(09-06-2015 10:13 AM)owl40 Wrote:  As most of us have been saying for the last six-months, this is not a good Texas team. I was shaking my head with all the '8 or 9' wins, upset Oklahoma, TCU, or Baylor talk, ready to be back on national stage, etc. I think this team will be pretty good by November and may get to 6 or 7 wins. But there has never been a better time to play Texas. Seems like we always get bad luck on these high profile games scheduled years in advance when the high profile team is really good by the time we get them. Not this time, especially we also for first time in recent memory, got a warm-up cupcake game to prepare and shake off the rust. There should be no reason for anyone to think that a W is just wishful thinking. They will be underestimating us.

We knew the Horns were...

a) Better to play earlier in year. They will improve
b) They have issues at QB. We are a completely different team depending upon quality of opposing team QB play.
c) Lots of Frosh playing so great talent but also will see Frosh mistakes, blown coverages, routes, etc.


But what we saw last night

a) Very weak up-front (esp on O-Line). Granted we are not Notre Dame up-front, but for first time in recent memory, should not lose to Horns in the trenches and get pushed around
b) Team does not have the swagger of years past
c) DB's were weak; lots of holes in the secondary.
d) Play calling and schemes were off (esp Watson at OC); Players did not make plays but coaches did not have them in right positions to make plays.

What I hope to see.

a) DB and Edmondson open up the playbook. Don't keep it for the Conference. This is the game to throw everything at them. You have a 5th year QB who knows it all, is finally healthy, and plenty of experience around him. Pull-out all the stops to get some blown coverages, over pursuit, etc.
b) Blitz, blitz, blitz. Their QB's are not accurate or great arms. Don't put our young guys back deep in zone to cover their speed and give either QB time to throw. Force their QB's to be the ones who beat us with making plays.
c) Protect the football. We are pretty good here but turnovers will be difference maker on both sides.
d) TE's get involved.
e) I know some saw passing game as not strong against Wagner, but let's open it up and take some shots. We don't have to play ball control b/c we are worried about opposing high octane offense getting on the field for big plays on our D.
f) Get on them early. This is a Horns team (and fans) who could lay down if they get down to Rice early.

Never been a better time for the long awaited 'signature win'...

I agree almost entirely with your "hope to see". I do think UT's strengths on defense is their ability to stuff the run and pass rush. Consequently, I'd go with a very aggressive and varied short passing game, and run everything off the option rollout. The game plan has to be to aggressively attack-- on both sides of the ball. I'm most concerned about UT's ability to burn on their kick/punt return game.

Can solve the kickoff return problem if we can force touchbacks. Not sure if we have the legs this year, but heard from players that kickers last year were often told not to kick it through the end zone. Any idea why that might be?

http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/...ok-week-1/

Reue and Parks are cleared to play Saturday. No word on Davis yet.

(09-06-2015 02:03 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  For news and entertainment purposes only, Texas opens as a 15 point favorite.

Five of that is the name on their jersey.
Five of that is the name on our jersey.
So the real spread should be about five.

(09-07-2015 03:10 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  

(09-06-2015 02:03 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  For news and entertainment purposes only, Texas opens as a 15 point favorite.

Five of that is the name on their jersey.
Five of that is the name on our jersey.
So the real spread should be about five.

From the front page of the Sports section in today's Austin American-Statesman:

Quote:If Longhorns fans thought Saturday night was bad, here’s the truth: Texas could absolutely lose to Rice.

http://www.hookem.com/story/texas-comes-...e-debacle/

Strong presser.

http://www.texassports.com/news/2015/9/7...50801.aspx

Takeaways

- Gray will get more touches against us. Goal this week is 'to move the chains'
-'Rice can move the ball. We need to find places to exploit their D'
- Heard will likely play more given OL protection issues (able to run)
- Very odd how much time spent on how he (vs. his coordinators) make decisions, how decisions get made, etc. Could never see DB doing that at a presser. Did not see him with much support for his staff. If I was working for him, definitely don't see him having my back
- Two big DT's (Tank Jackson and Ridgeway) are not 100% and yet in game shape. Good for our OL.
- Seem committed to up-tempo offense; too many three-and-outs last week to get it rolling.


My speculation is game plan is to try to dominate us by running ball (horizontally and vertically) to get our DB's up on run support. Then try to exploit big plays over-the-top.

So is this really a poor coaching job or was the cupboard left bare?

(09-07-2015 02:58 PM)NYNightOwl Wrote:  Can solve the kickoff return problem if we can force touchbacks. Not sure if we have the legs this year, but heard from players that kickers last year were often told not to kick it through the end zone. Any idea why that might be?

Pure speculation on my part, but sometimes you need to give the other side a chance to make a mistake. Let the receiving player field the ball 3-7 yards deep in the EZ and maybe he tries to bring it out when he shouldn't. It that is it, then it is a bit of a gamble on the part of our supposedly play it safe coach.

(09-07-2015 03:10 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  

(09-06-2015 02:03 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  For news and entertainment purposes only, Texas opens as a 15 point favorite.

Five of that is the name on their jersey.
Five of that is the name on our jersey.
So the real spread should be about five.

other 5 is playing in Austin

Obviously Strong is on the hot seat but I suspect it is a hot "bench" and Patterson is sitting next to Charlie/Chuck.

(09-07-2015 05:30 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  So is this really a poor coaching job or was the cupboard left bare?

Both. Mack Brown got too much into the habit of recruiting kids too early that were deemed 4 or 5 star guys as sophomores in high school. Those kids didn't pan out, clearly. I'm not sure Strong is the answer, but we'll see. They will be plenty motivated for this game though and I think they will take us very seriously, IMO. Losing to 11th ranked Notre Dame on the road is one thing; losing to Rice at home is an entirely different can of worms that I don't think anyone on that team wants to open.

(09-06-2015 11:52 AM)owl40 Wrote:  Won't speak for others, but when I say 'open the playbook', I think of all the wrinkles off zone read, speed option, bubble screen, Wild Owl, and other 'vanilla' plays we run over-and-over. I've seen it before (but rarely) do you see us go speed option into a dropback, bubble screen fake and then into another route, etc. We also set-up new plays from being under center that I imagine have similar wrinkles.
Not thinking 'triple reverse' and things that are gimmicks but rather natural extensions off the existing playbook that get set-up by vanilla plays. That is what Texas will be preparing for. For example, I remember Bob having a great game against Marshall in C-USA championship game as we opened up the playbook off the Wild Owl. Another example would be if they see speed option all week in practice, then natural to see DJ step back to pass once starting the motion of the play and hit an open TE across the middle as frosh safety comes up for run support as that is what he practiced all week.
Point being...keep true to who you are but if you have the wrinkles off your core offensive philosophies, this is the week to use them. Don't keep a wrinkle a secret and save it b/c you are worried that La Tech or WKU will have it on film and be prepared for it. You are playing against an inexperienced team that will be overly aggressive in pursuit of the shutting down the vanilla plays. Exploit that vulnerability vs. keep running the vanilla plays.

On that basis, I tend to agree. But then again, I think that should be the approach every week. As far as showing WKU or La Tech anything, so what; everything we show them is something they have to use preparation and practice time preparing for, and that means less time preparing for our bread and butter.

I do think there are those on here who wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than triple reverse passes, and probably wouldn't even recognize the kinds of subtle things you are talking about here.

Have we ever beat Texas in Austin? Not in my lifetime. I would guess in the 50's or early 60s was the last time?

(09-07-2015 09:11 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(09-06-2015 11:52 AM)owl40 Wrote:  Won't speak for others, but when I say 'open the playbook', I think of all the wrinkles off zone read, speed option, bubble screen, Wild Owl, and other 'vanilla' plays we run over-and-over. I've seen it before (but rarely) do you see us go speed option into a dropback, bubble screen fake and then into another route, etc. We also set-up new plays from being under center that I imagine have similar wrinkles.
Not thinking 'triple reverse' and things that are gimmicks but rather natural extensions off the existing playbook that get set-up by vanilla plays. That is what Texas will be preparing for. For example, I remember Bob having a great game against Marshall in C-USA championship game as we opened up the playbook off the Wild Owl. Another example would be if they see speed option all week in practice, then natural to see DJ step back to pass once starting the motion of the play and hit an open TE across the middle as frosh safety comes up for run support as that is what he practiced all week.
Point being...keep true to who you are but if you have the wrinkles off your core offensive philosophies, this is the week to use them. Don't keep a wrinkle a secret and save it b/c you are worried that La Tech or WKU will have it on film and be prepared for it. You are playing against an inexperienced team that will be overly aggressive in pursuit of the shutting down the vanilla plays. Exploit that vulnerability vs. keep running the vanilla plays.

On that basis, I tend to agree. But then again, I think that should be the approach every week. As far as showing WKU or La Tech anything, so what; everything we show them is something they have to use preparation and practice time preparing for, and that means less time preparing for our bread and butter.

I do think there are those on here who wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than triple reverse passes, and probably wouldn't even recognize the kinds of subtle things you are talking about here.

(09-07-2015 10:47 PM)OldOwl Wrote:  Have we ever beat Texas in Austin? Not in my lifetime. I would guess in the 50's or early 60s was the last time?

10-23-1965
10-24-1953

(09-07-2015 10:51 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  

(09-07-2015 10:47 PM)OldOwl Wrote:  Have we ever beat Texas in Austin? Not in my lifetime. I would guess in the 50's or early 60s was the last time?

10-23-1965
10-24-1953

Nobody, absolutely nobody, keepersRice from winning at their place for 50 years. Go Owls ( and if you count the win in 1989 it's only 26 years now)

I was just looking up the weather back in 1994, and found this stat recap of the game that year (on the UT athletics web site). Apparently, they erase many memories from their system as the stats list no Rice individual results - everything is TEAM outside of the scoring recap.

http://stats.texassports.com/sports/m-fo...utrice.htm

Interrupting the "signature win" circle jerk on the prediction thread to bring some relevant news for the game...Jay Norvell (WR coach and former OU offensive coordinator), will be calling the plays for UT as of now. Shawn Watson will concentrate on the QBs. Not sure what this means overall.

https://twitter.com/max_olson/status/641398302412566528

(09-08-2015 07:03 PM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  Interrupting the "signature win" circle jerk on the prediction thread to bring some relevant news for the game...Jay Norvell (WR coach and former OU offensive coordinator), will be calling the plays for UT as of now. Shawn Watson will concentrate on the QBs. Not sure what this means overall.

https://twitter.com/max_olson/status/641398302412566528

means we are not now sure what to expect offensively, but I'd guess a very healthy dose of Gray to start with. It also means Strong is really feeling the heat

What I'd expect...

- More Gray
- More Heard
- More mix of pass set-up by run
- Run will be downhill and on edges.
- More deep shots w/ their WR's to beat our young secondary deep on play action
- More boo birds when we get a three-and-out