Never Retreat, Never Surrender | A Texas Longhorns Dynasty

[St. Francisco]

LONGHORNS LOSE FOUR LINEMEN TO NFL DRAFT
Texas took a big hit to start the offseason as four starters declared for the NFL draft. Three of the four came from the offensive line, where the Longhorns will feature a brand-new look in 2013. Also gone is defensive starter Ashton Dorsey (DT), who recorded 35 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and forced three fumbles last season.


THOMAS, DOYLE LEAVE TEXAS FOR GREENER PASTURES
Freshmen Duke Thomas (CB) and Taylor Doyle (RG) have announced that they will be leaving the team, citing a lack of playing time as the primary reason for their departure. Thomas will be headed to Oklahoma State, where he's sure to be at the top of the depth chart as a third-year sophomore in 2014. Last season, the Cowboys had six players on the roster at cornerback, but will see five of them graduate in 2013 and 2014. As for Doyle, he'll be headed to Houston, where the team will graduate both of their starting offensive guards at the end of next year, which will almost certainly land their newest player a starring role once he sits out for one season.


HEISMAN FINALIST GREEN DECLARES FOR DRAFT
Tulsa announced today that junior quarterback Cody Green would not return to the school for his senior year. In 2012, Green completed 52% of his passes for 3,424 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. He also rushed for 721 yards and another seven scores. In their first year with the Big East, the Golden Hurricane won the conference title, but lost to Virginia Tech in the Discover Orange Bowl to finish the season with a 12-2 (10-0) record.


TCU QUARTERBACK PACHALL DECLARES FOR DRAFT
TCU announced today that junior quarterback Casey Pachall would not return to the school for his senior year. In 2012, Pachall completed 60% of his passes for 2,586 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions. The Horned Frogs finished their first year in the Big XII with a 7-5 (5-4) record, and lost to Purdue 41-24 in the Insight Bowl to close out the season.

[St. Francisco]

SIX MORE ADDED TO ROSTER IN SPRING RECRUITING RUSH
Four underclassmen declared for the draft, and two more transferred to other schools, leaving six open spots on the roster with only a few weeks left before National Signing Day. But the Longhorns were quick to act, adding a handful of players in the spring to round out the 2013 roster. Perhaps the most exciting addition is that of Daniel Pratt, a four-star prospect out of Port Allen, LA. Pratt's combination of speed, arm strength, and accuracy will likely land him at quarterback, where he'll have a solid shot at grabbing the starting position once McCoy and Ash graduate. The team also added some depth to their skill positions with the additions of three-star prospects Eric Bush (QB) and Travis Foster (HB), who will both find themselves at the bottom of the depth chart to begin their career. Finally, the team added three offensive linemen to a group hit hard by early graduations. As a true freshman, Shelton Fisher (T) will have a good shot at landing the starting spot at right tackle, but will need to beat out second-year freshman Kennedy Estelle for the honors. Meanwhile, B.J. Perkins (G) will be groomed to replace senior Thomas Ashcraft at right guard in 2014.

[St. Francisco]

CB JOSH TURNER CONVERTED TO FREE SAFETY
Junior Josh Turner has been converted from cornerback (81) to free safety (84). He is expected to start at the position in 2013.


WR KENDALL SANDERS CONVERTED TO CORNERBACK
Second-year freshman Kendall Sanders has been converted from wide receiver (73) to cornerback (75). Sanders will have a good shot at landing the nickelback slot on the depth chart in 2013.

[St. Francisco]

[St. Francisco]

2013 TEAM DEPTH CHART

[St. Francisco]

2013 PRESEASON PREVIEW

[St. Francisco]

SEC AND BIG TEN DOMINATE PRESEASON POLLS
The 2013 preseason polls were released today, with the SEC and Big Ten taking up more than half of the spots. The SEC came in 1st with seven teams, followed by the Big Ten with six teams, the PAC-16 with five teams, the Big XII with four teams, the ACC with two teams, and the Big East with just one team for the second straight year. No team from a non-BCS conference was ranked.


BOOMER SOONER: OKLAHOMA MEMORIAL IS TOUGHEST PLACE TO PLAY
The annual ranking of college football's most hostile stadiums have been released, with Oklahoma's Gaylord-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium taking the top spot. South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium came in at 16th, but has the nation's longest current home win streak at ten games. DKR - Texas Memorial Stadium came in 10th, with a grade of A-, an average attendance of 100,119, and a current home record of 473-124-14.

[St. Francisco]

WEEK ONE


.....


TEXAS LONGHORNS (0-0, 0-0)
VS.
AIR FORCE FALCONS (0-0, 0-0)


BROWN RUNS WILD IN 31-7 WIN TO OPEN 2013
TEXAS HAD LITTLE TROUBLE DISPATCHING THE FALCONS IN THEIR SEASON OPENER

Junior runningback Malcolm Brown is back for another season as the team's offensive workhorse, and shows no signs of slowing down as the Longhorns handled Air Force 31-7 to open the 2013 regular season. Brown was the undisputed player of the game, rushing for 188 yards and two touchdowns off 27 carries for an average of nearly seven yards per touch. Also returning to the starting lineup was senior QB Case McCoy, who retained the top spot on the depth chart in the spring over David Ash. McCoy performed adequately in the opening game, completing half of his 26 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. His go-to man was true freshman Raishaun Blanco, the team's new starter at tight end, who had four catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. Junior Jaxon Shipley caught three balls for 53 yards. Defensively, Texas once again looks to be one of the top units in college football, recording one sack, one interception, and limiting the Falcons to just seven points all day. Next week, the season truly starts for the Longhorns as they hit the road to face off against Texas A&M is the annual Lone Star Showdown.

Texas Longhorns at Air Force Falcons
Aug 24, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Texas Longhorns (1-0, 0-0)	7	7	3	14	31
Air Force Falcons (0-1,0-0)	7	0	0	0	7

Team Stats Comparison
	TEX	AFA
Total Offense	424	279
Rushing Yards	275	191
Passing Yards	149	88
First Downs	23	17
Punt Return Yards	32	41
Kick Return Yards	48	86
Total Yards	504	406
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Converstion	6-11 (54%)	5-14 (35%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-2 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	4-4-0 (100%)	3-1-0 (33%)
Penalties	11-77	5-28
Posession Time	32:36	27:24

[St. Francisco]

LONGHORNS LAND FIRST TWO RECRUITS OF THE SEASON
It only took one week for Texas to land their first two recruits of the season. First up is Kenny Smith (G), a four-star prospect out of Florida ranked as the best player coming out of the state this year, the 2nd overall guard available, and the 28th overall prospect in the nation. The Longhorns will lose starters Sedrick Flowers and Thomas Ashcraft to graduation over the next two seasons, so after a redshirt year in 2014, Smith will have a solid shot at competing for a starting spot as a second-year freshman. Also joining the team is Tyler Rogers (DT), a three-star prospect out of Auburn, New York who is listed as the 894th overall prospect in the nation. Rogers is a diamond in the rough, showcasing skills that far surpass his initial ranking by experts across the country. Texas had a load of talent at the position right now, but three of their four defensive tackles will graduate by the end of 2014, opening up a chance for Rogers to crack the starting lineup in his second year with the team.

[St. Francisco]

WEEK TWO


.....


TEXAS LONGHORNS (1-0, 0-0)
VS.
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (0-0, 0-0)

Fresh off their 31-7 win over Air Force to open the season, the Longhorns traveled to College Station this week to take on the Aggies, who humiliated Texas 44-6 last season. Case McCoy struggled with his accuracy under center, but a tremendous effort on the ground more than made up for it. Malcolm Brown broke the 100-yard mark, and backup runningbacks Joe Bergeron and Jonathan Gray each scored a touchdown as the Longhorns scored 14 unanswered points to end the game with a 28-21 victory over their in-state foes.

McCoy had a rough day at quarterback, completing just 9 of 24 passes for 99 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. With David Ash waiting in the wings, his hold on the starting spot is tenuous at best, and his play will almost certainly be closely monitored on a weekly basis by the coaching staff. But a win is a win, and he's unlikely to lose his starring role in week three. Luckily, the team had no trouble pounding the ball on the ground. Malcolm Brown predictably led the effort with 125 yards off 23 carries, but his backups also contributed. Joe Bergeron had 11 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown, and Jonathan Gray broke free for a 39-yard TD run with four minutes remaining in the game to give the Longhorns a permanent lead. Defensively, Texas recorded two sacks and forced a turnover as they limited the Aggies to seven points in two redzone trips.

As for the Aggies, junior quarterback Jameill Showers completed 10 of 20 passes for 55 yards, and also rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown off 13 carries before leaving the game at halftime with a sore throwing shoulder. In the team's 2012 win over the Longhorns, Showers racked up 331 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns, and his exit was a big mental blow to the offense. Third-year sophomore Johnny Manziel performed decently in his absence, completing 6 of 19 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Leading the receiving corps was senior tight end Nehemiah Hicks, who had seven catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. With Showers out of the picture, Texas A&M's ground presence became non-existent, totaling just 65 yards off 20 carries between three different players. Defensively, junior Floyd Raven (CB) recorded two tackles and two interceptions, but the Aggies also allowed nearly 400 yards of total offense in the loss.

After notching a big morale-boosting victory over the Aggies, the Longhorns will stay on the road in week three to open up their 2013 conference schedule against the West Virginia Mountaineers (0-1, 0-1), who lost to TCU 44-21 last week. Lason season, Texas had little trouble dispatching the Mountaineers in a 31-17 victory, but will need to contain junior runningback Dustin Garrison if they hope to repeat that success this year. In injury news, the Longhorns have lost senior Reggie Wilson (DE) for the next six weeks with a broken tailbone. Taking his place in the starting lineup will be junior Cedric Reed.

Texas Longhorns at Texas A&M Aggies
Aug 31, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Texas Longhorns (2-0, 0-0)	0	7	7	14	28
Texas A&M Aggies (0-1, 0-0)	0	7	7	7	21

Team Stats Comparison
	TEX	TA&M
Total Offense	369	321
Rushing Yards	270	144
Passing Yards	99	177
First Downs	15	20
Punt Return Yards	35	15
Kick Return Yards	96	36
Total Yards	500	372
Turnovers	2	1
3rd Down Converstion	7-14 (50%)	6-17 (35%)
4th Down Conversion	0-1 (0%)	2-4 (50%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-2-0 (100%)	2-1-0 (50%)
Penalties	9-94	4-20
Posession Time	31:59	28:01

[St. Francisco]

WEEK THREE


.....


TEXAS LONGHORNS (2-0, 0-0)
VS.
WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS (0-1, 0-1)


DEFENSE STUFFS MOUNTAINEERS IN 35-7 VICTORY
TEXAS' DEFENSE RECORDED FIVE SACKS, TWO INTERCEPTIONS, AND ALLOWED JUST SEVEN POINTS

Just five days removed from their Saturday night victory over Texas A&M, the Longhorns opened their conference schedule Thursday night against the Mountaineers. And while the offense seemed to experience some jet lag for most of the game, the defense was as stubborn as ever, limiting the Mountaineers to 233 total offensive yards and seven points in a 35-7 win. The Mountaineers began the game with a 34-yard TD pass in the first quarter, but would not add points to the scoreboard again as Texas' defense recorded five sacks, two interceptions, and allowed just two successful conversions on twelve 3rd down tries. Senior Carrington Byndom (CB) led the effort with seven tackles and two picks, while junior Cedric Reed (DE) had six tackles and two sacks in his first start, replacing injured senior Reggie Wilson on the defensive line. As for the offense, they held a tenuous 14-7 lead until they exploded for 21 points in the fourth quarter. Case McCoy had an average day at quarterback, completing 12 of 29 passes for 119 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Naturally, it was Malcolm Brown who led the offensive effort, rushing for 179 yards and two touchdowns off 26 carries for an average of 6.8 yards per touch. Backup Joe Bergeron had 11 carries for 65 yards, and true freshman fullback Luke O'Neal had 41 yards and his first collegiate touchdown off eight carries. Now the Longhorns will take next week off before taking on the Iowa State Cyclones (0-1, 0-0) in their 2013 home opener in week five.

Texas Longhorns at West Virginia Mountaineers
Sep 5, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Texas Longhorns (3-0, 1-0)	14	0	0	21	35
West Virginia Mountaineers (0-2, 0-2)	7	0	0	0	7

Team Stats Comparison
	TEX	WVU
Total Offense	423	233
Rushing Yards	294	135
Passing Yards	129	98
First Downs	24	14
Punt Return Yards	26	55
Kick Return Yards	76	106
Total Yards	525	394
Turnovers	2	2
3rd Down Converstion	6-14 (42%)	2-12 (16%)
4th Down Conversion	2-3 (66%)	1-2 (50%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0 (0%)	0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	7-5-0 (71%)	1-0-0 (0%)
Penalties	10-84	7-57
Posession Time	36:48	23:12

[St. Francisco]

MURRAY SHREDS ARKANSAS SECONDARY IN 56-42 WIN
Back for his final collegiate season, senior quarterback and Heisman hopeful Aaron Murray rebounded nicely from a 34-30 season-opening loss to Clemson with a dominant performance in week three. Matched up against SEC foe Arkansas in the team's conference opener, Murray put in one of the best performances by a quarterback in college football history, completing 34 of 45 passes for 394 yards and an unbelievable eight touchdowns with no interceptions in a 56-42 victory.

[St. Francisco]

AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK FOUR-

[St. Francisco]

Headed offshore folks, see ya in a week.

[black24mamba]

Good reading. Enjoying it.