Two local quarterbacks had very different tales during the first full week of college and pro football of the 2005 season.
Texas Longhorns 25 Ohio State 22
In a magnificent early-season game between two storied college football programs, Texas’ WR Limas Sweed made a tremendous catch for the winning touchdown in the closing minutes on a 24 yard pass from QB Vince Young as the Longhorns held on to beat Ohio State before a record 105,000 crowd in Columbus. Although the gazelle-like Young was the media-picked star of the game, it was the Longhorn defense that actually won the game for the Horns as that plucky unit held the Buckeyes to three field goals after three Longhorn turnovers deep in their own territory gave the Ohio State offense multiple opportunities to build an insurmountable lead. Also, it looks to me as if the Horns have a couple of emerging stars in freshman RB Jamaal Charles and MLB Aaron Harris. About the only negative for the Horns was their kick-off team, which continued the abysmal trend that first appeared in last season’s Rose Bowl game against Michigan. The Horns have a couple of warm-up games against Rice at home and Missouri on the road sandwiched around an off-week before the Oklahoma game on October 8th in Dallas.
In a game that was not as close as the score indicates, the Texans looked even worse than they did in the final game of last season against Cleveland in losing to the Bills in Buffalo. QB David Carr and the offense were pathetic, as Carr threw three interceptions and fumbled once, and was sacked five times and harrassed on virtually every pass play. The offense could generate only 107 yards, had seven possessions of three plays or less, and did not have a first down until the second quarter when the Bills already led 12-0. The only positive from the game was the play of the Texans’ defense, which held the Bills to only one touchdown despite being put in adverse positions the entire game by the Texans’ ineffectual offense. It doesn’t get any easier for the Texans as they play the Steelers at home and the Bengals in Cincy with their off-week in between over the next three weeks. Frankly, based on their performance in the Bills game and despite my generally positive pre-season analysis, it’s a bit difficult to see how the Texans could win more than just a few games this season.
New Cowboys QB Drew Bledsoe three three TD passes as the Cowboys held on to beat the Chargers in San Diego. Former Texans CB Aaron Gleen intercepted a Drew Brees pass in the Cowboys end zone with 24 seconds left to seal the win for the Pokes. By the way, Brees is about the same age as David Carr and has roughly the same experience level as Carr, but Brees is a far superior QB to Carr at this point in their careers.
Houston 31 Sam Houston State 10
The Coogs overpowered a good Division I-AA Sam Houston team while warming up for their first C-USA game against a tough UTEP team in El Paso next Friday night.
In another game that was not as close as the score indicates, the Owls allowed UCLA to score the first seven times they had the ball, and apparently stood by and watched as the Bruins rolled up 300 yards total offense in the first quarter and over 400 yards by halftime. In the understatement of the year, Rice coach Ken Hatfield observed after the game that “it was a physical mismatch. They’re just plain better than us.” Rumor has it that Texas will play its junior varsity against the Owls this Saturday in Austin.
The Texas Aggies were off this past weekend and play SMU in College Station on Saturday before taking on Texas State and Baylor at home over the following two weekends before traveling to Boulder to play Colorado. And Kevin Whited is back from vacationing and has cranked back up his weekly Big 12 Conference football review.
Man, I hate being right about the Texans. Despite my really negative outlook on them this year, I am a fan and hate to see them fall apart like this, but it may be necessary to shake loose this coaching regime for something workable. The worst part is the Cowboys finally look like a Parcells team, and Aaron Glenn had a pick. Oh well.
Texas should have won by 14 points. They coughed up the ball 3 times in their own territory and still won. Remarkable. Oklahoma looks like nothing special this year, and USC plays nobody, so the championship game may already be determined. LSU could have the best team and get screwed again. Who doesn’t love the BCS?
Also, poor, poor Rice. Why on Earth Ken Hatfield chose to go with a spread offense this year, rather than the old reliable wishbone, which kept them in games against far superior talent, is beyond me. Rice is going to get killed playing this way – does Ken want a ticket out of town?