Tag: Texas Longhorns

Does LSU’s unprecdented season make it the best team of the last 50 years?

LSU is the national champ so let the debate begin where the 15-0 Tigers rank among all-time greats.

College football has seen its share of dynasties. This isn’t about multiple years, rather single-season accomplishments. In this age of 14- and 15-game marathons that start in August and end in mid-January, there is an argument that LSU has completed the greatest season of this era. Or, many eras. While the game is college football, conferences realigning and schedules extending make it almost implausible to come up with an apples to apples measuring stick. Will limit this to teams from that played after 1970.

1971 Nebraska

Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Huskers’ defense held opponents to a remarkable 8.2 points per game while scoring an average of 39 per contest. On Thanksgiving Day, the Huskers beat No. 2 Oklahoma 35-31 in a “Game of the Century.” Nebraska then walloped another  No. 2, Alabama, 38-6, in the Orange Bowl.

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A New Name Emerges For Texas Longhorns Linebackers Assistant Job

According to a report from Anwar Richardson, Chris Ash and The Texas Longhorns are eyeing a South Carolina Assistant.

A recent report indicated that Southern Methodist’s Kevin Kane was a name tied to the open linebackers assistant coach position but it seems there is another name in the mix. According to Anwar Richardson, an assistant at South Carolina is in line to get the job.

Coleman Hutzler is currently on staff with former Texas Longhorns’ defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Hutzler joined Muschamp in 2016 and he has been both a linebacker’s coach and special teams coordinator. Hutzler first started coaching in 2006 as a defensive assistant for the University of San Diego. He has made stops in Stanford, Florida, Boston College and Florida. His next stop might just be in Austin, Texas

Ehlinger tops Burrow in PFF’s QB passing grades when blitzed in 2019

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is listed No. 2 on PFF’s passing grades when blitzed this season.

Sam Ehlinger is already mentioned as one of the top quarterbacks to play at the University of Texas, but it’s becoming more clear that his numbers are among the nations best.

Although PFF is primarily proprietary and does not divulge specifics into how the grades are calculated, it is a highly regarded resource for premium statistics and analysis at both the college and professional levels.

A lead college football analyst for PFF, Cam Mellor, listed the top five quarterbacks in terms of passing grades when blitzed this season.

Listed just below Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but notably above Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, Ehlinger has been impressive at Texas in terms of individual statistics.

Could he gain more hype if he were at one of the more successful programs in the country? Definitely. Does the quality of the opposing defenses impact these grades? Sure.

His 2019 season still shouldn’t be overlooked. Ehlinger finished with 3,663 passing yards and 32 total touchdowns including the Longhorns impressive victory over No. 11 Utah in the Alamo Bowl. Against LSU, who is now competing in the National Championship, Ehlinger threw for 401 yards and four touchdowns.

The calm, confident, and edgy Texas quarterback was at his best when opposing defenses tried to blitz him. Receiver Devin Duvernay was likely Ehlinger’s favorite go-to target.

Ehlinger surpassed former quarterback Vince Young in single season passing yards, total yards of offense, and total touchdowns in 2019.

In terms of cementing his name alongside the nation’s best college quarterbacks, Ehlinger will need to lead this Texas team to a National Championship in 2020.

2020 Texas Longhorns: Keaontay Ingram Profile

The Texas Longhorns head into 2020 with a running back question, can Keaontay Ingram be the answer?

The Texas Longhorns run game in 2020 could be help carry the team. The backfield seems to be crowded going into the spring. Top rated recruit Bijan Robinson is set to join the team in the fall. The Longhorns needed to convert quarterback Roschon Johnson to running back but with a crowded group, could he go back to quarterback? Right now the leader of the group is Keaontay Ingram.

During his high school career at Carthage, Ingram was a one-man show on the ground. He rushed for over 2,000 yards and 32 touchdowns or more in his final two years. His ability is one that you can lean on. Running the ball has never been an issue for Ingram, This year he improved to 5.9 yards per carry on the same amount of carries.

While Ingram has shown that he can be very productive, he hasn’t been the feature back during his first two seasons as a Longhorn. Going into his junior year, Ingram should get the opportunity to be more a feature back in the offense even given who Texas has coming in behind him.

As a receiver, Ingram gives you the flexibility to move him around. While the numbers are minimal, Ingram can be a factor as a receiver. Lining up Ingram out wide can be a way that new play caller Mike Yurcich can use him to create matchups with linebackers. After seeing how Ingram found success in the Alamo Bowl game against Utah, that just might be the way they use him to attack defenses in 2020.

SMU defensive coordinator Kevin Kane in mix for linebackers coach

The coaching search continues on for Texas, as the linebackers coach is still open. SMU’s DC Kevin Kane is a candidate for the position.

The coaching search continues on for the Longhorns, as they most recently hired wide receivers coach Andre Coleman and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai on Monday afternoon. Now, one of the few positions left to fill is the linebackers coach.

According to Taylor Gaspar Estes of 247sports, SMU’s defensive coordinator Kevin Kane is a candidate for the open position. 2019 was his second season with the Mustangs after being the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Northern Illinois.

Kane has experience coaching in the Big 12, as he was the linebackers coach for Kansas in 2015. Before that, he had his first stint at Northern Illinois where he started as the tight ends/fullbacks coach and got promoted all the way to their linebackers coach and specials team coordinator.

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Texas officially announces the hiring of two new assistant coaches

Texas announces two new coaching staff hires with wide receivers coach Andre Coleman and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai.

Texas has officially announced two new hires to their 2020 coaching staff. Wide receivers coach Andre Coleman and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai have joined head coach Tom Herman’s tree of assistant coaches.

Herman has rightfully reshaped his staff this offseason. While this may not be the last shakeup, it’s certainly significant. The Texas football program welcomed the new coaches on Twitter moments ago.

The Longhorns receivers were previously coached by Drew Mehringer and Corby Meekins. Mehringer was fired on Dec. 1, while Meekins was reassigned to an administrative staff position.

Coleman is a former Kansas State offensive coordinator who assisted Texas as an analyst during the 2019 season. Serving as the receivers coach for the Wildcats from 2013-2017, Coleman has an ample amount of experience. As an interm receivers coach during the Alamo Bowl, Coleman showcased his ability to connect with his players and impressed Herman with his offensive mind and attention to detail.

One of the more surprising replacements this offseason was new defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s decision to not retain defensive backs coach Jason Washington. Also serving as a recruiting coordinator, this left a major hole to fill for a young, talented group of cornerbacks.

It appears that Ash has landed his top choice. Former Rutgers coach Jay Valai has joined the Texas staff as a cornerbacks coach. Ash expects to assist with the safeties for the Longhorns in 2020. This two-man group for the back end of Texas’ defense has quite the history together.

Valai played under Ash at Wisconsin in 2010, where he was a captain and starting safety for the Badgers. After experience as a quality control coach for the Georgia Bulldogs and Kansas City Chiefs, Ash hired Valai as the cornerbacks coach at Rutgers for the 2019 season.

In a statement announcing Valai’s hiring, Herman feels confident and optimistic with staff addition.

“As a Texas native, he has a passion for our state, knows it well and will also be a tremendous recruiter for us. Chris Ash coached him as a player, hired him as a coach and thinks the world of him. I really enjoyed my time visiting with Jay and was really impressed by what he’ll bring to our program. We’re thrilled to add him to our staff.”

Texas is surrounded with high expectations and hopeful developments as they enter the 2020 season.

Texas fan’s rooting guide to the 2020 National Championship

After over five months of CFB, Clemson will face off against LSU in the National Championship. Who should Texas fans be rooting for tonight?

After roughly five months of Saturdays that were full of college football, the big game has finally arrived. Clemson will face off against Louisiana State in New Orleans for the 2020 National Championship. Both coming into the matchup with no losses, the excitement and expectations are being compared to the hype around the 2006 Rose Bowl between Texas and USC.

Defeating Oklahoma in the semi-final, LSU did Longhorn fans a favor by knocking the Sooners out of national championship contention early in the first quarter. Winning the game 63-28, the Tigers took care of business quickly and sat back and watched to see who their opponent would be.

In the other semi-final, Ohio State gave Clemson a run for their money early, having the chance to pull away from the Tigers like LSU did to Oklahoma. However, thanks to a couple of penalties before halftime, Clemson was able to storm back a win 29-23. Having the tougher path to this game, Clemson is battle-tested and ready for whatever LSU has to offer.

The Longhorns took on LSU earlier in the year, keeping them within a touchdown in early September. Besides Alabama and Auburn, nobody played them closer than Texas did. Both Sam Ehlinger and Joe Burrow had outstanding days, throwing for 401 and 471 yards respectively.

But who should Longhorn fans be cheering for in Monday’s game? Well, with LSU on the schedule for next season, having the opportunity to get a road victory against the defending national champions would be significant for Texas. The matchup against the Tigers will be important no matter what, but having a program like Texas versus the defending national champions is must-watch television.

If you mix that in with the fact that they took care of Oklahoma in the semi-final, Longhorn fans should be rooting for LSU in tonight’s national championship. Either way, it will be a fantastic game between two of the best teams in the history of college football.

You can catch the 2020 National Championship at 7:00 p.m. CST on ESPN.

Three former Longhorns still in quest for Lombardi Trophy

After the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, only three Longhorns remain in the quest to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

As the NFL playoffs have progressed, we’ve been keeping a close eye on former Texas players in their quest for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens currently employ the highest number of former Longhorns, but both teams unfortunately lost in the divisional round of playoffs.

There are now only three former Longhorns, each of which were drafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, that remain in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy. Two of these players have been placed on injured reserve throughout the 2019 season, but the impact they’ve made to their respective programs shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Kenny Vaccaro, S, Tennessee Titans

Vaccaro has played in every game of the 2019 regular season, finishing with 84 combined tackles and one interception. The safety for the Titans has also excelled in the playoffs thus far, including an exciting interception in the divisional round to help clinch the upset over the No. 1 seed Ravens.

Although the former first-round pick has qualified for the postseason twice in 2013 and 2017 with the New Orleans Saints, Vaccaro landed on injured reserve late in the regular season both times. Vaccaro was selected No. 15 overall by the Saints in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Alex Okafor, OLB, Kansas City Chiefs

Okafor played in ten games throughout the 2019 season before a torn pectoral muscle landed him on injured reserve in Week 15. The former Longhorn spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints before signing with the Chiefs in March. Okafor looked impressive in the minimal games played, finishing with 22 combined tackles and five sacks.

The former Longhorns most impressive appearance with Kansas City came in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, where he sacked Joe Flacco twice in the 30-6 win. Okafor was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Marquise Goodwin, WR, San Francisco 49’ers

Goodwin appeared in nine games with the 49’ers this season. The speedy receiver finished his seventh season in the league with 12 receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown before being placed on injured reserve in December for chronic knee and foot injuries.

Although this will likely be Goodwin’s last season with San Francisco, he still showed positive flashes for the franchise in previous seasons. Goodwin played in all 16 contests in 2017, catching 56 passes for 962 yards. The Buffalo Bills selected Goodwin in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Vaccaro will be the only former Texas player competing on the field next weekend with the AFC Championship on the line. Which of these three teams have the best shot of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy?

2020 Texas Longhorns: Sam Ehlinger Profile

Sam Ehlinger decided to come back to the Texas Longhorns for his final year, what can we expect from the leader of the team?

The quarterback at Texas has a long lineage from Bobby Layne to Major Applewhite to Vince Young to Colt McCoy and many in between. Now starter Sam Ehlinger has an opportunity to be added to the list of great quarterbacks to have played for the prestigious university. After submitting paperwork to the NFL Advisory Board, Ehlinger decided to come back for his senior year.

Once taking over the full-time job from Shane Buechele during the 2017 season, Sam Ehlinger has been able to win both with his arm and his legs. Coming out of Austin Westlake, Ehlinger was a four star recruit and the fourth-ranked dual threat quarterback in the nation according to  247 rankings.

Coming out of high school, the hometown production was viewed as a very accurate quarterback especially in the short to intermediate range. Something that he continued to do very well for the Longhorns through his first three seasons on the Forty Acres. During his game against the Utes, Ehlinger was as efficient as he has been all year and throughout his time in Austin.

Ehlinger threw for 11.2 yards per attempt on 18 attempts with three touchdowns. When factoring in his running attempts, Ehlinger accounted for four touchdowns and 284 yards of offense. He has shown the ability to take over games with his ability to move around the pocket to extend plays and put pressure on defenses with his legs.

Already in his career, Ehlinger had a season where he surpassed VinceYoung for the second-most yards of offense in a single season. His 4,326 yards in 2019 passed Young’s 4,086 for second and just 94 yards away from Colt McCoy’s record that was set in 2008. Ehlinger’s mark was also done in one less game than McCoy or Young.

Records that Ehlinger is chasing in 2020:

  • Single-season Total Offense (4,420)
  • Career Total Offense Yards (14,824), Ehlingher has 10,400
  • Single-season Touchdowns (34)
  • Career Touchdowns (112), Ehlinger has 68
  • Single-season Passing Yards (3,859)
  • Career Passing Yards (13,253), Ehlinger has 8,870

Some of these marks might seem highly unlikely such as the career passing yards unless Ehlinger throws for more than 4,000 yards in 2020. Not only would it give Sam the record but it would also mark the first time a Texas quarterback passes for 4,000 in school history.

Sam Ehlinger is looking to put himself up in the stratosphere of Young and McCoy but to do it he will need to lead the Longhorns to somewhere they haven’t been in a decade, the National Championship.