View from the Cheap Seats-Rice

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[SIZE=14pt]View From the Cheap Seats-Rice[/SIZE]​

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[SIZE=14pt]Ugly win is still 1-0[/SIZE]​

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[SIZE=14pt]Winning ugly is always better than losing pretty.   [/SIZE]TEXAS showed some good things and some not so good things facing off against this year’s season opening tomato can in our last year in the BigXII.   We see that Sark is still stubborn.  He loves to go bombs away on 1st down, called that play 3 times we counted in the game, Ewers was never close.  2 passes short and one too far out of bounds to be caught.  And we hate it on 1st down cuz when you miss, you are now behind the chains.   We like that call better on 2nd and short which several will recall us saying repeatedly in 2022. 

[SIZE=14pt]TEXAS’ OL returned all 5 starters (we really had 6 offensive linemen back who started games in 2022) Honestly, they looked OK but not dominate, which included being stopped on 4th and short twice in the 1st half.    [/SIZE]No one will confuse Rice’s front 7 with Alabama’s.  So we opened with the not so good, weak 1st half by the Horns.  7 drives in the 1st half.  A 4th and short stuff, a very nice TD drive, a 5 and out punt, back to back FGs another stuff on 4th and short then closing with a FG.  To cap off a weak 1st half, in the 2nd quarter following his best run, CJ Baxter left the game with a rib injury, landing on the ball at the end of his run.   No word yet on the length or severity.

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[SIZE=14pt]Seems we opened with the negatives, let’s talk about what went right in the season opener.  [/SIZE]While the offense seemed lethargic in the 1st half, the defense snuffed out 2 Rice drives with back-to-back interceptions.  The 1st by Jaylen “I was robbed of the BigXII Defensive Player of the Year in 2022” Ford and the 2nd when sophomore Austin Jordan ran the route better than the Rice WR   Overall the D held Rice to 1 FG through 3 quarters before giving up a late 4th quarter TD.   We mentioned CJ Baxter’s injury above, outside of that, it appears TEXAS had no injuries vs Rice which was a plus.  TEXAS also played into their 3 deep on both sides of the ball, getting multiple players needed experience.  This included 30 different defensive players getting snaps in the 1st half.  Maalik Murphy played the entire 4th quarter and Sark opened up the playbook for him.   We are big fans of Maalik and snaps like this will pay dividends if Quinn goes down for any length of time.   Maalik showed a very strong arm and excellent accuracy in mop up/run out the clock duty.  

[SIZE=14pt]Speaking of positives, want to highlight a play that helps Sark earn a reputation as a great play caller.   [/SIZE]2nd quarter, Quinn does a half roll left, EVERYBODY goes left except Jonathan Brooks who is alone in the right flat.   Ewers pivots back, fires to Brooks who jukes one Rice DB on his way to the end zone.   Now that’s great play design.

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[SIZE=14pt]So, what does this all mean?    [/SIZE]Candidly NOTHING.   Alabama on the road looms ahead.   We knew we’d out talent Rice and the Horns flexed in the 2nd half putting the game out of reach by the end of the 3rd quarter.   Playing Bama will be another story where starting slowly could lead to a very long night.  Bama still has more talent than we do though less experience at the all-important QB spot.  Our #1 question, can TEXAS establish enough of a running game to keep Bama’s pass rush honest?   And can TEXAS’ pass protection hold up better than it did vs Rice?   On Defense, really like the front 4 and the back 5.    This will be a major test for the Horns.

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[SIZE=14pt]Offensive Player of the Game-  [/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Quinn Ewers  [/SIZE]19 of 30  260 yards 3 TD passes and 1 rushing TD in 3 quarters.   Granted his “bombs away” throws were as bad as last year but his short and intermediate games were strong.  His pass to J Sanders for a 41 yard catch and run up the middle for a long TD was awesome.   As was his slant for a TD to A Two plays of note for Quinn, both runs.  He recognized the Rice D bailing out on a 3rd and long and took off up the middle for a 1st down.   The other play we wanted to mention was his read option keep on the goal line where he went in untouched for his rushing TD.

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[SIZE=14pt]Defensive Player of the Game[/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]-[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt] [/SIZE]T’Vondre Sweat though the entire DL could have gotten this one.   He announced his presence with authority to kickoff 2022.  TEXAS’ D played well overall and contributed 2 INTs to a winning effort.

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[SIZE=14pt]Stats that Matter[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]·       [/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]30    [/SIZE]Number of years since TEXAS started the same 5 offensive linemen from the previous year

[SIZE=14pt]·       [/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]4-13   [/SIZE]TEXAS’ D on 3rd down

[SIZE=14pt]·       [/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]4    [/SIZE]FBS record for JT Daniels who is the 1st QB to start for 4 different schools.  In 3 of his seasons, he has faced TEXAS, USC WVU and Rice

[SIZE=14pt]·       [/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]30    [/SIZE]Number of defensive players recording snaps in the 1st half  of the Rice game.

[SIZE=14pt]·       [/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]4    [/SIZE]Number of TDs that Quinn Ewers accounted for, 3 TD passes 1 Rush.

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[SIZE=14pt]Fighting Mack Brown’s[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Opened the season vs Spenser Rattler and the South Carolina Gamecocks.   [/SIZE]Tar Heels lead by Drake Maye, one of 2023’s front runners for the Heisman.   UNC’s defense was stifling recording 8 sacks of the former OU QB and Mack recorded his 100th win as a Tar Heel.   He is now the only coach in FBS with 100 wins at two schools with 158 and a National Title at TEXAS.   Congrats coach and thanks for all you did for the Horns.

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[SIZE=14pt]Around College Football[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Wild and crazy day[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Coach Prime and his son head into Ft Worth and shocked the Horny Frogs who shot themselves in the foot with 2 red zone INTs.   [/SIZE]Son of Sanders passed for 510 yards and 4 TDs

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[SIZE=14pt]Baylor?   [/SIZE]Lost to Texas State   What in the wide wide world of sports?

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[SIZE=14pt]If you want to see how a deep ball is thrown, check out TEXAS’ Alamo Bowl opponent UDub and Michael Penik who put on a clinic on a post card perfect day in Seattle.    [/SIZE]Young man was dropping dimes and elevating his NFL stock with some of the prettiest deep balls in CFB.

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[SIZE=14pt]Oregon and Bo Nix hanging an 81 burger on Portland State.   [/SIZE]Pac 12 on it’s last legs but they have some fine QBs out west.

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[SIZE=14pt]Looking forward to the LSU/FSU game Sunday night.[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Game highlights[/SIZE]

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[NEOkHorn]

Great stuff. Thanks for a dose of reality.

 

[tejasrulz]

We won when a lot of teams/favorites lost yesterday. Wasn't the prettiest win but I'll take it. Ewers and the Oline need some fine tuning.

I wasn't a fan of Sark going for it on 4th & 2 so deep in our own territory. Yes, Rice lost yards on that drive after stopping us but we gave them 3 free points.

With 2 mins in the game, I wish Sark would have let Murphy run the 2 min offense instead of 1 pass and the rest were runs. Best practice in the world is against competition. 

I thought Worthy caught the ball replay took away, even the announcers stated they didn't see the ball touch the ground. Even though we eventually scored, the refs didn't throw their flag on an obvious PI on Rice. Yet shortly after that, they called an offensive PI (never saw the replay of that call!) on Texas when driving deep in Rice territory which pretty much killed the drive. Welcome to the Big XII farewell tour!

 

[Wayne]

Losing Jimmy was a bummer. But I’m in a much better mood because I’ve listened to a bunch of his music this weekend.  You can laugh and cry but you always felt better.  Not too many musicians make you feel that way. Brought back a bunch of memories….  and some non-memories. 

 

[Soldierhorn]

Good writeup.

I know it wasnt the situation but to me, the game felt like a full speed, full contact scrimmage. A lot of players played, which was good and a virtually no injuries even better (apparently, Baxter's ribs x-rays were negative).  It looked like adjustments were made at halftime and resulted in the 3rd quarter explosion.  A few more points would have been better but all in all, it was a successful first game and prep for bama, IMO.  

Baylor, TCU and Tech losing capped a good day

 

[oldhorn2]

Bill Parcels said...."a win is ugly for exactly one day"