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Steve Habel: Longhorns receivers say win over Alabama came from hard work and togetherness

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Plenty will be taken from Texas’ benchmark win against Alabama in Tuscaloosa Saturday but there’s one thing that likely rises above the others: when the Longhorns say they are focused and prepared and “as one” as a team, maybe it’s time to believe them. An example of the latter is the postgame press conference with receivers Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell, who interviewed together after Texas’ 34-24 win.

Worthy finished with five catches for 75 yards that included a 44-yard TD. Mitchell had 78 yards on three catches, two of them for touchdowns (7 and 29 yards, respectively). Worthy even passed to Mitchell in a play that resulted in a pass interference penalty. Worthy discarded the notion that the Longhorns’ win “validated” the team. “We don’t really I feel like we have anything to prove to anybody, we just have to prove things to ourselves,” Worthy said. “So I feel like this is what we knew we could do all time. I feel like we owed (Alabama) this.”

Mitchell inferred that the Longhorns’ performance and its positive outcome should not have been surprising. “We just came out there executed and just played the way we knew we could play it all the time – it showed tonight,” Mitchell explained. “If we just execute and play our brand of football it’s gonna be the same every time. It’s just about us and our preparation and execution. We just played together as a unit the whole day from special teams to defense to offense. I feel like we all just fed off each other and you know when you when you do that you come together and play the way you play we played.”

Both receivers lauded the play of quarterback Quinn Ewers, who they said showed what he’s been bringing at practice. “Ewers is just the player that we’ve seen the whole year,” Mitchell said. “We’ve always believed in him. He’s a leader. You know, even in the fourth quarter when we got up he was just telling everybody ‘look, the job’s not finished. We’re not done.’”

Don’t expect the Longhorns to rest on their laurels – it’s back to work next week in preparation for Wyoming, which beat Texas Tech in two overtimes in its season opener and comes to Austin undefeated. “Coming off a big win I feel like that can linger into next week,” Worthy said. “We are just going to work on staying focused because we have bigger goals ahead of us.” With the duo helping keep Texas on track, the sky is the limit. “The work has been put in the whole year – spring, summer workouts, fall camp – but the work never stops,” Mitchell said.

Eric Nahlin: It all came together for Texas on Saturday night

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By ‘all’, I mean everything. The bold decision by Texas’ leadership triumvirate to replace Tom Herman with Steve Sarkisian. Sark’s top-to-bottom rebuild after going 5-7 and losing one heartbreaking game after another in his first season. A lot of coaches wouldn’t get off the mat from that. The entire rebuild of the standard Texas player’s mindset — the cultivation of a mentally and physically imposing football player.

After the game last night it was time to party but also reflect. Me and my wife made new friends, a couple of them recanted their trip to Fayetteville just two years ago. Sark has used those two year to grow as a head coach and build a resilient team in his image. He’s remained confident in his process — loyal to his initial coaching staff. Sark was rewarded with complementary football as Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense harkened to his University of Washington ‘Death Row’ glory days.

Look how it came together for Quinn Ewers. The talented passer was a microcosm for Texas’ 2022 season. As he went so too did the season. His growth, under Sark’s tutelage, is nothing short of amazing. I honestly didn’t know if he had it in him last November but he shut those unfair notions down starting last December. 350 yards passing and it would have been more without some drops. Three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Look how it came together for the offensive line. That group was the whipping boy after too many missed assignments against Rice. How about zero sacks and clean pockets for QB1. The run game began to assert itself late when it was most needed. This group helped choke out Alabama one yard at a time. Bama was out of timeouts with five minutes to go. Nick Saban, the greatest coach in the history of the sport, was powerless. It’s the end of an era and perhaps the beginning of another one.

How about Jerrin Thompson? He struggled two years ago but played better last year. Last night he gets beat over the top but keeps his head in the game and gets a huge interception just minutes later. Ethan Burke. We didn’t know what to expect from him this year. Sources felt he’d be okay, but he’s better than okay. Creating a sack while lying on the ground is only going to bolster his reputation for having an incredible motor.

How about the fans? You have stood shoulder to shoulder with this slumbering program for 12 long years. One of the best sights of the evening was seeing the fans and players on opposite sides of the railings celebrating together. It was all high fives and hugs.

This is not a ‘we’re back’ moment. If Texas is back it happened while nobody was watching. It happened while the boys were putting in work this offseason, running in 105 degree temperature. It happened while Sark was scheming up Alabama during the late Spring. It happened when PK was fine-tuning this blistering third down package. It happened while Terry Joseph and Bo Davis were recruiting the Deep South. It happened while selfless men were helping to put UT’s NIL efforts near the top of the game. Etc.

Now the job is to keep it going. The leadership on the team must ensure the rest of the team blocks out the headlines. The leaders have to keep up the same intensity and focus the team took to Bryant-Denny Stadium. Tape will reveal a number of miscues that kept Bama in the game. There is a lot to clean up. But there is also a whole lot to celebrate.

Bobby Burton: The top parts of Texas' 34-24 win over Alabama

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A thorough victory. That’s what we witnessed on Saturday night. Texas beat the Crimson Tide in nearly every facet of the game. Texas was better on offense, defense, and, if not for a Bert Auburn miss, the Horns would have been decidedly better on special teams, too.

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Biggest surprise of the game? The juxtaposition of the Texas OL in pass protection with that of Alabama. Texas did not allow a sack while Jalen Milroe was routinely looking for the closest escape hatch. Hats off to Kyle Flood and his crew after last week’s less than ideal showing.

**

Talk about changing a look of a defense in a year’s time. Ethan Burke and Anthony Hill are legitimate revelations as pass rushers. The addition of those two are helping Texas get the quarterback to the ground, and not just create pressure. The sophomore and freshman are both hyper athletic and chase the QB and back-side of plays as well as you could possibly ask for someone their age.

**

Johnathon Brooks deserves a big pat on the back. Steve Sarkisian turned to Brooks for much of the fourth quarter, and Brooks did not disappoint. He converted two key third downs, including one that could have easily been stopped short of the first down if not for the little extra grit he showed.

**

Others on IT will talk in more detail about Ewers’ performance but what struck me more than anything was his much greater willingness to stay in the pocket against Bama than Rice. The difference was noticeable. And it is likely what tipped the game in favor of the Horns. Texas needed Quinn to step up. And he did just that.

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Yes, Texas left points on the board. And Jaylan Ford even dropped a would-be interception. Yet that’s just how thorough this win was. Texas left meat on the bone but won by 10 points and the team was driving in the 4th to close it out.

**

AD Mitchell had three catches. And all three were impactful. Two TDs and a one-on-one catch that got Texas off of its own goal line.

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And last but not least… Congrats to the Texas coaching staff. I think it’s fair to say they clearly put their team in a better position to win the game than their opponent.

 

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3 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I take a little exception to this, as the wr to that side set a natural pick that gbenda had to go under that killed his angle to McClellan. 

They also were able to clearly identify the matchup with some pre-snap motion. I was really surprised we didn't check into a different coverage. Having your LB show man coverage on the RB before the snap and not adjusting is asking for trouble. We just got really lucky Milroe missed the throw. 

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PFF grades are interesting. Watching live I thought Gbenda was not great most the game (his nice play on the sack helped salvage) but I didn’t necessarily think Ford was right there with him.

Funny thing about corners, if you don’t mention or notice them it usually means they’re playing well. Watts had that great PBU and wasn’t heard from much in coverage after that; clearly looking at his grade and the way his game was described in the Scipio piece that was because he was playing a great game and there wasn’t much available for Bama to try him on.

PFF grades are interesting. Watching live I thought Gbenda was not great most the game (his nice play on the sack helped salvage) but I didn’t necessarily think Ford was right there with him.

Funny thing about corners, if you don’t mention or notice them it usually means they’re playing well. Watts had that great PBU and wasn’t heard from much in coverage after that; clearly looking at his grade and the way his game was described in the Scipio piece that was because he was playing a great game and there wasn’t much available for Bama to try him on.

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PFF grades are interesting. Watching live I thought Gbenda was not great most the game (his nice play on the sack helped salvage) but I didn’t necessarily think Ford was right there with him.

Funny thing about corners, if you don’t mention or notice them it usually means they’re playing well. Watts had that great PBU and wasn’t heard from much in coverage after that; clearly looking at his grade and the way his game was described in the Scipio piece that was because he was playing a great game and there wasn’t much available for Bama to try him on.

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(Scipio Tex) 2023 Alabama Post Mortem: Offense

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The Texas offense wasn’t perfect on Saturday night vs. Alabama, but they were relentless. They were also poised, focused and really well coached. You knew it wasn’t Rice week anymore when Texas came out in an empty set on the first play from scrimmage and ran tempo for large portions of the game. The playbook was open. More importantly, Texas players can finally read all of the chapters.

The Horns dropped 454 yards and 34 points on Bama and probably left another ten to fourteen points out in the ether. Instead of worrying about the scoring play that got away and opportunities lost, they kept coming, created more chances and beat the Tide down in their own house.

When Bama took the lead 16-13 right before the beginning of the fourth quarter in what was starting to look like a grind-it-out finish, the Texas offense bit down on their mouthpieces and started throwing haymakers. Three 4th quarter touchdowns later, Texas had a decisive road win, a new Top 5 ranking and a new standard of play to honor and uphold. Now that Texas players, coaches, their families and the fans know what they can do, there’s no reason to let that standard fall.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The Texas offensive line is the only group that has held Bama with zero sacks and less than 3 pressures since 2014. So that’s about 125 games or so. Bama hasn’t been held sackless since Clemson in 2018. One of the better pass blocking performances that I can recall.

I’m leading with this unit because there is no win in Tuscaloosa if they hadn’t elevated their level of play so dramatically. The interior OL deserved every unkind word said about them last week and they deserve every victory laurel this week. Sark had a “brutally honest conversation” after Rice with this group and my post-mortem after the Rice game was something less than kind.

They responded. Particularly as pass protectors. Let’s talk about physicality and effort. Better yet, let me show it to you:

That’s Cole Hutson on counter gap bringing it. The first hit was about physicality, the second hit was because he wanted to. Nasty.

A different level of energy and intensity from the guy who looked so confused and passive a week ago. Here’s where it comes together:

Hayden Conner deftly carries his guy out of the play. Jake Majors does his job making sure that Conner is good and then finds work upfield on Malachi Moore. DJ Campbell gets across the DL’s face quickly (that Bama DL was probably supposed to stop him) and then drives two different Tide defenders, fighting them both at the goal line. DJ gets on them really fast, like shockingly so for his size. Christian Jones collapses the DL that DJ bypassed ten yards down the field and eventually pancakes him. If you want to chuckle, watch Keilan Robinson and AD Mitchell on that play. Let’s get a hat on someone, Keilan. AD not interested in that big guy life.

Longhorn pass protection was exemplary. Run blocking was generally poor to middling until the final quarter of play, but Bama has some big, strong dudes in there. The Cole Huston detonation above is actually a good example of the line’s inconsistency in execution. Hayden Conner has to get a more aggressive block on #91 on the backside and Christian Jones gets ole’d by #32 filling the hole. Interestingly Hutson and Campbell, who basically split time (Hutson got a few more snaps) were our most effective run blockers. Hayden Conner probably the least. Everyone pass protected well. Everyone.

The speed and aggression on display above is what this group is capable of every week. If they can combine that energy and focus with better execution, they can be scary.

QUARTERBACK

 

Quinn Ewers played his best game as a Longhorn. We finally saw the player promised for a full four quarters and he was as cool as a polar bear’s icebox, finally breaking out in the final 15 minutes going 6 of 7 for 135 passing yards and two touchdowns. He finished 24 of 38 for 349 yards on 42 dropbacks and three passing touchdowns; chipping in another 3 runs for 11 yards, zero turnovers, and multiple dimes dropped. He had two touchdowns dropped by Brooks and Worthy. Whittington also didn’t corral a likely long catch and run. Ewers just shrugged and kept coming. Quinn did a terrific job of remaining in the pocket and generally being an elite distributor of the ball. His few errant passes (two right before halftime) were the oddity. A huge number of his passes were basically perfect throws.

On throws >20 yards, Ewers was 3 of 6 for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Between the hashes, he was 17 of 26 for 240 yards and all three of his touchdowns. Number of balls thrown outside the hashes to the right? Two. Texas has a QB, y’all.

RUNNING BACKS

Major props to Jonathon Brooks for his effort level all game. Aside from hard running, he recovered two Texas fumbles, turning one of them into a 1st down conversion. He led Texas with 57 yards on 14 tough carries and had no negative runs. He did have one very negative play, dropping another touchdown on the same route that he dropped a touchdown against Rice. Time to give Blue or Baxter a shot at that one.

CJ Baxter ran hard though some pain and showed why he’s going to be a real asset in conference play. He caught the ball really well (4-21) and I’m intrigued by his potential as a pass catcher down the road. Robinson and Blue saw spot action.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

Xavier Worthy dominated in the 1st half with 5 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, including tracking this beauty.

Worthy also dropped a sure touchdown in the red zone, effectively taking 4 points off of the board after the successful field goal. Alabama removed him from the game in the second half and that’s when Jordan Whittington (3-41), Adonai Mitchell (3-78-2 touchdowns) and JT Sanders (5-114) stepped up. I have a feeling that I’m going to continue to gripe about Mitchell’s blocking every week. In response, he’ll do things like this:

and this…

So I’m just going to have to learn to deal with this right? JT Sanders had some excellent receiving moments as well, particularly on the Y Delay concept where Texas vacates space while Sanders holds then fills the vacant space. He also had this 50 yard dagger from tempo when Alabama’s secondary was still trying to get a play call in.

Texas showed that they have an elite group of receivers who can threaten the entire field. With good pass protection and Ewers dealing (chunk throws of 50, 44, 39, 31), this is a tough group to match up with. Whittington was by far the best blocker of the group.

FINAL

In Sark’s first two seasons, the Texas offense was limited by whatever wrinkles that the head coach could introduce that week due to talent ceilings and inexperience. When the wrinkles ran out, so too did the Longhorn offense. In Year 3, the talented but inexperienced QB is growing into the job and the offense is growing with him.

Last Saturday, the Texas offense buried Bama running the Texas play book. Not wrinkles. That’s a major shift for this offense and while the wrinkles will keep coming, Texas efficacy will no longer be dependent on them. It’ll be about the scheme and the players running concepts fluidly. Sark oversaw a masterwork and when his artists finally got the paint from the brush to the canvas, something amazing started to take form. Let’s keep painting.

Bobby Burton: The truth about Texas football is revealed in win at Alabama

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It wasn’t Kool-Aid I was serving to Texas fans this off-season, it was just the plain old fashioned truth. And the truth… Well, as we all know, The Truth Will Set You Free. Texas had a better collection of receivers, a better quarterback, two running backs at least the equal of Alabama, and a secondary that was clearly superior overall. So Texas out-talented Alabama at the skill positions on Saturday. And the Horns generated a better pass rush than the Tide while holding the rest of the Tide team to a virtual stalemate.

But this game wasn’t just about talent. This game was about the Texas talent executing when the game was on the line, about overcoming the mystique of Alabama and 100,000 screaming fans, about a coaching staff extracting and capitalizing on the value of its talent. All three problems had to be solved for Texas to emerge victorious in Tuscaloosa. And that’s exactly what occurred.

This team must now head into this week and file those memories away because there’s still more work to be done for this team to match its capabilities. Otherwise it will be Kool-Aid that I was serving. And nobody likes the taste of Kool-Aid when you’ve tasted the truth.

**

My hats off to the interior of the Texas offensive line. One week after being criticized for a lackluster performance against Rice, the Horns’ interior came up big. It helped that Cole Hutson rejoined the rotation. But it was also obvious that Jake Majors, DJ Campbell and Hayden Conner took the Rice fiasco seriously. Majors and Campbell, in particular, stepped their games way up against the Crimson Tide.

Watch the Jonathon Brooks touchdown run. Majors and Campbell get absolute wins in the middle of the field, and Christian Jones absolutely displaced an interior defensive lineman. If this offensive line starts playing better, like they did against Bama, there is no telling where the Horns end up this season. Texas will not face a more athletic, difficult front this season than the Crimson Tide.

 

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3 hours ago, Dahobbs said:

PFF grades are interesting. Watching live I thought Gbenda was not great most the game (his nice play on the sack helped salvage) but I didn’t necessarily think Ford was right there with him.

Funny thing about corners, if you don’t mention or notice them it usually means they’re playing well. Watts had that great PBU and wasn’t heard from much in coverage after that; clearly looking at his grade and the way his game was described in the Scipio piece that was because he was playing a great game and there wasn’t much available for Bama to try him on.

Tapa rekt me

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On 9/11/2023 at 8:50 AM, Codaxx said:

this is the best by Campbell. I am hitting the LB. I am hitting the Safety and Fuck it I am hitting AD Mitchell too

 

Campbell and Hutson had an edge all night, Conner doesn't possess the same edge. Go watch Conner block the Ewers scramble right before the 2nd FG. Ewers had a lane, but Conner just bumblefucked his way down the field and didn't finish his block against the Bama defender that turned a potential 7-8 yard gain into a 2-yard gain.

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1 hour ago, HtownHorn said:

Campbell and Hutson had an edge all night, Conner doesn't possess the same edge. Go watch Conner block the Ewers scramble right before the 2nd FG. Ewers had a lane, but Conner just bumblefucked his way down the field and didn't finish his block against the Bama defender that turned a potential 7-8 yard gain into a 2-yard gain.

I think long term for this season the line of Banks - Hutson - Majors - Campbell - Jones will end up being the best for us. 

 

 

Conner just doesn't get push he needs

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20 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

I think long term for this season the line of Banks - Hutson - Majors - Campbell - Jones will end up being the best for us. 

Conner just doesn't get push he needs

Gerry said today that he expects Neto to get more snaps this week, and wouldn't be shocked to see Williams get a series or two.

The OL for next year is going to  be Banks-Neto-Hutson-Campbell-Williams

Edited by HtownHorn
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3 hours ago, Vertigo said:

Yes B12, tell me all about how you are going to miss Texas and how the conference is better without you. Love that Houston/Rice number.

image.thumb.png.5e89e6f5a15ca5778c8493b2ea31874e.png

Also, why was Charlotte at Maryland on network NBC?

3 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

I'm interested to follow the ratings once we get into conference play between OU/Texas vs rest of shit 12.

They'll be higher

Texas-Bama on Sat night coming within 1/2 million viewers of FSU-LSU on Sun night of opening weekend is pretty good, right?

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2 hours ago, WBT said:

poooor aggy

The poor attendance in Miami is more than just a commentary on Miami fans. If Texas or Alabama or Ohio State or Notre Dame showed up there to play, the stands would have been nearly full. Locals like to see a big brand team. 

Nobody cares about telling somebody 20 years from now that, "yea, I was lucky enough to get a ticket to a Texas A&M game back in '23." 

I occasionally recount attending Ohio State in Austin back in '06 and seeing them dot the i at halftime. Seeing their iconic uniforms was cool as shit. I imagine those guys feel the same about seeing the Longhorn logo in the Shoe.

The Aggies would have to dominate for a few decades to even have a chance to be such a brand. Nobody really cares enough about the Aggies to go out of their way to buy a cheap ticket to watch them play.

Triste

 

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5 hours ago, RomaVicta said:

The poor attendance in Miami is more than just a commentary on Miami fans. If Texas or Alabama or Ohio State or Notre Dame showed up there to play, the stands would have been nearly full. Locals like to see a big brand team. 

Nobody cares about telling somebody 20 years from now that, "yea, I was lucky enough to get a ticket to a Texas A&M game back in '23." 

I occasionally recount attending Ohio State in Austin back in '06 and seeing them dot the i at halftime. Seeing their iconic uniforms was cool as shit. I imagine those guys feel the same about seeing the Longhorn logo in the Shoe.

The Aggies would have to dominate for a few decades to even have a chance to be such a brand. Nobody really cares enough about the Aggies to go out of their way to buy a cheap ticket to watch them play.

Triste

 

Oh, people remember when they see the Corps alright

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