Good Morning Longhorn Fans!
Texas 10, OSU 13
What a brutal loss. One of the best defensive performances by the Longhorns in years, and yet Texas comes up short again. Too bad more people didn’t see it in person. As I feared, a very poor turnout. But regardless of the crowd and regardless of the final score, the Texas Defense held the Number One Offense in the country as follows:
| Statistic | Okie State | Against Texas |
| Rushing Offense | #32 – 199.5 ypg | 146 yards |
| Passing Offense | #1 – 411.2 ypg | 282 yards |
| Total Offense | #1 – 610.7 ypg | 428 yards |
| Scoring Offense | #2 – 48.8 ppg | 13 points |
| First Downs | #3 – 28/game | 26 |
| Third Down Conversions | #2 – 54.8% | 27.8% |
Very fine work by Todd Orlando, DBU, and the rest of the Texas D. More below. I am in a glass half-full mood this week, and I say we celebrate the extraordinary play of the defense and the gritty performance of Sam Ehlinger. But part of me can’t get past Sam’s injury and some other moments in the game that are emblematic of this 2017 season, when we really should be at least a couple of games above .500.
Texas Longhorns vs. Baylor Bears
No big surprise our game in Waco is at 11:01 a.m. We better be awake and ready. Baylor scored 23 points in the fourth quarter against West Virginia, failing on the 2-point conversion that would have tied the game. Yes, Baylor comes in winless, but they have improved rapidly. Texas too, but the fact is we have two teams from the bottom half of the conference (Texas #6, at 2-2, and Baylor tied for DFL with no wins). Here’s the kicker: This is a must-win for Texas to have any hope of a bowl game and, to be blunt, respectability. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
JDRF
For those who know me well, you know that my passion for the Longhorns is surpassed by my faith and my love for my family. My daughter Mary Elizabeth is working in D.C. for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund. I include her message here.
To my dad’s biggest supporters:
November marks National Diabetes Awareness month–a month in which communities across the country work to bring attention to diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans. Nearly 1.25 million Americans are living with type 1 diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease in which the pancreas no longer produces insulin. The causes are not fully known, and there is currently no cure. Type 1 diabetes has life-altering and life-threatening impacts.
Thankfully, the mission and work of JDRF is working hard to treat, prevent, and cure type 1 diabetes. JDRF is a profound vision of hope in the lives of loved ones and the type 1 diabetes community as a whole, and I am thankful beyond measure to be a part of it. This year, we celebrated the FDA approval of the first “artificial pancreas”. This advancement was largely made possible by JDRF-funded research.
Since its inception in 1970, JDRF has funded virtually every major breakthrough in type 1 diabetes science. Today, they are the world’s largest funder and supporter of T1D research. People with type 1 would never benefit from JDRF-funded innovations without its incredible donors. Fund A Cure is JDRF’s auction of giving and the backbone of our Hope Gala fundraising. At our upcoming Hope Gala in Washington, D.C. on November 4th, we are hoping to raise $1.25 million in Fund A Cure donations alone. Every dollar of these donations goes directly to research, making a direct impact in the lives of those living with or affected by T1D. It is 100% tax deductible.
In light of National Diabetes Awareness Month, please consider donating to our Fund A Cure campaign using this link. JDRF’s urgent mission is one that is near and dear to my heart, and I would be forever thankful for your support.
-Mary Elizabeth
As you might imagine, I cry with pride when I read this. Love you Teenie!
World Series
Cubs aren’t in, but the Astros are. For those of you who are Astros fans or just baseball fans, I have some good stuff below, most of which I borrowed from my law partner, Jack Skaggs, who knows how to that cool thing where you embed a hyperlink in a word. I am still questioning the utility of the mouse, as opposed to using the keyboard. You can imagine how good I am on a laptop with a touchpad.
But for those of you who won’t scroll down and read, two great facts:
- Wednesday night, the Astros won Game 2 in 11 innings. The five homeruns hit in extra innings represent 22.7% of all World Series extra inning home runs ever (or at least since 1914). Regardless, it was historic.
- In 2014, Sports Illustrated put the Astros on the cover with the headline “Your 2017 World Series Champs”.
https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/10/24/houston-astros-sports-illustrated-world-series-prediction
2018 Football Schedule
The 2018 schedule is out.
We open Labor Day weekend at Maryland on September 1.
Then:
September 8 – Tulsa
September 15 – Southern Cal
September 22 – Texas Christian
September 29 – at Kansas State
October 6 – Land Thieves in the Red River Rivalry
October 13 – Baylor
October 27 – at Oklahoma State
November 3 – West Virginia
November 10 – at Texas Technical
November 17 – Iowa State
November 23 – at Kansas
I can’t imagine what the attendance will be in Lawrence on the day after Thanksgiving. Don’t get that one.
Okie A&M and the Horns
Okay, true confession: It is late Thursday night as I start this section of the newsletter. I am getting up tomorrow morning and heading to Oxford to see my son Charles, who I have not seen since August. Stinker the Fat Cat woke me up just before 5:00 this morning. I am tired, and thinking about rewinding this game is making my head hurt. But, I made some notes a couple of days ago (can’t read my own handwriting, so I think there was a really good idea or two that are lost).
First Quarter was great. The weather was beautiful, and my companion for the game was the witty Casey “Judge Smails” Dobson. A few minutes into the game, I knew it was going to be entertaining, regardless of what happened on the field. Anyway, Texas couldn’t do anything on offense, but on defense we almost shut-out the Cowboys, holding Gundy’s “basketball on grass” to 7 points.
Second Quarter opened with OSU driving the ball, but Poona Ford with a stop inside the 10 yard line as OSU looked like they might go up 14. Ford forced fumble, and Texas recovered (who else, DeShon Elliott). Guess what? A John Burt sighting. Not just a sighting, how about a beautiful 90 yard pass reception from Sam to move the Horns from the Texas 8 to the Okie State 2? Sam punched it in, and tie game. The rest of the first half, Texas did this to OSU: 4 plays, 13 yards, punt; 7 plays, 32 yards, punt; 6 plays, 21 yards, halftime. Texas offense was not any better. A drive that had promise but ended with Sam taking a 34 yard sack after getting to the OSU 27. A 3 and out that featured 3 Ehlinger rushes.
The Horns got the ball to start the second half and made good use of it, with a 13 play, 71 yard drive. Sort of good. First and goal at the OSU 9, and some uninspired play calling: Warren right (4 yards), Warren middle (1 yard), incomplete pass. But Rowland hit the short FG to give Texas a 10-7 lead. I was pretty pumped. Little did I know, we wouldn’t score again. Texas did shut out the Cowboys in the third quarter, which is commendable. What is not commendable is the Texas 3 and outs (two, minus 13 yards and 1 yard). So after a nice opening drive, Texas went minus 12 yards the rest of the quarter.
Okie A&M had the ball as the fourth started, and they drove the ball to a first and goal at the Texas 1. What a stand. Gundy settled for 3, and we had a tie game.
The Horns never got it going. A 45 second possession (15 yards), a horrific series that started on the Texas 19 and went backwards (holding, back to the 10, then a delay of game back to the 5), which left us with a third and 24. Not a chance. A 3 and out (1:11, 7 yards).
Texas gets the ball with 1:46 to play, and I figured we had it. Nope. First pass complete to Collin Johnson, but then an incomplete to Johnson and Heard dropped a first down, which wouldn’t have mattered, as we would have had another holding call. Thanks to yet another great Dickson punt, the Okie Aggie hopes of a game winning drive began on their 8. The Texas defense held again, and we actually had 19 seconds to glory. Was not to be.
Won’t ever forget that overtime. We hold the best offense in America to 3 points, and have a shot to win or, worst case, force a second overtime. Sam got us to the OSU 6 (aided by a pass interference call on OSU, to be sure), but then that fateful forced pass on third and 4. Heartbreaking. Stunning.
So, I always try to avoid criticism, but in a hugely important conference game against a highly ranked opponent with a Heisman candidate quarterback and a likely first round receiver, when your defense executes and there are bonehead mistakes and you lose by 3 in overtime, you have to assign some responsibility. Here are the biggest burrs under my saddle: In the third quarter, the defense would have forced a three and out, but there was confusion on the punt return team that resulted in an illegal substitution penalty and an OSU first down. Big field position play. The delay of game penalty in the fourth. 8 penalties for 73 yards.
Just can’t fathom a Texas team that simply can’t run the ball. 99 yards gained, but 57 lost for a net of 42. Warren managed to gain 33, but had 2.8 yards per carry average. Toneil Carter got one carry, for 3 yards. Heard and RMH each had 2.
Kudos to Sam Ehlinger for completing 22 of 36 for 241 yards. I don’t know how many of those were completed under duress, but Sam was pressured often. And sacked 3 times.
Defense gets an A+. Jefferson with 14 tackles, 11 solo. Boyd with one of his best games, 13 tackles (11 solo) and 2 pass break-ups. Holtin Hill with 9 (8), and Locke with 9 (7). So a little different, with our secondary making a lot of plays. Hager had 2 sacks for 14 yards, and Ford had 2.5 TFL for 8.
I concede that the issues on the offensive line precipitate the glaring deficiencies in our running game. But I just can’t figure out why we don’t get some more beef in the backfield to help block. That’s not a criticism – part of the reason I can figure it is that I am not as smart as Coach Herman and certainly don’t pretend to have the knowledge. But I do know when a team has a deficiency, you find ways to overcome it and compensate. [It is why I have lots of people with organizational skills on my team.] We have some amazing athletes. Surely a couple of them could get back there and help protect Sam or open holes for Chris and Toneil.
Nothing but praise for the defense. Unbelievable. Y’all do that again this weekend, and we get back in the black in conference play. Do it.
Reviews
nobis60 Shooting from the Hip:
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2017/10/21/16514490/shooting-from-the-hip-osu-13-texas-10
Want geeky? nobis60 has you covered. Chalk Talk on the offense.
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2017/10/24/16528616/chalk-talk-the-texas-offense-offends-against-osu
For everyone who sat at home Saturday and/or who takes the glory of Texas football and game day in Austin for granted, please read this:
https://www.burntorangenation.com/2017/10/25/16525174/austin-texas-my-first-experience
Okay, I will admit I freaked when I saw the byline. I thought, Holy Cow, Rizzo came to Austin and I didn’t get him to my tailgate? What the heck? Different Anthony Rizzo, but he is welcome to Juan Heisman too.
Longhorns vs. Bears
This is a good football team struggling to find a new identity and get out of the long shadow of Art Briles and out from under the weight of years of Title IX violations. But let’s not dwell on the dark clouds that continue to enshroud Baylor University.
Texas leads the series 76-26-4. In Waco, the Horns are 30-16-2. Matt Rhule is in his first year with the Bears, and despite their record I give Rhule credit for his coaching. He’s doing a good job. That said, I hope we beat the ever-living daylights out of him and his team on Saturday.
Baylor’s season, which is why beating Texas on Saturday would mean so much: Lost to Liberty at home, 48-45. Lost to UTSA at home, 17-10. Lost at Duke, 34-20. Lost to OU in a close one, 49-41 (I thought that might turn BU’s season around, but nope). K State beat them 33-20, then Okie State boat-raced them 59-16. As noted above, a heck of a game last week against Holgo and the Mountaineers, falling 38-36.
Baylor has played 3 guys at quarterback, and I think Zach Smith is supposed to get the start over a fine young man named Charlie Brewer. Smith is 99 for 185 for 1,421 yards, 8 TDs, and 6 picks. Leading rusher is freshman John Lovett, #7. 79 yards, 403 yards, 4 TDs, and no, I don’t know if he has any connection to Saturday Night Live. Wait, that was Jon Lovitz. Never mind. It is true that Baylor only has 7 TDs rushing this year. Terence Williams has 155 yards, and JaMycal Hasty (sounds like reggae star, doesn’t it?) has 111 yards. [For the record, that is not a jab – I love reggae music. The Harder They Come is one of the greatest movies that none of y’all have ever seen, which is a crying shame. No woman, no cry; just go watch it. And Jimmy Cliff’s version of Wild World is splendid: https://youtu.be/yLvq-OLUo3w. But I digress.]
With Sam probably out due to injury, Shane will probably start. Heard got snaps this week too, which I am thrilled about. Depth Chart has Porter, Warren, and Carter all “OR”, and at the ZWR, Joe, Duvernay, Burt, and Heard are all “OR”. RHM and LJH at the HWR (yeah, I like that). And Leonard (6’5”) and Johnson (6’6”) at the X. As you will see below, Baylor is #126 in the nation in pass defense.
Which brings me to the first key to the game: Give Shane time to pass the ball, and don’t let Baylor beat him up. Buechele plus our receivers should equal 350+ yards and at least 4 touchdowns. Add in some Heard in the Cat, and hopefully some production out of the running backs, and Texas should have over 480 yards of offense.
The Statistics
Offense
| Statistic | Texas | Baylor |
| Rushing Offense | #77 – 151.4 ypg | #98 – 134 ypg |
| Passing Offense | #28 – 281.6 ypg | #29 – 281.4 ypg |
| Total Offense | #49 – 433 ypg | #58 – 415.4 ypg |
| Scoring Offense | #54 – 30.3 ppg | #78 – 26.9 ppg |
| First Downs | #31 – 23.1/game | #89 – 19.6/game |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed | #70 – 43, 199 yards | #118 – 56, 227 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #37 – 43.8% | #122 – 29.8% |
| Red Zone Offense | #113 – 73% / 57% | #55 – 86% / 43% |
| Long Scrimmage Plays | #42 – 108/10+; 33/20+; 10/30+ | #64 – 102/10+; 36/20+; 22/30+ |
Defense
| Statistic | Texas | Baylor |
| Rushing Defense | #24 – 120.9 ypg | #114 – 223.6 ypg |
| Passing Defense | #113 – 267.3 ypg | #126 – 290.6 ypg |
| Total Defense | #66 – 388.1 ypg | #126 – 514.1 ypg |
| Scoring Defense | #47 – 23 ppg | #124 – 39.7 ppg |
| Tackles for Loss | #96 – 36, 154 yards | #51 – 46, 163 yards |
| First Downs Allowed | #42 – 18.7/game | #115 – 23.7/game |
| Third Down Conversions | #8 – 26.8% | #103 – 43.4% |
| Red Zone Defense | #22 – 75% / 42% | #116 – 92% / 54% |
| Long Scrim. Plays allowed | #56 – 95/10+; 38/20+; 13/30+ | #115 – 121/10+; 44/20+; 30/30+ |
>> Baylor Long Pass Plays Allowed – #110 – 75/10; 31/20; 19/30; 13/40
Match-up Comparison
| Texas Offense | Baylor Defense |
| Rushing Offense – 151.4 ypg | 223.6 ypg – Rushing Defense |
| Passing Offense – 281.6 ypg | 290.6 ypg – Passing Defense |
| Total Offense – 433 ypg | 514.1 ypg – Total Defense |
| Scoring Offense – 30.3 ppg | 39.7 ppg – Scoring Defense |
| First Downs – 23.1/game | 23.7/game – First Downs Allowed |
| 3rd Down Offense – 43.8% | 43.4% – 3rd Down Defense |
| Red Zone Offense – 73% / 57% | 92% / 54% – Red Zone Defense |
| LSP – 108/10+; 33/20+; 10/30+ | 121/10+; 44/20+; 30/30+ – LSP Allowed |
| Texas Defense | Baylor Offense |
| Rushing Defense – 120.9 ypg | 134 ypg – Rushing Offense |
| Passing Defense – 267.3 ypg | 281.4 ypg – Passing Offense |
| Total Defense – 388.1 ypg | 415.4 ypg – Total Offense |
| Scoring Defense – 23 ppg | 26.9 ppg – Scoring Offense |
| First Downs Allowed – 18.7/game | 19.6 /game – First Downs |
| 3rd Down Defense – 26.8% | 29.8 % – 3rd Down Offense |
| Red Zone Defense – 75% / 42% | 86% / 43% – Red Zone Offense |
| LSP Allowed – 95/10+; 38/20+; 13/30+ | 102/10+; 36/20+; 22/30+ – LSP |
Take out the Maryland game (and don’t we wish we could), and Texas defense would be in the top 20 in scoring defense, with 18.3 points per game. But, we all know about if’s and but’s.
That said, Texas has the better team, with a much stronger defense. If Texas plays defense like we did last week, we should pitch a shut-out.
Offensively, we have to protect the quarterback. That means both in play calling and in pass blocking. Give Buechele time, and he will pick the Bear defense apart. He is 55 for 80 this year, with 3 TDs and 2 picks. 557 yards (true, 375 were against Maryland, but I don’t think any of us realized how good Iowa State was when he posted 171 in Ames). In case you don’t remember 2016, Shane Buechele was 236 for 391, 2,958 yards, 21 TDs and 11 INTs, with a 246.5 yards per game average. He finished the 2016 season ranked #36 nationally. So lots of reasons to hope, and lots of reasons why Texas should win.
Texas Game Notes:
http://texassports.com/documents/2017/10/23/08_Texas_Football_Notes_2017_Baylor.pdf
The Official Preview from Texas:
http://www.texassports.com/news/2017/10/23/football-hits-road-to-take-on-baylor.aspx
The line is Texas by 9, and the over/under is 57. I am counting on Texas to win and cover, and if our defense plays the way they should, you will want to be on the under. Texas 45, Baylor 10.
Juan Heisman Tailgate
A fun tailgate for eleven o’clock in the morning. Big thanks to all the Early Crew – Jim Stone, Jack Nash, Tim Crowley, Bill Skeen, Judd Messer, and several others. My apologies to those I have omitted. I know, I do it every time. Anyway, Hawley’s bloody mary’s were spectacular, and a big old Dulce Vida paloma tastes surprisingly good at 9:45 in the morning. The Santa Rita breakfast tacos hit the spot, especially the chorizo. Thanks Eddie. Two more to go. Kansas is going to be epic, and we will have tamales for Tech on the Friday after Thanksgiving (Tech fans will bring the tortillas).
Polls
AP Poll: Alabama, PSU, Georgia, Texas Christian, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Clemson, Miami (FL), Notre Dame, UO. Oklahoma State dropped to 11. West Virginia 22. Louisiana State at 23. Iowa State at No. 25. Congratulations Cyclones.
Coaches Poll: Roll Tide, Nittany Lions, Georgia, Texas Christians, Wiscy, Buckeyes, Clemson, Miami (FL), Land Thieves, L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac. Okie A&M at 12. West Virginia at 22. Louisiana State at 23. Texas Agricultural & Mechanical at 24.
This Week in College Football
Big 12 – Week 9
No. 11 Okie State and No. 22 West Virginia meet in Milan Puskar Stadium. 11:00 a.m. on ABC. Huge game for both teams, as each has a 3-1 conference record. Cowboys favored by 7.5, and a whopping over/under of 73.
Kansas State vs. Kansas, 2:00 p.m. on FS1. Quite a rivalry, highlighted by the 1987 game, dubbed the “Toilet Bowl”. Kansas was 1-7 and K State was zero and 8. The game ended in a 17-17 tie. Both teams lost their last two games of the season, sealing 1987 as a singular year in Kansas college football history. K State favored by only 24, and the o/u is 55.5.
It has been a long time since Jack Trice Stadium has hosted a match between ranked teams. It has been even longer since I said “I can’t wait to watch the Cyclones and the Horned Frogs on Saturday”. How long? I was born in 1960. Anyway, No. 4 Texas Christian and No. 25 Iowa State play at 2:30 p.m. on ABC/ESPN2. Frogs only favored by 6.5, and the o/u is 48.5.
Texas Tech on the road to Norman. Think about this: You go to school in Lubbock, and you sometimes have road games that make you feel good about Lubbock. No. 10 Land Thieves favored by 20, and the over/under is 75.5. 7:00 p.m. on ABC/ESPN2. Hoping that the Sand Aggies can cover.
This Week in College Football – Top 25
No. 20 Stanford played Oregon State tonight. Whale of a game. Beavers led most of the game, and Stanford had to get a touchdown with seconds left to escape 15-14.
Friday night, Tulane at No. 24 Memphis. 7:00 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Tigers favored by 11, and the o/u is 63.5.
The rest of the Top 25 plays on Saturday.
No. 5 Wisconsin at Illinois. 11:00 a.m. on ESPN. The Illini are 2-5 and winless in the Big 10. Badgers are still undefeated and favored by 26.5. The over/under is 49. Wiscy should win easily.
Miami (FL) is still undefeated. Unfortunately, the No. 8 Canes will likely stay that way. 11:00 a.m. on ESPN2 against North Carolina. The Heels have one win, against Old Dominion. Miami (FL) favored by 20.5, and the o/u is 54.
No. 6 Ohio State has No. 2 PSU at the Horseshoe. Winner of this game might very well be in the playoffs. I almost never say this, but Go Buckeyes! The Ohio State University is favored by 6.5, over/under is 57.5. 2:30 p.m. on FOX.
The 2:30 p.m. featured Southeastern Conference game on the Columbia Broadcasting System will blend with the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. No. 3 Georgia and Florida play in Jacksonville. I assume they play in Jacksonville as a neutral site because they can’t agree on anything different. Hell, they can’t even agree on how many times they have played or when the first game was. Either way, there have been 2 ties, and Georgia either leads it 49-43 or 50-43. Makes me feel good about the Land Thieves. Ha! Just kidding. Bulldogs favored by 14, and o/u is 43.5. I agree with Vegas.
No. 9 Notre Dame with another huge game. No. 14 NC State and the Irish play a season-defining game for Notre Dame. 2:30 p.m. on NBC. ND favored by 7.5, and the o/u is 58. Go Irish!
UC Los Angeles at No. 12 Washington. 2:30 p.m. on ABC/ESPN2. Huskies favored by 17.5, and the o/u is 58.
No. 16 Michigan State on the road to play Northwestern. 2:30 p.m. on ESPN from Ryan Field in Evanston. Despite the disparity in records, Spartans only favored by 2.5. Over/under is 40.5. I don’t know, but I would probably go with Sparty to cover.
Okay Major, time to help the college football world out. Houston at No. 17 South Florida. Bulls undefeated, and they are favored by 11. O/U is 56.5. 2:45 p.m. on ESPNU.
The other undefeated Florida directional school, UCF, plays Austin Peay at 4:00 p.m. No line. No TV. No one cares.
No. 7 Clemson at home with Georgia Tech. Huge game. 7:00 p.m. on ABC/ESPN2. Clemson favored by 14, and the over/under is 49. Going to be a good game, but expect Clemson to prevail.
No. 15 Washington State at Arizona. Cougars favored by just 3, and the o/u is 64.5. 8:30 p.m. on PAC 12 Network.
No. 21 Southern Cal at Arizona State. 9:45 p.m. on ESPN. Not surprised the line is only 3.5. Sun Devils looking to work that desert nighttime magic. Over/under at 59.
Other Games of Interest This Week
Friday night, the Southern Methodists host Tulsa. 8:00 p.m. on ESPN2. Thursday night as I write, ESPN.com says tickets are available starting at $6. I guess Highland Park is playing at home. Ponies favored by 9, and over/under is 76.5.
Saturday:
Ole Miss hosts Arkansas. 11:00 a.m. on SEC Network. Looking forward to having breakfast in the Grove with Charles. Ole Miss favored by 3.5, over/under is 64. Hotty Toddy!
Rutgers at Michigan, 11:00 a.m. on BTN from the Big House. Wolverines favored by 23.5, and the over/under is 43.5.
Virginia at Pitt. 11:30 a.m. on ACC Network. Pitt favored by 3. O/U of 50. Good luck Hoos!
Rice hosts Louisiana Tech. 2:30 p.m. Each as 1 conference win. Rice a 13 point home underdog.
Texas Agricultural & Mechanical with Mississippi State at Kyle Field. 6:15 p.m. on ESPN. State favored by 1.5? Interesting. Opened with aggies favored by 1.5. Over/under is 56.5. Probably going to be heck of a game, and I wouldn’t bet against Texas Agricultural & Mechanical. Gig em.
Air Force at Colorado State. Rams favored by 10. 2:00 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
Virginia Military Institute and The Citadel. Great rivalry. Maybe not a great game this year, as the Keydets are a Bayloresque 0-8.
UT San Antonio at UTEP. 7:00 p.m. in the Sun Bowl. UTSA favored by 15.5, and the o/u is 47.5.
National Previews
Viewing schedule from BON:
https://www.burntorangenation.com/2017/10/26/16555490/weekly-viewing-schedule
The Week That Will Be: Build A Bear
Bill Connelly.
Last Week
Big 12 – Week 8
Iowa State did it. Beat Tech in Lubbock, 31-13, and the Cyclones got themselves ranked.
Kansas State gave the Land Thieves a game, and they covered. But the Wildcats fell 35-42 as the Land Thieves scored 22 in the fourth quarter.
Texas Christian covered the line with a 43-0 shutout of the Jayhawks.
No. 23 West Virginia got a scare, as Baylor posted 23 points in the fourth. Mountaineers win 38-36, but Baylor covered!
Last Week in College Football – Top 25
So, due to time constraints:
Bama thoroughly beat Tennessee 45-7, and I heard it wasn’t that close.
Michigan got destroyed by PSU, 42-13. So disappointing.
Notre Dame with a statement 49-14 win over Southern Cal. Rivalry game, both ranked, and the Irish rushed for 377 yards. That is not a typo: Three hundred seventy-seven yards. Rushing.
Louisiana State too much for Ole Miss, 40-24.
Washington & Lee Generals
W&L trounced Hampden-Sydney, 36-6. A 28 point explosion in the second quarter for the Generals. 372 yards rushing and a typical 2 for 3 passing game by the men in royal blue. Great win against the Hampsters. Attawaytogo W&L!
Another rivalry game this weekend, this Saturday in Ashland, Virginia. W&L plays Randolph-Macon who come in with an identical 5-2, 2-1 record. In the series, 31-31-3, a rivalry that dates to 1903.
Game Notes: http://www.generalssports.com/sports/fball/2017-18/releases/RMC_Notes
Houston Astros
Credit Jack Skaggs with some of this stuff [as noted], with some editing by me.
- The Astros are celebrating their tenth season in Minute Maid Park. Cool kids call it the “Juice Box”. [JS]
- Jose Altuve, the Astros second baseman, should win AL MVP. He hit .346 this year, and he is having an incredible post-season. Batting .360 with a 1.168 OPS (for those of you who aren’t fans, that is On base percentage Plus Slugging, and Altuve is slugging .720, which is really good). 6 homeruns and 9 RBI.
- The Houston MLB franchise began in 1962, originally the Colt 45’s. For so many years, they played in the Eighth Wonder of the World, the fabulous Astrodome. I saw my first MLB game there. I was really young. I am told I saw the Dodgers play the Astros, and Sandy Koufax pitched. If so, that would have been 1965 or 1966. Who knows, but I will take that family legend as a great sign. Go Stros.
- Thankful for Justin Verlander. A 2.05 ERA in the postseason, with 30.2 innings pitched and opponents BA of .183. That is good.
- Speaking of starting pitcher Lance McCullers, savior of game 7 of the ALCS against the Yankees, he is taking Houston rapper Paul Wall up on an offer for free grillz for all the Astros players. No, not like a Weber grill, like the gold and diamond encrusted mouthpieces the rapper guys wear. Like Paul Wall himself. [JS]
- The Astros are now the first team to ever advance to the World Series as members of both the American League and National League. [JS]
- Tuesday’s Game One of the World Series enjoyed a lovely starting temperature of 103, which is apparently the warmest ever playoff game in baseball’s recorded history. Wednesday’s Game Two had 8 home runs, the most in a World Series game ever. [JS]
Game 3 is Friday night in Houston. Darvish against McCullers. Should be good. Games 4 and 5 follow Saturday and Sunday, all at 7:00 p.m., all on FOX.
Good Stuff
- I grew up in Tyler, and we watched WFAA. Which meant I thought the voice of sports was that of Verne Lundquist (Austin High Maroon). The last few generations of north Texans have grown with a different voice, Dale Hansen. Good article from The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/04/sports/football/dale-hansen-nfl-wfaa.html
- “We are, each of us, responsible for our own actions, but we also know it has been bedrock in our American creed, that without cooperation, without all of us working together, pulling together, we can’t make it.” — David McCullough, American author, narrator, historian, lecturer, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and 2006 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom; from a 1994 address at Union College; reprinted in his 2017 book, The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For.
- As we approach Veterans Day, I want to make sure you know about Honor Flight. Many of you are familiar. If you know a veteran from WWII, Korea, or Vietnam, please consider honoring him or her with this opportunity to visit DC with Honor Flight. http://www.honorflightaustin.org/
- Did that few of you really not get 11 herbs and spices? @KFC. I am getting old.
Music
Since it is the Baylor game, I have to include Pat Green’s great song, “George’s Bar”.
I looked for other songs about Waco, but every single one I found was about David Koresh and the Branch Davidians.
George’s is amazing. Worth stopping for a burger and onion rings.
Texas Monthly with a great November issue on Texas music, and this is good:
https://features.texasmonthly.com/editorial/30-things-you-need-to-know-about-texas-music-in-2017/
Ivy League
IVY LEAGUE REPORT FOR OCTOBER 28, 2017
By Lonnie Schooler
Sorry for my absence recently. Thanks to Tim Taylor for covering for me.
Several spirited contests marked gridiron action in the Ivy League during the weekend of October 21, including a record-setting event in the New Hampshire hills (while several of us were enjoying ourselves at the Retreat, particularly Games 6 and 7 of the American League Championship Series in Houston!).
Results of Games on the weekend of September 29-30:
Last weekend’s schedule featured the premier matchup of the League’s only two remaining unbeaten teams: Dartmouth and Columbia. That’s right, Columbia. The Lions have not achieved an unbeaten record this late in the year in more than three decades. They are flourishing under the leadership of Coach Al Bagnoli, who previously guided the Fighting Quakers of Penn to several conference championships.
Dartmouth hosted Columbia, and the Lions kept their unbeaten string alive, triumphing over the Big Green 22-17, led by quarter back Anders Hill’s 300 yards of passing. Congrats once again to our very own Pat Sharkey, a proud alumnus in the building this week. Columbia stands atop the League with its 6-0 record.
The Princeton Tigers visited Cambridge to take on the Crimson of Harvard. As confirmation of how poorly things are going this year for the recently powerful Crimson, Princeton destroyed them, 52-17, racking up over 420 yards passing in the contest. [Editor: Congrats Zlotky!]
In Ithaca, New York, the Big Red hosted the Brown Bruins, and successfully defended home field advantage by prevailing easily, 34-7.
Finally, in Philadelphia, the Yale Bulldogs made a successful visit, treating Penn to its third last-minute defeat, 24-19, scoring the winning points with 3:00 to play.
SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER 28:
The schedule for this Saturday’s games is as follows (all times CDT):
Columbia travels the Connecticut Turnpike to tangle with the Yale Bulldogs at Noon (11:00 A.M.). Dartmouth journeys to Cambridge to do battle with the Crimson of Harvard at 11:00 A.M. The Fighting Quakers of Penn travel to Providence to meet the Brown Bruins at 11:30 A.M. Finally, Cornell visits Princeton at 6:00 P.M., in a game nationally televised on NBC Sports.
Enjoy your football this weekend, now that autumn is in full bloom, and Go Astros!
Longhorns in the NFL
Longhorns Basketball
On very short notice, The University and Texas Agricultural & Mechanical organized and played an exhibition game in Houston, hosted by the fine folks at William Marsh Rice University, all to benefit RebuildTX.org. The young Horns prevailed over the Agricultural Mechanics, 73-69. Nice way to start off the season. Thanks to all the leadership at U.T., A and M, and Rice for pulling this off. Wescott Ebert’s write up on BON:
On a similar line, the college football world wants our rivalry back. And they love following our hate-fest:
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/10/26/16552446/texas-a-m-rivalry-play-again-timeline
Oh, and for those who are still asking, I ran out of 27-25 bumper stickers a long time ago.
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.
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).
On Twitter: @tctayloratx
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and: www.Facebook.com/Juan.Heisman