SB Nation User Blog: GhostofBigRoy

Findlay Prep on ESPN -- Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph

GhostofBigRoy — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:04:46 -0000

Just noticed that this was on -- 2010 basketball commit Tristan Thompson and 2010 target Cory Joseph and Findlay Prep (Avery Bradley's alma mater) are on ESPN right now (6 pm CT) against Northland. Findlay Prep also has 2012 target Winston Shepard, who attended the Texas ELITE camp this summer and whose parents both went to Texas. Also to watch -- Jared Sullinger, the number two player by ESPNU in the 2010 class and a commit to Ohio State. Csonderi this your open thread.

Morning Coffee Sees Growing Recruiting Momentum

GhostofBigRoy — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:59:55 -0000

Longhorns regain momentum in recruiting. Remember just a few months ago when it seemed like nothing could go right in the world of Texas football recruiting? Ahmad Dixon de-committed and the Longhorns lost out on another extremely talented safety a year after missing out on both Kevin Brent and Craig Loston. Then Ross Apo de-committed as well and suddenly all the momentum generated by the Junior Day commitments and the decisions that trickled in afterward vanished amidst message board meltdowns. Darius White was reportedly stewing over the disrespect to his buddies and appeared like a virtual OU lock. Jake Matthews committed to Texas A&M, as did Corey Nelson, marking major losses to a rival that desperately needed the infusion of talent. Any news was seemingly bad news as Texas recruitniks found themselves nonplussed by an already stellar class.

Well, momentum is squarely back in the corner of Texas. DeMarco Cobbs committed virtually out of nowhere, marking the first addition to the class since Reggie Wilson months before, strengthening an already strong class and providing versatility with his ability to play multiple positions. Mike Davis committed over the weekend after never really being on the Texas radar when he didn't receive an offer at the first Junior Day. Darius White re-established contact with the coaching staff virtually out of nowhere as well.

Jordan Hicks spoke glowingly all fall about his relationship with Will Muschamp and then Charlie Strong left for Louisville in advance of Hicks' official visit this weekend. Corey Nelson, long relatively lukewarm about Texas and the self-proclaimed "Mr. A&M," also decided to look into a visit to Texas, though he has not yet scheduled a trip. Jackson Jeffcoat still has Texas on his short list. Eric Humphrey surfaced on the radar and though it appears he won't make an official trip to Austin, an unofficial visit is in the works and even though Texas has been a latecomer to his recruitment, so has virtually every other school.

Notice a trend in all this? The interest is clearly genuine from many of these players, as Hicks took it upon himself to travel down to Austin for a camp after his junior year of high school, proving his affinity for the program. White, Davis, Nelson, and Cobbs all contacted the staff after periods of relatively little or no contact. After a lull, the Texas recruiting machine is once again headed forward at full steam and the odds say that the Longhorns will add at least one or two of these blue-chip prospects and if that happens, then this class has the potential to go down as one of the best in the modern history of the program.

The momentum that had seemingly left during the hot summer months was there all along, just hiding out in the background as the Texas team rolled towards a berth in the national championship game. It was just waiting to emerge, self perpetuating itself as victory piled onto victory before stepping once again into the bright spotlight of national recruiting, providing more reason for optimism at the end of the recruiting cycle than there has been in years.

A huge weekend for commits. Hicks traveled to Florida. White traveled to Stillwater. But more important than those visits, 17 of the 21 Texas commits, including Mike Davis, were in town for the football banquet on Friday evening, staying until Sunday morning, when they were entertained at Mack Brown's house for breakfast.

While it's certainly unfortunate for most of the early commits that they don't have the opportunity to enjoy traveling around the country on official visits, the major advantage for the Longhorns is that each recruit can make it down to Austin for the football banquet. Many of the commits stayed in contact with each other through the spring, summer, and fall, and had chances to establish relationships during the spring football game and during the summer camps at Texas, but the banquet gave them a chance to spend more time together as a group and begin forming the bonds that will serve them well as future teammates.

The value is that while most programs have recruits taking their official visits at different times and receive most commitments during the summer and fall, these players have already had months for pockets of them to get to know each other, then meet in Austin to establish chemistry as a group. As a result, the Texas classes come onto campus with friendships already formed, providing a better support system and meaning the players can integrate themselves into the rest of the team without having to go through the process of feeling each other out first.

Cobbs bonds with future teammates. Getting DeMarco Cobbs into town for a visit was an extremely difficult proposition. Three times Cobbs indicated his intentions to visit Austin and three times he failed to show. His ride fell through once. Then again. He didn't have the proper identification to board the airplane, yet managed to make it to Tennessee shortly thereafter, eventually committing to the Volunteers.

After Cobbs indicated his intentions to switch his commitment from one UT to the other, the major question was if he would actually make it down to Austin to meet with Mack Brown and finalize his commitment. He did. It was an unofficial visit for Cobbs, so he took advantage of his ability to make an official visit by attending the football banquet ($) last weekend with all the other 2010 commits who were not participating in the playoffs. It was an opportunity to meet and bond with his future teammates and Cobbs said that he began to establish relationships with Dominic Espinosa and some of the other skill position players, as well as indicating that he does not plan on taking others, re-affirming the strength of his commitment to Texas.

Cobbs also spoke about his eventual position in college, indicating his willingness to put the team first:

I can play so many positions, I talked to coach Applewhite, he said maybe running back, receiver, free safety or outside linebacker. I'd like to play on the off side of the ball, but whatever gets me on the field quickly, I'm fine with. If I have to play defense, I'll play defense. I'll do whatever gets me on the field.

There's a lot of speculation about where Cobbs will play, though the addition of Mike Davis will probably not influence the eventual decision too much, as the coaching staff puts a great deal of emphasis on allowing players their choice of position. There are differing opinions about how naturally Cobbs catches the football, with observers falling on both sides of the debate, but the bottom line is that Cobbs has such an ability to make plays with the football using his elite change-of-direction ability and running back-like vision that it will be hard to keep the football out of his hands.

From the Land of Miscellany. Darius White will not visit Oklahoma this weekend ($) and will announce his decision at the Under Armous game January 2nd...Shreveport Evangel Christian defensive end finished his season on a high note ($) by helping his team win the state championship. Rasco tallied 86 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and five fumble recoveries on the season. LSU and Texas are still the major factors in his recruitment, but the resignation of DJ McCarthy, who was recruiting Rasco, has led to a dearth of communication other than mail since Week 3 of the high school season. While Rasco says it won't effect his ultimate decision, which Rasco expects to come late in the process, the lack of communication seems like a major mistake for LSU and a sign of the current chaos going on with their recruiting coordinator now the head coach at Memphis and the resignation of McCarthy amidst allegations of NCAA violations...Dallas Episcopal defensive lineman Eric Humphrey was extremely positive about his official visit to Oklahoma ($), but his head coach said he has not heard from Texas in several days and speculated that the numbers may be getting tight for the Longhorns. Humphrey plans on taking officials visits deep into January and the Longhorns may not know if they have an available spot for him until then...Jordan Hicks did not have his weekly teleconference following his visit to Florida and indicated that he will not be speaking with the media until his decision, expected to come some time around Christmas...Lancaster cornerback Tyler Stephenson, a one-time possibility for an offer, confirmed that though he is committed to Baylor, he did contact the Texas coaching staff recently and that Duane Akina informed him that the numbers were tight, but that if something changed, he would be in contact...Cayuga running back Traylon Shead was named AP Class A Player of the Year for the second straight season...DeMarco Cobbs will participate in the Under Armour All-American game as a member of the White team, while Aaron Benson, Mike Davis, Darius White, Adrian White, Jordan Hicks, Taylor Bible, and Ashton Dorsey will participate on the Black team...Connor Wood, Dominic Espinosa, Jackson Jeffcoat, Trey Hopkins, Traylon Shead, and Reggie Wilson will all participate as members of the West team in the US Army All-American Bowl.

Former LSU commit Davis Pledges To Texas

GhostofBigRoy — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:50:16 -0000

Instant Analysis

Back at the first Junior Day in February, Skyline receiver Mike bore the ignominious distinction of being one of the few players not to receive a Texas offer at the event. Some speculated that Davis left unhappy and feeling disrespected about the slight. By the end of February, he had committed to LSU ($) over offers from national programs like Florida, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Stanford, and California, citing his comfort level with the program and the coaches recruiting him. However, several weeks ago, Davis re-opened his commitment.

Upon hearing that Davis was once again taking visits, the Texas coaching staff got into contact with him again and expressed their interest, led by Metroplex recruiter Bruce Chambers. Davis also communicated with Orangebloods, leading him to become the infamous "mystery recruit" until his announcement that he would visit Texas. It's not clear when Davis received his offer, though it probably happened over the phone, but he reportedly was a silent commit for some time before making it to Austin to meet with the coaching staff and make his decision official. Davis says that he will not take any other visits, per Mack Brown's policy, and will sign his letter of intent on National Signing Day.

There are several possible explanations for why Davis decided that he no longer wanted to become an LSU Tiger. Since he has been a silent commit for several weeks, it's not likely that the loss of recruiting coordinator Larry Porter to Memphis and the resignation last week of wide receivers coach DJ McCarthy, who is under investigation for making improper phone calls to a recruit, though Davis may have known of that investigation prior to his decision to re-open his recruitment. McCarthy's departure was not the only major change in the LSU program, as recruiting coordinator Larry Porter left for the Memphis head coaching position at the end of November.

The more likely reason is that Davis did not like the usage ($) of freshman Ruben Randle this season, saying that there was "something wrong" with his number of touches and felt that LSU was underutilizing all of their receivers, which, Davis said, "worries me a bit." In addition, the use of speedy freshman Russell Shepard fell short of expectations and the offense as a whole underperformed considerably, ranking near the bottom of the country in total offense.

Given the depth chart at Texas, any expectations for early playing time are probably even more slim for Davis than they would be at LSU, but Marquise Goodwin's opportunity to play this season after proving himself in fall camp no doubt influenced Davis and may continue to help the Longhorns in recruiting at the position in the future by slowing down any attempts at negative recruiting by rival programs.

All told, Davis' decision to re-open his commitment, which led to contact from the Texas staff, and his subsequent commitment, perfectly illustrates the late momentum Texas is building as the final stretch approaches before Signing Day. It's been years since Texas has had this much going well at the end fo the recruiting process and there are still a handful of players on the board still considering donning burnt orange in college.

As mentioned in the immediate reaction to the news, Skyline has been a difficult school to recruit for the Longhorns recently, with the prevailing rumor being that the coaching staff doesn't care for Texas all that much for unknown reasons. With Christian Scott already enrolled and Mike Davis now prepared to become a Longhorn, Mack Brown and company may finally be making inroads into the talented program, which features possible 2011 targets Franklin Shannon and Anthony Wallace, with Wallace likely being one of the top targets on the board because of his ability to play either linebacker or defensive end and excel as a blitzer and/or edge rusher.

As Texas continues to secure talent in the Metroplex, Skyline may be one of the last dominoes to fall and if it does become a pipeline program, the recruiting machine that is Texas football could move from juggernaut to unstoppable behemoth. And that should strike fear into the hearts of Big 12 coaches across the conference, particularly the artist formerly known as Big Game Bob, whose program has failed to lure as many DFW prospects north of the Red River in recent years.

For all the talk about the larger implications of Davis' decision, those won't be felt until a later time if they are even felt at all. For now, perspective is necessary on just what his addition means to the program. Obviously, the major storyline is the large number of wide receiver commits in the class, as Davis joins Chris Jones and John Harris as the pure receivers in the class, with Darius Terrell a candidate for the flex tight end position and DeMarco Cobbs an athlete who will probably have an opportunity on the offensive side of the ball when he arrives.

If Cobbs ends up at safety or linebacker and Terrell is truly a flex tight end, that significantly decreases the actual number and when combined with the likely defections of a receiver or two during the offseason, it leaves the Longhorns at a manageable number and with room for Darius White. Since White projects as an outside receiver, the addition of a guy pegged for the slot or flanker position probably won't impact his decision and he's such an elite talent that the Longhorns have to find room for him as long they have a scholarship available.

Basically, the current depth at the position ensures that if there are any injuries, transfers, or out-and-out busts in the group, it won't significantly cripple production at the position -- Texas should have an elite receiving corps for years to come, making the jobs of Garrett Gilbert and Connor Wood that much easier.

Instant Scouting Report

It's still not clear why the Longhorns didn't originally offer Davis at the first Junior Day, or what exactly changed with their evaluation of Davis during and after his senior season. Likewise, it's difficult to determine when exactly Davis re-established contact with the Texas coaching staff, so it seems unlikely that his three touchdown, 263-yard performance against Adrian White and DeSoto in the playoffs had any impact on his eventual offer. Regardless, the production has always been there for Davis and it may be that the coaching staff came to regret their early decision not to offer him.

Though Davis is not an extremely highly-ranked player at this position (18th at receiver by Rivals), he does bring several outstanding attributes to the Texas program. Foremost among them is his route running, as he runs extremely crisp routes and uses his excellent initial burst to create separation out of his breaks. Variously listed at between 6-0 and 6-1, Davis is a deep threat because of his route-running ability -- he simply eats up a defender's cushion extremely quickly. If a quarterback does happen to underthrow the pass, Davis has the body control to adjust to the ball in the air and make a play on it, using his strong hands to secure the football.

The comparison for Davis in the class is Chris Jones, as both players are major threats in the screen game and can break long plays, while both are outstanding deep threats given their respective heights and can catch the ball in traffic. Both players reach top speed extremely quickly, though Davis doesn't quite have the elite top-end speed that Jones possesses.

Like Jones, the concern with Davis is that he needs to develop the strength and ability to beat press coverage -- though he burned Adrian White in the first half of the DeSoto-Skyline playoff game this season when White was giving him a big cushion, when the DeSoto corner walked up to the line of scrimmage and began to jam him, Davis was much less productive in the second half. Though the general consensus is that beating press coverage will be a problem. IT's Jeff Howe thinks that facing cornerbacks with the speed to take away his cushion and then run with him down field may be a bigger obstacle to overcome ($) than just beating a jam at the line. However, Davis does still have a thin upper body and though he has bulked up considerably since his junior season, he needs to add strength.

The major difference between Jones and Davis is that where the Daingerfield star likes to get upfield as quickly as possible after catches, Davis has better shake in his hips to juke defenders, but is also much more likely to slow down in his attempts to avoid tacklers and is more likely to allow defenders trailing the play to catch him from behind. Ball security could also be an issue for Davis in college, as he often doesn't properly secure the football and tends to carry it in one hand like Deion Sanders used to do after interceptions, or otherwise doesn't maintain the necessary three points of contact, carrying the ball away from his body.

The addition of Davis allows the coaching staff options with Jones and Davis on the strong side of the field, as they both have the ability to play the flanker and slot positions and can be put wherever they are most comfortable and most effective. At this point, it's hard to say which player is better suited for which position, but Davis is clearly the more refined of the two as a route runner, which perhaps makes the slot a better position for him.

Overall, Davis is not quite an elite prospect like Darius White because he lacks the top-end speed and ability as a return man, but he is a highly-polished receiver who needs only to spend some time in the weight room and maximize his explosiveness to contribute at the collegiate level. Of all the receivers currently committed in the class, Davis may be the most ready to step onto the field as a freshman and contribute, although the depth chart probably precludes that opportunity with a so many players in front of him.

Much like Goodwin this season, Davis would have to surpass players like Brock Fitzhenry, DeSean Hales, and possibly DJ Monroe or even Goodwin himself to crack the rotation. In all likelihood, that rotation will consist of Malcolm Williams, James Kirkendoll, John Chiles, Brandon Collins, Goodwin, Monroe, and possibly Greg Timmons -- that's seven players in front of Davis. However, even if Davis doesn't see the field often in 2010, there is a strong chance that he will be an impact player in the Texas offense before his career on the 40 Acres ends. And that makes him a great addition to an already excellent class.

High School Playoffs: Week Four Update

GhostofBigRoy — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:29:29 -0000

Cayuga 41, Ganado 19

Traylon Shead and Cayuga will have another chance to secure the state championship that eluded them last season after prevailing over Ganado. As is so often the case, Cayuga won by running the football, with Shead and quarterback Malcome Kennedy combining for over 400 yards rushing. Shead rolled up 218 on 25 carries and four touchdowns, including matching 48-yard runs and a 57-yarder, putting him over 10,000 yards for his career, a mark only two other Texas running backs have reached. Shead also completed the first pass of his career.

Cayuga will take on Albany in Mansfield on Saturday for the Class A state title.

Graham 27, Pittsburg 20

A week following an easy win over Wimberley, the Graham Steers had to work hard for this victory -- Pittsburg cut into an early Graham lead before the Steers capitalized on a poor punt snap by Pittsburg to score the go-ahead touchdown with only minutes left in the game. A Case McCoy two-point conversion helped push the lead to seven. McCoy did not have his sharpest performance, completing only 10 of 25 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown and interception, while adding 30 yards on the ground on six carries.

Graham will make the school's first appearance in a state championship game on Saturday in Dallas against Carthage.

Daingerfield 35, Refugio 10

Despite a strong passing game that helped Daingerfield steamroll virtually every opponent other than Class 3A Division I state champion Gilmer, quarterback Tyler Boyd completed only one pass for a loss of one yard against Refugio. Instead, the focus was on the running game, as KoKo Smith gained 167 yards on only 15 carries and the Boyd added 77 yards on his own. Longhorn commit Chris Jones also added a touchdown on four carries, picking up 24 yards in the process. Ultimately, it was the ball-sharking defense of Daingerfield that set up the quick-strike offense to blow the game open, as the Tigers forced four turnovers on the day, including an interception by possible Texas target Steve Edmond.

Daingerfield will face Bushland for the state championship on Saturday.

Longview 49, Denton Guyer 28

Once again, the Lobos thwarted Guyer's bid for a berth in the state championship game. It was a ground-bound demolition of Guyer, as Longview gained more than 500 yards on the ground and had three players top 100 yards rushing. The Guyer offense was slowed by a touchdown and a big run by quarterback JW Walsh being called back by penalties and the Longview held the Guyer running game mostly in check, as Walsh gained only 50 yards on 11 carries, while completing 12 of 25 passes for 210 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The loss ends the high school career of Taylor Bible.

Longivew will face Lake Travis for the state championship.

Lake Travis 57, Pearland Dawson 12

One team acted like they had been there before. One team didn't. The Cavaliers, riding a winning streak stretching back to 2007, earned a third-straight berth in the state championship game by forcing five turnovers (intercepting Utah commit Darian Lazard three times) and scoring on eight of 10 offensive possessions over the first three quarters. Quarterback Michael Brewer accounted for seven touchdowns, two through the air and five on the ground.

Lake Travis will meet Longview on Saturday in Waco in a re-match of last season's state championship game.

Abilene 29, Klein 21

It's a popular football cliche that it is a game on inches. On Saturday in Waco, that proved to be the absolute truth, as the Eagle defense stopped Klein just inches short of the Abilene end zone to preserve the victory and a berth in the state championship game, the first appearance since 1956. On the first scoring drive for Abilene, Herschel Sims did much of the work himself, starting the drive with a 67-yard kickoff return, then scoring on an eight-yard touchdown run. Sims added another touchdown later and finished with 24 carries for 120 yards and one reception for eight yards.

Abilene will face Katy in San Antonio on Saturday for the state championship.

Euless Trinity 35, Stony Point 28

Once again, Stony Point fell just short of the state championship game. Last season, late penalties contributed to the close loss. Once again, it was a penalty that did in Stony Point, all season the most likely cause of a crucial loss, a false start on fourth down from the Trinity two yardline. Moved back, quarterback Aaryn Sharp missed Stephen Williams open over the middle to end the Stony Point threat. It was not a strong performance from the normally accurate Sharp, as he misfired on five of eight passes and carried 11 times for 20 yards. The Stony Point defense was uncharacteristically leaky, allowing 422 total yards to Trinity quarterback Willie Hubbard, including 219 on the ground. Wide receiver Brandon Carter caused most of the damage in the passing game, gashing the talented Stony Point secondary for 168 yards on four catches and three touchdowns.

Trinity will play Westlake for the state championship.

Aledo 40, Denison 28

In the early going, this game looked like it would be a blowout. Denison's DJ Jones scored two touchdowns to help forge a 21-7 lead. Aledo rallied before halftime and the defense stepped up in the second half to limit Jones and Denison offense, with star 2012 running back Johnathan Gray adding to his growing legend with a late 55- yard touchdown run to seal the game, finishing with 185 yards and four touchdowns.

Davis Becomes #21 ($)

GhostofBigRoy — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:48:06 -0000

Davis Becomes #21 ($)

It hasn't been easy for Texas to recruit Dallas Skyline high school, a hotbed of recruiting. Securing a commitment from Christian Scott was a major victory and now the addition of wide receive Mike Davis may help the Longhorns secure a foothold in the talent-rich school, which features several top 2011 recruits and Corey Nelson, who may take a visit to Austin.

As a player ,Davis is known for his sharp route-running and ability to make defenders miss in the open field, particularly in the screen game. As someone mentioned in the FanShot noting the commitment, at least Adrian White doesn't have to worry about defending any more, as Davis burned White for two monster games in each of the last two seasons. While Davis does have excellent burst and a strong first step, the major concern is about his top-end speed, which is less than elite.

The major question is how Davis' commitment will influence the recruitment of Darius White, as the Longhorns now have four or five receivers in the 2010 class, depending on where DeMarco Cobbs ends up. Given White's talent, there is probably still room for him in the class and further thoughts over the following days will help try to flesh out the implications.

Anatomy of Stagnation: Second and Short Failures

GhostofBigRoy — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:05:25 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

It doesn't take much imagination to envision a Longhorn guard laying on the ground helplessly as Suh makes this play. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

Browse more photos »

The Big Picture

Even though play-action passing has become a much bigger part of the Longhorn offense since the coaching staff decided to uset the 11 personnel package much more often, Greg Davis continues to eschew play-action passes on second and short. The reasons for this are relatively unclear, though the most common belief is that Davis much prefers 1st and 10 to 2nd and 2, causing him to run the ball at an extremely high rate in such situations. In some ways, it's a bit paradoxical, as Davis will often eschew the running game entirely for long stretches and comes under criticism for abandoning the running game at times, with some believing that the running game has suffered over the last few years because Davis would rather pass on every down. Call it Jason Garrett syndrome with a dash of reflexive conservatism, in this case similar to a bad twitch.

Situation 1

Context

On the fifth drive of the game, Texas came out running the football after dropping back for passes on 11 of the first 12 plays (including the first play of the game, the chop block call against Chris Hall. Tre' Newton picked up four yards running power on the first play, Colt McCoy picked up 14 yards on a zone read on the second play, and then Newton picked up eight yards on a jet tempo run, most likely an inside zone play.

The Play

2nd and 2 Texas 36

For the second straight play, the Longhorns rush to the line of scrimmage in their jet tempo look with McCoy under center. Notice how Nebraska is playing this look by Texas -- with two deep safeties to take away big plays downfield on a bootleg, with both linebackers extremely close to the line of scrimmage and the nickel back walked up close to the tackle box to put pressure on McCoy in the event of a bootleg (Nebraska would later force a throwaway on a bootleg with such a look). In other words, Nebraska can effectively cover the two plays that Texas runs out of this look -- the zone play and the bootleg pass. Notice also that Ndamukong Suh is playing a two technique just over the inside shoulder of the guard, Michael Huey.

As Nebraska likely expects because EBS is on the left of the formation, the Texas line blocks left for the inside zone play. Since Suh is on the backside of the play and over the inside shoulder of Huey, there's no double team as the center Chris Hall steps playside. Suh uses his hands better than Huey, who seems to lose his balance as he gets into the big defensive tackle's body. Seemingly within a split second, Suh is into the backfield, forcing Newton to make a quick cut. Hall and Tanner get a good combo block on Crick, driving him back off the line of scrimmage, but Tanner can't get off the block quickly enough to stop the penetration of Dejon Gomes, a cornerback who played linebacker on this play and for much of the game. The violence of the cut Newton must make causes him to lose his balance and he slips well behind the line of scrimmage, losing two yards. The final aspect of the play is that McCoy doesn't execute a bootleg fake to freeze defenders in the secondary.

The Verdict

Clearly, Texas went jet tempo once too often in this sequence and Nebraska was ready for both permutations of the play. In addition, since the defensive tackles knew they were likely facing a zone run, Suh aligned to make it difficult for Huey to block him and that alignemnt allowed him a head start in shooting the gap. In addition, Huey used his hands extremely poorly on the play, letting Suh get into his body and then easily into the backfield. The lack of deception on this play allowed the playside "linebacker" Gomes to slice into the backfield before Tanner could get off the combo block.

Basically, the jet tempo might be good for one play to catch a team off guard, but going to it twice in a row, when Nebraska probably only had to spend several minutes scheming for it in practice to shut down the two plays that Texas runs, just won't work against good teams. In other words, to remain effective the jet tempo look must include a new wrinkle every week for which the defense is not prepared or there's very little point to it unless the opponent is Baylor.

The Following Play

As a result, the Longhorns go from 2nd and 2 to 3rd and 4, an obvious passing down for Texas. McCoy actually gets good protection on the play and has a chance to look downfield before checking down to Newton flaring into the flat. The Nebraska linebacker reads the play and hits Newton as the ball arrives for a loss of four yards. The Longhorns magically turn 2nd and 2 into 4th and 8. Impressive.

Situation 2

Context

Following Aaron Williams' interception in the end zone, the Longhorns move the chains by converting a third down on a crossing route to Jordan Shipley, one of the few times this season that Texas has been able to pick up first down yardage with a route that was extremely successful last season. Dan Buckner stays in the game at flex tight end and McCoy hits him on a pivot route inside for an eight-yard gain on first down.

The Play

2nd and 2 Texas 41

The Longhorns go with their 11 personnel package, bringing EBS into the game. Could it possibly signal a running play? Stay tuned. Notice that Nebraska stays with two deep safeties on the play, confident that they can win the six-on-six battle in the box.

Davis calls for the zone read. The read man stays at home, telling McCoy to give the ball. The Texas offensive line manages to control the Nebraska defensive tackles on the play, but neither David Snow nor Charlie Tanner get off their combo blocks in time to stop the linebackers slicing through the gaps. It's a race to the ballcarrier and Dejon Gomes wins, stopping Newton for no gain.

The Verdict

The substitution pattern here clearly signals a run and the Texas tendencies support it. A play-action pass would seem like a good play call, but there are two safeties deep on the play -- clearly the Huskers feel like they can stop the Texas running game with a minimum of help from the secondary. Rather than a problem with the playcalling in this specific intance, because the zone read is a good call, as it options off a defender and allows three combo blocks on the line of scrimmage, the problem is one of execution.

The failure of this play falls on the offensive line, as neither Tanner, Snow, nor Adam Ulatoski are able to get off their blocks to even contact either linebacker. David Snow had a terrible game and this play is just one example -- his failure here is no surprise. Charlie Tanner had the most difficult combo block, as he was essentially one-on-one with Jared Crick for several steps before being able to hand him off to Hall, by which point it was too late. Ulatoski is perhaps a bigger culprit than Tanner, as he could have gotten off his block with EBS much more quickly to attempt to at least slow down Gomes.

As it has been often this season, the major problem here is execution by the offensive line. They have nearly every advantage that a line could hope for in this situation -- the play options off a defender from an even match up in the box in the first place, allowing the line three combo blocks. The inability to run against a six-man box with a defender optioned off with six linemen is just pathetic. It doesn't get any easier than that in football.

The Following Play

Texas substitutes for EBS, bringing Dan Buckner back in the game and splitting out Tre' Newton. Nebraska doesn't have the personnel package they want on the field and run off a player late. Instead of hiking the ball and running the play against a defense that is confused and isn't set, McCoy allows the Huskers to call a timeout, essentially bailing them out.

Following the stop in play, the Longhorns opt for the 11 personnel package, them motion James Kirkendoll into a stack with Jordan Shipley. It's a max protection roll out with essentially two players out in the route (Malcolm Williams on the other side of the field gets an inside release and heads straight downfield) and Nebraska takes them away with four defenders, leading to a coverage sack and the injury to McCoy's left wrist. Suh and others knock McCoy into the Nebraska sideline while the Texas offensive linemen walk dejectedly across the field to the Texas sideline like a group of whipped puppies. Not a single one goes to help their quarterback.

Situation 3

Context

The Longhorn defense held Nebraska to a field goal following the long punt return by Niles Paul, but the poor call on Marquise Goodwin's slip near the end zone pinned Texas against their own goalline. Though the coaching staff finally decided to eschew a long-developing I-formation run on the first play, choosing to sneak instead, Davis reprised his bad habit by calling such a play on second down and Suh nearly caused a safety. Fortunately, McCoy completed a third-down pass to Shipley and later completed two more passes for Malcolm Williams for big first downs, the second coming on 3rd and 16. On the next play, a quarterback draw picked up eight yards.

The Play

2nd and 2 Nebraska 42

The Longhorns stay in their 11 personnel package from the previous play with Dan Buckner in the flex tight end position. Nebraska plays the single linebacker to the strong side of the formation, while walking a safety up towards the line of scrimmage, indicating a blitz.

It's the counter read play of WildHorn fame (infamy?), except run this time without a tight end, though the lack of a tight end isn't a problem in the scheme, as the defensive end is optioned off. On this play, the end stays at home, giving McCoy a give read. The play has a chance for success and may in fact go for a big gain if Suh doesn't blow it up, except for the blitzing linebacker on the play, who happens to run right into Newton as McCoy makes the handoff, leading to a two-yard loss.

The Verdict

It's easy to blame Davis for this play, as he seemed to get a little too cute in this situation by calling a running play from a formation the Longhorns probably haven't run out of since the Oklahoma or Colorado game -- there was a reason the coaching staff abandoned any and all 10 personnel running plays. No one provides an extra blocking surface like Greg Smith, basically. The Longhorns really have good match ups on the line of scrimmage though because the play options off a defender -- it just seems like poor luck that Nebaska happened to be blitzing on the play. In terms of the defense anticipating the call, there's little chance of that since the Longhorns hadn't run this play from this personnel grouping probably at all this season.

The Following Play

The Longhorns go five wide on 3rd and 4 and run a double slant concept with Jordan Shipley and Goodwin on the weak side. It's the same play that scored the touchdown against Oklahoma and it works again here, as the safety goes with Shipley and Goodwin gets enough separation to make a tough catch on a ball thrown behind him a bit and pick up a big first down to continue the drive.

The Final Verdict

The fact that the Longhorns only had three second-and-short opportunities in the entire game speaks to poor production on first down, while the complete lack of success on second and short illustrates a combination of poor execution, poor playcalling, and bad luck. The three plays combined lost a total of four yards and led to difficult third-down conversions each time, with Texas only converting one of the three, which is completely unacceptable.

On the first play, the call was relatively beyond reproach, but the execution of the offensive line was terrible. Given the opportunity for three combo blocks, none of the three offensive linemen got off their blocks to get to the second level, allowing both linebackers to slice into the backfield and stop the play for a loss. The scheme doesn't exactly make things easy for the linemen, but the fact is that a ton of teams in college football run the zone read and the good ones consistently execute the play at a much higher level than Texas. Despite the abject failure of this play, it was one of the least egregious examples of the type of terrible execution and individual suckitude that characterized an experienced line that should be much better than this. One would think.

Also unacceptable is the fact that the Longhorns didn't take any shots downfield on any of the three plays -- most analysts and fans know that such situations are the best time for calling play-action passes. Greg Davis seems to have a different philosophy than most in these circumstances -- he just wants to move the chains as quickly as possible to get another set of downs. Perhaps that would be acceptable if his choice of plays actually picked up the first down instead of moving backwards.

Davis also deserves criticisms for not staying with the advances in the zone read. Many times now make it a triple option play, incorporating a bubble screen on the outside of the play, giving defenses more to think about it and making it more difficult to cover. In college football, it's not necessary to be on the leading edge of innovation, but simply to keep up with and copy and integrate successful plays. One of the problems is that Davis simply isn't doing that enough. It's not about trying to incorporate everything and putting in too many plays at the risk of execution, it's about adding things that can easily be integrated like the bubble screen on the zone read, which would only require a handful of repetitions to install.

Brown To Make In-Home Visit With Hicks Wednesday

GhostofBigRoy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:33:19 -0000

Brown To Make In-Home Visit With Hicks Wednesday

Florida will get the last word with Jordan Hicks as he takes his last official visit this weekend, but Mack Brown will help keep the Longhorns near the forefront of his mind with an expected in-home visit with Hicks Wednesday.

Perhaps even bigger news is that Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, who also coaches the linebackers, will accept the Lousiville coaching job. Scipio Tex sees it as a big break and though it probably won't eliminate the Gators, there's little doubt that it strikes a blow to their efforts, as Hicks will have little time to establish a relationship with the new defensive coordinator.

Hicks does have an excellent relationship with Will Muschamp and Texas' position is strengthened by the relationship between his mother and Jeff Madden, with whom she worked at Colorado. If the departure of Charlie Strong does in fact weaken Florida's position enough to take them out of the running, the fact that Hicks' mother plans on moving if he attends school out-of-state probably helps the Longhorns as well. After all, Austin weather has to look pretty appealing in the midst of an Ohio winter.

Morning Coffee: Sunshine Pumping Edition

GhostofBigRoy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:50:09 -0000

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As mentioned in Sunday's Celebration and Reflection post, there is plenty of time for worrying about what went wrong against Nebraska and what could possibly go wrong against Alabama. In that spirit, here's a sunshine pumping edition of Morning Coffee focusing on the positives.

Eyes on the prize. For the Texas football team, there were three goals for the season -- winning the Big 12 South, winning the Big 12 championship game, and then making it to Pasadena to play for the national championship. With the weak schedule, each goal became absolutely necessary to reach the next. A loss in conference play might not have kept Texas out of the championship game for the Big 12, but it would have kept them from having a chance at Pasadena.

My oponent preview for The Eyes of Texas magazine this summer was entitled "Expect Perfection" -- that's been the narrative the entire season. In fact, that was the narrative even stretching back to last season, the reason why all that success seemed like such a bonus. Texas fans are famous for outsized expectations, but how could there be more pressure than for a fanbase to expect a berth in the national championship game for two full seasons? For anything less than perfection to be a monumental disappointment?

Even though this post will focus on the positives of the Nebraska game and future posts will analyze the numerous breakdowns, ultimately the eyes of Texas rest on the ultimate prize -- that crystal football. The parallels to the last Texas appearance in the Rose Bowl are significant and could grow even more pronounced if Colt McCoy loses the Heisman to Mark Ingram this weekend. Like USC, Alabama is highly favored in the game, with pundits across the country writing off the chances of the Longhorns, just as they did in 2005. Like the 2005 team, these Longhorns are led by an experienced quarterback, one of the greatest in the history of the program, and backed by defenses filled with future NFL players. The visit to Pasadena will seemingly complete the cycle, as McCoy will fulfill the trust that Vince Young put in him when Young told McCoy he would be the next quarterback at Texas before trotting onto the field to win the national championship. The symmetry is perfect, just like this season.

The bottom line is this -- in the only two close games this season, Texas found ways to win, the ultimate mark of a champion. There was no room for imperfection, the disappointment of a loss too great to even fathom. So they did not lose and now have a chance to win it all.

The clutch kicker. Throughout most of the season, the reliability of Hunter Lawrence seemed like a bonus, a luxury even -- just a way to keep putting points on the board even if the offense stalled on a long drive, the guy who would maintain momentum with his solid kicking. Against Oklahoma, he hit all three of his field goals, including twice from 42 yards, each kick crucial to the eventual win. For Texas fans, it was heartening -- proof that the kicker would be reliable in a big game in the distant future. Most believed that if Lawrence was going to kick a game-winning field goal, it would be on the biggest of stages in the Rose Bowl.

Except fate wrote a different script -- the struggling Texas offense, stymied all evening by Ndamukong Suh and a swarming horde of defensive backs, used two big Nebraska penalties to move into field goal range down by a single point, then nearly ran all the time off the clock because the four-year starter at quarterback didn't know that the clock doesn't stop on a ball thrown out of bounds until it hits something. Hardly a chip shot, the subsequent kick was the most pressure-packed of Lawrence's life. To top it all, the senior kicker would attempt the first game-winning kick of his collegiate career.

A miss would mean a lifetime of ignominy, known as the sorry kicker who cost the Longhorns a chance at a crystal football. A make would mean a place in Longhorn lore among the all-time greats, a lifetime of congratulations from strangers and free drinks at the bar. Only this wasn't a chip-shot field goal, it was a 46 yarder, a distance from which even the best kickers in the NFL are not automatic. Hell, the Redskins lost to the Saints this weekend because their kicker, now unemployed, shanked a 23 yarder, the type of kick random fans make at halftime promotions every weekend across the country.

Not only that, but the big Nebraska line stood in the way, responsible for five blocked kicks on the season, with Suh repsonsible for three himself. Perhaps cognizant of their position on the right side of the Texas line and despite kicking from the left hash, Lawrence angled the kick left, wide of the beefy hands raised to deflect it, to destroy the Texas title hopes. Left just far enough, but not too far, with just enough draw to bring it back right to sneak through the left upright with only inches to spare.

In the ensuing celebration, Lawrence found himself at the bottom of a exultant dogpile, then lofted on the shoulders of his teammates as the Longhorn nation let loose with a hearty exhale. Though the game may have ultimately been unsatisfying, there could be no doubt that Lawrence had proved his mettle in the most clutch of situations, making sure that if there is a next time for such a kick, it will be on the biggest of stages. And the anxiety for Texas fans will be much less pronounced -- after all, Hunter Lawrence has done this before.

Malcolm Williams and a double move. The big sophomore receiver didn't have a particularly high number of catches against Nebraska, but each of his three was important in the context of when they occurred -- the first catch, for 16 yards, picked up a first down to move Texas deep into Nebraska territory on the drive that resulted in the only touchdown of the game, the second catch came as McCoy was under pressure on the long drive that ended with Dejon Gomes taking the ball from Dan Buckner, and the final catch came on 3rd and 16 on the same drive with McCoy under pressure again. All three catches came with a defender in his face and all three were difficult. In pressure moments, Williams made the catches.

In a game when the Longhorn receivers had trouble getting separation, it was Williams who most consistently was able to beat press man coverage by getting inside releases on two of his catches. On the third, he paused in his stride and gave just enough of a shake to get the defender to bite on the hitch and, had McCoy had time to set his feet and deliver the ball downfield, beat the defender enough to pick up a huge gain on the play. The concern on the part of the Nebraska cornerbacks to match his physicality with physical play of their own also led to a pass interefence penalty, as the Husker corner had his hands on Williams trying to push him towards the sideline after McCoy had released the ball.

And it could have been an even bigger day -- Williams got behind a Nebraska defender on another third-down play, but McCoy threw the ball out of bounds, failing to give his open receiver a chance to make a play on the ball. Unlike the smaller Texas receivers, Williams is better suited to beating press coverage, using his strength to get off the line of scrimmage and when he does get an inside release, he can screen defenders with his size. When McCoy is under pressure, the ability to throw the football up for Williams to go get it makes him a security blanket for the senior quarterback almost on par with Jordan Shipley.

Shovel passes, quarterback draws, and a zone read. It was an astounding sight. On the second play from scrimmage, following a terrible chop block penalty on Chris Hall (one of two such terrible calls on the night), Greg Davis dialed up a shovel pass to Tre' Newton and it worked, picking up 25 yards, perhaps the first time in years that Davis not only called it at the right time, but that the Longhorns executed it correctly, with Hall getting downfield and delivering a block. Twice more Davis called the play and twice more it worked. Against a defense with aggresive defensive tackles trying to get upfield, using the shovel pass was some of Davis' best work in the game.

Likewise, with the Nebraska defensive tackles getting upfield and the linebackers either bailing out into coverage or not on the field at all, the quarterback draw was also an effective play for Texas, as McCoy scored the only touchdown of the game on the play and picked up positive yardage every other time the Longhorns called it with the exception of the final drive when the Texas was already in field goal range. Besides the shovel pass, one of the few other positive plays early in the game was a zone read McCoy kept for a 14-yard gain, but only called one other time. In fact, besides an eight-yard run by Newton, all the other runs of eight yards or more came from McCoy.

Looking back, Davis probably should have called the quarterback draw and used the zone read more often because the zone play and counter were not particularly effective in the game and power was only slightly better. One of the benefits of running the zone read is that the inside zone play becomes more effective because it puts doubt into the mind of the defenders, particularly the backside defensive end and linebacker and giving the offensive line better numbers and an extra combo block. Since Nebraska contained McCoy in the pocket on passing plays, the called runs were the only way use McCoy's legs and his legs were the most effective weapon for the Texas running game.

Playmaking defense. It's been a theme all season, so it's no surprise that the Texas defenders were able to make plays in big moments, particularly the secondary. The Nebraska offensive plan revolved around setting up play-action passes downfield with their running game and mixing in some screens, but the Longhorns never sold out to stop the run, instead controlling the line of scrimmage with the front four and strong play from Keenan Robinson, Roddrick Muckelroy, and Emmanuel Acho, while keeping the secondary back to take away deep passes.

On the first attempt downfield, Blake Gideon intercepted a Zac Lee pass thrown too far inside and with too much air under it. Then, after Nebraska blocked Justin Tucker's punt at the start of the second quarter, the Huskers took a shot at the end zone, but unfortunately decided to pick on Aaron Williams, who intercepted another pass with too much air under it, perhaps keeping points off the board -- Nebraska needed only a handful of yards on that drive to reach field goal range. In the third quarter, Muckelroy's interception, only the second of his career, helped the Longhorns win the field position battle over the next several possessions that eventually led to a field goal, as Texas needed no more production than a 12-yard run from McCoy and a pass interference penalty to get into range.

Those were the big plays, that ones that show up in the box score as turnovers. However, there were other plays equally as important, ones that don't show up in the box score. At the start of the fourth quarter, Nebraska had the ball at the Texas 38 yardline, right at the edge of Alex Henery's field goal range -- he hit one early in the game from 52 yards that looked like it had enough distance to have been good from nearly 60. On second down, the Huskers went downfield to their best deep threat, Niles Paul, who had worked behind Curtis Brown just enough to be open. Lee finally delivered an accurate pass and Paul went up over Brown to make the catch. But just as he secured the football, Earl Thomas launched his body into the Nebraska receiver and jarred the pass loose, a play that might have saved the game for Texas. The type of play that only the best defensive backs in the country make. Still, Henery would have had a good chance at making the 55-yard field goal, but the Longhorns defense made another play on third down -- Keenan Robinson read the screen pass from the start of the play and beat a blocker to take down Rex Burkhead and knock the Huskers five yards back and out of field goal range, forcing a punt.

Then, the Nebraska offense got the ball at the Texas 10 yardline following the long punt return by Niles Paul, the defense stopped Burkhead twice and on third down Chykie Brown's defense was just good enough to force Brandon Kinne to catch the ball out of bounds. Nebraska kicked a field goal when a touchdown probably would have won the game.

With the offense providing the defense with almost no margin for error, the defense made no errors and came up with big plays with the game on the line. Without having to load the box, the front six and seven of the Texas defense stopped the downhill rushing game of Nebraska, holding the line and disengaging from blockers to make plays. Ben Alexander played more snaps than he ever has and effectively plugged the middle, while Sam Acho led the team in tackles. Nolan Brewster rebounded from a poor game against A&M to blow up two plays by submarining Suh -- excellent work by a safety taking on a big defensive tackle. And all that makes the struggles against A&M seem like a thing of the past.

White To Visit Oklahoma State, Not Oklahoma ($)

GhostofBigRoy — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:29:37 -0000

White To Visit Oklahoma State, Not Oklahoma ($)

Fort Worth Dunbar wide receiver Darius White was supposed to take his official visit to Oklahoma for the Bedlam game, but decided to re-schedule. Now it looks like White might not make it back to Norman in the near future, as he canceled another visit and decided to travel to Stillwater instead, a slap in the face for the Oklahoma coaching staff.

Without any word from White, it's hard to say why he made this decision, but it certainly bodes well for Texas in his recruitment and poorly for the Sooners. As for Oklahoma State, it's possible that the Cowboys are back in the race for White, but it probably says more about the other two programs and their respective positions.

Texas Coaches Working Hard on Humphrey ($)

GhostofBigRoy — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:56:06 -0000

Texas Coaches Working Hard on Humphrey ($)

Two Texas coaches stopped by Dallas Episcopal on Monday to visit with fast-rising 2010 defensive tackle prospect Eric Humphrey, whose stock has soared in recent weeks with the release of his senior film. Area recruiter Bruce Chambers, responsible for securing Mike Davis' visit this weekend and continuing communication with Corey Nelson, made the trip along with defensive tackles coach Mike Tolleson. Will Muschamp is expected to visit next week.

The issue for the Longhorns is that Humphrey's visit schedule is now filled up. He took an unofficial visit to TCU last weekend and will take his first official to Oklahoma next weekend. That leaves four official visits left, currently filled by Texas Tech, Colorado, Wake Forest, and Arkansas. For Humphrey to make it to campus in Austin, necessary to receive an offer, he would have to take an unofficial visit or drop one of the four schools planned for future visits -- it's not outside the realm of possibility considering that Humphrey already dropped plans to visit Baylor and substituted another school.