Horns-Utes Alamo Bowl Game Thread

So what are we doing with Naviar now?

 

That is up to Ash, he runs the defense and will put in place all the assistants.

I want to point something out.

Remember back in 2015 when we started Jerrod Heard against feCal. He had 527 yards of total offense. One of the best offensive performances in the history of Texas football. We all thought after the game we have the next Vince Young.

Anyone remember what happened after that game?

Teams began to prepare for him and he was no longer effective. By the TCU game he was 8-20 passing for 48 yards and had 51 yards rushing.

Sometimes something new can catch a team off guard, and give the illusion of being the answer when it fact is was nothing but smoke and mirrors.

I love what our defense did, but I think I would need more evidence than a single game to think that Craig Naivar should be our DC. Sadly, we don't have it. I hope he lands in a good spot and proves himself. Just not against us.

Also I want to point out that outside of Rice, I'm pretty sure Utah was the worst passing team we faced all year.

 

Good post, Bill.
This brings to mind a lengthy post I had a month or so ago on how important flexibility and adjustments are year to year, week to week, and in-game.
Belichek is a master at this. Dabo in college. Saban is good. To win consistently and beat quality teams, you have to do this continually, as you know I'm sure.

 

If interested, here is something from Ian Boyd on Ash and schemes
The schematic choices ahead for Chris Ash - Inside Texas

" .... Against Utah and their multi-TE formations, the Longhorns had a few measures for stuffing the Utes. The main issue was the perimeter, where Utah had zone-read keepers, outside zone plays, tight ends, and sweeps to utilize in order to command attention and create creases inside for RB Zack Moss. Inside, Texas had Keondre Coburn and Ta’Quon Graham, making those gaps a less appealing target if they could avoid getting swamped on the edge. Playing Ossai on the edge was helpful in avoiding that, as was a 3-4 package Texas created for this game in which Ossai played opposite Malcolm Roach in the other OLB spot. They owned either edge against Utah’s bigger sets.

Texas won’t face many teams in 2020 that try to attack them like the Utes did. However, there will be carry-over from the 2019 Alamo Bowl in that Ossai and the Texas DL will play a big role in setting the edge from four-down fronts. The next big question beyond that is how the Longhorns can play to their strengths up front in the overall defensive structure.

4-3 press quarters vs 4-2-5 press quarters

Up until now, Chris Ash has almost always run a 4-3 press quarters scheme. In limited talks with his new charges that have leaked out we’ve heard the phrase “4-2-5 press quarters.” I don’t know precisely what Ash means by that but I do know what tends to differentiate these two schemes.

Ash’s 4-3 is built out of the “Under front” that plays the strongside DE and nose tackle to the wide side of the field with the middle linebacker and is designed to regularly receive help off the edge from a split out sam linebacker.

That doesn’t really work out so well in the Big 12 though. Playing a linebacker at sam, however mobile he might be, creates serious limitations when teams get into “trips” sets and he’s carried way outside of the box. If you don’t want him carrying verticals by slot receivers then you have to leave your backside cornerback in man coverage with very little help from the safety...."​

Lots more at the link

 

Amusingly, we still have both played for a national title more recently than Oklahoma, and won one more recently than Oklahoma.

Yeah, it's always a ******** excuse that only gets applied retroactively. We had plenty of reason to be bummed about the Fiesta Bowl after the 2008 season, and if Kirkendoll gets stopped a foot shorter on the 4th down play on the final drive and we lose, then people would be saying "Oh Texas just didn't want to be there". But then we won the game and nobody said that.

 

Interesting note: some Utah fan in our section, few rows down from us, screamed out “f*** the oil industry” during opening exercises, then Valero Sucks when the Sponser was mentioned. I found it odd but was too far away to question what his problem was. Guess he drove a Prius, which is fine I suppose but the verbal bitterness puzzled me.
Hookem - fun time in good old Alamo town.

 

Either a visitor or a transplant from somewhere west of the Rio Grande. Valero is midstream and downstream. Not the upstream E&P those guys hate. To shut them up just remind them that the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow. I could say more but then the discussion would be moved to the West Mall.

 

Well said....with that logic, we just need to win one of those pesky CCGs......

 

I'm guessing he was saying that to get a reaction from Texas fans (seeing as how the Utah Legislature and the people in that state tend to be friendly to the mineral extraction industry in general). It's kind of like me getting a reaction from my Iowa cousins whenever I remind them that ethanol is a useless taxpayer funded boondoggle that results in lower gas mileage and damage to engine components, etc. (and it never fails to get a reaction from them, LOL)

 

Yeah, interesting and weird. Perhaps they were over-served at the tailgate. Oh wait, if they were Mormons they don't consume.... anyway, if I was sitting close enough I would have yelled back: Hey pal, oil / fossil fuels got you, your fans and your team to the game.

 

"4-3 press quarters vs 4-2-5 press quarters"
​

I'm not too hung up on the nomenclature/numbering: 4-3 or 4-2-5. In this "4-2-5", with our personnel, you can bet it will be someone like BJ Foster or Overshown playing that 5th DB/nickelback position, and functioning sort-of like a Safety/LB hybrid. The right player in that position is fast enough to cover like a S and strong enough to tackle like an OLB. We have at least 2 of those guys I can think of (BJF and Overshown).

Make that 3: Owens, who might play it even better than BJF or Overshown by the time he's done on the 40. Owens may be too valuable at a "true" S position though.

 

In addition, Tom Herman is now 4-0 in Bowl Games:

Florida State - 2015
Missouri - 2017
Georgia - 2018
Utah - 2019 ​

*He did not coach in a bowl game in 2016

 

Works great for turbo engines, though. Still it has less energy density than petroleum fuels.

 

Ive seen some player quotes where the "4-2-5 press quarters" is in their vocabulary now.

 

After the Spring game I will take some time to examine our base defense to gain an opinion on it. It's hard to gain an opinion when I don't know how the red shirts fit into it on the back side. I'm going to be most curious as to how we use Ossai moving forward. To me there is Ossai, and then there is everyone else. He seems to be a step above the rest.

Looking at our defense, there is the possibility that our defense at this point next year will get killed by guys leaving early for the NFL Draft. I sure hope we have a incredible 2021 class because we are going to possibly need it. Just my best case scenario moving into next season. This is based on guys like Sterns, Foster, Coburn, and Ossai having the seasons I think they will have.

 

Problem with offenses and defenses in the spring ^^^^ (especially when installing new ones) is while the set might be shown, but the wrinkles will not. If Ash lines them up in a 3-3-5 or even a 3-2-6 don't make too much about that as he might be seeking player performance in almost realtime conditions.

 

Looking like that corporate financier now.

 

Now Time For The Cherry On Top:
Sterns, Keontay and Jamison.

 

My guess it was a reaction to opening federal land out west to drilling (constant battle). Or, there was a recent ballot initiative in CO to limit fracking (it failed). Depending on your point of view, not an outrageous position if you live out west.

 

The shark is going places. Already has the victory cigar down pat.

 

If Ash does his job and let our talented juniors play, we will have a killer defense with the downside of losing players this time next year. I take it.

 

A lot of California kids are attracted to Utah because of the skiing in the area. More than likely they Utah Alumni from California. U of Utah is a lot like Texas in that it is a much more liberal school in a very conservative state. U of Utah and Arizona State are very similar, both have huge Mormon populations and equally huge population of non-Mormon partiers. The non-Mormons tend to be much more liberal.

 

From Inside Texas

IT: Why did Cort Jaquess get the start? Funny question to lead with but he's been a big topic.
Source: That's probably the wrong question. Why did they wait so long to give him some live reps? He's always been one of the hardest workers in practice and one of the hardest hitters. How he runs down on kicks is how he practices every day. I'm sure part of it was a nod to him being from San Antonio but I bet Naivar had been wondering the same thing I was and finally got his chance to do something about it. Plus, that's the game to play Cort if you're ever going to. He still has two years left so it'll be interesting to see how the new linebacker coach views him. I wouldn't tell the new coach he's a former walk on.

IT: The linebackers seemed to play better in general.
Source: I'm convinced not playing Ossai on the line of scrimmage cost Orlando his job. Everything was made easier by that, including linebacker play. If your gap is filled, flow to the ball and that's it. Juwan and Dele played well too. UT always plays run-first teams well. But that should have been the defense all year.

IT: Playing Utah helped. Would that have worked versus OU?
Source: With Jalen Hurts at quarterback? That's the exact defense they should have been running.

Fridays in the Humidor - 1/3/20 - Inside Texas​

 

That is ALOT of love for an Alamo Bowl trophy. That trophy is saying, "Wow, I sure hope Texas wins me every year!"

 

That trophy is saying, "Wow, I sure hope Texas wins every game next year!"

Fixed it your you.