No. 1 Texas Longhorns at No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers
The Longhorns open Southeastern Conference play with their first ever trip to Neyland Stadium (capacity 101,915) on Saturday for a noon (local time) kick-off after College Gameday at Rocky Top. I am not sure I watched or listened to a single preview that didn’t talk about how loud Neyland is. The loudest. This is just the fourth meeting between the Longhorns and Volunteers, and the first time to play somewhere other than the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day. Texas leads the series 2-1, and this is the first meeting since the 1969 Cotton Bowl, when James Street led the Longhorns to a 36-13 victory over the Volunteers. More on the history below. And more history.
Somehow, and frankly deservedly, this game has grown in magnitude and attention more than I had anticipated it would. I sure didn’t think that the President of the United States would attend. That usually only happens when Texas wins a national championship. Didn’t know that all communications in the stadium are shut down whenever the President changes locations. That includes coach to quarterback comms, fairly important stuff like that. Perhaps the Saving College Sports Act needs an amendment. Going to be a mess. If you are going, better go really early.
The Manning angle. Arch wears No. 16. His uncle Peyton wore No. 16 at Tennessee and that number is now retired. Neyland Stadium sits at the T intersection of Phillip Fulmer Way and Peyton Manning Pass. But Mannings are loyal to family. Peyton loves his family and his nephew.
The game will be televised on ABC, and we have the best team in college football broadcasting on the call. Chris Fowler with the play-by-play, Kirk Herbstreit with analysis, and Holly Rowe reporting from the sidelines and interviewing coaches (probably).
The game can be heard around the world on the Longhorn Radio Network with the Voice of the Longhorns Craig Way, joined by Roger Wallace in the booth and by Will Matthews on the sidelines. Listen in Austin on the Flagship, KVET 1300 AM and 98.1 FM. In Henderson on KWRD 1470 AM. In Del Rio on KWMC 1490 AM. And listen in San Angelo and the Concho Valley with Mr. McLaughlin on KKSA 1260 AM. Dr. Rubén Pizarro-Silva and Jesus Mendoza with the call in Spanish on certain Longhorn Radio Network affiliates and streaming on the Texas Longhorn App and at https://texas.leanplayer.com/.
The flyover is going to be the bomb!
https://x.com/jwtnvol/status/2103229540936065430?s=43
Texas opened as a 7 point favorite, and Sunday afternoon it was down to Texas minus 4 (and the money lines were Texas minus 205 and Tennessee plus 170). Early Friday morning the line is Texas minus 4.5. The over/under is 54.5. Money lines: Texas minus 198, Tennessee plus 164.
College Football This Weekend
A big weekend of great matchups, from Top 25 (six games with both teams ranked) to conference games and mixed in some contests that are already being labeled as “elimination games”. A few to put on your viewing list, and more covered below as usual.
- 4 Ole Miss at No. 21 Florida, 2:30 p.m. on ABC from The Swamp.
- 17 Iowa at No. 18 Michigan, 2:30 p.m. on CBS from the Big House.
- 23 Texas Agricultural & Mechanical at No. 10 Louisiana State, 6:30 p.m. on ABC. A possible two-fold elimination game, with both teams 0-1 in SEC play, the loser is likely out of not only a shot at the College Football Playoffs but also hope of playing in the SEC championship game.
- 20 Oregon (2-1) at No. 12 Southern Cal (4-0), 6:30 p.m. on NBC. Ducks are cooked with another loss, Trojans at high risk given the rest of their schedule (at Penn State, Ohio State, and at Indiana before closing with UCLA).
And that doesn’t count a full lineup Friday starting with Army vs. Temple at 3:00, Navy vs. UAB at 6:00, Northwestern vs. Indiana at 7:00, and Clemson vs. Cal Berkeley at 9:30.
College Football Last Weekend
A fantastic weekend of football, but two of the best games.
- Louisiana State 24, Ole Miss 32. Hotty Toddy!
- Kentucky 31, Texas Agricultural & Mechanical 21. Didn’t see that coming. Neither did Elko. TexAgs was 🔥
Sara Diggins, Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns 30, UTSA Roadrunners 6
The Longhorns took care of business against the Roadrunners, albeit in a less flashy and dominating fashion than some Texas fans would have preferred (and certainly less than those who might have wagered hoped). If the Ohio State game was a tale of two halves, UTSA was a tale of two teams: a competent offense who performed quite well enough to win, and a dominant defense who didn’t allow a touchdown and only gave 72 yards on the ground and 70 passing yards by a decent college football team. Coming into the game, UTSA was averaging 196 yards rushing and 266.5 yards passing. It was the first time since October 31, 2020, that U.T. San Antonio was kept out of the endzone. Texas had 231 yards rushing, which is dang good. Actually, the one stat from the game that really disappoints me is the penalties – Texas was flagged 8 times for 88 yards. At the same time, UTSA was penalized 12 times for 115 yards. I think the choppiness of the game contributed to the inability of Arch and the offense to get in rhythm.
I enjoyed the day and the game immensely, from a very nice Juan Heisman Tailgate with some good football (including Kentucky Fried Aggy) and lots of family (the Fleming Clan, including the No. 1 three-year old Texas Fan, Lottie).
¡ Los Longhorns en Español !
On Instagram and X
https://x.com/TexasFootball/status/2102779037860896849?s=20
Monday Morning Highlights.
https://x.com/TexasFootball/status/2102018218642530364?s=20
2026 Tennessee Volunteers
Season: The Vols are 3-0.
Game 1: Tennessee smushed the Furman Paladins 56-9. Faizon Brandon was 13/17 for 226 yards and 3 touchdowns and he ran for 68 yards and 2 scores. Mike Matthews had 4 catches for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns. DeSean Bishop picked up 97 yards on 14 carries and scored once.
Game 2: A surprisingly easy 45-24 win over the Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech. Faizon Brandon (No. 11, 6′ 4″, 225 pounds, freshman from Greensboro, North Carolina) completed 10 of 21 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Radarious Jackson (No. 3, 6′ 2″, 208 pounds, sophomore wide receiver from Memphis) led the Vols with three catches for 64 yards, including a 45-yarder. Ethan Davis (No. 0, 6′ 5″, 247 pounds, senior tight end from Atlanta, Georgia) caught two passes for 26 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown on Tennessee’s opening possession. Braylon Staley (No. 14, 6′ 0″, 192 pounds, junior wide receiver from Aiken, South Carolina) caught a 20-yard touchdown pass.
Tennessee rushed for 299 yards. Their big hoss is DeSean Bishop (No. 18, 5′ 10″, 215 pounds, senior running back from Knoxville), who led the Volunteers with 147 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Daune Morris (No. 17, 5′ 10″, 200 pounds, sophomore running back from Chattanooga) added 98 yards on 10 carries, including a 47-yard touchdown run.
Amare Campbell (No. 0, 6′ 0″, 230 pounds, senior linebacker from Manassas, Virginia) and Arion Carter (No. 7, 6’1″, 238 pounds, senior linebacker from Smyrna) tied for the team lead with eight tackles apiece (Campbell, 6 solo; Carter 4 solo with a TFL). Mariyon Dye (No. 9, 6’5″, 270 pounds, sophomore defensive lineman from Elkhart, Indiana) had two sacks. Jeremiah Telander (No. 22, 6’2″, 235 pounds, senior linebacker from Gainesville, Georgia) had an interception and a sack. Dejuan Lane (No. 10, 6 2″, 215 pounds, junior defensive back from Jessup, Maryland) returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown and broke up two passes.
Placekicker Cooper Ranvier (No. 28, 6’2″, 199 pounds, junior from Lexington, Kentucky) made a 32-yard field goal and all six extra points. Punter Jackson Ross (No. 98, 6’4″, 204 pounds, fifth-year senior from Melbourne, Australia) averaged 44.7 yards on three punts.
Game 3: Tennessee killed the Kennesaw State Owls 42-9. Brandon had a pedestrian 178 yards and 1 touchdown (18/26) against a weak team. The Volunteers made up for it with 268 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns. Bishop went out in the second quarter with a hip injury after picking up 42 yards and score. Daune Morris led with 14 carries for 116 yards and a score. Hunter Barnes (No. 24, 6’, 200 pounds, 5th year from Memphis) had 63 yards and a score on 7 carries. Brandon contributed on the ground with 47 yards and a score. Braylon Staley led the Vols with 4 catches for 59 yards and a score. Mike Matthews (No. 4, 6’1”, 200 pounds, junior wide receiver from Lilburn, Georgia) had 4 catches for 41 yards.
Trent Thomas is the top Tennessee tight end. No. 82, 6’5”, 252 pounds, junior from Mobile. Luca Wolf (No. 87, 6’5”, 255 pounds) is a freshman from Vienna, Austria. I like Austria. Gruss gott.
Full Tennessee Roster here.
The Volunteers are coached by Joshua Kenneth Heupel. He was a good college quarterback (national championship in 2000, the last one the Land Thieves won), and he has done well as a head coach.
No. 1 Texas Longhorns at No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers
A look at analytics and stats, then some thoughts.
BCF Toys
Each heading is hyperlinked to Brian Fremeau’s website and the applicable page. One key factor here: Fremeau only uses data from FBS vs. FBS games, and so Tennessee’s 56-9 thrashing of the Furman Paladins is not in the data (at least that’s how I understand it).
| FEI | OFEI | DFEI | SFEI – Adj | |
| Texas | No. 7: 1.09 | No. 18: 0.35 | No. 5: 0.68 | No. 13: 0.08 |
| Tennessee | No. 13: 0.87 | No. 9: 0.50 | No. 26: 0.35 | No. 52: 0.02 |
| NAY | OAY | DAY | |
| Texas | No. 23: 0.205 | No. 33: 0.270 | No. 23: 0.365 |
| Tennessee | No. 16: .278 | No. 12: 0.660 | No. 28: 0.382 |
| NPD | OPD | DPD | |
| Texas | No. 21: 1.8 | No. 29: 3.15 | No. 23: 1.29 |
| Tennessee | No. 10: 2.78 | No. 11: 4.06 | No. 22: 1.28 |
| NPP | OPP | DPP | |
| Texas | No. 48: 0.53 | No. 86: 5.30 | No. 24: 4.78 |
| Tennessee | No. 19: 1.97 | No. 34: 6.52 | No. 19: 4.55 |
Possession Efficiency. Possession Efficiency (PVE) is unadjusted scoring value calculated from the results of non-garbage possessions (NP) in FBS vs. FBS games.
| PVE | OVE | DVE | SVE | |
| Texas | No. 22: 0.96 | No. 40: 0.26 | No. 16: 0.63 | No. 34: 0.11 |
| Tennessee | No. 11: 1.32 | No. 13: 0.70 | No. 17: 0.61 | No. 72: 0.00 |
F+ F+ Ratings combine Brian Fremeau’s FEI ratings with Bill Connelly’s SP+ ratings. Overall team ratings (F+), offense ratings (OF+), defense ratings (DF+), and special teams ratings (SF+) represent each team and unit’s standard deviation above or below average.
BCF’s Game Projection. Very, very close game projected by Fremeau analytics.
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Texas | Tennessee | .558 | 2.0 | 26.6 | 24.6 | 51.2 |
The Statistics
Offense
Statistic |
Texas |
Tennessee |
| Rushing Offense | #55, #9 – 176.0 ypg | #4, #1 – 298.7 ypg |
| Passing Offense | #61, #11 – 241.3 ypg | #88, #16 – 211.7 ypg |
| Total Offense | #64, #11 – 417.3 ypg | #14, #5 – 510.3 ypg |
| Scoring Offense | #42, #11 – 37.7 ppg | #7, #3 – 47.7 ppg |
| First Downs | #14, #4 – 26.0/game | #12, #3 – 26.3/game |
| Sacks Allowed | #52, #7 – 4, 29 yards | #32, #3 – 3, 17 yards |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed | #120, #14 – 20, 76 yards | #24, #3 – 10, 28 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #10, #2 – 56.25% | #35, #7 – 48.57% |
| Fourth Down Conversions | #58, #13 – 57.14% (4/7) | #29, #7 – 75% (3/4) |
| Touchdowns | #42, #10 – 14 total, 11 RZ | #8, #3 – 19 total, 10 RZ |
| Red Zone Attempts | #18, #6 – 16 | #60, #13 – 11 |
| Red Zone Offense | #69, #11 – 87.5% / 68.75% | #1, #1 – 100% / 90.91% |
| Long Run Plays | #55, #9 – 17/10, 3/20, 1/30, 1/40 | #1, #1 – 29/10, 9/20, 5/30, 3/40 |
| Long Pass Plays | #37, #7 – 32/10, 6/20, 2/30, 2/40 | #93, #16 – 22/10, 8/20, 4/30, 3/40 |
| Long Punt Returns | #31, #6 – 1, 39 yards | #31, #6 – 1, 37 yards |
Defense
Statistic |
Texas |
Tennessee |
| Rushing Defense | #48, #10 – 109.0 ypg | #83, #14 – 138.0 ypg |
| Passing Defense | #44, #6 – 178.7 ypg (60.7%) | #20, #2 – 151.0 ypg (61.5%) |
| Total Defense | #41, #8 – 287.7 ypg | #42, #9 – 289.0 ypg |
| Scoring Defense | #17, #2 – 12.0 ppg | #26, #4 – 14.0 ppg |
| First Downs Allowed | #33, #7 – 15.3/game | #60, #9 – 17.7/game |
| Sacks | #75, #15 – 5, 23 yards | #3, #2 – 13, 68 yards |
| Tackles for Loss | #40, #10 – 19, 63 yards | #11, #3 – 24, 90 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #77, #11 – 38.46% | #80, #12 – 39.02% |
| Fourth Down Conversions | #22, #2 – 25% (1/4) | #1, #1 – 0% (0/4) |
| Red Zone Attempts | #81, #12 – 10 | #30, #6 – 7 |
| Red Zone Defense | #18, #2 – 70% / 30% | #72, #6 – 85.71% / 28.57% |
| Long Run Plays Allowed | #33, #8 – 9/10, 2/20, 1/30, 0/40 | #116, #16 – 17/10, 6/20, 2/30, 0/40 |
| Long Pass Plays Allowed | #40, #9 – 20/10, 7/20, 3/30, 3/40 | #29, #3 – 18/10, 2/20, 0/30, 0/40 |
Other
Statistic |
Texas |
Tennessee |
| Turnovers | #49, #4 – 3: 1F, 2I | #49, #4 – 3: 3F, 0I |
| Turnover Margin | #34, #5 – 5:3 +2 | #68, #9 – 3:3 0 |
| Penaltiesπ | #22, #2 – 14, 135 yards | #102, #12 – 24, 222 yards |
πBased on total number of penalties.
Match-up Comparison
Texas Offense |
Tennessee Defense |
| Rushing Offense – 176.0 ypg | 138.0 ypg – Rushing Defense |
| Passing Offense – 241.3 ypg | 151.0 ypg – Passing Defense |
| Total Offense – 417.3 ypg | 289.0 ypg – Total Defense |
| Scoring Offense – 37.7 ppg | 14.0 ppg – Scoring Defense |
| First Downs – 26.0/game | 17.7/game – First Downs Allowed |
| 3rd Down Offense – 56.25% | 39.02% – 3rd Down Defense |
| 4th Down Offense – 57.14% | 0% – 4th Down Defense |
| Red Zone Offense – 87.5%/68.75% | 85.71%/28.57% – Red Zone Defense |
| LRP – 17, 3, 1, 1 | 17, 6, 2, 0 – LRP Allowed |
| LPP – 32, 6, 2, 2 | 18, 2, 0, 0 – LPP Allowed |
Texas Defense |
Tennessee Offense |
| Rushing Defense – 109.0 ypg | 298.7 ypg – Rushing Offense |
| Passing Defense – 178.7 ypg | 211.7 ypg – Passing Offense |
| Total Defense – 287.7 ypg | 510.3 ypg – Total Offense |
| Scoring Defense – 12.0 ppg | 47.7 ppg – Scoring Offense |
| First Downs Allowed – 15.3/game | 26.3/game – First Downs |
| 3rd Down Defense – 38.46% | 48.57% – 3rd Down Offense |
| 4th Down Defense – 25% | 75% – 4th Down Offense |
| Red Zone Defense – 70%/30% | 100%/90.91% – Red Zone Offense |
| LRP Allowed – 9, 2, 1, 0 | 29, 9, 5, 3 – LRP |
| LPP Allowed – 20, 7, 3, 3 | 22, 8, 4, 3 – LPP |
Josh Pate (8.5 minutes). Sobering.
CBS Sports College Football (9 minutes). Smart guys: close game, but Horns win.
ESPN College Football, Greg McElroy (10+ minutes)
TCT Thoughts
Not real hard to work through what Texas has to do.
Arch Manning needs to be Aggie beater, Michigan destroyer, Buckeye fourth quarter Arch. Good passes, throw the ball away if you need to. Get on the ground before you get your bell rung. And above all else, Arch needs to be Arch. Go have fun. Etch your number 16 on the Neyland history books. The Vols defense looks a bit vulnerable to the mid/deep passes. Burn ‘em.
Volunteers play a lot of 4-2-5 defense. So how well Arch checks down and finds the open receiver is going to be a key. I think Texas tight ends and running backs catching balls might be a key to a Texas win.
For him to do that, the line has to block better. I looked at the sacks and TFL allowed. #120 on TFL is not up to snuff. Especially going against a Tennessee defense that is ranked 11th. Some of those tackles behind the line were due to the play calling. Regardless, line has to be mean and nasty. Run blocking too, because the Longhorns are going to need to run the ball often and well.
Defensively, Texas has to get the pass rush going, which is why the health of Collin Simmons is such a concern. We have a nice front 7, but Simmons is the havoc wreaker. He needs to be on the ground with Faizon Brandon in his arms a lot. I expect Biles to have a huge game. We need him too.
Texas run defense has to be great, and Muschamp knows that. DeSean Bishop is an excellent running back. Will’s men will be prepared, let’s hope they execute.
One stat I heard: Heupel is 1-11 when Tennessee scores less than 21 points. Texas is very capable of doing that. Let’s make our old buddy Josh 1-12.
Finally: win the turnover battle, preferably by not making any turnovers. Going to be hard in that environment, but we can do it. Clean football. Last week’s penalty fiesta was muy feo.
2-17 all time against No. 1, last time was Bo Jackson in 1985. The time before that was Louisiana State in 1959. 2-18 is a nice number.
TCT Predicts: Texas 27, Tennessee 20
I want to add another, bigger picture thought. I will never hate Tennessee. We will always Remember the Alamo, and we shall always remember the volunteers from Tennessee who came to help fight in the War for Independence. Davy Crockett, of course. His men included John Henry Dillard, Joseph Bayliss, and Robert Campbell.
Aaron E. Martinez, Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns 30, UTSA Roadrunners 6
In looking back at the game, and remembering the fast and fun start, I am surprised that the game sort of slowed down as much as it did. Partially I think because of the penalties impacting both team’s ability to get into any type of offensive rhythm. But that’s the kind of hurdle the Longhorns have to figure out, quickly, how to clear.
The game couldn’t have started any better (in contrast to the disastrous start in the Ohio State game). On UTSA’s first play from scrimmage, McCown’s pass was picked off by Rasheem Biles. An unnecessary unsportsmanlike penalty on the Horns gave Texas the ball at the UTSA 37. Four plays later, Manning hit Coleman over the middle for a 24 yard touchdown. 86 seconds into the game, Texas had a 7-0 lead.
UTSA responded well, with a 59 yard drive kicked off by a 12 yard run by Will Henderson. A horse collar call on Texas and a couple more good runs had the Roadrunners at the Texas 11. Collin Simmons came up with a big sack, and UTSA settled for the field goal.
Manning looked reasonably sharp on the next drive (some high balls and hot balls that weren’t caught or catchable, admittedly), but he did have a 13 yard pass to Coleman, a 12 yard pass to Mosley, an 11 yard pass to Smothers. Brown had a couple of good runs (15 and 8), but on third and 5 at the UTSA 31, Manning was sacked and Sark took the points. 10-3 Texas after 1 quarter.
Second quarter: UTSA punt, Texas 57 yard touchdown drive [key plays: 15 yard pass to Bishop, 11 yard Smothers, 3 yard TD pass to Coleman; Manning was 4-4], UTSA punt, Texas turnover on downs [bad serries for ACM – 1 of 5], UTSA punt, Texas punt, UTSA punt. Then an odd series. Texas was a midfield, and this was where, as Sark said, Arch got happy with his feet: 12 yard run, incompletion, 9 yard run, 6 yards by Hollywood, incompletion, 9 yard Manning run, incompletion. Spetic hit the 34 yard field goal to give the Longhorns a comfortable 20-3 lead at halftime.
Third quarter was an offensive snoozer, but it was fun watching the Texas defense absolutely dominate the opponent. UTSA drives in that frame: 3 plays, minus 11 yards; 5 plays, 10 yards (field goal; UTSA started at the Texas 35 after a short punt and a 15 yard face mask penalty); 3 plays, 4 yards; 3 plays, minus 1 yard. Texas got a field goal, but that was the only third quarter scoring.
Texas had a good 66 yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. All on the ground. Manning did attempt a pass to Wingo, which was incomplete, but UTSA roughed the passer. Derrek Cooper got a bunch of carries, including the touchdown, and looked good.
Texas got the ball back with 5:45 to play, leading 30-6. KJ Lacey, but mostly Michael Terry III, moved the Horns down the field. Texas had the ball on the UTSA 27 with over a minute left but Sark didn’t force the issue. The line was Texas -30.5.
Highlights from ESPN College Football, about 16 minutes.
Highlights from the SEC, less than 8 minutes
Condensed game from the SEC, 20 minutes
TCT on UTSA Win
In this year’s opening edition, I noted (as had many observers), that one of the challenges for the Longhorns would be their ability to get up for every game, knowing that in nearly every contest, our opponent would be up for Texas, as it would be their biggest (or one of their biggest) games of the year. That risk was heightened if the Horns were coming off a big emotional win (e.g., Ohio State) or after a win in one of our true rivalry games (Land Thieves or Texas Agricultural & Mechanical). We saw that play out last Saturday, possibly compounded by a week of off the field distractions. Not an excuse, just a possible factor.
Another important thing to look at: this isn’t a new phenomenon for the Longhorns:
- Last season, in game 3, Texas beat UTEP 27-10.
- In 2023, Texas opened with a 37-10 over Rice, went to Tuscaloosa and beat No. 3 Alabama 34-24, and came home to beat Wyoming 31-10.
In the end, Will Muschamp’s defense dominated the Roadrunners. Over the last nine UTSA drives, the Roadrunners only managed 84 yards of offense. That’s suffocating defense.
Not a perfect game, but a great night in Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium. I particularly enjoyed the mariachis.
History
Three Cotton Bowls. Tennessee won the first one, Texas the next two.
January 1, 1951, No. 3/4 Texas and No. 4/5 Tennessee met for the first time. A nice day for New Year’s in Big D – 58 degrees. “Ideal” weather per the box score. Tennessee took a 7-0 lead, but Coach Cherry’s Longhorns scored twice in the second quarter. Texas blocked a punt and got the ball on the Tennessee 8 yard line, and Byron Townsend punched it in to tie the score. Ben Tompkins connected with Gib Dawson to put Texas up 14-7 at halftime. A scoreless third quarter, but Tennessee’s coach, General Robert R. “Bob” Neyland (born in Greenville, Texas), rallied his troops in the fourth quarter to beat Texas 20-14. Tennessee would use that win as a springboard to win the Volunteers’ first real national championship in 1951 (1st in AP & UPI).
January 1, 1953, Coach Ed Price took No. 10 Longhorns to Dallas. The 8th ranked Volunteers finished second in the SEC that year (behind Georgia Tech, who finished No. 2 in the AP and UPI, and claimed several MNC’s). Tennessee’s only regular season loss was to No. 10 Duke, although Kentucky had tied them in the Barrel game). Texas shutout Tennessee, 16-0. It was a complete beat down. The Longhorns rushed for 269 yards, the Vols were minus 14. Texas only managed 32 yards passing, but Tennessee was about as bad, 6 completions for 46 yards. Texas totaled 301 yards of offense to Tennessee’s 32. Box score. Due to illness, General Neyland sat on the bench, while his offensive coordinator Harvey Robinson called the game. That loss would close out General Neyland’s great run as head coach of the Volunteers.
January 1, 1969. The summer of 1968, Darrell K Royal and Emory Bellard installed their beautiful creation, the Wishbone offense. The No. 4 Longhorns had started the season with a kiss-your-sister tie with No. 11 Houston, 20-20. The next week, a trip to Lubbock ended disastrously, in a 31-22 loss. In the first half, the Red Raiders jumped out to a 21-0 lead, as the Longhorns sputtered with Bill Bradley at quarterback. Coach Royal made a big decision at halftime – one that changed the history of the Texas Longhorns. James Street would take the reins at quarterback. That second half in Lubbock, fans saw James Street, Steve Worster, Chris Gilbert, and Ted Koy in the Texas backfield. Little did they know what they witnessed. Street led the Longhorns in a valiant comeback that fell short. Texas left Lubbock wearing a 22-31 loss. They would not suffer that ignominy again until January 1, 1971. In the middle of that historic run was the 1969 Cotton Bowl with the No. 8 Vols, which Texas won handily, 36-13. A cold day in Dallas, but the Longhorns were not. Texas had 513 yards of offense, 296 on the ground: Worster 10 for 85 (and a TD), Gilbert 13 for 82, Koy 13 for 45 and a touchdown (Ted will be in Neyland on Saturday for this Texas vs. Tennessee battle), and Street 12 for 52. Slick would also throw for 200 yards and two touchdowns, both to Cotton Spreyer. Spreyer finished with 5 catches for 161 yards and the 2 scores. Efficient. A big win in a big game. And like General Neyland’s 1951 team, Coach Royal’s Longhorns would use the win to vault to a national championship. Two in fact. Take note.
Historical comparison:
Tennessee’s MNC’s:
- 1938, Dunkel, Litkenhous, Boand, Houlgate, and Poling. But, Tennessee went 11-0 and beat the Land Thieves in the Orange Bowl. Good claim.
- 1940, Dunkel and Williamson. Vols lost to Boston College in the Sugar Bowl.
- 1950, DeVold and Dunkel.
- I kind of feel like by the 1960’s, AP and UPI were the only legitimate nattys.
Honors
Hero Kanu is a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.
Week Four in the Southeastern Conference
South Alabama (2-1) at Kentucky (2-1), 11:45 a.m. on the SEC Network from Kroger Field in Lexington. Wildcats are a good football team under Willie Stein. UK favored by 20.5, over/under is 54.5. Wildcats to beat the Jaguars, South Alabama to cover.
Oklahoma (2-1) at No. 2 Georgia (3-0), 2:30 p.m. on ESPN from Sanford Stadium in Athens. Several good Sooner friends are rightfully nervous about this one. They should be. Playing Between the Hedges is hard; doing it when you are a suspect team is really hard. Oh, and Georgia has the No. 1 scoring offense in the land, and Gunner Stockton (who doesn’t have gaudy numbers because he hasn’t played much) has completed 84.4% of his passes, 9 touchdowns on 38 completions, and no picks. His rating is 259.27, best in FBS. Venables and his defense are good. They are going to have to be really good. Land Thieves are going to be 2-2 heading to Dallas. Dawgs favored by 13.5, over/under is 44.5. Load up.
BCF Toys:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Georgia | Oklahoma | 0.863 | 16.0 | 31.3 | 15.3 | 46.5 |
No. 4 Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0) at No. 21 Florida (3-0, 1-0), 2:30 p.m. on ABC from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. We saw what Texas (at least on offense) looked like after a supercharged highly emotional game. Rebels better not be flat. Gators favored by 3.5, total is 59.5. I believe in Trinidad Chambliss. Rebels to win and cover. Hotty Toddy!
BCF Toys:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Ole Miss | Florida | 0.614 | 4.1 | 32.4 | 28.3 | 60.7 |
Vanderbilt (3-0, 0-0) at Auburn (2-1, 0-1), 3:15 p.m. on the SEC Network from Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn. Vanderbilt is less than 10 seconds and one epic bone-headed mistake away from being 2-1. Tigers favored by 9.5, over/under is 55.5. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Auburn 74.9%. Tigers to win. War Eagle!
South Carolina (2-1, 0-1), at No. 8 Alabama (3-0, 1-0), 6:00 p.m. on ESPN from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. I think it is going to be a long night in Tuscaloosa County for the Gamecocks. Crimson Tide favored by 12.5, over/under is 54.5. Bama to win. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Alabama 82.2%.
No. 23 Texas Agricultural & Mechanical (2-1, 0-1) at No. 10 Louisiana State (2-1, 0-1), 6:30 p.m. on ABC from Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. This may be the most important game this weekend for the two teams playing. A top 25 matchup, a rivalry game (at least some think so), and as I noted, an elimination game of season-changing proportions. No pressure Ags. Neither quarterback is playing to expectations. Marcel Reed is 62/104 for 632 yards, 6 touchdowns, 3 picks; Sam Leavitt is 57/93 for 732 yards 3 touchdowns, 5 picks. Louisiana State favored by 9.5, total is 51.5. Louisiana State to win. Texas Agricultural & Mechanical to cover but run out of time.
BCF Toys: Can’t get much closer. Portends a good tight football game. Might be two Negronis before dinner.
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Texas A. and M. | LSU | .502 | 0.1 | 24.4 | 24.4 | 48.8 |
A small aside on this game: Louisiana State has played 80 home games in the CFP era, and 65 of them have been night games. This has been more prevalent since CBS made the mistake of abandoning the SEC to ESPN.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DdmKLEils0B/
No. 19 Missouri (3-0, 0-0) at No. 24 Mississippi State (3-0, 1-0) 6:45 p.m. on the SEC Network from Davis Wade Stadium in StarkVegas. Bulldogs have a weapon in QB Kamario Taylor (no relation). 832 yards and 11 touchdowns, 56/82, 1 interception. Hot hand. If he keeps improving every week, Halloween will be scary. Mississippi State favored by 6.5, over/under is 58.5. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Bulldogs 67.3%.
Tulsa (3-0) at Arkansas (1-2), 7:00 p.m. on SECN+, from Fayetteville. Tulsa beat Oklahoma State who beat then No. 6 Oregon. Arkansas fans were wearing brown grocery sacks on their heads last weekend, and huge swaths of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium looked like parts of Oklahoma: desolate and devoid of intelligent, sentient beings (sorry, warming up for RRS – just around the corner). Arkansas is favored by 7, over/under is 50.5. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Pigs 54.2%. Going to be really ugly in Fayettenam of the Hurricane pulls the upset.
Week Four – Service Academies
Army (1-1) at Temple (1-2), 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon from the Linc in Philly, on ESPN. Interesting time slot, to say the least. First American Conference game for both. The Owls loss to the Toledo Rockets was so brutal it made Jason Kirk’s “Until Saturday” column (The Athletic, highly recommend). Temple was up 42-28 with 66 seconds left. Temple lost 49-48 in overtime. Anyway, the Black Knights lead the nation in rushing offense, averaging 394 yards per game (interestingly, followed by Navy (376 ypg) and Air Force (319 ypg)). Army favored by 3 points, over/under is 48.3. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Army 53.6%. Black Knights to win. Go Army!
Navy (1-1) at UAB (1-2), 6:00 p.m. Friday evening on ESPN from Birmingham. Blazers are not very good. UAB rush defense is No. 124. Midshipmen favored by 7, over/under is 51.5. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Navy 73.3%. The United States Naval Academy to win and cover.
Air Force (1-1) at Nevada (1-2), 9:30 p.m. Saturday night on FS1 from Mackay Stadium in Reno. Falcons lead the series 6-2 and have won three straight. Air Force favored by 5.5, over/under is 49.5. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Air Force 53.2%. Wolf Pack to cover. Going to be a close one. Will be my late night patio game.
Top 25 – Week Four
Friday
Northwestern (2-0) at No. 5 Indiana (3-0), 7:00 p.m., FOX, from Memorial Stadium. Wildcats coming off a win over Colorado. Indiana is favored by 21, and the over/under is 49.5. Hoosiers to win and cover.
Saturday
Illinois (2-1) vs. No. 7 Ohio State (2-1), 11:00 a.m., FOX, from Ohio Stadium. Ohio State is favored by 27½, and the over/under is 54½. Buckeyes to win, Illini to cover.
Sam Houston State (1-2) at. No. 11 Texas Tech (3-0), 11:00 a.m. on TNT from Galaxy Stadium from Lubbock. Well, supposed to be good weather in Lubbock on Saturday. Sand Aggies are favored by 34.5, and the over/under is 55.5. Tech to win and cover. Although the weekend that we are playing Tennessee, I would like to see Sam Houston with the upset. I mean, he did it to Santa Ana and the Mexicans.
Wake Forest (2-1) at No. 16 Louisville, 11:00 a.m. on ESPN. The WakeyLeaks game. I like bourbon. I don’t know why I have such aversion to Louisville. I mean other than the Rick Pitino basketball years (StripperGate, FBI investigations of bribery, the usual stuff). Louisvile favored by 13.5, total is 57.5.
No. 3 Notre Dame (3-0) at Purdue (1-2), 1:00 p.m. on Peacock from Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette. If there is a single word association that I score 100 on every time is its “Purdue” and the answer is “Gene Keady combover”. Fighting Irish are favored by 27½, and the over/under is 58. Notre Dame to win big and cover.
BCF Toys:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Notre Dame | Purdue | .990 | 27.2 | 41.3 | 14.1 | 55.5 |
No. 15 Utah (3-0) at Iowa State (2-1), 2:30 p.m. on FOX, from Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. First Big 12 battle for both. As y’all may recall, I have a soft spot for Iowa State when they aren’t playing Texas. Utes favored by 8.5, and the over/under is 48½. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Utah 75.8%. Go Cyclones.
No. 17 Iowa (3-0) at No. 18 Michigan (3*-0), 2:30 p.m. on the Columbia Broadcasting System from the Big House in Ann Arbor. First Big Ten contest, and a good matchup. Michigan is favored by 5½ over the Hawkeyes, and the over/under is 38½ (thirty-eight and a half, not a typo). Wolverines to win, Iowa to cover, take the under.
No. 25 Houston (2-1) at Georgia Southern (1-2), 3:00 p.m. on ESPNU. A trip to Statesboro should heal the Cougars. Cougars are favored by 18.5, and the over/under is 56.5. Houston to win and cover.
Wisconsin (2-1) at No. 13 Penn State (3-0), 4:00 p.m. on Peacock. PSU favored by 10, total is 44.5.
Central Michigan (2-1) at No. 6 Miami (FL) (3-0), 5:30 p.m. on The CW. Cane QB Darian Mensah is on fire. 71 for 79, 873 yards, 11 touchdowns, no picks. He has more touchdowns than incompletions. The Chippewas have a decent defense; No. 22 against the pass. Won’t matter. Miami is favored by 41.5, and the over/under is 54.5. Canes to win, Chippewas to cover; contrarianism is cool.
No. 21 Oregon (2-1) at No. 12 Southern Cal (4-0), 6:30 p.m. on NBC from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Huge game, especially for Oregon. Preseason No. 2, I think the Ducks were about 3 or 4 on national champion favorites. Lose to the Trojans, and they are questionable for the playoffs. I will have my first Negroni at kick-off; take the filet out at halftime and decant a cab. Second half will be pleasant. Looking forward to looking at Jayden Maiava; kid is hot. 1,173 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just one interception. Art, hope Kamikaze Korner is back in business! Have fun. Ducks are favored by *3, and the over/under is 61.5. Southern Cal to win. Fight on ✌🏼!
BCF Toys:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Southern Cal | Oregon | .557 | 2.0 | 32.6 | 30.6 | 63.2 |
Missouri State (1-2) at No. 22 Southern Methodist (2-1), 8:00 p.m., ACC Network, from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park. Good reset game for the Ponies. Southern Methodist favored by 34½, and the over/under is 59½. Mustangs to win and cover.
Week Four – Other Games of Interest
Friday
Clemson (2-1) at Cal Berkeley (2-1), 9:30 p.m. on ESPN from California Memorial Stadium. Tigers favored by 1.5, over/under is 50.5. Will be a good late night watch.
Saturday
Colorado State (2-1) at UTSA Roadrunners (2-1), 11:00 a.m. on ESPNU from the Alamodome. Roadrunners favored by 13.5, total is 58.5. UTSA to win. Birds Up!
Oklahoma State (2-1) at West Virginia, 6:00 p.m. on FS1 from Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown. First Big 12 game for both. Mountaineers favored by 1.5, over/under is 61.5.
Connecticut (2-1) at Miami (1-2) at, 2:30 pm on ESPN+ from Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio. Redhawks are favored by 3.5 points, total is 51.5.
Texas Christian at Central Florida, 2:30 p.m. on FS1. Ed Small is 9th nationally in receiving, averaging 110 yards per game. Horned Frogs are favored by 3, and the over/under is 48.5. ESPN Matchup Predictor has UCF 51.8%. Texas Christian to win.
Delaware (2-1) at Virginia (2-1), 5:00 p.m., ACC Network, from Scott Stadium in Charlottesville. Blue Hens have a good quarterback in Nick Minicucci. Won’t matter. Cavaliers favored by 19.5, over/under is 52.5. 48-22. ESPN Matchup Predictor has the Hoos at 56.9%.
Arizona (2-1) at Washington State (1-2), 6:30 p.m. on CBS. Wildcats favored by 10.5.
Rice (1-2) at Fresno State (2-1), 9:00 p.m. on the CW. Bulldogs favored by 13.5. Good luck Owls.
One of the coolest dinners that I have been fortunate to attend the last few years is the Jenkins Medal Awards Dinner, at which sportswriters from around the country gather to honor the best in their business. Presented by The University of Texas at Austin Center for Sports Communication & Media (part of the great Moody College of Communication), and named for one of the greatest sportswriters ever, the immortal Dan Jenkins. This year’s lifetime achievement award went to Thomas Boswell. A legend himself, Tom Boswell was a Washington Post sports columnist from 1984 until retiring in 2021. Boswell started at The Post in 1969 as a copy aide and then spent twelve years as a general assignment reporter, covering baseball, golf, college basketball, tennis, boxing, and local high school sports. He covered 41 Masters tournaments. His introduction was by the great Wright Thompson, and his introductory remarks and Boswell’s acceptance speech were outstanding.
The 2026 Jenkins Medal Sports Legend was presented to Archie Manning. Mr. Manning is truly a classic, humble Southern gentleman. Jenkins Medal jury Co-Chair Michael MacCambridge did a “fireside talk” with Mr. Manning, who was introduced to the song “The Ballad of Archie Who?” and some great highlights. Fun to see a few days before the Ole Miss-LSU game. Great talk, but of course as a Longhorn my favorite was when MacCambridge asked Archie if he had talks with his grandson, to which Archie replied “I tell him to get on the ground”.
Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting | Moody College of Communication
Juan Heisman Tailgate
A very nice, if warm, afternoon at Juan Heisman.
Lots of friends. And family.
Elizabeth and Connor brought Monroe to her first tailgate.
Lottie, Talley, Mary Elizabeth, and Parker joined us, as well as Parker’s parents, Alison and Jason, and his sister Mary Francis and her husband Brandon Michael. Plus Claudia and Thomas. A few photos here, and a bunch more online.
Tom Campbell & JHT OG Brad Laughlin
Mounted Texas State Troopers. Those are some fine horses.
My sweet Lottie loves her Hookem.
We are looking forward to a little break, and then we will be back in action for the Florida game after the Longhorns whip the Land Thieves in the Red River Shootout.
The Juan Heisman Tailgate Party is a private party sponsored and operated by JHT1998 L38, Inc., a Texas nonprofit corporation.
Lottie says Hook Em!
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
The University of Tennessee began as Blount College in 1794, when Tennessee was still the Southwest Territory (technically “The Territory South of the River Ohio”). Named for territorial governor William Blount. In 1807, it was rechartered as East Tennessee College. The school shuttered from 1809 until 1820. It reopened, moved to is present location, with the first new buildings on The Hill. In 1840, it became East Tennessee University. After the Civil War, the university got a bill passed to participate in Morrill Act funds, and in 1879 the name was changed to The University of Tennessee.
Academic Rankings |
||
National |
||
Texas |
Tennessee |
|
| Forbes | 46 | 130 |
| U.S. News & World Report | 30 (#7 public) | 102 |
| WSJ/College Pulse | 49 | 193 |
Global |
||
| ARWU | 49 | 301-400 |
| QS | 72 | 701-710 |
| THE | 50 | 401-500 |
| U.S. News & World Report | 56 | 245 |
Famous alumni include the very famous Peyton Manning and Reggie White, and Jason Witten, Heath Shuler, and Arian Foster. Lamar Alexander and Scott Kelly. The great Kurt Vonnegut.
Texas Athletics Hall of Honor
The University inducted twelve Longhorns and Coach Connie Clark into the Hall of Honor last week. Great list, and my favorites are Ryan Crouser and Lawrence Sampleton. Crouser is one of the great shot putters of all time, with three Olympic gold medals, three world championships, four NCAA championships, and more. Sampleton is one of the best to ever play tight end for the Longhorns, and that is high cotton.
Week Three in the Southeastern Conference
No. 2 Georgia 45, Arkansas 17. A sound whipping. Bulldogs were favored by 24.5, and I was right that Georgia to win and cover.
North Carolina State 31, Vanderbilt 35. Craziest game of the year, and it is hard to imagine another one topping it. If you haven’t seen it, watch it now. https://x.com/VandyFootball/status/2101408463058301277?s=20
Kentucky 31, No 9. Texas Agricultural & Mechanical 21. Aggies were favored by 17.5 and I had them to win. Very tough loss for our aggie friends. BCF had Aggies with 87.6% chance to win, ESPN gave them a 93.5% chance to win. Brutal.
Florida State 36, No. 10 Alabama 50. Crimson Tide was favored by 19.5.
Mississippi State 41, South Carolina 34. Bulldogs are vastly improved.
Troy 17, No. 20 Missouri 27. Tigers were favored by 27.5
Florida 44, Auburn 39. Good SEC road win for the Gators
No. 8 Ole Miss 32, No. 7 Louisiana State 24. An amazing game. Of course didn’t get to see much, but did watch the last few minutes on my phone in DKR after I sang the Eyes. Highlights:
New Mexico 6, No. 24 Oklahoma 14. Land Thieves were favored by 21.5.
Kennesaw State 9, No. 15 Tennessee 42. Vols won but did not cover.
Week Three Service Academies
Army, Navy, and Air Force all had the week off.
Top 25 – Week Three
Friday
No. 5 Miami (FL) 33, Wake Forest 20. Darian Mensah completed his first 24 passes, extending his streak across two games to an ACC-record 35. He’s the Heisman favorite for now. Demon Deacons covered.
No. 13 Texas Tech 28, No. 22 Houston 26. Houston scored with 49 seconds left, but Conner Weigman came up short on the tying two-point attempt.
No. 21 Oregon 84, Portland State 0. Dante Moore threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns; Oregon set a modern program scoring record
Saturday
No. 6 Ohio State 59, Kent State 3. The Buckeyes rebounded well
No. 14 Penn State 55, Buffalo 13.
No. 12 Southern Cal 42, Rutgers 35. Jayden Maiava threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 23 Louisville 41, No. 16 Southern Methodist 31. Lincoln Kienholz threw two touchdown passes and ran for another. Tough loss for the Mustangs.
No. 17 Utah 33, Utah State 0.
No. 19 Michigan 52, UTEP 17.
No. 18 Iowa 55, Northern Iowa 0. Line was 38.5. Guessing that will be the biggest line that Iowa covers this season. Or decade.
No. 4 Indiana 38, Western Kentucky 0. Hilltoppers covered.
West Virginia 38, No. 25 Virginia 27. The Mountaineers overcame an early 14–7 deficit to upset the Cavaliers and get the mayo.
No. 11 Brigham Young 41, Colorado State 23.
No. 3 Notre Dame 27, Michigan State 10.
Week Three – Other Games of Interest
Oklahoma State 59, Murray State Racers 0. Drew Mestemaker threw five touchdown passes and completed 90.9% of his attempts, an Oklahoma State single-game record. Cowboys covered that big 56.5 line.
Miami 31, Cincinnati 35. Redhawks were 15.5 point underdogs. Good teams win, great teams cover. But the Redhawks blew a 28-7 halftime lead to give Cinci the Victory Bell. Sadly, the last time for the foreseeable future for this rivalry that dates back to 1888.
Stanford 7, Duke 35.
Arkansas State 7, Texas Christian 31. Ed Small had 7 catches for 164 yards and a touchdown.
Top 5 Longhorn Games
I am still collecting responses. Great stuff. Will have this in next week. So not too late to send your top 5 Texas games (attended).
Washington & Lee University
Washington & Lee fell to the No. 14 Salisbury Sea Gulls 13-43. Good team, rough road trip. Had a few myself in my W&L days.
The Generals are off this weekend. They will be back in action in Lexington on October 3rd for Parents Weekend with a game against the Averett Cougars.
The Polls
ESPN’s FPI
Fun to look at this every week and see how the probabilities for winning out, winning the SEC, making the playoffs, etc. change.
2026 College Football Power Index – ESPN
Bill Connelly’s SP+
SP+ is “a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency that I originally created at Football Outsiders in 2008. SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing.”
Massey Rating & Composite
Statistician Kenneth Massey uses “the mathematical theory of least squares to solve a massive system of equations that processes all game outcomes simultaneously. Rather than looking at box score statistics like rushing yards or turnovers, it only tracks three raw inputs: the final score, the game location, and the date.” The three pillars are Outcome, Margin of Victory, and Strength of Schedule.
Massey Rating: Indiana, Texas, Notre Dame, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Miami (Florida), Utah, Boise State, PSU. Tennessee is ranked 13th
| Team | Rec | Rat | Pwr | Off | Def | HFA | SoS | SSF | EW | EL | ||||||||||||||||||
| Texas | 3-0 | 2 | 9.08 | 6 | 80.18 | 13 | 66.01 | 4 | 42.12 | 2.32 | 3 | 66.51 | 1 | 70.04 | 6.45 | 2.55 | ||||||||||||
| Tenn. | 3-0 | 8.61 | 12 | 75.66 | 7 | 68.27 | 31 | 35.34 | 2.29 | 74 | 50.87 | 18 | 67.35 | 5.44 | 3.56 |
Rat: Rating overall strength Pwr: Power rating Off: Offensive power to score Def: Defensive power to prevent opponent from scoring HFA: Home Field Advantage SoS: Strength of Schedule - played games only SSF: Strength of Schedule - including future games EW: Expected Wins for remainder of schedule EL: Expected Losses for remainder of schedule
Massey Composite: Notre Dame, Texas, Ohio State, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, Miami (FL), Ole Miss, PSU, Utah, Tennessee
PFF
Power Rankings:
Our Tower
For anyone who has been on campus or driven by, you know that the long awaited and much needed restoration of the Tower is underway. A great way to give back to the University is to donate to the cause. Tower Restoration – Our Tower
Shout out to the Texas Cowboys – $6 million! Attawaytogo DKL!
Music
September 21, 1959, “Take Five” by the Dave Brubeck Quartet was released as a 45 RPM single. It would be the best-selling jazz single of the 20th century and one of the most important jazz pieces in the genre’s history. Paul Desmond (alto sax), Joe Morello (drums), Eugene Wright (bass), and Dave Brubeck (piano).
On November 18, 1978, Earth, Wind & Fire released “September”.
On September 23, 1945, “Rhapsody in Blue”, the George Gershwin biopic, was released.
On September 18, 2010, I was fortunate to join Gary Farmer and some others on an up-and-back to Lubbock to watch the Longhorns beat the Sand Aggies. My second favorite memory of that day was us singing Amarillo by Morning with George Strait as the moon shone outside the windows of the King Air as we celebrated the Texas win.
Jim Nicar
1953: Program cover for the New Year’s Day Cotton Bowl, the first to be broadcast on national television. The game was between the #8-ranked Tennessee Volunteers and the #10-ranked U.T. Austin Longhorns. Tennessee was favored, but Texas led the whole way and won 16-0. 🤘
From Jim’s September 21, 2026 post on X:
Picture of the Week
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Tim Taylor P.O. Box 5371 Austin, Texas 78763-5371