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QB
Vince Young |
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2004
Statistics |
Coach:
Mack Brown
70-19,
7 years |
2004
Record: 11-1 |
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NORTH
TEXAS |
WON
65-0 |
at
Arkansas |
WON
22-20 |
RICE |
WON
35-13 |
BAYLOR |
WON
44-14 |
vs.
Oklahoma |
LOST
0-12 |
MISSOURI |
WON
28-20 |
at
Texas Tech |
WON
51-21 |
at
Colorado |
WON
31-7 |
OKLAHOMA
STATE |
WON
56-35 |
at
Kansas |
WON
27-23 |
TEXAS
A&M |
WON
26-13 |
ROSE
BOWL |
vs.
Michigan |
WON
38-37 |
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2004 Final Rankings
AP-5, Coaches-4, BCS-4
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2005
Outlook |
Whether
you think Mack Brown finally
answered the question "can
you win the Big One" depends
on whether you're a glass half-full
or half-empty kind of person.
Brown's lobbying for a BCS bowl
berth - criticized by many -
worked when the Longhorns drew
enough votes to sneak past Cal
in the final polls and into
the Rose Bowl, where Texas won
a character-building 38-37 game
over Michigan. But that's not
the Big One - the Big One is
the annual tilt with Oklahoma,
which Texas has now lost five
consecutive times. Like recent
years of FSU trying to get over
Miami, Texas focuses on recruiting
just to win this game and still
loses. Mark it down now - this
is the squad to get Mack past
his daddy.
Brown
is still the only coach in the
country with 10 consecutive
seasons of at least nine wins.
But even though he finally scaled
one mountain in getting to a
BCS game (and winning it) and
returns so many (16, eight of
whom are seniors), this might
be his toughest offseason. He
has to "replace" Benson,
an impossible task if looking
for one guy to be him. Rotating
the talent properly will be
the key to finding that one
guy. He, too, has to find a
solid receiver. He has to hope
Young's passing game has improved.
He also has to break in three
new assistants. Former Auburn
defensive coordinator Gene Chizik
replaces Greg Robinson, who
left to become the head man
at Syracuse. Oscar Giles comes
from the University of Houston
to take over for Dick Tomey
at defensive end, and Georgia's
Ken Rucker will assist with
running backs. So, you tell
us, which developing area causes
the most concern? "We'll
have to see where we go offensively
and where we go defensively,"
Brown said. "That's one
of the fun things about spring
practice. We coaches like to
see which young guys step up."
Another
intriguing development, though
one that might not play itself
out for a year or two, is that
this wasn't a classic Brown
recruiting year. None of Texas'
top five recruits signed with
the Longhorns, including the
nation's top quarterback, Ryan
Perrilloux, who originally committed
to UT only to pick LSU. But
Brown has done more with less,
so this is no legitimate excuse
for the coaching potential Brown
has proven he can muster when
chips seem their most down.
Accordingly, Texas has a national
championship caliber team. But
in many respects, this team's
needs first to win the Red River
"championship" in
Dallas. Until that win happens,
UT will have to drag that chip
around some more, never overcoming
their "Red Sox" role
oh,
wait, the Sox finally won, so
does that mean that
yes,
maybe, just maybe
this
is Texas' year to go all the
way. It starts in October
Projected
2005 record: 10-1
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TEXAS
*POWER RATINGS |
Offense |
Defense |
QB
- 4.5 |
DL
- 4.5 |
RB
- 3.5 |
LB
- 4.5 |
WR
- 3 |
DB
- 4 |
OL
- 5 |
.. |
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RETURNING
LEADERS |
Passing:
Vince Young, 250-148-11, 1849
yds., 12 TD
Rushing: Vince Young,
167 att., 1079 yds., 14 TD
Receiving: David Thomas,
25 rec., 430 yds., 14 TD
Scoring: Vince Young,
14 TD, 84 pts.
Punting: Richmond McGee,
49 punts, 39.7 avg.
Kicking: Richmond McGee,
1-1 FG, 3 pts.
Tackles: Aaron Harris,
118 tot., 65 solo
Sacks: Tim Crowder, 4.5
sacks
Interceptions: Michael
Huff, 2 for 14 yds., Tarell
Brown, 2 for 31 yds., Cedric
Griffin, 2 for 29 yds.
Kickoff Returns: Ramone
Taylor, 11 ret., 23.6 avg.,
0 TD
Punt Returns: Aaron Ross,
18 ret., 7.6 avg., 0 TD
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DT
Larry Dibbles |
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TEXAS
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OFFENSE
- 7 |
----RETURNING
STARTERS---- |
DEFENSE
- 9 |
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KEY
LOSSES |
OFFENSE:
Chance Mock-QB, Will Matthews-FB,
Cedric Benson-RB, Tony Jeffery-WR,
Bo Scaife-TE, Jason Glynn-C, Dusty
Mangum-K |
DEFENSE:
Derrick
Johnson-WLB, Phillip Geiggar-FS |
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2005
OFFENSE |
Quarterback
Both
fans and critics will agree that Vince
Young has his shortcomings - a questionable
arm and questionable decision-making.
Even with that knock, his upside is
worth it. Young is one of the country's
top offensive weapons and is sure
to be included as a preseason Heisman
Trophy candidate. You can talk all
you want about his rushing ability
(a whopping 192 yards against the
Wolverines in earning Rose Bowl MVP);
Young just needs to focus on making
his passing as consistently strong.
Still, entering his junior year, Young
already ranks eighth on Texas' all-time
passing yardage list. Many are sold
on his maturation due to the Rose
Bowl, but we think he has to carry
that momentum over from just one game
to an entire season - no easy task
when losing your ace back (Benson).
Defenses will focus (spy) on Young
until the running game is worthy of
their attention, so there is still
contingency in our minds as to whether
Young can shine even when the only
backfield target. Young's backup will
be senior Matt Nordgren, and this
is where it gets iffy. The Longhorns
have enjoyed having a quarterback
controversy with two solid signal-callers
(Major Applewhite-Chris Simms, Simms-Chance
Mock, Mock-Vince Young, etc.), and
in his last year, coach Brown will
surely want this drop-back (but speedy),
to use his quick-release and smarts
(4.0 gpa) when anything goes awry
with Young. Junior walk-on Matthew
McCoy enters the spring as the No.
3 QB and incoming freshman Colt McCoy
is expected to compete for playing
time as a true freshman. The position
is stacked, but utilizing multiple-QBs
properly for wins has proven a true
test in big games.
Running
Back
Junior Selvin Young is a stud but
he missed most of last year with an
ankle injury and Mack Brown isn't
exactly banking on his return. "We
anticipate Selvin will be in the mix,
but it might be a blessing
[we
need] to look at other people,"
Brown said. "If Selvin is healthy,
then he's the guy." If not, then
the guy is sophomore WR/TB Ramonce
Taylor, who touched the ball in 10
games last year and averaged 10.1
yards per carry. Sure, it was mop-up,
but Taylor is an exciting talent.
But even Brown knows the biggest question
is his durability. "Can he be
an every-down back," Brown said,
"Or does he need to be more like
a Reggie Bush, who gets the ball in
the backfield and gets outside as
a wide receiver as well?" Incoming
Jamaal Charles is the best of the
new (nation's No.7 RB prospect - Rivals.com),
and his (4.4-sec 40) wheels will hit
the ground in spring. But the back
who might be missed the most is FB
Will Matthews. Those duties now fall
to walk-on bruiser Ahmard Hall, who
will get a guaranteed few carries/catches
a game in Texas' running approach
(keeps LBs honest). The unit will
struggle for identity, but not aggregate
yards.
Receiver
One of the glaring holes that Texas
has is here. This might be the thinnest
unit, talent-wise, the Longhorns will
have. The projected starters, Limas
Sweed and Nate Jones, had just 30
receptions between them last year.
RS frosh Jordan Shipley missed the
entire 2004 season with a knee injury
but is in the mix this spring. The
prospects look good, though no WRs
come in with this recruiting class,
so it is a matter of development amongst
the other 2004 signees (six are listed,
all over 6'). Due to the Longhorns'
extensive passing schemes, expect
a few to be broken in quickly, and
then impacting/expanding what can
be done offensively.
Tight
End
One of the best tight end duos is
now a solo act. David Thomas is left
behind to start. The Longhorn TEs
were their second and third leading
snarlers, with seven TDs combined.
Speaking of keeping LBs (and safeties)
home for that extra second - this
dimension will be an integral part
of Texas' offense. Thomas has lined
up at TE, H-back, slot receiver and
wide receiver at various points in
his career, so he brings so much to
the table. It is impossible to account
for him all 60 minutes. Former-RB
Henry Melton (4.6-sec 40, 275lbs)
and Jermichael Finley both look like
newbies who will impact this position
well for what Texas demands.
Offensive
Line
Tackles Jonathan Scott (NC.net first-team
all-American) and Justin Blalock are
back, as are guards Kasey Studdard
and Will Allen. The only player missing
from a mammoth offensive line is center
Jason Glynn. Offensive linemen don't
rack up the personal numbers, but
there is a stat that speaks volumes
about this group - Texas was second
nationally in rushing at 299.2 yards
per game (the team's most since the
Earl Campbell days). There will be
no letdown in performance here in
2005. In fact, the depth on this unit
is the best on the team. Guard Cedric
Dockery (Rivals.com No.2 prospect
in '04) and converted-TE Tony Hills
bring size and speed, respectively.
OFFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
There's no question that Texas is
going to miss Cedric Benson, especially
with a quarterback like Vince Young,
who relies/d on a strong RB to distract
from his efforts. When keyed upon,
Young's foibles can cost. Not exactly
the greatest passer going (ranked
51st in efficiency), Young will really
blossom if/when that next great Longhorn
RB is found. Still, the prime beef
up front and Young's return should
be more than enough to carry early
games until the Longhorns are able
to get a team flow established when
holding the pigskin. Fans shouldn't
be disappointed when Young doesn't
show his wares like he did this past
January - one game is just one game,
not a change necessarily. He will
take them to the next level, but his
evolution cannot be pressured. Accordingly,
fans shouldn't whine when the talented
Nordgren is inserted. They may not
have the 7th-rated total offense or
the 12th-best scoring offense anymore,
but the numbers will be close enough
such that the Longhorns will again
be the offensive powerhouse needed
to compete for the Big XII South crown.
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OT
Jonathan Scott
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TEXAS
2005 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
OFFENSE |
QB |
Vince
Young-Jr (6-5, 230) |
Matt
Nordgren-Sr (6-5, 235) |
FB |
Ahmard
Hall-Jr (5-11, 235) |
Marcus
Myers-Jr (6-3, 250) |
RB |
Selvin
Young-Jr (6-0, 230) |
Ramonce
Taylor-So (5-11, 195) |
WR |
Jordan
Shipley-Fr (6-0, 184) |
Nate
Jones-So (6-2, 190) |
WR |
Limas
Sweed-So (6-5, 215) |
Brian
Carter-Sr (5-11, 185) |
TE |
David
Thomas-Sr (6-3, 245) |
Neale
Tweedie-Jr (6-5, 267) |
OT |
Jonathan
Scott-Sr (6-7, 310) |
Tony
Hills-So (6-6, 295) |
OG |
Kasey
Studdard-Jr (6-3, 295) |
Mike
Garcia-Sr (6-3, 315) |
C |
Lyle
Sendlein-Jr (6-5, 305) |
Dallas
Griffin-So (6-4, 280) |
OG |
Will
Allen-Sr (6-6, 315) |
Kyle
Thornton-So (6-4, 320) |
OT |
Justin
Blalock-Jr (6-4, 329) |
William
Winston-Sr (6-7, 350) |
K |
David
Pino-Sr (5-8, 180) |
Richmond
McGee-Sr (6-4, 203) |
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2005
DEFENSE |
Defensive
Line
The boys are back in town. ALL the
boys are back in Austin, as the starting
front four return intact. This is
where all of Texas' defensive success
(16th in rushing defense) will begin
again. Seniors Dibbles and Wright
both passed up the NFL draft, and
Dibbles (an NC.net third-team all-American)
remains somewhat of a question mark.
He did not register for spring classes
and won't participate in spring drills.
But he is expected back by summer.
Dibbles is just relentless, blessed
with a combination of speed and power
that allows him to get into the backfield
and disrupt the flow of a play. Juniors
Brian Robinson and Tim Crowder have
24 TFLs and 40 pass-breakups from
last campaign. Sophomores Frank Okam
and Derek Lokey, both of whom played
as true freshmen last year, along
with senior Aurmon Satchell, give
the Longhorns amazing developed depth
here. Texas is poised to lead the
country in sacks, but the one and
only thing we all want to know is:
will they show up against OU (311
rushing yards allowed, 0 sacks in
11/9/2004's 12-0 loss)?
Linebacker
Everybody's replaceable. Right? Hmmm.
Texas' Butkus Award winner Derrick
Johnson (led the team in tackles and
had an NCAA record nine forced fumbles)
is the only missing element from a
crew solid in its ability to both
fill gaps and drop back. The good
news is that seniors (MLB) Aaron Harris
and (SLB) Eric Hall will be here to
usher in a marginal but tough group.
The only flaw of the upcoming talent
will be playing experience, not potential.
Harris was Texas' second-best tackler
and looks good at his middle spot
to run this defense. Simply put, the
Longhorns will be able to overcome
the loss of Johnson simply because
Harris is in the middle. Incoming
true frosh Chris Brown is lightning
fast and will impact this unit. This
unit is responding well to the offseason
programs of new defensive coordinator
Gene Chizik, so the entire front seven
is tight.
Defensive
Back
If opposing teams are looking to exploit
Texas anywhere, this is it. Corners
Cedric Griffin and Tarell Brown are
both tight coverage guys and hard
hitters, as is strong safety Michael
Huff. They each, as does the other
DBs, stand 6' or taller, so size is
not an exploitable issue. This core
is perfect for the fresh talent (Kelson,
Tatum, Brown, and Jackson) to watch
and imitate. They are less of a cover-centric
group as they are run-support oriented.
The Longhorns were ninth nationally
in pass defense in 2003, and last
year, they slipped all the way to
58th, but were 31st in the all-important
efficiency category. This makes it
clear that these DBs know just how/when
to break on the run so as not to set
themselves up later for the pass,
and how to keep the passes in front
of them (T-12th in Division I-A with
only 12 passing TDs allowed). This
may be a weakness comparatively, but
any foe takes huge (game altering)
risks when this unit is where they
try to expose the Longhorns.
DEFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
So why is Texas our No.2 team in the
preseason? Let us count the ways in
their nine returning starters. UT's
4-3 defense returns all four starters
up front and two of the three linebackers,
and could be the nation's top defensive
unit when it's all said and done.
Texas' recruiting focus on speed has
paid off with this year's D. Opponents
should take a page from OU and methodically
pound the underneath stuff, hoping
to marble run and pass well enough
to be effective and score those few
chances the Longhorns allow. The front
seven will control the passing game
well enough so that the secondary
can look good regardless of their
schemes. The words "shut down"
and "three-and-out" will
blanket broadcasters' vocabulary when
covering UT.
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DB
Michael Huff
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TEXAS
2005 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
DEFENSE |
DE |
Brian
Robison-Jr (6-3, 267) |
Kaelen
Jakes-Sr (6-3, 270) |
DT |
Larry
Dibbles-Sr (6-2, 285) |
Franklin
Okam-So (6-5, 315)
Derek Lokey-So (6-2, 275) |
DT |
Rodrique
Wright-Sr (6-5, 305) |
Thomas
Marshall-So (6-6, 297)
Tully Janszen-So (6-3, 280) |
DE |
Tim
Crowder-Jr (6-4, 255) |
Mike
Williams-Jr (6-3, 240)
Brian Orakop-Fr (6-4, 238) |
SLB |
Eric
Hall-Sr (6-2. 245) |
Eric
Foreman-Jr (6-4, 230) |
MLB |
Aaron
Harris-Sr (6-0, 235) |
Rashad
Bobino-Fr (5-11, 235)
Scott Derry-So (6-3, 230) |
WLB |
Robert
Killebrew-So (6-2, 225) |
Braden
Johnson-Sr (6-1, 205)
Jeremy Campbell-Fr (6-2, 220) |
CB |
Cedric
Griffin-Sr (6-2, 193) |
Brandon
Foster-So (5-9, 180) |
CB |
Tarell
Brown-Jr (6-0, 185) |
Aaron
Ross-Jr (6-1, 189) |
SS |
Michael
Huff-Sr (6-1, 205) |
Andrew
Kelson-Fr (6-2, 210) |
FS |
Michael
Griffin-Jr (6-0, 200) |
Matt
Melton-Jr (6-0, 210)
Marcus Griffin-So (6-0, 190) |
P |
Richmond
McGee-Sr (6-4, 203) |
Greg
Johnson-Jr (6-1, 195) |
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2005
SPECIAL TEAMS |
Kicker
Senior David Pino, who does have some game
experience, is the starter heading into
spring ball. There shouldn't be too much
of a drop-off here. Both Mangum and Pino,
while not particularly long, are consistent.
Coverage will have to step up its weak 23+
yards allowed per KO, though this D could
handle that number again without flinching.
Punter
Richmond McGee is as solid as they come.
The senior averaged 39.7 yards per punt,
including 11 inside the 20 yard line and
12 fair catches (on 49 punts, that's 47%
of his tries never returned). Coverage units
will continue to be decent with so much
hungry youth looking to prove its wares.
Of McGee's 75 kickoffs, more than a third
- 28 - were touchbacks.
Return Game
This was one of Texas' few weak areas last
year and the Longhorns are hoping for the
return, pardon the pun, of Selvin Young,
who continues to rehab the ankle injury.
He has already tied the UT record for career
kick returns for a TD at three. To better
put it in perspective, Aaron Ross, who replaced
Young on punt returns, averaged 7.6 yards
per return last year -- more than 10 yards
less than Young has averaged in his career.
Stay tuned here for further updates as we
get them
remember, don't panic Horn
fans, this is still only a drill.
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QB
Only two players are on scholarship which
means Matt Nordgren is the definite backup.
His development is important since there
is no one else to take snaps in the event
of any setback. His health has always been
a question mark, but his arm and shoulder
problems have now appear to have held up.
In the spring game, Vince Young was his
usual self, making plays with his feet while
missing on a couple of passes that could
have gone for TDs. He was 8-of-14 for 115
yards passing while rushing for 24 yards
on seven carries.
RB
First, Selvin Young missed spring with an
ankle injury. He is expected to return in
time for August practice. In response, Ramonce
Taylor moved over from WR. Taylor has great
speed, especially around the outside and
is a much different pace from the bruising
Cedric Benson. This could force many more
one-back sets, and coaches have even flirted
with the QB option. This unit is extremely
thin, with many answers not coming until
the fall. Former WR Chris Ogbonnaya and
true freshman Michael Houston have received
the majority of backup work, but neither
is ready for prime time. The FB spot is
wide open with the forced retirement of
injured Albert Hardy, leaving the program
without a scholarship here. Walk-on Ahmard
Hall and converted-LB Marcus Myers will
continue the battle into the fall.
WR
The big news has been on the return of Jordan
Shipley and his elevated play. He was limited
because of his bum knee but has eventually
become the top target among the wide outs.
The ability to get deep with separation
has been an issue for this unit, and Billy
Pittman is the likely candidate to take
up some of this slack. Pittman is having
problems with consistency however.
TE
The loss of Bo Scaife has been eased with
the emergence of Neal Tweedie, who was able
to get open on multiple occasions this spring.
He is also very capable of running with
the ball once it's caught. This should allow
coaches to now use many of the two-TE sets
seen last season.
OL
Lyle Sendlein has really grabbed (with ease)
the open center position. Don't look for
much of a drop-off due to the loss of Jason
Glynn. Depth has actually been a problem,
mostly at tackle. Tony Hill is a budding
star but is still showing signs of inexperience,
while Will Winston has not shown he can
perform at the level needed consistently.
OG Terrance Young has quit the team due
to injury.
DL
Starting DT Larry Dibbles missed the spring
due to unspecified reasons. Upwards of eight
players are battling for a right to exist
on the two-deep, with most of them capable
of starting on most other Big XII teams.
Look for a huge rotation up front
an
extremely beneficial plight. The ends have
been labeled the best unit on the team.
Mike Williams sat out the entire 2004 season
due to academics, but has returned with
the same pass rushing explosiveness that
created expectations of him being one of
the nation's true sack monsters.
LB
Returning MLB Aaron Harris has been all
over the field this year and has emerged
as a team leader. Keep an eye on his backup,
Rashad Bobino, one of the smallest LBs in
the conference at 5'11. He is, though, one
of the team's surest tacklers. Garnet Smith
has been granted a release to transfer.
CB
The biggest storyline has been the move
of Michael Huff from strong safety to corner.
Coaches are still undecided if Huff will
remain here, which depends on the progress
of Tarell Brown and Aaron Ross. Of course,
much of this move had to do with the play
of SS Andrew Kelson. |
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