echeese Posted 2 hours ago Posted 2 hours ago View from the Cheap Seats Sputtering vs Sparty The San Jose State Spartans came to town and surprised most TEXAS fans and players with their very disciplined brand of football. They proved to be a better test than many expected, which might have been precisely what this team needed. It wasn’t always pretty all the time, it was a win, and it was much-needed reps for this young offense. At times, the Horns looked impressive, while at times, they showed why they have not been able to reach the next level of college football. This three-game stretch at home will be invaluable for the development of our young offense and players. Doesn’t mean it will always be pretty. Sark takes the ball for the kickoff to get Arch on the field, four plays, and a punt. Defense shows it hasn’t had enough coffee and gives up a 10-play drive ending in a missed FG. Offense responds with five plays and a punt. Oops, this isn’t the script. Defense forces a punt only to rough the kicker. No problem, the Defense forces another punt. We take the ball, run two plays; it’s 3rd and 6 from our end of the field. Sark lines’em up to spread Sparty’s D, Wingo runs a post from the wide side while Parker Livingstone runs a wheel route deep behind him, Arch with his best pass of the day so far, hits Parker in stride up the sideline, Sparty’s DB falls down, and 83 yards later, TEXAS on the board. Both sides of the Horns stand up strong to close out the 1st quarter and the opening 3 minutes of the 2nd, turning an interception and three forced fumbles into 21 points and a 28-7 lead going into halftime. Glass half empty It was not a complete football game. Texas would punt six times in the game. Give up an interception in the red zone and the fumble ending a really nice fourth quarter drive by the 2nd teamers. Arch continued to have problems with his mechanics. Those showed significant improvement from the Ohio State game. Arch was pressured in the red zone, his arm was hit as he tried to force a ball to his WRs, leading to his 2nd interception in 2 games. And there were some dropped passes. Perhaps the two most significant negatives in the game were the offensive line's blocking breakdowns and 12 penalties for over 100 yards. 2 of 12 on 3rd down ain’t getten’ the job done. Against better competition, this team must sustain drives. This team is still a work in progress. Glass Half Full The defense continues to be the strength of this team, setting up the offense with 4 short-field chances following turnovers. The offense capitalized on 3 of those turnovers, scoring touchdowns. Arch and Parker Livingstone’s work last year together is clearly paying dividends like most young quarterbacks. Arch continues to struggle with mechanics. He showed clear improvement from last week—some of his throws reminded fans why he is so hyped when he brings his A game. Transfer TE Jack Endries has made an early case for the Newcomer of the Year award. Excellent hands and route running. With Tre Wisner being held out, thought CJ Baxter flashed why we were so excited about him. Sark read the cheap seats and called ZERO QB rushes. Arch had a couple of excellent scrambles. We hope for the best with DeAndre Moore, otherwise no injuries. Plenty of “teaching moments in the game to “coach up” the team. Offensive Player of the Game Arch Manning- In a span of about 8 minutes, Arch threw four touchdown passes, each an excellent throw. In the 3rd quarter he would add a 20 yard scramble for a TD, capping his best day as a Horn. Honorable Mention The receiving duo of Parker Livingstone and transfer Jack Endries. Each would record two touchdowns; they are sure-handed and outstanding route runners. Clearly, Arch has a pair of new favorites as they finished #1 and #2 in pass catching for the 2nd week in a row. Defensive Player of the Game Anthony “Ant” Hill- He would force two of the D’s turnovers, one of which the O turned into 7 points while finishing 2nd on the team in tackles on the day. Stats that Matter 2 of 3 Red Zone TDs vs Red Zone chances. An improvement 12-115 12 penalties for 115 yards would be crippling against a better team 4/3/5 4 turnovers, 3 turnovers on downs, and 5 punts forced. The D was overall A- 2 of 12 3rd down inefficiency. #1 concern coming out of the game 2 of 2 4th down conversions and we thought the play calls were better too. On Deck The Mighty Miners of UTEP. They are led by former 5 Star QB Malichi Nelson, who transferred from USC. He is also coming off a 4-touchdown day vs U of Tennessee at Martin, a good FCS level program. We look for the Horns to show steady improvement, week over week, and see this as a 48-7 type game. Game Highlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkpAH2ccIhM 1 Quote
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