Tag: Big 12 Football

Sam Ehlinger Chasing Texas History

Texas Quarterback Sam Ehlinger is chasing Longhorns history. A big bowl performance could put him in the record books.

The Texas Longhorns are still a couple weeks away from their Alamo Bowl matchup with the Utah Utes but there are a few ways that a big game from the junior quarterback could put him in the Texas record books. Sam Ehlinger currently holds the 3rd place spot for passing yards in a single season and is looking to pass Colt McCoy to become the all-time leader for yards in a season for a Texas Longhorn quarterback.

With a big game he could not only match or surpass McCoy in passing yards but touchdowns as well. Colt McCoy holds the record with 3,859 yards that he set during the 2008 season. Also his 34 passing touchdowns were also set that year. Ehlinger currently sits 397 yards behind McCoy’s mark for most passing yards in a season. He also needs five touchdown passes to match the other mark held by McCoy.

Getting to that mark might not be as far fetched as some might think, now the five touchdown passes might be as Ehlinger hasn’t yet hit that mark in his career but what better time than now to pull of that accolade. If Sam does, he will match a mark set by McCoy, James Brown and Chris Simms that would give him the 2nd best game in Longhorns history. McCoy also owns that record with six. The yards mark is something that Ehlinger has hit already this season with games against Kansas (399) and LSU (401).

Should he hit those numbers to have the single-best season as a Texas signal caller, Ehlinger could be well on his way at challenging McCoy for the career mark. Sam at this point is 4,584 yards behind McCoy but a good performance could be a step towards chasing history. This year alone Ehlinger passed Vince Young, Chris Simms and Major Applewhite on the all-time list to get to second.

This season hasn’t been what many expected but watching Sam Ehlinger chase after records held by the likes of Vince Young, Major Applewhite and Colt McCoy has given the Texas faithful something to cheer for.

 

Longhorns’ Tim Beck Linked To Head Coach Opportunity

Former Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck is linked to the head coaching job for the Lamar Cardinals.

Following the Texas Longhorns recent changes to the coaching staff, former offensive coordinator and now quarterback’s coach has been linked as a possible head coach for the Lamar Cardinals. The Cardinals play in division one of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).  This was reported by Football Scoop in which Tim Beck was named as one of the potential candidates.

The Lamar Cardinals football team played from 1923-1989 before shutting down the program until 2010. They are located in Beaumont, Texas which is a reason that Beck would make sense. They need someone who can recruit in the state of Texas. From 1999-2004, Tim Beck spent his time as a high school football coach before pursuing a coaching career in division one. He has coached at Kansas, Nebraska before joining Ohio State and following Tom Herman to Texas.

It might not be a big time program but after the recent demotion for Beck, this could be a way to get a fresh start and to run his own program as head coach. If Tim Beck wants to eventually run his own program in FBS, this could be the stepping stone that moves him in that direction.

Does The Fate of Texas Longhorns’ Offense Rest On Graham Harrell?

Could the Texas Longhorns use an old foe in Graham Harrell to bring them back to prominence?

Following the Texas Longhorns’ 10-win season and Sugar Bowl victory during the 2017 season gave fans a glimmer of hope that Texas was in fact back in 2018. Fast forward to the end of this year, where the Longhorns’ faithful now have more questions than answers. Many including myself felt that Texas was taking a step in the right direction under the leadership of Tom Herman but it was a step back to a 7-5 campaign with an opportunity for win number eight in the Alamo Bowl.

Following the season finale against Texas Tech, the staff was shuffled a bit with the dismissal of Todd Orlando as defensive coordinator and the reassignment of Tim Beck. Herman and the Longhorns’ brass is looking to shock the system and hopefully bring Texas back to being a top program once again.

The Longhorns were coming off a top three recruiting class according to 247 sports, so along with the double-digit win season the future was bright for the burnt orange. Unfortunately the wheels fell off by their standards. So should the Longhorns take a page out of their rivals book? In 2015 the Sooners brought in former Texas Tech quarterback and coach Lincoln Riley who eventually took over as head coach, this might be a move that Texas could use to compete with the Sooners.

Graham Harrell has been a name tossed around and it makes sense. The former Texas Tech quarterback has been working his way through the coaching ranks following a brief career in the NFL. Harrell is the hot name with so much uncertainty at Southern California with the current staff. He made waves when Graham took over the offense at the University of North Texas where he took a bottom program and made them a top offense in his last two seasons before heading to USC.

This would be a move that could give Texas an opportunity to improve their offense from 15th in total offense. Not exactly terrible numbers but with the Oklahoma Sooners being near the top in all of college football, improvements can only help their cause to dethrone Oklahoma. Now the game is a bit of sit and wait to see how the Harrell and USC situation unfolds but Coach Herman needs to make a strong effort to bring Harrell back to the Lone Star State.

Mock Draft Roundup: Draft Wire Has Two Longhorns in Top 100

Two Texas Longhorns featured in latest mock draft for Draft Wire.

This time of year is big for NFL Draft media as they produce mock drafts almost weekly and the Draft Wire is no different. In their week 15 mock draft they laid out their mock picks for the first three rounds. For the Texas Longhorns there were a couple of selections. Luke Easterling gave his picks that involved one player on offense and one on defense. Both of them were picked in the 3rd round.

74. Carolina Panthers

Brandon Jones, Safety

The Panthers are a team that is in need of depth on the defensive side of the ball which makes Jones an attractive selection. Brandon Jones is a punishing hitter that can cause a few problems for offensive players as he can create some turnover opportunities with his jarring hits.

In the today’s NFL you need safeties to not only assist in stopping the run but also play coverage. What causes Jones to side down to day two of the draft is his lack of ball skills, while he isn’t the second coming of Earl Thomas, Jones shows he is plenty capable of making plays on the field, which is why the Panthers would do well to take Jones in the draft.

92. Oakland Raiders (From Seattle)

Collin Johnson, Wide Receiver

The way of offenses in the NFL are based on the passing game so not shock that the Raiders would look for a big-bodied receiver and what better place to get one than the Big 12 conference. They are known for high octane offenses that show out every Saturday.

Standing 6’6″, Johnson will tower over pretty much any defender that lines up against him. The thing that Collin does so well is box out defenders with his frame, which makes him a good target for Derek Carr and the offense in Oakland. This year the Raiders are 13th in red zone efficiency, adding a red zone target who can go up and attack the ball would only improve that number next season.

Three names to keep an eye out for the offensive coordinator position

Firing Tim Beck, Texas is looking for a new offensive coordinator for the first time in three years. Here are names to keep an eye out for.

For the Longhorns in 2019, the offense was one of the strong suits. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger was fantastic, wide receiver Devin Duvernay was one of the best in the country at his position, and even running back Roschon Johnson – who was originally a quarterback – did a fantastic job for Texas this season. However, as the season went on, something was still missing. Especially in the final few games, the Longhorn offense did not feel like themselves.

Once the game against Texas Tech was done, Tom Herman decided that it was time to make some changes. The Longhorns got rid of Tim Beck as the offensive coordinator, moving him to quarterbacks coach. While Tom Herman has been heavily involved in the offense, it may be time for someone new to take over the reins.

When Herman was hired from Houston in 2017, Beck made the transition over with him. Now, making his first coordinator hire as head coach at Texas, Herman has to get it right. What Texas needs is an outside hire that has had success as an offensive coordinator at another big name school. Here are three names to keep an eye out for the offensive coordinator job.

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WATCH: Quandre Diggs gets his second interception of the game

After an interception that went for a touchdown earlier in the game, Quandre Diggs picked off Jared Goff for the second time. Watch it here.

After an interception that went for a touchdown earlier in the game, former Texas cornerback Quandre Diggs picked off Rams quarterback Jared Goff for the second time in as many drives.

This one was different than the first one, as it was downfield. Goff threw it deep to wide receiver Brandon Cooks on 3rd and 5 but overthrew him by a few yards. Diggs was five yards behind the receiver, being in the perfect position to intercept the pass.

You can watch the interception here:

This is Diggs’ third interception of the year, all being with the Seahawks. He continues to make big plays for Seattle, keeping them in games.

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WATCH: Former Longhorn Quandre Diggs gets a pick six

Former Longhorn Quandre Diggs is making another play, this time a pick-six. This is Diggs’ second INT since being traded from Detroit.

Another week, another highlight play for Quandre Diggs. The Seattle Seahawks are in primetime again this weekend, this time playing the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. For most of the night, Rams’ quarterback Jared Goff has been having success against the Seahawk defense.

That changed when Diggs intercepted Goff in their first possession of the first half. Thrown across the middle, Diggs came out of nowhere, intercepted the ball, and ran 55 yards to the endzone untouched.

You can watch the play here:

This is Diggs’ second interception for Seattle since being traded from Detroit. He has made an instant impact for the Seahawks, being a huge addition to the Seattle defense.

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Final regular season Amway Coaches Poll

Texas misses out on the final regular-season Amway Coaches Poll. The top four and its order is the same as the College Football Playoff.

Texas misses out on the final Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports. The Longhorns did not even receive a vote, but two Big 12 teams make it into the top 25.

The top four teams are in the same order as the College Football Playoff, as LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, and Oklahoma are followed by Georgia and Oregon at No. 5 and No. 6.

Below is the latest Amway Coaches Poll in its entirety, voted on by 65 FBS head coaches.

1) Louisiana State

2) Ohio State

3) Clemson

4) Oklahoma

5) Georgia

6) Oregon

7) Florida

8) Baylor

9) Alabama

10) Utah

11) Wisconsin

12) Penn State

13) Auburn

14) Notre Dame

15) Memphis

16) Minnesota

17) Michigan

18) Boise State

19) Iowa

20) Appalachian State 

21) Navy

22) Cincinnati

23) Southern California

24) Air Force

25) Virginia

Schools dropped out

None

Others receiving votes

Oklahoma State 64; Southern Methodist 61; Kansas State 20; Indiana 10; UL Lafayette 6; Florida Atlantic 6; Central Florida 6; San Diego State 5; Tennessee 4; Kentucky 3; Iowa State 3; Arizona State 3; Virginia Tech 2; Hawaii 1; California 1.

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College Football Playoff: Who is In?

After a long college football season, the College Football Playoff is finally here. Who got into the playoff on the sixth Selection Sunday?

The college football regular season is over and the moment everyone has been waiting for is finally here. Usually, Selection Sunday is full of drama and debate. This year, the four teams were known and the only thing to debate was in which order to put them in.

Clemson (13-0), LSU (13-0), Ohio State (13-0), and Oklahoma (12-1) were the only Power 5 teams to either be undefeated or have one loss. All four were conference champions, with all but Oklahoma having convincing victories on Saturday.

Oklahoma came in at No. 4, beating Baylor in overtime in the Big 12 Championship, 30-23. At No. 3, Clemson has won eight straight games by 30+ points, including a 62-17 win against Virginia in the ACC Championship.

The debate of the day was who the committee was going to put at No. 1. The ranking is significant as facing Oklahoma is seen as an easier task than Clemson in the semi-final matchup. Ohio State was put at No. 2, as they needed a comeback win against Wisconsin to win the Big 10 Championship, 34-21. LSU comes in at No. 1, destroying Georgia 37-10 in the SEC Championship.

Texas joins Texas A&M as the only other team in the country to play two playoff teams this season. Texas faced LSU and Oklahoma, while Texas A&M faced Clemson and LSU.

No. 1 LSU will face No. 4 Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl, while No. 2 Ohio State will face No. 3 Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Both games will take place on Saturday, Dec. 28 on ESPN.

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WATCH: Former Longhorn Quandre Diggs delivers a huge hit

Former Longhorn Quandre Diggs delivered a huge hit to Irv Smith last night. The hit was so big, you could hear the two players colliding.

The Seattle Seahawks played host to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football last night. In the middle of the second quarter, the two teams were tied at seven. Quarterback Kirk Cousins found former Alabama tight end on an out route near the line of scrimmage. Former Texas cornerback Quandre Diggs quickly sniffed it out and delivered a monster hit.

Smith only gained three yards on the play. Once Diggs hit him, he immediately went down. The hit was so big, you could hear the two players colliding.

You can watch the hit here:

Diggs is having a great season for Seattle after being traded from Detroit. In the three games, he has forced two turnovers, an interception and a fumble. His interception came in a win against the San Fransico 49ers. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, he forced and recovered a fumble.

Diggs and the Seahawks beat Minnesota last night, moving into first place in the NFC West. Their final four games will come against the Los Angeles Rams, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, and San Fransico 49ers.

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