Horns-Raiders Game Thread

[Sangre Naranjada]

As I have said before, we are still a team full of Mr. Almosts.

Of all the simple summaries out there, yours is pretty good, Phil.

 

[Run Pincher]

As I have said before, we are still a team full of Mr. Almosts.

We're National Champs of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.

 

[Creek]

Texas was too relaxed and played with little energy or immediacy. This is all about total effort vs going through the motions.
The team was flat. They looked like they were on cruise control. Like they were saving themselves.
Not scrapping to get off blocks, or busting it to make blocks.
Tech hung around and recaptured momentum. If we put 80% of the effort we had at Bama then we win easily.
Tech was hungry and played near their max.

 

[Phil Elliott]

Of all the simple summaries out there, yours is pretty good, Phil.

I like this one as well:

If every player had Roschon’s attitude and desire man what a team this would be.

 

[Your Wrong]

I like this one as well:

What about if they had RoJo’s want to, Worthy’s speed/quickness and Banks size?

That’d be a helluva team.

 

[SabreHorn]

Wrong,

Coaches can't coach "size" (although Osborne tried). They can coach some speed, but not 5.6 into 4.5.

What coaches can coach is desire and hunger.

 

[Chinstrap]

I forced myself to rewatch the game. Where on earth does Sark’s play calling go after half time?!? I really need an answer here. I want to see him play a full competitive game with Ewers. But my gosh. He was picking Tech apart first half. Looked like he had them perfectly scouted. Where were the RPO slants to Whittington in second half? Passes to backs on swings or wheels. Crossing routes and seems to Sanders? It’s a total team loss. O-line run blocking is bad and our backs deserve much better. Pass blocking is good enough, not great but enough. Card had pockets to throw in and step up into much of the game. There is no pass rush. None. And even when extra pressure gets home, we slip or run into own guy or something. Unless PK adjusts fast, teams are going to dink and dunk our zone and then hit us in RPOs over the middle for forever. The weakness of this defense is 3rd down. There’s some black magic or something. And 4th down. I just can’t. No complimentary football. Sark has to keep offense moving in second half to keep defense off field. Total fail. No turnovers. Against a turnover happy QB. And then Bijan fumbles. Cream on top. Let’s see if Ewers and Xavier are back, but this was a game that would’ve built on momentum and given Texas breathing room later on in schedule. Much less room for error. And now, when you loose a game in exact same fashion as worst ones of last year, this allows doubt to creep back in. Bert Auburn is that dude tho. I’ve water in the veins. Do we see more 4th madness from other OC’s on the schedule?

"Where on earth does Sark’s play calling go after half time?!? I really need an answer here. I want to see him play a full competitive game with Ewers. But my gosh. He was picking Tech apart first half. Looked like he had them perfectly scouted. Where were the RPO slants to Whittington in second half? Passes to backs on swings or wheels. Crossing routes and seems to Sanders?"

And too many sideline patterns where there was no separation and incompletions. Same thing seemed to happen too often last year as to changes in play selection. Yet their tight end wore Texas out. I am beginning to wonder if Sark might be like some of our previous coaches who got a lead and then went into their shell. I hope not. It seems to me that the play selection in the second half and the overpowering of their line on the Texas defense on critical downs was the difference in the game. They just pushed the front seven around.

Not sure who Texas will beat going forward because there is a lot of parity in this conference and too many "three and outs" will not get it done with this defense. The offense must help the defense by getting first downs. Sound familiar? I have not watched the replay and don't know the stats, but this is how it seemed have been.

 

[nashhorn]

Ok approx 4:25 left in game Overshown blitz gets to qb and he goes for feet. You convince me he wouldn’t have blasted him straight on if not for his previous penalty? Don’t believe it.

 

[RainH2burntO]

Texas was too relaxed and played with little energy or immediacy. This is all about total effort vs going through the motions.
The team was flat. They looked like they were on cruise control. Like they were saving themselves.
Not scrapping to get off blocks, or busting it to make blocks.
Tech hung around and recaptured momentum. If we put 80% of the effort we had at Bama then we win easily.
Tech was hungry and played near their max.

I've thought this before, and again, You and I watch football pretty similarly, Creek.
This^^^^^^ is precisely what my eyes saw

 

[Duck Dodgers]

The Tech loss is second only to last year's OU collapse in terms of devastation. The other losses last year, after the Arky blowout and the OU debacle, you could wave away as first year issues, from a failed season.

This year was supposed to be different. I said before the Alabama game - no moral victories. Either win or it's a failed opportunity. Yet I too fell into the hype about it being close, and Texas' starting QB being knocked out.

That was rubbish. The Alabama game was yet another step backwards, with Tech being further retreat.

At this point, Sark has won a total of 7 games at Texas - 4 of which were either hired teams or Rice who does a home and away instead. 3 victories against teams you didn't have to bribe to show up. And no real reason to think that anything is better coming up. Tech was one of the weaker teams in conference, and most the remaining games are against teams that are better than they are.

Sark is staring to approach the Charlie Strong Experience in terms of game futility. It needs to change quickly, or it won't this year, or next. You don't go sub-500 1.5 seasons in, then turn things around and start winning conference championships.

People like to trot out Saban's initial 6-6 record at Alabama - but in season two he went I think 11-1, and played for the conference championship. Not on the path to do that at Texas from what's been shown so far.

 

[nashhorn]

There is a reason opposing qbs over and over again look like Heisman candidates the week they play us, and it’s not because of the play of our qbs.