When you're going into the fall with QB the big question, how do you only let David Ash throw 6 or 7 times? Was Mack protecting his pysche or something? Mal Brown ran one time and seemed to pull something. Not good. DJ Monroe should have scored way more TDs in his career than he has.
Joe Bergeron is a MAN! It will be fun to watch him this season. The key will be to have enough offensive versatility so opposing defenses can't stack up and play the run. We will crush teams with poor athletes next season. Will we have the finesse to overcome the ones we can't pound into submission?
Did the sponsor of the spring game announce they were going to start carrying the Longhorn Network? Then why are we letting those worthless slimey azzholes plug their product? How much does DeLoss take for us lying our backs for that? How about we tell them to kiss our azzes and stay off our campus? I disconnected them last year and haven't missed a wink.
huisache, what is sort of funny yet sad is that in the concession area at the North side (for sushi, Starbucks and burgers) you cannot get the LHN. TWC provides that cable so it is not even shown on campus. That, is telling.
Isn't the spring game used to practice deficiencies from the prior year? 7 passes only by Ash? WTF. Macks coddling is gonna cost us again
I thought the team looked great on both offense and defense. Beautiful day, free food for Texas Exes, Ricky Williams and his statue, the band, the cheerleaders, Texas Pom and Ol' Smokey -- what a fun afternoon.
I thought the lack of passing by the QBs was purposeful. The coaches have seen what they needed to see during practices and don't want the mess of dealing with projections made by people seeing these guys in a scrimmage. Both QBs played in games last year so the spring game wasn't going to show them anymore about how these guys would respond to a game day atmosphere.
What I noticed was that they swapped out QB's and RB's on Orange and White, but the consistent thing was that the 1st team OL ended up with about 450 yards and 7 TD's, and the 2nd team OL ended up with about 17 yards and about 1 first down--an Ash check down for 4 yards. Steve Edmond did not look as fast as everyone was making me expect. He looks like a nose tackle to me. Demarco Cobbs, on the other hand, looks very, very athletic--not all that strong, though (once he blitzed and the blocker about knocked him 5 yds backward). Mykkele Thompson should get every KR and PR that we were thinking of giving to Mike Davis. Connor Brewer was about perfect on every throw. Three drops, but oh well. That fade down the sideline, and the endzone corner throw, were amazing passes. That deep handoff/play action he was using will look really good when it's Jonathan Gray the LB's are having to watch over the next few years. DJ Monroe has just one play, but it sure is a good one. Bergeron looks great. Did someone say Brown pulled something? Don't want to steer the thread off course, but Ash looked much better than McCoy to me. McCoy looked way better than he did last year in the Spring. So, I guess that's good.
I went to all the home games last year and had a crow's nest seat on the lower row of West Side upper deck. On each snap -- just my opinion and my way of sensing things -- I was able to see a play unfold and judge whether the QB or team as a whole (when on offense) was clicking as a whole and in the parts. My take was that it was like a car with a fouled plug, not correctly timed, or valve lifter not set correct (in the old days I could do all that stuff and actually knew what it meant, but no more... with injectors and electronic ignition... I'm totally lost). But point made. This afternoon, it did not matter what players were on the field, the team as whole looked trained, practiced and aware of what to do. Passes by David Ash had a definite timing and trajectory I had not seen before. Where he went and how he moved from the snap, all seemed choreographed beyond what I saw this time last spring or all through the fall. This team looked coached, trained, practiced, conditioned, ready. And #5, Mr. Jeremy Hills... get ready for another addition to what I think will be the best group of running backs in the nation. The backs now juke in open field, make all kinds of upper body, pads & hips moves, not waiting for converging takle lanes to collapse... they are already making moves and adjustments. And doing it fast. And when the defense converges, they ATTACK, and attack downfield, forward motion. Could just be some koolaide I had for the day, but I saw a lot of change. So here's my bet. Come September, when a play starts, a precision attack mode will unfold, and you are going to see a team ready to play. Ash threw a pass to Shipley that I swear was released at the most precise moment the most elite QB in the NFL could have timed. On another throw Ash did a Tom Brady shoulder twist/pump fake by shoulder move only, where he pulled off his first read just to the left, then turned to his right and threw a rope for a completion. Ash and McCoy both stayed in the pocket, stepped up into the pocket, stood up, made reads, and good throws for the most part. There seemed to be no frantic guessing. This team is becoming a well-coached team. Brewer did fine. He showed that the coaching now can bring up a new player faster than a year ago. The system is in place. The whole program is running with a full year's experience, conditioning, training, mind-set, and knowledge of the play book. Give me another drink of that kookaide.
The QBs were interesting to watch, with each standing out in his own way. I like that Case is a vocal leader, but his passing is too up-and-down (inconsistent) for my tastes. He'll throw a pick on one play and then make a nice pump-fake and throw downfield to hit the WR or TE in stride. David played safe-and-sound football today, but other than his fade pass to Shipley in the corner of the end zone for a TD, the coaches didn't give him any challenging downfield throws or reads to make, which unfortunately causes me to wonder. Connor Brewer looked darn good for an early enrollee freshman who has been on campus for less than 90 days. Assuming Brewer redshirts and makes steady progress over the next 4-5 years, he's likely to be really, really good. With Tyrone Swoopes coming in right behind him, the future of Longhorn QBs looks truly bright. In the running game, it was odd to see Malcolm Brown only get a carry or two, hopefully it wasn't because of any injury-related reasons (or fears). Bergeron ran hard and punishes defenders like a Ricky Williams wannabe. I know Heath Hohmann played with the 3rd team, but he ran with authority as if he wants playing time. On the MackBrown-TexasFootball roster page, it says Hohmann's nickname is "Lil' Sproles"... fitting. I wonder if Mykkele Thompson will have a Nathan Vasher-like career as a great DB and kick returner.
I saw more separation than ever between Ash and McCoy in the little Harsinwhite showed us today. It was disturbing to see McCoy throw his helmet down after his second int. Joe B. looks legit. Malcom looks gimpy, tight ends actually showed up - MJ cost them 25 yards though. I think Diaz had the D dialed way back today. I'm not sure if we shirt Brewer. DJ lived up to the hype, as did Shipley. Mykkele could be a game changer at any postion. I expected to see more from Duke Thomas after all we were being fed on paysites. Surprises: Hohmann, Leroy Scott, Russ, Hills and McCrary
malcolm brown didnt play after his initial few carriers because he lost a shoe. and no, thats not a joke.
The link is to an article dealing mostly with Mack on the QB situation but it also has a five minute video of highlights from the game. The Link
Ash: "The best play isn't always the big throw. Colt McCoy [did a great job] of throwing the check down pass. And if you keep taking what the defense gives you then eventually the big ball will open up." Texas
Mike Finger, a dumbass aggie, was simply reliving the same play from last November (Shipley to Irby). After the game, he probably went home thinking that if Shipley wasn't such a good passer, his beloved aggy would have beat Texas on Tday. Thinking about this, when he got home, he probably went into a dark room and had nice litte cry on a huge maroon pillow. The express news needs to get rid of the aggy homers that they pass off as sports writers.
"I guess the staff likes what they've seen from Ash during the entire Spring and felt others needed more work in the Spring Game." Maybe. But it seemed to me more like they were protecting him from the fan-base. Did he even take a snap vs. the #1 defense?
There seems to be a wide range of thought of what Ash did. Here is the quote from the AAS: "Well, that's not totally accurate, because the sophomore-to-be quarterback at least was allowed to throw six passes in his six offensive series and completed five of them for 83 yards, 45 of them coming on a screen to Jeremy Hills." Ash's issue is not the under 15 yard passes. Take away the screen and he averaged 7.6 yards a throw. That will not work in a real game as the LB's and Corners will stay up until you prove you can pass over them. This is the same issue as last year with Ash. They could be hiding Ash, but it this isn't different by 29 September (OSU) there is going to be problems.
I don't know viper horn, this offense is going to be different from what we have become used to at UT. If we're running for 200 yds a game and 5 + a clip, and Ash throws few downfield passes, and his only big gainers are on sideways passes (Another running play) I'll take it. Because that means opposing DCs start honoring the run game and their DBs will have RUN!!! on the brain (and they will) things will open up downfield. Not at all what we're used to, but I don't think we will complain when the results are in. And it makes me ecstatic to see a well executed HB screen pass. That just blew my mind.
I agree with ViperHorn. Ash can throw short and he throws a decent long ball. His achilles heel last year (and GG's the year before) was the ability to throw the 10-20 yard pass on time with accuracy. Some have said that Case looked to be improved, but he made some terrible decisions and he lucked out or he'd have had 3-4 picks, including a pick 6. I think they need to get Conner Brewer ready to back up Ash. If Swoopes is the QB of the future, why shirt Brewer?
Offensive line looked solid and is the biggest position of improvement from last year at this point to now. I would put QB play behind that. I don't think we will see as many true frosh getting serious playing time this year but there are a few coming in the fall that will likely be inserted: DT - Malcolm Brown RB - Johnathan Gray LB - Torshiro Davis OT - Kennedy Estelle WC - Sanders/Overstreet I think we need to get 2 guys running the WC package. I have heard Gray could be used but I am starting to also get concerned about our RB depth considering the injury history at that position. If Gray is used there then we need to get at least one of these young Frosh ready to go there as well. I am hoping we are able to sit most of the incoming OL, LB, and DBs.
