Good Morning Longhorn Fans!
Texas 7, Texas Christian 24
A tough loss to a very good college football team. Can’t say enough good things about the defense, who kept playing their hearts out and playing well. Offense was painful. 9 yards rushing. Sacked 7 times for 50 yards.
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Texas Longhorns
I am going out on a limb here to say this is going to be a big win for Texas. Better be.
It is Veterans Recognition Day, which is always one of my favorite home games. More on that below. Kickoff is 5:00 p.m., and the game will be on the Longhorn Network. We are going to have a huge tailgate party, so I hope those who are able will come by and enjoy some pre-game festivities. And even if you are not going to the game, come by for the party!
The game will be broadcast in the greater Manchaca-Jolleyville Metropolitan SMSA on Bob Cole’s KOKE FM 99.3 and the Horn, 104.9. If you want to listen and don’t have radio access, get the KOKE app. Easy to use.
Vegas has Texas a 34 point favorite, and the over/under is 55. Hook Em!
Veterans Day
The University and football team do a great job with honoring, recognizing, and remembering our veterans. This year is particularly good, and highly recommend this post on TexasSports.com about the ways the team is observing Veterans Day.
Staying with a long-standing tradition, the Longhorns’ special teams are the “Special Forces” in honor for Mr. Denius. The punt team is the “A-Team”, for Nate Boyer, with whom I assume most are familiar. The punt return team has been the “Posse” since the MB era, but this year it honors Major General Kearie Lee Berry, who lettered in football 1912-16, plus 3 letters in track and 2 in wrestling. A survivor of the Bataan Death March and POW, he is a true American hero. I hope you will go to the link above and read his story.
Mr. Denius and Nate Boyer will be honorary captains on Saturday. The Army Golden Knights will parachute in pre-game, and we will have an F-16 flyover. Should be a glorious day.
JDRF
Many thanks to everyone who donated to JDRF. Y’all contributed to a hugely successful event for the D.C. JDRF chapter, as the gala raised $2.37 million to help fund more research to treat and someday cure Type 1 diabetes. I am deeply appreciative of all who gave.
Horns and the Texas Christians
So, I was in Taylor, Texas, Saturday morning for the grand opening of the Texas Beer Co. brewery, and I called an audible. My plan had been to enjoy some great beer, head home and watch football, and then put a steak on the Weber, pop a cabernet, and enjoy the Frog game from the comfort of my couch. Better decision: Called Kathryn and asked what she and Mark were doing Saturday night and if I could drive to San Antonio and see Peter and them. Grateful the answer was yes. So, I headed south late Saturday afternoon, and spent the evening with my grandson and Kathryn and Mark. Had a great dinner, some quality time, and you know what? The Texas loss didn’t really seem all that bad.
Anyway, I tried to watch a replay of the game and some of the Overdrive replay on LHN, but I just couldn’t do it. A crappy loss. Shane Buechele with a heroic effort, and I have about decided that there is some issue with the offensive line besides inexperience. Seven sacks? There are 5 teams that have allowed less than 7 sacks all season, and 2 that have given up exactly 7 this season. Rushing attack? Nonexistent. Young had 12 carries for 34 gained. Warren 1 for 3, and Heard 1 for minus 2. Buechele had 12 carries, gained 30 (18 on one play), lost 53, and ended minus 23. I don’t know how many times Buechele got hit without the ball, but I am going to guess a dozen. So we ran 70 plays, and, conservatively, Buechele got smacked on over a third of them. Not a recipe for keeping a quarterback healthy. Shane did throw for 254 yards, but a good chunk of that was on one series. What I did like was the way the ball was spread around with passes completed to 11 different targets.
I am sick of losing to Texas Christian. Really sick of it.
To be fair, we have been really hampered by injuries. Wescott Eberts with a thorough review of how many Longhorns we have lost on offense this year:
Reviews of TCU
nobis60 Shooting from the Hip:
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2017/11/4/16608156/shooting-from-the-hip-tcu-20-texas-7
Wescott Eberts on BON:
https://www.burntorangenation.com/2017/11/4/16608174/texas-longhorns-7-tcu-horned-frogs-24
And this article from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Ouch.
http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article182863856.html
Thank you Veterans
I have “reprinted” my tribute to Frank Denius below. I suspect most of you have read it, but some of the new subscribers should enjoy.
Thanks to one of my favorite Marines, Clint Greenleaf, for two songs in honor of Veterans Day. I had forgotten the story of Operation Hump.
Big and Rich – 8th of November: https://youtu.be/ozpdBvB0hek
John Michael Montgomery – Letters from Home: https://youtu.be/X75sVw0xH2c
Longhorns and the Jayhawks
Kansas is an amazing basketball school. The program is wildly successful, including 17 Big 12 regular season championships and 9 conference tournament championships. There is not a close second.
On the other hand, Kansas is not much of a football school.
Texas leads the series 13 to 3. The first two losses were a pretty long time ago, in fact the first two times we played: 1901 and 1938. Loss number 3 was, of course, last year in Lawrence. A bad, bad, bad overtime loss that sealed Charlie Strong’s fate and might very well have been the bottoming out in this particular trough of this cycle for Texas football.
KU has had a tough year. After opening the season with a 38-16 win over Southeast Missouri State, the Jayhawks dropped two to MAC teams (Central Michigan and Ohio), and have gone winless in Big 12 play, losing last week to Baylor. After us, they finish with the Land Thieves and Oklahoma State.
Players to watch on offense: QB Carter Stanley (#9) has 717 yards and one touchdown. Running back Kahlil Herbert, #10, has 615 yards on 96 attempts with 4 touchdowns. Top receiver #11 Steven Sims Jr. has 679 yards on 39 catches with 4 scores (rather sequential, wasn’t it?).
Star of the defense is linebacker Joe Dineen, Jr. 110 tackles, 76 solo. Wears #29 on his jersey and a Jayhawk tattoo on his arm. He ranks #1 in the country in solo tackles, averaging 8.4 per game.
Longhorns will have a different look on defense, with Hill suspended for the rest of the season for violating team rules. Won’t hurt us this week, but we will sure miss him against West Virginia and Tech.
The Depth Chart released earlier in the week still has Shane and Sam as “OR”, but I have feeling Sam is still hurting. Hope we let him rest another week. All 4 running backs as “or”, but I am not sure how Carter is doing. Word is Mitchell Becker will replace Josh Rowland as our placekicker. Worth a try. I think rumors of Connor Williams’ return are just that – rumors. Don’t see it happening this week.
The Statistics
Offense
| Statistic | Texas | Kansas |
| Rushing Offense | #98 – 137.8 ypg | #114 – 114.9 ypg |
| Passing Offense | #32 – 275.7 ypg | #58 – 239.3 ypg |
| Total Offense | #54 – 413.5 ypg | #105 – 354.2 ypg |
| Scoring Offense | #67 – 28.6 ppg | #118 – 19.7 ppg |
| First Downs | #47 – 21.7/game | #114 – 17.1/game |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed | #109 – 63, 281 yards | #115 – 66, 272 yards |
| Sacks Allowed | #117 – 28, 97 yds, 3.11/g | #87 – 21, 143 yds, 2.33/g |
| Third Down Conversions | #58 – 40.3% | #126 – 29.1% |
| Red Zone Offense | #118 – 74% / 56% | #4 – 96% / 58% |
| Long Scrimmage Plays | #36 – 138/10+; 43/20+; 15/30+ | #111 – 102/10+; 32/20+; 22/30+ |
Defense
| Statistic | Texas | Kansas |
| Rushing Defense | #11 – 117.1 ypg | #88 – 180.2 ypg |
| Passing Defense | #93 – 250.6 ypg | #120 – 277.4 ypg |
| Total Defense | #43 – 367.7 ypg | #115 – 457.6 ypg |
| Scoring Defense | #34 – 21.3 ppg | #128 – 42.2 ppg |
| Tackles for Loss | #63 – 53, 232 yards | #14 – 68, 207 yards |
| Sacks | #44 – 21, 155 yds, 2.33/g | #80, 16, 99 yds, 1.78/g |
| First Downs Allowed | #27 – 17.8/game | #87 – 21.6/game |
| Third Down Conversions | #6 – 26.5% | #85 – 41.9% |
| Red Zone Defense | #38 – 79% / 46% | #92 – 87% / 72% |
| Long Scrim. Plays allowed | #48 – 116/10+; 47/20+; 22/30+ | #108 – 144/10+; 60/20+; 22/30+ |
Match-up Comparison
| Texas Offense | Kansas Defense |
| Rushing Offense – 137.8 ypg | 180.2 ypg – Rushing Defense |
| Passing Offense – 275.7 ypg | 277.4 ypg – Passing Defense |
| Total Offense – 413.5 ypg | 457.6 ypg – Total Defense |
| Scoring Offense – 28.6 ppg | 42.2 ppg – Scoring Defense |
| First Downs – 21.7/game | 21.6/game – First Downs Allowed |
| 3rd Down Offense – 40.3% | 41.9% – 3rd Down Defense |
| Red Zone Offense – 74% / 56% | 87% / 72% – Red Zone Defense |
| LSP – 138/10+; 43/20+; 15/30+ | 144/10+; 60/20+; 22/30+ – LSP Allowed |
| Texas Defense | Kansas Offense |
| Rushing Defense – 117.1 ypg | 114.9 ypg – Rushing Offense |
| Passing Defense – 250.6 ypg | 239.3 ypg – Passing Offense |
| Total Defense – 367.7 ypg | 354.2 ypg – Total Offense |
| Scoring Defense – 21.3 ppg | 19.7 ppg – Scoring Offense |
| First Downs Allowed – 17.8/game | 17.1/game – First Downs |
| 3rd Down Defense – 26.5% | 29.1% – 3rd Down Offense |
| Red Zone Defense – 79% / 46% | 96% / 58% – Red Zone Offense |
| LSP Allowed – 116/10+; 47/20+; 22/30+ | 102/10+; 32/20+; 22/30+ – LSP |
I added sacks and sacks allowed this week. That’s ugly. #117.
This should be a better week. We match up well against a team that is, statistically, one of the worst in the country, offense and defense.
Texas Game Notes:
http://texassports.com/documents/2017/11/6/10_Texas_Football_Notes_2017_Kansas.pdf
Texas 54, Kansas 10.
Greg Fenves
The Holocaust Museum Houston honored President Fenves and The University of Texas with its Guardian of the Human Spirit award last week. Well deserved. The acceptance speech which President Fenves gave was extraordinary. This isn’t a quick watch, but so worth your time. If you can’t find the time this morning to watch, please find time later to do so. I really think you will be glad you did. An extraordinary story, told exceptionally well.
http://hmh.org/SpiritLuncheon.shtml
On YouTube, in case that link doesn’t work: https://youtu.be/kAIc40VTZwU
Juan Heisman Tailgate
Well, the Horns may be 4-5, but the Juan Heisman Tailgate Crew is 4-0 this season. And this weekend we will move to 5-0 with an epic tailgate, as long-time Crew member Bill Walters offered to bring some large volume red wine, and that offer has quickly escalated to a high end feast with plans for many racks of lamb, smoked pork tender sliders, and many others contributing wine and great food. We will have plenty to eat, and we plan on having some of it ready by 2:00, with the lamb and other special meats ready at 3:00. Plenty of time to enjoy a big mid-afternoon meal on great Austin November afternoon, and be in DKR in time for parachutes and kick-off. Texas Beer Co. will be there again this week, and we will have a couple of kegs to enjoy. Plus the usual Dulce Vida Tequila and other beers and spirits. It is the next to last home game, and we plan on making it memorable. We close out the season with the Tamale Gate for Tech.
Polls
CFP Poll: Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Clemson. Land Thieves & Texas Christians at 5 and 6. Then Miami (FL), Wisconsin, Washington, and Auburn round out Top 10. Southern Cal at 11, Michigan State at 12. Okie State at 15 and Iowa State at 21. Apparently The University of Central Florida, which is in fact a four-year school, is not happy with the #18 ranking given their undefeated season. Yeah.
AP Poll: Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Clemson, OU, Wisconsin, Miami (FL), Texas Christian, Washington, and Auburn. Okie A&M at 12, Michigan State at 12, West Virginia at 23, and Iowa State at 24.
Coaches Poll: Roll Tide, Georgia, Wiscy, Clemson, L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac, Miami (FL), Land Thieves, U-Dub, Texas Christians, and War Eagle. Okie Aggies at 12 and Iowa State at 23.
This Week in College Football
This is a huge weekend. 14 of the top 25 teams are playing each other, and there are 3 top 10 match-ups. A great weekend for college football fans!
Big 12 – Week 11
A top 25 match up at Jack Trice Stadium, as the No. 21 Cyclones host No. 15 Oklahoma State. Should be a good game. 11:00 a.m. on ABC/ESPN2 [assuming ABC in this area]. Cowboys favored by 6.5, and the over/under is 60.5.
Sand Aggies and Brazos Baptists square off at JerryWorld. Hard to believe Tech is 1-5 in conference. 11:00 a.m. on . . . radio? No, apparently on some FSN affiliates. Red Raiders favored by 7.5, and the over/under is 71. My understanding is that AT&T Stadium is not quite sold out.
A huge game nationally and for the conference in Norman. Oklahoma at No. 5 in the CFP rankings, but a loss would probably knock them out of contention. No. 6 Texas Christian probably has the best chance of doing it. 7:00 p.m. on FOX. Land Thieves favored by 6.5, and the o/u is 61.5. Mayfield in contention for a famous trophy. Let’s see where he is after Patterson’s defense is finished with him Saturday night.
West Virginia at Kansas State, 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2. As good as the Mountaineers are, they are 2.5 point underdogs. Over/under is 62.5. Can’t go with Vegas on this one. Holgo and his boys will be ready.
Catholics vs. Convicts
The more I thought about it, especially after re-watching the 30 for 30 film, I realized this game deserves its own spot in this week’s little missive.
No. 3 Notre Dame at No. 7 Miami (FL). Been a long time since this game had this much importance. Should be a huge, fun game. 7:00 p.m. on ABC. One loss Notre Dame has to keep winning to get in the playoffs, and undefeated Miami (FL) needs a statement win to get the Committee to believe in them. Irish favored by 3.5, and the over/under is 50.5.
If you haven’t seen the 30 for 30, Catholics vs. Convicts, please watch it. It reminded me of how distraught I was when Jimmy Johnson became the coach of my (then) beloved Cowboys. It reminded me of how much I can’t stand Miami (FL).
Go Irish! I think Notre Dame wins 59 to 7. But I will be real, real happy with 31-30.
This Week in College Football – Top 25
A really big game in the Pac 12 Friday night, especially for No. 9 Washington. The Huskies and Stanford play at The Farm, 9:30 p.m. on FS1. While it is unlikely that Washington can sneak into the playoffs, they have to win this to have a shot (in addition to a lot of other folks losing). Washington favored by 6, and the over/under is 45.
Another huge game for No. 12 Michigan State at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Spartans get the No. 13 Buckeyes in the Horseshoe. FOX. Both 7-2 and 5-1. The Ohio State University favored by 16.5 (line opened at 14.5). Wow. Hope Vegas is real wrong. Over/under is 54.
Arkansas at No. 24 Louisiana State, 11:00 a.m. on ESPN. Tigers favored by 17, and the over/under is 55. Geaux Tigers!!
No. 14 Penn State back home licking their wounds, and they should get well against Rutgers. 11:00 a.m. on the BTN. Nittany Lions favored by 31, and the over/under is 52.5.
Central Florida still undefeated. No. 18 UCF hosts U Conn, 11:00 a.m. on ESPNU. The Knights are favored by 37, and the over/under is 40.5.
No. 23 NC State at Boston College, 11:00 a.m. on ABC/ESPN2. Wolfpack only a 3 point favorite?? Over/under is 52.
Georgia Tech hosts No. 17 Virginia Tech, 11:20 a.m. on ACC Network. Hokies favored by 3, and the over/under is 50. The ACC is going to be interesting as the season finishes.
The big afternoon game is No. 1 Georgia at No. 10 Auburn, 2:30 p.m. on CBS. Jordan-Hare Stadium will be crazy. Bulldogs favored by 2.5, and the over/under is 47. I think Georgia is for real, and while a War Eagle upset would certainly make things interesting, I think the Dawgs get this one.
No. 4 Clemson gets Florida State at home in Death Valley. Not the match-up it normally is, but certainly of huge importance for the Tigers. 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. Clemson favored by 15.5, and the over/under is 46. Clemson will take care of business and stay in the top 4 in the CFP Poll.
No. 8 Wisconsin at home with giant killer No. 20 Iowa. 2:30 p.m. on ABC. Badgers favored by 12, and the over/under is 46. Heard two different commentators that said even if Wisconsin runs the table that might not make into the CFP. Don’t get that, especially if they are Big 10 conference champions. We need to move to an 8 team playoff soon.
Big game in Boulder, as the Buffs host the Trojans. 3:00 p.m. on FOX, with Southern Cal favored by 13.5 over Colorado. Seems high. Over/under is 64.5. Just going to guess high, and say they hit the over.
No. 19 Washington State in Salt Lake City to play Utah. 4:30 p.m. on the Pac 12 Network. Cougars favored by 1, and the o/u is 52.
StarkVegas going to be rocking! No. 2 Alabama and No. 16 Mississippi State, 6:00 p.m. on ESPN. Lots of folks saying the Crimson Tide haven’t beat anyone yet. Well, here is their chance. Alabama favored by 14.5, and the over/under is 51. Should be a great football game for a quarter or so. The talking heads keep saying how Alabama’s defense is “depleted”. Yeah, right.
Northwestern has earned a No. 25 ranking. They get Purdue at home, 6:00 p.m. on ESPN2. Northwestern favored by 4.5, and the over/under is 48.5.
Other Games of Interest This Week
Thursday night, I watched North Carolina beat Pitt. Well, I watched most of the fourth quarter. I was at the Hilton Austin for most of that game. See “Distinguished” below.
Ole Miss tees it up with the Ragin’ Cajuns at 11:00 a.m. in Vaught-Hemingway. SEC Network. Rebs favored by 20. Over/under is 67. Hotty Toddy!
Duke at 7-2 Army, 11:00 a.m. on the CBS Sports Network. Blue Devils favored by 3, over/under is 49.
Virginia (6-3, 3-2 ACC) at Louisvile (5-4, 2-4 ACC). 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU. Cavaliers are 11.5 road dogs, and the o/u is 66. Go Hoos!
Michigan at 7-2, 4-2 in conference, is actually still in the hunt to play for the Big 10 Title. Barely. But possible. The Wolverines play at Maryland, 2:30 p.m. on BTN. Michigan favored by 17, and the over/under is 45.5.
Southern Methodist at Navy. 2:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Navy favored by 4, over/under is 68.
Rice home with Southern Mississippi. 2:30 p.m. USM favored by 10, and the over/under is 49. Rice is 1-8. Come on Owls.
I-35 south of Austin will be crowded Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, more likely due to traffic on their way to Wurstfest than to Bobcat Stadium. Texas State has Georgia State at 3:00 p.m. Panthers favored by 6.5, and the over/under is 47.5.
UTEP at North Texas, 3:00 p.m. in Denton. Miners still looking for a win. Mean Green 5-1 in Conference USA. UNT favored by 22.5, and over/ under is 54.
UAB at UT San Antonio, and the Roadrunners are again favored, this week by 7.5. 6:00 p.m. in the Alamodome. Over/under is 51.
Texas Agricultural & Mechanical has New Mexico at Kyle Field. 6:00 p.m. on ESPNU. Texas Agricultural & Mechanical favored by 18, and over/under is 51.5. Aggies should get a much need home win. Should …
Oregon State at Arizona. 9:00 p.m. on ESPN2. If you not have seen Arizona’s Khalil Tate play, tune in Saturday night. He’s one of the best players in the country, and would be much more in the Heisman discussion if we played on the East coast. Wildcats favored by 21, and the over/under is 71.5.
Wyoming at Air Force, 9:15 p.m. on ESPNU. Falcons favored by 3, and over/under is 54.
National Previews
The Week That Will Be: Reputation
Bill Connelly.
Neil Payne on FiveThirtyEight.com. Good stuff. How particular games will impact the playoff picture.
Last Week
Big 12 – Week 10
Wow. Talk about living up to the hype. Bedlam in Stillwater. Land Thieves and Pokes hit the over at halftime (76). The Boys from Norman got the Golden Mobile Home Trophy with a bit 62-52 win, and Baker Mayfield is probably the leader for the Heisman, as he was 24 for 36 and 598 yards with 5 touchdowns. Rudolph matched the 5 TD’s, and each had 2 picks. Heck of a game.
Iowa State managed to shut out the Mountaineers for a half, which is impressive. But West Virginia with the 20-16 win despite the bad second half.
K State with a big road win in Lubbock, 42-35 over the Red Raiders. Tough times on the South Plains, as the Sand Aggies fall to 1-5 in the Big 12.
Baylor Wins!! 38-9 over Kansas.
Last Week in College Football – Top 25
Top 4 stated on top.
Georgia didn’t blow out the Cocks, but a nice 24-10 win over South Carolina.
Alabama with a good win over Louisiana State, 24-10.
Notre Dame let Wake Forest score 37, but luckily the Irish offense delivered 48.
Clemson 38-31 over NC State.
But that didn’t hold true for the many of the other top teams, especially for the Big 10.
Starting with a huge upset in Iowa, as the Hawkeyes blew out Ohio State 55-24. Giant win.
Michigan State continued their strong run, with a 27-24 win over PSU.
Wisconsin stayed undefeated, 45-17 over Indiana.
A lot of us thought Virginia Tech might give Miami (FL) a better game. Hurricanes win 28-10.
Washington easy 38-3 win over Oregon.
War Eagle brought out the artillery and took down Texas Agricultural & Mechanical 42-27.
Biggest stunner was U Mass leading No. 16 Mississippi State at half, 20-13. Hail State got it together and won 34-23.
Southern Cal beat Arizona 49-35. Heck of a game.
Southern Methodists gave No. 18 UCF a game but fell 31-24.
It was a battle in Pullman, and Washington State prevailed over Stanford 24-21.
Other Games of Interest Last Week
Ole Miss 37-34 over Kentucky. Go Rebs!
Utah kicked UCLA’s butt, 48-17.
Houston was favored by 24.5 over East Carolina. Cougs win 52-27.
Wahoos were 10 point home dogs, and Virginia upset Georgia Tech 40-36.
Rice goes down 21-52 to UAB.
New Mexican aggies were favored by 10 over Texas State. Bobcats lose 35-45.
Army shut out Air Force, 21-0. Love the box score “No Army Passing”. But 392 yards rushing.
Arkansas eked out a 39-38 win over Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers have one win, over U Mass. How the hell did Ole Miss lose to the Pigs?
UT San Antonio favored and loses again, 7-14 to FIU.
UTEP goes down 30-3 at Middle Tennessee. Still winless. Tough, tough season in El Paso.
Michigan back in the win column, 33-10 over Minnesota, covering.
Washington & Lee Generals
W&L with another ODAC Win, beating Bridgewater 49-21, and that was despite 9 fumbles, 5 of which the Generals lost. 490 yards of offense for W&L, and the passing game was big (for W&L), as the Generals had 41 yards in the air, with Drew Richardson 2-2 and Trey Laughlin 1-2. Josh Breece had 27 carries for 249 yards, averaging 9.2 ypc and with a touchdown. Collin Sherman had 4 touchdowns, 159 yards on 22 carries.
Shenandoah lost last weekend to Hampden-Sydney, which leaves Washington & Lee and the Hampsters on top of the ODAC, each 4-1.
W&L closes the regular season at Shenandoah this Saturday. Shenandoah is up valley in Winchester. Kate Flannery, who played Meredith Palmer on The Office, attended Shenandoah.
Game Notes: http://www.generalssports.com/sports/fball/2017-18/releases/Shenandoah_Notes
Frank Denius
There are videos on YouTube from the “Footsteps of Patton” tours led by Stephen Ambrose. Here is a link to one where people on one such tour were interviewing a Frenchman on Hill 314 above the Mortain battlefield. They unexpectedly ran into Mr. Denius.
Frank Denius, a hero from the Greatest Generation. Mr. Denius is one of the most decorated U.S. soldiers from World War II, and a veteran of Omaha Beach in Normandy. Several years ago, I was honored to write an article about Mr. Denius that was published in Peter Bean’s Longhorn Football preseason magazine. Here is an edited excerpt which tells some of the story of Frank’s role in the first critical weeks of the invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe.
On “D-Day +1”, June 7, 1944, Frank’s battalion landed on Omaha Beach, and immediately went into action providing fire support for the 29th Infantry Division that had made the initial landing. The weeks following D-Day would be spent fighting in the hedgerows of Normandy, and Frank’s unit advanced in support of the 30th Infantry Division, Old Hickory. In late July, the Americans broke out of the hedgerows. The infantry regiment to which Frank was attached as a forward observer was given the role of securing a hill overlooking the town of Mortain, known on the American maps (and in American history) as Hill 314, and one of the highest points in the area – important strategically for the American army (and the Nazis). Approximately 690 soldiers from the 120th Regiment set up to defend Hill 314, an area about 10 to 12 acres.
In a desperate attempt to thwart the Allied advance, Hitler had ordered a massive counterattack in an effort to cut the American supply line and then push the Americans back to the beaches. The counterattack was led by elite SS Panzer Divisions, and a few hours after settling in on Hill 314, Frank and his fellow soldiers came under attack by 70,000 Germans. Hill 314 was the key to the Battle of Mortain, which is now recognized as a crucial turning point in the War, and one in which Frank Denius played a critical role. Eisenhower radioed to hold Hill 314 at all costs. The soldiers on Hill 314 were under almost constant attack; casualties were significant, and supplies were low. On the third day the Army tried to parachute in supplies, but most fell outside of the Hill 314 defensive perimeter and could not be retrieved.
Critically low on morphine and penicillin, Frank, in radio contact with officers stationed behind the front lines with the artillery, came up with a plan. In addition to regular ordnance, the 230th Field Artillery Battalion came to France with shells filled with propaganda leaflets, printed in German and urging Nazi soldiers to surrender. They removed the leaflets from the shells, replacing them with cotton and vials of morphine and penicillin and other medical supplies. The shells were shot on to Hill 314, and while much of the medicine was lost due to breakage, the soldiers recovered 11 shells, and those supplies saved the lives of many men.
Over the next few days, the men of Hill 314 withstood German assaults (as Frank said, “we killed them as fast they could come up the hill”), and the forward observers from the 230th directed suppressing fire, which many credit with ultimately securing victory for the Old Hickory Division in the Battle of Mortain. When it ended on August 12, Frank said he was one of just 270 men left who could walk off the Hill. The young Americans on Hill 314 helped stop a major Nazi counterattack which could have changed the direction of the Allied operation and possibly the course of the war. Over 17,000 men fought without rest for six days, but the next day Old Hickory was on the move again, with Patton’s Third Army and into the battle of the Falaise Gap.
God bless all of our Veterans.
Good Stuff
Texas has long had a phenomenal petroleum engineering program. Now, the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. A great gift from the Jeff Hildebrand family. https://youtu.be/iwb2ch9AQpk
Distinguished
The Capitol Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America honored our friend David Roche with its Distinguished Citizen Award. The dinner was tonight, and it was a great evening celebrating one of the really good guys. And, Bob Cole did a nice job as usual emceeing – and happy birthday Barbecue Bob! The Boy Scouts do extraordinary work. Scouting had a huge impact on my life, and I know Scouting continues to have enormous impact on hundreds of thousands of youth every year, including 22,000 right here in Central Texas. This week, consider a donation to the Boy Scouts: http://www.bsacac.org/dcad.php
Music
As Greg Johnston reminds us regularly, every day is a gift. Hug your kids and spouse. If your kids aren’t at home call or text. Tell them you love them. If you are lucky to have parents still alive, call them every day. Make sure your friends know how much you care for them.
On Eagle’s Wings https://youtu.be/MvpjxfWrjzY
Death Cab for Cutie: Soul Meets Body https://youtu.be/38YEnQWDLvo
Adele: Make you Feel My Love https://youtu.be/0put0_a–Ng
Ivy League
IVY LEAGUE REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 10-11, 2017
By Lonnie Schooler
Several spirited contests marked gridiron action in the Ivy League last weekend, including a fantastic finish in the game of the week in Philadelphia.
Results of Games on the weekend of November 3-4:
Brown tangled with the Yale Bulldogs in New Haven on national TV on November 3. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first quarter, and held on to win 34-7.
On Saturday, Harvard achieved something of an upset (based upon respective records) by tripping up Columbia in Manhattan, 21-14. The previously undefeated Lions have now lost two in a row and dropped out of the Ivy League lead. Cornell did not fare well after its long trip to the hills of New Hampshire, succumbing to the Big Green of Dartmouth, 10-0. Cornell’s loss drops it into a tie for second with Columbia.
The game of the day occurred at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Penn’s Homecoming Game against the Princeton Tigers. Penn led at halftime, 17-7, and then scored early in the 3rd quarter to lead 24-7. The Tigers then roared back to take the lead at 28-24. Penn then scored to regain the lead at 31-28. With four minutes left, Princeton scored on a short run to regain the lead yet again, 35-31. Undeterred, Penn’s quarterback, Will Fischer-Colbrie, took the Fighting Quakers down the field in three minutes, completing the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Justin Watson with 1:00 left in the game, giving the Quakers the lead, 38-35. Not to be outdone, Princeton then drove the ball the length of the field, completing what appeared to be a game winning touchdown pass with 11 seconds left. The score was waived off, however, because the receiver juggled the ball as he fell out of bounds. Princeton then attempted a 35-yard field goal as time expired, but it was wide right.
Mr. Watson was recognized for his efforts by being named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week. He leads the FCS in total touchdowns and receiving touchdowns this year. The Quakers also benefitted from the play of its running backs, Abe Wil-lows and Tre Solomon, both of whom rushed for more than 100 yards.
SCHEDULE FOR WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER 10-11:
The schedule for this weekend’s games is as follows (all times CDT):
Brown again gets to play a Friday night game, this time hosting the Big Green of Dartmouth at 7:00 P.M., in yet another game that will be televised nationally by NBC Sports.
On Saturday, the Fighting Quakers of Penn travel to Cambridge for a showdown with the Crimson of Harvard at 11:00 A.M. Columbia travels to upstate New York to face the Big Red of Cornell at 12:30. Finally, the league leading Yale Bulldogs travel to New Jersey to confront the Princeton Tigers at Noon.
Enjoy your football this weekend, now that there is at least a hint of autumn in the air in Houston.
Longhorns Basketball
Tipoff tonight! 7:00 p.m. against New Hampshire. I wasn’t thinking – can’t go. It is Theta Parents’ weekend, and we have a big old pachanga Friday night at The Rattle Inn. Next week! Good luck Horns. Ready to see this team in action!
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).
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