No. 20 Texas Longhorns 34, No. 9 Vanderbilt Commodores 31
The Texas Longhorns jumped out to a quick (very quick) 17-0 first quarter lead that was extended to 34-10 at the end of the third frame before Vandy exploded for 21 points in the fourth quarter. The Horns held on for another SEC win. Arch Manning had an excellent game, the SEC officials did not.
Let’s not let a tough 15 minutes of a 60 minute game distract from beating a top-10 SEC opponent. This was a big win for Sark and Manning and the Horns.
Monday Morning Highlights:
On X:
https://x.com/TexasFootball/status/1985352284679594096
On Instagram:
Los Longhorns en Español
On Instagram:
On X:
https://x.com/TexasFootball/status/1986205385837981970
The movie from CDC’s most excellent creative media team, on X and Instagram
https://x.com/TexasFootball/status/1986103707352830463
As always, a lot of commentary and banter about the game. One of the best observations came from Judd Messer, CEO of the Juan Heisman Tailgate, on the season and the challenges of the last couple of games: “We still have three tough games to go but credit to Sark and Arch for not letting it spiral like at Clemson. Some similarities with huge expectations, Heisman contender quarterback, rough start, etc. Battled hard and didn’t let it turn into something awful.” Spot on JBM.
Photo above by Aaron E. Martinez of the Austin American Statesman. He does excellent work.
College Football Last Weekend
No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs got all they could handle from the Florida Gators but got the 24-20 win. No. 18 Land Thieves beat the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers 33-27 in an entertaining game. The upset of the weekend, and one of the best of the year, was the Southern Methodist Mustangs 26 – 20 over No. 10 Miami (FL) in overtime. On the Family Front, in addition to the great Texas win, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Virginia, and W&L all won. Sweep.
College Football This Weekend
Some excellent games this weekend. College Gameday is going to Lubbock, not sure which road they are taking. No. 8 Brigham Young (8-0) vs. No. 9 Texas Tech (8-1), 11:00 a.m. on ABC. In the 2:30 window, No. 3 Texas Agricultural & Mechanical (8-0) at No. 19 Missouri (6-2), on ABC. Wake Forest (5-3) at No. 12 Virginia Cavaliers (8-1), 6:00 p.m. on ESPN. Louisiana State (5-3) at No. 4 Alabama (7-1) 6:30 p.m. on ABC. Navy (7-1) at No. 10 Notre Dame (6-2), 6:30 p.m. on NBC.
Parker’s Power Walkers
Thanks to all who donated to support Parker and the search for a cure for T1D. Much appreciated. Some very generous donations to help find a cure.
Texas Longhorns 34, Vanderbilt Commodores 31
What a wild game. Truly 60 minutes of football, as Texas scored on the 75 yard screen to Wingo on the first play from scrimmage, on an 11 second 1 play drive, and in the final 33 seconds as Vanderbilt came within a fingernail of recovering an onside kick, which would have given the Commodores a shot at winning or tying and getting to overtime. A great college football game that had all the highs and lows for both teams.
[ Photo – Sara Diggins, Austin American Statesman. Look closely at Sara’s photo above, on the right. Mack Brown and John Bianco watching.]
Texas owned the first quarter. After the quick Manning-Wingo touchdown, Colin Simmons sacked and stripped Pavia on the Dore’s fourth play, recovering the Diego fumble at the Vanderbilt 29. Manning quickly hit Niblett on a jet sweep reverse flea-flicker screen to get ball to the 16 yard line, but after that 3 incompletions and a delay of game penalty ended the drive and Texas settled for 3 points on a 39 yard field goal. 10-0 Texas.
Pavia moved the Commodores on the next possession, including a 13 yard run and 18 yard pass (poor defense), but a holding call put Vanderbilt in 3rd and 11, and Pavia couldn’t convert under pressure from Simmons.
The next Texas possession was a gem. 10 plays, 83 yards, 5:01. 12 yards to Wingo, 6 to Mosley, Wisner a nice 13 yard run to midfield, breaking a couple of tackles. A couple of more nice passes and some Baxter runs, before a very good pass to Baxter for the 6 yard touchdown. Baxter did something after the score that has to do with 6-7 and the students went nuts. This old boomer still trying to understand. Manning was 6 for 6 for 56 yards on the drive. Perfect. 17-0 Texas.
Pavia responded well as the Vanderbilt possession carried into the second quarter with a 17 yard pass and a 22 yard pass to start the drive (some wide open receivers). The Dores were quickly down to the Texas 40, and then the 35 after a Texas offsides call. But Simmons stuffed Pavia on the next snap, and Hill and Simmons combined to drop Young for a 4 yard loss. Pavia connected with Sherrill for a first down to the Texas 25, and that is when Texas slammed the door, finishing with Trey Moore sacking Pavia and Vandy settling for 3. 17-3 Texas.
Manning again led Texas on a solid drive – 8 plays, 68 yards. The shorter field was courtesy of Vanderbilt kicking short and away from Niblett. On this drive: Wisner 8 yard run, Wisner 1 yard, Wisner 17 yard catch and run on a beautifully executed screen pass as Vandy blitzed, Wisner 5 yards, and Wisner 4 yard touchdown run. The 10 yard pass to Mosely and 14 yard pass to McCutcheon got Texas to the Vandy 4 before Quintrevion cashed in. Manning 3 for 3. 24-3 Texas.
Vanderbilt answered with their own sustained touchdown drive – 13 plays, 75 yards, nearly 7 minutes. The defense gave up a 15 yard pass to Richardson, a 17 yard pass to Stowers, a couple of short ones, and then an 18 yard touchdown pass to a side open Eli Stowers. The 24-10 halftime lead was very comfortable, and comforting, but the big chunks Pavia was carving out of the secondary would prove to be not a fluke but a foreshadowing.
Halftime stats:
- Arch Manning was 12/16 for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- 7 Longhorns had catches of 11 yards or longer
- Quintrevion Wisner had 33 yards and a touchdown on 6 carries, 5.5 ypc
- Vanderbilt had 14 yards rushing on 13 attempts.
- Pavia was 14/18 for 153 yards and a score.
Vandy got the ball to start the second half and the Texas defense forced a 3 and out. The Texas series which followed would see the longest drive of the season after the Horns let the punt roll to the Texas 7.
On a really great pass play, third and 4 from their own 13, Arch connected with Mosley over the middle and Emmett Mosley picked up 7 yards after the catch for first down Texas at the 31. Over the course of the next few plays, Manning 10 yards to Parker Livingstone and then 29 yards to DeAndre Moore, Jr., which included 12 yac. First down Texas at the Vandy 29. Arch with a solid 17 yard pass to Endries and then 5 yards to Endries before connecting with Mosley for a 6 yard touchdown, as Manning stood tall in the pocket and delivered the strike a split second before he got hit hard. 31-10 Texas after that 93-yard drive.
Pavia moved the Commodores on the next possession, aided by what looked like a really poor and stupid penalty by Filsaime, but was really well played by Pavia as he held on to Filsaime as they rode out of bounds. Not a wrong call, but an unfortunate one. A couple of plays later, on third and 8 at the Texas 19, Ethan Burke with tremendous pressure and a sack for 11 yards, forcing a 47 yard field goal which Taylor missed.
Texas closed out the third quarter with a 51 yard drive that was hampered by a holding call on Texas after they had 1st and 10 at the Vanderbilt 19. Texas ended up settling for another Shipley field goal to make it 34-10 Texas with 6 second left in the third. Sure seemed like the Horns had this one locked up. But.
Fourth Quarter
I really hate soft defense. Some said it was prevent defense, but my general opinion is that whenever Texas has run a prevent-style defense (now and in the past), the only thing that got prevented was the Longhorns coasting comfortably to a win.
Pavia ripped Texas on the first fourth quarter possession, running for 12, a 23 yard pass into plus territory, and finishing off the quick drive with an untouched 25 yard touchdown run. The 2-point conversion failed, but it was 34-16.
It felt like Texas got conservative on the next drive, given how well Manning was passing the ball. The touchdown pass to Mosely was overturned on review (correct), in one of the worst non-calls of the season as Mosley was tackled going into the endzone. Just horrific officiating. Shipley missed a 51 yard field goal. Vanderbilt got the ball back with just over 4 minutes to play.
It took Pavia and Stowers all of 10 seconds to make it a 10 point game. Completely blown coverage on a 67 yard Stowers touchdown catch, then the absolutely awful failure by the SEC refs to overturn the 2 point conversion call. The announcers agreed with Texas. 34-24.
Texas recovered the onside kick at the 50 yard line, and with 3:48 to play, all we really probably needed was one first down. But the decision to pound the ball did not blend well with the two false start penalties, and after just 44 seconds of clock time, Texas was punting from the Vanderbilt 36.
It sure looked like the Texas defense had stabilized and was ready to salt the game away after some good defense on 2 incompletions and a 9 yard sack on third down. Fourth and 19 at their own 2 yard line. And Texas lets Pavia complete a 21 yard pass. And then a 27 yard pass. And then a 16 yard pass. Vanderbilt has first and 10 and the Texas 34. The front 7 tried, as Spence got pressure on first down and Moore broke up the 2nd down pass, but on third and 10, Pavia hit Hoskins for 14 yards to get in the redzone. Pavia for 15 to Stowers to the Texas 5, backed up 10 on a holding call, but then a 7 yard pass and an 8 yard touchdown pass to make it a 3 point game. Simmons inexplicably not in the game on that last touchdown pass.
Pure luck that Vanderbilt didn’t get the onside kick, as Texas muffed it and two Commodores had a chance to recover at midfield as the ball trickled out of bounds.
Three great quarters of offense and mostly good defense, and one quarter of just miserable play and worse play calling and defensive strategy. How bad?
Manning finished 25/33 for 328 yards and 3 touchdowns, but only ran once on a scramble, gaining 4 yards. Looking back, I wonder whether Sark should have put some of Arch’s athleticism and quickness to work in the fourth.
Arch was the highest graded SEC quarterback in Week 10 at 86.9.
Arch Manning continues to improve, which bodes very well. His quick reads in particular. Check this one play out, or take the time to watch the Chase Daniel breakdown linked below.
The offensive line had a good game. Their PFF grades:
- 0 – Brandon Baker (RT) – 0 pressures
- 7 – Connor Robertson (C) – 0 pressures
- 9 – Trevor Goosby (LT) – 0 pressures
- 2 – DJ Campbell (RG) – 2 pressures
- 0 – Cole Hutson (LG) – 1 pressure
Vandy had only given up 7 sacks all year. Texas had 6 in the game, 5 in the first 3 quarters.
Colin Simmons was the highest PFF graded Longhorn in the win at 90.8, and in Week 10 he was the highest graded edge rusher in the entire country.
Per the great John Bianco, the Longhorns victory over No. 9 Vanderbilt was Texas’ 12th win over a ranked opponent since 2023, the most of any FBS program (Alabama, Georgia, and Notre Dame each have 11). It was Coach Steve Sarkisian’s 12th win over a ranked opponent in the same stretch, the second-most of any FBS coach (behind Kalen DeBoer with 13).
The Manning family is now 9-0 against Vanderbilt. Three generations of commodore down.
Aaron E. Marinez/Austin American Statesman
TCT Thoughts
As I expected and most everyone expected, a close game. Unlike a bunch of the talking heads, I was confident Texas was going to win. That said, I was shocked at how we won – from the hot start to what should have been a preventable defensive meltdown (pun intended). But in looking back at the game, much of the credit is due to Manning, Hill, and Simmons. Of course many players contributed, and Sark’s offensive game calling was better (first 3 quarters) as was the execution – due in large part to much improved offensive line play. I know it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns, but very much worth appreciating how good Texas was for most of the game.
Archibald Charles Manning, I knew you were going to have a game like this. Like he said in the post-game, “maybe the concussion helped”. Arch had the highest PFF passing grade for SEC quarterbacks last weekend.
“I think Colin Simmons and Anthony Hill, Jr. have big days.” It always makes you look good when you predict the most likely outcome. I just didn’t expect
Despite Pavia’s reputation, Vandy was the #71 passing offense, averaging 230.3 yards per game. They had 205 yards in the fourth against that porous Texas secondary. But credit the run defense, the #24 Vandy rushing attack was averaging over 200 yards per game, and they managed just 58 net. I must note that Pavia gained 82 and lost 39, but the final numbers are powerful. This team is very hard to run on. We make the opponent try to beat us with the pass – and they damn near do.
I really believe this Texas team has to avoid playing not to lose, which is what I felt like we did on both sides of the ball in the fourth quarter with a 21 point lead.
The officiating was truly poor. If we graded those guys, it would be a solid F minus. The no-call DPI in the endzone, the 2-point conversion, and then the offsides call on Texas. Shannon being called for holding on this play was as joke. This tackle – by the offense, not the defense – no call. https://x.com/WillBaizer/status/1984733970815467579
Texas did a lot of what I though they needed to do. The offense did do a better job of some sustained scoring drives. One 1 of my 3 keys (get a decent running game going [no], get the tight ends more involved [no], and protect whoever is playing quarterback [yes]).
The defense did defend the big plays that Makhilyn Young is so capable of – quite well – 4 carries for 7 yards, longest run was 6 yards. Vanderbilt’s season low at 58 net yards rushing.
Texas 27, Vanderbilt 24 was pretty close. I had the spread right – just needed to give each team one more touchdown.
Accolades
SEC Offensive Player of the Week – Arch Manning
SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week – Colin Simmons
Butkus Award: Anthony Hill, Jr. named a semifinalist.
Highlights from ESPN – about 24 minutes
CBS Sports
Josh Pate on the game:
Chase Daniel’s analysis of Arch’s game. Telestrator breakdown for us nerds – Coach W watch this and let me know what you think.
Condensed game, from Justin Nash (55 minutes).
https://www.patreon.com/posts/texas-vs-142632141?
Colin Simmons
I think most of you watched this piece on Colin Simmons. If you didn’t, here’s another chance.
https://x.com/BNKonFOX/status/1977039846414991682
My thanks to my good friend Mike Levy for suggesting that I include the link to donate to Clay’s Color Crew.
Colin bought his momma a house last week.
Open Week No. Two: Texas Stats
I like taking a look at just Texas stats when we have an open week, including some of the individual players.
The Statistics
Offense
| Statistic | October 1 | November 4 |
| Rushing Offense | #37 – 202.8 ypg | #94 – 135.3 ypg |
| Passing Offense | #64 – 236.0 ypg | #53 – 246.1 ypg |
| Total Offense | #41 – 438.8 ypg | #71- 381.4 ypg |
| Scoring Offense | #55 – 31.8 ppg | #61 – 29.6 ppg |
| First Downs | #72 – 20.8/game | #104 – 18.6/game |
| Sacks Allowed | #9 – 3, 9 yards | #89 – 18, 105 yards |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed | #12 – 15, 45 yards | #114 – 54, 208 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #103 – 35.9% | #63 – 40.6% |
| Fourth Down Conversions | #108 – 41.7% (5/12) | #110 – 41.7% (5/12) |
| Touchdowns | N/A | #57 – 32 total, 22 |
| Red Zone Attempts | #34 – 20 | #34 – 36 |
| Red Zone Offense | #109 – 75% / 55% | #79 – 83% / 61% |
| Long Run Plays | #58 – 24/10, 3/20, 2/30, 1/40 | #86 – 35/10, 6/20, 4/30, 1/40 |
| Long Pass Plays | #86 – 34/10, 15/20, 10/30, 3/40 | #33 – 87/10, 31/20, 18/30, 8/40 |
Defense
| Statistic | October 1 | November 4 |
| Rushing Defense | #3 – 59.8 ypg | #2 – 78.2 ypg |
| Passing Defense | #16 – 151.3 ypg | #92 – 235.3 ypg |
| Total Defense | #4 – 211.0 ypg | #25 – 313.6 ypg |
| Scoring Defense | #2 – 7.8 ppg | #12 – 16.4 ppg |
| First Downs Allowed | #4 – 11.8/game | #35 – 17.9/game |
| Sacks | #38 – 11, 55 yards | #1 – 34, 221 yards |
| Tackles for Loss | #89 – 22, 83 yards | #14 – 62, 298 yards |
| Third Down Conversions | #5 – 23.6% | #27 – 33.8% |
| Fourth Down Conversions | #2 – 11.1% (1/9) | #8 – 31.8% (7/22) |
| Red Zone Attempts | #2 – 4 | #8 – 18 |
| Red Zone Defense | #21 -75% / 75% | #26 – 78% / 61% |
| Long Run Plays Allowed | #2 – 5/10, 1/20, 1/30, -0- | #23 – 26/10, 3/20, 1/30, -0- |
| Long Pass Plays Allowed | #10 – 21/10, 6/20, 3/30, 2/40 | #115 – 85/10, 26/20, 8/30, 6/40 |
Other
| Statistic | October 1 | November 4 |
| Turnovers | #27 – 4 (1F, 3I) | #14 – 7 (1F, 6I) |
| Turnover Margin | #29 – 7:4 +3 | #11 – 15:7 +8 |
| Penaltiesπ | #105 – 34, 313 yards | #134 – 73, 595 yards |
πBased on total number of penalties.
The step back in the rushing game after beginning SEC play isn’t too surprising, but Texas is going to need to get some more production from the running backs to beat Georgia and Texas Agricultural & Mechanical.
Note that we didn’t go for it on fourth down at all in this stretch. I think that is some maturity in play calling vis-à-vis what this offense is capable of doing (with the line, that is, Sark the gambler is playing cards he has, not the cards he wishes he had).
On defense, the deterioration of the passing defense is disappointing and disturbing. Could be debilitating, derailing the drive to the CFP. Duane?
However, the great improvement on sacks and tackles for loss – wow. So impressive. That plus the run defense just might be enough.
There are two teams in the country with more penalties that the Texas Longhorns – Arizona State and Georgia State. Come on Longhorns. Texas should never have a 3 digit ranking in any category. Great culture and discipline do not lead to 73 penalties in 9 games. That said, it may be a conference issue. I didn’t do a deep dive, but: Arkansas and Ole Miss are tied at No. 106 with 62 penalties, Tennessee, Texas Agricultural & Mechanical, and Oklahoma are tied at No. 112 with 63 penalties. Vanderbilt is No. 117 with 64 penalties. Auburn is No. 124 with 67 penalties. South Carolina is No. 127 with 68 penalties. Mississippi State is No. 131 with 69 penalties. You know, something just doesn’t seem right.
BCF Toys
This is also a comparison of where Texas was on October 1 to where Texas sits on November 4.
| Texas | FEI | OFEI | DFEI | SFEI – Adj |
| October 1 | No. 7: 1.02 | No. 22: 0.28 | No. 2: 0.69 | No. 19: 0.07 |
| November 4 | No. 17: 0.80 | No. 37: 0.15 | No. 10: 0.53 | No. 2: 0.15 |
| Texas | NAY | OAY | DAY |
| October 1 | No. 7: 0.301 | No. 38: 0.548 | No. 3 0.247 |
| November 4 | No. 16: 0.156 | No. 9: 0.625 | No. 0.469 |
| Texas | NPD | OPD | DPD |
| October 1 | No. 5: 2.34 | No. 32: 2.93 | No. 3: 0.59 |
| November 4 | No. 26: 1.02 | No. 56: 2.42 | No. 10: 1.40 |
| Texas | NPP | OPP | DPP |
| October 1 | No. 16: 2.03 | No. 57: 5.87 | No. 3: 3.84 |
| November 4 | No. 51: 0.49 | No. 81: 5.50 | No. 21: 5.01 |
| Texas | PVE | OVE | DVE | SVE |
| October 1 | No. 5: 1.15 | No. 43: 0.10 | No. 3: 0.93 | No. 10: 0.14 |
| November 4 | No. 20: 0.58 | No. 64: -0.06 | No. 10: 0.51 | No. 3: 0.14 |
| Texas | F+ | OF+ | DF+ | SF+ |
| November 4 | No. 14: 1.31 | No. 40: 0.58 | No. 7: 1.62 | No. 10: 1.37 |
Texas Longhorns
Here are the current stats of some of the Horns.
Offense
Arch Manning. Arch has put up good numbers the last few games. He is now 168/268 for 2,123 yards (24th) and 18 touchdowns (19th). 62.7% completion, and averaging 7.9 yards per attempt (50th) and 12.6 yards per completion. His RTG is 146.9, which is 45th nationally. Just 6 interceptions. [Not going to say anything else, as I am a superstitious East Texan.] Arch is second on the team in rushing with 69 carries for 203 yards and 6 touchdowns – and the Horns only have 11 rushing touchdowns. His total offensive numbers 258.4 yards per game ranks Arch 48th nationally. QBR of 63.4, which is 61st. Arch’s PFF grades: 83.2 overall, 79.9 passing, 73.2 rushing. Texas has scored 32 touchdowns, and Arch has accounted for 24 of those, 75%,
Ryan Wingo leads the Longhorns with 593 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns on 31 catches. The 75-yarder to open the Vandy game is his long of the year. Wingo’s biggest game was Mississippi State – 5 catches for 184 yards. Wingo’s 19.1 yards per catch is outstanding, good for 12th nationally. 13 of Wingo’s catches have come on first down, producing 300 yards (over half his yardage total) and 2 of his 5 touchdowns. Smart and Elko will have their defenses ready on first down, unfortunately.
DeAndre Moore, Jr. has 29 catches for 379 yards and a touchdown.
Parker Livingstone has 21 catches for 351 yards and 5 touchdowns, including the 83 yarder against San Jose State.
Emmett Mosley V has 15 receptions for 201 yards and 3 scores. His first action was against Florida (2 for 40 yards), but he has really come on strong, with 4 catches, 53 yards, 2 TDs versus Mississippi State and 7 for 69 yards and a score against Vanderbilt. Some really nice play by Mosley, and I sense a good chemistry between him and Manning. Promising.
Jack Endries has 19 catches for 160 yards and 2 scores. Personally, I was hoping for and expecting more. Really think we are going to need more tight end production over the last 3 games.
Quintrevion Wisner is our leading running back. He has 88 carries to Baxter’s 40. Quintrevion has 338 yards, and 3 touchdowns, averages just 3.8 yards per carry. Not his fault, but disappointing that the Longhorn’s top tailback is 197th in rushing in the country. 3.8 ypc is 239th. Wisner has battled hard, and I think it is important to note that his 3 biggest rushing games have been in the Longhorns games versus ranked opponents:
- 80 yards on 16 carries against Ohio State, a 5.0 ypc average. The Buckeyes are the No. 7 rushing defense in the country, allowing 81.75 yards per game.
- 94 yards on 22 carries against the Land Thieves, a 4.3 ypc average. Oklahoma is the No. 8 rushing defense, allowing 82.44 yards per game.
- 75 yards on 18 carries against Vanderbilt, 4.2 ypc. Commodores have the No. 17 rush defense, allowing 101.67 yards per game.
I think this bodes well for the remainder of the season, especially with C.J. Baxter back. Also, Wisner has 117 yards receiving and a touchdown on 18 catches (6th on the team).
Our offensive line play has been sporadic. I just hope that the Vanderbilt game was the turnaround and that the rest of the season is more like that. According to PFF, Vandy only got 4 pressures on Manning, only 3 as a result of line play. We desperately need them these next 3 games.
Defense
No surprise at all that Anthony Hill, Jr. is leading the team with 64 tackles (35 solo). That’s tied for 5th in the SEC. Hill also has 4 sacks for 25 yards, 6.5 TFL for 30 yards, an interception, and 3 forced fumbles. Liona Lefau has 50 tackles (19 solo) and a sack, and Ty’Anthony Smith has 35 tackles and a sack. Trey Moore has 25 tackles (16 solo), 3 sacks for 18 yards, 4.5 TFL for 24 yards. Those 4 are the solid core of our very good linebacking corps. Add the excellent play from Lance Jackson (15 tackles, 2 sacks) and Brad Spence (14 tackles, 3 sacks). I am very pleased with this group.
The defensive line and the Edge LBs have been excellent as well. Colin Simmons leads this group with 30 tackles (15 solo), and his 8 sacks for 37 yards puts him tied for 2nd in the SEC and tied for 9th nationally. Simmons in 5 SEC games (from CJ Vogel):
- 5 sacks
- 0 tackles for loss
- 2 forced fumbles
- 1 fumble recovery
- 1 pass deflection
- 24 total tackles
Hero Kanu has 26 tackles (9 solo) and 2 sacks for 7 yards. Ethan Burke has 25 tackles (12 solo) and 3 sacks for a whopping 51 yards – 5th in the SEC.
DBU. Man, it sure felt that way for the first month of the season. Before the Horns went to Kentucky, #32 and allowing 185.5 yards per game. Then Cutter Boley (31/39 for 258 yards), Blake Shapen (26/42 for 381 yards), and Diego Pavia (27/38 for 365 yards). Now, the #92 pass defense allowing 235.3 ypg. Kentucky aside, it was clear how much we have missed Taaffe and Muhammad when they have been out. Let’s get healthy for the stretch run. As for the individual stats:
Jelani McDonald is second on the team with 55 tackles (31 solo), plus 3 PD and 2 interceptions. Hope his head clears and he is ready for Georgia. Michael Taaffe has 51 tackles (28 solo), a sack, and what must be a preternatural ability to be an on the field coach for this defense. We need General Mookie back on the field, badly. Jaylon Gilbeau has 35 tackles (18 solo), 3 PD, and a pick. Grayson Littleton, 31 tackles (24 solo), 2 PD, 2 interceptions, and a forced fumble. This young man from Tampa has a bright future at Texas. Malik Muhammad, 20 tackles (15 solo), 1 sack, 4 PD, and 2 interceptions.
The Texas defense is the 5th highest PFF graded in the Power 4, at 93.3, behind the Sand Aggies, the Hoosiers, Miami (FL), and Louisville.
Special Teams
Ryan Niblett. 17 punt returns for 420 yards and 2 touchdowns, 24.71 yard average. No. 1 in the SEC in yards, No. 1 nationally in yards per return and no. 2 nationally in total yards, just 2 yards behind leader Caullin Lacy of Louisville. Obviously, the MVP of 2 of our games. The kid has wicked good field vision and speed and quickness.
Mason Shipley is 32/32 on extra points, 14 of 18 on field goals. 3 of the misses were over 50 yards, and he is 10/10 between 30 and 49 yards.
Jack Bouwmeester is a very solid punter. 44.9 yards per punt average. 35% are inside the opponent’s 20 yard line.
College Football Week Eleven
With the release of the first College Football Playoff standings, we transition the ranking references to the CFP (from AP). The committee likes the SEC. I did my top 25 previews on Monday, so a few things may be off.
Week Eleven in the Southeastern Conference
No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1) at Mississippi State (5-4, 1-4), 11:00 a.m. on ESPN from Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville. The cowbells are obnoxious, but I am guessing at 11:00 in the morning they are painful. Interesting that Georgia is favored by 9.5 (up from 7.5), over/under is 56.5. Georgia to win and cover.
BCF Projection:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Georgia | Mississippi State | .802 | 12.5 | 35.1 | 22.6 | 57.7 |
The Citadel (4-5) at No. 6 Ole Miss (8-1), 12:00 noon on SEC Network+ from Vaught-Hemingway in Oxford. I wonder if Texas will ever schedule a pay-to-play game in November, just for fun. The Bulldogs are in for a long afternoon. No official line, but I bet you can get one at the casinos in Tunica.
No. 3 Texas Agricultural & Mechanical (8-0, 5-0) at No. 22 Missouri (6-2, 2-2), 2:30 p.m. on ABC from Memorial Stadium in Columbia. This is the Aggies’ last test before the Lone Star Showdown game in Austin. Should be an excellent game. Texas Agricultural & Mechanical favored by 6.5, over/under is 48.5. Missouri to cover.
BCF Projection:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Texas A. and M. | Missouri | .622 | 4.5 | 29.5 | 25.0 | 54.5 |
Parker Fleming’s Advanced Stats Preview:
Auburn (4-5, 1-5), at No. 16 Vanderbilt (7-2, 3-2), 3:00 p.m. on the SEC Network from Nashville. Vandy favored by just 6.5 over the Freeze-less Tigers. Over/under is 45.5. Commodores to win and cover.
Louisiana State (5-3, 2-3) at No. 4 Alabama (7-1, 5-0) 6:30 p.m. on ABC, from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. The First Saturday in November, this rivalry was first contested in 1895. The Crimson Tide lead the series 57-27-5. To be fair, the Tigers consider this one of their biggest rivals, while Alabama considers Auburn and Tennessee bigger rivals than LSU. We get it. Alabama favored by 9.5, over/under is 49.5. Crimson Tide to win and cover. Call me Deacon Blues.
BCF Projection:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Alabama | Louisiana State | .828 | 14.0 | 31.3 | 17.4 | 48.7 |
Florida (3-5, 2-3) at Kentucky (3-5, 1-5), 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network from Lexington. Gators favored by 3.5, over/under is 45.5. No idea.
Week Eleven: Service Academies
Temple (5-4, 3-2) at Army (4-4, 2-3), 11:00 a.m. on CBSSN from Michie Stadium in West Point. Army favored by 6.5, over/under is 45.5. Black Knights to win and cover.
Air Force (2-6) at San José State, 5:00 p.m. on FS1. Spartans favored by 5.5 over the Falcons, over/under is 64.5.
Navy (7-1) at No. 10 Notre Dame (6-2), 6:30 p.m. on NBC/Peacock from Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. Fighting Irish favored by 26.5, over/under is 55.5. Notre Dame to win, Navy to cover.
BCF Projection:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Notre Dame | Navy | .990 | 27.3 | 41.2 | 13.9 | 55.1 |
This is a storied rivalry which has some great history, including how Navy helped save The University of Notre Dame during World War II. All this despite the lopsided record – Irish lead 81-13-1. Some good reading here:
Navy Vs. Notre Dame History – A Rivalry Steeped In Tradition // UHND.com
Top 25 – Week Eleven
Friday
Tulane Green Wave (6-2, 3-1) at AP No. 22 Memphis Tigers (8-1, 4-1), 8:00 p.m. on ESPN from Liberty Stadium. Tigers favored by just 3.5, over/under is 54.5. Tigers to win and cover.
Northwestern (5-3, 3-2) at No. 19 Southern Cal (6-2, 4-1), 8:00 p.m. on FOX From the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Tickets as low as $38. What the heck, Art? Trojans favored by 14.5, over/under is 50.5. Southern Cal to win and cover.
Saturday
No. 2 Indiana (9-0, 6-0) at Penn State (3-5, 0-5), 11:00 a.m. on FOX from Beaver Stadium. Hoosiers are favored by 14.5, over/under is 50.5. Indiana to win, Nittany Lions to cover.
No. 7 Brigham Young (8-0, 5-0) at No. 8 Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1), 11:00 a.m. on ABC from Jones AT&T Stadium in the Hub City. With a win, the Cougars can almost knock the Sand Aggies out of the CFP discussion, subject to the Big 12 CG. Going to be big day in Lubbock. Texas Tech favored by 10.5, over/under is 52.5. Cougars to win.
BCF Projection:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Texas Tech | Brigham Young | .712 | 8.2 | 26.5 | 18.3 | 44.9 |
Parker Fleming’s Advanced Stats Preview:
No. 1 Ohio State (8-0, 5-0) at Purdue (2-7, 0-6), 12:00 noon on BTN from Ross-Ade Stadium in Lafayette, Indiana. Buckeyes favored by 30.5, over/under is 48.5. I have confirmed that there is almost no truth to the rumors that next week’s home game with UCLA will be sponsored by Bucee’s and that the Buckeyes will be the Bucees for the game.
No. 9 Oregon (7-1, 4-1) at Iowa (6-2, 4-1), 2:30 p.m. on CBS from Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. Ducks favored by 6.5, over/under is 42.5. Shockingly low line in my opinion, which means Oregon will win by 2.
Syracuse (3-6, 1-5) at No. 18 Miami (FL) (6-2, 2-2), 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. Hurricanes favored by 28.5, over/under is 46.5. Miami will probably win, but I will take the Orange to cover.
No. 23 Washington (6-2, 3-2) at Wisconsin (2-6, 0-5), 3:30 p.m. on BTN from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Huskies favored by 10.5 over the moribund Badgers. Total is 44.5. Washington to win and cover.
Wake Forest (5-3, 2-3) at No. 14 Virginia (8-1, 5-0), 6:00 p.m. on ESPN from Scott Stadium in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers are favored by 6.5 over the Demon Deacons, over/under is 48.5. UVA should keep it rolling. Hoos to win and cover. BCF Projection:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Virginia | Wake Forest | .741 | 9.5 | 28.2 | 18.7 | 46.9 |
California (5-4, 2-3) at No. 15 Louisville (7-1, 4-1), 6:00 p.m. on ESPN2. Cardinals favored by a big 18.5 points, over/under is 49.5. Louisville defense is very good. Cards to win and cover.
Other Games of Interest – Week Eleven
Tuesday night, the Miami Redhawks went to Athens for a game with rival Ohio in the Battle of the Bricks. Game 102 in a series that dates to 1908. A defensive standoff until both teams put up 14 points in the fourth, but Ohio beat Miami 24-20. Mid-week MACtion time.
Thursday night, South Florida punished UTSA 55-23, with 10 of the Roadrunners’ points coming in the fourth quarter. Not a good year in the Triangle of Doom.
Friday
Houston (7-2) at Central Florida (4-4), 7:00 p.m. on FS1 from Orlando. Houston favored by 1.5.
Saturday
Southern Methodist (6-3, 4-1) at Boston College (1-8, 0-5), 11:00 a.m. on the ACC Network from Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. This is BC’s Red Bandana Game, honoring the memory of Welles Remy Crowther. Mustangs favored by 11.5, over/under is 53.5. Ponies to win, Eagles to cover.
UAB (3-5) at Rice (4-5), 1:00 p.m. on ESPN+. Owls favored by 2.5, over/under is 52.5.
Jacksonville State (5-3, 4-0) at UTEP (2-6, 1-3), 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+ from the Sun Bowl. Miners were favored by 1.5 (to my surprise), but early Friday morning the Gamecocks are 1.5 point favorites; over/under is 19.5.
Iowa State (5-4, 2-4) at Texas Christian (6-2, 3-2), 2:30 p.m. on FOX from Amon G. Carter Stadium. Horned Frogs favored by 6.5, over/under is 57.5. Texas Christian to win, Iowa State to cover.
Florida State (4-4, 1-4) at Clemson (3-5, 2-4), 6:00 p.m. on the ACC Network from Memorial Stadium in Clemson. Tigers favored by 1.5, over/under is 56.5. An important game for both coaches. Dabo to win and cover.
Nebraska (6-3) at UCLA (3-5), 8:00 p.m. on FOX from the Rose Bowl. Bruins favored by 1.5, over/under is 44.5. Might be worth a look. Big Red to win.
The UTRGV Vaqueros host the Nicholls Colonels in Edinburg Saturday evening, 5:00 p.m. from Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium. ESPN says tickets as low as $221. Dang. ESPN+
Bill Connelly’s SP+ Picks:
Juan Heisman Tailgate
We had a magnificent Juan Heisman Tailgate. The Early Crew led by EC Chief Hunter Wilcox had the tents up by 6:30. A great crowd, and a lot of Vanderbilt friends there – Caroline led a small army of Gaston’s, and it was great to have them there. Long time friend Lee Lahourcade made his first JHT, and Tony’s sister Claire Dewar was there. Many others.
The best part of the tailgate and the day was that it was the Taylor grandchildren game. Peter, Micah, and Helen Kate Dean and Lottie and Talley Fleming all there, all at the game. Talley’s first game, just a few weeks past her first birthday. Thanks to Scott Ferguson and to Pam Madere for the assist on tickets – ten of us were able to sit together.
Parker, Mary Elizabeth, Talley, Mark, Peter, Micah, Kathryn, TCT, Helen Kate, Kathy, and Lottie.
Washington & Lee University
The Generals crushed the Averett Cougars 61-21, rushing for 589 yards and 8 touchdowns. Ryan Clemens was the ODAC Offensive Player of the Week, as he had 15 carries for 164 yards and 3 touchdowns. W&L very efficient in the passing game. One pass for an 82 yard touchdown.
Big game in LexVegas this weekend with Roanoke. Kickoff at Wilson Field is 1:00 p.m., Shenandoah Valley time. The Maroons are 5-3 overall and 3-3 in the ODAC. Roanoke opened with wins over Virginia University of Lynchburg (23-7), Greensboro College (32-22), and Gallaudet (38-14). In ODAC play: Lost to Randolph-Macon, 17-35. Beat Bridgewater on the road, 24-14. Lost at home in Salem to Shenandoah, 20-33 (yes, a bit odd that Roanoke College is in Salem, not Roanoke, but close enough, and better than Big Lick). Hamden-Sydney beat the Maroons soundly, 35-10, and last week Roanoke won narrowly over Guilford, 21-20.
The Generals are No. 4 in the nation in rushing, averaging 312.9 yards per game, with 28 rusihng touchdowns. Averaging 5.65 yards per rush.
Texas Basketball
I had hoped to get a preview on the Horns, as the Sean Miller Era opened with a tough loss to Duke in North Carolina. More to come. This team showed some real promise in the first half.
Texas Volleyball
The No. 4 Longhorns are now 18-2, after two tough losses, 3-1 to No. 8 Texas Agricultural & Mechanical and swept at home by Kentucky. The Horns play at Florida Friday night, 6:00 p.m. on SEC Network, and at Auburn next Wednesday (November 12), 6:00 p.m. on SEC Network. Tony, game notes for Volleyball: 2025 Florida – University of Texas Athletics
Scott Wilson
Scott passed away last Friday morning, leaving behind a legacy of Longhorn loyalty that will never be equaled. 594 consecutive Texas Longhorns football games, 1,564 Texas Longhorns baseball games (dating back to 1977), and countless basketball (men’s and women’s), volleyball, softball, and no telling what all other games. Wilson wasn’t just a great Longhorn fan, he was a great human being. Infectiously friendly and unfailingly optimistic, he was everyone’s friend. And according to Judge Lee Yeakel, an exceptionally good attorney.
This is good:
A nice tribute. Well done Del Conte.
https://x.com/NashTalksTexas/status/1984651360797606277
One of my favorite Wilson memories, when he led the 7th inning stretch at the Disch at his 1,000th straight Texas baseball game.
https://x.com/ATXANT10/status/1983676695790882973
My law school classmate Paul Begala wrote a very nice article on Scott.
https://thebarbedwire.com/2025/10/31/longhorns-remember-superfan-scott-wilson/
Week Ten in the Southeastern Conference
No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs 24, Florida Gators 20. The Napier-less Gators put up a helluva fight in this great rivalry game. Tied 17-17 going to the fourth quarter, Florida took a 20-17 lead. Georgia had an 82 yard drive to get the go-ahead touchdown with under 5 minutes to play and held on for the win. I had the Bulldogs winning and covering the 7.5 point line – nope!
No. 18 Oklahoma 33, No. 14 Tennessee 27. Crazy. Joey Aguilar threw for 393 yards and 3 touchdowns, but his two interceptions both led to OU field goals. Mateer was just 19/29 for 159 yards with a pick, but he ran for 80 and a score and Xavier Robinson had 115 yards and a score to help the Land Thieves steal a win in Knoxville. I missed completely on this one.
Mississippi State 38, Arkansas 35. The Razorbacks drop to 0-5 and are DFL in the SEC. Some angry hogs coming to Austin in a few weeks. Congrats to Mississippi State! Their first SEC win since – they beat Arkansas on October 21, 2023! That was also their only SEC win that year.
South Carolina 14, No. 7 Ole Miss 30. Great win for the Rebels, who covered on a day when Trinidad Chambliss was off his game. Kewan Lacy rushed for 167 yards for the Rebs, Chambliss for 59, as Ole Miss hung ground 258 yards on the Gamecocks.
Kentucky 10, Auburn 3. Hugh Freeze was fired Sunday, as wildly predicted by someone on X who posted that his standing 1:30 tee time at the country club had been cancelled.
Week Ten: Service Academies
Army 20, Air Force 17. Big win for the Black Knights.
Navy 17, North Texas 31. The Midshipmen fought hard and held Mestemaker to nearly 100 yards below his average and nary a touchdown pass. Surprisingly, it was the Mean Green’s Caleb Hawkins who ran for 197 and 4 touchdowns and carried North Texas to the win.
Top 25 – Week Ten
Friday
No. 25 Memphis cruised to a 38-14 win over Rice. Memphis was favored by 13.. “Tigers to win and cover.” ✔️
Saturday
No. 1 Ohio State 38, Penn State 14. Buckeyes cover 19.5.
Southern Methodist University 26, No. 10 Miami (FL) 20 in overtime. What a win for the Mustangs, their first home win over a top-10 opponent since 1974. The Ponies rode Kevin Jennings arm to the win as he passed for 365 yards and touchdown. Southern Methodist only ran for 23 yards. Carson Beck’s 2 interceptions were costly, none more than the bad pass in overtime that was picked off at the goal line by Ahmaad Moses (he had both picks). The loss knocks the Hurricanes out of the playoff discussion. Thanks SMU!
No. 22 Houston with a surprising 45-35 home loss to West Virginia, who had just 2 wins and none in Big 12 play. Weigman was intercepted twice and fumbled once, contributing to the Houston loss (WVU 10 points off turnovers). Joe, good to see you at JHT.
No. 16 Louisville 28, Virginia Tech 16.
No. 2 Indiana 55, Maryland 10. The Hoosier are really, really good. “Hoosiers to win and cover.” ✔️
No. 12 Notre Dame 25, Boston College 10. Fighting Irish won, but as I had suspected, they didn’t cover that big 28.5 point line. However, Carr and Love did have big games. Carr 18/28 for 299 yards and 2 touchdowns, a QBR of 92.6. Jeremiyah Love ran for 136 yards on 17 carries and 2 touchdowns, including a 94 yard score after the Irish had intercepted BC on the 4 yard line. It was 18-10 at that point, and an Eagles score there would have been a bit scary for the Notre Dame fans. Love flipped the script and put the game away with one run.
No. 13 Texas Tech 43, Kansas State 20. This one impressed me. Sand Aggies way over the 7.5 line and significantly outperformed the metrics, at least offensively.
No. 15 Virginia 31, California 21. The Cavaliers had a solid game offensively, but the defense put the Golden Bears away. Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was intercepted twice and was minus 42 yards on the ground. The BCF Projection was pretty darn close, 29.7 to 21.8.
No. 21 Michigan 21-16 over Purdue. The Boilermakers tried, but they could not contain Jordon Marshall who rushed for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns on 25 carries. Purdue did cover. X
No. 8 Georgia Tech fell to NC State 48-36 in Raleigh. I guess a lot of folks watching this one were right. “Ramblin’ Wreck to win and cover.” X
No. 23 Southern Cal 21, Nebraska 17.
No. 24 Utah put a whipping on No. 17 Cincinnati, 45-14. Utes looked really good.
Other Games of Interest – Week Ten
Duke 46, Clemson 45. The Blue Devils got the ball with about 5 minutes left in the game, trailing 45-38. Duke drove the field and scored with 40 seconds left in the game and then made the 2-point conversion beat the Tigers in Death Valley. Just a brutal season for Dabo. He even joked about getting fired at his post-game presser.
Arizona State 24, Iowa State 19. Cyclones drop to 2-4 in Big 12 play. Surprising poor season for Iowa State.
Pittsburgh 35, Stanford 20. Line was 14.5.
Arizona knocked the snot out of the Buffaloes, 52-17. Colorado trailed 38-7 at half. Wildcats were favored by just 3.5, and the total was 52.5.
Washington State 7, Oregon State 10. Beavers had 208 yards of offense (just 60 passing), while the Cougars had 271.
Florida State finally got an ACC win, 42-7 over Wake Forest.
Stephen F. Austin 41, UTRGV Vaqueros 17. The Lumberjacks held Eddie Lee Marburger to 115 yards and one score on a 16/24 night and they intercepted him twice.
The Polls
College Football Playoff Rankings #1
The Longhorns are No. 11, which is nice, but if the playoffs were starting this weekend, Texas would be working on a bowl invite, as the automatic qualifiers from the ACC and the Group of 5 schools would bump the Horns. At least they got it right and put Texas ahead of the Land Thieves.
AP Top 25 & the Coaches:
FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll:
This poll is jointly conducted by the Football Writers Association of America and the National Football Foundation.
ESPN’s FPI
2025 College Football Power Index – ESPN
Bill Connelly’s SP+
SP+ is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing.
Indiana at No. 1 in the composite! Followed by Ohio State, Indiana, Texas Agricultural & Mechanical, Alabama, Brigham Young, Georgia, the Sand Aggies, Ole Miss, Oregon, and Notre Dame. Texas up 5 to No. 14.
PFF
PFF has The Ohio State University No. 1, followed by Indiana, Texas Agricultural & Mechanical, Alabama, Georgia, Brigham Young, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas Longhorns, and Texas Technical. Land Thieves are 11, Virginia is 13, and Notre Dame is 16.
Kelley Ford Ratings
Ford’s Defensive Ratings
That fourth quarter collapse whacked our defensive ratings and rankings.
Max Olson’s Defensive Stop Rates
Texas Agricultural & Mechanical is No. 34, 68%, 1.86.
PFF Grades
Music
This week, a collection of some stuff I have tagged and saved the past month or two.
Stevie Ray Vaughan, playing acoustic guitar.
https://x.com/SVG__Collection/status/1975959235587723520
Playing for Change – La Bamba. One of my favorite songs of all time.
William Beckmann – Danced All Night Long
Guy Clark – LA Freeway. Austin City Limits. John Prine there, Rodney Crowell.
Martin L. Dumas, Jr. ~ Attitude, Belief and Determination
Jim Nicar
1981: The U.T. Austin campus from the air, when the Experimental Science Building was still standing, the Anna Hiss Gym still had its pool, and there was parking west and north of the Astronomy building (okay, the Physics-Math-Astronomy building, top right corner).
Picture of the Week
JType. This photo is from his November 6, 2025 post on Instagram.
And Reel of the week from kda.tx. So fine.
On X: @tctayloratx
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On Instagram: @tctayloratx
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and: www.Facebook.com/Juan.Heisman
You can contact me by mail:
Tim Taylor P.O. Box 5371 Austin, Texas 78763-5371