Horns - Pigs Game Thread

[HTownBevo]

Agreed mb. Texas best chance is to win the SEC. Michigans demise has taken SOS down to low places. Not sure they get in without it.

 

[hornde68]

I get that, but let’s be candid:

QE’s performance today was poor for most of three quarters, and then “good” for one drive in the 4th. Given the way the offensive line played, this game should not have been close. And don’t forget what Mississippi did to this Arkansas defense.

If this was an aberration, I might be more forgiving. But it isn’t. He has been generally underperforming since Michigan, and the UTSA injury is no longer a reasonable excuse.

Even most of the people I know – that tend to bend over backwards to give Quinn the benefit of the doubt – are questioning him.

Maybe he’s the best quarterback this team has. But frankly, I’m not so sure. That’s why I would consider starting Arch next week. I get the disruption that could result, but outside of QE making a quantum leap in performance (an unrealistic expectation), I just don’t see QE getting this team – and this immensely talented offense – to the promised land.

The old ‘doctors second wife’ the nurse bears mention. I, too, was an advocate of inserting Arch when we got to 13-10. Not owing to poor play of Quinn but the open areas mid field that could be seen on TV. Arch’s run skill on a dozen plays (my guess without aid of game film) turns 4 or so sacks and 8-10 forced overthrows or throw aways into mid range gains. Just prior to any contact or forced missed tackles, we add 120+ yards of total offense. Harder to estimate is the additional open looks owing to forcing defense to realign. From here out, when a team sells out on immobile QE, it good dose of running Arch will cure offensive woes. Up to now, we need to be mindful that egos and personalities are a little frail. Good as our QB are, they wont play well constantly looking over their shoulders. If the staff will throw you over for a couple poor possessions, they’ll do it again. Let these guys know before kickoff that if scrambling qb might be needed to loosen up the defense. Not switch back and forth but as needed. Just MHO.

 

[Dionysus]

But it won’t slow them down, only Texas is affected. Genius!

 

[das3603]

Any loss in the next three could very well take Texas OUT of the seedings...Texas, at this point, HAS to have the $EC championship.

mb, if we win the next 2 we are in the playoff no question. We’ll be the only SEC team with one loss on the season going into the CCG. Our SOS will be improved after playing aggy and another top team in the CCG. Even losing the CCG will have minimal negative impact. We’ll drop from a likely 2 or 3 seed to 6 or 7.

My worry is a loss to aggy could jeopardize our playoff chances. We won’t have any real good wins and we’ll be stuck in a pack with 4 or 5 other SEC teams with a 10-2 overall record. We could easily get left out of the playoffs in that case.

 

[dukesteer]

The old ‘doctors second wife’ the nurse bears mention. I, too, was an advocate of inserting Arch when we got to 13-10. Not owing to poor play of Quinn but the open areas mid field that could be seen on TV. Arch’s run skill on a dozen plays (my guess without aid of game film) turns 4 or so sacks and 8-10 forced overthrows or throw aways into mid range gains. Just prior to any contact or forced missed tackles, we add 120+ yards of total offense. Harder to estimate is the additional open looks owing to forcing defense to realign. From here out, when a team sells out on immobile QE, it good dose of running Arch will cure offensive woes. Up to now, we need to be mindful that egos and personalities are a little frail. Good as our QB are, they wont play well constantly looking over their shoulders. If the staff will throw you over for a couple poor possessions, they’ll do it again. Let these guys know before kickoff that if scrambling qb might be needed to loosen up the defense. Not switch back and forth but as needed. Just MHO.

I know that I’m harping on Quinn, but his level of underachievement and regression is obvious to anyone who is willing to make an objective assessment. In this game:

We were 4 of 15 on 3rd down.

Averaged 5.5 yards per pass.

The 315 yards our offense generated was more than 100 yards below our season average.

Only Arkansas Pine Bluff & TAM had less yards.

Arkansas allowed over 1,000 yards in their last two games.

We have a fireplug sitting on the bench. Will he makes mistakes? He could.

Does QE really give Texas the best chance to win? My opinion is no. So I’d start Arch against what is believed to be a weaker opponent, Kentucky, get that game under his belt, and then go into college station with him. After all, we would have a relief pitcher on the bench if we need him.

Could QE ball out starting next Saturday? Who knows? His performance has been completely uneven this year, and less predictable than last year.

Sark won’t go with Arch, but I would.

 

[Horn6721]

"But it won’t slow them down"
I read that Arkie had been practicing on taller grass

 

[txhorn_et]

Gotta disagree. The protection yesterday was excellent. The three sacks were all on QE, not the OL. And with that protection QE was inconsistent. Good at times. Not so good at others.

And think about this. How much easier is it to defend the run when the defense does not have to worry whatsoever about the quarterback running.

Reminds me of the Georgia game with the dawgs knowing there was/is little to no running threat with Quinn at qb.

 

[erbutch]

Well,we are beating that horse to dearh.Sark will not play arch unless QE is hurt. If we lose it is on Sark,in my opinion. Maybe he sees something on Arch I dont see. I just think a mobile QB can open up our offense instead of it being one dimensional. I cant see us beating Aggies with QE. Then we will not make the playoffs and QE will sit out the bowl game so he can go pro.

 

[Chinstrap]

I am concerned and puzzled by Ewers' apparent ineptitude at the deep ball. He seems to just heave it, with the result of a ball that is usually overthrown, to the wrong side of the receiver/coverage, or both.

Why does that happen? Poor footwork, not on the same page with receivers, arm strength issues resulting in overcompensation?

Is any of that coachable?

Maybe because of pressure forcing some throws off of the back foot. Eat the ball for the sack?

 

[Chinstrap]

Gotta disagree. The protection yesterday was excellent. The three sacks were all on QE, not the OL. And with that protection QE was inconsistent. Good at times. Not so good at others.

And think about this. How much easier is it to defend the run when the defense does not have to worry whatsoever about the quarterback running.

I would like to see a breakdown of how many sacks could be categorized as cover sacks. Good receivers help their quarterback, and the linemen can hold those blocks for only so long.

 

[Dionysus]

I wonder if Sark is more deferential to the incumbent/starter for other reasons aside from performance, eg trying to protect the kid’s draft status (big $$$), or because the coach has so much invested already in him, including coach’s own ego/judgment being questioned (pure stubbornness).

Maybe he sees something on Arch I dont see.

Or this. Maybe Quinn is the better QB.

 

[LHABSOB]

Any loss in the next three could very well take Texas OUT of the seedings...Texas, at this point, HAS to have the $EC championship.

God forbid we lose to the Aggies, but if we do I think we still make it. 2 losses with 1 being to Georgia and the other being on the road in a hostile environment in a night game against the regular season college champ, I think the committee will find favor on us. We have been somewhat of a media darling all season in my opinion. I think the East coast anti SEC guys would be very satisfied with a team from B12 coming in showing up the SEC.

Now a loss to Kentucky and we are put in the mixer with Tennessee, Ole Miss and the loser of the SEC championship game. I don’t want to roll those dice.

 

[LHABSOB]

We have a fireplug sitting on the bench.

What makes you think that?

I have been silently anti-Arch since he committed to us so I am probably just as biased the opposite Direction as you are toward QE?

I bought into the excitement when he committed and watched 3 of his high school games. I frankly was not impressed and that has hung over my opinion of him for the last 3 years.

 

[Pomspoms]

The old ‘doctors second wife’ the nurse bears mention. I, too, was an advocate of inserting Arch when we got to 13-10. Not owing to poor play of Quinn but the open areas mid field that could be seen on TV. Arch’s run skill on a dozen plays (my guess without aid of game film) turns 4 or so sacks and 8-10 forced overthrows or throw aways into mid range gains. Just prior to any contact or forced missed tackles, we add 120+ yards of total offense. Harder to estimate is the additional open looks owing to forcing defense to realign. From here out, when a team sells out on immobile QE, it good dose of running Arch will cure offensive woes. Up to now, we need to be mindful that egos and personalities are a little frail. Good as our QB are, they wont play well constantly looking over their shoulders. If the staff will throw you over for a couple poor possessions, they’ll do it again. Let these guys know before kickoff that if scrambling qb might be needed to loosen up the defense. Not switch back and forth but as needed. Just MHO.

The problem with Ewers is between his ears. He lacks moxie. Seems like he doesnt completely believe in himself so he holds back and relys on reserved ability. Wish he had that spit and vinegar and mean streak to get the job done to go along with being cerebral.
Often times i am wishing for Manning to get in. I want to see if he has that spit and vinegar to be the man.

 

[Detective Shilala]

Interesting So yesterday, Florida sacked LSU 7 times. And what I heard going into our game against UF is they had studs on defensive line. They looked dominant against LSU. But we handled them easily.

Our offense is perplexing to me. Maybe one of you can help me understand.

Our OL, outside of GA game has been really stout and effective.

It just seems to me like when our OL is blocking well we should be more consistent,

Is it just Ewers being streaky? Or is there more to it than that?

 

[bystander]

My self-help program is working. I watched the entire Arkansas game and resisted posting my, "We're doomed" negative thoughts and hung in there. Now, I can say I'm glad we won.

That being said, I compare us to what a true national championship team looks like and that's where the disappointments lay. I will say this about Quinn's sacks; I seem to recall end-zone views of the replays and I watched our receivers. On at least two of them, they were blanketed. They were coverage sacks. Now, should QE have thrown the ball away? It might have been grounding because he was squarely in the pocket. Should he have have that internal clock ticking and take off when it hits 3 seconds or more? Lamar Jackson would. Vince would. But he hasn't been running like we've seen in the past. I'm not sure what's happening there.

We had other players make mistakes. Maybe the real story is that we went into Arkansas and won. That should be good enough given the true nature of our rivalry with them. OU. Aggy. Piggy. They all come to play full of hate. To win is to overcome the zealotry.

That's good enough for me.

 

[dukesteer]

What makes you think that?

LHABSOB, aside from the eye test this season, here are some obvious differences:

He’s bigger and stronger. We saw that as recently as the Florida game when a DL or LB (can’t remember which) couldn’t knock him down.

He’s more mobile, and he can run. That ability to run will likely have the effect of dramatically improving our overall run game because the defense cannot sell out on the back.

He seems much more accurate on the long pass.

Would he come in and be a world beater? I think that’s a lot to ask, but he brings a number of dimensions that QE simply does not possess. And I truly believe that once he gets a few more games under his belt, he is going to be lethal.

 

[theiioftx]

Ewers draft potential has fallen to second or third round. I predict he comes back for his senior season.

 

[TheBeeman]

Ewers draft potential has fallen to second or third round. I predict he comes back for his senior season.

Comes back to Texas?
Or
Comes back to the NCAA but at another school?

 

[cnb]

 

[theiioftx]

Comes back to Texas?
Or
Comes back to the NCAA but at another school?

Good question. I think he would stay with Sark.

 

[ViperHorn]

Good question. I think he would stay with Sark.

That would probably send Arch packing so I doubt SArk would let that happen.

QE should never have been a first-round projection as he has too many limitations (his inability to complete downfield passes consistently being the biggest issue). What he does have is enough ability to entice some NFL team to feel their OC and QB coaches can fix the mechanical issues. It would be interesting to see one of his eye tests.

 

[horninchicago]

Uh oh. I guess those "On Texas Football" guys aren't good fans.

 

[TheBeeman]

That would probably send Arch packing so I doubt SArk would let that happen.

But what would/could Sark do?
Not take Ewers back if he wanted to come back? That would be weird.

I wonder if Ewers could make more in College than in the NFL next year.

 

[Horn6721]

hic
Well they do have podcast time to fill.

 

[theiioftx]

Sark would take him back. The question would be if Arch would stay and if Sark would make a change.

 

[cnb]

Comes back to Texas?
Or
Comes back to the NCAA but at another school?

Texas

 

[nashhorn]

IMO, all the reasons for Arch (and family) to quietly and patiently play the back. Up role would be gone next year if Ewers came back. In fact the no controversy would be gone immediately. I would hate for us to be under this umbrella.
I would have to be considered a Ewers supporter and therefore would be disappointed if this situation became reality even though I agree his year has not lived up to expectations. Odd to say the year has been great but not for the qb.

 

[LHABSOB]

Ewers won’t be the QB here next year. If he wants to play college ball he can do it somewhere else like Jalen Hurts did. Was Sark at Bama when they made the switch from Hurts to Tua? That worked out ok.

I’ve stated my skepticism with Arch but this is his team starting the day after our final game of this season.

 

[Phil Elliott]

Yeah IDT that Sark would allow QE to come back and be the starter again next year. This whole thing has been negotiated between the 3 parties to where AM sits quietly and does not push for playing time and/or transfer with the understanding it is his team starting next year.

I also don't think that QE would do that. He knows the deal as much as Sark and AM do.