Season on the line this weekend

[echeese]

Not to be alarmist but really see the season on the line this weekend.

Barring pulling GR back, I just don't see our defense getting dramatically better though the one saving grace, Goff (Cal QB) is not as elusive as Zaire or Jackson. . .both of whom made our tacklers look high school-ish. .. . . so very possible some of those pressures turn into sacks.

We'd better hope so because our secondary has been lit up. . .and frankly (though they haven't played anyone yet) Cal's run game doesn't look bad. . . which sucks because we suck against the run.

In the next 5 weeks we face:

Cal

Okie State which has crawled into the Top 25 @25

TCU  #3

OU  #16

KSU

All this with no bye game.

We are 1-1

We need to win AT LEAST 2 of the next 6 to get to 3-3 before we can "get healthy" on the 5 "weaker" teams we face in the 2nd half.

Now if you want to look at the glass as half empty. . . .going 2-4 to open means we have to win 4 of 6 down the stretch (not impossible but not the pre-season given).  The other concern. . . while ND boasted one of the best OLs in the nation. . . we were still their bitch . . .Rice's run production was barely less than ND's. . . think about that. . . .Rice had 3 OLs making their 2nd collegiate start and average just under 300 lbs per man.

Glass half full says that  Cal, OU OSU and KSU are not what they have been in the past . . .so beat Cal and win one more, we're at 3-3 . .. 4-2 down the stretch puts us at 7-5. . . and I do think this team is better by year end than it is today. . .. . I really think (ok, I'm hoping at this point) that Heard's play grows off an excellent game.

Yes, I am a fan. . . .I hope CFS and crew are 100% laser focused on Cal. . . .. I don't have to "win one game at a time" . .. . but the season is on the brink.

 

[tejasrulz]

Seeing all the freshman, redshirt freshman and true sophomores playing as much as they are tells me this could be a tough year for the Horns. However if they continually get better each game, it gives promise to years ahead. That and we need to recruit some studs on both sides of the line. Just my humble opinion. 

 

[bcherry168]

Given how poorly our defense has played, Cal worries me. Quite frankly, unless we see a great deal of improvement there, we aren't going to win a lot of games this year. Starting the season, I thought our defense would be able to keep us in games while the offense developed. Now it appears that both sides of the ball have a long way to go.

A bright side: the special teams are much improved this year. They were the difference with Rice.

 

[TXHorns99]

Good news is we don't need the defense to become the best defense in the nation. They just need to improve to a middle of the pack defense, continue to be opportunistic with turnovers, and be a bend but don't break type of defense. This matchup with Cal is going to be very tough with our young, inexperienced secondary, but hopefully Norvell will be able to get some ball control out of the offense to help out. For me, anything over 6 wins, and a bowl win, is improvement and building for next year. Hook 'em!

 

[Mike Roach]

I agree it's a potential turning point game. It could mean the difference between a downward spiral and real progress.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Cal is definitely a benchmark game.

Calling it "make or break" is a bit of a stretch IMO.

 

[echeese]

Good news is we don't need the defense to become the best defense in the nation. They just need to improve to a middle of the pack defense, continue to be opportunistic with turnovers, and be a bend but don't break type of defense. !

While I agree ..  .. we are a long long way from "middle of the pack". . . . 

And outside of Jefferson and Freeman, I don't see dramatic improvement from the front 7. . . .but will be glad to be wrong on that one.

 

[streettopeschel]

Not to be alarmist but really see the season on the line this weekend.

Barring pulling GR back, I just don't see our defense getting dramatically better though the one saving grace, Goff (Cal QB) is not as elusive as Zaire or Jackson. . .both of whom made our tacklers look high school-ish. .. . . so very possible some of those pressures turn into sacks.

We'd better hope so because our secondary has been lit up. . .and frankly (though they haven't played anyone yet) Cal's run game doesn't look bad. . . which sucks because we suck against the run.

In the next 5 weeks we face:

Cal

Okie State which has crawled into the Top 25 @25

TCU #3

OU #16

KSU

All this with no bye game.

We are 1-1

We need to win AT LEAST 2 of the next 6 to get to 3-3 .

if Charlie can lose 4 of the next 6 and be 3-3, he 's our man. 😃
Definitely feels like a swing game. Mathematically not much diff between 2-1 and 1-2 but as a fan it'll sure FEEL different.

 

[TeamMayhall]

Note from Today..Credits to HD:

Malik Jefferson was NOT at practice today.

The reason he missed practice today is because he is sick,

But they are confident that he will be ready to play this Saturday.

 

[tinman]

guess MJ spent too much time in the film room watching all the missed tackles or  he ate to much popcorn watching his scoop and score on auto replay!

 

[Danny Hale]

when your best players at multiple spots are freshmen mostly true freshmen the season is about letting them play and hoping for victories.there is a reason that nfl personnel staffs do not have Texas players very high on draft boards there are very few upperclassmen that will even get training camp invites the talent level is and has been below par lately. people need to quit expecting the turnaround to be complete this year. Charlie was very open at beginning of season when he said he needs another recruiting class

 

[java]

There's a nasty little virus making the rounds here. Headaches, muscle aches, and some fever. Lots of kids getting it.

 

[dillohorn]

We will be lucky to get to a bowl. I thought we would get to 8 wins , but no longer.

 

[GBT]

If we don't play well, and or possibly win this Saturday we may well go 4-8 at best. Cal is a lot like the big 12 teams we will be facing down the road in that they put up lots of points and their defense is average to above average. If Cal beats us we will surely lose to TCU, Baylor, and OU... We don't beat WVU in Morgantown either. That would give us 6 losses right there. We would have to win all the rest to get a bowl. ISU, KSU, Tech, OSU, and KU.......SMH.

 

[Principal]

Winning 4 games is a lot to expect this year !

 

[GBT]

If Heard stays healthy I would feel good and expect to win 6 to 8 games if we had a defense ( front four )  that could stuff the run. Reason being is that if a team can't run the ball they become one dimensional and their passing game becomes predictable; and you can let the other 7 players focus on the pass.... Our problem is we can't stop anything consistently. We have a couple of players who make plays...Hughes, Jefferson, and one other who's name escapes me right now. Three guys ain't stopping a good offense.

Jefferson is a beast. Hughes when not in on the tackle is most always in a good fit (flanks his teammate) in position to make a hit if the ball is funneled out to him.

We miss Brown.....him jumping to the NFL killed our defense because we have nobody to fill his shoes.

 

[Danny Hale]

Let`s see how the cal game ends before 4 wins is the best Texas can finish. Let`s see if Heard can throw deep  because Armanti,Burt,Daje,Newsome,& Marcus J all those wr`s can stretch the field vertically. Heard`s ability to make big runs guarantees at least 1 less safety can play deep so at least 1 wr will have no safety help, i will take Armanti and Burt to outrun db anytime. What Watson never understood is QB run threats open up pass plays for vertical routes with the speed Texas has now at QB and WR  on jet sweeps with Newsome, & Daje the outside wr`s will have 1 on 1 coverage quite often 

 

[Rotty22]

it's not about heard throwing deep.  he can throw deep.  the issue is the OL.  if heard has 5-10 seconds to check through all his reads, then this team WILL be successful.  if heard only has 2-3 seconds to make a decision, forget about it.  the only stat we'll improve on is 3-and-out.

LOS - somebody give heard some time

LOS - somebody get some pressure on the opposing QB

 

[echeese]

if Charlie can lose 4 of the next 6 and be 3-3, he 's our man. 😃

Definitely feels like a swing game. Mathematically not much diff between 2-1 and 1-2 but as a fan it'll sure FEEL different.

Sorry,

Should be 2 of next 5 not 6. . . I did list 5 games but oops. . .