Let's talk about the ISU game...

[Matt Cotcher]

• Let’s get right to it…Iowa State isn’t as talented as Texas. For a week, we’ ve all heard coaches and players talk about how the close loss in the OU game represented the next step for this team. If that’s true, then today’s game is an opportunity to build off that step. Don’t tell me, Coach Strong, show me.

• Based on everything I’ve heard and read, I don’t expect Jason Hall or Steve Edmond to play today. That’s results in the middle of the defense being weaker in both back levels. The defensive front needs to protect those backups. It will be interesting to see what types of defensive alignments Bedford uses tonight.

• ISU’s qb, Sam Richardson, is the biggest running threat the Horns have faced since Taysom Hill. Sacks are great for building momentum and dictating down & distance, but Texas needs to have a disciplined rush tonight. (Especially with respect to #2).

• J-Gray looked like the team’s best back against Baylor. Mal Brown proceeded to come out and play very well versus OU. How does the rotation play out tonight? Personally, I prefer it when one guy gets hot and carries the load.

• The 3rd WR for the Horns has been an interesting storyline all season. Marcus Johnson is getting involved lately. Preseason practice updates frequently highlighted Petey Warrick. Foreman, Joe, Bernard & Leonard are all seeing the snap counts increase. Like RB above, who is the guy tonight? For Swoopes’ sake, it would be better for one player to seize control of that spot for the final six games.

• The Special Teams horse is dead. We don’t need to keep beating it. The coaches and players are aware that ST is holding this team back. My question is whether this team is deep enough to spend time focusing on ST in practice without losing momentum in the other two phases.

• As you can see, I think tonight’s game is all about Texas (not ISU). The Longhorns can and should control this game.

• This is the 7th game for Wickline and his patchwork OL and it will be Doyle’s 2nd consecutive start at Center.  We’ve heard a lot of sound bytes about how the “next man up” has to step up and fill a vacated role. Especially given the opponent and the fact that it’s mid-October, it’s time for the line to keep progressing. At this point, if fans are talking about OL play on Sunday, it needs to be because their play was a plus.

 

[Aaron Carrara]

J. Gray needs to show tonight that he is still the force we all know he can be.  And I think he has a great opportunity to do so against ISU.

K-State lurks next week but a solid outing tonight can be a great catalyst for getting the Horns on the winning track for the remainder of the season.