GAME WEEK – Mississippi State

[BruiseLee]

Per OTF, Michael Taaffe will miss the Mississippi State game, the Vanderbilt game, then we have a bye. They expect him back after that bye week which is when we'll play Georgia.

This is a really big loss. I'm fearing the repercussions of him not quarterbacking the secondary.

 

[83Dee]

Things that I see are wrong:


4. ........ They lauded Cruz, but won't play him. Nate Kibble is someone they brag about, but he never plays. I see no answer for any of it.

This is why I suggest that maybe Sark's offense is too complex.... when you have great talents at several positions that can't see the field because they can't master pass protection, etc.... maybe the system is just too hard to grasp? I don't have any inside intel, so my statement might be ridiculous. I'm just saying I don't see a, sometimes, three year learning expectation at other places.

Bobby Burton literally stated last year that Arch doesn't play when Quinn struggles mightily because Quinn knows the offense better. I thought to myself... good grief, Arch has two Springs and 1.5 falls and he doesn't know the offense yet???

Maybe it's nothing....

 

[83Dee]

This is a really big loss. I'm fearing the repercussions of him not quarterbacking the secondary.

It certainly is.... Williams is filling in for him. They have been very careful with Williams after knee surgery. But he is a 5-star talent who looked very good before going down to injury.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

We have a luxury of depth at behind Taafe, so I'm not as concerned. I think we'll see some Jonah Williams soon.

And I would LOVE to see what Michael Terry can do at the RB spot.

 

[jrcruz1026]

This is why I suggest that maybe Sark's offense is too complex.... when you have great talents at several positions that can't see the field because they can't master pass protection, etc.... maybe the system is just too hard to grasp? I don't have any inside intel, so my statement might be ridiculous. I'm just saying I don't see a, sometimes, three year learning expectation at other places.

Bobby Burton literally stated last year that Arch doesn't play when Quinn struggles mightily because Quinn knows the offense better. I thought to myself... good grief, Arch has two Springs and 1.5 falls and he doesn't know the offense yet???

Maybe it's nothing....

I was at the Ohio State game and I noticed that the offense was very vanilla and I think we are seeing the reason why, when we move the OLine trying to run misdirection screens and or counter runs, we are terrible. I believe Sark saw this going into the Ohio State game so we saw very little misdirection offensively in that game and he was hoping with time that the Oline would get better with misdirection concepts and they continue to suck at it. If this team is going to be successful, they may change what Sark's traditional philosophy has been. I think the Kentucky game was the last chance for Sark to see if he could get this team to run his traditional offensive concepts, I would bet you a ton of money that he dials back on misdirection and just has the team line up straight up and try to overpower their opponent.

 

[83Dee]

I was at the Ohio State game and I noticed that the offense was very vanilla and I think we are seeing the reason why, when we move the OLine trying to run misdirection screens and or counter runs, we are terrible. I believe Sark saw this going into the Ohio State game so we saw very little misdirection offensively in that game and he was hoping with time that the Oline would get better with misdirection concepts and they continue to suck at it. If this team is going to be successful, they may change what Sark's traditional philosophy has been. I think the Kentucky game was the last chance for Sark to see if he could get this team to run his traditional offensive concepts, I would bet you a ton of money that he dials back on misdirection and just has the team line up straight up and try to overpower their opponent.

I would highly encourage everyone to go to YouTube, find "Coffee and Football" from today on the On Texas Football program and drag it to the 29 minute mark. Tony Hills (former OT great at Texas) gives his take on the Texas offense and the OL. Great stuff! He agees with what jrcruz1026 says above.

 

[Drb522]

If a bunch of country boys from class AAA Mt Vernon can run it, anybody can.

You have to take into consideration WHO they run it against.

 

[63_Texas_1]

You have to take into consideration WHO they run it against.

I'm not a Briles fan. Please keep this in mind as you read this.

Under Art Briles, Mount Vernon High School's football team had a two-year record of 20-6 and made it to the state semifinals in 2020, the first in school history.

I use to frequently go and watch high school playoff games. His Stephenville teams had a wide variety of formations: Anywhere from spread to even wishbone. Teams had to be really prepared to play them. That been said, there were a lot of rumors accusing Stephenville teams (allegedly) using steroids.

 

[Rotty22]

This game has the potential of getting really ugly. I'm not an expert at football at all. Even I know that you put 7 in the box, blitz and stunt and you will cause havoc on this offense. Blitz on 1st and 3rd downs and you'll end up with the same results as the kentucky game. That's my game plan for miss st.

 

[Rotty22]

CJ Baxter is Probable for miss st. Will he make an appearance? Will he be 100%? With the current OLine, will it even make a difference?

 

[Sirhornsalot]

 

[texbound]

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Not happy Hutson is still out. I don't have a lot of confidence in Robertson. Would rather see Cruz there from a pure strength and power move, but maybe he doesn't make the right calls.

 

[83Dee]

I'm not a Briles fan. Please keep this in mind as you read this.

Under Art Briles, Mount Vernon High School's football team had a two-year record of 20-6 and made it to the state semifinals in 2020, the first in school history.

I use to frequently go and watch high school playoff games. His Stephenville teams had a wide variety of formations: Anywhere from spread to even wishbone. Teams had to be really prepared to play them. That been said, there were a lot of rumors accusing Stephenville teams (allegedly) using steroids.

Gary Patterson wasn't much of a Briles fan either. I'm not necessarily an Art Briles fan - I don't know enough about all the scandals to take a definitive position on Art Briles the man. What I am a fan of is his offense. It is power running and throwing deep - using some spread concepts. And, I think it is very QB friendly. His kid (former Longhorn recruit) is putting up some pretty good offensive numbers at TCU.

I'm hazarding a guess that Sark's offense is not QB friendly... just by watching our QBs. He and Flood have done time in the NFL and I think some of the concepts may have come from there. Another guess.

 

[83Dee]

Not happy Hutson is still out. I don't have a lot of confidence in Robertson. Would rather see Cruz there from a pure strength and power move, but maybe he doesn't make the right calls.

Again.... at Texas it seems to take a really long time for players to know enough to get on the field.

 

[Baron]

Again.... at Texas it seems to take a really long time for players to know enough to get on the field.

Apparently most offensive linemen need to do a 2 or 3 year apprenticeship.

 

[General Hooker]

I thought this was interesting.

 

[General Hooker]

Tony Hills has some criticism for Sark.

 

[Drb522]

Gary Patterson wasn't much of a Briles fan either. I'm not necessarily an Art Briles fan - I don't know enough about all the scandals to take a definitive position on Art Briles the man. What I am a fan of is his offense. It is power running and throwing deep - using some spread concepts. And, I think it is very QB friendly. His kid (former Longhorn recruit) is putting up some pretty good offensive numbers at TCU.

I'm hazarding a guess that Sark's offense is not QB friendly... just by watching our QBs. He and Flood have done time in the NFL and I think some of the concepts may have come from there. Another guess.

Then run and shoot is a bunch of veer with rpo and mostly go routes. The idea is to run the secondary out of the run game and make the front 7 stop the run. The philosophy is to hit on about 33% of your downfield passes and wear the secondary down while taking them out of the run defense.

Sterling Gilbert followed chuck, fired after 2nd season. Hires as McNeese St or Nichols St HC, fired in 2 years. I believe he was fired at Cal or somewhere else. No way I’d take him back.

 

[oldhorn2]

I wish I had your optimism. Here's where I am.... this is a bad team. When you consider that we were #1 in preseason polls, it is a bad and extremely disappointing team. It is amazing that we sit at 5-2. I wouldn't be surprised to see us lose this week.

For all you old-timers, this team reminds me of the 1991 Longhorns under David McWilliams. 1 year after the "shock the nation tour" where we went 10-2 counting a Cotton Bowl loss to Miami... This very good season was followed by a 5-6 campaign. The similarity is this... that 1991 team had a tremendous defense loaded with NFL talent. The DL was Shane Dronett, James Patton, Tommy Jeter and Bo Robinson just to give you a taste. But the offense was so dreadfully inept that the great defense was neutralized.

I hope that Sark has it within himself to honestly evaluate what went wrong in the offseason. His offense just doesn't work like it once did. Why? I'm not sure... perhaps it's too complicated?? It routinely takes #1 HS QBs and make them look rather pedestrian. Whatever the case may be... we're approaching historically bad numbers this year. I have a hunch that if you took Kendal Briles (just a random example) out of TCU and put him in as QB Coach and offensive coordinator, this team has dramatic improvement overnight. Rather than that I guess - one sacrificial offensive coach will be let go after this year and we will get more of the same going forward. More of the same inability to score from inside the 5 yard line, more of the same consistent illegal procedure penalties and more of the same regular holding penalties.

Sark has done great things as head coach at Texas.... but not as the OC. I certainly hope there is a deep dive to find out what went wrong this year. But I have my doubts.

Then again.... maybe we run the table and make a deep playoff run. I'll be happy to eat a healthy helping of crow if that is the case.

Hell...how about the 2010 team?.....coming off the title game and starting a much hearlded QB....that did not end well...

 

[Sunkist]

I wish I had your optimism. Here's where I am.... this is a bad team. When you consider that we were #1 in preseason polls, it is a bad and extremely disappointing team. It is amazing that we sit at 5-2. I wouldn't be surprised to see us lose this week.

For all you old-timers, this team reminds me of the 1991 Longhorns under David McWilliams. 1 year after the "shock the nation tour" where we went 10-2 counting a Cotton Bowl loss to Miami... This very good season was followed by a 5-6 campaign. The similarity is this... that 1991 team had a tremendous defense loaded with NFL talent. The DL was Shane Dronett, James Patton, Tommy Jeter and Bo Robinson just to give you a taste. But the offense was so dreadfully inept that the great defense was neutralized.

I hope that Sark has it within himself to honestly evaluate what went wrong in the offseason. His offense just doesn't work like it once did. Why? I'm not sure... perhaps it's too complicated?? It routinely takes #1 HS QBs and make them look rather pedestrian. Whatever the case may be... we're approaching historically bad numbers this year. I have a hunch that if you took Kendal Briles (just a random example) out of TCU and put him in as QB Coach and offensive coordinator, this team has dramatic improvement overnight. Rather than that I guess - one sacrificial offensive coach will be let go after this year and we will get more of the same going forward. More of the same inability to score from inside the 5 yard line, more of the same consistent illegal procedure penalties and more of the same regular holding penalties.

Sark has done great things as head coach at Texas.... but not as the OC. I certainly hope there is a deep dive to find out what went wrong this year. But I have my doubts.

Then again.... maybe we run the table and make a deep playoff run. I'll be happy to eat a healthy helping of crow if that is the case.

Except for Sark's first year, we always seem to complain about the offense than the defense. While I don't like PK's soft DB coverage at times, his bend don't break defense has largely served us well. PK has also been very good at his personnel.

Sark's offense seems to only be elite when the RB is an NFL type of back that can create his own offense with YAC. While Sark's offense has its amazing moments throughout the years, we've largely underperformed given the talent of the personnel we've had. This year is the worst it has been. Sark's offense, offensive development, etc. is subpar and hopefully he realizes change needs to occur. We have the talent just can't seem the execute an offense. Even when we made the playoffs the last two years, it's been the offense that has not met expectations and usually struggled throughout games even more so against elite teams.

Milwee sucks bc QB development has been bad. Flood is fishy and our OLs haven't been good. WR/TE development seems poor. RB development seems okay and at least better than the other