1. Wow, what words can I even put down to describe the volume of emotions that transpired in the final minutes of this game? From the glory of a stunning comeback that led to flat out pandemonium to the agony of defeat in a matter of seconds, this is a game that fans will remember for a million different reasons, but Nick Rose’s missed PAT following Jerrod Heard’s last-minute heroics will forever remain one of the biggest kicks to the private parts that the collective Longhorns fan-base has ever been forced to deal with. Without knowing where this team goes from here on out, we might look back on that play as a critical one when the Longhorns are potentially trying to qualify for a bowl game in Charlie Strong’s second season.
2. Wow.
3. For a moment, if it’s at all possible, let’s focus on the good from this game, which mainly centers on the play of redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard, who almost single-handedly brought this team back from three touchdowns down in the fourth quarter to a near 45-45 tie with 81 seconds left on the clock. The redshirt freshman, who the coaches felt like wasn’t ready for serious playing time two weeks ago, completed 20 of 31 passes for 364 yards, while rushing for 163 yards and three touchdowns, thus providing the kind of hope at the most important position on the field that this town hasn’t enjoyed in half a decade. Heard’s play was absolutely inspiring.
4. Speaking of inspiring, the Longhorns deserve a lot of credit for never giving up when it would have been easy to, as the Bears laughed it up all over the field after going on a 21-0 run in the third quarter, which translated to a 31-0 run from the moment Johnathan Gray scored a touchdown to give the Horns a 24-14 lead. Somehow this team never put its head down and fought like gladiators until the very end.
5. The biggest quest for the Texas offense now is to continue to build from tonight’s 650 yards of total offense, mostly by expanding the team’s passing game beyond the box it usually works within when Heard isn’t throwing the ball down the field on deep balls. Against better defenses, the team will need to do have a better favorite play than “Heard left or right… run like a chicken with its head cut off.” When it gets there, watch the hell out.
6. On the other side of the coin, the Texas defense played one inspiring quarter once Cal kind of took its foot off the gas in an effort to run clock, but otherwise gave up 500+ yards of offense and looked like a unit that will have a lot of trouble in future games against Oklahoma State, TCU and Oklahoma. If I set the over/under on yards given up by this defense in those three games combined at 1,500, are you taking the over or the under? I’m leaning to the over at this point.
7. Jared Goff is really, really good.
8. Heard was responsible for 527 yards of offense … just needed to type that down and stare at it for a second.
9. The Johnathan Gray Era appears to be over. With the team down by 14 and facing a fourth and 1, D’Onta Foreman was on the field and was the guy the coaches went to in that critical moment. He’s also the guy who scored the touchdown to cut the lead to 45-38. It feels like the baton at running back has been passed.
10. It won’t generate any headlines because you only usually talk about offensive linemen when they play poorly, but I thought Connor Williams played one hell of a game. Not only was he not the guy on the line not making mental mistakes or committing penalties, but I don’t recall him having any real issues with his side of the field, especially on passing downs.
11. On the other side of the coin, Sedrick Flowers and Taylor Doyle have to stop committing critical penalties and bone-headed mistakes. Flowers getting hit with his second unsportsmanlike penalty in three weeks was particularly criminal. On a team full of young players, the older players on offense were often the ones setting the team back.
12. Daje Johnson’s 145 yards receiving means that he’s made plays in two straight weeks and we can start talking about him again with real confidence.
13. Chris Warren didn’t get a lot of touches, but when he did he looked like a guy that needs more carries moving forward.
14. How does Texas not have a return man on the field with seven minutes to go and Jared Goff clearly on the field to pooch punt the ball?
15. Mental mistakes, mental mistakes, mental mistakes … there were too many of them in a game this close.
16. How was there not an ejection on the James Looney face-mask of Jerrod Heard? If the goal is to protect the players on the field, how can Looney stay on the field after such a reckless and dangerous play?
17. One of the key moments in this game occurred in the second quarter with the Longhorns up 24-14 and set to own possession at the beginning of the third quarter. There was a moment there where the Longhorns could have created some real separation and a quick Cal scoring drive (four plays, 75 yards), along with a Heard interception ended that possibility. Hey, when you play a freshman quarterback, there’s going to be some bad with the good, and that was simply one of those bad moments.
18. Shiro Davis missed a sack that led to a touchdown early in the game, but he responded with one of the better games he’s probably ever played for the Longhorns, including a sack and forced fumble of Goff that directly led to points for the Longhorns.
19. Great adjustment by John Burt on the deep ball that went for a long gain. That’s why you take those shots down the field, as they keep the defense honest and sometimes they go for big plays.
20. Third and a mile is Jerrod Heard’s favorite down.
21. Sign of the apocalypse? Texas fullback Alex De La Torre lining out as a wide receiver, running a drag route on third and eight and easily converting for a first down. That happened.
22. The very first note I took tonight was the following: “Nick Rose is damn good on kickoffs.” Doesn’t feel so notable four hours later.
23. Moving forward, this Texas team has to play with the same resolve in future weeks that it showed tonight because the risk exists that this team will be 1-5 or 2-4 in a couple of weeks because the schedule does not do this young team any favors. Charlie Strong and his coaches have to keep the players grinding and fighting because there's a lot of season left and this team is showing sparks. Resolve will be the million dollar word for the next month.
2. Wow.
3. For a moment, if it’s at all possible, let’s focus on the good from this game, which mainly centers on the play of redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard, who almost single-handedly brought this team back from three touchdowns down in the fourth quarter to a near 45-45 tie with 81 seconds left on the clock. The redshirt freshman, who the coaches felt like wasn’t ready for serious playing time two weeks ago, completed 20 of 31 passes for 364 yards, while rushing for 163 yards and three touchdowns, thus providing the kind of hope at the most important position on the field that this town hasn’t enjoyed in half a decade. Heard’s play was absolutely inspiring.
4. Speaking of inspiring, the Longhorns deserve a lot of credit for never giving up when it would have been easy to, as the Bears laughed it up all over the field after going on a 21-0 run in the third quarter, which translated to a 31-0 run from the moment Johnathan Gray scored a touchdown to give the Horns a 24-14 lead. Somehow this team never put its head down and fought like gladiators until the very end.
5. The biggest quest for the Texas offense now is to continue to build from tonight’s 650 yards of total offense, mostly by expanding the team’s passing game beyond the box it usually works within when Heard isn’t throwing the ball down the field on deep balls. Against better defenses, the team will need to do have a better favorite play than “Heard left or right… run like a chicken with its head cut off.” When it gets there, watch the hell out.
6. On the other side of the coin, the Texas defense played one inspiring quarter once Cal kind of took its foot off the gas in an effort to run clock, but otherwise gave up 500+ yards of offense and looked like a unit that will have a lot of trouble in future games against Oklahoma State, TCU and Oklahoma. If I set the over/under on yards given up by this defense in those three games combined at 1,500, are you taking the over or the under? I’m leaning to the over at this point.
7. Jared Goff is really, really good.
8. Heard was responsible for 527 yards of offense … just needed to type that down and stare at it for a second.
9. The Johnathan Gray Era appears to be over. With the team down by 14 and facing a fourth and 1, D’Onta Foreman was on the field and was the guy the coaches went to in that critical moment. He’s also the guy who scored the touchdown to cut the lead to 45-38. It feels like the baton at running back has been passed.
10. It won’t generate any headlines because you only usually talk about offensive linemen when they play poorly, but I thought Connor Williams played one hell of a game. Not only was he not the guy on the line not making mental mistakes or committing penalties, but I don’t recall him having any real issues with his side of the field, especially on passing downs.
11. On the other side of the coin, Sedrick Flowers and Taylor Doyle have to stop committing critical penalties and bone-headed mistakes. Flowers getting hit with his second unsportsmanlike penalty in three weeks was particularly criminal. On a team full of young players, the older players on offense were often the ones setting the team back.
12. Daje Johnson’s 145 yards receiving means that he’s made plays in two straight weeks and we can start talking about him again with real confidence.
13. Chris Warren didn’t get a lot of touches, but when he did he looked like a guy that needs more carries moving forward.
14. How does Texas not have a return man on the field with seven minutes to go and Jared Goff clearly on the field to pooch punt the ball?
15. Mental mistakes, mental mistakes, mental mistakes … there were too many of them in a game this close.
16. How was there not an ejection on the James Looney face-mask of Jerrod Heard? If the goal is to protect the players on the field, how can Looney stay on the field after such a reckless and dangerous play?
17. One of the key moments in this game occurred in the second quarter with the Longhorns up 24-14 and set to own possession at the beginning of the third quarter. There was a moment there where the Longhorns could have created some real separation and a quick Cal scoring drive (four plays, 75 yards), along with a Heard interception ended that possibility. Hey, when you play a freshman quarterback, there’s going to be some bad with the good, and that was simply one of those bad moments.
18. Shiro Davis missed a sack that led to a touchdown early in the game, but he responded with one of the better games he’s probably ever played for the Longhorns, including a sack and forced fumble of Goff that directly led to points for the Longhorns.
19. Great adjustment by John Burt on the deep ball that went for a long gain. That’s why you take those shots down the field, as they keep the defense honest and sometimes they go for big plays.
20. Third and a mile is Jerrod Heard’s favorite down.
21. Sign of the apocalypse? Texas fullback Alex De La Torre lining out as a wide receiver, running a drag route on third and eight and easily converting for a first down. That happened.
22. The very first note I took tonight was the following: “Nick Rose is damn good on kickoffs.” Doesn’t feel so notable four hours later.
23. Moving forward, this Texas team has to play with the same resolve in future weeks that it showed tonight because the risk exists that this team will be 1-5 or 2-4 in a couple of weeks because the schedule does not do this young team any favors. Charlie Strong and his coaches have to keep the players grinding and fighting because there's a lot of season left and this team is showing sparks. Resolve will be the million dollar word for the next month.
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