I have always considered the 2004 Arkansas game the start of something special. The 22-20 Texas victory over an unranked Razorback team was considered a disappointment by many. To those who witnessed the insanely hostile environment, however, it was the unveiling of a tougher Texas team than we had seen before under Mack. For the first time under Mack, we had new defensive leadership under Greg Robinson. Aside from a trick play for a touchdown, the defense largely held Matt Jones and the Arkansas offense in check, yielding only a field goal in the second half. Meanwhile, under the blossoming Vince Young, the offense controlled the clock, the highlight being a long 3rd-quarter drive that ended with Vince's spectacular, spinning escape from several Hog lineman, finally finding Cedric Benson on a dumpoff for a touchdown. The defense saved the day in the 4th quarter, with two interceptions and a critical strip of Matt Jones by Larry Dibbles. This really seemed like a Texas team that simply refused to lose. You could see it on the sideline and by the way the players fought on the field. We would see a similar performance in a hostile environment - and practically the same score - the next year in Columbus. People who had labeled Texas soft or lacking in heart were having to change their tunes as Texas finished with their first BCS win in 2004 and then the national championship in 2005. This was a new Texas under Mack. Counting the 2004 opener against North Texas, we are now 64-8 since the beginning of 2004. Only USC, at 65-8, can claim the same or better. It remains to be seen whether we have earned the label "Team of the Decade," but you can be rest assured that over the past six seasons we have definitely told the rest of the nation, "Don't mess with Texas!"
Boy I remember being very nervous for that game. I was ecstatic when we pulled that one out...especially after the debacle in Austin where Matt Jones could do no wrong. For me, the turning point was later on that year during the OK St. game. On the drive right before halftime, I knew that we could pull it out. After that game...I was a believer.
Texanne, that was funny ****! Remember the 04 game very well vs Arky. Thank god for Nutt calling one more pass play, and thank baby jesus that Larry Dibbles got his paws on that ball to cause the fumble. The OP might be right, but I think that team actually hit rock bottom after a lousy win vs Mizzou which came after a shutout loss to OU...VY and the zone read became the offense, the rest is history.
I have always thought the '04 Ark game was good prep for our viist to Columbus a year later. Arkansas was certainly not the quality of team that tOSU was that year, but it was an early season night game in a very hostile environment.
We should have lost that 04' Arkansas game. If they'd have just taken a knee do take time off the clock and kicked a field goal they'd have won. We weren't really able to score much in that game. I think we got extremely lucky.
That was the game when the Arkansas player on national tv clearly tried to twist Vince's foote. Of course Arkansas or the NCAA did nothing about it. Fortunately no thanks to the Arkansas player no damage was done to Vince.
The turning moment I knew we had something special was 4th and 18 at Kansas. "Oh ****!! He's ******* running for it!!???" "Nice....."
While Goose is right that we got lucky in the Hills, I recall someone saying to Switzer years and years ago after another win in Lincoln that OU had been lucky. BS replied "you know what? Only great teams get lucky. Cause the Iowa States of this world never seem to catch a break". He was right.
the "let vince be vince" talk after the '04 mizzou game was the true turning point of this program. we came out the next game and tore texas tech a new one and have never looked back since, going 59-7. while i think the initial burst in confidence/swagger/toughness that started from that moment was pretty much all vince young, to mack brown's great credit, he didn't let it die when vince went pro. we still have a confidence and toughness to this day that we didn't have before that mizzou game. and while it helped that our next qb just happened to be a badass as well, not letting vince essentially be the end all and be all of the mack brown era was a tough challenge, especially from an attitude perspective, and mack has certainly met it.
HornBud I remember that play well. I said the same thing "Oh No, he's ******* running ...............no.....No.......NO..............yes.......Yes.........YEEEEEEES! "
The friend I was there with and I noticed that before the game the Arky players were jumping up and down on the sidelines, chanting and doing the Horns Down. Our guys, hey, they are Texas so they just strutted around like they were entitled to something. After the umpteenth long 3rd down conversion by Matt Jones as he was falling or going out of bounds, after great receptions by their WR's he turned to me and said, "Man, this reminds me of Miami". My heart sank.
Man, I miss that guy (the guy in Hu's sig). I hope he did not die in battle, get put in jail or executed later on. I don't know what happened but I wish they would let him over here and give him a TV show. It would be allsome.
Mack, Pete, and Stoops have each had very dominant periods during this decade. However each of those periods pales compared to what we had seen at FSU under Bowden. FSU under Bowden from 1987 to 2000: 152-19 Seven 1 loss seasons 1 undefeated season 109-13 in the 1990s Right now UT is on a great 6 year streak. It resembles Nebraska's 5 year dominance from 93-97 (thought now quite as good as Nebraska had 3 undefeated seasons). I would like Texas to rip off a run like Bowden had. Bowden had only 13 losses in the 90s. Mack has 15 losses since 01 already so that is going to happen going back to that point. However if start at 04 and going forward, and Mack goes undefeated this year, then he can only lose 5 games over the next 4 seasons to equal the # of losses the Bowden had in his best 10 year stretch.
Those Bowden years were particularly impressive because I think they won like 10 straight bowls, all high powered ones. It was a wonder they did not win more MNC's. Wide left and wide-right had a lot to do with that.
On 4th and 18 I was already saying to myself "You know, it actually wouldn't surprise me one bit if he actually ran for the 1st down" - the thing was, it didn't look like he'd gone nearly 18 yards, so when he ran out of bounds I almost got really pissed and then I saw the first down marker was behind him and I just thought "But how in the world .... ?"
