chykie Brown got smoked. I'm a huge fan of Chykie Brown, I love his go-go-gadget arms, his long strides, and his passion to man up a great receiver. But I'm an even bigger fan of top talent feeling challenged. A healthy Chykie Brown is as important to your defensive game plan against Danario Alexander, Detron Lewis, Dezmon Briscoe, and Dez Bryant as anything else, and this defense will be all the better if he feels as much pressure as everyone else in Texas' ridiculously talented and deep secondary to perform at the highest level possible, week in and week out.

There were other disappointments, but that's more than enough to make the point I want to hit: Mack Brown was right when he said on Saturday night that that was likely "the worst that we'll play all year," but it's important not because of what he said -- standard coachspeak, for the most part -- but because this is a team and coaching staff that seems genuinely focused on, and hungry for, excellence. This is a team and a program hitting its peak precisely because it learned the hard way that showing up with better talent only gets you so far, and that being your best means looking for and studying weaknesses, building on them to achieve your potential.

If all that sounds just a bit too abstract to consider, just remember that my big picture approach has always been an effort to better understand what we see on the field. And while a big part of that is how the players perform, at least as much is determined by Mack Brown and how he prepares them for battle. In that sense, consider me pleased that the team has plenty to work on in the weeks ahead.
Texas fans' eyes are rightly trained on 2009 as The Year to make the run at the BCS Title, but depending on the offensive line and how much Garrett Gilbert develops this year, is there any reason to be any less excited about what's ahead in 2010? The list of important, incredibly talented freshmen and sophomores who look like they're going to start contributing now, and will be even better a year from now, is a long one: Monroe, Newton, C. Johnson, Dan Buckner, Marquise Goodwin, Malcolm Williams, Aaron Williams, Earl Thomas, Alex Okafor, Keenan Robinson, Emmanuel Acho, Blake Gideon, Kheeston Randall, Calvin Howell... We could list others, but just let that sink in for a moment. There's a reason upperclassmen like Deon Beasley weren't cracking the starting line up in August. And don't even get me started on my excitement for a number of these guys. This football program changed on November 23, 2007 and the best of that change is just getting started.

SB Nation Big 12 Preview: Texas Longhorns Team Capsule

Peter Bean — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:02:25 -0000

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

Before he hands Will Muschamp the keys to the machine, Mack Brown wants another national title at Texas.

Browse more photos »

The SB Nation Big 12 preview will post on Friday at The Ralphie Report. The following is the Texas team capsule for the conference-wide preview piece.

When Texas has the ball: Texas returns 8 starters (Lost: RB, Chris Ogbonnaya, WR Quan Cosby, RG Cedric Dockery) from an offense a year ago that averaged a healthy 6.5 yards per play. The name everyone knows is ~~deserving~~ Heisman ~~winner~~ runner-up Colt McCoy, who led the team in rushing attempts and rushing yards in 2008. He also did a little passing: Following an up-and-down sophomore season, McCoy transformed into a robot last season, setting the single-season NCAA record for completion percentage in a season (76.7%), throwing a school record 34 touchdowns against just 8 interceptions. If there's a legitimate critique of last year's outstanding offense, it would have to be the razor thin margins on which the Longhorns relied; looking forward to this fall, Texas would like to rely less on McCoy being a superhuman by bolstering the running game and finding more big plays.

The running game: Texas wasn't a poor rushing team a year ago, but the rushing attack was inconsistent and prone to disappear, necessitating McCoy's otherworldly performances to keep the engine humming. The offensive line is experienced, if not spectacular, returning four starters (LT Adam Ulatoski, LG Charlie Tanner, C Chris Hall, and RT Kyle Hix) who, combined with RG Michael Huey (3 starts in '08) enter the fall with 90 career starts between them. Both starting tackles are excellent in pass protection, but the question for this line will be their ability to create running room in the rushing offense. To that end, Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis appears committed to introducing more plays under center and more man blocking, but for the offense to truly reach its fullest potential, the unit will need to open holes in the running game when McCoy is in its favored 11-personnel, with McCoy in the shotgun, flanked by a tailback. Like last year, a triumvirate of tailbacks will rotate situationally, with Vondrell McGee the likely nominal starter, Fozzy Whittaker the do-it-all Ogbonnaya role, and Cody Johnson the short yardage specialist.

The passing game: Replacing departed WR Quan Cosby won't exactly be a cinch, but if Texas fails to do so, an impressive number of promising candidates would have to fail. In the spring, the speedy James Kirkendoll (now also having a great fall camp) got the starting nod at the Sub-B wideout position formerly occupied by Cosby, but fans are watching fellow junior Brandon Collins closely as well, particularly after Colt McCoy commented at Big 12 media days that Collins was poised to break out for a tremendous season. Behind those two, a small army of unproven young talents will compete for playing time, among them converted QB John Chiles, as well as the speedy DeSean Hales (RS-Fr), DJ Monroe (RS-Fr) and Marquise Goodwin (True Freshman). Returning to man the flanker position is The Roommate, Jordan Shipley, a 1000-yard receiver in 2008 with 11 touchdowns. On the outside, Texas expects big things from third-year sophomore Malcolm Williams, whose football skills are catching up to his outrageous athletic talent. (Expecting an update on the tight end position? It's cursed, thank you very little; we decline to name names.)

When opponents have the ball: If Texas is on your television screen on January 7th in Pasadena, this unit will be the reason. Don't get us wrong: Colt McCoy deserves all the attention and accolades, but it's the potential of this defensive unit that makes us most confident in Texas' chances to roll through the conference unblemished.

Rush defense: The Longhorns held opponents to a paltry 3.05 yards per rushing attempt last season, but they lose three starters -- DT Roy Miller and DEs Brian Orakpo and Henry Melton -- to the NFL. Texas faces serious questions about the viability of the DT position in particular this fall, with only the exceptional Lamarr Houston returning. Vying for viability alongside him will be the senior situation space eater Ben Alexander, unproven sophomore Kheeston Randall, and recently converted offensive lineman Tray Allen. None of them needs to be spectacular, but at least one needs to prove himself capable of solid, block-eating play for 30-35 snaps a game. The rest of the work can be done by the talented, probably underrated, group of defensive ends and linebackers who will rotate heavily to keep everyone fresh. Everyone knows about Sergio Kindle, but by November, expect ends Eddie Jones and Sam Acho to be names every Big 12 quarterback knows as well. As for the linebackers, Texas has four players we absolutely love ready to lead what will prove to be the best tackling team in the conference: Rod Muckelroy, Jared Norton, Keenan Robinson, and Emmanuel Acho,

Pass defense: Two words come to mind: Un. Fair. The secondary may not prove as statistically dominant as Will Muschamp's 2003 title-winning LSU squad (too much help in run support for that, we suspect), but they'll make just as many big plays, and give top receivers in the conference more than a few forgettable nights. Both Earl Thomas and Aaron Williams look like First Team Big 12-level performers, Chykie Brown's not far behind, and Blake Gideon, Christian Scott, Curtis Brown, and Deon Beasley would comfortably start for at least 9 schools in the conference. This group is damn good.

The schedule: You could call it a two-game schedule (vs OU in Dallas, at Oklahoma State) and wouldn't draw much argument from the gallery. Beyond those two monsters, Texas's next three toughest tests all come at home: Texas Tech, Colorado, and Kansas. A road trip to Missouri on their homecoming might be a potential trap game (sandwiched between the two Oklahomas), but with a new quarterback and a questionable defensive line and secondary, an upset would be truly stunning. As for the non-conference schedule... well... maybe Texas just wanted to welcome home Bill Snyder? Yeah, that's it.

The outlook: Anything short of a 12-0 trip to the Rose Bowl will disappoint Texas fans, and for good reason. The talent cycle hits a peak this year, there's experience, skill talent, depth, and a favorable schedule. And some bitterness, too. Texas rightly felt hosed by the BCS system last season and will approach this season with a sense of focus, urgency, and more than a little hostility. That's a good thing for a program under Mack Brown that struggles when it's comfortable. All eyes on Dallas, then, for one of the biggest regular season football games of the last decade. We predict a Texas win and, two months later, a return trip to Vince Young Stadium West.

Poll

Predict Texas' losses in 2009.

None -- See you in Pasadena.

554 votes

1 -- Oklahoma

35 votes

1 -- Oklahoma State

64 votes

1 -- Other

18 votes

2 -- OU and Oklahoma State

19 votes

2 -- Other

7 votes

3 or more

1 votes

698 votes | Poll has closed

Fab Five: Break-Out Horns

GhostofBigRoy — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:36:24 -0000

Last week, my Fab Five: Favorite 'Horns list included my current favorite players. The list that follows looks at five players who could have break-out season and help Texas finish the season in Pasadena once again.

Aaron Williams, sophomore cornerback: Forced to choose a favorite cornerback between Chykie Brown and Aaron Williams, I'd have to think seriously, perhaps surprising given that the larger Brown made the list as one of my favorite players. In fact, Williams lands on this list mostly because the McNeil product had many fewer reps last season than Brown.

Though Williams delivered two extremely memorable moments in 2008 his tackle of Josh Smith on the kick-off against Colorado and his return for a touchdown against Arkansas, the first moment greatly illustrates one of Williams' exceptional skills -- his excellent form tackling, breaking down, getting low, wrapping up, and driving the opponent to the ground. It's a thing of technical beauty.

Williams' second great skill is perhaps even more important in terms of it's ability to change games -- being able to block punts. During block-less 2007, the Longhorns dearly missed the exceptional punt-blocking skills of Michael Griffin, the most prolific punt-blocker in Texas history with eight. Last season, however, the true freshman ably began to fill Griffin's empty shoes by blocking two punts against UTEP as Duane Akina returned to his previous role as defensive backs coach. Once again, it became popular to win a spot on the "posse," the members of the punt-block unit with Williams leading the way.

The ability to play man-to-man defense on the outside with the cornerbacks frees up an additional defender for Muschamp to strategically deploy in other areas like rushing the passer and Williams be be a major part of any success the Longhorns achieve for Muschamp in that area. Combined with Chykie Brown on the other side of the field, the starting duo at cornerback should be as fast and physical as anybody in the country. After stopping and considering that Williams is stronger and possibly faster after a year of maturation and work in the weight room and it quickly becomes clear that the potential for AJ is off the charts.

Malcolm Williams, sophomore wide receiver. The other Williams, if you can even call Malcolm that, possesses a similarly impressive physique to his defensive namesake, the type of freakish athletic ability on the outside that makes Greg Davis' offense difficult to stop. During the comeback against Texas Tech, Williams scored on a simple slant, one of the base plays of the Texas passing offense that simply adjusted to the defense to take the easy play. However, for a physical beast like Malcolm Williams, that simple five-yard gain has the ability to turn into a long, game-changing touchdown.

Later in the game, when the Longhorns desperately needed a big play, Williams took another read play and, with the benefit of Greg Davis's outstanding playcalling, turned his curl into a curl-and-go that, 91 yards later, had the 'Horns firmly back in the game. All due respect to Quan Cobsy, it's been two seasons since the Longhorns have had the pure split end to demand double teams and stretch the field vertically. As phenomenal as Cobsy was at getting open and using his incredible hand-eye coordination to catch the ball, he just wasn't the vertical threat that Malcolm Williams has the potential to become.

If Williams can do that and force a safety over the top, the rest of the offense will open up, particularly for Jordan Shipley on the other side of the field. If Shipley forces bracket coverage, then Williams will have plent of opportunities in the passing game, allowing Greg Davis and Colt McCoy to relentlessly exploit whichever concession the defense must make.

As with many young players, the key with Williams is consistency. Late last season and early in spring practice, the concern was with his hands and consistently being able to catch the ball. Recall that he dropped a pass early in the Texas Tech on a pretty easy play. Word is that Williams worked hard on his hands during the off season and improved to the point that drops became much less of a concern. However, the new concern relates to consistency as well, this time with his ability to focus and run consistently disciplined routes, even when he knows that McCoy is looking to the other side of the field. In other words, not take plays off.

A physical freak the likes of which Texas hasn't seen at the receiver position since Limas Sweed was healthy in 2006, most of the hopes of a downfield passing game rest on the strong shoulders of Malcolm Williams. As Geoff Ketchum noted ($), if the Longhorns can get him the ball on the run this year rather than standing still, Wililams has the capability to produce the same type of big plays that helped Texas take the lead late in the game against Tech. Look for Williams to get the ball on a variety of slants, crossing routes, posts, and go routes.

Kheeston Randall, sophomore defensive tackle: A break-out season for Randall will almost be a necessity for the 'Horns to reach Pasadena. While Muschamp will certainly take pressure off of the defensive tackles by experimenting with a three-man line, a variety of run blitzes, stunts and twists, the two most important games of the season -- against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma -- will come against teams that feature strong running games with multiple talented running backs. In those games the Longhorns will need at least two or three defensive tackles to hold the middle of the line.

For Randall, there aren't any concerns about a lack of a talent. The issue is technique, most significantly playing with lower pad level. At 6-5, that isn't always the easiest thing to do. Though 6-1 defensive tackles like Roy Miller must answer concerns about their size in the NFL, in college those defensive tackles are aided by their lower center of gravity -- it's easier to get proper leverage at that size.

Now in his second year in the program, Randall could be a force inside if he can stay low and use proper hand placement. Coming out of high school, his quickness and explosiveness were a major question mark (along keeping his pads low), so Randall may end up playing less three-technique and more at the nose tackle spot if he can hold his ground against double teams, freeing up Lamarr Houston to go one-on-one and use his quickness.

In that sense, much like the necessity for Randall to play well, everything is completely a projection at this point with him. He's listed at close to 290 pounds now, so bulk shouldn't be an issue and the early part of the season will provide Randall with a great deal of quality experience as Will Muschamp keeps his schemes pretty vanilla against inferior opponents.

Christian Scott, sophomore safety: Much like Randall, the projection of Scott as a break-out player is based on talent and projection (tremendous upside potential, perhaps?). More so than Randall, however, Scott actually showed some flashes last season, brief as they may have been. The most immediate flash was his stint replacing Blake Gideon against Kansas after Angus Quigley absolutely leveled the starting safety, leaving him prone on the field after some vicious whiplash.

After the training staff finally helped remove Gideon from the field of play, Scott quickly found himself in the same position as his fallen teammate -- one-on-one against Quigley. Illustrating the gap in size, athleticism and pure strength between the two Longhorn safeties, Scott made the play, standing up the eventual linebacker and forcing a fumble that the Longhorns eventually recovered.

The ability to create turnovers is the major point of emphasis for the secondary this season and even though Scott dropped a pretty easy interception later in the game on a duck launched by Todd Reesing (one of many on the day), Gideon didn't have any interceptions last season and only forced one fumble in much more extensive action than Scott. Both Scott and Gideon should see the field at the same time this season in the nickel package, with Scott providing a degree of size and physicality that Gideon can't match.

They key for Scott is almost completely mental. If physical skills were all that mattered last season, Scott would have played in front of Gideon. However, Muschamp did not trust him to know the scheme and help direct Earl Thomas, who often didn't know where he was supposed to be on the field. Most observers expect both Thomas and Gideon to understand their assignments, so they might be able to direct Scott even if he hasn't made the requisite mental steps forward.

Earl Thomas, sophomore safety. In many way, Earl Thomas' performance against Oklahoma in his first Red River Rivalry game represented his freshman season -- the promise, his near interception on the first drive, and actual playmaking ability, aptly demonstrated by his two interceptions. However, the major problem for Thomas a freshman was that those two rare interceptions of Sam Bradford constituted his only two interceptions on the season, as his promise often overshadowed his ability to intercept passes.

The near-misses stem from the massive adjustment entailed between his redshirt freshman season and his first year as a starter with a new defensive coordinator. To that end, Blake Gideon spent much of the season directing Thomas to his position on the field and reminding him of his assignment in that alignment. No more -- as a sophomore often lined up against the slot receiver in the base nickel package Will Muschamp plans to employ this season, Thomas will be the director of the secondary, instead of the directed. Expect that leap in knowledge to parallel a leap in plays made on the field -- some of those 11 passes defensed last year will turn into interceptions this season.

In the spring game, Thomas jumped a route on Colt McCoy for a rare interception of the Texas starting quarterback that he took to the house. With his new deployment in the defense, Thomas will have even more opportunities to jump routes and that should lead to a subsequent increase in interceptions that will greatly help the explosiveness of the offense.

While the lack of ability to consistently force turnovers looms as the main criticism of Thomas, he was extremely effective as a tackler, finishing second on the team with 70 tackles. Showing his speed, Thomas saved several touchdowns during the season by running down opponents from behind, a talent that will continue to help him save scoring opportunities for opponents. He also did well forcing fumbles, with four on the season, good enough to tie Brian Orakpo for the team lead in that category -- a skill he must transfer into this season as the Longhorns endeavor to create more turnovers.

Who are your break-out 'Horns?

Wednesday Practice Report

Peter Bean — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:19:04 -0000

While I was tied up here in California doing EDSBS LIVE, the Longhorns were busy in Austin practicing in front of fans. An old friend was nice enough to give me a call after the practice and share with me his thoughts. After the jump, I'll share with you the notes I took from our conversation. I wasn't there, but this is from someone whose judgment I value; I'd certainly be interested to hear the thoughts from others who made it out to DKR.

"This is the 12th straight year I've gone to open fall practices and I'm more excited about this team than I have been any team in memory -- even the 2005 team. Maybe because we'd lost five straight to OU back then, I was afraid to believe. I believe in this team already."
"It looked to me like DJ Grant had his leg catch on the ground while he took a little pop from Earl Thomas. The body went one way while the leg stayed still. I suspect the knee popped, but who knows. We can hope it was just a strain."
"Everyone around me was impressed by Barrett Matthews. Texas isn't going to have an all-conference guy like Pettigrew out there, but we don't need one. We just need someone to keep defenses honest. Matthews' athleticism and versatility surprised me. I'm hopeful he can fill the role we need in the passing game."
"For all Colt's summer gushing about Brandon Collins, it was James Kirkendoll who looked like his new BFF. At least tonight. I've seen enough of these not to read too much into the small sample, but I like that we have some competition for the Quan Cosby role."
"The #2 QB battle is more interesting than I thought it would be. Sherrod Harris looked 100% healthy to me, which is great, but I was pretty wowed by what it looks like Garrett Gilbert will become -- and quickly. It's an interesting short-, medium-, and long-term strategy problem for the coaches to ponder. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on how you'd handle it." [PB: I'll devote a post to this, but I'd get Gilbert going now. There are good arguments on both sides, though. More later.]
"I'm with you on thinking Vondrell McGee can be a successful tailback for this team. Guy is solid in all the right ways, and more explosive than people realize. Like you, I think he's the nominal starter. Anything we get from Fozzy Whittaker is a bonus. He's intriguing, but he may need more space than our offense creates. We'll see."
Asking about Colt and any other receivers he noticed: "McCoy is sharp, but what I really love is watching him lead the team. You need that to win 12 straight games. He's a man out there. As for receivers, I don't have much more to add. I like our depth and think the group will produce more than enough playmakers. Malcolm Williams is close, real close. He's not thinking with the ball in his hands anymore, which is huge. The new burner -- Marquise Goodwin -- can play ball. Neither DJ Monroe nor DeSean Hales looks ready to be a regular contributor; both are a year away."
"The defense showed a lot of different looks, including a bunch of sets from the 3-4, with Roddrick Muckelroy, Jared Norton, Emmanuel Acho, and Keenan Robinson out there together at times. Given our situation at DT, it makes sense -- all four are playmakers. You wonder how Texas would fare against a team with a power rushing attack, but then you look at the Big 12 and shrug. Who f***ng cares? Both Texas and OU have better defenses than anyone outside the conference will ever realize."
"This isn't Mack Brown's strongest defensive line, but it may be his quickest. I think it's enough for Muschamp to get by. We'll see. An injury to Lamarr Houston would be catastrophic."
"The secondary is just unfair. We've talked about this before, but Aaron Williams is the best true sophomore DB Texas has ever had in the Mack Brown era. And we've had some good ones. Chykie Brown is healthy and is just so long, both in his strides and in his arms; when he concentrates with his footwork, he's not getting passed on. Curtis Brown has the raw athleticism but isn't there fundamentally yet. He had trouble with Kirkendoll tonight. Still, I'd rather have him than anyone on, say, Oklahoma State. Earl Thomas is All-Conference, and Blake Gideon and Christian Scott will do a great job competing with one another for top minutes."
"I didn't focus on the line play too much, but if I'm able to make it to tomorrow's practice I'll look in. The main thing for me is while I don't want to put too much into player notes on one practice, the way I saw everyone out there working made me 100% believe this team is what we think it is. All the hype will be about the Texas and OU offenses, but the real story is the defenses. The Sooners are much better on D than anyone in the mainstream media will talk about, but so is Texas. In fact, if you made me draft any defense from the MB era, I'm not sure I wouldn't choose this group #1, depth at tackle be damned. My love for the LBs/DBs is that strong."

Texas: Beyond the Box Score Preseason Defensive Preview

Bill C. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

How much will Texas miss Brian Orakpo?

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Yesterday we took a look at a Texas offense that could be described as anything between "uncertain" and "great." It all basically depends on how well Colt McCoy can duplicate his passing downs success from 2008. On the defense, it all depends on how UT replaces Brian "O-Sack-Po" Orakpo. All of the other pieces are in place, and there are plenty of super-duper, highly-recruited players at the DE position, but as I mentioned yesterday with the offense, how quickly some guys can turn potential into production will dictate whether Texas is playing for a national title in 2009, or just maybe a Big 12 title.

Defense

Overall Stats

S&P+: 146.4 (#2)
Success Rate+: 130.7 (#2)
PPP+: 167.7 (#3)

Standard Downs S&P+: 130.6 (#3)
Passing Downs S&P+: 145.0 (#4)

Red Zone S&P+: 163.0 (#1)

Q1 S&P+: 162.5 (#2)
Q2 S&P+: 126.3 (#14)
Q3 S&P+: 156.7 (#2)
Q4 S&P+: 108.3 (#37)

1st Down S&P+: 129.0 (#5)
2nd Down S&P+: 132.1 (#6)
3rd Down S&P+: 147.7 (#3)

Rushing Stats

Rushing S&P+: 147.1 (#2)
Rushing SR+: 133.7 (#2)
Rushing PPP+: 169.5 (#3)

Standard Downs: 119.3 (#20)
Passing Downs: 165.4 (#4)

Redzone: 165.8 (#3)

Line Yards+: 124.6 (#10)

Passing Stats

Passing S&P+: 148.9 (#3)
Passing SR+: 128.2 (#4)
Passing PPP+: 174.3 (#4)

Standard Downs: 144.6 (#3)
Passing Downs: 144.0 (#9)

Redzone: 174.5 (#3)

Adj. Sack Rate: 8.7% (#5)

Whereas the UT offense saw disproportionate success on Passing Downs compared to Standard Downs, the UT defense was pretty consistently great no matter the down, quarter, or type of play (run/pass).

They ranked in the top five for both SR+ and PPP+ in Rushing, Passing, and overall defense.
They had the #1 red zone defense in the country.
They were Top 10 in both Line Yards+ and Adjusted Sack Rate.
Really, there are only two sources of variance: their rushing defense was better on Passing Downs than Standard Downs, and they were much better in Q1/Q3 than Q2/Q4. Of course, if you had to choose a time to be great, you should choose Q1/Q3--without Q1/Q3 strength, Q4 may not matter.
Looking at all categories, you have to go pretty far to find a weakness. Here's one: they ranked in the nation's bottom ten in Q4 Rushing Success Rate+, Q4 Rushing Line Yards+, and Q4 Rushing S&P+. Of course, they only played four games decided by less than 20 points, so a large majority of Q4 rushes took place with UT's #1 defense off the field.
The Pass Defense rankings are the most impressive considering a) they improved from 29th in 2007 to 3rd in 2008, and b) they did so with two freshmen starting at safety.

Defensive Line

Lamarr Houston brings experience to an otherwise relatively green line.

2008 Unit Ranking: #2 in the nation (#1 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
DT Lamarr Houston (6'2, 290, Sr.)
DE Eddie Jones (6'3, 260, Jr.)
DE Sam Acho (6'3, 260, Jr.)
DT Kheeston Randall (6'5, 290, So.)
DE Alex Okafor (6'4, 240, Fr.)
DT Ben Alexander (6'0, 310, Sr.)
DE Dravannti Johnson (6'2, 232, RSFr.)
DT Kyle Kriegel (6'5, 265, Fr.)

Sophomore tackle Michael Wilcoxon left the team very recently, which hurts depth a bit. At least, it hurts experience a bit. Chances are, at least one true freshman will break into the rotation behind Lamarr Houston and Kheeston Randall. Kyle Kriegel was in for the spring, but 4-star freshmen Calvin Howell and Derek Johnson should be ready to fight it out for a spot in August. The 'Horns will miss underrated Roy Miller (11 TFL, 28 QB Hurries) at tackle, but Houston (7 TFL, 11 QBH) was solid, and Randall has a nice pedigree. The experience from Houston and Ben Alexander can't hurt either.

Whereas UT was good at DT last year, they were great at DE, thanks in part to Brian Orakpo and his 19 TFL, 11.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 30 QBH. Seriously, we at RMN really liked Stryker Sulak and Tommy Chavis--they combined for 21.5 TFL, 13.5 sacks, and 12 QBH. Granted, they forced a really impressive eight fumbles, but still. Orakpo was ridiculously good. Also gone: RB-turned-DE Henry Melton (10 TFL, 4 sacks). That's a lot of sacks and hurries to replace.

The main man in making sure UT's QB pressure doesn't drop in 2009 isn't even on the list above. That, of course, would be hybrid LB/DE Sergio Kindle (14 TFL, 10 sacks), listed below in the LBs list. He will be the main rush end, I think, in passing situations. Along with Kindle, it's probably time for former 5-star recruit Eddie Jones to make his move. In 13 games last year, he managed only eight tackles in backup time, though five went for loss (he also added 5 QBH, but I'm starting to think that Texas statisticians were VERY liberal in their interpretation of what constitutes a "hurry"). If he can become a reliable force alongside Kindle and Sam Acho, Texas should be just fine. If he doesn't, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will be looking toward Dravannti Johnson and maybe stud true freshman Alex Okafor to provide the lacking pressure.

The components are certainly all here for the 'Horns to have another great D-line--it's just that it's always hard to assume such a thing when you lose somebody as great as Orakpo. The odds are in their favor, though.

Linebackers

Sergio Kindle: too much of a stud to play just one position.

2008 Unit Ranking: #3 in the nation (#1 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
Sergio Kindle (6'4, 255, Sr.)
Roddrick Muckelroy (6'2, 235, Sr.)
Jared Norton (6'3, 237, Sr.)
Keenan Robinson (6'3, 232, So.)
Tariq Allen (6'2, 245, Fr.)
Emmanuel Acho (6'2, 235, So.)

Whereas the D-line had headliners and great stats, the Texas linebackers (sans Kindle) were probably a bit overshadowed in 2008. But when a defense is equally great at stopping the run and the pass, some of that is going to be because of a good LB corps, and that reflected well in my LB rankings. Kindle and fellow 2009 seniors Roddrick Muckelroy and Jared Norton were extremely steady in 2008, and there's no reason to expect otherwise in 2009. Muckelroy only had four TFLs and didn't really play a role in forcing many turnovers, but he was UT's main tackler, racking up 112 (71 solo). There is little experience behind this trio of seniors, but Keenan Robinson and Tariq Allen were both 4-star recruits--they'll probably be alright in 2010...or at least 2011.

Secondary

Sadly, Blake Gideon is thus far remembered for the play he didn't make.

2008 Unit Ranking: #4 in the nation (#1 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
S Earl Thomas (5'10, 197, So.)
S Blake Gideon (6'1, 200, So.)
CB Chykie Brown (6'1, 187, Jr.)
CB Deon Beasley (5'10, 180, Sr.)
CB Aaron Williams (6'1, 189, So.)
CB Curtis Brown (6'1, 185, Jr.)
S Christian Scott (6'1, 209, So.)
S Nolan Brewster (6'2, 210, So.)

That such a young unit led such an impressive move up the passing rankings (from 29th to 3rd) is rather astounding. With freshman safeties Earl Thomas and Blake Gideon holding down the fort at safety, and a batch of solid (mostly young) corners, UT had the best pass defense in the Big 12, and it's hard to imagine that changing with most of the key cast of characters coming back in 2009. Of course, what is most memorable out the secondary are the two plays they didn't make--Gideon dropping the INT, then Beasley (I think) whiffing on the tackle of Crabtree at the end of the Tech game--but that's unfair since this unit made most of the rest of the plays they needed to make.

If there's an area of aimed-for improvement in this unit, it comes in the form of interceptions--they only snagged six in 2008. In landing the #3 ranking, they benefited from the fact that my rankings don't place heavy emphasis on turnovers. They covered and tackled well, but one thing that can help out the Texas offense--one that I'm still saying might struggle more than expected thanks to their disproportionate success on Passing Downs--is by setting up some short fields and easy points. These are mostly 3- and 4-star recruits with a growing amount of experience, so it wouldn't be shocking to see a secondary that was a liability just a couple of years ago, suddenly forcing quiet a few turnovers and turning into the single best unit on the team.

Special Teams

Google searching for Hunter Lawrence, I also found this pic.

2008 Unit Ranking: #3 Net Punting, #72 Punt Returns, #32 Kickoff Returns

Projected Starters
K Hunter Lawrence (6'0, 187, Sr.) - 60-for-60 PAT, 10-for-12 FG (long: 46)
P John Gold (6'3, 212, Jr.) - 39.6 Net Avg
KR Jordan Shipley (6'0, 190, Sr.) - 26.3 Avg, 1 TD
PR Jordan Shipley (6'0, 190, Sr.) - 10.7 Avg, 1 TD

Hunter Lawrence wasn't asked to do a ton last year--less than one FG attempt per game--but he did well in the limited opportunities, missing just two kicks all year. He and John Gold form a pretty damn solid kicking unit, even if neither was needed much in 2008. Jordan Shipley had a clutch kickoff return touchdown against Oklahoma, just as it looked like OU was about seize control of the game (UT had just gone down 14-3 when he broke loose), but the rest of the year he was only solid at KR's, not spectacular. Same with punt returns, where he ripped off a 45-yard touchdown in one return and managed only 19 yards in five others. It wouldn't surprise me to see Malcolm Williams become a force in kickoff returns, but overall this is a solid unit either way. Not as good as OSU's, but definitely in the upper half of the Big 12.

Summary

If the Texas defensive line can approximate last year's success, then the linebackers and secondary should be more than good enough to keep Texas in the Top 5 of the defensive S&P+ rankings. Six starters return among the back seven, and the backups were highly-touted recruits. It all hinges on line success, however. There is no way to underestimate how disruptive the D-line--particularly Orakpo, Miller, and (when he played DE) Kindle--was, and how integral it was to UT's success. Opposing quarterbacks having almost no time to throw cleanly definitely a green secondary, and while the secondary won't need quite as much help in 2009, they'll still need some. Find a solid rush end to line up opposite Kindle--be it Acho, Jones, Okafor, or whoever--and UT will have a national title-caliber defense.

---

Projections on Friday.

Monday With Mack

GhostofBigRoy — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:24:49 -0000

With the dearth of information during the off season, any press conference from Mack Brown gets me about as excited as a little kid in a candy store. Not exactly a svelte little kid, either, if you get my drift. Anyway, on to the bullets from Mack's Monday presser ($) (here is the MB-TF transcript):

Ben Alexander would start over Kheeston Randall if the season started today, in part because Alexander improved his conditioning and quickness over the off season, but also because he plays the run better than Randall, who struggles occasionally with his consistency. However, Alexander's lack of overall speed will keep him off the field on passing downs. The only issue with that rotation is that team's going to a no-huddle offense could keep Alexander on the field for as long as they don't substitute. Something to keep on eye on.
Former blue chip tackle Tray Allen has worked inside at guard this spring, as the coaches seek to establish the needed depth at the position. Allen has worked at that position in part because Charlie Tanner has missed several practices this spring with the flu. The move inside by Allen has allowed Britt Mitchell to get reps at right tackle with Kyle Hix out of the lineup. No word on Aundrew McGaskey, as he appears to have lost his position in the rotation to Mitchell, now apparently entrenched at tackle after dabbling in the tight end position.

Speaking of the tight end position, Greg Smith (of f*** no!) and Ahmard Howard are battling to top the depth chart, as Ian Harris continues to suffer from stingers. With his continued problems, any expectations for contributions from Harris during his Longhorn career should be severely tempered. It may not be time to write him off totally, but it's certainly starting to look like that.
Brown is not considering redshirting any players who can contribute, as he has come to believe that they work harder in practice and in the classroom when they have a chance to contribute in games. It's probably time to permanently put to rest any speculation lingering about Garrett Gilbert redshirting.
Even though Gilbert can't practice with the team this spring, he does attend every quarterback position meeting that he can make.
The Texas Relays this weekend will feature Longhorn commits Marquise Goodwin, Chris Whaley, and Adrian White.
Jordan Shipley will handle punt returns, backed up by Curtis Brown, with Shipley and Christian Scott back on kick offs. Malcolm Wililams and Aaron Williams are the back ups. For the first time since Nathan Vasher and Aaron Ross, the Longhorn kick and punt units were explosive with Shipley receiving punts and kicks, but the coaches must manage Shipley's hits throughout the season to keep him healthy. Expect to see the back ups there early and often throughout the non-conference season, as the Longhorns should roll in their first four games, including the game in Austin against Texas Tech.
The running back position has been banged up, with Vondrell McGee the only player healthy throughout the spring and current starter, as Fozzy Whittaker hurt his ankle and Jeremy Hills and Tre' Newton have also dealt with minor dings.
The offensive line is working to be more aggressive, aided by the rare health of Antwan Cobb, the current starter at fullback. Since Brown is talking about the need for physicality in the running game, his comments suggest use of man blocking in an effort to drive defenders off the ball and move the line of scrimmage, notably missing for most of the last two seasons. This offensive line needs a little more nasty in it. Where is the next Kasey Studdard?
Emmanuel Acho will play a big role this season as a situational linebacker and pass rusher, as well as contributing in all phases of the kicking game. The knee injury last season surely kept him from demonstrating his significant talent.
Brown compares the current secondary to the 2005 squad that featured six future and current NFL defensive backs. Right now, Brown says that eight could play with little drop off, guaranteeing fresh legs at the end of pass-heavy Big 12 contests, as well as insurance in case of injuries.
The new FieldTurf will be installed beginning on Monday, so if you have a chance to make it out to the stadium, enjoy the sight of real grass before it's gone.
Conventional scoring returns again for the Spring Game on Sunday (televised by ESPNU). Additionally, the field will be shortened by 10 yards because of construction work making the south end zone bleachers permanent.

In summary, the depth at defensive back and the impressive performances in the spring, particularly by new nickel starter Christian Scott bodes well for a significant improvement in the pass defense. Mack Brown didn't mention it in his presser, but creating turnovers remains a big priority, with the defensive backs needing to display much better ball skills this season.

Running back, tight end, and defensive tackle remain big question marks as the spring winds down. The lack of consistency by Kheeston Randall is disturbing, particularly in ilght of the lack of depth behind Houston, Randall, and Alexander. Unfortunately, neither defensive tackle in the 2009 class is on campus (not including Kyle Kriegel, seem as a long-term project) and probably won't have the size (Howell) or technique (Derek Johnson) to contribute in the fall.

Running back also remains a concern with the injury issues and lack of separation. The first order of business in fall practice will be to determine the starter and the roles played behind the starter.

Tight end also remains a serious problem with DJ Grant's injury limiting his crucial reps. I can only hope and pray that Greg Smith doesn't see the field as much as he did last season -- Grant needs to get healthy and Barrett Matthews needs to come in ready to play.