The 2008 Red River Shootout was the second of three consecutive I attended. It was easily the most exciting and rewarding live game I’ve attended in any sport. Because of the scarring that had resulted from five consecutive defeats to Bob Stoops’ Sooners, there wasn’t a ton of confidence going into any of these games even though Texas ended up finishing 3-1 against OU during the Colt McCoy era.
Anytime there’s a rule change of significance in any sport (the 3 point line and defensive rules in basketball, pro-offense rules in football and the NHL), you learn to quickly distinguish which coaching staffs play checkers, which play chess and which struggle with rock-paper-scissors.
Spring began on March 20 this year. Texas Football spring practice began two days later. Texas progressed through the allotted practices and Orange-White game with no real big team news.
The spring was remarkably quiet.
A pair of new offers talk Texas and the updated version of this weekend’s recruiting list for your Wednesday. More on Javonne Shepherd, Jaylen Garth, Chris Thompson, and Mookie Cooper in the Round-Up.
(…and how to get out)
Since 2010, Texas has been a .500 ball club. Or, more precisely, our 53-48 record makes us a .525 ball club. Let’s not short ourselves. Over those eight years, the Horns have posted four losing records, only one AP Top 25 finish and our best three year run occurred between 2011-2013 when Texas went 25-14. Since 2013, Texas is an execrable 23-27 (.460).
What if I told you the kid who plays quarterback in 2nd Ward is further along in his mechanical development than the one from Lake Travis?
Matteo Bocchi (Will Gallagher/IT)
AUSTIN — Before the season, Texas head coach David Pierce was facing a roster unlike any he had coached before. Half of the roster had been part of the team in 2017, half were not. It started out with a stumble, but week by week the pieced together squad battled to the top of the Big 12, followed by a Super Regional.
Facing the best hitting team in Division I in a do-or-die Game 3, Pierce once again had to piece together a win.
After hosting the nation’s top running back, Texas is set to bring some of the top prospects in the 2019 and 2020 classes on campus this weekend. We talk to a handful bound for the 40 Acres plus insight on more recruiting targets in the Scoop.
With their backs against the wall, the Texas Longhorns did what no other team could do against Tennessee Tech all year: limit the Golden Eagles to fewer than five hits.
Facing a team that ranks first in the nation in multiple offensive categories, Texas did well to limit the Tennessee Tech bats from leaving the ball park. It’s what Texas didn’t do that cost them in a 5-4 loss to the Golden Eagles.