I know that TH...

Likes Sam and respects Sam's toughness and gamesmanship but that was a big mistake to put Sam back in there. Sam was already hurt and tired and playing at about 60 % and that's being generous. Shane had fresh legs and should have stayed in. Shane had just run 7 yards for a first down. Yes on the next play Shane took a first down sack(because the DE came from deep behind Shane-no way to see him with peripheral vision). No QB could have escaped that(unless it's Mayfield and our DE). It's like TH can't think outside the box in real game time decisions (after all he uses that d**n binder). But it was easy to see Sam was dog-tired. May have been a different outcome or maybe not but at least Shane was at 100%. I guarantee you a 100% Shane is better than a 60% Sam.

 

I would have put Sam back in too. Tired or not he's a gamer who just didn't get it done, but I wouldn't lay it all on his shoulders.

 

That game was not lost due to Sam's inability to get the job done.
The DBs got TORCHED by OU all game. Good thing we have a very good class of DBs coming in 2018.

 

Seriously if we're going to be blaming people/units, QB play would rank near the very bottom of the list (right around the punter/kicker area).

These old farts sitting behind me in the middle of the 1st quarter were saying "they need to put Buechelle in."

That's the mind of a casual fan: that nothing else matters and that everything bad going on goes to QB play.

Ehlinger wasn't the one getting beat in the passing game when the defense was on the field
For that matter, he wasn't a member of the left side of the interior that got its **** pushed in when OU decided to run the ball
He's not one of the UT WR's that repeatedly failed to create separation in the early goings of a route and/or failed to keep the route going if the play broke down and, instead, opted to set it down against man coverage
He's not the LT that repeatedly allowed OU's RE's to get a quick edge rush
He's not the rest of the OL that failed to get a push against the interior on called runs to the RB's

He's not any of those things, yet in the mind of a casual fan, he was the problem. Even after he was battered, beaten and having to have sat out a series, he was perhaps the only prayer Texas had of winning the game. When Buechelle went in there, he took a very idiotic sack on a play where he just sat there with the ball. That's what separates those 2: Ehlinger has a level of field/rush awareness that Shane does not. When you have a patch-work OL, your QB absolutely has to have that. He has to have it even with a good OL, but especially with this one.

 

I didn't say it was Sam's fault we lost the game because obviously football is a team sport I am saying that Sam should have bowed out because he was he was not at 100% he didn't have his head with the example of throwing the ball out of bounds on 4th Down he was too tired and hurt but you know the pride of football players they're not going to bow out so the coach needs to make a decision to take out a player and put in a player that would be in a a better position to win the game. Sam at the end of the game was not the same Sam that made those great plays to get us back into contention. He was drained and hurt. The coach needs to see that and keep Shane in. I like Sam's gamesmanship also but the coach has to be smart here. But our coach makes a lot of weird decisions anyway.

 

You talk like Sam never has taken a sack. You are obviously wrong about that and Sam would not have gotten away from that sack he was too tired and groggy. Even the best NFL QBs will be blindsided for a sack. How bout taking off your Sam glasses.

 

I said nor believe such things and I’m not sure where you got that.

 

With this offensive line (pun intended), Sam is the better option.

 

I too would have put Sam back in there... we could argue % of a 100% he was. Shane had a bad ankle and I watched his footwork on the run and it was clear to me he was favoring it.

The O problem was inability of RT & LT to pass block and WR to get open. Granted some of that was a result of good D and some by his not throwing early enough.

The DB's coverage and mental mistakes were absolutely ghastly - ou exploited them. Even using same crossing pattern twice for a big play and a TD... or it may have been 2 TD's - can't remember now.

I'm still sickened today the Horns let a winnable game get away.

 

HPS is right about casual UT fan ignorance! (Im galled sometimes by it). Especially about Sam in this case and QB in general. Sam was the right guy to have in there vs a physical team like ou. He was moving the ball despite the fact the Horns have no real running game, OL was not blocking well and WRs not getting open.

On top of that the casual fans probably didnt know Shane had a gimpy ankle.

 

I thought the original point was intended to say that Sam might have had a concussion yet was allowed to return. The 4th down out of bounds throw was possible evidence of that. Watching on tv it looked like he hit his head and elbow hard on the turf. I recall thinking (posting?) how it looked bad.

Unrelated to all of that I believe Shane should have taken the huge hole that opened on the left side before the sack. It seemed like a big opportunity that turned into possibly the final dagger though as the shoot from the hip Barking Carnival analysis pointed out, we missed being in bounds on two pass plays at the end by a combined total of three inches. If not that close it seemed that way.

 

I love Shane and was truly neutral with respect to the QB selection decision two weeks ago. Not anymore. The separation coaches look for revealed itself in the last two games. Shane is actually a very good QB but Sam has the magic touch.

If healthy, Ehlinger has to be our QB going forward. Mark my words, he will have this program in the playoffs by 2019, if not 2018,

 

Injuries are a factor during any season. Issue in 2018 will be Texas still with a sophomore starting QB backed up by 2 freshmen (Shane has the ability to start for the majority of the Power 5 schools so why hang around Austin).

 

Shane, and this goes for most D1 QBs, cannot be effective with our pourous OL. Sam is our only hope with this OL. I just hope we do not ruin him the way we ruined GG.

 

I don't think Shane is going anywhere. He probably welcomes the competition and he understands that, unfortunately and in all likelihood, he will be needed at times.

It seems like almost every time a kid gives up because of a depth chart issue, it turns out to be a mistake. Jean Delance comes to mind but there have been others. Who knows, Delance might have been starting now if he had stayed.

 

Am I the only one who thought Sam was knocked out when he got hurt? On TV, he was not moving for several seconds and I was sure he suffered a concussion. Was totally surprised he returned to the game.

 

You're just plain wrong to make those claims. You don't know what he was or what %age he was playing at. It's completely based on gut than actual facts.

 

I think most people are missing the point on this thread yes at the beginning of a game sam would be the best option to go and he would move the ball much better than Shane would but I'm talking about at the end of this game Sam was hurt and tired and it should have been Shane finishing the game because he's a hundred percent fresh and the coach made a mistake by not playing Shane. so I agree with everyone that Sam is our starting quarterback but I'm saying Shane should have finished this game. He would have given us the best chance to win.

 

All day long.

 

Major props to Shane for a great job yesterday. He looked like he was having trouble walking with that brace, yet he ran the ball and played admirably.

 

No. I thought the same thing.

But I believe the coaches and Sam, although some believe he throwing the ball away on 4th down is proof he was concussed.

 

I also thought he got knocked out for a second. I was at the game and had a clear view of him on the sideline. He looked completely motionless. I wasn't sure and then on the LHN wrap up show they actually said he was "knocked out". I don't know if they just chose bad phrasing meaning he had to sit out a few plays, or if they meant literally knocked unconscious.

If it's the latter I think that was a completely irresponsible decision to put him back into the game, and I don't at all mean in terms of the outcome and his ability to make decisions. I'm sure David Ash would agree.

I hope that I just misunderstood and that Tom Herman wouldn't risk the health of any of our guys like that.

 

On the 104.9 after game show with Rod Babers someone called in really agitated about it. He said Sam wouldn't see the NFL if this is how they're going to manage him.

 

The only time Shane should play during the next few years is if Sam cannot walk or crawl. You must have the "it" factor to play QB. Sam has it, Shane does not. Shane's inability to feel pocket pressure is his achillies heel.

Also, this game was lost on 3 plays: (1) OU's first TD. At worst the defender should simply tackle the receiver for a 15 yard penalty (2) Dropped interception by Hager (3) OU's last TD. Busted coverage. These three plays equated to 17 points for OU.

 

How many points did OU's three critical penalties cost them and give us? If they don't commit those three, how deep would the hole have been? We don't know, and OU is known for that.

Then there is the matter of not reading the defense, when there was an offensive mismatch, that should have resulted in a TD.

Sorry, Baker, until we learn to block, read the D, and find the opening in the secondary and come back to our QB, a couple of plays won't decide any game except maybe Kansas.

 

Throwing the ball out of bounds on 4th down at the end of the game makes no sense WHATSOEVER. The ball must be thrown beyond the first down markers to give our tall receivers a shot to make a play.

That decision shows Sam was not himself at the end.

 

#4 a better throw to Duvernay would surely have been a td and would have changed the complexion of the game.
Shane has the QB mindset of being a thrower of the ball so he has a tendency to look for a receiver to come open-which doesn't happen consistently. So he doesn't think about leaving the pocket as quickly as Sam. He wants to make a good play with his arm. Sam's mindset is I am going to move the chains even if I have to sacrifice my body. With our porous line (and/or some good scheming by the DC) Shane needs to think about running earlier but I can't blame him for thinking like a true QB and wanting to throw the ball. So Sam looks better because he trusts his legs first and he is a threat to throw, not as good as Shane, but adequately enough( except for the throw to Duvernay which if thrown by Shane would have been a touchdown). So Sam is better for our offense because of our weak o-line. But if we had a good offensive line Shane would tear defenses apart. So to say Shane does not have the "it" is selling him short. And let's not forget that Shane can run for first downs also. Looks like you forgot how well Shane did last year and that with a line not so good either.
I will say it again Sam was spent and groggy, Th should have recognized that and let a fresh Shane finish the game.

 

Agree. Thats why I never said it did.

Not trying to change your mind that he throwing the ball away in that situation proves he was concussed. I don't believe he had a concussion and then the coaches selfishly put him back in without regard to his health and well being, but respect other's opinion to the opposite.

I was mad too when he threw it away on 4th down, but thats what you get sometimes with freshman quarterbacks. Some will chalk that up to a concussion, I chalk that up to what Sam said, Herman said, and Sam being a fish.

But I'm not mad if you disagree, so won't go all off with capitalizations.

 

I wasn't mad, just trying to put emphasis on the word. Should have done that another way. I really wasn't mad at Sam at all. I do think he was still shaken up, and not fully himself. Concussions are very weird. In addition to immediate symptoms of being "a little woozy," there can be a post event symptoms that occur hours, or even days afterword.

The team should give every precaution to protecting Sam. With his mentality of a linebacker (or fullback) he is going to go head first into contact, which is great to watch, but not great for his health.

I think Sam needs to be protected by the coaches. Don't call his number so much. Otherwise, I fear his career here will be shortened by injury. He is not a Vince like runner who can make yardage and then slide away to avoid the direct.

At the time I was glad Sam went back in. After reviewing the last plays, I think Sam was still shaken, not himself. It's a very difficult real time decision.

 

The idea of pulling a QB because he's tired is unbelievable...
As for hurt, he hit the ground hard, he came out a couple of plays and he came back in. You're reading a whole lot more into it than you should. If we start benching QBs for the remainder of the game because they looked tired and just took a hard hit, you're going to be playing walkons in two weeks.