Texas vs Maryland Game Thread

[CreakyHorn]

This refers to my roommate at freshman orientation and the next 3 people I met who went there telling me how special they were for having gone there. Seriously, it took them about 10 seconds to work they went to St. Mark's into the conversation. And Jack is reserved for special occasions. Like the head coach of my alma mater having a clue.

Well, alrighty then. Perhaps I didn't go to St. Marks...

 

[AustinBat]

Well I'd love to hear the exact story. How close it came to happening. Who f'd it up and why. The whole thing.

As for Saban I guess I'm just a simple man. I think he would do it better based upon his history and I think he's bigger than Texas right now. If anyone can come in and have the ability to transcend the institutional problems/egos that exist it here it would be him.

Mack screwed the deal with Saban by refusing to resign. When people say he would never have come here talk to the realtor who was helping his wife look at houses. Why would Saban want this job? Maybe because if he was as successful as people thought he would be he would possibly become the only head coach ever to win NC’s at three schools. We will never know. Thanks Mack.

 

[SabreHorn]

Bat,

Don't forget that little Billie Powers could have fired Mack while he was "hiding out", and refused to do so. Had he, there would have been NO Stevie Patterson fiasco

 

[anon]

Must we replay this nonsense again this year. "Blame Mack." I would love to have his 8 to 13 win seasons again. This year is a 4-8 at best.

We were never going to get saban. Those who would sacrifice integrity for more Ws should be ignored.

 

[theiioftx]

I disagree. I think you are forgetting how bad Strong was.

Herman now has 7 losses. No doubt there have been some glaring shortcomings with the team to have that many losses. However in most if not all of those defeats, we were actually in the game (which can not be said about Strong's teams).
6 of the 7 losses were by 10 points or less
5 of the 7 losses were by 5 points or less
Herman's worst loss is by 17 (@#8 TCU last year)

With Strong, we were getting routinely blown out, even by mediocre opponents. Here is a list of the point margins in our losses under Strong that are worse than 17 points (Herman's worst).
18, 22, 35, 43, 24, 18, 34, 21, 23, 38, 24
That is 11 blowout losses worse than Herman's worst loss.
Yes it's 3 seasons vs 1 season, but still...look at those 11 blowout losses vs 1
Also remember one of those is a 24-0 loss to 3-9 Iowa State.
Strong was really bad.

Now I am not excusing Herman's losses. A loss is a loss. We looked really bad today. It's actually kind of a miracle that we had a chance at the end of the game today. But we did have a chance today. We were in it, even with all the poor play and mistakes. The team needs to improve, but we are a lot closer to being good now than we were in 2014/15/16. Back then we weren't even competitive.

I didn’t say Strong was better. In fact, he was much worse. However, here are my similarities:

1) team unprepared first game of the season
2) lots of undisciplined penalties
3) poor kick off coverage
4) poor punting
5) bad choice for OC but sticking with him
6) poor decision making during the game

 

[ViperHorn]

I didn’t say Strong was better. In fact, he was much worse. However, here are my similarities:

1) team unprepared first game of the season
2) lots of undisciplined penalties
3) poor kick off coverage
4) poor punting
5) bad choice for OC but sticking with him
6) poor decision making during the game

I agree with everything except number 4. This was the kid's first football game in the US. One bad punt; one so-so and two others were ok. I remember Dickinson's first year he cranked off a couple of head-scratchers also.

 

[theiioftx]

I agree with everything except number 4. This was the kid's first football game in the US. One bad punt; one so-so and two others were ok. I remember Dickinson's first year he cranked off a couple of head-scratchers also.

Not calling him out - I agree first game jitters. However, no escaping the fact that punting was a problem for field position.

 

[Mr. Fiesta]

If we come out and play just a modicum of defense the first 22 minutes or so we win yesterday offensive warts and all............they kept gashing us with the same formations and plays and I saw no adjustments by defensive staff.

I still have more faith in Orlando and the defense than I do beck and the offense. Orlando and his guys settled in the 2nd half and he had a lot of inexperienced guys on the field.

We can't wait until the 2nd half for the defense to settle, by then we're usually in a huge hole and have to play catch up. Have the defense ramped up from the beginning please...

 

[X Misn Tx]

4) Herman's arrogance seems to be built around the Mensa thing, the hot wife and the fact that he's a millionaire.

Smart, rich, hot wife... Duh Lol

I agree with you actually. It just serves up funny. That's exactly what most douches would be in that scenario.

 

[bystander]

Smart, rich, hot wife... Duh Lol

I agree with you actually. It just serves up funny. That's exactly what most douches would be in that scenario.

I know what you're saying. Most of us would be pretty satisfied but he had all that when he signed the contract meaning before he'd won one game. For us fans, that's where it starts. For him, it was already accomplished. At least that's my pop psychology take on the arrogance.

It reminds me of Mario Chalmers. He led Kansas to a national championship and then acted like he was LeBron in the pros though he never came close to his collegiate glory days. I read several times that LeBron and the other Miami Heat players were frustrated with Chalmers ego. It seems that some people can reach a point of achievement and they walk around with it for the rest of their life as their business card. The glory days that demand respect even though the contribution to the present is not there.

I saw a bit of that with my Dad. He represented Cuba in the Olympics in 1948, 1952 and 1956. We were all very proud of him for that (though it all happened prior to my birth). But he would talk about it almost daily until the end (he passed away four years ago). I could tell people around him were rolling their eyes at the glory days that happened so long ago (especially my mom).

 

[anon]

I didn’t say Strong was better. In fact, he was much worse. However, here are my similarities:

1) team unprepared first game of the season
2) lots of undisciplined penalties
3) poor kick off coverage
4) poor punting
5) bad choice for OC but sticking with him
6) poor decision making during the game

Not comparing Herman to Strong. Without regard to the coach, "losing close" is great if you like losing. We were a 10 -13 point favorite. Our offense was a carbon copy of last year, and our defense was worse. What consolation is any of that? I expect this year's record to be the worst since 1956 (1-9). We may beat Tulsa, in which event the BS press clippings will proclaim "we are back." Rule 1 - don't believe press clippings. Rule 2 - never deviate from Rule 1.

 

[Phil Elliott]

It was nice to see a team with a play that worked and so they just kept beating the opponents *** with it. Too bad it was Maryland doing it to UT.

 

[nashhorn]

Press clippings won't be touting us unless we blank them on D and score 60+ on offense - and frankly not sure they'd be wrong.

 

[SabreHorn]

score 60+ on offense

Is that combined over the next 11 games?

 

[caryhorn]

Have the defense ramped up from the beginning please...

I think they really were ramped up. Way up. The Problem I saw had to do with missed assignments, blown coverages, running yourself out of the play. Our D ends repeatedly took themselves out of the play on the jet sweep, trying to get to the QB for the sack, but the QB had handed to the RB; and the secondary blew too many coverages leading to BIG plays. And don't forget the bone head penalties which kept their drives alive.

Poor preparation really cost us.

 

[nashhorn]

Ha, good come back Sabre but my intended point is that even w 60 pts put on Tulsa I think we have sunk to a low enough point that 60-0 might still be inadequate to show we have corrected our ship.

 

[WorsterMan]

I know nothing about Tulsa, but some of you assume this team will beat them. Last week I would have claimed HELL YES the Horns beat the Golden Hurricane ...after Sat. I will take nothing for granted this season

 

[SabreHorn]

Worster,

FWIW, I would expect Tulsa to not only beat UMd, but to drop 40+ on them.

 

[Mr. Fiesta]

I think they really were ramped up. Way up. The Problem I saw had to do with missed assignments, blown coverages, running yourself out of the play. Our D ends repeatedly took themselves out of the play on the jet sweep, trying to get to the QB for the sack, but the QB had handed to the RB; and the secondary blew too many coverages leading to BIG plays. And don't forget the bone head penalties which kept their drives alive.

Poor preparation really cost us.

Cary - I guess "ramped up" was not the correct term then. Howz about: I want the d to play "settled down" the entire game, not just starting to settle down the 2nd half or halfway through the 2nd quarter. All that you mentioned has to do with being "settled down" and playing smart.

 

[bystander]

If I remember the press conference correctly Herman mentioned adjusting to the jet sweep. I wonder why Maryland was able to spring something on us while we spent our time "adjusting." Isn't that what coaching is about; creating a tactical advantage of some sort?

 

[utempire]

The D was uncharacteristically bad under Orlando and with no running game is just asking for a loss. Sam didn't have a great game but the loss is not on him. If he can correct 1 or 2 things he would be much more effective.

 

[zuckercanyon]

The D was uncharacteristically bad under Orlando and with no running game is just asking for a loss. Sam didn't have a great game but the loss is not on him. If he can correct 1 or 2 things he would be much more effective.

Same players from last year.....rinse.....repeat..... Gotta tell ya, you need to hold the entire team responsible and get off the quarterback’s back. Our line on either side isn’t kicking butt, Boyd still gets beat deep, a Blake Gideon two star defensive end legacy is missing more tackles than making plays. Our defense is full of seniors that still don’t get it/can’t get it done. Our offensive line is offensive. We were down 24-7 n came back but lost in the 4th. That’s better than last years game at home, when we were never in it. Geez.

 

[moondog_LFZ]

Our defense is full of seniors that still don’t get it/can’t get it done.

What the **** are you talking about. The defense got it done all last season except for the same opening game. That's why I expected them to get it done this time.

That’s better than last years game at home, when we were never in it. Geez.

Wow. At least we lost better this year. UT fandom has sunk to a new low.

 

[zuckercanyon]

What the **** are you talking about. The defense got it done all last season except for the same opening game. That's why I expected them to get it done this time.



Wow. At least we lost better this year. UT fandom has sunk to a new low.

Where was this vaunted defense when we were down 24-7? Does anyone's defense ever stop the other offense when their offense isn't scoring? Is there no responsibility on that side of the ball?

 

[zuckercanyon]

AND, I've said it time and again....some players left early from last year's team.....WHO in this vaunted defensive effort stepped up to stop 24-7? It's the same players on both sides, they handled us in Austin last year, we were never in it.....ANYONE please explain to me how it was going to be different on Saturday? Oh, we're so much better than Maryland....speaking or Longhorn fandom....where's you're reality? Apparently it's gone.....

 

[zuckercanyon]

sorry, YOUR reality.....I know we're not perfect here on grammar at hornfans, but try to show, though you may think I'm wrong at times, that I can spell correctly....

 

[caryhorn]

Cary - I guess "ramped up" was not the correct term then. Howz about: I want the d to play "settled down" the entire game, not just starting to settle down the 2nd half or halfway through the 2nd quarter. All that you mentioned has to do with being "settled down" and playing smart.

I didn't mean to split hairs-- we agree on the basic premise that our D was out of sorts for one reason or another. And it cost us--Big time.

Defensive mistakes, in my opinion, nearly reached the level of the offense's brain farts in the 4th quarter which cost us any chance of a comeback.

 

[Statalyzer]

The D was uncharacteristically bad under Orlando

I am mostly still optimistic about the defense. They sucked *** in week 1 last year and then played somewhere from good to freaking outstanding almost every other game all year long. Yeah we are missing some of those guys, but most of them were missing from the Missouri game also and the D played very well in that game.

I'm not 100% sold - starting off with a crap defensive performance 2 years straight is still worrysome, and Orlando got lit up plenty at Houston in 2016 too (yeah he had less talented players then, but so did the opposition). But I have a lot more reason to be optimistic about the D than the O, based off of 2017.

It's clear we got outschemed on offense and defense both last week. And even so it makes sense we are more worried about Beck than Orlando. BUT, in my opinion, if a coach is clearly an "offense guy" or a "defense guy", then you can't blame primarily the coordinator on the side of the ball that the head coach is a specialist of.