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What did the USC game teach us about Tom Herman’s Young team?

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

What did the USC game teach us about Tom Herman’s Young team?

By Hunter Cooke

 

Texas very nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season when they traveled to USC and lost to the Trojans in double overtime. With everything that went on, what did we learn about this Texas team?

They have a good situation at quarterback – Tom Herman has a good decision ahead of him. Does he start Sam Ehlinger, the young freshman who dazzled in California? Or, does he go with the veteran, Shane Buechele, who was solid for them last season?

It’s a good problem to have, even if he makes the wrong call he knows he has a quarterback that can fill in adequately. Herman just has to make sure he doesn’t platoon them, he’ll need to clearly define those roles, and know that he can change it if things go south.

 

Todd Orlando’s defense is for real – Orlando’s defense fought hard against Sam Darnold and the Trojans. They had some very impressive plays against USC, and it started with the resurgence of Malik Jefferson, the wunderkind linebacker.

 

Texas has long had the talent to compete on a national level, but that talent has finally metastasized into a team, something that has long been missing on the 40 Acres. Texas will still have to play Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph, so there’s a major chance that they can steal a few games here and there if this defense can keep the pace they’re on.

 

Collin Johnson can absolutely ball – Texas desperately needs to start force-feeding Johnson the ball, because he can do incredible things when he actually gets his hands on it. The sophomore is on track to have a breakout season, and there’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that he can do serious damage in the open field.

 

Give him the ball more, Tim Beck, and do it sooner rather than later.

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.