So we’re feeling as good about the Longhorns as we have since 2009. David Ash has the second highest quarterback rating in all of college football and now to his credit he has a big game saving performance on the road against a very good opponent. The Horns have so many weapons on offense that even a Mexican Drug Lord would be scared of them.
Now we’re looking forward to the big game with West Virginia. It will be the biggest home game in several years. It’s a night game and it will have the kind of college football atmosphere that you hope to experience at least once a year if you’re lucky.
But, you say, the defense has been shaky and Geno Smith is the most prolific quarterback in college football on the third highest scoring team in the country. West Virginia just put up 70 on Baylor and we’re worried about how many Ash and company will have to score just to keep up let alone win. So you wouldn’t say you’re confident about getting a win in this one. No worries.
Shakespeare wrote, what’s passed is prologue. Yogi Berra said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” Well I’m getting the feeling that I’ve seen this game before. Texas hosts a team on a roll with a hyped up star that is supposed to come to Austin and teach the Longhorns a thing or three. The 1990 game against Houston and David Klingler comes to mind. Texas pushed them around winning 45-24 and the game wasn’t as close the final score indicates. So I had to reach back a couple of coaches and 22 years ago to come up with that but still the vibes I’ve got about this game are strong.
Smith and West Virginia will get their yards and the fans, one in particular who sits in section 30 comes to mind, will have to endure Texas’ rubber band defensive strategy that gives the West Virginia receivers plenty of cushion between the 20s. When WVU gets to the red zone, which will be often, Texas will stiffen and hold them to field goals and to 30 points or fewer. David Ash will continue to impress and Jonathan Gray will have his coming out party gaining more than 150 yards with at least one run of more than 40 yards against a terrible WVU defense. I see Texas winning by a score of something on the order of 45-30.
Willie Earl does not endorse, encourage or promote gambling and can’t be held responsible for any misguided souls that lose money based on his prognostications.
Noise in DKR
There has been lots of laments over the years about the lack of noise at games and big games in particular at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium (from now on in this space referred to as Memorial Stadium). Let me say a few words about that.
First of all Memorial Stadium is not built for noise. With all the lavish upgrades the stadium is still open at one end and still built on its original bones which are relatively flat, expansive and not conducive to holding in crowd noise.
More importantly Austin isn’t Baton Rouge, Columbus or College Station. Thank God. In Austin we don’t burn couches or poison rival’s Oak trees. U.T. students don’t riot to show solidarity with a criminally negligent school official. Austin is culture, high tech, music, arts and brainy college students. Furthermore Texas is stoic, the strong silent type if you prefer. Texans maybe a proud lot but they don’t make a lot of noise about it.
In this his Naturalized Texan’s opinion you can have the crazed, loud for the sake of being loud, one dimensional fans of the college football hotbeds in the southeast and other locales. I love Texas and Texans just the way it is and they are.
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I heard some where that “Take me Home Country Road” by the late great John Denver is played at West Virginia home games. Well my favorite John Denver song is a different one. Enjoy
HooK eM,
W.E.
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