Good Morning Longhorn Fans!
Kansas State Wildcats vs. Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns and the Wildcats meet for the 18th time on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m. K State holds a 10-7 record against the Horns. Coach Snyder is 7-4 against Texas. Very few men can say that. Last time Kansas State was here it rained. A lot. But Texas won 23-9.
The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. Justin Kutcher (turns out he was not on Friends. That was Ashton) has play-by-play. Mark Helfrich and Petros Papadakis will provide some type of analysis. Shane Bacon will be on the sidelines. Pretty sure this is the all-time name broadcasting crew. Petros played for Southern Cal, fullback. Self-proclaimed “captain of the worst team in USC history”. Helfrich is a former coach (including Oregon) and may be insightful for those of you watching from home. I was also mistaken about Shane Bacon. He was not in the Fast & Furious film franchise. Pretty much the opposite. He’s a golf reporter for FOX.
Texas radio broadcast with Craig Way, Roger Wallace, and Quan Cosby can be heard nationally on Sirius channel 132, XM channel 199, and online channel 953. Bob Cole’s Austin Radio Network in the greater Austin-Manchaca area. [104.9 FM and 98.5 FM]
Lone Star Rising High
My friend Rick Cavender has a new song out. Nice work Rick.
Red River Shootout
For the first time in many years, Texas & the Land Thieves will not play at eleven o’clock in the morning. The World Wide Leader has already announced a 2:30 kick. So happy about that.
The Hunt for Orange October
This is not entirely safe for work. But masterfully done. Nice work Jason Chilton. And thanks for the tip W.W. https://youtu.be/TWyAslhiBTA
Good News
Our state and our nation have been pummeled by nature and evil. But Texas and America will survive all of this, and while it may be hard to see now, I believe that there will be good that comes from much of this. We will be stronger and better.
With all the sad news this week and that past few weeks, I offer some good news from The University. Actually lots of great news.
- “A team of scientists and engineers at The University of Texas at Austin has invented a powerful tool that rapidly and accurately identifies cancerous tissue during surgery, delivering results in about 10 seconds—more than 150 times as fast as existing technology. The MasSpec Pen is an innovative handheld instrument that gives surgeons precise diagnostic information about what tissue to cut or preserve, helping improve treatment and reduce the chances of cancer recurrence.” https://youtu.be/DNfG0dgFQ0Q
- “The United States Navy has selected the Applied Research Laboratories at UT Austin (ARL:UT) to receive a record-setting grant of $1.1 billion to conduct national security-related research and development. The contract, to be disbursed over the course of a decade, is nearly a 25 percent boost in ARL:UT’s funding and will fund research on sonar devices, signal processing, sensor technologies, rugged instruments, satellite navigation, GPS, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, the handling of sensitive documents, and algorithms for laser altimetry, among other projects.” Who knew we had such good contacts with the Navy? Full article: http://alcalde.texasexes.org/2017/09/ut-receives-record-setting-grant-from-dod-for-applied-research-lab/
- UTMB has developed a vaccine against the Zika virus. http://www.khou.com/news/health/utmb-develops-zika-vaccine/478636766
- We have another Nobel Laureate. Michael W. Young (BA 71, Ph.D. 75) has been awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He is a professor at The Rockefeller University. https://news.utexas.edu/2017/10/02/texas-alum-michael-young-awarded-nobel-prize
Just Good
This has nothing to do with U.T., but it is one of the coolest things I have seen in sports in a long time, and it makes me happy. Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City is home to the Hawkeyes. Across the street is the new University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. If you don’t click on any other links in this week’s email, please check one or two of these out.
Texas Exes
The Texas Exes and former students of Land Thievery U are having a membership drive competition. There is probably not a competition against OU that doesn’t get my interest.
https://hornraiser.utexas.edu/project/6978
If you are not a member of the Texas Exes, you should be.
Bob McKay
The University of Texas, joined by the National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame, will honor 2017 NFF Hall of Fame inductee Bob McKay during Saturday’s game. He is the 18th Longhorn player (+ 2 coaches, take a guess) to be inducted. The official ceremony will be held on December 5th in New York. A consensus All-American in 1969, McKay helped guide UT to a perfect 11-0 record and the National Championship. A well-deserved honor.
Wildcats vs. Longhorns
I think we are going to see a good football game on Saturday. Texas is a 4.5 point favorite, and the over/under is 50.
K State comes in 3-1. A winning record, and an interesting resume.
KSU beat Central Arkansas to open the season, 55-19. Central Arkansas has won 3 in a row since that opening loss, beating Murray State (41-13), Southeastern Louisiana (38-6), and Sam Houston State (41-30).
Next, Snyder’s Cats whupped UNC Charlotte, 55-7. How bad are they? UNCC lists their spring game on their schedule as a W. Then they have 5 losses: Eastern Michigan, KSU, North Carolina A&T, Georgia State, and Florida International.
Then the surprising game in Nashville, as Vandy beat K State 14-7. Bet we watched some of that tape. But since then, Commodores got smoked by Bama, 59-0, and then Florida beat them 38-24.
Last week, Kansas State opened conference play with a 33-20 win over improving Baylor.
Hard to read those tea leaves, but Central Arkansas is their best win (FCS team from the Southland conference). We have a bad loss (Maryland at home), and a good win (Iowa State at Ames). Looks to me like Texas has the better resume.
K State’s leader is senior quarterback Jesse Ertz (#16). An excellent QBR of 140, he has 706 yards, 43 for 82, with 5 TD’s and 2 interceptions. He is their leading rusher (362 gross/332 net on 56 attempts), averaging 83 yards per game. A dual threat quarterback in a mid-western cow college way, he destroyed Texas last year. 171 yards passing and 78 rushing, he accounted for all three KSU touchdowns (passed for 1, ran for 2). Malik Jefferson is going to have play a whale of a game. I think he will. Along with rest of the linebackers.
Enjoy this: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ4wf0TB8el/
Alex Barnes (#34) is their top running back. 6-1 and 227, he is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. 242 yards on 46 attempts. 2 touchdowns.
Top receiver is #7, Isaiah Zuber. 17 catches, 208 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Behind him are 2 guys with only 6 receptions, but big numbers. #9 Byron Pringle has 146 yards, averaging 24.3 yards per catch, with a long of 55 (1 TD). #83 Dalton Schoen has 141 yards, averaging 23.5 yards per catch, with a long of 70 (1 TD). #2 Isaiah Harris has 5 catches for 138 yards, a 27.6 average; long of 69, 1 TD. So while these guys don’t catch a lot of balls, they get a lot of yards when they do. This was not the case in Nashville. Ertz had 10 completions on 28 attempts for 76 yards. 2 picks. Zuber was 4 for 37 and Pringle was 3 for 25. So there is a formula to make K State one dimensional.
Bill Snyder always seems to have good linebackers. Nothing different this year. K State defense is led by linebacker Trent Tanking, a 6-2, 225 lb senior (#58). 26 tackles, 18 solo. DB Kendall Adams (#21) went to All Saints Episcopal in Fort Worth. 25 tackles, 20 solo, with 2 interceptions. #46 Jayd Kirby (LB) has 25 tackles, 16 solo. 2.5 TFL for 10 yards. D.J. Reed (DB, #2) has 24 tackles, 21 solo, 2.5 TFL (3 yards), a sack, and an interception. Other guy to watch is defensive tackle #60, Will Geary. 12 tackles (7 solo), 4.5 TFL for 17 yards, 3 sacks for 14 yards. He’s a 306 pound Topekan.
I don’t review our stats, mainly because I probably wrongly assume that most people go to TexasSports.com and review individual statistics each week. Maybe not. Hard this year since Buechele and Ehlinger each have 2 games played, but here is my take:
Shane and Sam combined are 89 for 145, with 6 touchdowns (3 each) and 4 picks (2 each). Buechele is 53 for 78 averaging 273 yards per game, and Ehlinger is 36 for 67, averaging 260 yards per game. Pretty good quarterback play.
No surprise that Collin Johnson is way on top among the receiving corps. 18 catches, 293 yards, averaging nearly 22 yards per reception. 1 TD.
Defense: Malik is our top tackler, 33 total, 23 solo. 3 TFL for 15 yards and a sack for 12. Holton Hill and Anthony Wheeler each have 23 tackles (17 and 10 solo, respectively). Hill has 2 picks. DeShon Elliott has been Big 12 Defense Player of the Week twice already. 18 tackles (12 solo) with 2 TFL (8 yards), 1 sack (5 yards), and 4 interceptions. Hill is actually third leading scorer on the team (behind Rowland and Foreman) with 18 points. Elliott is #7, with his one Pick 6.
Which brings me to this: Our defense has shown remarkable improvement. Each week they are better. Much better. When is the last time we said that in October? And I think if the offensive line had not been decimated by injury, we might be able to say the same thing on that side of the ball. Anyway, I am all in on Herman. This is going to get really good.
The Statistics
Offense
|
Statistic |
Texas |
K State |
| Rushing Offense | #60 – 178.3 ypg | #27 – 229 ypg |
| Passing Offense | #46 – 265.3 ypg | #104 – 179.3 ypg |
| Total Offense | #45 – 443.5 ypg | #71 – 408.3 ypg |
| Scoring Offense | #45 – 34.5 ppg | #28 – 37.5 ppg |
| First Downs | #29 – 23.5/game | #93 – 19/game |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed | #66 – 26, 104 yards | #24 – 20, 52 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #21 – 47.2% | #74 – 37.8% |
| Red Zone Offense* | #120 – 69% / 63% | #38 – 89% / 58% |
| Long Scrimmage Plays | #61 – 63/10+; 20/20+; 7/30+ | #72 – 60/10+; 15/20+; 7/30+ |
* Still 12 schools at 100%
Defense
|
Statistic |
Texas |
K State |
| Rushing Defense | #17 – 96.5 ypg | #33 – 120.5 ypg |
| Passing Defense | #93 – 247.8 ypg | #34 – 188 ypg |
| Total Defense | #40 – 344.3 ypg | #21 – 308.5 ypg |
| Scoring Defense | #43 – 21.3 ppg | #15 – 15 ppg |
| Tackles for Loss | #121 – 18, 89 yards | #96 – 23, 81 yards |
| First Downs Allowed | #33 – 17.3/game | #28 – 16.8/game |
| Third Down Conversions | #11 – 26.4% | #67 – 37% |
| Red Zone Defense | #9 – 64% / 45% | #17 – 70% / 40% |
| Long Scrim. Plays allowed | #40 – 52/10+; 18/20+; 6/30+ | #13 – 42/10+; 10/20+; 7/30+ |
Match-up Comparison
|
Texas Offense |
K State Defense |
| Rushing Offense – 178.3 ypg | 120.5 ypg – Rushing Defense |
| Passing Offense – 265.3 ypg | 188 ypg – Passing Defense |
| Total Offense – 443.5 ypg | 308.5 ypg – Total Defense |
| Scoring Offense – 34.5 ppg | 15 ppg – Scoring Defense |
| First Downs – 23.5/game | 16.8/game – First Downs Allowed |
| 3rd Down Offense – 47.2% | 37% – 3rd Down Defense |
| Red Zone Offense – 69% / 63% | 70% / 40% – Red Zone Defense |
| LSP – 63/10+; 20/20+; 7/30+ | 42/10+; 10/20+; 7/30+ – LSP Allowed |
|
Texas Defense |
K State Offense |
| Rushing Defense – 96.5 ypg | 229 ypg – Rushing Offense |
| Passing Defense – 247.8 ypg | 179.3 ypg – Passing Offense |
| Total Defense – 344.3 ypg | 408.3 ypg – Total Offense |
| Scoring Defense – 21.3 ppg | 37.5 ppg – Scoring Offense |
| First Downs Allowed – 17.3/game | 19/game – First Downs |
| 3rd Down Defense – 26.4% | 37.8% – 3rd Down Offense |
| Red Zone Defense – 64% / 45% | 89% / 58% – Red Zone Offense |
| LSP Allowed – 52/10+; 18/20+; 6/30+ | 60/10+; 15/20+; 7/30+ – LSP |
We have a very favorable match-up for the defense. We should be able to shut them down, as I think the linebackers will keep Ertz in check.
I am a little concerned about our offense. Looks like Buechele has healed and will start. I was going to do some comparisons, but I decided it might get misconstrued. We don’t have a controversy, we have a solution: If Shane gets hurt, we have a very good option with Ehlinger. The big concern is our run game. I was thinking that sometimes when your line is not blocking well, you get another blocker. Traditionally, a fullback (Ricky Brown, thinking about you). I checked the official Texas roster. Not a fullback listed. I think some of our sets bring a tight end to block, but we are a bit thin there too. Chris Warren weighs 250 pounds.
Good news: Joshua Rowland can kick. That 49 yard field goal in Ames was big in the game and may prove to be big as the season progresses. Although I am not suggesting our defense will be able to shut down Oklahoma State and other high octane Big 12 offenses like they did with Iowa State, I do think we may see some much lower scores than one might have guessed in August. If that is the case, 3 points may become important. So hope Rowland keeps his confidence.
Keys to the game: Contain Ertz as a runner – not that he is going to break off a long touchdown run, but he can convert third downs with his feet, sustaining drives. Texas is #11 in the country on third down defense, allowing just 26.4%. We play at that level, and we will hold K State under 20 points I think. Offensively, the line has be competent and not commit so many penalties. Shane (and Sam if he plays) needs to be smart, not turn the ball over, and find Johnson and LJH and the other receivers – get them the ball in space and let them run.
Texas Game Notes:
The Official Preview from Texas:
http://texassports.com/news/2017/10/2/football-returns-home-to-host-kansas-state.aspx
I have Texas winning this one 31-17. Hook Em!
Previews
“Texas defense must stop Kansas State QB Jesse Ertz as a runner”. Wescott Eberts is a good article writer. Headlines, not so much.
Good geek: Game Plan: Unleashing the Texas inside run game against Kansas State
Iowa State Game: Texas wins 17-7
Well, I was completely wrong about one thing for this game: the final score. I am happy to admit I completely underestimated our defense. We shut down Iowa State. 33 points below their season average. The Cyclones had 10 yards net rushing, 128 below their average, and total offense for ISU was 256, 204 below their average. This was a very, very encouraging performance by the Texas defense. DeShon Elliott with two interceptions, one for a score.
Of course one reason the Cyclones had no offense is because they didn’t have the ball much. Texas may not have scored a lot, but we did control the ball for 2/3rds of the game: 40:31 to ISU’s 19:29.
Have to give some credit to Michael Dickson. He is making a difference in our games. At Ames, 7 punts for 328 yards, 46.9 yard average, with 4 inside the 20.
Texas put up 312 yards, 141 on the ground and 171 in the air, for a nice balanced attack. Buechele was 19 for 26, which is very good. Chris Warren had 16 carries for 44 yards. 25% of that on his 11-yard touchdown run to get Texas on the board. Shane had 42 yards. LJH had 4 catches for 36, 28 of it on one play. Collin Johnson with only 2 catches, for 25.
Pretty sure all of that speaks for itself. Work to do on offense, but hard to be critical with an offensive line that has been really hampered by injuries, with the Connor Williams injury adding salt to the wound.
Why didn’t Texas win by more? Well, penalties. 10 flags for 76 yards. The first offensive series in the second half had one false start call. The second had 3 holding calls (1 declined) and ended with an interception. I said this after Southern Cal: We have to fix the unforced errors, and false starts and holding calls are killing drives (although I call B.S. on at least one of the “holds”, which looked like a pretty darn good block that ended in a pancake).
On the other hand, if Dickson doesn’t shank the punt on the third series of the third quarter, the Horns probably get a shut-out.
I am pleased with the road win, and I think Coach Herman and the team build on this.
Highlights: https://youtu.be/c7KcujAG2PU
nobis60 on BC: Shooting from the Hip
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2017/9/28/16382288/shooting-from-the-hip-texas-17-iowa-state-7
nobis60’s defense analysis:
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2017/10/2/16402998/chalk-talk-longhorn-d-vs-iowa-state
Longhorn Hall of Honor
This year’s Hall of Honor inductees have been announced. The men include:
Drew Stubbs. Drew was one of the best center fielders I have seen in my years sitting at the Disch. From little Atlanta, Texas, Stubbs was a two-time All-American and helped lead Texas to the 2005 National Championship. He has played in the Show for 9 years. Drafted by the Reds, he made his Major League debut on my 49th birthday (yes, I am feeling old). After a couple of years there, Stubbs has been with the Indians, the Rockies, Rangers, Braves, Rangers (again), Orioles, Giants, and back to the Rangers). He’s a really good guy. His birthday was this week, which he spent on campus, talking to this year’s Longhorns. A really good guy.
James Lott (Track and Field, 1984, 1986-87; Football, 1983-85). Lott was a three-time NCAA high jump champion and was also a starter at defensive back on the football team.
Shaun Rogers (Football, 1997-2000) was one hell of a defensive tackle. Two-time All-Big 12, he went to the NFL in the second-round (Lions) and played 13 NFL seasons (Cleveland and New Orleans, after Detroit).
A distinguished alum of DBU, Nathan Vasher (Football, 2000-03). Vasher shares the UT career interception record (17) with Noble Doss. He played 7 seasons in the NFL. http://www.texassports.com/news/2017/9/6/ut-athletics-2017-mens-and-womens-hall-of-honor-classes-announced.aspx#Vasher
Vintage selections include the great Alfred Jackson.
Big congratulations to Bill Hall. Mr. Hall was a Student Manager and Student Assistant for Coach Royal (1966-70). Several years ago, Mr. Hall was instrumental in bringing together many of Coach Royal’s former players, a group that has solidified and now meets regularly. They provide key support for the program from a group of champions who laid the foundation and built the Texas Longhorns to national prominence under the guidance and coaching of the great Darrell K Royal.
Juan Heisman Tailgate
The Crew is excited to return to Lot 38 and even more excited to have a 6:00 start. It is October, so we will have lots of beer and sausage. Venison sausage, ribs, and Juan Heisman chicken-on-a-stick and chicken legs. We will also celebrate the MLB postseason with an Austin version of Chicago dogs. And at 4:30 on Saturday, the TV will be tuned to the Cubs-Nationals game.
Texas Beer Co. will be back this Saturday with some more great Taylor-Made craft brewed Texas beer. https://texasbeerco.com/
We will also have plenty of Dulce Vida Tequila, courtesy of Chad Auler.
Thanks to Matt Harriss and Capitol-Wright for supplying the rest of our beer. We will have a few new flavors this week.
A few new readers asked, who is Juan Heisman? Well, Juan Heisman is the large statue across the driveway from our spot, welcoming all to Sid Richardson Hall. His picture is on www.AustinHornsFan.com. And you can check Juan out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juan.heisman
Anyway, the statue is “Olmec”. “This ancient civilization occupied the coastal territory of the Gulf of Mexico in what are today the states of Veracruz and Tabasco from 1500 to 400 BCE. The name Olmec, meaning “rubber people” in Nahuatl, was given by twentieth-century art historians. Scholars believe that the Mixe-Zoque indigenous people of today are Olmec descendants, and their language is related to that of their ancestors.”
Juan Heisman is a replica of the San Lorenzo Monument.
“Most of our knowledge about the Olmec comes from the important archaeological sites of San Lorenzo, Tres Zapotes, and La Venta. Several of the nine still-extant colossal heads come from these ancient cities. The original of the San Lorenzo Monument 1 replica now at LLILAS was discovered by famed archaeologist Matthew Stirling, who excavated it at San Lorenzo in the 1940s. His discoveries, and those of other archaeologists in Mexico during this time, unearthed for the world the culture of the Olmec. San Lorenzo Monument 1 is popularly known as El Rey, a name that underscores the belief that such heads depict Olmec rulers who are wearing ballgame paraphernalia. The original sculpture is considered a signature piece of pre-Columbian culture and a world-class art object that represents New World civilization.” Note “ballgame”.
For more information: http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/etext/llilas/portal/portal099/olmec.pdf
So, we tip our hat to and toast Juan Heisman each week, the figurehead of our tailgate. See you Saturday. Prost!
Hate Week Approaches
October is here. Counting down the days to Hate Week and the Red River Shootout. Please send me your favorite Texas-OU memory. Some great streaks out there. A couple in the 50 range. Impressive. But please send what you got.
Polls
AP Poll: Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, PSU, Washington, Georgia, Washington, Michigan, Texas Christian, Wisconsin, Ohio State. Washington State at 11. Southern Cal at 14, Okie State at 15. Notre Dame at 21. West Virginia at 23.
Coaches Poll: Roll Tide, Clemson, Land Thieves, Nittany Lions, Huskies, Georgia, Wolverines, Badgers, Buckeyes, and Texas Christians at 10. Wazzu & Leach at 11. Okie A&M at 14. L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac at 22. WBGV at 23.
Big 12 – Week 6
Iowa State looks to rebound against the Land Thieves in Norman. Probably a bad remedy for a tough home loss to the Horns. 11:00 a.m. on FOX. OU playing great ball, and they are always tough at home. Land Thieves favored by 30, and the over/under is 63. When the line was 28 (opened at 26.5), I thought Land Thieves would cover. They will win, easily. Not sure about the cover.
Texas Technical will get to rebound, as they head to Lawrence to play 1-win Kansas. FS1 must be hard-up. 11:00 a.m. Sand Aggies favored by 16.5, and they should cover that by a couple of touchdowns. Over/under is 79.5.
Big game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. No. 23 West Virginia at No. 8 Texas Christian. The Frogs win this, and they will be in the CFP conversation. Texas Christian favored by 13.5. 2:30 p.m. on FS1. Over/under is 67.5. Pretty sure Patterson outcoaches Holgo and the Frogs win.
And College Gameday will be in the Fort!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2737122-espn-college-gameday-2017-location-tv-schedule-and-week-6-predictions
This Week in College Football – Top 25
Thursday night, No. 17 Louisvile was at No. 24 North Carolina State. The Wolfpack smoked Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals, 39-25.
Demon Deacons get to go to Clemson. No. 2 Tigers are favored by 21.5. Over/under is 47.5. 11:00 a.m. on ESPN2. Wake is 4-1, and having a good season. They won’t have a good Saturday. Clemson to win and cover.
No. 4 Penn State in Chicagoland to play Northwestern. 11:00 a.m. on ABC. PSU playing great ball, and I have tried not to say much about them because I am still disgusted that they didn’t get at least a semi-death penalty. Anyway, have to give Saquon Barclay his due. The kid is really, really good and will be in New York City in 8 weeks. 574 yards rushing, 386 receiving. Last weekend he opened the game with a 98 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and also threw a 16 yard touchdown pass. He is phenomenal, if you can bring yourself to watch PSU. PSU favored by 13.5. Cover and win. Over/under is 52.5.
No. 5 Georgia in the Music City. Vandy had the hot start then returned to earth. 11:00 a.m. on ESPN. Dawgs favored by 17.5, and over/under is 40.5. Georgia to win.
Ole Miss has to go back to Alabama this weekend. Can’t be fun. Rebs at No. 12 Auburn. 11:00 a.m. on the SEC Network. War Eagle favored by 22.5. Big line. Pulling for Ole Miss, but don’t think they will leave Jordan-Hare with a win. Over/under is 57.
Miami-Florida State. Remember the 1990’s? No. 14 Hurricanes at Florida State. 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. Miami (FL) favored by 3, and the over/under is 46. Not sure what happens in this one. Don’t think the Seminoles are your typical 1-2 team, and don’t think Miami (FL) has as much upside as their 3-0 record might suggest.
No. 21 Notre Dame at North Carolina. Great game in Chapel Hill. Irish win this game, and then they only have Southern Cal between them a possible spot in the playoffs. 2:30 p.m. on ABC. Notre Dame favored by 14.5, and the over/under is 61. Look for Irish to win, Heels to cover, and they hit the over.
Louisiana State at No. 21 Florida. Tigers are 3-2 after the shocking loss to Troy. 2:30 p.m. on the Columbia Broadcasting System. Interesting that the Gators are only 2.5 point favorites at home to the team Troy beat. Over/under is 45.
Maryland at No. 10 Ohio State. 3:00 p.m. on FOX. Buckeyes favored by 31? Seems high, but pretty sure The Ohio State University wins. Over/under is 60.5.
Southern Cal should get well at home. No. 14 Trojans have Oregon State. Beavers are 1-4. 3:00 p.m. on the PAC 12 network. Southern Cal favored by 34. Over/under is 59.5. Trojans win, but that is a big line.
No. 1 Alabama gets to play Texas Agricultural & Mechanical at beautiful Kyle Field. 6:15 p.m. on ESPN. Texas Agricultural & Mechanical is 4-1, with the sole blemish being the epic loss in Los Angeles. That won’t be the only loss after Saturday. Crimson Tide a 26.5 point road favorite, and unless Sumlin and his staff pull a miracle, they will be lucky to cover. No, not hating on the aggies. I just think this 2017 Alabama team is that good. They are that good. Over/under is 55.
No. 16 Virginia Tech at Boston College. 6:15 p.m. on ESPN2. Hokies favored by 16.5. Over/under is 46. Look for VPI to cover and win.
Big Game in the Big House. The battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Michigan State (3-1) and No. 7 Michigan (4-0), 6:30 p.m. on ABC. Wolverines favored by 10.5. Over/under is 40. Harbaugh will have his Michigan Men ready, and they should win and cover.
No. 9 Wisconsin at Nebraska. 7:00 p.m. on BTN. Badgers favored by 10.5. Over/under is 45.5.
No. 11 Washington State at Oregon. 7:00 p.m. on FOX. Autzen is a tough place to play at night, Wazzu undefeated of course. Leach will have his hands full. Oregon: Beat SUU 77-21, Nebraska 42-35, and Wyoming 49-13. Tough loss at night in the desert to Arizona State (37-35). Ducks rebounded last week to beat UCLA 45-24. Cougars favored by 2.5 (opened at 1), and over/under is 47. Going to be a really good game. Good luck Coach Leach.
No. 25 UCF (yes, UCF) at Cincinnati. 7:00 p.m. on ESPNU. UCF 17 point favorite, O/U is 55.
Stanford at No. 20 Utah should be a really good game. David Shaw has the Cardinal playing good ball, and the Utes are 4-0. 9:15 p.m. on FS1. Stanford favored by 4.5, and the over/under is 51.
Cal at No. 6 Washington. 9:45 p.m. on ESPN. Husky Stadium is a good place to get your butt kicked these days. Expect that happens Saturday night. Washington favored by 27.5. Over/under is 53.
No. 19 San Diego State at UNLV. 9:45 p.m. on ESPN2. Aztecs favored by 9.5. Over/Under is 57. Pretty sure the Vegas oddsmakers will have this one right.
Other Games of Interest This Week
Duke at Virginia. 11:20 a.m. on ACC Network. Each team with one loss. First conference game for UVa. Cavaliers favored by 2.5, over/under at 52.5. I think Virginia wins.
Bowling Green at Miami. BGSU is 0-5. The RedHawks are 2-3, and have played some big boys. 1:30 p.m. on ESPN3. Miami favored by 41.5, and over/under is 48. Miami wins and covers.
Texas State at home with Louisiana Monroe. ULM favored by 6.5, and o/u is 56.5. 2:00 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium.
Air Force at Navy. The Middies are undefeated. Air Force 1-3. 2:30 p.m. on CBSSN. Navy favored by 7.5, and o/u is 51. Navy should take this one.
Army at Rice. 5:30 p.m. in Rice Stadium. Black Knights are 3-2, and the Owls are 1-4. Army favored by 11.5, and the over/under is 47. Probably going to be a hard night for Rice.
Southern Methodist at Houston for a big American Conference game. Both teams with just one loss, and each 1-0 in the American. 6:00 p.m. on CBSSN. Cougars favored by 6.5, and the over under is 62.
Undefeated UT San Antonio back in action, at home with Southern Mississippi (2-2). 6:00 p.m. in the Alamodome. UTSA favored by 13, and the over/under is 50. Good luck Roadrunners.
UTEP looking for a win. At home with Western Kentucky. Hilltoppers favored by 17, and O/U is 57.5. Probably will not end good for the Miners. 7:00 p.m. in the Sun Bowl.
National Previews
Viewing schedule from BON:
The Week That Will Be: Survival of the Fittest
Bill Connelly’s post, for those who might partake in wagering activities:
And along a similar vein, Bud Elliott’s best bets:
Last Week
Big 12 – Week 5
Baylor played a pretty good game in Manhattan, Kansas. They managed to cover, losing 20-33. K State will have a different result this week.
The game in Lubbock was a good one, but shocking they didn’t bust the over. 41-34 Okie State over Texas Technical. Sand Aggies have a defense. No, really. Tech did cover.
Last Week in the Top 25
Miami (FL) thrashed Duke, 31-6, easily covering.
It was a late night Friday night, but worth it. The big game in Pullman lived up to expectations. Leach and his Cougars beat Southern Cal 30-27. Congrats Coach Leach.
Vanderbilt 24, Florida 28. Good win for the Gators as they cover.
Northwestern had a 10-7 lead at the half against Wisconsin. Badgers win 33-24.
South Florida covered a 23.5 road line at East Carolina, 61-31. Charlie remains undefeated. Got that one right on both.
Indiana 14, Penn State 45.
It was planned to be big game at Neyland Stadium. Peyton Manning day, a 100,000 Tennesseans singing Rocky Top. 41-0 Georgia. They covered as predicted, and had the Volunteers managed a single touchdown, I would have been right on the over (47). Some tough times in Tennessee.
Murray State covered. But Louisvile beat them 55-10.
Notre Dame crushed Miami 52-17.
Auburn hammered Mississippi State 49-10. Line was 9. War Eagle.
A stunner in Baton Rouge. Troy upset Louisiana State 24-21, and I can’t imagine what talk radio was like for LSU this week.
Clemson handed Virginia Tech its first loss, 31-17.
Washington covered and beat Oregon State, 42-7. Beavers are not very good, and Huskies are.
Ole Miss. Oh my Ole Miss. Dang Bama is good. Crimson Tide a 4 touchdown favorite and the O/U was 59.5. Alabama covered it all, 66-3.
Northern Illinois loses to San Diego State, 34-28.
Other Games of Interest Last Week
Brigham Young was a 2.5 point favorite, but Utah State beat them 40-24. Ouch.
Houston 20-13 over Temple. Congrats Major.
Rice loses at Pittsburgh, 42-10. Panthers covered. The Over/Under was 51.5. Dang.
Florida State got in the win column at Wake Forest, 26-19. Line was 7.5, and the over/under was 45.5. Amazing.
UTEP blasted by Army, 35-21. Miners covered!
Navy with the win and cover at Tulsa, 31-21.
Texas State downed by Wyoming 45-10.
Southern Methodist 49-28 over Connecticut.
Stanford got above .500 with a 34-24 win over Arizona State.
Iowa 10, Michigan State, 17. Nice win for Sparty.
Colorado lost to UCLA 27-23.
Texas Agricultural & Mechanical moved to 2-0 in SEC play with the 24-17 win over South Carolina.
Washington & Lee Generals
The Generals lost a heartbreaker to Emory & Henry, 45-42. Trailing at the end of the third quarter by 10 (28-38), W&L rallied for two scores in the fourth to take the lead. But the Wasps engineered a 17-play, 79-yard drive, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run with 11 seconds left in the game. The Generals ground game remained strong, with 444 yards.
http://www.generalssports.com/sports/fball/2017-18/releases/20170930ozgjt3
W&L will host Washington University of St. Louis on Saturday. A 12:00 noon start for Parents Weekend.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs and Nationals open the NLDS Friday in D.C. Game 2 will be on the television Saturday afternoon at Juan Heisman. First pitch at 4:38. Jon Lester will take the bump for the Cubs. 13-8 with a 4.33 ERA, which is way up. But, he is still good. He had no decision against Washington in June, with a quality start (6 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER). In August, another ND, with 6.2 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER.
Washington has great pitching, so the Cubbie bats are going to have to find a way to hit the Nats. Joe Maddon has Kyle Hendricks starting Game 1 on Friday, and he will face Stephen Strasburg. Hendricks is not the pitcher he was in 2016, but he has been better in the second half (ERA dropped from 4.09 to 2.19). He faced the Nats once this season, taking a loss.
If the Cubs can get a split in the District, then I think they can get both games in the Friendly Confines and move on to the NLCS. Let’s hope so.
Houston Astros
Funny how many good friends I have in Texas who are Red Sox fans. The ALDS between Houston and Boston started last night, and Jose Altuve and the Astros with a very nice 8-2 win. And I mean Jose Altuve. Three homeruns. M.V.P.
Music
Seems like the last couple of years have been especially tough when it comes to losing some great artists. This week was Tom Petty. For you Johnny.
I Won’t Back Down
Runnin’ Down a Dream
Into the Great Wide Open
Tom Petty, Prince, Steve Winwood and more, While my Guitar Gently Weeps
Cool Stuff
A cool video from @TexasFootball on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZt0JmyBRZj/
Longhorns in the NFL, Week four:
https://www.burntorangenation.com/2017/10/3/16406182/texas-longhorns-nfl-performances-week-4
EDSBS & Petty:
Ivy League
IVY LEAGUE REPORT FOR OCTOBER 6-7 2017
By Lonnie Schooler
Several spirited contests marked gridiron action in the Ivy League during the weekend of Sept. 29-30, with one enormous surprise resulting from the battle of predatory “large cats”.
Results of Games on the weekend of September 29-30:
Last weekend’s schedule feature two conference matchups and other games with spirited non-conference opponents.
The major surprise of the weekend occurred in mid-state New Jersey, where the Columbia Lions traveled to Princeton to face off with the Tigers, one of the Ivy co-champs from last year, with apologies to Judy Garland (“Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!”). In a stunning result, the Lions beat the Tigers 28-24 for Columbia’s first win over Princeton in many, many years. Kudos to the Lions, who are undefeated thus far now appear to be rapidly improving under the tutelage of Coach Al Bagnoli, formerly Penn’s long-time head coach (and congrats to our colleague, and a football alum from Columbia, Pat Sharkey).
In the other conference matchup, the Big Green of Dartmouth visited Franklin Field in Philadelphia to take on the Fighting Quakers of Penn. In a close and hard fought game, Penn took a 13-10 lead with less than two minutes to play. Unfortunately, that margin was not sufficient for victory, as the Big Green drove 75 yards, finishing with a scoring play as time expired, and winning 16-13.
In Washington, the Harvard Crimson faced off with the Georgetown Hoyas and easily prevailed 41-2. In Providence, R.I., the University of Rhode Island came to battle the Brown Bears, and Brown prevailed 24-21. Yale visited the Bronx to take on Fordham, and easily won, 41-10. Colgate traveled to Ithaca to face the Big Red of Cornell, and the Big Red continued their winless ways, losing 21-7.
SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER 7:
The schedule for this Saturday’s games is as follows (all times CDT):
Columbia travels down the road in New York to do battle with the Marist Red Foxes (11:00 A.M.). Georgetown travels to New Jersey to play the Princeton Tigers (Noon). Harvard visits Ithaca to tangle with the Big Red of Cornell (12:30 P.M.) Brown travels to Florida to play the Stetson “Hatters” (I am not making this up) (11:30 A.M.). Yale journeys to Hanover New Hampshire to face the Big Green of Dartmouth (12:30 P.M.). Finally, the fighting Quakers of Penn journey to Connecticut to play the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (Noon).
Enjoy your football this weekend, now that there is a hint of autumn in the air in the Northeast. Go Horns against Kansas State!
Longhorns Basketball
Shaka Smart and the Texas Longhorns are getting ready for basketball season. Going to be a good year. The Texas Tip-Off is Wednesday October 18 at Gregory Gym.
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
On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tctatx
On Instagram: @tctayloratx
On Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Tim.C.Taylor
and: www.Facebook.com/Juan.Heisman