The Texas defense had a moment on Saturday night.
Inside of what amounted to mostly 60 minutes of domination at Kyle Field against an outmanned group of Aggies, there was a glimpse of an opening for college football's Peter Brady in the fourth quarter following a couple of red zone turnovers and a blocked punt that left the Longhorns only 19 yards away from being in a one-score game in the final moments of action.
It was like watching a boxer dominate the first nine rounds of a championship fight, only to catch a shot on the chin in the 10th round that briefly leaves the knees wobbly and the crowd thinking that everything that happened in the first nine rounds might not matter.
Pete Kwiatkowski's boys simply wouldn't have it.
Huff and puff at the edge of the end zone all the Aggies might have wanted to, the iron will from the likes of Vernon Broughton, Michael Taaffe, Anthony Hill, Jahdae Barron and eventually Ethan Burke simply wouldn't break. When Burke shot through the A&M line and crushed Amari Daniels for a three-yard loss on the single biggest play of the season, the thing that we've all whispered quietly all season was loudly reinforced.
This is truly a great defense. Not very good. Not damn good. Legitimately great.
Great enough to warrant a discussion about its place in all-time hierarchy of a program that has known a thing or two about great defenses over the decades.
If we're thinking about the ones that truly stand out from the pack, the 2009 defense that led Texas to the brink of a national title is the first one from the last 30 years that comes to mind. Go back 40 years and you'll find the 1983 defense. Go back just a little further and there's the 1979 defense. Keep going back and you'll see units that spearheaded national championship runs in the 1960s.
It's simply not hyperbole to say that the 2024 defense belongs in that conversation and that what happens in the next six weeks could determine just how high this unit's reputation climbs.
It's interesting to note that the 2009 team featured two All-Americans (Earl Thomas and Sergio Kindle) and two more 2nd-team All-Big 12 players (Lamarr Houston and Roddrick Muckelroy). I think we're going to see at least that many Longhorns with All-America and All-SEC honors in the coming weeks, as Jahdae Barron and Anthony Hill will make a fair share of All-America teams. Michael Taaffe might as well. The likes of Alfred Collins, Vernon Broughton, Malik Muhammad and Andrew Mukuba could rightfully see their names on various All-SEC polls.
Consider this head-to-head battle with the 2009 Texas defense in a couple of key stats.
Scoring defense: 2009 (16.7) 2024 (11.67)
Yards per carry allowed: 2009 (2.2) 2024 (3.1)
Yards per pass attempt: 2009 (5.5) 2024 (5.5)
Pass Efficiency: 2009 (100.5) 2024 (94.93)
Red-Zone Touchdowns: 2009 (53%) 2024 (45.8%)
Sacks per game: 2009 (3.3) 2024 (3.0)
Interceptions per game: 2009 (1.8) 2024 (1.5)
Turnovers per game: 2009 (2.6) 2024 (2.2)
Third-downs: 2009 (26%) 2024 (30%)
It's pretty damn close. That's the kind of performance levels we're seeing.
Now it's just a matter of what this unit will do in the postseason, but it is truly the unit that makes this team a favorite for the national title.
No. 2 - The Texas Defense: Take of the Tape ...
Here's where the Texas defense ranks in the major statistical categories ...
Scoring Defense: (11.67) 2nd nationally
Total Defense: (247.2): 3rd nationally
Passing yards allowed: (143.7) 1st nationally
Rushing yards Allowed: (103.5) 12th nationally
3rd down defense: (30.3%) 6th nationally
Red-Zone Percentage: (66.7) 3rd nationally
Red-Zone Scores Allowed: (8) 2nd nationally
Red-Zone Passing TDs Allowed: (3) 1st nationally
Red-Zone Rushing TDs Allowed: (8) 7th nationally
First Downs: (177) 3rd nationally
Team Passing Efficiency: (94.93) 2nd nationally
Team Sacks: (2.92 per game) 15th nationally
Team Tackles For Loss: (7.1 per game) 19th nationally
Turnovers Gained: (26) 5th nationally
No. 3 - Quinn's Legacy
Quinn Ewers became only the fourth player in the last 50 years at Texas to beat Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M in the same season as a starter. Only Colt McCoy (2008), Peter Gardere (1990) and Randy McEachern (1977) had previously done it.
It doesn't feel like an insignificant accomplishment, especially when you consider that he's about to play for his second conference championship, qualify for his second straight playoff spot and has produced an 11-game road winnings streak to conclude his career.
He's never going to be remembered for having the best stats in school history, but when it comes to winning as a starter, he doesn't have to take a backseat to many people.
No. 4 - Talking Georgia ...
As I mentioned in Wednesday's War Room, the Texas players have been eagerly anticipating a rematch with Georgia.
Inside the Texas locker room, there has been a much stronger thirst to get a piece of the Dawgs a second time this season than there was to get a piece of the Aggies last week. From what I was told last week in a conversation with a person with daily conversations with a number of players, it wasn't so much the loss to Georgia that has bothered the players as much as it was the poor performance.
It's probably too much to say that they've been haunted by the loss, but it sure as hell has bothered the players in that locker room to the point that it is still being talked about nearly two months later.
I can't tell you that I know what is going to happen on Saturday in Atlanta, but I feel safe in reporting that you can probably take it with a real sense of certainty that this team will not have a hangover from this weekend.
No. 5 - Scattershooting (Burnt-Orange Style...) ... ...
* Tre Wisner is sitting at 812 yards and will pass the 1,000-yard mark if he can average 94 yards over the course of the next two games. If you assume that the Longhorns will play more than one playoff game, he'll need to average 63 yards over three games or 47 yards over four games. It feels like he's going to pull it off.
* Greg Robinson remains my favorite Texas DC since I've covered the team, but Kwiatkowski is in the discussion.
* The highest-rated Longhorns player from the A&M game per PFF? That would be Liona Lefau, who was given a grade of 91.2 for his performance.
* Gunnar Helm has been such a boss this season. I'm fascinated to see how NFL teams end up viewing him in the Draft process.
* Michael Taaffe has been a legit All-America level player this season. Believe it.
* I am not going to be shocked if Matthew Golden goes pro after this season.
* Come on, Bert. Gonna need you to be better down the stretch. It really matters now.
No. 6 - If I had a vote that mattered ...
1. Oregon
2. Texas
3. Notre Dame
4. Georgia
5. Penn State
6. Tennessee
7. Ohio State
8. SMU
9. Indiana
10. South Carolina
Heisman Trophy
1. WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado)
2. RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)
3. DE Abdul Carter (Penn State)
4. CB Jahdae Barron (Texas)
5. QB Kurtis Rourke (Indiana)
No. 7 - This and that ...
... My daughter attended her first Texas volleyball game on Saturday and was able to enjoy a UT win in 5 games. The Longhorns finished second in the SEC in the regular season, one game behind Kentucky.
... It's been a relatively uneventful last few weeks for the men's basketball team as it has raised its record to 6-1, but they'll take on the No. 69 team (NC State on Wednesday) in the current kenpom.com rankings, along with the No. 24 team (UConn on Sunday).
... Points through seven career games: Tre Johnson (148) Kevin Durant (163)
... Going into Sunday's game against No. 10 West Virginia, the women's basketball team hasn't had any of its first six opponents keep the score within 30.
... In her last full season of action, Texas point guard Rori Harmon averaged 11.2. points 5.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. Through six games, Harmon is averaging 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game, while her shooting numbers from the field and three-point range are down from last season as well.
No. 8 – BUY or SELL …
(Buy) I think the Longhorns are better and will play a much better game than the first time around.
(Buy) Can we count Michael Terry, who is rated by at least one service as a 5 star?
(Buy) It makes a lot of sense to have someone in the red-zone at the quarterback position that gives you a run threat.
(Sell) The Ewers from last night wasn't good enough to win a national championship.
(Buy) Oh yeah.
(Sell) He's not doing a 16-year stint. I'm not sure we'll see that much moving forward. But, hey, only 12 more years to go.
(Buy) It's not rocket science.
(Sell) It's close, but I'll go with Ewers being able to be as mobile as he was for four quarters.
(Sell) I'm not ready to say yes without some real thinking on it, but my gut says no.
(Buy) He needs another year.
(Sell) That just seems unlikely based on the current trends.
(Buy) That's probably spot on.
(Buy) The no-fun police will put an end to this. Soon.
(Buy) Of course.
No. 9 – Scattershooting all over the place …
... Of course, Georgia is going to play 10X better this weekend than it did against Georgia Tech or in any other game it has played this season outside of three or four performances. Texas will get its best shot.
... Michigan owns Ohio State. That feels like it came out of nowhere and yet there's not a single kid in that OSU program that has signed since 2021 that knows what it feels like to beat Michigan.
... Give Travis Hunter the Heisman. He's earned it.
... Notre Dame might be really good, folks.
... Miami's season was just one big waste. That Cam Ward season is worthless.
... No team had a better weekend in losing than Clemson did. Coughed up a late lead to South Carolina, but found a backdoor pass to the ACC title game? Talk about mixed emotions.
... Pooooooooooor Sooooooooooooners.
... I found myself really not paying attention to the NFL much on Sunday even though I had the red-zone channel up for six hours. What happened?
... Premier League Ramblings: There's a lot of football to be played, but my Liverpool team is the best team in the world right now. Holy hell, that was some kind of performance against Man City. Now we got to shake it off and get ready for Newcastle on Wednesday. This freaking league never slows down. Hey Arsenal, we see you. LFG!!!! I'm not convinced that Man City will make the top 4. That looks like a broken team. I hate that I kind of like Man United's new manager. That's not supposed to happen! Tottenham is such a weird club.
No. 10 – The List: Stevie Wonder
Honorable Mention: As, Fingertips (Part II), Boogie On Reggae Woman, Do Yourself a Favor, For Once in My Life and My Cherie Amour
10. Lately
One of his most underrated songs. It has to make my Top 10.
9. Isn't She Lovely
The harmonica play on this track is to die for.
8. Part-Time Lover
Probably my favorite 80s track from Stevie. I love this song.
7. Sir Duke
Written after the 1974 death of Duke Ellington. I didn't know that until today.
6. You Are The Sunshine of My Life
Arguably the best vocal performance of his career.
5. Higher Ground
Funky as funky gets. That's bass line.
4. Uptight
Per Rolling Stone: "Wonder nearly lost his contract in 1965. His voice was changing; he wasn’t having hits. At Motown, the latter was a no-no, and the former didn’t help. Then staff writer Sylvia Moy lobbied to work with him, bringing in Hank Cosby and asking after Stevie’s own songs. “He would come up with pieces of tunes from the keyboard,” Moy said. “He played through everything, and I didn’t like anything.” Stevie had one more idea, which went: “Baby, everything is all right, uptight.” Riding a powerful rhythm track that echoed the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction,” his youthful high end distilled into a hard brass tenor, the first reinvention of Stevie Wonder was complete — and a hit, Number One on the Billboard R&B chart and Number Three on the Hot 100."
3. Living for the City
Another one of Stevie's masterpieces from the 1970s.
2. Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)
This was Stevie's goodbye to Motown from the 60s and hello to what he would pull off in the 70s.
1. Superstition
Rollins Stone magazine says, "There is no greater or more complete self-reinvention in modern pop than the metamorphosis of Little Stevie Wonder, Motown hitmaking cog, to Stevie Wonder, fully adult self-defining genius, and there is no more definitive marker of that shift than this record. Originally meant as a demo for Jeff Beck, Wonder threw it together quickly, but it was soon apparent that he was going to have to keep it for himself — the track was just too good."
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