Texas is off to a great start in this football season, and the key question -- for all of us in the Horns' camp -- is whether the 2008 Horns can maintain their momentum down the Big-12 Conference stretch drive.
Here are some pro & con thoughts regarding that question.
(1) Pro - we're on the right track, imo, if the current patterns (on both offense and defense) continue.
Defensively, the cream of the Horns' blue-chip talent has risen to the top under Muschamp -- our best players are seeing the field, and we're playing aggressively with creative coaching schemes that have, so far, helped to off-set our inexperience in the secondary. We're stopping the run (which is not a shock), but we're also ranked No. 40 nationally in pass-efficiency defense -- which is particularly impressive when you consider that Texas currently is ranked No. 100 nationally in pass-yardage defense. We're giving up yards, but not points. Muschamp has the defense believing in itself, and that's a huge positive factor for the 2008 Horns.
Offensively, from a positive perspective, Colt's willingness (or maybe the willingness of Mack & Greg to let Colt do what he wanted to do all along) to run with the football has given the 2008 Horns, so far, a second viable running threat. The pro-style defenses have to account for covering a Spread Offense that often leaves the door open for the QB to run effectively with the football -- if he is willing and able to get the job done -- and, so far, Colt has demonstrated that he is more than up to the task. Given his exceptional passing efficiency (and the great work we've seen from Jordan & Quan, plus a very strong performance from our underrated offensive line), combined with Colt's aggressive running -- the 2008 Horns' offense ranks an impressive No. 10 in total offense and No. 6 in scoring offense in the Country.
(2) Con - what, if anything, could derail the 2008 Horns' current momentum?
Defensively -- not much (short of injuries), but ... the stat that looks good for us nationally on pass defense (i.e., pass-efficiency defense) ranks only No. 7, so far, in the Big-12 Conference. And Oklahoma is No. 1 in the Big-12 Conference in pass-efficiency defense. So, if Sam Bradford (who has just about the same numbers, so far, in the passing department as Colt McCoy) has more openings downfield throwing the football (than Colt) in the 2008 RRS, that would appear to be a possible advantage for the Sooners on October 11 ... even with the Horns' defense playing exceptionally well overall.
Offensively -- the situation here arguably is more precarious for the Horns for the following reasons:
(a) the loss of Blaine Irby and the reality that we have no apparent replacement for Irby, by October 11, as a viable pass-receiving threat at TE;
(b) the lack of emergence of a "third" WR threat (e.g., Malcolm Williams), and the reality that we currently have no established pass-receiving threat (especially without Irby) beyond Quan & Jordan -- James Kirkendoll appears to be our best hope in that regard for the 2008 RRS, but he caught only one pass vs. Arkansas this past Saturday; and
(c) the lack of any viable running-game scheme apart from Colt carrying the football -- the Horns (as things stand right now, with Fozzy "questionable" and Chiles unlikely to see playing time with the game on the line vs. Oklahoma) would rank No. 108 nationally in rushing offense without Colt carrying the football. [Note: In two games against Oklahoma, so far, Colt has carried the football 13 times (during the 2006 & 2007 editions of the RRS combined) for minus-13 yards, an average of minus-one yard per carry.]
The three potentially-negative issues on offense could be critical down the road, in part because -- consistent with the same point in reference to our current defensive stats -- our impressive offensive stats look better nationally than they do in the Big-12 Conference ... where the Horns' offense ranks No. 5 in total offense and No. 4 in scoring offense (behind both Oklahoma and Missouri in both categories).
Summary: The 2008 Horns are looking good, and Colt appears to be determined to run the football effectively this season, regardless of the opponent involved. If he can do that vs. the Sooners and the Tigers (and our secondary continues to improve), the Horns clearly have a legitimate chance to run the table this Fall. If so, Colt deserves the credit, imo, for leading the team by example on the football field -- and Mack & Greg also should share the credit for realizing the deficiency in their totally-predictable one-man running-game scheme ... and letting Colt do something about it (by running the football himself) vs. the Big Dogs.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks.
Hook 'em.
Here are some pro & con thoughts regarding that question.
(1) Pro - we're on the right track, imo, if the current patterns (on both offense and defense) continue.
Defensively, the cream of the Horns' blue-chip talent has risen to the top under Muschamp -- our best players are seeing the field, and we're playing aggressively with creative coaching schemes that have, so far, helped to off-set our inexperience in the secondary. We're stopping the run (which is not a shock), but we're also ranked No. 40 nationally in pass-efficiency defense -- which is particularly impressive when you consider that Texas currently is ranked No. 100 nationally in pass-yardage defense. We're giving up yards, but not points. Muschamp has the defense believing in itself, and that's a huge positive factor for the 2008 Horns.
Offensively, from a positive perspective, Colt's willingness (or maybe the willingness of Mack & Greg to let Colt do what he wanted to do all along) to run with the football has given the 2008 Horns, so far, a second viable running threat. The pro-style defenses have to account for covering a Spread Offense that often leaves the door open for the QB to run effectively with the football -- if he is willing and able to get the job done -- and, so far, Colt has demonstrated that he is more than up to the task. Given his exceptional passing efficiency (and the great work we've seen from Jordan & Quan, plus a very strong performance from our underrated offensive line), combined with Colt's aggressive running -- the 2008 Horns' offense ranks an impressive No. 10 in total offense and No. 6 in scoring offense in the Country.
(2) Con - what, if anything, could derail the 2008 Horns' current momentum?
Defensively -- not much (short of injuries), but ... the stat that looks good for us nationally on pass defense (i.e., pass-efficiency defense) ranks only No. 7, so far, in the Big-12 Conference. And Oklahoma is No. 1 in the Big-12 Conference in pass-efficiency defense. So, if Sam Bradford (who has just about the same numbers, so far, in the passing department as Colt McCoy) has more openings downfield throwing the football (than Colt) in the 2008 RRS, that would appear to be a possible advantage for the Sooners on October 11 ... even with the Horns' defense playing exceptionally well overall.
Offensively -- the situation here arguably is more precarious for the Horns for the following reasons:
(a) the loss of Blaine Irby and the reality that we have no apparent replacement for Irby, by October 11, as a viable pass-receiving threat at TE;
(b) the lack of emergence of a "third" WR threat (e.g., Malcolm Williams), and the reality that we currently have no established pass-receiving threat (especially without Irby) beyond Quan & Jordan -- James Kirkendoll appears to be our best hope in that regard for the 2008 RRS, but he caught only one pass vs. Arkansas this past Saturday; and
(c) the lack of any viable running-game scheme apart from Colt carrying the football -- the Horns (as things stand right now, with Fozzy "questionable" and Chiles unlikely to see playing time with the game on the line vs. Oklahoma) would rank No. 108 nationally in rushing offense without Colt carrying the football. [Note: In two games against Oklahoma, so far, Colt has carried the football 13 times (during the 2006 & 2007 editions of the RRS combined) for minus-13 yards, an average of minus-one yard per carry.]
The three potentially-negative issues on offense could be critical down the road, in part because -- consistent with the same point in reference to our current defensive stats -- our impressive offensive stats look better nationally than they do in the Big-12 Conference ... where the Horns' offense ranks No. 5 in total offense and No. 4 in scoring offense (behind both Oklahoma and Missouri in both categories).
Summary: The 2008 Horns are looking good, and Colt appears to be determined to run the football effectively this season, regardless of the opponent involved. If he can do that vs. the Sooners and the Tigers (and our secondary continues to improve), the Horns clearly have a legitimate chance to run the table this Fall. If so, Colt deserves the credit, imo, for leading the team by example on the football field -- and Mack & Greg also should share the credit for realizing the deficiency in their totally-predictable one-man running-game scheme ... and letting Colt do something about it (by running the football himself) vs. the Big Dogs.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks.
Hook 'em.
