I spoke with three different team sources this afternoon to get an update on a few topics. Some highlights ...
--- I was told by someone today that Patrick Vahe and Zach Shackelford were at practice yesterday.
"Starting to sound positive on C and OG positions," is what one person told me.
Offensive tackle Tristan Nickelson returned to practice a while back, so he should be good to do. But Brandon Hodges does continue to get a lot of work with the starters at right tackle, so it sounds like that position is still a bit up for grabs.
I didn't hear any specifics on the likelihood of Vahe and/or Shackelford being well enough to play or if they're anywhere close to 100 percent, but if they were at practice yesterday, I would assume there's a good chance that all three of the Longhorns' injured linemen could be available on Sunday.
--- Just to get it out of the way, I was told ... again ... that the players have not been told who will be starting at quarterback.
"No real info, besides both are going to play," one source said.
Your guess is as good as mine.
--- I believe the team has one last practice today, which will almost certainly be more of a walk-through. From there, the team will head to a hotel for the next couple nights. It's customary for the entire team to stay in a hotel the night before a game, but with it being a Sunday contest, one night will be stretched to two. Not a big deal, but I thought it was interesting that they're basically trying to remove all outside distractions for a full 48 hours.
--- Lastly, I had one person tell me this team is as mentally prepared as any Texas team has been in a long, long time. Perhaps it's because it's the season-opener and there's more time to get ready. Or because of the magnitude of the opponent. Maybe it's a byproduct of the new offensive staff. Could be all of the above.
Whatever the case, I was told today that the team has done more homework on their opponent than this person can ever remember. Will it pay off come Sunday night? I don't know, but it certainly can't hurt.
--- I was told by someone today that Patrick Vahe and Zach Shackelford were at practice yesterday.
"Starting to sound positive on C and OG positions," is what one person told me.
Offensive tackle Tristan Nickelson returned to practice a while back, so he should be good to do. But Brandon Hodges does continue to get a lot of work with the starters at right tackle, so it sounds like that position is still a bit up for grabs.
I didn't hear any specifics on the likelihood of Vahe and/or Shackelford being well enough to play or if they're anywhere close to 100 percent, but if they were at practice yesterday, I would assume there's a good chance that all three of the Longhorns' injured linemen could be available on Sunday.
--- Just to get it out of the way, I was told ... again ... that the players have not been told who will be starting at quarterback.
"No real info, besides both are going to play," one source said.
Your guess is as good as mine.
--- I believe the team has one last practice today, which will almost certainly be more of a walk-through. From there, the team will head to a hotel for the next couple nights. It's customary for the entire team to stay in a hotel the night before a game, but with it being a Sunday contest, one night will be stretched to two. Not a big deal, but I thought it was interesting that they're basically trying to remove all outside distractions for a full 48 hours.
--- Lastly, I had one person tell me this team is as mentally prepared as any Texas team has been in a long, long time. Perhaps it's because it's the season-opener and there's more time to get ready. Or because of the magnitude of the opponent. Maybe it's a byproduct of the new offensive staff. Could be all of the above.
Whatever the case, I was told today that the team has done more homework on their opponent than this person can ever remember. Will it pay off come Sunday night? I don't know, but it certainly can't hurt.
