Skip to main content

Tag: Big 12

RED RIVER II Big 12 Title Game

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in Football, TEXAS SPORTS.

Not since 1903 — and the third time ever will the Longhorns and Sooners play for a second time in a single season, but this time for the Big 12 Championship.

In a series that began in 1900 these two Rivals will go head to head once more with the conference on the line. A Texas defeat of Kansas in Lawrence last Friday clinched the first appearance in the Big 12 Championship game since 2009 for the Longhorns. Then  Friday night, Oklahoma edged out WV in an all out thriller in Morgantown 59-56 Sooners.

The Cotton Bowl rematch  in Arlington  is set for December 1st this Saturday at AT&T Stadium.The Longhorns narrowly escaped the Sooners back in October at the Red River Showdown this season, in a 48-45 thriller over OU.

The Sooners have been red hot since the loss to Texas and have won every game since.

Texas has seen some offensive woes in recent weeks and QB Sam Ehlinger has gone down in two games due to a shoulder injury. Which Texas team will show up for coach Tom Herman at this Big 12 title match? The team who struggled against Kansas and Baylor, or the team that put up 41 against West Virginia and 48 against the Sooners?

The stakes are high with implications of a potential playoff. Then there is the New Years Six bowl placement, and don’t forget bragging rights in this rivalry. And while I am rooting for my Longhorns to win this game, I also know it will be tough against a high flying Kyler Murry lead offense, however Texas also has the receiver core in Lil Jordan Humphrey and Collin Johnson. With the arm and legs of Sam Ehlinger and a Texas secondary that is lead by Kris Boyd and Caden Sterns the Horns need only stay within a score to catch the Sooners. In fact I’ll bet that the last team with the ball will win.”

The Arlington kick off at is at 11 a.m. Central on ABC.

TEXAS vs. USC – ROUND II

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL, TEXAS SPORTS, UT FOOTBALL.

Texas fought valiantly but fell short in a 27-24 (2OT) loss to No. 4 USC at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA on Sept. 16. Head coach Tom Herman said he doesn’t believe in moral victories, but there are positives to take from the Longhorns going on the road and almost beating the highly-ranked Trojans.
The defense played lights out. No, they couldn’t seal the deal when USC was down by three with the ball at its own 35 and 39 second left, but this game never would’ve got to that point if it wasn’t for a phenomenal effort by the unit as a whole. USC running backs Roland Jones II and Stephen Carr managed only 75 yards on 27 carries (2.8 avg.) after going for 235 yards on 34 carries (6.9) the week before against a Stanford defense that has long had a reputation as one of the best run-stuffing units in the country. 
The Longhorns did a great job at plugging gaps and setting the edge, making it impossible for the Trojans to establish a ground game and leaving their offense completely one-dimensional. Todd Orlando’s crew stepped up with three 4th down stops, including a 4th & inches at the goal line, and even scored a defensive touchdown when junior Dashon Elliot intercepted a tipped pass and took it to the house. Linebackers Malik Jefferson and Anthony Wheeler combined for 23 tackles and 5.5 for a loss.
Sophomore wide receiver Collin Johnson showed up in a big way. The 6-foot-6 California-native repeatedly made big plays and ended up with seven grabs for 191 yards. On Texas’s first offensive snap, Johnson shoved down the cornerback giving him press coverage and hauled in a pass down the right sideline for a 48-yard gain. He also made a spectacular catch late in the first half by going practically through the cornerback to catch a ball thrown behind him.
There was also a diving grab for 24 yards early in the third quarter to help set up Texas’s lone field goal, and 47-yarder on the Longhorn’s final drive of regulation that led to the go-ahead touchdown. Johnson accounted for more than half of UT’s total yardage, and for parts of the game was all Texas had going on offense.
There was one big negative, however, that could have giant ramifications on the rest of the season. That was the injury to junior left tackle Connor Williams, who reportedly tore his meniscus and will be out for a significant amount of time. Williams was a preseason All-American who many scouts had already tabbed as a top-10 NFL draft pick. Without him in the lineup, it’s going to me much harder for Texas to get the pass protection and run blocking it needs to keep up in high-scoring Big 12.

Should the Big 12 be concerned about the Longhorns?

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in TEXAS SPORTS, UT FOOTBALL.

Should the Big 12 be concerned about the Longhorns

By Hunter Cooke

The Texas Longhorns just put on a show and a half against USC.

No one in the nation outside of the most brutal homers thought the ‘Horns could pull off the victory, and they took the Trojans, who are still ranked in the top 5.

So, the Longhorns had an embarrassing opening loss, a solid blowout win, and looked much improved in another loss. The question remains — what should the Big 12 at large make of this resurgent Longhorn team?

 

The answer isn’t easy, and it’s multifaceted. Yes, the Longhorns looked improved, but they’re not back on top yet, not by a longshot. However, the rest of the Big 12 isn’t exactly dominant, in fact, most of them look extremely vulnerable.

 

Baylor still hasn’t won a game yet, and will probably lose to Oklahoma. Kansas is doing normal Kansas things. Iowa State looks improved, but is still at the bottom. Texas Tech has found a defense somehow, but it’s still not a great one, and might not even be a good one. Kansas State is looking vulnerable after a loss to Vanderbilt. Oklahoma State still has yet to play anyone, TCU struggled a tad against SMU, only Oklahoma has proven themselves as dominant in this conference so far.

 

Texas will have their shot to beat all of those teams and more. It’s all about how many of these shots they can pull off. If their defense plays like it did against the Trojans, this is easily a team that can win a bowl game, if not make some serious waves in the Big 12. Texas isn’t completely and totally back, and it might not ever be back to the level it was from 2005-2010.

 

They’ll still win some games, though. Should the Big 12 be worried? Some teams should. Should Texas celebrate finally having a team that can compete with anyone? Yes, absolutely.