Red River Shootout No. 112
Texas overcame a 20 to nothing deficit in a hard fought (well, for 3 quarters) game with the Land Thieves, only to see the Texas secondary squander Sam Ehlinger’s heroic efforts with a costly, game-deciding covfefe, as Mark Andrews was left uncovered for a 59-yard touchdown catch and run. A short review of the day and game below, but the Horns have a lot of work to do now to just get bowl-eligible. The Sooners are really good, but they were beatable by Texas. And the players and the coaches knew it. Texas is so darn close to being 5-1 it makes my head hurt. So close I can smell it. Like corny dogs frying. This is a good team, and they just need to get some breaks to go their way.
My best takeaway from this game: Down by 20, this team didn’t quit. Just the opposite. They wiped the blood off their mouths, and when the bell rang for the next round, they stomped out into the middle of the ring and started punching. Lead cut in half by the half. Took the lead in the fourth. Lots of guts, lots of want, and lots of confidence. I agree with the other commentators about the moral victories. Southern Cal might have been, but against our biggest rival, in our biggest game, on our biggest stage, it is either a win or loss. And this was a painful defeat. Any loss to the Sooners hurts, but this one especially because of how hard the Horns played and fought back.
Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Texas Longhorns
Okie A&M comes to town for an 11:00 a.m. game with our Horns. Texas holds a 24-7 against the Cowboys. However, in the last decade, we are 5-5. The last time we won at DKR was 2008, and OSU has won 5 of the last 7. A nice roll for Gundy, as his record against the Horns is now 5-7.
Last weekend, the Pokes put a school record 747 yards on Baylor. The Okie Aggies are ranked #10, and they boast a 5-1 record. Their only loss was to Texas Christian, likely the best team in the league, at least in October. Frogs beat them 44-31. OSU started the season with the kind of beatings upper echelon Power 5 conference teams are supposed to administer to lesser teams: 59-24 over Tulsa, 44-7 over South Alabama. Then a nice 59-21 win over Pitt in Pennsylvania.
This last weekend against the Brazos Baptists, the Pokes rolled up jumbo numbers – 276 on the ground and 471 through the air. Mason Rudolph was 19 of 31 for 459 and 3 TDs. That’s over 24 yards per completion. More below, but let those kind of numbers sink in. Think Baker Mayfield was good? Well, if you haven’t seen Rudolph, tune in Saturday.
The game will be broadcast on ABC. A great crew for those of you who are unable to attend the game, with Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Todd McShay. The Texas radio broadcast with Craig Way, Roger Wallace, and Quan Cosby can be heard nationally on Sirius 132, XM 199, and online channel 953. Bob Cole’s Austin Radio Network in the greater Webberville-Bee Cave Metropolitan area. [104.9 FM and 98.5 FM, and the Mighty 1490]
Thursday was Red McCombs’ 90th birthday. He has been a great benefactor of Texas athletics, and here is a nice Bill Little article.
http://texassports.com/news/2017/10/19/football-a-birthday-for-red-mccombs.aspx
Best Tips of the Week
- If you are in or near Austin this weekend, please show up at the game. This is the kind of game where a lot of Texas fans sit at home. If you are not using your tickets, find a Longhorn fan who will.
- Everyone who reads this newsletter knows I am big fan of Mike Leach. This Saturday morning, there is a “rally for Justice” in Lubbock “near Red Raider Stadium”. Really wondering where Red Raider Stadium is … https://twitter.com/Coach_Leach/status/921138881063411712
- Last weekend was the first weekend of big upsets, two of them Friday night. Clemson in a shocker at Syracuse, and then Washington State at Cal. Bummed for Leach. Auburn stunned by Louisiana State, and then Saturday night, Washington lost to Arizona State. The only upset that didn’t materialize was ours, and we were so tantalizingly close.
- Thanks to Hawley for the heads-up on this good article. Mike Gundy and “basketball on grass”. Really good, and well worth your time. https://www.sbnation.com/2017/10/19/16432444/mike-gundy-oklahoma-state-football-offense
- Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Twitter account, @KFC, follows 11 people: 6 guys named Herb, and five Spice Girls. That’s so awesome.
Land Thieves vs. Longhorns: 29-24
I tried to come up with a bullet point list of great stats and facts from the game. Wasn’t doable.
My post-game emotions have vacillated as I worked on this week’s missive. Tonight, as I watch the Cubs get their butts beat by the Dodgers in critical game 3, at Wrigley, my mood is dark. So thinking about the OU game, I am extra ticked that Texas came down the tunnel and didn’t seem to have any fire or a clue about what had to be done to win the game. This was Herman’s first head coaching experience in this game, but not his first time there. In fact, he remembers quite well what a Sooner curb-stomping feels like. With less than four minutes to play in the second quarter, Texas trailed twenty to nothing, and it felt really bad. There were a lot of Moriarty’s in the stands with way too many negative waves.
But then something beautiful happened. Something we have not seen a lot of in the last few years. Texas turned it around. Kyle Porter took the Land Thief kick-off after the Sooners went up 20-0 and ran it back 41 yards to the 43, with a soonerish personal foul call tacking on 15. Texas set up on the Land Thieves’ 42 yard line. Two Sam rushes, another sooneristic personal foul, and it is First and 10 at the Land Thief 16. Screen pass to Porter, and it is 20-7.
As I mentioned last week in noting (as everyone writing about the game noted) that Baker Mayfield had zero interceptions, but as I said, he had not played DBU yet. Sure enough, John Bonney with a pick upon which Texas capitalizes, and some quick passes later, Rowland nails a 34 yard field goal. Into the locker room at half down just 20-10.
To the Food Court at half time with Claudia and the Brads and Epps. Cold beer and Frito Pie (done the TCT Way: Fritos, then cheese, then chili; add Tabasco and lots of jalapenos). Spirits lifted, we all headed back in with a new attitude.
I don’t think Sam Ehlinger and the Horns had Frito Pie at half-time, but there was an internal fire that got lit. Horns came out and played a hell of a lot better. Yes, they allowed OU to drive and score, but they held them to 3. The sooners ability to run the ball as well as they did was bothersome, but by this point I had reached the conclusion that the Land Thief offensive line was simply bigger than our defensive line. Our guys played hard, but they got pushed around, and Riley and his guys planned and executed a great drive to open the third quarter, which is what good coaches and good teams do.
What was most encouraging was Texas responded immediately with a nice 13 play, 75 yard drive. Yes, we got a couple of nice calls from the officials, but Texas put together a good drive. The play at the end was another Ehlinger classic: hand-off to Warren, he gets stacked up, and Sam shoves him into the end zone. Love the Sam Slam. 23-17.
Texas forced a couple of punts, as did the Sooners. But with 10:25 to play, Ehlinger took charge, leading the Longhorns 73 yards in under 2 and a half minutes to take the lead, the last 8 yards coming on a tough run by Sam. 24-23 Texas, and the level of elation among the Texas faithful was wonderful. I was convinced we had it won.
Well, covfefe. Baker Mayfield completed a quick 8 yard pass to the Sooners leading receiver, tight end Mark Andrews, and then Anderson ran for 11 to get to the OU 41, almost midfield. Andrews lined up on the right, with P.J. Locke apparently in coverage. Apparently not. Andrews blew by Locke, Brandon Jones had no hope of closing the gap, and Andrews went for a 59 yard touchdown reception untouched. Up by 5, OU went for 2. A failed 2-point conversion with just under 7 minutes to play. This had hero and legend time written all over it.
Then the penalties started. UT called for an offensive holding, but offset by a Sooner foul. Next play, Shackelford’s illegal block erases a Chris Warren first down catch; very costly. 2 plays later, Sam slammed into the ground right in front of the Texas bench, and Buechele had to come in. He did convert a first down, but was sacked, setting up second and 17 at the OU 38. Sam came back in, but a false start backed Texas up another 5. Now second and 22. Texas couldn’t convert, and after failing on a fourth and 13, the Land Thieves took over at their own 34 with under 2 to play.
As bad as things looked, the Longhorns got the ball back with 49 seconds. Starting on the Texas 4? Well, we saw Sam do it in Los Angeles, why not now? Alas.
We can be proud of some of the individual performances, and that of course begins with Sam Ehlinger. He produced more offense than Baker Mayfield. They were not that different in passing: Mayfield’s line was 17-27, 302 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, sacked twice; Ehlinger’s line was 19-29, 278 yards, 1 TD, No picks, sacked twice. But Sam added 106 net yards rushing to Baker’s 36.
Our three running backs combined for 17 net yards rushing on 14 attempts. 1.2 yards per carry. L’il Jordan Humphrey had 16.
Sam is one tough kid, but with the teams in front of us, he can’t continue to carry the load. We have a running game, but we need a running back game. Yes, we knew we had offensive line issues, with all the injuries. Again, maybe we need a fullback (see: Ricky Williams, Heisman; Fullback blocking, Ricky Brown). Even with Sam’s numbers in the mix, we rank 85th nationally, on a yards per carry average, just under 4. Ninth in the Big 12. For reference, Stanford is tops with 7.74 yards per attempt, and Okie State is tops in the conference with 5.39 yards per attempt (#21 nationally).
Some very nice catches by Reggie Hemphill-Mass. He had 4, as did Warren.
Malik Jefferson was our leading tackler, with 11, 8 solo. Hill and Hughes both had 7 (identical with 4 solo each).
Michael Dickson continues to give us All-American punts, but his great work was matched by the Land Thief punter. So that phase, which should have been a Texas advantage, was a draw.
So many turning-point plays. The dropped pick where Baker threw the ball right into Hager’s hands on a second and 20, and Land Thieves go on to get a field goal. The illegal block call that erased the 15 yard first down completion on a drive where I thought we could and would win the game. Mayfield’s escape from two sacks, and the one where he got the ball off right as hit the ground, and the refs ruled incomplete pass. So close; so very, very close.
In the end, we played nearly three quarters of good football. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, the Sooners played pretty much 57 minutes or so. I feel pretty confident that if Texas doesn’t spot Mayfield a 20 point lead, the Horns win this. You can’t pitch behind in the count all the time. Yes, we showed promise and character and True Grit. But we also came back to Austin with another L. To get bowl eligible, Texas has to win the ones they are supposed to win (Baylor, Kansas), but also beat a good Tech team and then get an upset over Texas Christian (in Fort Worth), West Virginia (there), or this weekend against Okie A&M. No room for a misstep. I will say it: I know we are rebuilding under our new coach, who I am 100% behind, but a 5-win season would really hurt. Or maybe my expectations were just too high. I hope not.
Reviews
nobis60 Shooting from the Hip:
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2017/10/14/16476030/shooting-from-the-hip-oklahoma-29-texas-24
Wes Crochet on BON:
Cowboys vs. Longhorns
OSU comes in with a spiffy 5-1 record, the sole loss being to now No. 4 Texas Christian, 34-41. Their offense is a 3-headed monster of QB Mason Rudolph, WR James Washington, and RB Justice Hill. Gundy has been head coach in Stillwater since 2005. I think that puts him as the second longest tenured coach in the conference. Since 2010, OSU has five 10-win seasons, a Big 12 title, and four New Year’s day bowls.
This is a very good football team. Texas is going to have come out and play hard, physical football all 60 minutes. I think they can win, but it is going to be a tough game.
The Statistics
Offense
| Statistic | Texas | Okie State |
| Rushing Offense | #62 – 169.7 ypg | #32 – 199.5 ypg |
| Passing Offense | #26 – 288.3 ypg | #1 – 411.2 ypg |
| Total Offense | #31 – 458 ypg | #1 – 610.7 ypg |
| Scoring Offense | #41 – 33.7 ppg | #2 – 48.8 ppg |
| First Downs | #13 – 24.8/game | #3 – 28/game |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed | #51 – 34, 133 yards | #23 – 29, 95 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #12 – 48.1% | #2 – 54.8% |
| Red Zone Offense | #111 74% / 59% | #60 – 85% / 64% |
| Long Scrimmage Plays | #29 – 100/10+; 31/20+; 9/30+; 4/40+ | #5 -135 /10+; 51/20+; 31/30+; 19/40+; 10/50+; 8/60+ |
So, if you read those, you may wonder, how can OSU be #2 in the nation and scoring, but #60 in Red Zone Offense? Well, the Okie Aggies have 38 touchdowns. Only 28 of those resulted from a red zone penetration. So over a quarter of their touchdowns have resulted on plays that started from at least 21 yards out.
And look at the LSP: Want to know why I didn’t list any Texas plays at 50 or 60 plus yards? Right – we don’t have any. Meanwhile, OSU has more plays over 50 yards than we have over 30. Another interesting note: OSU has 3,664 yards of total offense. That means 25% of their offensive output has come on plays 30 yards are longer.
So buckle up, and hope Orlando has the Horns ready. This is one high octane offense.
Defense
| Statistic | Texas | Okie State |
| Rushing Defense | #23 – 116.7 ypg | #64 – 149.8 ypg |
| Passing Defense | #109 – 264.8 ypg | #64 – 222.7 ypg |
| Total Defense | #65 – 381.5 ypg | #53 – 372.5 ypg |
| Scoring Defense | #58 – 24.7 ppg | #55 – 24.3 ppg |
| Tackles for Loss | #104 – 30, 130 yards | #36 – 43, 196 yards |
| First Downs Allowed | #29 17.5/game | #104 – 22.3/game |
| Third Down Conversions | #6 – 26.6% | #113 – 45% |
| Red Zone Defense | #47 – 79% / 47% | #66 – 83% / 48% |
| Long Scrim. Plays allowed | #62 – 82/10+; 33/20+; 12/30+; 11/40+ | #76 – 90/10+; 20/20+; 6/30+; 5/40+ |
Match-up Comparison
| Texas Offense | Okie State Defense |
| Rushing Offense – 169.7 ypg | 149.8 ypg – Rushing Defense |
| Passing Offense – 288.3 ypg | 222.7 ypg – Passing Defense |
| Total Offense – 458 ypg | 372.5 ypg – Total Defense |
| Scoring Offense – 33.7 ppg | 24.3 ppg – Scoring Defense |
| First Downs – 24.8/game | 22.3/game – First Downs Allowed |
| 3rd Down Offense – 48.1% | 45% – 3rd Down Defense |
| Red Zone Offense – 74% / 59% | 83% / 48% – Red Zone Defense |
| LSP – 100/10+; 31/20+; 9/30+; 4/40+ | 90/10+; 20/20+; 6/30+ ; 5/40+- LSP Allowed |
| Texas Defense | Okie State Offense |
| Rushing Defense – 116.7 ypg | 199.5 ypg – Rushing Offense |
| Passing Defense – 264.8 ypg | 411.2 ypg – Passing Offense |
| Total Defense – 381.5 ypg | 610.7 ypg – Total Offense |
| Scoring Defense – 24.7 ppg | 48.8 ppg – Scoring Offense |
| First Downs Allowed – 17.5/game | 28/game – First Downs |
| 3rd Down Defense – 26.6% | 54.8% – 3rd Down Offense |
| Red Zone Defense – 79% / 47% | 85% / 64% – Red Zone Offense |
| LSP Allowed – 82/10+; 33/20+; 12/30+; 11/40+ | 135/10+; 51/20+; 31/30+; 19/40+ – LSP |
Individually, the boys from Stillwater have some highly ranked players.
Mason Rudolph is, not surprisingly, number one in passing, with 394.7 yards per game (sorted on total yards, he is #2, with 2,368; sorted on average, also #2, with 11.6 yards per attempt [17.4 yards per completion]). With only 71 yards rushing, Rudolph is #2 in Total Offense, trailing only Lamar Jackson, with 406.5 yards per game and 10.56 yards per play.
James Washington is #1 in receiving, with 147 yards per game (sorted on total yards, he is #2, with 882; sorted on average, also #2, with 25.94 yards per catch). Washington wears #28, and is from Stamford, Texas.
Justice Hill is #20 nationally in rushing, averaging 105.5 yards per game. He leads the Big 12. Those are pretty impressive numbers and rankings when you consider he is playing on the No. 1 passing team in Division I.
Texas does have a couple of guys with high rankings.
DeShon Elliott is #1 in interceptions (tied with 3 others), with 5 picks.
Michael Dickson is #2 in punting, with a 48.26 yard average.
Back to our opponent. Rudolph has 6 TDs running and 19 passing. Hill has 5 scores, and Washington has 6.
In addition to the stats above, the Okie Aggies to be watching for on offense include receiver Marcell Ateman, who has 29 catches, 568 yards, and 4 touchdowns, and receiver Jalen McCleskey (#1), who has 355 yards on 25 catches with 5 touchdowns. Also freshman J.D. King, #27, who has 260 yards on 42 carries, with 2 touchdowns. Of that 260, 71 came on a long TD run against Tulsa.
Leading Poke tackler is safety Tre Flowers (#31), a senior from Converse, Texas. 31 tackles, with 21 solo. He also has 2 interceptions. Linebacker Chad Whitener (no, he is not pre-dental) has 30 tackles, 23 solo, with 2 TFL. The senior (#45) from Mansfield, Texas is good. Another Texan (Pearland), linebacker Justin Phillips has 27 tackles (21/6), 4.5 TFL, a sack, and 2 interceptions. Safety Ramon Richards (San Antonio, Texas), has 26 tackles (24 solo, the most on the team), and 2 TFL.
Amen Ogbongbemiga is a linebacker from Calgary, Alberta.
I counted 49 Texans on Gundy’s roster.
Texas Game Notes:
http://texassports.com/documents/2017/10/16//07_Texas_Football_Notes_2017_Oklahoma_State.pdf?id=9319
The depth chart is on page 16. Of note: Porter, Warren, and Carter are all listed as “or”; Collin Johnson is not starting based on this, as Dorian Leonard is first at the XWR; at the ZWR, Joe, Duvernay, Burt, and Heard are all listed as “or”; and at the HWR, RHM and LJH are listed top at “or”, with Armanti Foreman at the bottom.
The Official Preview from Texas:
The preview of the OSU SID:
OSU Game Notes, depth chart on page 3.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/texassports_com/documents/2017/10/16/7_Texas.pdf
Cowboys start 5 seniors and a RS junior on offense. 5 seniors and 3 juniors on defense.
The line is OSU by 7, and the over/under is 65.
Juan Heisman Tailgate
The eleven o’clock in the morning start puts a bit of damper on the tailgate, but we will be there looking forward to getting everyone ready for the game. Breakfast tacos, kolaches, bloody mary’s, and cold beer. If you want to go to the game and don’t have tickets, come by the tailgate. We almost always have someone looking to give away a few.
Polls
AP Poll: Alabama, PSU, Georgia, Texas Christian, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Clemson, Miami (FL), UO, Oklahoma State. Southern Cal at 11, Notre Dame at 13. Washington State drops to 15. West Virginia 24. Louisiana State at 24.
Coaches Poll: Roll Tide, Nittany Lions, Georgia, Texas Christians, Wiscy, Buckeyes, Miami (FL), Clemson, Land Thieves, Southern California. Okie A&M at 11. L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac at 16. Wazzu at 18. West Virginia at 23. Texas Agricultural & Mechanical at 24. Louisiana State at 25.
This Week in College Football
Big 12 – Week 8
Three weeks ago, I would have assumed that the Iowa State-Tech game in Lubbock would be a yawner and the line would be Sand Aggies by at least 28. Well, shazam, the Cyclones are ascendant. The line is Tech by 7, and the over/under is 69. Kickoff is 11:00 a.m. on FS1.
Kansas State at home hosting the Land Thieves at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. 3:00 p.m. on FS1. No. 9 OU favored by 14, and o/u is 54.
Kansas in Fort Worth to play Texas Christian. No. 4 Frogs favored by 39, and over/under is 59.5. 7:00 p.m. on FOX. This could be ugly for the Jayhawks.
No. 23 West Virginia in Waco to play 0-6 Baylor. Mountaineers are only 9.5 point favorites, with an over/under of 67.5. 7:00 on FS1. I think that line is a bit low.
This Week in College Football – Top 25
A big game tonight with No. 25 Memphis at Houston. Line was Cougars by 1. Memphis was down 17-0 at half, and they rallied with 21 in the third and 21 in the fourth to beat Houston 42-38. Memphis QB with 471 yards passing.
The rest of the Top 25 plays on Saturday.
Maryland at No. 5 Wisconsin. 11:00 a.m. on FOX. Terps at 3-3, and Badgers still undefeated. Wiscy favored by 24.5, and the over/under is 50.5. Can’t see this as this week’s upset, but Maryland might cover.
The 2:30 p.m. featured game on the Columbia Broadcasting System features the No. 1 team in the Land, Alabama, hosting rival Tennessee at Bryant-Denny. Butch Davis is on the hot seat; maybe the hottest seat in the Power 5 conferences. Tennessee is 3-3, but none of those 3 wins are in the SEC, where the Volunteers are winless. Crimson Tide favored by 35.5, and the over/under is 50.5. Alabama will win easily. Vols cover? Maybe. How ugly is getting for Butch? Food Lion is selling cakes that say “Fire Butch”. https://www.seccountry.com/tennessee/400857
Surprising Syracuse at No. 8 Miami (FL). 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. Canes favored by 17, and the over/under is 59.5. Syracuse should cover.
“Unpunished-getting-off-scot-free-and-I-just-don’t-get-it” North Carolina plays in Blacksburg. No. 14 Virginia Tech is 5-1 overall, 1-1 in the ACC. UNC is 1-4 and winless in conference play. Hokies favored by 21, and the over/under is 51.5.
No. 18 Michigan State at home with Indiana. Indiana is 3-3 with no Big 10 wins. They have come really close (sound familiar?). Spartans are favored by 6.5. Over/under is 46. 2:30 p.m. on ABC, following the Texas game. State should win and cover.
No. 20 UCF in Annapolis to play Navy. UCF undefeated, Middies with the loss to Memphis. This weekend is where the American starts shaking out I think, beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. UCF favored by 7, but I am hoping for a Naval upset. CBS Sports Network.
No. 16 South Florida in the Big Easy to play 3-3 (1-1) Tulane. This will not be an upset. Bulls favored by 12, o/u is 54. 6:00 p.m. on ESPN2. Anyone else impressed that Charlie Strong is undefeated?
Huge rivalry game in Oxford, Mississippi. No. 24 Louisiana State and Ole Miss play at 6:15 p.m., and the game will be on ESPN. Should be a beautiful day of tailgating in the Grove for one of the South’s great football rivalries. Louisiana State favored by 7, and I smell a Landshark upset! O/U is 59.5 HOTTY TODDY!
Biggest game of the day is in the shadow of Mount Nittany. No. 19 Michigan at No. 2 Penn State. 6:30 p.m. on ABC. PSU favored by 9.5, and over/under is 44.5. Hoping Harbaugh has his Michigan Men ready, and that they knock Penn State from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Kicking off opposite that is No. 11 Southern Cal at No. 13 Notre Dame. Another great rivalry game, this might be one of the better Trojan-Irish games in recent years. I know that Mark Dean is hoping so. Me too. Good luck Irish! Notre Dame favored by 3.5, and over/under is 65.5.
No. 21 Auburn at Arkansas. 6:30 p.m. on the $EC Network. Arkansas looking for their first conference win. Tigers favored by 15.5, and over/under is 52.5. War Eagle!
No. 15 Washington State looks to get back in the win column with Colorado in Pullman. 9:45 p.m. on ESPN. Cougars favored by 10, and the over/under is 52.5. Good luck Mike Leach!
Other Games of Interest This Week
Friday night, Air Force at Nevada. 8:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Falcons favored by 7, over/under is 67.5. Both teams have losing records, but I’ve decided our nation’s service academies are always of interest.
Temple at Army, 11:00 a.m. on the CBS Sports Network from Michie Stadium. Army a 6.5 point favorite, over/under is 46. Didn’t see a prop bet on over/under for Army passes completed.
Boston College at Virginia. Cavaliers are 5-1 and 2-0 in the ACC. Eagles are 3-4, 1-3. Wahoos favored by 5. Over/under is 47. 11:30 a.m. on ACC Network. Go Hoos!
SUNY Buffalo at Miami. Redhawks a disappointing 2-5, 1-2 in the MAC. Miami favored by 2.5, and the over/under is 45. 1:30 p.m. on ESPN3.
Southern Methodist at Cincinnati. 3:00 p.m. on ESPNU. Ponies are favored by 7.5, and the over/under is 65.5.
Rice at UT San Antonio. After a promising start for the Roadrunners, they have dropped both of their conference games. Rice has 5 losses, and one win. At least that win is a C-USA win. 6:00 p.m. in the Alamodome. UTSA favored by 20, and the o/u is 53.
National Previews
Viewing schedule from BON:
The Week That Will Be: The Mid-Point. My guess is very few of you click and read these general previews, except maybe some of the “sportsmen” who enjoy a friend wager. I recommend this and some of the other previews.
Viewing guide. If you’ve never looked at this, and you plan on a full day of watching college football, then check it out. Jason Kirk’s “rankings” of the televised games.
Bill Connelly. He has Texas losing 26-38.
For those of you who are extra geeky like me, Connelly’s explanation of his S&P+ system:
Last Week
Big 12 – Week 7
Texas Christian and Gary Patterson sneered at the 6 point line and stomped Kansas State 26-6. Wildcats managed a field goal in the second and a field goal in the third.
Texas Tech led West Virginia 35-24 at the end of three quarters. Holgo chugged a couple of Red Bulls and the Mountaineers score 22 unanswered in the fourth. Unfortunately for Tech, I was right; West Virginia wins and covers.
Cyclones pitch a shutout against Kansas, 45-0. Iowa State covered.
Baylor managed to put points on the board in 3 of 4 quarters. Unfortunately for the Bears, Oklahoma State posted points in each frame, and ended up with nearly 4 times as many. 59-16 in the aforementioned stellar offensive output by Okie A&M.
Last Week in College Football – Top 25
I am pretty sure that I heard an announcer say that the last time Syracuse beat Clemson Donovan McNabb was quarterbacking the Orange. That was a long time ago. No one saw this coming, especially Dabo Sweeney. 27-24 upset.
Of all the upsets and surprises, Cal Berkeley keeping Washington State out of the endzone is the biggest. Leach was probably talking some serious crap after that game. Wish I could have seen the post-game presser, but it was pretty late, and I had a couple or three margaritas at Javier’s. 37-3 Golden Bears.
Wolverines were favored by 7.5 over Indiana, and the over/under was 46.5. Michigan 27, Indiana 20. Amazing.
North Carolina State took care of business at Pitt. Wolfpack 35-17, covering.
Purdue lost at Wisconsin, 17-9. No cover.
Stunner in Red Stick. Auburn Tigers go down LSU Tigers, 27-23.
I thought Georgia Tech at No. 11 Miami (FL) might be an upset. It was darn close. Miami with 9 points in the fourth quarter to edge GT 25-24.
Navy at Memphis. Tigers were 3.5 point home favorites, and they took down the Middies 30-27.
I kind of feel like Butch and the Kid when I read the Central Florida scores: Who are those guys? East Carolina crushed by UCF, 63-21.
No. 1 Alabama beat the pigs, 41-9. Arkansas 0-3 in SEC. Crimson Tide covered the 31.5 line. Nice work by the oddsmakers.
Georgia did indeed beat the Tigers, 53-28. But they didn’t cover. Impressed that Missouri managed 4 touchdowns – 3 in the first half.
I thought the 24.5 point Ohio State-Nebraska line was too high. Nope. Buckeyes 56, Huskers 14.
South Florida beat Cincinnati 33-3. Still undefeated.
Southern Cal fought off a tough Utah team, with 14 in the fourth to win 28-27. Really lucky for the Trojans. Eschewing the tie, the Utes went for two after scoring a touchdown with 46 seconds left in the game, unsuccessfully.
Vegas books have their finger on the pulse of the Big 10. Michigan State was favored by 4 at Minnesota. Spartans won 30-27. I hope you did not take my advice to “Bet the house on the Spartans”. Oops.
I got one right! I though this might be the week the Aztecs lost, and sure enough, Boise State with the 31-14 upset of San Diego State.
Washington upset at Arizona State, 7-13.
Oregon septupled by Stanford, 49-7. Bryce Love with 147 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Other Games of Interest Last Week
Eastern Michigan at Army. Amazing game, as the Black Knights win 28-27, without completing a single forward pass. 413 yards rushing for Army. Of course they are doing it on the ground.
Mississippi State 35-10 over Brigham Young. Hail State was favored by 24.
Air Force beats UNLV 34-30.
Hotty Toddy! Ole Miss gets back to .500, gets a conference win, and thumps Vanderbilt 57-35.
Virginia 20, North Carolina 14. Wahoo Wa!
Miami loses again. Kent State 17, Redhawks 14.
Houston was a 13.5 point favorite at Tulsa, and the Cougars got beat bad, 45-17. A bit concerning for us Major Applewhite fans, especially after the Memphis loss last night.
UT San Antonio loses at North Texas, 29-26. Eagles are 3-0 in Conference USA.
UTEP is still looking for a win. Southern Miss was favored by 23 points. Final was 24-0. Maybe UTEP should schedule Baylor.
Congrats to Texas Agricultural & Mechanical on a big SEC road win over the Florida Gators, 19-17. The Florida uniforms were not as heinous looking on TV as I thought they would be.
Washington & Lee Generals
W&L with a big 47-26 win over Guilford. The Generals had 558 yards of offense, 526 on the ground. Josh Breece with 223 yards, Collin Sherman with 102, and QB Drew Richards with 91. Richardson completed one pass for 32 yards (Sgro out with an injury). Gotta love that W&L ground game.
Giant rivalry game this weekend. The James River Rivalry! Hampden-Sydney. 1:00 in Farmville. Both teams with 4-2 overall records, by the Hampsters are 2-0 in the ODAC. A W&L win would put us in a tie for either second or third place, depending on what Randolph-Macon does.
Tiger QB Alec Cobb is good. 1,619 yards passing, 17 TDs, only 6 picks. Defense is going to have to play well. Can’t get down early.
Game Notes: http://www.generalssports.com/sports/fball/2017-18/releases/HSC_Notes
Chicago Cubs
Well, a tough night last night. I watched Game 5 while writing, and it was ugly. Congrats to the Dodgers and especially Clayton Kershaw. A good Texan. Heck of a season for the Cubs, especially when you consider they didn’t really shake off the World Series Champion hangover until July. In the end, our pitching let us down against the potent LA offense, and the Dodgers pitching, especially their bullpen, really kept the Cubs offense in check. Just wait until next year! Cubs open in Miami on March 29. 160 days!
Houston Astros
Well, what a series with the Yankees. Two great wins at home, then three really tough games in New York City. Back home tonight, with Verlander on the bump for the Stros and Severino for New York. Let’s win 2!
Music
A few years ago, through Bob Cole, I got to know Jackson Taylor. He’s a pretty amazing artist, following in the footsteps of Waylon Jennings and other outlaw country legends. He is a dedicated musician and a dang good songwriter. His lyrics are definitely NSFW [*]. So you are forewarned.
He Stopped Loving Her/Purple Rain: https://youtu.be/FbWNNmCYGN8
Long Legs & Long Necks – one of my favorites – https://youtu.be/k6UfT2WbhNI
Country Song*: https://youtu.be/2N-UFoIraHY
Whiskey Drinking Song*: https://youtu.be/-c1cBh8cjQY
Ivy League
Harvard victorious over Lafayette, 38-10.
Princeton mud-stomps Brown, 53-0. 36-0 at half.
Yale shut out Holy Cross, 32-0.
A close one for Dartmouth, but they prevail 29-26 over Sacred Heart.
In the battle of the Nell’s, Bucknell nailed Cornell, 26-18.
And the game of the week, an overtime win for Columbia over Penn, 34-31.
http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=21023452
This Week:
It seems really odd that Princeton and Harvard are playing on a Friday night. 6:30 p.m. on the NBC Sports Network from Cambridge.
Saturday:
Battle of the undefeated, Columbia at Dartmouth, 11:30.
Yale at Penn, noon.
Brown at Cornell, 2:00 p.m.
Longhorns in the NFL
http://texassports.com/news/2017/10/17/football-longhorns-in-the-nfl-week-six.aspx
Longhorns Basketball
Longhorns kicked off the season Wednesday night with a fan night and fun at Gregory Gym.
Notes from BON: https://www.burntorangenation.com/2017/10/18/16501472/notes-from-the-texas-longhorns-basketball-tip-off-event
Highlight of the night made SportsCenter Top 10, as Kerwin Roach brought his mom out for the dunk contest.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bacy-vKlyvy/?taken-by=texasmbb
Horns are picked fourth in the Big 12 by the conference coaches. I think some folks are in for a surprise.
First home game is Friday November 10, with Northwestern State.
Full schedule: http://www.texassports.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball
If you want tickets, ping me. I can usually connect you with someone who has them available for most games.
Longhorns Baseball
The Orange-White World Series starts Sunday, October 29, with a 1:00 p.m. game at the Disch. Then Monday October 30 at 6 and Wednesday November 1 at 6. Admission is free. Great chance to see the Horns, and really a fun time to take kids. Coach Pierce is really good, and I have high hopes for next season.
Longhorns Volleyball
The Longhorns are No. 3 in the nation, and swept Tech in Lubbock 3-0 on Wednesday. Pay attention, and watch them on LHN. Great team, great action, and Texas looking to make another Final Four run.
Longhorns Women Basketball
Karen Aston’s team is ranked as high as #2 (Athlon), No. 3 in Lindy’s. Texas returns senior starters Ariel Atkins and Brooke McCarty, both of whom are Preseason All-Big 12. McCarty was the 2017 Big 12 Player of the Year, and both were First-Team All-Big 12 honorees.
This year’s schedule: http://www.texassports.com/schedule.aspx?path=wbball
God Bless Texas.
Tim Taylor
Tailgating before Home Football Games:
Lot 38, East of Sid Richardson Hall.
HOOK EM HORNS!!
© Timothy C. Taylor, Sr. 2017. All Rights Reserved (as to original material).