What if?
It's a hard question to avoid after today.
What if Casey Thompson had started against Arkansas?
What if?
Perhaps it doesn't matter if the end result is one that helps brings clarity to the question of who needs to be directing the Texas Longhorns football team at the quarterback position.
Texas has looked like a different football team with Thompson at quarterback and whether it's unfair or not to position an entire team's combined play to the inclusion of a single player who only plays on one side of the ball, there's no getting away from the fact that the Longhorns have looked like the best team in the Big 12 with Thompson leading the charge.
He was sensational again against Texas Tech, completing 18 of 23 for 303 yards, five touchdowns and a single mistake that ended in a turnover. For those keeping score at home, that makes for a 252 point quarterback efficiency game score. which means that he did actually have a game for the ages.
I'm not sure what it all is going to mean in December, but the Longhorns have responded from its defeat to Arkansas with back to back performances that suggest there's more to this team than the mess it made in Fayetteville.
(Other thoughts...)
... It's starting to look like Alex needs to start thinking about where Jason is going to be buying the staff lunch soon. Any suggestions?
... This is exactly what it felt like in 1994 when James Brown took over the starting position and the play of the team just kind of took off.
... Man, Bijan Robinson is special. I was watching him today and couldn't help but think he looked like a better version of Felix Jones' prime. He's just incredibly scary when he gets to his second gear. It's amazing to think he's going to be around for another season after this one.
... Shout out to the Texas offensive line. Well played, fellas.
... Xavier Worthy doesn't remind me of anyone Texas has ever had at wide receiver. Whatever he ends up becoming historically, he'll be remembered as being an authentic burnt orange original.
... Jordan Whittington had a real bounce back game today with five receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. We've now seen a Texas offense that features strong play from Whittington and Worthy at the same time in the same game... and it was nice.
... That first 10 minutes of the game for the Longhorns was about as perfect as you could ask for. The offense proved unstoppable on both of its first two drives, while the defense forced a stop on its first drive. A 14-0 early lead will do it almost every time.
... Luke Brockermeyer finally got an interception in a game after having so many in the pre-season. The Longhorns need more plays like that in the final 8 weeks of the season.
... It was nice to see Alfred Collins with a big tackle for loss on 3rd and eight in the second quarter. It was even nicer to see him create a passr rush with a third-down sack in the third quarter.
More of that, sir.
... The Longhorns went from blocking a punt for a touchdown that would have made it 21-0 to allowing the Red Raiders to take advantage of the offsides call and cash it for a touchdown to make it 14-7. Talk about a monster swing of events and yet it didn't bother the Longhorns at all. That feels important.
... Josh Thompson basically called "Game. Blouses." with his pick-six that turned the game into a 28-7 runaway. He's this team's best cornerback, right?
... Did D'Shawn Jamison have a couple of coverage breakdowns in an effort to show visiting five-star Denver Harris just how much this team could use a five-star cornerback?
... Darion Dunn keeps getting better. He might play more next week.
... It felt like Texas showed future opponents how it might want to attack its defense with its play in the second and third quarter. back-up quarterback Henry Colombi finished with a quarterback rating that Thompson would approve.
... Ovie Oghoufo had a surprisingly quiet game.
... The first target of the game to the tight end position occurred with less than 8 minutes to go in the second quarter. The position only received two targets all game.
... Marcus Washington is going to lose sleep tonight over tripping on his route on the opening drive because that play had touchdown written all over it.
... I thought Steve Sarkisian's play-calling was fantastic from the opening snap. Look out how diverse the offense was on that opening drive.
* pass into the flat to Joshua Moore (hello!)
* Bijan Robinson run
* Pass to Xavier Worthy on a skinny post
* Bijan run
* Pass to Jordan Whittington (dropped)
* Pass to Whittington (caught)
* Holding on Denzel Okafor
* 1st and 20 - Deep ball to Marcus Washington (trips on his route)
* Pass to Whittington
* Bijan
* Touchdown pass to Bijan
... Interesting choice of captains today: Anthony Cook, Keilan Robinson and Casey Thompson.
... This is so clean.
It's a hard question to avoid after today.
What if Casey Thompson had started against Arkansas?
What if?
Perhaps it doesn't matter if the end result is one that helps brings clarity to the question of who needs to be directing the Texas Longhorns football team at the quarterback position.
Texas has looked like a different football team with Thompson at quarterback and whether it's unfair or not to position an entire team's combined play to the inclusion of a single player who only plays on one side of the ball, there's no getting away from the fact that the Longhorns have looked like the best team in the Big 12 with Thompson leading the charge.
He was sensational again against Texas Tech, completing 18 of 23 for 303 yards, five touchdowns and a single mistake that ended in a turnover. For those keeping score at home, that makes for a 252 point quarterback efficiency game score. which means that he did actually have a game for the ages.
I'm not sure what it all is going to mean in December, but the Longhorns have responded from its defeat to Arkansas with back to back performances that suggest there's more to this team than the mess it made in Fayetteville.
(Other thoughts...)
... It's starting to look like Alex needs to start thinking about where Jason is going to be buying the staff lunch soon. Any suggestions?
... This is exactly what it felt like in 1994 when James Brown took over the starting position and the play of the team just kind of took off.
... Man, Bijan Robinson is special. I was watching him today and couldn't help but think he looked like a better version of Felix Jones' prime. He's just incredibly scary when he gets to his second gear. It's amazing to think he's going to be around for another season after this one.
... Shout out to the Texas offensive line. Well played, fellas.
... Xavier Worthy doesn't remind me of anyone Texas has ever had at wide receiver. Whatever he ends up becoming historically, he'll be remembered as being an authentic burnt orange original.
... Jordan Whittington had a real bounce back game today with five receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. We've now seen a Texas offense that features strong play from Whittington and Worthy at the same time in the same game... and it was nice.
... That first 10 minutes of the game for the Longhorns was about as perfect as you could ask for. The offense proved unstoppable on both of its first two drives, while the defense forced a stop on its first drive. A 14-0 early lead will do it almost every time.
... Luke Brockermeyer finally got an interception in a game after having so many in the pre-season. The Longhorns need more plays like that in the final 8 weeks of the season.
... It was nice to see Alfred Collins with a big tackle for loss on 3rd and eight in the second quarter. It was even nicer to see him create a passr rush with a third-down sack in the third quarter.
More of that, sir.
... The Longhorns went from blocking a punt for a touchdown that would have made it 21-0 to allowing the Red Raiders to take advantage of the offsides call and cash it for a touchdown to make it 14-7. Talk about a monster swing of events and yet it didn't bother the Longhorns at all. That feels important.
... Josh Thompson basically called "Game. Blouses." with his pick-six that turned the game into a 28-7 runaway. He's this team's best cornerback, right?
... Did D'Shawn Jamison have a couple of coverage breakdowns in an effort to show visiting five-star Denver Harris just how much this team could use a five-star cornerback?
... Darion Dunn keeps getting better. He might play more next week.
... It felt like Texas showed future opponents how it might want to attack its defense with its play in the second and third quarter. back-up quarterback Henry Colombi finished with a quarterback rating that Thompson would approve.
... Ovie Oghoufo had a surprisingly quiet game.
... The first target of the game to the tight end position occurred with less than 8 minutes to go in the second quarter. The position only received two targets all game.
... Marcus Washington is going to lose sleep tonight over tripping on his route on the opening drive because that play had touchdown written all over it.
... I thought Steve Sarkisian's play-calling was fantastic from the opening snap. Look out how diverse the offense was on that opening drive.
* pass into the flat to Joshua Moore (hello!)
* Bijan Robinson run
* Pass to Xavier Worthy on a skinny post
* Bijan run
* Pass to Jordan Whittington (dropped)
* Pass to Whittington (caught)
* Holding on Denzel Okafor
* 1st and 20 - Deep ball to Marcus Washington (trips on his route)
* Pass to Whittington
* Bijan
* Touchdown pass to Bijan
... Interesting choice of captains today: Anthony Cook, Keilan Robinson and Casey Thompson.
... This is so clean.
