With 52 Thanksgiving games on their resume, the Cowboys have plenty of holiday memories to choose from. Cowboys Wire picks out the 10 best.
America’s Team is as much a part of the All-American holiday as parade floats and candied yams. The Dallas Cowboys will host their 53rd Thanksgiving Day game in 2020. This season’s edition will mark the tenth time Dallas has welcomed their division rivals from Washington for the traditional late afternoon tilt. That’s the most of any Cowboys Thanksgiving opponent.
Over the years, the club’s Thanksgiving Day series has created some of pro football’s most memorable moments, including several chapters that are absolutely indelible within the Cowboys’ own storied history. To celebrate, Cowboys Wire takes a look back through the archives to dish out the ten quintessential Thanksgiving games that have meant the most to the team.
But the feast can’t be all deep-fried turkey and pumpkin pie; mixed in with some of the franchise’s most satisfying wins are also a few standout games that didn’t go Dallas’s way. Consider them the unpleasant cranberry sauce that your weird aunt brings every few years and makes you have at least a small helping of.
The Locked on Longhorns podcast discusses the Locked on Podcast Top 25. Plus Texas head coach Tom Herman named to award watch list.
The Locked on Podcast Top 25 was released. Where does Texas rank on the initial ranking? This was voted on by the hosts on the Locked on Podcast network. Any surprises on the list?
On the crazy side of college football the Big Ten news just keeps coming. Buckeyes Wire reported that a vote could take place on Friday to determine plans for fall football. Just another crazy twist in the Big Ten saga coming off the heels of Nebraska players filing a lawsuit against the conference.
The head coach of the Texas Longhorns has made the list for the Dodd Trophy. It is given to the top coach in college football that meets certain criteria. Tom Herman was named to last year’s list as well but failed to be named a finalist.
Herman has often been linked to being on the hot seat but USA TODAY Sports writer Dan Wolken stated that there won’t be any hot seats. Given the state of college athletics, it would be difficult to justify having a coach on the hotseat. If a coach is fired during the season, could you justify a buyout given the issues with finances? Plus celebrity chef Guy Fieri received a special delivery from Longhorns legendary running back Earl Campbell.
College football returns to the field on Thursday night. What are the game picks for the two games? Central Arkansas travels to Alabama-Birmingham plus South Alabama against Southern Miss. Not to mention our biggest surprise of the week.
The Longhorns legendary running back Earl Campbell surprised celebrity chef Guy Fieri with a gift. Of course it was a Longhorn.
It isn’t everyday that you receive a gift delivered by a Texas Longhorns legend, but that is what happened to celebrity chef Guy Fieri. The Mayor of Flavortown received a gift from Earl Campbell on Wednesday. The first ever Heisman Trophy winner in Longhorns history delivered a gift, of course it was a Longhorn.
Campbell played for the Longhorns from 1974 to 1977. During that time he racked up 4,443 yards and 40 touchdowns. He left the school as the all-time leading rusher in both categories. The records stood until another Heisman winning running back came to town in Ricky Williams. Campbell would go on to have a Hall of Fame career in the NFL.
Omg! One of the greatest gifts from my all time favorite player, Earl Campbell #34. And get this, he drove down 3 1/2hrs to deliver it! #RoseofTylerpic.twitter.com/SIWbtmbqZt
Earl Campbell even signed the Longhorn for Guy, who claimed that the Tyler Rose was his favorite all-time player in a tweet. This comes on the same day as the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose award watch list was released. Despite his fame, that had to be a surreal moment for the celebrity chef.
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The College Football Playoff committee has released their schedule for the upcoming season. The Heisman Trust hasn’t announced plan.
As the college football season approaches, all eyes were on the College Football Playoff committee. It was announced on Monday that the committee will move forward with the playoff, even without the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences. It was an expected decision, going forward with three of the Power Five conferences still in play for the upcoming season.
As fans are aware, six conferences have announced their intention to play, and so the selection committee has established its meeting schedule in order to be prepared,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said at the time. “We will continue to monitor the situation and if anything changes, the committee will be ready to adjust as needed.
The interesting part is that the committee has not made any plans for a spring version of the playoff according to reports. At this time it doesn’t appear that there will be a spring championship but this is a fluid situation and it could change at any time.
Key College Football Playoff dates
November 17, 2020- initial rankings released
November 24, 2020- rankings released
December 1, 2020- rankings released
December 8, 2020- rankings released
December 15, 2020- final rankings released prior to selection day
December 20, 2020- Selection Sunday
January 1, 2020- College Football Playoff Semifinals Games
January 11, 2020- National Championship Game
Mark your calendars! 📆
The dates for the 2020 @CFBPlayoff selection committee rankings have been announced!
While the CFP committee is moving forward with the playoffs, the same cannot be said about the Heisman Trust. Well, at least not yet. According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, the group hasn’t decided if there will indeed be a Heisman Trophy awarded in the 2020-21 college football season.
No decision on Heisman at this point. Heisman Trust will make decision, obviously. No regular schedule to meet.
The annual Heisman Memorial Trophy ceremony is a huge event. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger is looking at his final shot at the award, so this will be a situation to monitor. If they do move forward, Ehlinger will be looking to bring the trophy back to Austin for the first time since Ricky Williams won it. Both Vince Young and Colt McCoy game close to winning the trophy. Can the Austin native bring it home? That remains to be seen.
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We have a forum and message board now. Get in on the conversation about Texas Longhorns athletics by joining the Longhorns Wire Forum.
The Locked on Longhorns podcast the latest practice notes for Texas and the top 2022 passer with Longhorns ties.
The Locked on Longhorns podcast kicks off with practice notes from 247Sports. We discussed the quarterback competition behind Sam Ehlinger. Casey Thompson is the number two quarterback for the upcoming season but could one of the young guns take the job from him in 2020 season? Does Thompson have an opportunity for the starting role in 2021?
Roschon Johnson was taking first team snaps in the absence of Keaontay Ingram. Is there a chance Johnson might go back to quarterback in 2021? Who will be the starting ‘Z’ receiver role in 2020? The top two candidates are Joshua Moore and Tarik Black. Moore was taking the first team reps.
Sam Ehlinger was named to the Davey O’Brien Award watchlist. With Ehlinger being the FBS active leader in completions, passing yards, touchdowns and total offense since 2018, it is no surprise. Would Ehlinger be the all-time leading passer in school history if he would have started every game since his freshman season?
2022 quarterback Quinn Ewers holds an offer from the University of Texas. The number one quarterback was recently rated as the number one prospect in the 2022 class overall. Can the Longhorns bring him to Austin? Ewers has ties to the Longhorns which could bode well for the team.
One of the changes to the Texas Longhorns, one of the big changes will be the new name for the football field. Most recently named Joe Jamail field, it will now be known as Campbell-Williams Field. It will be named after the only two Longhorns to ever win the Heisman Memorial Trophy, Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams. Plus Gunnar Helm set to visit Austin next week.
Recently 247Sports released their top 50 college football players of all-time list with three Texas Longhorns legends making the cut.
When it comes to any list that involves the best college football players of all-time, it is hard to imagine that the Longhorns wouldn’t be involved. Some very big names in the football world have come through the University of Texas. Legendary NFL coach Tom Landry, Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne and Colt McCoy to name a few. These players played for top coaches in Dana X. Bible, Darryl K. Royal and Mack Brown.
247Sports put together their all-time greatest college football players list. One of the first names that many think of when it comes to Texas is a particular quarterback who played in an instant classic back in 2005. He comes in at number 44.
Number 44- Quarterback Vince Young
(Harry How/Getty Images)
In the 2005 season, USC running back Reggie Bush beat out Vince Young for the Heisman, but in the following January’s BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl, it was Young who turned in the MVP-winning performance, and led his Longhorns to a 41-38 win the over the Trojans, a thriller that was named the best bowl game of all time by the Football Bowl Association.
Coming in at 44 seems a bit low for Young but one can’t complain when being compared with some of the other quarterbacks on this list. The fourth-down run alone is still talked about as one of the best plays in college football history. Hard to believe it has been 14 years since VY raced to the corner of the end zone to give Texas their first National Championship in 35 years. Young is definitely deserving of being named to the top 50 college football players of all-time.
Young is the highest-rated recruit in Longhorns history with a perfect score. In fact he shares that honor with four other players, but he is the only one on offense. The former Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Award winner finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up to Reggie Bush. Young is currently seventh- in career passing at Texas, third in total offense and one of only two quarterbacks to account for 500 plus yards of offense in a single game.
On this Flashback Friday, we look back at former Longhorn Eric Metcalf. The man known as Mr. All-Purpose.
Before the days of Devin Hester setting records in the NFL for returns or Darren Sproles becoming a headache for defensive and special teams coordinators, there was Eric Metcalf. Metcalf was a first round draft pick in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Before making a jump to the NFL, he was wreaking havoc on the Forty Acres.
During his time with the Longhorns, he tallied 4,051 yards and 30 touchdowns on 710 touches. Nothing compared to what he would eventually do at the NFL level. He is often remembered best for his returns, in Austin Metcalf returned 108 punts for 1,076 yards. He returned only one kick for a touchdown. In 1987, Metcalf threw two passes. Both of those went for touchdowns. Then he moved on to the NFL where he would play for seven teams but most of his career was spent in Cleveland.
Only two players in NFL history have recorded 7,000+ scrimmage yards and 7,000+ return yards.
In the NFL, Eric Metcalf was a nightmare on the field. He was named to the All-Pro team three times (1993, 1994 and 1997). Those same seasons he was also named to the Pro Bowl. Leading the league in return yardage in 1990. During his career from 1989-2002, Metcalf scored 43 touchdowns as a running back with 31 coming by way of the pass. Racking up 7,964 yards from scrimmage.
Player
Rushing Yards
Receiving Yards
Return Yards
Total Touchdowns
Eric Metcalf
2,392
5,572
9,266
55
Darren Sproles
3,552
4,840
11,313
64
Metcalf was definitely Darren Sproles before Darren Sproles. While Sproles has the better overall numbers, there is no discounting what Eric Metcalf did on the football field. His accolades don’t stop on the football field. Much like Jamaal Charles, Marquise Goodwin and John Burt, Metcalf was also a star in track.
Eric holds the UT record for outdoor long jump with a mark of 27-8 ¼ feet, was a two-time NCAA champion in the event, and became a five-time track All-American, in addition to his SWC long jump titles in 1986 and 1987. – per Texas Sports Hall of Fame release
While Eric Metcalf may not be in the NFL Hall of Fame, he is a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2017, along with former Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson.
Over on our Twitter, a poll is up asking who is the best RB to play at Texas. The four options are Campbell, Williams, Benson, and Foreman.
Over on our Twitter (@LonghornsWire), a poll is up asking who is the best running back to play at Texas.
The four options are Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, and D’Onta Foreman.
Williams, Benson, and Campbell are the top three rushers in Longhorn history, while Foreman ranks 9th. However, in 2016, Foreman ran for 2,028 yards, the second-most in a single season for Texas.
