Photo via HookEm.com
The lowest moment in Texas football history occurred two years ago against Kansas in Lawrence.
I remember receiving a call by a former player who told me the team had a bad week of practice, and he did not think Texas was ready to play against Kansas. I remember laughing, and responded by saying, “How ready do you really need to be to beat Kansas?” As I stood on the sideline during the fourth quarter and overtime of that historical loss, the thing that kept running through my mind was the conversation a few days prior. Oh, the other thought was Charlie Strong is about to get fired.
Two years later, the return to Lawrence has a different feel. The Longhorns are one win away from a nine-win regular season. Texas is in contention for the Big 12 title. A New Year’s Six Bowl is definitely on the table. Hell, Texas could play in two postseason games and finish with an 11-win season.
After reaching the lowest point in program history at Kansas two seasons ago, Texas will return to Lawrence this week to complete its makeover.
Talk about a rise from the ashes.
I covered the game when New York Giants receiver David Tyree had his historic helmet catch against the New England Patriots. I worked the game when Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes to defeat the Arizona Cardinals. I remember the Tampa Bay Buccaneers knocking off the Oakland Raiders to win a Super Bowl.
However, I will never forget November 19, 2016 in Lawrence, Kansas.
Current players who were on that team should reflect on it, too.
Here is what I wrote after the game:
“The people who care about Texas coach Charlie Strong know. His players know. The support staff knows. Yes, even Strong knows.
“This is the end.
“Many of them were emotional outside of the locker room after Texas’ 24-21 overtime loss against Kansas. Vicki Strong, Charlie’s wife, is rarely seen on road trips. Yet, those who love Mrs. Strong embraced her as she fought back tears while enduring 33-degree weather after the game. Support staff members hugged each other outside the locker room because they seemingly knew this loss jeopardized their job security, too. Texas athletic director Mike Perrin was clearly uncomfortable, and his smile was replaced by a distraught look, as he stood near the number of people mourning.
“Then there was coach Strong.
“He walked into his postgame press conference with his head down, and very little to say. His answers were short. His hands shook as he spoke. Maybe it was the cold weather that left his hands shaking. Maybe the reality of knowing his tenure in Austin is about to end left him quivering.
“Either way, Strong knew.”
Tom Herman knew what he was getting into.
Herman inherited a steaming pile of you-know-what. Players never had any stability because of the constant coaching changes. The group of players he inherited did not know how to win. They lacked focus. None of them were as physically strong as we were led to believe.
Strong said the cake was baked.
In reality, there were barely enough ingredients for an Easy Bake Oven.
Two years later, Herman’s baking skills are good enough to give Voodoo Doughnut a run for its money.
I mentioned this last week, but check out what Herman has accomplished in year two.
--- Texas (8-3) has the opportunity for its first nine-win season since 2012 (Longhorns finished 9-4)
--- If Texas defeats Kansas and wins the Big 12 Championship Game, it will mark the first time since 2009 the Longhorns have finished with double-digit wins (13-1 that season). It will also mark Texas’ highest win total since that season.
--- A win against Kansas will give Texas its first Big 12 title appearance since 2009.
Basically, if Texas defeats Kansas, the Longhorns get to watch Oklahoma at West Virginia on Friday night to see who they will face in the Big 12 Championship Game on December 1.
Oh, and I will not have to cancel the hotel reservation I made in Arlington after Texas defeated TCU on September 22.
Of course, when Herman was asked about the big picture perspective after a 24-10 victory against Iowa State, he did not entertain that conversation.
“We're 0-0 against Kansas,” Herman said after Iowa State. “A team that I was told by Craig Way, I guess scored 40 points in Norman, Oklahoma. A team that is going to give us their best shot. And, again, we are at the stage of our program right now where we're overachieving a little bit. We're winning on grit, we're winning on toughness we're winning on physicality, we're winning the turnover battle, we're winning on love and genuine care for the guy next to you.
“So, we understand that to win any game in this conference we need to give that opponent our best effort. And it's a short week. We're not going to get any less banged up, so we have got to heal, but we have also got to prepare for a team that's going to be playing on their senior day, and obviously had a great performance today. We know we're going to get their best shot.”
Kansas gave Texas its best shot two years ago.
After reaching the lowest point in program history at Kansas two seasons ago, Texas will return to Lawrence this week to complete its makeover.
Talk about a rise from the ashes.
Photo via HookEm.com
TEAM NOTES
• Tonight’s attendance of 102,498 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium was the second largest in school history and the third sellout of the season (USC, WVU). Tonight’s game marked the 500th played in stadium history, and UT now owns a record of 376-114-10 (.762) at games played in the stadium.
• With the victory, Texas is now 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12 Conference. With a win next week at Kansas, Texas will clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game.
• UT finished the home portion of the schedule 5-1 inside DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. The five wins are the most at home since the 2009 season for the Longhorns.
• Texas is now 14-2 all-time against Iowa State and 8-1 in Austin. UT is now 2-0 against ISU when both teams are ranked (also in 2002).
• Texas finished with 226 yards passing and 179 yards rushing. It is the 11th straight game they’ve eclipsed at least 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, the longest streak in the last 20 years.
• With the win, Texas registers its 8th win, it’s most in the regular season since 2013 (8-5).
• As a team UT now has 251 completions on the year, tied for eighth-most all time in school history.
• Held Iowa State to 210 total yards, including just 62 yards on 30 rushes (2.1 ypc).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
QB Sam Ehlinger
• Has attempted 295 consecutive passes without throwing an interception, extending his school and Big 12 record.
• Has 21 passing and 10 rushing touchdowns on the season, putting him tied for third in single season school history with 31 touchdowns accounted for on the season.
• Has 2,620 passing yards on the season, which is 10th in Texas history.
• Has 217 completions on the year, tied with Colt McCoy (2006) for 9th in school history.
QB Shane Buechele
• Played the entire second half, going 10-of-10 for 89 yards and a touchdown.
WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
• Became the ninth player in school history with a 1,000-yard receiving season and now sits ninth with 1,033 receiving yards.
• With his seven receptions tonight, he now has 70 catches on the season, tied for 5th all-time with Nate Jones, 2003.
• With his touchdown grab in the 3rd quarter, he now has 8 on the season, tied for 9th most in Texas history. This is also his second streak of 3 games this season.
RB Tre Watson
• Totaled 14 carries for 93 yards on the ground and caught two passes for eight yards. He is now 33 yards shy of 2,000 career rushing yards.
RB Keaontay Ingram
• Rushed 12 times for 57 yards and also had five catches for 40 yards and a touchdown.
LB Gary Johnson
• Led the team with seven tackles and added a sack and two QB hurries in the win.
DB Caden Sterns
• Had five tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
I love this kid
Man down
Prayer still works
The young and hip crowd will appreciate this (I am neither). If rap music is not your thing, you might enjoy the 10-minute mark. If not, skip to 11:56. If neither words, send the video to your grandchildren, and they might think you are cool.
Sports On A Dime
1. Michelle Herman will not be bullied. She will not be shamed. This woman will not allow an unhinged Zach Smith to ruin her life. Props to her for not allowing anybody to take away her happiness.
2. This is the kind of home-field atmosphere Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte has created. Del Conte’s ability to turn around DKR is the biggest off-the-field accomplishment by Texas this season.
3. I really think Texas junior receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey could benefit from another year in school, but it might hard to convince him to stay the way he is playing. Humphrey has been in Beast Mode recently, and is clearly the best player on this team. He looks like a day-two pick right now, but a second or third-round projection can easily turn into fourth or fifth-round because it is impossible to predict what will happen on draft day (just ask DeShon Elliott). That being said, I will never knock a young man for pursuing his dream.
4. Am I the only one who thinks Breckyn Hager could have a great career in the WWE?
5. Okay, Texas fans. Serious question. If Texas knocks off Kansas on Friday, do you want Texas-Oklahoma II in the Big 12 Championship Game?
6. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. Urban Meyer was so lucky against Maryland on Saturday.
7. This will be a huge hire for Kansas. Miles has a lot of work to do, but I think the days of counting Kansas as an easy win are about to end.
8. Houston coach Major Applewhite may have team rules, but he was wrong for putting his hands on Ed Oliver’s body and attempting to take off that jacket. Not only was it disrespectful, it should have been the last thing on Applewhite's mind during that game. Obviously, Oliver could have handled that situation differently, too. Applewhite must set a better example.
9. Unless Adisa Bakari is the dumbest agent ever, I have to believe he spoke to enough NFL teams and has a good idea what Le’Veon Bell will earn as a free agent next year. If not, they will regret leaving $14.5 million on the table. I can see the New York Jets, Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles in a bidding war for Bell next year.
10. Yahoo boxing writer Kevin Iole’s description of Mikey Garcia gave me a new respect for the fighter who will take on Errol Spence Jr. next year. I still expect Garcia to lose, but I definitely respect what he is doing:
“That’s the prevailing notion in boxing. He’s a prohibitive underdog — Spence opened as a minus-400 favorite on Thursday at the Westgate sportsbook in Las Vegas – and there is the possibility, and maybe even the likelihood, that Garcia could put on the best performance of his life and still lose.
“You don’t, though, get to be 39-0 and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world without believing you can do things that others think are all but impossible.
“It’s the kind of attitude so rare in boxing now, and often when fighters develop it, promoters and managers encourage them to suppress it. Garcia, though, answers to no one but himself.
“After he sat out more than two years to get out of his deal with Top Rank, Garcia gathers all the advice about his next fights and then makes his own decisions.
“It’s leading to better and more compelling fights.
“You have to respect what Mikey is trying to do,” Spence said. “How can you not?”
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