The Houston Texas may have found a diamond in the rought when they drafted Charles Omenihu,.
The Houston Texans are looking for pass rush help this year and they are having to find production from within. The Texans traded Jadeveon Clowney earlier this season and then lost All-Pro and former three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year to a torn pectoral muscle. That left a team looking to make a deep run in the playoffs without a premier pass rusher. Could a former Longhorn and day three draft selection provide a boost?
“I mean that was a good pick, and he’s done a lot of good things,” O’Brien told reporters Tuesday. “He’s a hard worker. He’s young. He’s still learning.”
Omenihu entered the league at a tweener. He’s a bit big to be a full-time edge rusher and not big enough to be a full-time interior one. Considering he’s received most of his snaps on the inside and works with defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, the Texans appear to be priming him to be a defensive end.
In the NFL, very few rookie defensive pass rushers rarely come into the league and dominate with several exceptions but not the rule in most cases. Omenihu is definitely the rule in this case. He has appeared in 12 games this year and recorded three sacks, five quarterback hits, 11 total tackles and two forced fumbles.
With Watt unlikely to come off the injured reserve list, especially given the depth at the position, Omenihu has every opportunity to earn a spot among the starters. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next up on the schedule for Houston Omenihu is going to have opportunities to gain some momentum heading into the playoffs.
The Bucs and Jameis Winston have allowed 43 sacks this year, which is the worst of Jameis career. Building the confidence of the young pass rusher can only help him as he continues his good start to the year. The Texas prepare for a Saturday matchup with the Tampa Bay Bucs.
After signing all 16 players on NSD yesterday, Texas landed another one. This time it was three-star LB Jaylan Ford out of Frisco, TX.
After signing all 16 players on National Signing Day yesterday, Texas landed another recruit on Thursday. This time it was three-star linebacker Jaylan Ford out of Frisco, TX. Ford was originally a Utah commit and said he would join the Utes on Oct. 8. He switched to Texas this morning, announcing his decision via Twitter.
According to 247Sports, Ford is 6 feet 2.5 inches and weighs 205 pounds. Coming out of Lone Star High School, he was the district 5-5A-1 defensive MVP in his junior season. Officially listed as an outsider linebacker, Ford joins Highland Park’s Prince Dorbah as the only other OLB in the 2020 class.
This is the third recruit that Texas and Utah have gone back and forth with this season. Four-star defensive end Van Fillinger and three-star all-purpose back Ty Jordan were both once Texas commits that ended up signing with the Utes.
Texas now sits at No. 9 on the 247Sports team rankings after finishing yesterday at No. 10. Ford is the fourth four-star the Longhorns have signed in 2020, getting their 17th player of the cycle.
Former Texas Longhorn and current Brooklyn Nets center Jarrett Allen gets his jersey retired.
On Wednesday night current Brooklyn Nets center and former Texas Longhorn Jarrett Allen made his way back to Austin, Texas to have his high school jersey retired. Before becoming a Longhorn, Allen played on the hardwood at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. There Allen was named a McDonald’s All-American.
In the 2010s, Texas really struggled to find solid guys at the QB position. That made it difficult for some of the talented wide receivers.
Throughout the decade, Texas really struggled to find solid guys at the quarterback position. They never were fully consistent or the best player on the team. That made it difficult for some of the talented wide receivers on the team to fully make their mark.
The exception to this was Mike Davis, who was an outstanding receiver for the Longhorns in all four years on campus. While he never broke 1,000 yards in one season, what he did in his junior and senior year was score touchdowns. Having 15 in his final two years, it shot him up to the fifth most receiving touchdowns in Longhorn history.
Once Sam Ehlinger arrived on campus, the receivers for Texas got a lot better. Collin Johnson was one of those players, arguably being the most talented receiver of the three. Even though he was injured most of his senior season, Johnson put up great numbers in his junior season. Nearly getting to 1,000 yards in 2018, Johnson had some of his best games in the biggest matchups of the season for the Longhorns.
Then there is Devin Duvernay, whose 103 catches in 2019 is the second-most in a single season for Texas. He led the entire nation in catches this season and his 1,294 receiving yards were the most in the Big 12. He was Mr. Reliable for the Longhorns this season, making big play after big play.
In a decade where throwing the ball was not the strong suit of Texas, these three players rank inside the top 10 in all-time Longhorn receiving yards. A combined 47 receiving touchdowns, Davis, Johnson, and Duvernay are three of the best receivers to ever play in Austin.
From the professional ranks to the collegiate battles throughout all the divisions, some teams just had a better decade than others.
From the professional ranks to the collegiate battles throughout all the divisions and sports—looking at you, lacrosse and swimming—some teams just had a better decade than others. They may not have won it all, all the time. However, these schools and professional franchises either stood in the way of glory more often than not or totally reigned from atop Championship Mountain as a perennial 2010s juggernaut.
A quick note: We’re looking for the best here, and that means wins and titles! So if your baseball team crushed the regular season each year but bombed in the Divisional Series, it’s probably not making the cut—and no, I don’t hate your football team.
Here we go!
New England Patriots
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Whether you like to admit it or not, the New England Patriots were the NFL’s 2010s. The full hot order. Count ’em out? That’s what coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady loved for the general masses outside of the Boston area to do. And then, they’d pull it together and outthink, out-scheme—out videotape?—your team on their way to Super Bowl Sunday. Half of the decade featured the Patriots in the Grand Finale, with the team winning three times.
Texas had beaten Arkansas on Dec. 6, 1969, in the “Game of the Century” and had the national championship presented to it by President Richard Nixon. Yet, the Longhorns still faced an encore: They had to defeat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. …
Texas had beaten Arkansas on Dec. 6, 1969, in the “Game of the Century” and had the national championship presented to it by President Richard Nixon. Yet, the Longhorns still faced an encore: They had to defeat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1970, to complete the perfect season.
The stakes were raised in Dallas that New Year’s Day because it was the first time Notre Dame was to play in a bowl game since 1925. The school would not consider postseason play for decades until changing its course with the 1969 season.
Interestingly, the 8-1-1 Irish only were the opponent because Penn State had turned down a bid to play the Longhorns before their win over Arkansas. By a vote of its players in mid-November, second-ranked Penn State (10–0) opted to return to the Orange Bowl, and faced sixth-ranked Missouri (9–1).
Penn State had several black players and wished to avoid Dallas due to segregation issues. At the time, the top-ranked team was defending champion Ohio State, who lost the next week at Michigan. team.
The Irish were ready to pull an upset, scoring the game’s first 10 points. Scott Hempel kicked a field goal in the first quarter and Joe Theismann found Tom Gatewood for a 54-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
Down double digits, Texas rallied. It took the ND kickoff and drove 74 yards with Jim Bertelsen capping the march with a 1-yard run.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, setting the stage for another rally by the Longhorns in the fourth quarter. First, Ted Koy culminated a 77-yard drive with a touchdown run with 10 minutes remaining to give Texas a 14–10 advantage.
Theismann then led the Irish on an 80-yard drive and threw a 24-yard pass to Jim Yoder for a 17–14 lead with 6:52 left.
The great Dan Jenkins wrote for Sports Illustrated about what went into some gutsy calls by Darrell Royal.
There was a great big time out at the Notre Dame 20-yard line when Texas faced fourth down and two to go with only 4:26 remaining. Street went to the sideline to see Royal, and Bob Olson went to his sideline to confer with Parseghian. Meanwhile 73,000 hearts asked for a transplant. Texas was in field-goal range, but what would a tie do? Make Penn State, which would beat Missouri, or USC, which would beat Michigan, the No. 1 team?
Royal stayed with his triple-option offense, an attack that had made Texas the second alltime rushing team in college football during the regular season. Street faked Worster into the midsection, wiggled down the line and pitched to Ted Koy, who got the two yards by an eyelash just as Bob Olson arrived.
The Longhorns found themselves back in a fourth-and-two situation with 2:26 to play. Jenkins eloquently wrote:
The whole stadium was on its feet, and the bands were blaring out a couple of fairly familiar fight songs, while Street and Olson talked to their brains.
Street said, “How ’bout the counter option fake to the short side?”
Royal mulled it over.
Across the way, Parseghian was certain Texas would either run wide or pass. Olson was told to play the run first. It was percentages.
Out on the field now Cotton Speyrer, his back turned to the Notre Dame defense, was signaling the bench. He was dragging his thumb across his chest in the manner of a hitchhiker. The signal to Royal meant that Speyrer’s defender, Clarence Ellis, was playing him tight and to the inside. It meant that Speyrer thought he could get outside on him for a quick pass.
“Left 89 Out,” said Royal.
Street blinked. It was the Arkansas thing all over again, Royal calling a pass in a moment of supreme stress and James wondering, “Coach, are you sure?”
“Watch for the keep first,” said Darrell. “You might be able to fall for two yards. But if you can’t, drill it to Cotton. He says he’s open on the out.”
Street went to the Texas huddle and said, “Awright, suck it up. This might be our last play of the season, so let’s make it a good one…. Everybody get tough….” Then he looked right at Cotton Speyrer and called the play.
Street took the snap, looked at the end coming up fast, stopped and threw. It was low, but Speyrer did his thing and made the catch. And three plays later, with exactly 1:08 on the clock, another urchin, Billy Dale, a 5’10”, 190-pound junior who had replaced Ted Koy, hugged a hand-off from Street and followed a couple of blocks by Worster and Tight End Randy Peschel into the end zone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n99HKbAtNpk
The final was 21-17 and Texas had its 20th win in a row and 500th overall. T
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Steve Worster (pictured above against Arkanas) led the rushing attack with 155 of the Longhorns’ 331 yards. Speyrer had 70 receiving yards on 4 catches.
“If you really want to start defining my career, one of the things that really sticks out in my mind is when I was the Offensive MVP of the Cotton Bowl in my junior year,” Worster told Texassports.com long ago. “It was a real punishing football game where we just grinded it out. My performance was because of the linemen and the rest of my teammates.
“When I watch film of the game, I just am tickled to death because that was my type of football. It was north and south, not east and west, and three or four yards play after play. It was like Coach Royal said and that’s you line up your best 11 and we’ll line up our best 11. That game really exemplified Texas football at that time.”
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
A year later, the Irish got even. Legendary coach Ara Parseghian had been priming Notre Dame for a rematch and he got his shot in the 1971 Cotton Bowl.
Led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Theismann at quarterback and a defense spearheaded by end Walt Patulski, who would be the first player selected in the NFL Draft two years later, the Irish began the season 9-0 and accepted a bid to play No. 1 Texas again in the Cotton Bowl. However, it would not be an unbeaten Notre Dame team the Longhorns would face because the Irish lost to USC, 38-28, in a rain-soaked season finale.
That did not dampen the rematch. Texas took a 3-0 lead but Notre Dame erupted for three scores to make it 21-3. The rest of the scoring came before halftime and Notre Dame wound up winning, 24-11. The Longhorns fumbled nine times, five being were recovered by the Irish.
Robinson is arguably the top all-purpose back in the country, with the ability to hurt defenses as a runner or receiver. His combination of athleticism, speed and agility are exceptional.
Robinson is a back that averaged 17.7 yards per carry this season. He added 38 touchdowns and 2,235 yards. Overall at the high school level, Robinson rushed for over 7,036 yards, 103 touchdowns, and 13.4 yards per carry in four years. Robinson brings the big time presence to the run game and he is dynamic as a pass catcher as well. He should make an immediate impact for the offense.
Going into today, Texas had 16 commitments. None of them flipped, making the Longhorns a perfect 16 for 16 on National Signing Day.
Going into today, Texas had 16 commitments. None of them flipped, making the Longhorns a perfect 16 for 16 on National Signing Day. While there may have been some other distractions, it was still an overall good day for the Longhorns. They finished in the top 10 of the 247Sports rankings, coming in at No. 10. As for ranking in the Big 12, Texas beat Oklahoma by one spot for the best 2020 class in the conference.
Here is a recap of Texas’ national signing day:
Five-star recruits
RB Bijan Robinson
Four-star recruits
QB Hudson Card, ATH Ja’Quinden Jackson, DT Vernon Broughton, OLB Prince Dorbah, S Xavion Alford, CB Kitan Crawford, S Jerrin Thompson, C Jake Majors, OT Jaylen Garth, WR Troy Omeire, G Logan Parr, T Andrej Karic
Three-star recruits
ATH Jaden Hullaby, WR Dajon Harrison, DT Sawyer Goram-Welch
The name to get most excited about is Bijan Robinson. In his high school career, he rushed for over 7,000 yards and scored over 100 touchdowns over four years. He had 35+ touchdowns in his final two seasons, reaching as high as 38 in his senior year. This season, the Longhorns struggled with depth in the running back room and Robinson will instantly make an impact in Austin.
Two other names to keep an eye out for are Hudson Card and Ja’Quinden Jackson. Card is a dual-threat quarterback from Austin, while Jackson is listed as an athlete on 247Sports. Jackson played quarterback in high school for Duncanville High School. Both of these guys will have a great opportunity to take over after Sam Ehlinger’s final season as quarterback.
It was a big day on the offensive line, signing four different four-star prospects. All from the state of Texas, Jaylen Garth and Andrej Karic come in as tackles, while Jake Majors is a center, and Logan Parr is a guard. With two seniors leaving on the offensive line after this season, one of these players may have a chance to start right away for the Longhorns.
Texas now focuses its attention on the bowl game, where they will play Utah in the Alamo Bowl. You can catch the game on New Year’s Eve at 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.
It has been a long time coming for Texas fans, as five-star RB Bijan Robinson has officially signed. Robinson will make an instant impact.
It has been a long time coming for Longhorn fans, as five-star running back Bijan Robinson has officially signed his national letter of intent to join Texas. Robinson has been verbally committed since early August and is the 13th highest-rated recruit the Longhorns have landed in their history according to 247Sports.
The 6 foot, 200 pound running back is from Salpointe Catholic High School in Tuscon, AZ. 247Sports has Robinson as the second-best running back in the 2020 class, only behind Zachary Evans of Houston, TX. Robinson was also considering Ohio State and USC but stuck with his commitment to Texas.
Robinson’s numbers in high school were insane. He has rushed for 2,000 yards in three consecutive seasons, totaling at 7,036 yards over four years. Not only did he get yards, but he put the ball in the endzone. In his senior season, Robinson had 38 rushing touchdowns and had 103 in four years.
Texas had some problems at running back this season, with players at the position being injured all year. Freshman Roschon Johnson, who came in as the third-string quarterback, ended up getting a decent amount of snaps in the backfield. With Robinson coming in, he is expected to make an instant impact and make the position group one of the best in the conference.
