Tag: Schedule

Texas Longhorns Team of the Decade: Linebackers

Even though they haven’t been as good as the past, Texas has still had some great LBs to come through the program throughout the 2010s.

Even though the unit has not been as good for the Longhorns as it has in the past, Texas has still had some great linebackers to come through the program this decade. Jordan Hicks, Steve Edmond, and Malik Jefferson all were able to make it to the NFL after their time in Austin.

Hicks and Edmond were on the field together for three years, starting in 2013. Getting a fifth year of eligibility after picking up an ankle injury in the 2013 season, Hicks played amazing in his final year for the Longhorns. Leading the team in tackles with 116, Steve Edmond was the only player to come close to his tackle numbers that season.

Declaring for the NFL after his junior year, Edmond also had a monster 2014 season for Texas. Finishing with four fewer tackles than Hicks, he had 112 on the season. His best career game came against Baylor that season, he had 17 tackles and had two of his 8.5 career sacks that night.

Finally, Malik Jefferson was the best linebacker to play for the Longhorns throughout the decade. Playing in the final two seasons of Charlie Strong and in the first year of Tom Herman, Jefferson was solid throughout his entire career. While he did not have the most total tackles of the three, he had the most solo tackles and was getting All-Big 12 awards throughout his three seasons on the 40 acres.

Here are your Texas linebackers of the decade:

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Happy Birthday to Two Longhorn Legends

Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby shared the field to make one of the best receiving cores in UT history. They also share the same birthday.

Not only did Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby share the field to make up one of the greatest receiving cores in Longhorn history, but they also share the same birthday. Cosby turns 37 years old today, while Shipley turns 32.

The two player’s best season came in 2008 with potential Hall of Fame quarterback Colt McCoy. Cosby led the team in receptions and receiving yards, while Shipley had more touchdowns. Between the two of them, they had a combined 181 receptions, 2,183 receiving yards, and 21 touchdowns in 2008.

One of Shipley’s best moments at Texas came in the 2008 Red River Shootout. Down 11 early in the second quarter, Shipley returned a kick off for a touchdown, giving the Longhorns a spark in the game. Texas went on to win 45-35, securing their third victory over Oklahoma in four years.

After Texas was left out of the Big 12 and National Championship later in the 2008 season, they were set up with Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Losing 21-17 and driving with under 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Cosby came up huge for the Longhorns. Running across the middle of the field from the slot, McCoy found Cosby, who broke free and dove into the end zone to secure another BCS bowl victory for Texas.

Both had short careers in the NFL and are now retired. Both Cosby and Shipley are in the top five in career receptions, career receiving yards and career receiving touchdowns at Texas. Two of the best to ever do it for the Longhorns, we wish both of them a very happy birthday!

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Minnesota’s Kirk Ciarrocca Second Favorite for Offensive Coordinator

It was reported that Mike Yurchich is the favorite for the OC position. Minnesota OC Kirk Ciarrocca could be another possibility for Texas.

Brett McMurphy reported on Sunday that Ohio State’s Mike Yurchich is the leading candidate for the offensive coordinator position. He also reported that current Minnesota offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca could be another possibility for the job.

Currently in this third season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Gophers, the Minnesota offense has progressively gotten better in all three years that Ciarrocca has been there. The Minnesota offense is better than it ever has been, as quarterback Tanner Morgan has already set the Gopher single-season passing yard record with 2,975 yards.

Following Head Coach PJ Fleck from Western Michigan, Ciarrocca has also worked for Rutgers under Greg Schiano as a co-offensive coordinator. If there is one thing he can do, it is turn a stale offense into an explosive one. The Gophers averaged 357 yards per game in 2016, the season before he arrived. In 2019, they are above 400 yards a game, averaging 426 yards per game.

You can watch Ciarrocca and the Minnesota offense on New Year’s Day against Auburn in the Outback Bowl. With the official hiring of the offensive coordinator not expected to be announced until after bowl season, Texas will have the opportunity to weigh all of their options.

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The HoopsHype Daily: The NBA is proposing major schedule changes for 2021-22, including an in-season tournament

The NBA is proposing schedule changes, including a shorter regular season, playoff play-in games and an all new in-season tournament.

SCHEDULE CHANGE SUGGESTIONS: The NBA finally made official the schedule changes they’re proposing, and they’re pretty interesting. For starters, the regular-season schedule would get cut from 82 games to 78, which would allow for an in-season tournament. As a reward for winning the in-season tournament, aside from a trophy, players on the championship team would earn $1 million while coaches would get $1.5 million. Aside from that, the NBA is also proposing a play-in tournament for the seventh and eighth playoff seeds in each conference, as well as for the four last teams remaining in the playoffs to reseed in the playoffs based on their regular-season records.

Of all these suggested changes, the play-in tournament is the most appealing, because we saw what a play-in game looked like just a few years ago, when the Nuggets and Timberwolves faced off on the last day of the season for a shot at the playoffs. The game went to overtime and had playoff intensity throughout. Considering the end of the regular season is usually pretty boring, a play-in tournament could be a good way to spice things up.

TRADE SCUTTLE: The Hawks need to find Trae Young some help, particularly in the frontcourt. John Collins’ return from suspension will help, but Atlanta will need more if they want to make a playoff push. Well, according to reports, the Hawks are trying to do just that; Atlanta is being associated with Thunder big man Steven Adams as someone the team is targeting for a potential trade. Adams is averaging 11.1 points and 9.6 rebounds this season.

LEBRON GOES DOWN: For the first time this season, LeBron James missed a game due to injury when the Lakers faced off with the Nuggets last night. Though some thought this could be a case of subtle load management by L.A. prior to the team’s Christmas-Day game against the Clippers, Brian Windhorst said James’ pulled rib muscle is a “significant issue”, and that the four-time league MVP is also dealing with a nagging groin injury.

😨 Let’s not forget: A groin injury is what forced James to miss over a month of action last season, so the Lakers would be wise to act cautiously with LeBron’s return from this current injury.

IT SUSPENDED: The craziest story of the weekend came when Isaiah Thomas thought it prudent to walk into the stands during a Wizards game at Philadelphia to tell a fan to cool it with the vitriol. Here’s footage of the interaction between Thomas and the fan, and though the former All-Star should be commended for keeping his calm, he just can’t walk into the stands, pretty much under any circumstances. The funniest part of this whole saga was that the fan explained the reason for his anger towards Thomas, and it was because the point guard made a free throw that had he missed it, would have given Sixers fans free Wendy’s Frostys. No, seriously. 

💰 The fan was banned from the Wells Fargo Center for a year while Thomas was suspended for two games, which will cost him $32,000.

WIZARDS MAKE SIGNING: Washington is reportedly close to signing Gary Payton II over the weekend, who has been lighting it up for the Lakers’ G League team. Payton averaged 21.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists over 16 games in the NBA’s minor league.

FORMER FIRST-ROUNDER INJURED: The Sixers might actually be cursed when it comes to their top draft picks getting injured as rookies. The latest piece of evidence we have is Matisse Thybulle suffering a knee sprain, which will keep him out for at least two weeks of action.

AIR DONCIC? After what was a heated recruiting battle, Luka Doncic is reportedly ready to choose his exclusive sneaker brand, and it’ll be Jordan Brand. Doncic will sign a five-year deal with the sneaker giant, and though he won’t get a signature shoe right away, he could if and when he wins MVP or Finals MVP. Doncic joins Zion Williamson as Jordan Brand’s two latest signings… that’s a decent duo to build around.

SPECTACULAR HARDEN: James Harden is starting to make the extraordinary look ordinary. His latest 40-plus point game against Phoenix on Saturday was the 89th of his career, which put him in sole possession of fourth place among all players, trailing just Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

UNBOTHERED: Kawhi Leonard played a game in San Antonio on Saturday, and though he was showered with boos throughout the contest, the reigning Finals MVP didn’t give that reaction a second though, stating that the boos are fans really showing him love. 

BROTHERLY LOVE: ESPN goes in-depth on the Lopez twins, interviewing the duo on a variety of topics, including their love of Star Wars, as well as their love of trolling each other. Fun read.

SOME FROM THE PORTERS TOO: Michael Porter Jr. talks about living with his siblings, including NBA prospect Jontay Porter, and how they help keep him grounded through the ups-and-downs of the NBA season. 

DRAFT WATCH: Once LaMelo Ball went down with a foot injury, many thought his time in the NBL (Australian basketball league) was over, since he has probably done enough to warrant getting drafted highly in 2020. However, LaVar Ball says if his son is healthy and feeling 100 percent, he will return to action later this season.

🤔 We’ll see if the Balls actually go through with that, but as of now, our aggregate mock draft has LaMelo as the projected No. 2 pick of the 2020 draft.

DIFFICULT TO FORECAST: Speaking of Ball, between him going down, James Wiseman leaving Memphis and injuries to Cole Anthony and RJ Hampton, the 2020 NBA Draft is becoming awfully difficult to predict. As of now, four out of the projected Top 10 picks are inactive, while a fifth, Deni Avdija, isn’t getting much playing time at his top club in Europe.

HOLIDAY MOVES: There was a slew of news over the weekend regarding real estate moves made by current or former NBA players/executives, including Kawhi Leonard purchasing a new penthouse, Russell Westbrook putting a home up for sale and Chandler Parsons purchasing a pricey new place.  

SALARY QUIZ: WHO’S THIS NBA PLAYER? 🤔

Click here for the answer.

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Sam Ehlinger Watches His High School Win the State Championship

Last night was the 6A D2 state championship where Austin Westlake took on Denton Guyer. Sam Ehlinger was on the sidelines for the game.

Last night was the 6A Division 2 state championship where Austin Westlake took on Denton Guyer. Taking place at AT&T Stadium, Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger was on the sidelines for the game, cheering on his former school.

Getting as far as the state championship game in 2015, Ehlinger was never able to lead the Chaparrals to a championship. He lost to the 2015 game 21-14 in overtime and lost in the quarterfinals his senior season.

The Chaparrals dominated the entire game, winning 24-0. It was only the second state championship in the school’s history, with the first coming in 1994 when Drew Brees was in charge. Ehlinger was there to congratulate his former head coach after the victory. After the game, Todd Dodge announced he would return to Westlake next season, taking his name out of consideration for any other jobs.

Ehlinger’s focus will now turn to the bowl game on New Year’s Eve. The Longhorns will face off against Utah in the Alamo Bowl at 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.

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Ohio State’s Mike Yurcich Favorite to Become New Offensive Coordinator

According to Brett McMurphy, Ohio State’s passing game coordinator Mike Yucich is the top candidate to become the next OC for Texas.

According to Brett McMurphy of Stadium, Ohio State’s passing game coordinator Mike Yucich is the top candidate to become the next offensive coordinator for Texas. If he were to be hired, Yucich would remain with the Buckeyes for the rest of the season, as they are set to face off against Clemson in the College Football playoff.

If the deal with Yurcich falls through, McMurphy is also reporting that current Minnesota offensive coordinator would be a possibility. The Gophers are scheduled to play Auburn in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Yurchich has experience in the Big 12, as he was the offensive coordinator for Oklahoma State from 2013-2018. Also serving as the quarterbacks coach, he has worked with players like Mason Rudolph and Tyler Cornelius during his time in Stillwater.  Moving onto Ohio State in 2019, he has worked with Justin Fields as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

This would be an excellent hire for the Longhorns as Yurchich has experience working with some excellent offenses. Working with some great quarterbacks, Sam Ehlinger would hopefully be able to make a jump with Yurchich coaching him. If the Longhorns offense looks like anything Oklahoma State did during the past few years, they should be one of the most explosive units in the entire conference.

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Texas Longhorns team of the decade: Defensive line

Shifting to defense in the team of the decade, we begin on the LOS. Throughout the 2010s, Texas has produced some monsters on the d-line.

Shifting from offense to defense in the Texas team of the decade, we begin on the line of scrimmage. Throughout the 2010s, the Longhorns have produced some monsters on the defensive line. Producing a few guys good enough to make it into the NFL, all four of these players were recruited by former coaches Mack Brown and Charlie Strong.

The first two players are Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat, who shared the field for three years. Between the two of them, they have a combined 49 sacks. Jeffcoat’s 26 career sacks are good enough for eighth in Longhorn history. The two players benefitted off each other, with 36 of their 49 sacks coming when the two played together.

Poona Ford played defensive tackle for Texas and did not rack up the kind of sacks the other three players got. At 6 foot, 300 pounds, Ford was an aminal for the Longhorns. Taking up space on the defensive line, he was able to make physical plays at the line of scrimmage to stop runners getting behind him.

The most recent of the players is Charles Omenihu, who graduated in 2018. Playing in 48 career games, Omenihu was in the backfield a lot. His best season came in his 2018 senior year when he recorded 9.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. Currently playing for the Houston Texans, Omenihu was selected in the fifth round. Playing all four years, Omenihu is one of the best defensive players Texas has produced in recent years.

Here are the Longhorn defensive lineman of the decade:

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WATCH: 2020 Texas commit talks after winning state championship game

2020 commit Xavion Alford won the school’s first state championship Friday night. After the game, Alford caught up with a reporter to talk.

2020 four-star Texas commit Xavion Alford and the Shadow Creek Sharks won the school’s first state championship Friday night against Denton Ryan. With a final score of 28-22, the Sharks were able to stop a last-second hail mary attempt to win the game.

After the game, Alford caught up with a reporter to talk about his season and what it meant for him to win a championship.

“It’s unreal,” said Alford. “This season has been real emotional for me. I got hurt first game of the season.”

After falling short in 2018, Shadow Creek was able to win the 5A Divison 1 state championship in 2019. When asked what it meant to be a state champion, Alford said it meant “a lot.”

Here are Alford’s full comments:

Alford signed his national letter of intent with the Longhorns on National Signing Day. Playing safety, he is the sixth highest-rated prospect in the 2020 class for the Longhorns. Alford joins two other secondary players in the class, as Jerrin Thompson is another safety, while Kitan Crawford is listed as a cornerback.

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