That was a helluva football game. The final result crushed me but damn, I was proud of our players. Every time that texas punched, we punched right back. It was a game of emotions - ups and downs.
The 49-39 score provided the highest scoring game in the Lonestar Showdown's history and, honestly, it was the most exciting game since I started school. The 2006 game was incredible but it didn't feature the back-and-forth excitement that this year's game did. The first 5 minutes were absolutely E-L-E-C-T-R-I-C. On 3rd & 9 JJ hit Fuller for a 70 TD pass and then on texas's first drive they faked a punt and we stuffed them just short of the 1st down marker.
We did discover how to suck the air out of 86,000 psyched fans. You battle back from a 14 point deficit against the #3 team in the country, who just so happen to be your arch-rival, and get the game to within 3 points.....and then give up a 95-yard KO return for a TD on the ensuing kick-off.
My keys to victory were winning the turnover battle (lost 2-1; each resulted in a TD), eliminating special teams miscues (gave up a KO return TD, had a punt blocked), keeping Jordan Shipley in-check (check), and establishing the running game (check). We were 2-of-4.
One key that I really wanted to put in there but was trying to keep it to 3 keys (and I stretched it to 4) was keeping Cart from scrambling - which I did mention during my CU game recap. Cart had a career high, something our defense is great at, rushing with 175 yards and a TD on the ground to go with his 304 yards passing (and 4 TDs).
We did keep Jordan Shipley somewhat in check with only 8 receptions for 88 yards but he did have two short TDs. He also fumbled his only punt return. Malcolm Williams was a beast hauling in 9 receptions for 132 yards. That was about it for the horns. It was a three man show.
One of the biggest events of the game, and one that very few are talking about, was texas's final possession of the first half. We scored to tie the game at 21 and left them with 1:11 on the clock and they started at their won 36 yard line. Cart got them down the field and into the end zone on 7 plays to give them a 7 point lead with 5 seconds remaining. It was perfect execution and it was enormous for the horns.
We had some great performances on the offensive side of the ball.
Jerrod Johnson was INCREDIBLE. It was, hands-down, the best performance of his career. He was 26-for-33 for 342 yards and had four TDs....and then he ran for a career high 97 yards.
Christine Michael added 88 yards and a spectacular TD on the ground as we ran over texas's #1 rush defense to the tune of 190 yards - a season high by over 50 yards.
Jeff Fuller was great as well hauling in 6 catches for 132 yards and 3 TDs. It was the first time since breaking his leg that he looked like Jeff Fuller.
Howard Morrow only had two catches in his final game at Kyle Field but they were both spectacular - his diving TD catch to tie the game up at 21 just before half-time and a monster catch where he somehow kept his tippy-tippy toe in bounds as he stretched for the catch.
The 342 yards given up through the air was the second most against their defense this year - so logically the FIVE-HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO yards of total offense was the most against them this season (as was the 39 points).
Jerrod's 4 TD passes put him at 51 for his career which broke Kevin Murray's school record for a career (in 154 fewer pass attempts). His 5th 300 yard performance of the season (7th of his career, both school records) made him the first QB to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. Also, his 439 yards of total offense was the 3rd best in school history.
This was a great stage for all three of our top play makers (JJ, C-Mike, & Fuller) for next season and all the award banquets, etc. They all showed their game and people sat up and watched.
One of the reasons we were able to explode offensively was because the OLine played great football.
The special teams play was atrocious, as it has been for the majority of the season. We missed a 23 yard field goal that would have put us within one score with over 3 minutes left - instead we missed the FG and texas ran out the clock. We also gave up, what was really, the game changing play with the 95 yard kickoff return. We also averaged a mighty 32.8 ypp on four punts - and yeah, one was blocked. Ryan Swope looked very good at KO Return but other than that....eh. I expect there to be a change in the special teams this off-season.
Overall, I think we can walk away from the game feeling good about the future.
We're going to have to wait another week to find out where we're heading for our bowl. OU stomped oSu so the Cowboys have almost no chance at a BCS bid now, leaving us with a likely one team in the BCS (barring a Nebraska win over texas in the B12 Championship). There are rumors that the Alamo Bowl wanted us but I don't see how that is possible without two teams in the BCS. I've also read that both the Independence Bowl and the Texas Bowl want us.
Wherever we go we need to win. A winning final season record is huge.
The Texas Bowl already has Navy locked in and right now it's kind of looking like Georgia or Kentucky in Shreveport. I'd love to play Georgia but I have little interest driving to Louisiana for a 4pm Monday afternoon bowl game. It doesn't do much good to speculate until after next Saturday - but those are the two most likely scenarios. If nothing else it gives you a little extra interest in the Army/Navy game next weekend to start scouting them out.
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