I started writing this after the game and I stopped. Putting this game into context isn\u2019t easy in one glib write-up. Too many individual plays in a tied game at regulation would have brought victory, some of them as simple as any of Georgia\u2019s three fumbles being recovered, a made field goal or two, or #3 simply realizing that if he blocks Luckie on the sideline, Jahdae Barron has a jog-in pick six. <\/p>\n
If that had happened, we\u2019d be talking smack and irrationally confident about winning the whole thing. <\/p>\n
Instead, too many pretend that Georgia whipped us when that didn\u2019t actually happen. <\/p>\n
I realized that there are some fundamental problems to address that probably need mention:<\/p>\n
Nothing bad that happened in this game that should surprise you if you read anything I\u2019ve written this year. <\/p>\n
Plenty of good happened in this game. Namely, that Texas dominated most of it and lost it on a combination of penalties, own goals, known vulnerabilities, bad matchups and simple bad luck.<\/p>\n
I wrote and then babbled on our various Youtube shows that Texas must get out to a big early lead and then hold on for the furious comeback. For reasons that have been explained many times.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what happened. Except 1st half domination didn\u2019t establish (or was prevented from establishing by stripes) the required 14-17 point lead, despite all of the play-making that should have enabled it. It cost Texas a touchdown win. <\/p>\n
This postmortem is basically irrelevant given what\u2019s in front of us and what I wrote in Point #1.<\/p>\n
This postmortem is basically irrelevant given that no other team matches up with us like Georgia does on the lines of scrimmage, with the complementary coaching dissection of our weaknesses. Matchups is matchups. Georgia has good ones and some pretty good coaches. <\/p>\n
This postmortem is largely irrelevant given that Georgia has played hard in about 11 of 52 quarters of football this year and about six of them and an overtime were against us. <\/p>\n
We\u2019re also not playing them again. \u201cBut we could\u2026.\u201d No. <\/p>\n
The Texas defense dominated for much of the game and carried us \u2013 as it has all season \u2013 but Texas was slow to adjust to very predictable Georgia patterns once the backup came in. The unwillingness to take logical risks with the game on the line in several high leverage situations (Beck can\u2019t throw the ball, Pete \u2013 this is the game, dude \u2014 bring it) puzzled the hell out of me.<\/p>\n
Focusing too much on negatives and some simple bad bounces distorts the reality of Point #2. Some of the negatives won\u2019t happen again, some are baked into our cake from a coaching and player perspective and after 13 games with it noted and documented, you\u2019re just whining. <\/p>\n
Also, random bullshit occurs in football. So harping on it will only foment undue pants pissing and nonsense that I\u2019m not in the mood to indulge.<\/p>\n
So there\u2019s your intro.<\/p>\n
OFFENSE<\/strong><\/p>\n Ewers played well enough to win and made some fine throws. For the second straight game, he hit some shots downfield and stretched the field. That\u2019s big for our winter ambitions. <\/p>\n In the 1st quarter, he went 7 of 10 for 149 yards. He deteriorated predictably as the game wore on and the script ran out. He finished 27 of 46 for 358 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He took some tough sacks that might have been avoided and made a couple of poor turnover worthy throws. He also competed and did some good stuff. <\/p>\n Overall, it was a QB effort that should have won for us against a defense that plays out of its mind when it sees the Longhorn logo, but the truth is that he\u2019s a game manager, not a get-on-my-back guy. Everyone else has to show up. <\/p>\n Our running game was stoned by the Dawgs winning at the LOS. All three interior OL and Goosby struggled to get push. Sark got too stubborn running it and it cost us a couple of key late game possessions. 1st down run followed by 2nd and 12 ain\u2019t a virtuous circle. I love Wisner with all of my heart and sadly he\u2019s the only RB we can trust in a big game. This room needs a major offseason revamp. I will address that at a later time. <\/p>\n