There's no reason to get too wordy on the breakdown of events at NRG Stadium on Saturday night.
Rice didn't belong on the same field as the No. 12 Texas Longhorns and Tom Herman's team treated the Owels as such.
The offense did what it wanted. The defense did what it wanted. The special teams flexed with a 57-yard field goal just for sport.
When the Longhorns are one of the nation's best teams, this type of beatdown should be the norm against teams with an 0-2 record coming into the game.
Not only did Texas look like one of the nation's top 10 teams, I'm starting to look at the offense and wonder if we're watching one of the best offenses in the history of the program. It's not quite the powerhouse that the 2005 group was, but the roll call beyond that isn't going to be long.
Other than the injury to Zach Shackelford, it was pretty much a perfect night for the Longhorns.
On to next week. The Mullet will bring a much bigger challenge.
(Other thoughts on the game ...)
* Sam Ehlinger had one of the best nights of what is turning into one of the best careers in school history. Consider these numbers...
First quarter stats: 11 of 12 for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Rating: 269.2
First half stats: 19 of 22 for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Rating: 217.7
Final stats: 23 of 27 for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Rating: 208.7
He's just sensational.
* After the first quarter ended, it looked like Roschon Johnson was taking Keaontay Ingram's job, as Johnson averaged 5.0 yards per carry in the first quarter, while Ingram was sitting at 0.8 yards per carry. Full credit to Ingram for turning it on in the second quarter and keeping it going into the second half.
* The running back position combined for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries, along with nine catches for 60 yards and a touchdown in the receiving game. That's a good step in the right direction, even if it is only Rice.
* Roschon Johnson had his first real "wow" performance of his career. Man, he looks good.
* These blowouts are going to impact Devin Duvernay's chances to lead the nation in receptions. He turned in a very ho-hum six catches for 60 yards, which says a lot about the new standard he is setting.
* Cameron Dicker is some weapon for the Longhorns at place-kicker. That 57-yard bomb he made in the second quarter would have been good from at least 60 yards. In a future big game, his presence will eventually be a big deal.
* It's too early to know what the injury to Zach Shackelford will mean from both a short- and long-term standpoint, but it looked bad as soon as it happened when you consider how badly he got rolled up under. The good news is that Derek Kerstetter moved to center and the offense didn't skip too much of a beat with the reshuffling of the line.
* Keondre Coburn recorded the defensive line's first sack in the second quarter and Malcolm Roach almost recorded the unit's second two plays later. I know Tom Herman said that his defensive linemen don't need stats to be hugely effective, but man, they sure do help.
* In general, the Texas defensive line dominated the battle at the line of scrimmage.
* I'm not really sure if anything we saw with the Texas secondary will matter next week when Oklahoma State and Tylan Wallace come to town, but it had to be a good feeling for those defensive backs that have struggled to come out of this game with a clean body of work. I don't remember Kobe Boyce or Anthony Cook giving up a reception all night.
* If there was one player that struggled, it might have been Josh Thompson, who had his hands full with Austin Trammell and it was his face-mask penalty on third and long that allowed Rice to stay on the field for its only scoring drive of the season.
* Kobe Boyce will never have a better chance at a pick-six than he did in the second quarter when he jumped the route like a boss and let the ball go through his hands like a guy playing defensive back because he can't catch the ball well enough to play offense. That's one he'll dream about tonight.
* Jeffery McCulloch had a nice night. Although he didn't finish on a couple of sack opportunities, he was impactful from start to finish. He was everywhere.
* It was fascinating to see the Longhorns feature Malcolm Epps like it was the spring game in the first quarter. Mental note: On the big play that didn't count, Epps hit the wall at about 30 yards. Mental note taken.
* Jake Smith might finish this season with near-double digit touchdowns.
* Juwan Mitchell came in on defense on the team's second defensive snap of the ball and he seems to be a guy that is getting better each week. I'm not sure how much longer Ayodele Adeoye is going to hold him off.
* Daniel Young ran hard to night. Nice job coming off the high ankle sprain, young man.
* I can't believe the Texas defense didn't score tonight. I thought it was coming all night.
* Not only did the coaching staff get the ball into Ingram's hands on the first offensive touch of the game, but he got the first five touches of the game. Nice job by the Texas coaches to make sure they threw him into the fire in an effort to move on from the LSU game.
* D'Shawn Jamison made a lot of folks happy with that kickoff return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and I'm not just talking about his friends and family in the stands. Vegas abides.
Rice didn't belong on the same field as the No. 12 Texas Longhorns and Tom Herman's team treated the Owels as such.
The offense did what it wanted. The defense did what it wanted. The special teams flexed with a 57-yard field goal just for sport.
When the Longhorns are one of the nation's best teams, this type of beatdown should be the norm against teams with an 0-2 record coming into the game.
Not only did Texas look like one of the nation's top 10 teams, I'm starting to look at the offense and wonder if we're watching one of the best offenses in the history of the program. It's not quite the powerhouse that the 2005 group was, but the roll call beyond that isn't going to be long.
Other than the injury to Zach Shackelford, it was pretty much a perfect night for the Longhorns.
On to next week. The Mullet will bring a much bigger challenge.
(Other thoughts on the game ...)
* Sam Ehlinger had one of the best nights of what is turning into one of the best careers in school history. Consider these numbers...
First quarter stats: 11 of 12 for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Rating: 269.2
First half stats: 19 of 22 for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Rating: 217.7
Final stats: 23 of 27 for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Rating: 208.7
He's just sensational.
* After the first quarter ended, it looked like Roschon Johnson was taking Keaontay Ingram's job, as Johnson averaged 5.0 yards per carry in the first quarter, while Ingram was sitting at 0.8 yards per carry. Full credit to Ingram for turning it on in the second quarter and keeping it going into the second half.
* The running back position combined for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries, along with nine catches for 60 yards and a touchdown in the receiving game. That's a good step in the right direction, even if it is only Rice.
* Roschon Johnson had his first real "wow" performance of his career. Man, he looks good.
* These blowouts are going to impact Devin Duvernay's chances to lead the nation in receptions. He turned in a very ho-hum six catches for 60 yards, which says a lot about the new standard he is setting.
* Cameron Dicker is some weapon for the Longhorns at place-kicker. That 57-yard bomb he made in the second quarter would have been good from at least 60 yards. In a future big game, his presence will eventually be a big deal.
* It's too early to know what the injury to Zach Shackelford will mean from both a short- and long-term standpoint, but it looked bad as soon as it happened when you consider how badly he got rolled up under. The good news is that Derek Kerstetter moved to center and the offense didn't skip too much of a beat with the reshuffling of the line.
* Keondre Coburn recorded the defensive line's first sack in the second quarter and Malcolm Roach almost recorded the unit's second two plays later. I know Tom Herman said that his defensive linemen don't need stats to be hugely effective, but man, they sure do help.
* In general, the Texas defensive line dominated the battle at the line of scrimmage.
* I'm not really sure if anything we saw with the Texas secondary will matter next week when Oklahoma State and Tylan Wallace come to town, but it had to be a good feeling for those defensive backs that have struggled to come out of this game with a clean body of work. I don't remember Kobe Boyce or Anthony Cook giving up a reception all night.
* If there was one player that struggled, it might have been Josh Thompson, who had his hands full with Austin Trammell and it was his face-mask penalty on third and long that allowed Rice to stay on the field for its only scoring drive of the season.
* Kobe Boyce will never have a better chance at a pick-six than he did in the second quarter when he jumped the route like a boss and let the ball go through his hands like a guy playing defensive back because he can't catch the ball well enough to play offense. That's one he'll dream about tonight.
* Jeffery McCulloch had a nice night. Although he didn't finish on a couple of sack opportunities, he was impactful from start to finish. He was everywhere.
* It was fascinating to see the Longhorns feature Malcolm Epps like it was the spring game in the first quarter. Mental note: On the big play that didn't count, Epps hit the wall at about 30 yards. Mental note taken.
* Jake Smith might finish this season with near-double digit touchdowns.
* Juwan Mitchell came in on defense on the team's second defensive snap of the ball and he seems to be a guy that is getting better each week. I'm not sure how much longer Ayodele Adeoye is going to hold him off.
* Daniel Young ran hard to night. Nice job coming off the high ankle sprain, young man.
* I can't believe the Texas defense didn't score tonight. I thought it was coming all night.
* Not only did the coaching staff get the ball into Ingram's hands on the first offensive touch of the game, but he got the first five touches of the game. Nice job by the Texas coaches to make sure they threw him into the fire in an effort to move on from the LSU game.
* D'Shawn Jamison made a lot of folks happy with that kickoff return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and I'm not just talking about his friends and family in the stands. Vegas abides.
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