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Dallas Morning News Texas beat writer Chip Brown answers your Longhorns football questions every Friday in this column exclusively for ***BANNED-URL***. E-mail your questions to Chip, and check out more on the Longhorns in our Texas area.
One more home date for the champs
11:54 PM CST on Thursday, January 12, 2006
The 2005 national champion Texas Longhorns will celebrate their 41-38 Rose Bowl victory over USC and their 13-0 record at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Royal Memorial Stadium. The gates will open at 5 p.m., and UT officials are a bit nervous that they won’t have enough room to house everyone in attendance.
The big reason is that the upper deck on the west side of Royal Memorial Stadium is under construction. Thus the capacity at the stadium is roughly 60,000. No one knows how many people are attending because it’s free, so there are not ticket sales to gauge interest.
Officials are arranging for an outdoor video screen on the hill near the LBJ Library, just northeast of the stadium, for any overflow crowd wanting to watch the festivities.
Since the team won the national title in the Rose Bowl, Mack Brown won the Paul “Bear” Bryant College Football Coach of the Year Award, as voted on by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
And Vince Young won the Manning Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback and the only such award that takes into consideration a player’s bowl performance. The Manning Award is voted on by a panel of national media covering college football as well as each of the Mannings (Archie, Eli and Peyton).
LONGHORNS Q&A
Q: Did Texas really win the national championship? Every time I watch the game on a replay, I can’t believe the Longhorns won it. Please tell me this all really happened.
Lucy Wheeless, Austin
BROWN: It’s true. Great things happen with special players (Vince Young and the 2002 freshman class), great leadership (see previous), great communication between players and coaches (give Mack Brown credit for opening up to his players and allowing them to express themselves more) and a few breaks (Young’s knee was down on the lateral to Selvin Young for a touchdown.)
• • •
Q: I really felt like Mack Brown coached better than Pete Carroll in that Rose Bowl. Everyone kept saying that if you give Pete Carroll a month to prepare, the opposing offense is doomed. But Carroll botched his timeouts, went for it on fourth down in the fourth quarter and failed and generally had no answer for Vince Young.
Mike Patterson, Houston
BROWN: That argument can be made. Mack Brown was as relaxed and focused as he’d been all season and really had his best day in the Rose Bowl. He had his players in the right frame of mind, managed his timeouts and made some key adjustments (going to the one-minute offense in the second quarter.) Brown tried to take some heat off of Carroll, who was widely second-guessed for going for it on fourth-and-2 from the Texas 45 with a five-point lead (38-33) just more than two minutes left. When Brown was asked if he would have done the same thing, Brown said, “Yes.” Who knows if Brown would have or not. He was just trying to help Carroll, who was ripped nationally after the game for that fourth-down call and for not having any timeouts left on his team’s final drive. (He burned one before UT’s two-point conversion on the Longhorns’ final touchdown.) It wasn’t a great night for Carroll. It was for Brown.
• • •
Q: Were you surprised by Vince Young’s decision to turn pro?
Keith Jimmerson, Houston
BROWN: No. I said before the Rose Bowl, I thought if Texas won the national title, Young would move on. If Texas had lost the game, there was a good chance Young would have come back to try to finish the season at No. 1. But after his record-setting performance in the Rose Bowl (467 yards total offense, and touchdown runs of 14, 17 and 8 yards), what was there to prove? Besides, he totally outplayed Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, just as Young promised. (Remember when he said if he didn’t win the Heisman he would prove to the world it made a wrong decision?)
• • •
Q: Should the Texans take Vince Young or Reggie Bush as the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft?
Tim Cummings, Houston
BROWN: If the Texans don’t take Young, they’re crazy. NFL teams spend months scouring the college talent looking for someone who has the intangible of fearlessness at crunch time. Young has that by the caseload. He has a touch of Michael Jordan in him. His release may be three-quarters, but it’s quick. And he makes good decisions (30 of 40 passing against USC’s quick, athletic defense isn’t done with smoke and mirrors.)
And what does it say about Bush that he wasn’t even on the field both times USC went for it on fourth down in the second half ? LenDale White ran the ball both times. White scored on a 12-yard run on fourth-and-1 with 4:07 left in the third quarter and was stuffed on fourth-and-2 from the UT 45 with 2:09 to play.
Bush hasn’t proven he’s an every-down back. He’s only carried 20 times or more twice in his college career. And if he’s the best back since Gale Sayers, as ESPN would have us believe, then why doesn’t he run between the tackles more?
• • •
Q: Do you think Greg Davis will go with Gary Kubiak if Kubiak becomes head coach of the Texans?
John Barber, Austin
BROWN: Davis and Kubiak are longtime friends. But the early indications are that Kubiak will not bring Davis aboard. While Mike Ditka suggested it would be a good idea to bring UT’s zone-read offense to whatever team Vince Young plays for in the NFL, it doesn’t appear that will be the case if Kubiak goes to Houston and Young is the team’s first pick.
• • •
Q: What’s the latest on Justin Blalock. Is he staying or going to the NFL?
Robert Parker, Dallas
BROWN: As of Thursday, Blalock was driving to Austin to meet with the Texas coaches. He was also waiting on a friend to provide some more information about where he might be projected in the 2006 NFL Draft. Blalock met with former Cowboys scouting director Gil Brandt on Sunday, who told him he’d be a late second-round, early third-round pick and to return to Texas for his senior season. Blalock’s mom said his decision changes from daily. An announcement should come Friday or Saturday. (The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL Draft is Sunday.)
• • •
Q: Who do you think starts the season at quarterback for Texas next season?
Thomas Jennings, Fort Worth
BROWN: The current battle is between redshirt freshman Colt McCoy of Tuscola Jim Ned, Jevan Snead of Stephenville and Sherrod Harris of Arlington Bowie. McCoy is the only scholarship quarterback. Snead and Harris are incoming freshmen who haven’t even signed their national letters of intent yet. Snead is expected to enroll in classes at Texas next week and take part in spring football beginning Feb. 24. That will help him tremendously. But I think McCoy will start the season. Mack Brown doesn’t like to throw true freshmen out on the field early in a season unless he’s just blown away in fall camp. Vince Young provided an endorsement for McCoy at his announcement to go to the NFL. He said McCoy has a nice arm, knows the answers to questions in meetings that Young didn’t know as a freshman and, most importantly, is gaining the respect of his teammates.
• • •
Q: I thought one of the biggest plays in the Rose Bowl that no one talked about was Kasey Studdard recovering Vince Young’s fumble in the fourth quarter. Thoughts?
Suzanne Miller, San Antonio
BROWN: There were several plays that played a key role in Texas’ victory. Studdard’s recovery of Young’s fumble at the Texas 17 with less than nine minutes to play allowed UT to kick a 34-yard field goal that cut USC’s lead to 31-26 with 8:46 to play. David Thomas, who had a heroic game with 10 catches, also made a huge play on Texas’ second-to-last touchdown drive. Vince Young threw a pass to the sideline that was nearly picked off by USC defensive back Ryan Ting. If Thomas didn’t break up the pass, it would have been USC’s ball at the Texas 37. Michael Griffin had a great interception in the first half. Tarell Brown played a great game, breaking up passes and helping in run support before breaking his right arm in a collision with Michael Griffin while defending against USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett. Frank Okam produced a couple of huge sacks. The offensive line was stellar all night, giving up zero sacks. Michael Huff was all over the field.
• • •
Q: Did you get a good look at the fourth-and-2 play in which Texas stopped LenDale White with two minutes to play? Who got the push that disrupted the play?
Marcus Williams, Houston
BROWN: Larry Dibbles and Brian Robison got the initial push. (Robison does a great job slipping the block of USC tight end Fred Davis, who is No. 83). Those two help clog up the hole White is trying to run through. Then, linebacker Drew Kelson does a great job of shedding the fullback’s block and getting his arms around White’s waist. Michael Huff and Aaron Harris come over the top to make sure White doesn’t muscle forward. After the play is whistled dead, Texas cornerback Cedric Griffin takes off his helmet on the field, which is a penalty. He quickly puts it back on. After the officials measure, Huff strips off his helmet as he’s running to the sideline, which also appears to be a penalty. There were no flags, though. Another break.
• • •
Q: Any word on Texas coaches who may be getting interest to take other jobs?
Julie Simmons, Austin
BROWN: As of Thursday, Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds had not been asked for permission by another school to talk to any UT coaches.
More newsletters...
One more home date for the champs
Opportunities like these don't knock often
This herd's heard enough
Not a holiday week to remember
Finishing first is second nature to Young
One more home date for the champs
11:54 PM CST on Thursday, January 12, 2006
The 2005 national champion Texas Longhorns will celebrate their 41-38 Rose Bowl victory over USC and their 13-0 record at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Royal Memorial Stadium. The gates will open at 5 p.m., and UT officials are a bit nervous that they won’t have enough room to house everyone in attendance.
The big reason is that the upper deck on the west side of Royal Memorial Stadium is under construction. Thus the capacity at the stadium is roughly 60,000. No one knows how many people are attending because it’s free, so there are not ticket sales to gauge interest.
Officials are arranging for an outdoor video screen on the hill near the LBJ Library, just northeast of the stadium, for any overflow crowd wanting to watch the festivities.
Since the team won the national title in the Rose Bowl, Mack Brown won the Paul “Bear” Bryant College Football Coach of the Year Award, as voted on by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
And Vince Young won the Manning Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback and the only such award that takes into consideration a player’s bowl performance. The Manning Award is voted on by a panel of national media covering college football as well as each of the Mannings (Archie, Eli and Peyton).
LONGHORNS Q&A
Q: Did Texas really win the national championship? Every time I watch the game on a replay, I can’t believe the Longhorns won it. Please tell me this all really happened.
Lucy Wheeless, Austin
BROWN: It’s true. Great things happen with special players (Vince Young and the 2002 freshman class), great leadership (see previous), great communication between players and coaches (give Mack Brown credit for opening up to his players and allowing them to express themselves more) and a few breaks (Young’s knee was down on the lateral to Selvin Young for a touchdown.)
• • •
Q: I really felt like Mack Brown coached better than Pete Carroll in that Rose Bowl. Everyone kept saying that if you give Pete Carroll a month to prepare, the opposing offense is doomed. But Carroll botched his timeouts, went for it on fourth down in the fourth quarter and failed and generally had no answer for Vince Young.
Mike Patterson, Houston
BROWN: That argument can be made. Mack Brown was as relaxed and focused as he’d been all season and really had his best day in the Rose Bowl. He had his players in the right frame of mind, managed his timeouts and made some key adjustments (going to the one-minute offense in the second quarter.) Brown tried to take some heat off of Carroll, who was widely second-guessed for going for it on fourth-and-2 from the Texas 45 with a five-point lead (38-33) just more than two minutes left. When Brown was asked if he would have done the same thing, Brown said, “Yes.” Who knows if Brown would have or not. He was just trying to help Carroll, who was ripped nationally after the game for that fourth-down call and for not having any timeouts left on his team’s final drive. (He burned one before UT’s two-point conversion on the Longhorns’ final touchdown.) It wasn’t a great night for Carroll. It was for Brown.
• • •
Q: Were you surprised by Vince Young’s decision to turn pro?
Keith Jimmerson, Houston
BROWN: No. I said before the Rose Bowl, I thought if Texas won the national title, Young would move on. If Texas had lost the game, there was a good chance Young would have come back to try to finish the season at No. 1. But after his record-setting performance in the Rose Bowl (467 yards total offense, and touchdown runs of 14, 17 and 8 yards), what was there to prove? Besides, he totally outplayed Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, just as Young promised. (Remember when he said if he didn’t win the Heisman he would prove to the world it made a wrong decision?)
• • •
Q: Should the Texans take Vince Young or Reggie Bush as the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft?
Tim Cummings, Houston
BROWN: If the Texans don’t take Young, they’re crazy. NFL teams spend months scouring the college talent looking for someone who has the intangible of fearlessness at crunch time. Young has that by the caseload. He has a touch of Michael Jordan in him. His release may be three-quarters, but it’s quick. And he makes good decisions (30 of 40 passing against USC’s quick, athletic defense isn’t done with smoke and mirrors.)
And what does it say about Bush that he wasn’t even on the field both times USC went for it on fourth down in the second half ? LenDale White ran the ball both times. White scored on a 12-yard run on fourth-and-1 with 4:07 left in the third quarter and was stuffed on fourth-and-2 from the UT 45 with 2:09 to play.
Bush hasn’t proven he’s an every-down back. He’s only carried 20 times or more twice in his college career. And if he’s the best back since Gale Sayers, as ESPN would have us believe, then why doesn’t he run between the tackles more?
• • •
Q: Do you think Greg Davis will go with Gary Kubiak if Kubiak becomes head coach of the Texans?
John Barber, Austin
BROWN: Davis and Kubiak are longtime friends. But the early indications are that Kubiak will not bring Davis aboard. While Mike Ditka suggested it would be a good idea to bring UT’s zone-read offense to whatever team Vince Young plays for in the NFL, it doesn’t appear that will be the case if Kubiak goes to Houston and Young is the team’s first pick.
• • •
Q: What’s the latest on Justin Blalock. Is he staying or going to the NFL?
Robert Parker, Dallas
BROWN: As of Thursday, Blalock was driving to Austin to meet with the Texas coaches. He was also waiting on a friend to provide some more information about where he might be projected in the 2006 NFL Draft. Blalock met with former Cowboys scouting director Gil Brandt on Sunday, who told him he’d be a late second-round, early third-round pick and to return to Texas for his senior season. Blalock’s mom said his decision changes from daily. An announcement should come Friday or Saturday. (The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL Draft is Sunday.)
• • •
Q: Who do you think starts the season at quarterback for Texas next season?
Thomas Jennings, Fort Worth
BROWN: The current battle is between redshirt freshman Colt McCoy of Tuscola Jim Ned, Jevan Snead of Stephenville and Sherrod Harris of Arlington Bowie. McCoy is the only scholarship quarterback. Snead and Harris are incoming freshmen who haven’t even signed their national letters of intent yet. Snead is expected to enroll in classes at Texas next week and take part in spring football beginning Feb. 24. That will help him tremendously. But I think McCoy will start the season. Mack Brown doesn’t like to throw true freshmen out on the field early in a season unless he’s just blown away in fall camp. Vince Young provided an endorsement for McCoy at his announcement to go to the NFL. He said McCoy has a nice arm, knows the answers to questions in meetings that Young didn’t know as a freshman and, most importantly, is gaining the respect of his teammates.
• • •
Q: I thought one of the biggest plays in the Rose Bowl that no one talked about was Kasey Studdard recovering Vince Young’s fumble in the fourth quarter. Thoughts?
Suzanne Miller, San Antonio
BROWN: There were several plays that played a key role in Texas’ victory. Studdard’s recovery of Young’s fumble at the Texas 17 with less than nine minutes to play allowed UT to kick a 34-yard field goal that cut USC’s lead to 31-26 with 8:46 to play. David Thomas, who had a heroic game with 10 catches, also made a huge play on Texas’ second-to-last touchdown drive. Vince Young threw a pass to the sideline that was nearly picked off by USC defensive back Ryan Ting. If Thomas didn’t break up the pass, it would have been USC’s ball at the Texas 37. Michael Griffin had a great interception in the first half. Tarell Brown played a great game, breaking up passes and helping in run support before breaking his right arm in a collision with Michael Griffin while defending against USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett. Frank Okam produced a couple of huge sacks. The offensive line was stellar all night, giving up zero sacks. Michael Huff was all over the field.
• • •
Q: Did you get a good look at the fourth-and-2 play in which Texas stopped LenDale White with two minutes to play? Who got the push that disrupted the play?
Marcus Williams, Houston
BROWN: Larry Dibbles and Brian Robison got the initial push. (Robison does a great job slipping the block of USC tight end Fred Davis, who is No. 83). Those two help clog up the hole White is trying to run through. Then, linebacker Drew Kelson does a great job of shedding the fullback’s block and getting his arms around White’s waist. Michael Huff and Aaron Harris come over the top to make sure White doesn’t muscle forward. After the play is whistled dead, Texas cornerback Cedric Griffin takes off his helmet on the field, which is a penalty. He quickly puts it back on. After the officials measure, Huff strips off his helmet as he’s running to the sideline, which also appears to be a penalty. There were no flags, though. Another break.
• • •
Q: Any word on Texas coaches who may be getting interest to take other jobs?
Julie Simmons, Austin
BROWN: As of Thursday, Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds had not been asked for permission by another school to talk to any UT coaches.
More newsletters...
One more home date for the champs
Opportunities like these don't knock often
This herd's heard enough
Not a holiday week to remember
Finishing first is second nature to Young