SB Nation - Jerrod Johnson

Independence Bowl Preview: How the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies Each Fared Against the Oklahoma State Cowboys

T Kyle King — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:04:32 -0000

As I noted previously, the days leading up to the SEC championship game saw Team Speed Kills comparing the Alabama Crimson Tide’s and the Florida Gators’ common opponents, which I have begun to do for the Independence Bowl participants, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies (while conceding the admitted limitations inherent to such an endeavor).

Georgia and Texas A&M had only two common opponents this season. Last night, we looked at the Arkansas Razorbacks. Tonight, we will examine how the Independence Bowl invitees each performed against the Oklahoma St. Cowboys:

Category	Georgia	Texas A&M
Game Number	1	5
Score	L 24-10	L 36-31
Passing Yards	162	273
Rushing Yards	95	109
Total Yards	257	382
Passing Yds. All.	135	279
Rushing Yds. All.	172	169
Total Defense	307	448
Third Downs	33.3% (4 of 12)	43.8% (7 of 16)
Third Down Defense	40.0% (6 of 15)	42.9% (6 of 14)
Turnover Margin	-3	Even

Once again, a cursory look at the statistics suggests that the outing in Shreveport very well could be defense-optional. Although the Bulldogs’ and the Aggies’ contests against the Razorbacks were more proximate in time than their respective games against the Pokes, Georgia’s and Texas A&M’s showdowns with Oklahoma State were more similar sorts of games.

The Cowboys held a three-point halftime lead on the Bulldogs in Stillwater on September 5 and they carried a one-point deficit into the locker room in College Station on October 10, which is about the difference you would figure, given that the Waddies were playing the former game at home and the latter on the road. Georgia and Texas A&M both trailed Oklahoma State by seven points at the end of three quarters.

Accordingly, it is unlikely that the game situations appreciably altered either squad’s approach, as both outings unfolded along similar lines. That being the case, the Aggies clearly made better adjustments against Oklahoma State in the final 45 minutes.

The Bulldogs led the Cowpokes 7-0 after one quarter of play, only to be outscored 24-3 the rest of the way. The Oklahomans led the Texans 7-0 after one quarter of play, only to be outscored 31-29 the rest of the way. Georgia began the autumn by receiving the opening kickoff in Boone Pickens Stadium and marching 80 yards in ten plays to score a touchdown on the season’s first drive. Joe Cox attempted just three passes, completing two of them, and the ‘Dawgs ran the ball on the other seven snaps. Richard Samuel (four rushes for 31 yards), Branden Smith (two rushes for nine yards), and Logan Gray (one rush for two yards) all contributed to the ground game on the initial series. It was a good start to 2009, but the game---the season, really---went straight downhill from there.

After forcing the Pokes to punt on their first possession, the Red and Black again were back in business; three snaps into their second series, the Athenians had picked up a first down on a pair of Richard Samuel rushes and an Oklahoma State penalty. Georgia’s next four plays were a trio of Joe Cox passes, two of which were broken up by Perrish Cox, and a Drew Butler punt.

The Bulldogs ran sixteen more plays in the balance of the first half. Nine of these were passes, of which four were incomplete and three of the other five picked up three or fewer yards. A Cowboy field goal with five seconds remaining until halftime staked Okie State to a 10-7 lead and Georgia never did more than threaten to climb back into the contest after that. Joe Cox finished with a 50 per cent completion rate for 162 yards and as many interceptions as touchdowns.

The ‘Dawgs trailed the Pokes by 50 yards of total offense, had fewer first downs, and held the ball for a little more than 26 minutes of clock time. The Aggies, by contrast, were a couple of minutes closer to even in time of possession and picked up five more first downs than their Big 12 South opponent in a loss. Texas A&M had little early success against Oklahoma State, as the Aggies ran the ball eight times in the opening quarter (discounting sacks) and never gained more than six feet on any of those rushes. The first five times Jerrod Johnson tried to pass, the results were completions of four and twelve yards to Uzoma Nwachukwu, a pair of incompletions, and a sack.

Trailing by a touchdown, Texas A&M came to life in the second stanza. An eight-play drive beginning in the first quarter and featuring two passes which together covered 42 yards of real estate went deep into Cowboy territory before Randy Bullock missed a 32-yard field goal that Sandra Bullock should have made. Undaunted, the Aggies launched touchdown drives of 57 and 51 yards, responded to the Pokes’ recovery of a Jerrod Johnson fumble at the Texans’ 37 yard line by picking off a Zac Robinson pass to reclaim possession, and drove 71 yards to the Oklahoma State one yard line before turning the ball over on downs just before intermission.

Again discounting sacks but including two-point conversion attempts, the Aggies ran the ball thirteen times in the second quarter, only twice gaining more than five yards in a single rushing attempt, but Texas A&M remained sufficiently dedicated to the run that it opened up the pass. With a balanced attack featuring 42 pass attempts and 41 rushing attempts, Jerrod Johnson threw for 273 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks.

If there is any encouragement to be taken from the Bulldogs’ and the Aggies’ comparable games against the Cowboys, it is this: Texas A&M played much better against Oklahoma State than Georgia did, but all the Maroon and White had to show for it was a more exciting loss. The Pokes beat the Aggies despite (1) playing at Kyle Field, (2) trailing in first downs, (3) offsetting their lone takeaway with a corresponding giveaway to even the turnover margin, and (4) incurring 118 yards’ worth of penalties to Texas A&M’s 30.

The Big 12 South battle went in favor of the visiting Okies because they outgained the hometown Texans by 60 yards on the ground and six yards through the air, averaging 11.2 yards per pass. Georgia was much more careless with the football than the Aggies, posting a minus-three turnover ratio against the Cowboys that would become disturbingly familiar to Bulldog fans over the course of the campaign, and the Classic City Canines partially offset the Pokes’ 106 penalty yards with 58 of their own.

Nevertheless, a fairly decent defensive effort by the ‘Dawgs limited Oklahoma State to 6.1 yards per pass and held the Cowboys to a rushing effort (3.7 yards per carry) comparable to the 3.5 yards per running play they averaged against the Aggies. Carelessness with the football was a large part of what doomed the Red and Black in Stillwater, and that would become a familiar and infuriating theme of the season, but that fact offers at least some cause for hope, for this reason: Georgia has won the turnover battle in two of its last three games. If the SEC representative in Shreveport can find a way to hang onto the pigskin, the Athenians have a chance.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Independence Bowl Preview: How the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies Each Fared Against the Arkansas Razorbacks

T Kyle King — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:22:59 -0000

In the days leading up to the anticlimactic (yet deeply satisfying) SEC championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida Gators, Team Speed Kills did an outstanding job of comparing the two combatants by calling attention to the seven opponents common to them both. On a much less impressive level, and to a much more limited extent, I would like to subject the Independence Bowl contestants, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies, to a similar analysis.

Georgia’s and Texas A&M’s schedules featured only a pair of shared teams, the first of which we will look at this evening. Here is how the Bulldogs and the Aggies stacked up against the Arkansas Razorbacks:

Category	Georgia	Texas A&M
Game Number	3	4
Score	W 52-41	L 47-19
Passing Yards	375	345
Rushing Yards	155	113
Total Yards	530	458
Passing Yds. All.	408	271
Rushing Yds. All.	77	163
Total Defense	485	434
Third Downs	38.5% (5 of 13)	38.9% (7 of 18)
Third Down Defense	21.4% (3 of 14)	41.7% (5 of 12)
Turnover Margin	-2	+1

I think I’ll start by going out on a limb here and declaring that the gridiron battle in Shreveport will not be a defensive struggle. Both the Bulldogs and the Aggies gave up a boatload of yards and more than 40 points to a Razorback offense currently ranked first in the SEC in scoring offense (37.3 points per game) and second in the league in total offense (439.3 yards per game).

Measured against Arkansas’s season-long figures, Georgia had more or less an average day against the Razorbacks in points permitted and Texas A&M had almost exactly an average day against the Hogs in yards allowed, but those numbers were padded by Arkansas’s dates with Division I-AA Missouri State, Eastern Michigan, and Troy. Those three opponents between them conceded 167 of the 448 points the Razorbacks have tallied this season. Against BCS conference opponents other than Georgia and Texas A&M, Arkansas averaged 27.6 points per outing, and only one team from an automatically qualifying league other than the Bulldogs and the Aggies gave up more than 20 points to the Hogs prior to November 7. Arkansas has a good offense, but that reality should not be allowed to mask the fact that neither Georgia nor Texas A&M sports a good defense. (That may be why Georgia’s entire defensive staff was fired and Texas A&M fans are debating whether to replace the Aggies’ defensive coordinator.)

That said, the two Independence Bowl invitees exhibited different strengths (or, perhaps more accurately, different weaknesses) against the Razorbacks. The Aggies surrendered more than twice as many rushing yards to the Hogs as the ‘Dawgs allowed, yet the Red and Black gave up more than a football field’s worth of yardage more than Texas A&M did through the air. To some extent, this is due to the different types of games the two teams played against Arkansas---Georgia engaged in a shootout with the Hogs while the Aggies had to play catch-up after trailing by 20 points at the break---but those statistics are not misleading: Ryan Mallett dropped back to pass five times on the Razorbacks’ first three drives against Texas A&M, and the results were three incompletions and two sacks.

On the opposite side of the ball, both Independence Bowl signal callers aired it out against Arkansas. The Aggies’ Jerrod Johnson connected with eight different receivers while going 30 of 58 for 345 yards and two touchdowns while the much more efficient Joe Cox (how often do you hear that phrase?) completed 18 of his 26 attempts for 375 yards and five TDs.

Georgia and Texas A&M succeeded in converting third downs at virtually identical rates against an Arkansas outfit ranked in the middle of the SEC in third-down conversions allowed (36.0%), but the Bulldogs’ third-down defense was markedly better against a Razorback unit that moves the chains 36.2 per cent of the time in such situations.

The red flags for the Red and Black are to be found on the lines labeled "passing yards allowed" and "total defense," although those numbers deserve a closer look. After taking a ten-point first-quarter lead, the Aggies gave up eight scores on a dozen Arkansas possessions, with six of those marches ending in touchdowns. The Hogs’ first three series of the contest ended in punts, after which the SEC West squad went on drives of 77, 38, 26, 73, 70, 63, and 73 yards, with an 85-yard Jerry Franklin fumble return for a touchdown thrown in for good measure. Only a second-quarter interception, a three-and-out to start the second half, a fourth-quarter fumble, and a kneeldown in the closing seconds prevented Arkansas from putting up points each time the Hogs touched the ball after their initial jitters.

The Bulldogs’ game against the Razorbacks in Fayetteville followed a very different pattern from that seen in the Aggies’ neutral site outing against Arkansas at Arlington seven days later. Instead of leaping out to an early lead, the ‘Dawgs were down 21-10 at the end of the opening period. Georgia mounted nine scoring drives, six of which covered at least 57 yards, and what happened to Mallett late in the game was even more bewildering.

The Razorback quarterback was on fire to start the second half against the Red and Black. Mallett completed eight of his first nine attempts and three of those passes went for 30 yards or more. Inside the five-minute mark in the third quarter, though, he was shut down, connecting on three of his last fourteen aerials for 36 yards. During that span, Mallett took a sack but did not guide a touchdown drive.

If the Bulldogs’ and the Aggies’ respective performances against the Hogs are any indication, there ought to be yards gained and points galore in Shreveport. Texas A&M probably is better against the pass and Georgia probably is better against the run, but neither plays much defense. The Big 12 South club has a greater propensity for takeaways yet the SEC East squad has a superior penchant for comebacks.

Of course, we are talking about a pretty small data set here, so we are not yet in a position to draw any ironclad conclusions. For that, we will need to turn to the other common opponent both Independence Bowl contestants share, the Oklahoma St. Cowboys.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 12.16.09

Seth C — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:53:28 -0000

Under Pressure: LAJ's Courtney Linehan writes that the men's basketball team is learning from previous pressure situations, and SF Mike Singletary thinks the team still has something to prove.

"We love to come in and be the spoiler, create upsets, just come in and surprise people," Singletary said. "This year it’s kind of different because we’ve been getting some recognition. We have the same mentality, but we have to come out and show people they’re not better than us."

And Singletary is ready to prove doubters wrong:

He’s heard people claim Tech is overrated. He’s heard it said about No. 23 Washington, which was ranked No. 12 when it lost 99-92 to Tech last month, a game that propelled the Raiders into the polls.

He said it doesn’t change anything.

"If they want to say Washington’s overrated, that we’re overrated, just let them talk," Singletary said. "We’ll prove them wrong."

Big 12 Power Poll: CT's Steve Walentik has his weekly Big 12 Power Poll and the Red Raiders check in at #4:

4. Texas Tech (9-0)
This week: at Wichita State on Saturday
The Red Raiders are off to their best start since opening 12-0 in the 1929-30 season. John Roberson has had a stellar start to the season, averaging 13.6 points and 5.7 assists. But the biggest reason for Tech's improvement has come from its collective effort defensively. Coach Pat Knight's team is holding foes to 63.7 points, a vast improvement over last season.

All-Americans: DE Brandon Sharpe was named to the Sporting News third team All-American team and Sharpe and RG Brandon Carter were also named to the AP's third team All-American team (also see Tall Mike's FanPost).

2010 Heisman Favorites: FoxSports Pete Fiutak runs down a list of Heisman hopefuls for the 2010 season and I'm not sure how some of you will feel about this, but QB Taylor Potts is named as the 18th most likely candidate and joins fellow Big 12'ers: UT's QB Garrett Gilbert at #14 (Gilbert will be good, but I don't think there's any way that he'll be that good as a RS FR); OU's QB Landry Jones at #17 (I'm curious if the OU faithful still believe in Jones); and TAMU's QB Jerrod Johnson at #19 (he should be higher than every one of these players based on what he did in 2009). I think Potts' inclusion is an indication that the mainstream media who probably doesn't follow the program closely and those that do as it appears the quarterback position may be at a crossroads during the offseason (a lot more on this later in the morning).

Upon Further Review: Defense vs A&M (First Half)

Peter Bean — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:30:04 -0000

Even blogging full time, I now fully understand why Brian Cook usually isn't getting these things out until Wednesday, at the earliest. Finishing one half of one side of the ball took me far longer than I anticipated, for a multitude of reasons, some for reasons beyond my control (e.g. technology issues with the torrent file), and plenty that were my own fault -- mistakes and inefficiencies made because I'd never put one of these together before. One look at the monstrous chart and you'll sympathize. (Given that it's Wednesday night and I'm behind on pretty much everything -- behind on Life -- I may not get to do the second half to review the defense's forgettable second period.)

Let me preface the chart with a few key notes, for navigating what you're reading. Columns indicate, from left-to-right: Line of Scrimmage (Line), Down (Dn), Distance (Ds), Offensive Formation (OForm), Defensive Formation (DForm), Type, Play, Player, Yards Gained/Lost (Yds). Within the notes on each individual play, you'll see various +/-s sprinkled in behind player names or to conclude a note. These indicate a notable strong (+) play or mistake (-). Where the team's pressure is implicated, positively or negatively, that gets charted; ditto for coverage (Cover). At the conclusion of the chart is the aggregate chart for each player and the team pressure/cover metrics. There is some art to this particular science, but each play was scrutinized closely, two or more times almost every time. The chart, and the notes embedded within, pretty well captures everything that happened of import in the first half when A&M had the ball. If you have questions, pop 'em in the comments.

FIRST QUARTER

Line	Dn	Ds	OForm	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yds
O29	1	10	Ace H-Back	4-2 Base	Run	Dive	Michael	3
Ags actually execute picture-perfect zone blocking initially, but LT Grimes can't hold Lamarr Houston (+1), who sheds his block and makes the primary stop, with help from Acho (+0.5).
O32	2	7	Shotgun Trips Left	4-2 Base	Pass	Slip screen	Swope	-2
A&M tries a quick slip screen to the left flat with Swope, but Williams pushes his blocker back and Earl Thomas (Cover +1) comes racing forward to make a strong open field tackle for a loss of 2.
O30	3	9	Shotgun 4-wide	4-2 Up	Pass	Fly	Fuller	70 (TD)
Zone blitz disaster. Gideon comes on a delayed blitz, and three Horns (Chykie, Keenan, ET) triangulate on slot man Morrow in the underneath zone as Fuller streaks past Chykie Brown (-0.5). I'm also tallying this one (Team Cover -2), as it's impossible to tell who among the three is at fault, or, if we take Muschamp at his word, the DC's fault.
DRIVE NOTES: 3 plays, 71 yards, 7 points, 1:16. A busted coverage puts Texas in the early hole. Nothing else to say about it. On the bright side: a mistake that's correctable.

Line	Dn	Ds	OForm	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yds
O33	1	10	Shotgun Trips Left	4-2 Base	Pass	Out	Tannehill	14
Ags take over after ridiculous, predictable fake punt by UT. Aggies open with the same play as 2nd and 7 from their first drive, but this time, because Texas is blitzing Williams -- easily picked up by the LT (Pressure -1) Tannehill releases upfield on an out as Swope slides towards the sideline. ET charges up (Cover -1), reading another screen, but because Williams has vacated, Tannehill is free behind him on the out. After holding the LBs with play action, Johnson makes the right read and hits him for 14.
O47	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-2 Base	Run	Sweep	Gray	5 (Pen -15)
The Aggies run a sweep to the right, which would have been a nice first-down gain, but lose 15 yards on a chop block penalty called on Grimes. Keenan (-1) takes a terrible angle on the run, plowing himself into pinned inside position as Gray gets outside.
O32	1	25	Shotgun 4-wide, Trips L	4-2 Base	Pass	Shovel	Gray	0
Texas sends Randall on a stunt and for a moment it looks like Texas is in trouble, as right before Randall arrives (Pressure +1) Johnson flips the shovel pass to Gray right in the area where Randall vacated, but Muckelroy (+1) is there, dodges a block, and makes the tackle for no gain.
O32	2	25	Shotgun empty	4-2 Wide	Pass	Shovel	Gray	6
A&M goes 5-wide from the empty set and runs a quick bubble screen to Gray. Keenan recovers nicely from an initial block to keep Gray from cutting inside, while ET (+1) comes up quick and strong to make the initial hit, with Muckelroy finishing the tackle.
O38	3	19	Shotgun 4-wide, Doubles	3-4	Pass	Scramble	Johnson	0
Texas brings in E-Acho for its first true 3-4 look of the game. Three-man rush gets no pressure on Johnson, who has a huge pocket to throw in, but doesn't like what he sees downfield and scrambles, making Kindle miss before getting run out of bounds by Muckelroy. (Team Cover +1)
DRIVE NOTES: 5 plays, 5 yards, Punt, 2:01. The chop block puts A&M in big hole they don't get out of. Texas D does nice job tackling what's in front of them. Fake punt doesn't hurt Texas on the scoreboard.

Line	Dn	Ds	OForm	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yds
O34	1	10	Ace 4-wide, Doubles	4-2 Base	Rush	Stretch	Michael	4
Another nice bit of execution by A&M zone blocking, as the guard gets a good block taking Muckelroy (+1) to the ground, but the linebacker nicely absorbs the blow and is on his feet very quickly to make the tackle with ET (+0.5), who avoided the WR block while coming up in run support. Keenan (-0.5), apparently on outside contain, lightly dances (much too far) outside trying to avoid a Tannehill block, and effectively runs himself out of the play.
O38	2	6	Ace 4-wide, Bunch L	4-2 Base	Run	Counter	Michael	3
A&M bunches three WR to the left, then runs a counter to the right with Michael. The blocking is excellent up front and at the second level on the playside, but Keenan (+1) does a good job decisively cutting to cut off Michael before he can make much yardage, slamming him to the ground with a strong tackle.
O41	3	3	Empty, 5-wide, Trips L	4-2 Under	Pass	Dig	McCoy	7
Texas rushes four while playing A&M in man underneath, with Muck spying Johnson in the middle of the field. Johnson has a comfortable pocket and clear lane to zip a pass to McCoy just beyond the LOS. Williams' coverage is strong -- McCoy is smothered as he receives the ball -- but it's just a perfect throw by Johnson, good for a 1st Down.
O48	1	10	I-Form	4-2 Base	Run	Dive	Michael	1
After mindlessly lining up on the wrong side of the field, Aaron Williams (-0.5) is belatedly sprinting across the field at the snap and is lucky Johnson didn't audible to a quick pass to the uncovered slot on the strongside. No harm on the play, however, as Acho and Randall tie up blockers, and Chykie (+1) beats a block and combines with Keenan for a stuff near the LOS.
O49	2	9	Ace, Twin-TEs	3-4	Run	Dive	Michael	6
Hard to see this one very well as ESPN gives us a meaningless Packers-Lions update from six hours earlier, but it's another good job of zone blocking by A&M, although Muck (+0.5) once again does a good job shedding engagement to help ET make the tackle.
UT45	3	3	Shotgun, 5-wide, Trips R	3-3-5	Pass	Drag	Tannehill	INC
Texas rushes three, and drops LBs into zone. Tannehill drags across and is actually open in the zone when Johnson releases the ball, but Lamarr Houston (+1) pushes to JJ with an outstanding rush from the weak end position (Pressure +1) and bats down the pass as it's release.
DRIVE NOTES: 6 plays, 21 yards, Punt, 2:32. No real problems here for the defense; A&M picks up a first down on nice execution, but Texas is solid throughout.

SECOND QUARTER

Line	Dn	Ds	OForm	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yds
O35	1	10	Shotgun 4-wide, Trips R	3-3-5 Under	Run	Dive	Michael	2
Texas is playing three down, with Kindle upright on the strongside. Lamarr Houston (+1) absolutely destroys Patrick Lewis at the LOS and makes the primary tackle.
O36	2	8	Shotgun Trips Left	4-2 Base	Pass	Screen	Michael	7
A&M shoots both receivers on the right downfield while slipping Michael out on a quick screen. Muck does a great job reading it, but Johnson completes a nifty pass and Muck (-0.5) overruns Michael, whiffing on the tackle. Fortunately, Kindle reads it nicely as well and is able to wrap the RB with Chykie before A&M can get a 1st Down.
O30	3	1	I-Form, Twin-TEs	4-2 Up	Pass	Sack	Johnson	-1
Out of the I-formation with two tight ends, it might be a questionable play call on 3rd and short, except that Texas's tackles (Houston especially) have begun really disrupting the interior. A&M tries Play Action instead, but the short zones are blanketed by Longhorns. Randall (+0.5) and Kindle (+0.5) close in on Johnson (Pressure +1) and get the sack for a loss of 10, as JJ nearly fumbles.
DRIVE NOTES: 3 plays, -1 yards, Punt, 2:20. Texas fans start to relax as it looks like the D is going to do what it always does: shut opponents down after giving up an early score. Horns lead 14-7.

Line	Dn	Ds	OForm	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yds
O08	1	10	Shotgun, Ace Right-Over	3-3-5 Under	Rush	Zone Read	Johnson	14
Texas is in 3-4 with Kindle upright on the weakside, with Houston line up in 5-technique on the strongside. At the snap Johnson correctly reads Houston (-1), who crashes inside too quickly, pulls the ball back, keeps it, and rips off a 14-yard run before an open field tackle is made by Nolan Brewster, who's in the game because Williams is for the first series this game on the sidelines (ET taking nickelback duties).
O22	1	10	Ace, Doubles	4-2 Base	Rush	Dive	Michael	8
Great zone blocking once again by A&M: the tackles are sealed and Muck can't immediately shed the second-level block this time, allowing Michael to rip it up the gut before Gideon makes the stop with Muck.
O30	2	2	N/A	N/A	Rush	N/A	Michael	1
ESPN misses the entire play while Reece Davis shows a meaningless picture of fans in Boulder while talking about the (not at all breaking) news that Dan Hawkins will return next year. Thanks, guys. Houston and Robinson are credited with the tackle of Michael, who picks up 1 on a rush.
O31	3	1	Ace, Twin-TEs	4-2 Base	Rush	Dive	Michael	3
Keenan had an indirect shot at Michael in the backfield, but couldn't quite knock him down and Michael kept his balance and stumbled forward for the first down. Thomas on the tackle.
O34	1	10	Shotgun, Ace Trips L	3-3-5	Pass	Fly	Tannehill	36
Texas in its 3-4 with Kindle upright. Horns blitz 5 at the snap, Kindle from the weakside and Muck from the strongside, but there's no pressure generated at all (Pressure -1). With Muck vacating, Keenan (-1) has responsibility for the strongside slot, but he's a second slow making his break over and Tannehill, who's running a fly, has a full step edge on him. Johnson lobs a perfect pass that hits the WR in stride as Keenan tackles from behind. (Coverage -1) Absolutely no reason, given Texas' scheme and A&M's alignment, that Robinson shouldn't have been leaning towards Tannehill sooner, in time to be there in coverage.
UT30	1	10	Shotgun, Ace Doubles	4-2 Base	Pass	Scramble	Johnson	8
Texas plays A&M in Cover 2 man and blankets all the downfield receivers nicely (Coverage +1), but the front four can't get anything on Johnson (Pressure -1), who eventually tucks it in, jukes Kindle (-0.5), and is barely tripped up by Acho after picking up 8 yards.
UT22	2	2	I-Form, Twin TE	4-2 Base (?)	Rush	Dive	Michael	8
Texas is scrambling to align itself at the snap, making the job easy for A&M, who easily win the LOS and open the way for Michael to grab 8 and the first down. (Pressure -1)
UT14	1	10	Ace, Double Stacks Gun	3-3-5	Pass	Slant	Fuller	14
Texas aligns in 3-4 (Kindle upright) and blitzes the nickelback ET, dropping the remaining 7 in zone. Problem 1: Absolutely no heat from the four man rush (Pressure -1). Now, take a look at this snap shot. Problem 2: Dustin Earnest (-1) stands like a statue and just watches, opening a gap behind him for Fuller. Problem 3: Nolan Brewster (-1)not only fgails to engage Fuller at the 10, but more or less propels him forward with a light push, meekly releasing him to the second level. Problem 4: As Fuller is released, Curtis Brown (-1) does absolutely nothing about it, instead doubling over the top of the underneath man releasing outside. On TV it looks like Gideon is the one late coming over, but it's not his play to make. There was no way he could get over -- it was Brown's responsibility. (Cover -3)
DRIVE NOTES: 8 plays, 92 yards, TD 14-14, 2:53. Prior to this drive, A&M had 7 points and 70 yards on a busted coverage and nothing else of too much concern -- just 32 yards on 6-7 passing and 25 yards rushing on 8 carries. With Texas' two scores to take a 14-7 lead, this would have seemed the moment when the Longhorns would begin to pull away. Instead, pinned on their own 8 yard line, Jerrod Johnson led A&M on an 8-play, 92-yard scoring drive, 72 of which were all Johnson -- 2 rushes for 22 and 2 passes for 36 and 14. Tempting as it might be to feel modestly assured that all four of the biggest plays featured dumbfounding mistakes by Texas, we have to wonder: how many mistakes did Texas make in the first 11 games this year that teams simply weren't able to capitalize on? There's no question this defense is strong, but the lack of QBs able to capitalize on Texas' mistakes may have made the unit look better than it is. I'll stop now, as we're only in the second quarter here. More pain to come.

Line	Dn	Ds	OForm	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yds
O33	1	10	Shotgun Ace Trips R	3-3-5 Under	Pass	Curl	Nwachukwu	13
Another soft zone by Texas, another country afternoon for JJ to survey the field (Pressure -1). The Aggies send Swope from the slot towards the sideline, occupying nickelback ET near the LOS, send Fuller deep to draw the safety, and hit Nwachukwu on a 10-yard curl, who Beasley (-1) is only nominally covering. (Coverage -1) Second straight series without A-Williams and it's showing.
O46	1	10	I-Right Wing	4-2 Base	Rush	FB Dive	McCoy	-1
Johnson hands to the fullback on a quick dive play that A&M's blocking right; if McCoy heads for the B gap on the right side, there's a big hole and 6-8 yards waiting for him, but he hesitates and steps left, where Sergio Kindle (+1) is crashing down the line. Kindle wraps up for a 1-yard loss.
O45	2	11	Shotgun, Ace Right	4-2 Base	Rush	Zone Read	Gray	3
Seeing Kindle staying home this time, Johnson hands to Gray, who's got nothing to his right and is forced towards Kindle for what looks like will be a no-gainer, but Kindle (-0.5) can't finish the tackle as Gray makes a spin, allowing him to scamper forward for 3 yards, where Muck (+0.5) is in position to clos him out.
O49	3	7	Shotgun empty 5-wide	3-3-5	Pass	Sack	Johnson	-10
Texas aligns in 3-3, man under, with Keenan hovering near the right guard. At the snap, Robinson retreats and drifts to his right while Curtis Brown comes on a corner blitz. Brown approaches Johnson's blindside, but feels the pressure at the last moment and spins as Brown (-1) arrives -- another missed tackle. But as he looks down the field for somewhere to go, Sam Acho (+1) pursues with tremendous speed and snags Johnson from the backside for a 10-yard sack. (Pressure +2, Coverage +1)
DRIVE NOTES: 4 plays, 6 yards, Punt, 2:21. Having scored the drive previous, Texas again looked like it might be building momentum, now up 21-7, but an atrocious 25-yard punt by Ryan Epperson fluttered down amidst traffic, ricocheted off Vaccaro, and into the Aggies arms at the UT 36 yard line.

Line	Dn	Ds	OForm	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yds
UT36	1	10	Ace Right	3-4 Under	Pass	Fly	Fuller	INC
3-4 alignment with Kindle upright. Aggies play action the stretch left and bootleg Johnson rolling out to his right, but the DL isn't fooled a bit, with Houston (+1), Kindle (+0.5), and Alexander (+0.5) all breaking through the Aggie OL to pursue the QB. Seeing Fuller covered well by Gideon (+1) deep, Johnson throws it away. (Pressure +1, Coverage +1)
UT36	2	10	Ace Right	3-3-5	Rush	Option Dive	Michael	2
3-4 with Kindle upright. Ags swing Fuller towards the ball, with the option going to Michael on the dive. Despite being brutally held by the lineman he's just beat, Sam Acho (+1) makes the tackle for only a 2-yard gain.
UT34	3	8	Shotgun, Ace Trips L	4-2 Base	Pass	Drag	Gray	15
Texas in base nickel defense, playing man under, with Muck and E-Acho at LB. At the snap, A&M sends both the left slot and split end deep, while crossing Tannehill left-to-right, vacating the flat where the receivers began. As Gray slips from the backfield and drags into the open area, Johnson rolls left as Houston (+0.5) and Eddie Jones (+0.5) break through and pursue. (Pressure +1) However, Muckelroy (-2) makes a huge mistake -- staring at Johnson and losing track of Gray, leaving him sprinting to make up ground when Johnson's ball is delivered. Racing up at full-speed, he overshoots Gray, misses the tackle, and frees the tailback to dart upfield for extra yards -- 15 in all, and an enormously important 3rd down conversion with 1:49 left in the half. (Coverage -2)
UT19	1	10	Shotgun empty 5-wide	3-3-5	Pass	Dig	Fuller	5
Texas aligns in 3-4, playing zone underneath with nickelback ET blitzing from the strongside. Johnson's hot read is to Fuller on a dig, good for a short completion of 5 with Okafor on the tackle.
UT14	2	5	Shotgun empty 5-wide	4-2 Base	Pass	Flag	Morrow	14 (TD)
Texas rushes 4 in Cover 2 man under, with E-Acho lined up on Morrow (weakside slot). Five yards into his route, the Aggie receiver makes a one-step break outside before jamming hard inside on the slant. Acho's (+1) position is perfect (walling off the inside), the coverage is excellent, and he's got safety help over Morrow's back-outside shoulder. As Nolan Brewster sees Johnson stepping into a throw to Morrow, he begins to close and, as the ball is released, is in excellent position: as shown here and here. Johnson's pass is as perfect as can be, giving Morrow the best chance possible to make the play, but given Brewster's positioning, it's a shocking completion. It's the kind of play our young safeties were (not) making early last year; this time, it's Brewster, who tackles Morrow as he makes the reception, but doesn't make a play on the ball. Touchdown Aggies and we're tied 21-21.
DRIVE NOTES: 5 plays, 36 yards, TD 21-21, 1:21. Each time Texas tries to separate, the Aggies bounce back, capitalizing this time on the muffed punt return. Credit for the short-field touchdown to Johnson -- again excellent -- but also again, Texas has a hand in it, Muckelroy's mental lapse the most critical mistake.

CHARTIN'

PLAYER	PLUS	MINUS
E. Jones	0.5	--
L. Houston	4.5	1
S. Acho	3.5	--
K. Randall	0.5	--
S. Kindle	2	1
B. Alexander	0.5	--

K. Robinson	1	2
R. Muckelroy	2	2
D. Earnest	--	1

B. Gideon	1	--
Cu. Brown	--	2
E. Thomas	1.5	--
A. Williams	--	0.5
Ch. Brown	1	0
N. Brewster	--	1
D. Beasley	--	1

PRESSURE	7	7
COVERAGE	5	11

Thoughts On All-Big 12 Football Team

Beergut — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:25:36 -0000

by Jerry Larson - AP

Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Christine Michael. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune-Herald, Jerry Larson)

View full size photo »

I thought Jordan Shipley should have been named Offensive Player of the Year instead of Colt McCoy. McCoy had a poor first half of the season; Shipley was remarkably consistent game-in and game-out this year, and I thought that should count for something.
Mack Brown getting Big 12 Coach of the Year is something of a joke, in my opinion. texas was favored to win the Big 12 South and the conference in the preseason, and they....won the Big 12 South and will play for the conference championship this weekend. What about Paul Rhoads, who took a team picked to finish last in the Big 12 North to a fourth place finish and bowl contention?
I don't agree with the pick of Jeron Mastrud for all-conference TE over Jamie McCoy at all. McCoy had better numbers (31 receptions, 328 yards, 1 TD vs. 21 receptions, 233 yards, 1 TD), and was versatile enough to play some H-back and FB.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Christine Michael make Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. I thought he had a terrific season, but I figured the coaches would take the easy way out and give it to Landry Jones, who did receive some votes.

I think it is interesting that outside of Earl Thomas, texas had no other players make the first team defense. I thought Lamarr Houston deserved some serious consideration, although I can't argue against including Jared Crick, Ndamukong Suh, or Gerald McCoy at the DT position.
It was a surprise to see Michael Hodges receive some votes for Defensive Newcomer of the Year.
I am also happy some coaches think Jerrod Johnson deserved to be Offensive Player of the Year.
Von Miller received votes for both Defensive Lineman of the Year AND Defensive Player of the Year. With a freak of nature like Suh in this conference, you knew he wouldn't win either award, but the recognition of his performance this year is nice.
This conference is ridiculously loaded at wide receiver; show me another conference that can name a talented trio like Ryan Broyles, Kerry Meier, and Brandon Banks as their SECOND team.
I think Trent Hunter should be on the first team over Larry Asante, but I guess I'll have to be happy with a second-team selection. I think Asante had an easier job, since heplayed behind Suh and Crick, and just had to clean up on a lot of play. Hunter had to be a playmaker for us a lot more often, as attested by the 87 tackles he had on the season.
It is baffling to me that Sergio Kindle makes second team DL while Sam Acho did not. If you look at their play on the field or their statistics, Acho is obviously a better player, and this while playing on the strongside, so often facing double-teams.
It is nice to see that Uzoma Nwachukwu received some consideration for Offensive Freshman of the Year.

texas Game Review

Beergut — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:37:10 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson (1) towers over texas quarterback Colt McCoy (12), much like his performance Thursday night outshone McCoy's stellar effort. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Browse more photos »

In order to win the game, we needed to win the turnover battle, run the ball on their top-ranked run defense, and not have any special teams miscues. We gave up one KO return for a TD, and that turned out to be a backbreaker for us.
Even though he had an incredible performance last night, I still don't think Colt McCoy deserves the Heisman, because he wasn't even the best QB on the field last night. Jerrod Johnson took the best defense in this conference and one of the best defenses in the nation and made them look stupid.
I may be in the minority on this issue, but I didn't like the decision to go for the FG on the 4th and 3. The way our offense was playing, we could have made the three yards, and the TD would have kept the pressure on texas. Score the TD, get the onside kick, and you have the option of driving for the winning TD or going for the tie with a FG. A FG at that point still puts you down by a TD, and limits your options.
McCoy's 65 yard TD run up the middle was a pretty bad defensive breakdown; no excuse to not have anyone manning the middle of the field on 3rd and 2.
texas picked on Justin McQueen pretty good. With Coryell Judie coming off his redshirt next season, we should have someone there to play across from Terrence Frederick.
We rushed for 190 yards against the #1 rush defense in the nation; good job of creating some holes by the offensive line.
Christine Michael had a solid game, but he needs to learn to lock up the ball before the runs forward. His one fumble was a poor job by him of locking up the handoff. Jerrod had a few miscommunications in the runnning game, but it wasn't enough to hurt us seriously.

I like the Fly series we ran, although I think we should have given it to Uzoma Nwachukwu more than once.

Adam Ulatoski was holding on Von Miller pretty blatantly all night long. I was surprised they never flagged him for it.

Jerrod's performance last night makes him the first 3000 yard passer in Aggie football history.

Jerrod is also adding on to his own record for TD passes, with 28 so far this season, and one more game left to play.

After Jerrod and the wide receivers, I think the most impressive performance on the team was by our interior offensive line. They kept texas' DTs in check most of the game.

I really hope Ryan Epperson gets some work in this offseason with his position coach and improves greatly, because punting is still a weakness for us.

If we're not going to use Cyrus Gray on kickoff returns following the OU debacle, I'm okay with Ryan Swope. He was doing a stellar job out there against texas, and will only improve with time.

I was a little disappointed we didn't run any Wildcat this game. Hopefully, we'll show it again in the bowl game.

On Aggies

Peter Bean — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:31:59 -0000

More ~~tomorrow~~ soon on the game, but first.... (UPDATE 2: Back home after a long holiday weekend visiting family. Haven't felt comfortable writing about the game without watching a replay. Game notes late Sunday or Monday. --PB--)

There are two ways you might look at tonight's game. On the one hand, you might focus on Jerrod Johnson's brilliant night, on Jeff Fuller's 3 touchdowns, on the Aggies' 532 yards of offense, on A&M being in the game throughout. All of those things happened; all of them are true.

But here's the other way to look at tonight's contest: On a night when all of the above happened, Texas still defeated A&M to improve their all time record against the Agros to 75-36-5. And the game was in College Station. Maybe it was a night to be proud of Little Brother, but in the end, they are just that: Little Brother. They get a slap on the ass, a few patronizing "Hey, congrats on not getting whipped, man" comments, and the season ends, with Texas 12-0 on track for Pasadena, while Little Brother finishes 6-6, having to hope that tonight is an indication they might steal a 37th win in series history next year, when Texas has a young QB.

The latter view is the right one for the same reason it's such a sad one: the Aggie fans themselves. Not only do they moronically refuse to capitalize UT, but they reverse the letters -- the ultimate junior high gotcha. They belie their own intelligence with prideful anti-intellectualism, as though spirit and tradition are substitutes for success. ("We just gotta clap louder!" "No make out for you." "Why?" "It's Whoop! louder!") And the traditions themselves are befitting junior high kids rather than adults -- a ritualistic game of 'Follow The Leader', with 'If We Score You Have To Kiss Me' sprinkled in.

Respect is earned, not commanded, and the only people I feel sorry for more than the clowns in the costumes are the women who have to kiss them. The Aggies don't deserve our sympathy; they've earned our pity.

They've got mine.

UPDATE: To those who got worked up about the post: My Aggie friends (most of whom were in the Corps) and I have great fun caricaturing each other and I was on the other end of it in 2006 and '07. Fact is they'd wonder what was wrong with me if I hadn't ribbed 'em after the game. Great fun when you win; stings when you lose. That's what makes it a game we care about.

Ags Outscored By tu, 49-39: Postgame Reaction Thread

miketag — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:53:44 -0000

We were a couple of plays away of making that a hell of a game. Really, if our defense could tackle that could have been a hell of a win. I give credit to Colt McCoy for that long TD run because I did not know he had that kind of speed. The rest of the numbers do not impress me too much because I think Tyler Hansen put up similar numbers. Does anyone think he is a hypesman candidate? Best football player I have seen this year is still Suh from NU. Have to give credit to our WRs for making some great catches and Jerrod Johnson for playing a great game. Offense matched them score for score. An interception in the endzone and a missed chipshot FG did us in. I am excited for our future because we had a lot of sophomores and freshmen out there making big plays. We just need to shore up our OL and DL.

It will be interesting to see if NU gives tu a game. I think the NU defense will prevent tu from running the ball. The question is will Helu be able to run against the tu defense. As long as NU does not turn the ball over and sticks with the run like we did, they have a good shot. tu's defense obviously tired late in the game and we were able to run on them more. I am disappointed that we let a golden opportunity get away from us. We need to regroup and go out and win our bowl game.

Thoughts on Kansas and Texas A&M

GhostofBigRoy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:48:57 -0000

There isn't a whole lot to talk about with the Kansas game that hasn't already been said here in the last couple of days or earlier in the season, so I'll just do it bullet style:

Before the Baylor game, I said that the two best receivers Texas would face this season on one team were David Gettis and Kendall Wright. Somehow I forgot about Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe and that was just stupid. Meier didn't have a huge game, but Briscoe did, showing the combination of size and speed that should make him one of the top receivers in the draft if he decides to come out this year. Much like he did against Michael Crabtree last season, Curtis Brown really struggled against Briscoe, for a variety of reasons. Briscoe's speed was a problem, as was his size. Mostly though, Brown struggled because he kept on getting in between trying to break up passes and trying to make the tackle, often ending up doing neither. Blake Gideon didn't help him much by consistently being late getting over the top as well, though in fairness to Gideon, he was the single-high safety on several of those coverages, giving him a lot of ground to cover.

Aaron Williams actually got beat a couple of times. Astounding -- I didn't even know if that was possible. Apparently he is mortal.
It's really heartening that the Longhorns are looking down the field more often, especially when using play action. The deep post to Williams went for a long touchdown and McCoy targeted the big receiver on two other plays downfield, with Williams for some reason stopping on one route that would have been a touchdown and McCoy missing outside and long on another that would have gone for a score. The fact that they aren't quite on the same page with those throws illustrates what a crime it was not to have played Williams more early in the season. Had the coaches put him on the field, he and McCoy might have already worked through those problems. The good news is that Williams hasn't dropped any passes in the last two games and continues to block extremely well downfield. On the pass into the flat to Tre' Newton after faking the jet sweep, Wiilliams absolutely leveled a linebacker.
James Kirkendoll contines to come on as well, working harder on his blocking downfield, but more importantly, showing the precise route running Texas fans expected to see all season. McCoy is seemingly gaining more trust in him every week and it's clear that the benching after the Oklahoma game really lit a fire under him. Great to see.
The offensive line had two breakdowns in pass protection again, once by Tray Allen when he let a defensive tackle come free on McCoy's fumble early in the game when Kansas showed blitz with one linebacker on the edge, then the other, clearly confusing Allen with the protection scheme. The other came when Kyle Hix left Maxwell Onyegbule unblocked on the edge, leading to a hit on McCoy. Frustrating.
I can guarantee that since Justin Tucker fancies himself a real football player, he hated the fact that he couldn't catch Briscoe on the kickoff return. He'll probably be angry about it the rest of his life.
John Gold's punting effort was extremely poor, meaning that both the traditional and rubgy punting have struggled the last two weeks. They need to figure it out. Kickoff coverage as well, which was terrible at times.
After Jordan Shipley's fumble on a kickoff return, Marquise Goodwin should be given every chance to win the job until DJ Monroe comes back -- he didn't look quite as explosive, but Shipley's fumble was inexcusable and the second fumble he has had on special teams in the last month.
Texas struggled to get pressure on Todd Reesing during long stretches of the game -- a lot of credit should go to the Kansas offensive line, which probably played their best game of the season against Texas, doing a particularly good job picking up on the twists the Longhorns ran consistently. Part of the problem may have been that the defensive linemen were worried about staying in their lanes, but the lack of pressure helped lead to a lot of the breakdowns in the secondary.
The jet tempo package worked as well as it has all season, with the Longhorns running several bootlegs off of the play, one that resulted in a scramble for a first down by McCoy and one that resulted in the 38-yard touchdown to Shipley on a drag route. It's a good thing that Davis didn't abandon the jet tempo when it wasn't working like he did the Q package and the WildHorn, because it's giving the Longhorns an advantage right now.
The Longhorns ran power a couple of times against Kansas and it's a great addition to the playbook.

Some thoughts on the game against A&M:

The skill position players on offense are good for the Aggies, but the offensive line has struggled mightily at times this season and Jerrod Johnson often holds the ball too long in the pocket, a recipe for disaster against the Longhorns.
The key to stopping the Aggie offense may be limiting their ability to run the ball, putting them in third and long situations where Texas can put pressure on Johnson. However, the defensive linemen must stay in their lanes as they did against Kansas and Oklahoma State to limit the scrambling ability of the Aggie quarterback -- when Johnson is running the ball effectively, the Aggies are a dangerous team offensively.
Defensively, Texas A&M has virtually nothing besides Von Miller. Early in the Arkansas game, Miller was extremely disruptive until Arkansas started double teaming him and sliding their protection away from him. As long as the offensive line can keep track of him, possibly using a running back to chip him at times, Colt McCoy should have plenty of time to stand in the pocket and throw down the field against an extremely poor Aggie secondary. However, because of the need to slide the protection away from Miller or double team him, the empty set may not be the best choice this week.
The Aggies are one of the most heavily penalized teams in the country, getting flagged an average of about eight times per game -- something they cannot afford to happen against the much more talented Longhorns.
Unless several catastrophic things happen, the Aggies don't have a chance in this game. The Longhorns need to come out with focus and intensity and Colt McCoy needs another strong game to help his Heisman campaign. In other words, he needs to play better than Vince Young did against the Aggies in 2005. If you want to feel better about the game, just read this.

Baylor Game Review

Beergut — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:11:20 -0000

More photos » by Jerry Larson - AP

Texas A&M's Christine Michael (33) dives over Baylor's Jeremy Williams, left, to score on a 97-yard run during the second quarter of the Texas A&M-Baylor game. Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, in College Station, Texas. The run was the longest in A&M's history. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune-Herald, Jerry Larson)

Browse more photos »

It's hard to complain about a game in which you won by 5 touchdowna, and your defense holds the opponent to fewer than 300 yards of total offense and a field goal. The Aggies gained a season-high 375 yards rushing on 52 carries for 3 TDs and an average of 7.2 yards per carry. We were 19-25 passing for 153 yards and 2 TDs. We had 528 yards of total offense. The defense gave up 82 yards rushing on 26 carries for an average of 3.2 yards per carry, and 215 yards passing on 24 completions, while snagging 3 interceptions. All appearances are that the Aggies dominated the game to gain the win and bowl eligiblity. However, a closer look below the surface shows things aren't what they appear.

Offensively, I have little to complain about. I wasn't happy with Christine Michael's fumble, but I won't complain about his effort on a day he set the record for the longest play from scrimmage in Texas A&M football history. Michael does need to learn to protect the ball better. However, 114 yards rushing on 11 carries and a TD isn't too bad of a day. Cyrus Gray had 107 yards rushing on 14 carries, an average of 7.6 yards per carry. Along with Jerrod Johnson's 83 yards on 16 carries, Gray and Michael helped combine for the second 300-yard game from A&M's two starting RBs and the QB since the Tech game.

I was satisfied with the passing game. Jerrod spread the ball around to ten different receivers, and was an efficient 19-25 for 153 yards and 2 TDs. When Baylor came out in the second half and loaded the box, all but daring us to beat them with our passing game, I would have liked to see us go to the air some more, but when you can run the ball at will, like we were doing, there really is no reason to stop yourself if the defense can't stop you. Ryan Swope and Ryan Tannehill led the team with 4 receptions each, and Tannehill had one TD catch. I was also pleased to see Kenny Brown snag a TD on his one catch; his reception was on our first possession of the game, and helped us take the early lead. Considering the fact that Baylor only scored on a field goal, you could say Brown's one reception was the game-winner. Brown will be part of our future at the TE position, so it is nice to see him being productive. I enjoyed seeing Ryan Swope's role in this offense continue to grow; he is going to be a good one for us. I was surprised to see Uzoma Nwachukwu and Jeff Fuller only have 5 receptions between the two of them. I'm not sure if that is an issue of playcalling, or if defenses are doing a better job of getting help over deep to cover them, but Fuller and EZ should have a minimum of 15 receptions between the two of them each game, at least.

Defensively, out scheme continues to frustrate me. We seem to want to be aggressive on first and second down to stop the run, then drop off and keep the passing game in front of us on third down, and make the tackle. If the offense makes it down the field, we wait until they get to the red zone, then we play aggressive again, and try to force a field goal. Against Baylor, this strategy led to 3 interceptions, but better teams don't make those mistakes. We only had three sacks for the game, two of Nick Florence and one of Blake Syzmanski. We simply need to be able to bring more pressure than that. I know Baylor uses a lot of screens to take some pressure off their QB and get the ball out quickly, but we still gave Baylor too much time to pass the ball. Our run defense was okay; Jay Finley had one 26 yard run, and Jarred Salubi had a 34 yard run, but other than those two runs, we keep their ground game in check. We only gave up 177 yards passing to Florence on 21 completions, which means we were tacklng well, for the most part.

Overall, I am happy about this game, but we need to play better, especially on defense, if we want to win our next two games.