1. So, that's what a Charlie Strong-led Texas Longhorn team looks like. On a night when there was a lot of good and some bad mixed in on the field, the bottom line to these eyes was the fact that the Longhorns played with a different mojo than we've seen in Austin for a few years, especially on the defensive side of the ball. From the opening kickoff of the game, the Longhorns played the game as intimidators and while the game wasn't an outright blowout, it was pretty much complete domination. In terms of first impressions, I was impressed with what Strong and his coaching staff have been able to do with this team.
2. How good was the Texas defense on Saturday night? Through the first 45 minutes of the game, North Texas had amassed 40 total yards, was 0 for 9 on third downs and had committed three turnovers. More than the stats, it was the speed, talent and athleticism of each layer on the defense that stood out, as the Texas defense looked like a unit that is going to produce some NFL players before it is all said and done.
3. While the defense was as stout as we've seen a Texas defense look since 2009, the offense was another story. In what can be described as a total work in progress, you could sense the coaches trying to build confidence with this group, while trying not to open things up too much yet because that level of trust just doesn't exist , especially until the offensive line can find its collective footing (which did not happen tonight) and the quarterback settles into a comfortable groove (kind of happened tonight). Until those things happen, the Longhorns are going to play offense a little bit inside of a phone booth, as they try to run the football and run the passing game through short- and intermediate channels.
4. One thing that this team cannot afford is injuries up front on the offensive line because I'm not sure the Longhorns have five linemen they can trust, let alone six, seven or eight. With Desmond Harrison out via suspension, the sight of Dom Espinosa leaving the game in the second half with a cringe-worthy ankle injury leaves this group in a very scary position. Espinosa ranks as the only true experienced starter on the team and now he'll give way to redshirt freshman Jake Raulerson until he can return, which is concerning with BYU and UCLA looming on the schedule. If Harrison returns next week, the Longhorn offensive line will still represent a major concern going into the game because it did not really control the line of scrimmage against North Texas. Joe Wickline has his work cut out for him.
5. As far as David Ash's return to action is concerned, I thought he was okay. The good news is that he took a lot of shots and never seemed any worse for wear, while occasionally making plays out of nothing. The bad news is that his comfort in the passing game within the new scheme seems somewhat limited to a fairly small portion of the field. Moving forward, he'll have to expand his ability to deliver throws all over the field and not just in a short box around the line of scrimmage. I don't want to sound like I'm being overly negative with Ash's performance because he deserves passing grades, but he's going to have to be much better starting next week.
6. If you want positives on the offensive side of the ball, look no further than senior John Harris, who represented Ash's security blanket all night with a career high seven catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Although he dropped a couple of balls early on and robbed himself of another touchdown when the turf monster grabbed him inside the five-yard line, Harris made play after play on Saturday night, as Ash seemed to look for him as much as all other receivers combined. Teams will adjust to Harris moving forward and he won't be allowed to simply roam around the field in the coming weeks, but his continued emergence is critical.
7. When Charlie Strong spoke this week about needing more oomph out of his skill position players, especially at receiver, I think we could all see what he meant as the game went along. There just weren't a lot of easy yards in the passing game tonight.
8. The biggest concern about a running game that averaged 4.4 yards per carry on the night is that the Texas running backs had a very difficult time getting to the second level of the defense without having to fend off contact from all directions at the line of scrimmage. Specifically, Malcolm Brown (65 yards on 13 carries) really had a difficult time getting started because there just wasn't a lot of running room to find.
9. The bright spot in the running game tonight was the return of Johnathan Gray to the field. Call me crazy, but Gray looked as explosive tonight as he has at any point in his Longhorn career, which would seem like hyperbole when you consider the injury he's coming off of, but that's what my eyes told me … he looked explosive tonight in racking up 82 yards on 16 carries.
10. The defense deserved a shutout tonight.
11. The best sign of improved coaching around these parts is watching players that were once left for dead like John Harris, DeMarco Cobbs and Mykkele Thompson making important contributions tonight. Under Mack Brown, those players were mostly useless, but under Charlie Strong's direction they've developed into vital pieces of the team's ability to have success this season.
12. Speaking of Mykkele Thompson, was that a different-looking player than we've seen in the past, or what? Thompson couldn't be trusted at times last season to make basic plays and he was all over the field making plays tonight, especially in the run game where he showed a complete 180-degree turn in his level of physicality. I predicted all off-season that he was going to come up big this season for the Longhorns and he turned me into a mini-prophet for at least one night. Well done, Mykkele.
13. Also, if we're going to talk about players who have transformed themselves under Strong, look no further than senior linebacker Steve Edmond, who was a force in the middle of the Texas defense tonight. Everything about his play, from tackling in the box to his body language looked different than a year ago. The challenges increase in difficulty from here, but Edmond is clearly "a Charlie Strong guy."
14. Dylan Haines recording the first interception for the Texas defense on the year is a moment that he'll likely cherish for the rest of his life. Honestly, how cool was that?
15. The sudden change offense for the Longhorns needs to be better than it was in the first quarter when the unit turned the Haines pick, which was returned inside the North Texas 20-yard line, into a three-and-out, a delay of game on fourth down and then a missed field goal.
16. It kind of scares you to death, but the play that Ash made on third down in the first half when he spun out of trouble and converted a pass for the first down was not only pretty extraordinary, but it's the kind of thing this offense will need more of in the future until big plays are more easy to come by.
17. The play-action bootleg/waggle that turns into a pass into the flat seems to be a play we might see 75 times this season at a minimum.
18. The left side of the Texas offensive line was a problem for much of the night, especially when Hutchins and Sedrick Flowers were on the same side together. Man, the Longhorns need Desmond Harrison to be good.
19. At one point in the second half once Espinosa went out with an injury, the line from right to left included Kennedy Estelle, Sedrick Flowers, Jake Raulerson, Taylor Doyle and Marcus Hutchins.
20. Back in the first half when the line was still completely healthy, the Longhorns ran the ball three times inside the North Texas four-yard line and couldn't punch it in. That's worrisome.
21. I can't believe I waited until the 21st point to bring up his name, but Jordan Hicks was outstanding tonight. In fact, the entire starting linebacker unit was outstanding tonight, but Hicks not only made plays, he made big plays against the run and in pass defense. Welcome back, Jordan.
22. Hassan Ridgeway's two sacks give you an indication of just how good he can be in time. His upside is limitless.
23. Desmond Jackson and Malcom Brown owned the tackle box all night. That's what Charlie Strong needs each Saturday from them.
24. On the same play in the fourth quarter, Ash was lucky he wasn't pick-sixed and Jacorey Warrick took a touchdown away from himself when he stepped out of bounds after breaking into the clear. You'll expect some of this to clean itself up in the coming weeks with more game reps.
25. Armanti Foreman can scoot. Get that kid some more passing game reps.
26. We had a D'Onta Foreman sighting and I fully expect him to be nominated for the Hall of Fame by the Orangebloods world by end of the weekend.
27. Nick Rose started the game with a touchback and knocked three more into the end zone, but also had one go out of bounds on him. Still, I'd call that a solid start for the kickoff specialist.
28. You know how you know money matters more than feelings? Red McCombs flipped the coin before the game. That's how.
29. What the hell was up with Jet Pack Man flying into the stadium? That was kind of weird for everyone.
30. Finally, just to drive the point home, I thought this was a really nice start for the Charlie Strong era in Austin. It wasn't A+ stuff, but it was in the neighborhood of an A- if you're grading with the first-game curve. Next up is BYU and a chance for the program to win some of its pride back.
This post was edited on 8/31 12:27 AM by Suchomel
2. How good was the Texas defense on Saturday night? Through the first 45 minutes of the game, North Texas had amassed 40 total yards, was 0 for 9 on third downs and had committed three turnovers. More than the stats, it was the speed, talent and athleticism of each layer on the defense that stood out, as the Texas defense looked like a unit that is going to produce some NFL players before it is all said and done.
3. While the defense was as stout as we've seen a Texas defense look since 2009, the offense was another story. In what can be described as a total work in progress, you could sense the coaches trying to build confidence with this group, while trying not to open things up too much yet because that level of trust just doesn't exist , especially until the offensive line can find its collective footing (which did not happen tonight) and the quarterback settles into a comfortable groove (kind of happened tonight). Until those things happen, the Longhorns are going to play offense a little bit inside of a phone booth, as they try to run the football and run the passing game through short- and intermediate channels.
4. One thing that this team cannot afford is injuries up front on the offensive line because I'm not sure the Longhorns have five linemen they can trust, let alone six, seven or eight. With Desmond Harrison out via suspension, the sight of Dom Espinosa leaving the game in the second half with a cringe-worthy ankle injury leaves this group in a very scary position. Espinosa ranks as the only true experienced starter on the team and now he'll give way to redshirt freshman Jake Raulerson until he can return, which is concerning with BYU and UCLA looming on the schedule. If Harrison returns next week, the Longhorn offensive line will still represent a major concern going into the game because it did not really control the line of scrimmage against North Texas. Joe Wickline has his work cut out for him.
5. As far as David Ash's return to action is concerned, I thought he was okay. The good news is that he took a lot of shots and never seemed any worse for wear, while occasionally making plays out of nothing. The bad news is that his comfort in the passing game within the new scheme seems somewhat limited to a fairly small portion of the field. Moving forward, he'll have to expand his ability to deliver throws all over the field and not just in a short box around the line of scrimmage. I don't want to sound like I'm being overly negative with Ash's performance because he deserves passing grades, but he's going to have to be much better starting next week.
6. If you want positives on the offensive side of the ball, look no further than senior John Harris, who represented Ash's security blanket all night with a career high seven catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Although he dropped a couple of balls early on and robbed himself of another touchdown when the turf monster grabbed him inside the five-yard line, Harris made play after play on Saturday night, as Ash seemed to look for him as much as all other receivers combined. Teams will adjust to Harris moving forward and he won't be allowed to simply roam around the field in the coming weeks, but his continued emergence is critical.
7. When Charlie Strong spoke this week about needing more oomph out of his skill position players, especially at receiver, I think we could all see what he meant as the game went along. There just weren't a lot of easy yards in the passing game tonight.
8. The biggest concern about a running game that averaged 4.4 yards per carry on the night is that the Texas running backs had a very difficult time getting to the second level of the defense without having to fend off contact from all directions at the line of scrimmage. Specifically, Malcolm Brown (65 yards on 13 carries) really had a difficult time getting started because there just wasn't a lot of running room to find.
9. The bright spot in the running game tonight was the return of Johnathan Gray to the field. Call me crazy, but Gray looked as explosive tonight as he has at any point in his Longhorn career, which would seem like hyperbole when you consider the injury he's coming off of, but that's what my eyes told me … he looked explosive tonight in racking up 82 yards on 16 carries.
10. The defense deserved a shutout tonight.
11. The best sign of improved coaching around these parts is watching players that were once left for dead like John Harris, DeMarco Cobbs and Mykkele Thompson making important contributions tonight. Under Mack Brown, those players were mostly useless, but under Charlie Strong's direction they've developed into vital pieces of the team's ability to have success this season.
12. Speaking of Mykkele Thompson, was that a different-looking player than we've seen in the past, or what? Thompson couldn't be trusted at times last season to make basic plays and he was all over the field making plays tonight, especially in the run game where he showed a complete 180-degree turn in his level of physicality. I predicted all off-season that he was going to come up big this season for the Longhorns and he turned me into a mini-prophet for at least one night. Well done, Mykkele.
13. Also, if we're going to talk about players who have transformed themselves under Strong, look no further than senior linebacker Steve Edmond, who was a force in the middle of the Texas defense tonight. Everything about his play, from tackling in the box to his body language looked different than a year ago. The challenges increase in difficulty from here, but Edmond is clearly "a Charlie Strong guy."
14. Dylan Haines recording the first interception for the Texas defense on the year is a moment that he'll likely cherish for the rest of his life. Honestly, how cool was that?
15. The sudden change offense for the Longhorns needs to be better than it was in the first quarter when the unit turned the Haines pick, which was returned inside the North Texas 20-yard line, into a three-and-out, a delay of game on fourth down and then a missed field goal.
16. It kind of scares you to death, but the play that Ash made on third down in the first half when he spun out of trouble and converted a pass for the first down was not only pretty extraordinary, but it's the kind of thing this offense will need more of in the future until big plays are more easy to come by.
17. The play-action bootleg/waggle that turns into a pass into the flat seems to be a play we might see 75 times this season at a minimum.
18. The left side of the Texas offensive line was a problem for much of the night, especially when Hutchins and Sedrick Flowers were on the same side together. Man, the Longhorns need Desmond Harrison to be good.
19. At one point in the second half once Espinosa went out with an injury, the line from right to left included Kennedy Estelle, Sedrick Flowers, Jake Raulerson, Taylor Doyle and Marcus Hutchins.
20. Back in the first half when the line was still completely healthy, the Longhorns ran the ball three times inside the North Texas four-yard line and couldn't punch it in. That's worrisome.
21. I can't believe I waited until the 21st point to bring up his name, but Jordan Hicks was outstanding tonight. In fact, the entire starting linebacker unit was outstanding tonight, but Hicks not only made plays, he made big plays against the run and in pass defense. Welcome back, Jordan.
22. Hassan Ridgeway's two sacks give you an indication of just how good he can be in time. His upside is limitless.
23. Desmond Jackson and Malcom Brown owned the tackle box all night. That's what Charlie Strong needs each Saturday from them.
24. On the same play in the fourth quarter, Ash was lucky he wasn't pick-sixed and Jacorey Warrick took a touchdown away from himself when he stepped out of bounds after breaking into the clear. You'll expect some of this to clean itself up in the coming weeks with more game reps.
25. Armanti Foreman can scoot. Get that kid some more passing game reps.
26. We had a D'Onta Foreman sighting and I fully expect him to be nominated for the Hall of Fame by the Orangebloods world by end of the weekend.
27. Nick Rose started the game with a touchback and knocked three more into the end zone, but also had one go out of bounds on him. Still, I'd call that a solid start for the kickoff specialist.
28. You know how you know money matters more than feelings? Red McCombs flipped the coin before the game. That's how.
29. What the hell was up with Jet Pack Man flying into the stadium? That was kind of weird for everyone.
30. Finally, just to drive the point home, I thought this was a really nice start for the Charlie Strong era in Austin. It wasn't A+ stuff, but it was in the neighborhood of an A- if you're grading with the first-game curve. Next up is BYU and a chance for the program to win some of its pride back.
This post was edited on 8/31 12:27 AM by Suchomel
