johngateswhiteley
11-25-2006, 01:34 AM
Buck Harvey: For Texas, every run is finished
Web Posted: 11/24/2006 11:24 PM CST
San Antonio Express-News
AUSTIN — "It's been a great run," Mack Brown kept saying, and he sounded like a man taking his final bow.
But he's not going anywhere. The Texas that went to Southern California the past two Januarys, the second time for an affordable DVD worth of glory. That's gone.
The Texas that seemingly had a hold on its rivals. The Texas that had more talent, the Texas that had gotten calls when it needed them, the Texas that had finally broken through to a status it always thought it deserved. That's gone.
And the aspect of Friday that signaled the clear and definitive end of this run?
The run itself.
When the Aggies went 16 plays, throwing only two passes along the way, to win their biggest game of the century, did they start their own run?
The end of Texas' run is softened because, after all, the mob is still happy about the run itself. In any other year losing to the Aggies in Austin, potentially coughing up a conference title berth to the other rival, Oklahoma, would incite a few people.
The defending champs, instead, get a break. That's a reason fans chose to boo the referees in this one.
But it sure was a short run, wasn't it? The Longhorns still haven't swept Oklahoma and A&M in consecutive seasons since the late '60s. If OU wins today, then Texas' lone Big 12 title under Brown doesn't exactly constitute a dynasty.
Brown acknowledged how well the Aggies played while he also argued a couple of plays decided everything. One of them came after UT took the opening kickoff and drove, as Brown said, "at will." For a brief moment the Longhorns appeared to be precisely what Vegas thought they were.
Then Brown opted for what Dennis Franchione has avoided lately. Brown went for it on fourth down, sending an overweight and overrated runner named Henry Melton into the Aggie muscle. Had Brown known he would score only seven points the entire day, he would have opted for a Fran-like field goal.
But the play was telling of what was to come. The Aggies won both lines of scrimmage, stuffing Texas while also running over the nation's top-ranked run defense. With one pitch, A&M running back Mike Goodson gained almost as many yards as Texas had been giving up a game.
UT's inability to run, however, is what confuses. After all, don't Texas coaches say this might be their best offensive line ever? Aren't Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young talented? And hadn't Colt McCoy loosened up defenses?
The Longhorns' error might have been sticking with the offense that made Vince Young famous; slow-developing delays don't take advantage of their strong blockers and fast runners. It's no coincidence that when Texas scored its one touchdown Friday, it did so with Charles running out of the power-I formation.
As for Young and his impact on the run: Texas lost three games this season, which is about how many it would have lost last season without him.
Young might have converted that fourth down in the first quarter, too. But with mere humans lined up against A&M, the Longhorns failed. They finished with only 70 rushing yards for the day, 174 fewer than the Aggies.
Brown says this is something to "re-evaluate," when Franchione's assistants already had. Another sign of the end of the run? It's fair to say the A&M staff outcoached Texas'.
That won't sting Brown, because he still works in the glow of last season. Maybe that's why he likes the message he stuck with Friday. Even as he congratulated the Aggies, he made sure to remind everyone of his school's recent record against them.
"I've gotten spoiled like everyone else," Brown said with a you-can't-win-them-all shrug.
That works today. But as it was with a high-scoring night in Kansas, a low-scoring afternoon reshuffled the order of things. Franchione has something to sell recruits, and the Longhorns have a few things to worry about.
Now?
Anyone could have the next run.
Web Posted: 11/24/2006 11:24 PM CST
San Antonio Express-News
AUSTIN — "It's been a great run," Mack Brown kept saying, and he sounded like a man taking his final bow.
But he's not going anywhere. The Texas that went to Southern California the past two Januarys, the second time for an affordable DVD worth of glory. That's gone.
The Texas that seemingly had a hold on its rivals. The Texas that had more talent, the Texas that had gotten calls when it needed them, the Texas that had finally broken through to a status it always thought it deserved. That's gone.
And the aspect of Friday that signaled the clear and definitive end of this run?
The run itself.
When the Aggies went 16 plays, throwing only two passes along the way, to win their biggest game of the century, did they start their own run?
The end of Texas' run is softened because, after all, the mob is still happy about the run itself. In any other year losing to the Aggies in Austin, potentially coughing up a conference title berth to the other rival, Oklahoma, would incite a few people.
The defending champs, instead, get a break. That's a reason fans chose to boo the referees in this one.
But it sure was a short run, wasn't it? The Longhorns still haven't swept Oklahoma and A&M in consecutive seasons since the late '60s. If OU wins today, then Texas' lone Big 12 title under Brown doesn't exactly constitute a dynasty.
Brown acknowledged how well the Aggies played while he also argued a couple of plays decided everything. One of them came after UT took the opening kickoff and drove, as Brown said, "at will." For a brief moment the Longhorns appeared to be precisely what Vegas thought they were.
Then Brown opted for what Dennis Franchione has avoided lately. Brown went for it on fourth down, sending an overweight and overrated runner named Henry Melton into the Aggie muscle. Had Brown known he would score only seven points the entire day, he would have opted for a Fran-like field goal.
But the play was telling of what was to come. The Aggies won both lines of scrimmage, stuffing Texas while also running over the nation's top-ranked run defense. With one pitch, A&M running back Mike Goodson gained almost as many yards as Texas had been giving up a game.
UT's inability to run, however, is what confuses. After all, don't Texas coaches say this might be their best offensive line ever? Aren't Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young talented? And hadn't Colt McCoy loosened up defenses?
The Longhorns' error might have been sticking with the offense that made Vince Young famous; slow-developing delays don't take advantage of their strong blockers and fast runners. It's no coincidence that when Texas scored its one touchdown Friday, it did so with Charles running out of the power-I formation.
As for Young and his impact on the run: Texas lost three games this season, which is about how many it would have lost last season without him.
Young might have converted that fourth down in the first quarter, too. But with mere humans lined up against A&M, the Longhorns failed. They finished with only 70 rushing yards for the day, 174 fewer than the Aggies.
Brown says this is something to "re-evaluate," when Franchione's assistants already had. Another sign of the end of the run? It's fair to say the A&M staff outcoached Texas'.
That won't sting Brown, because he still works in the glow of last season. Maybe that's why he likes the message he stuck with Friday. Even as he congratulated the Aggies, he made sure to remind everyone of his school's recent record against them.
"I've gotten spoiled like everyone else," Brown said with a you-can't-win-them-all shrug.
That works today. But as it was with a high-scoring night in Kansas, a low-scoring afternoon reshuffled the order of things. Franchione has something to sell recruits, and the Longhorns have a few things to worry about.
Now?
Anyone could have the next run.