I have nothing to offer except my own confusion
-Jack Kerouac
When I typed the title for this column I said to myself, “Oh yeah, that’s the title of that Kerouac book. I read “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac about 25 years ago and thought it was mostly gibberish. I think Truman Capote opinion of the book said it best, “That’s not writing that’s typing.”
Anyway, after a bye week, Texas plays their first road conference game of the year Saturday at West Virginia. I’m weary of the phrase “trap game” so let’s go with, “take care of business game.” This is a “take care of business game” for the Longhorns. Though West Virginia is 3-1, the consensus is that they’re not very good (Texas is favored by 11) but wins over North Carolina State and Kansas in Lawrence looks pretty respectable to me. Like most conference road games, if the Longhorns don’t start quickly, the game will likely still be in doubt into the fourth quarter.
Run on the Road
Against Oklahoma State, 17 of Texas’ first 20 plays were runs, resulting in a 14-3 lead for the Horns. From my seat on the 15 yard line at the northeast end of the stadium, on a Keaontay Ingram carry, right in front of me, I watched the Texas offensive line push the entire OSU defensive line back five yards paving the way for a 14 yard gain. I can’t remember the last time I saw a Texas offensive line do that.
A heavy, heavy dose of the running game is the best prescription for success on the road and I hope that’s what Tom Herman and Tim Beck prescribe for the offense in Morgantown.
It says here Sam Ehlinger will make sure the Horns “take care of business” Saturday afternoon. I’m calling it, Texas 41-16.
Speaking of Ehlinger, he’s eleventh nationally in yards passing per game, tenth in passing efficiency, and sixth in passing touchdowns. Don’t let yourself forget what a luxury it is to have him.
50 Year Anniversaries
It’s been a banner year for 50 year anniversaries with countless articles, essays, and documentaries commemorating the moon landing and Woodstock. It’s also the 50th anniversary of Texas’ second national championship. The highlights of that championship are well trod ground but I thought it would be interesting to take a brief look at a game Texas played during that season 50 years ago today.
Navy versus Texas October 4, 1969
Navy’s football program had fallen a long way since their glorious 1963 season when Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy and they were ranked # 2 with a 9-1 record before the getting trampled by the Longhorns 28-6 in the 1964 Cotton Bowl. From 1964 through 1968, they were 18-28-4 and had lost their first two games of the ’69 season to Penn State and Boston College before traveling to Austin. Texas was 2-0, beating Cal 17-0 and Texas Tech 49-7.
It was a pleasant 81 degrees with 18 mile per hour winds out of the south, southeast at the 7 p.m. kickoff for the near sellout crowd of 63,500 in 65,000 seat Memorial Stadium.
Playing its second game ever on the newly installed Astroturf, Texas opened the scoring at 13:22 in the first quarter with a 43 yard touchdown run by Jim Bertelsen. Ted Koy scored two more touchdowns for the Horns in the first quarter with runs of one and three yards.
James Street, Terry Collins and Eddie Phillips scored on runs of six, two, and 15 yard runs in the second quarter. Texas led at halftime 42-3.
Eddie Phillips added a seven yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Tommy Asaff scored for the Horns on a one yard run in the fourth quarter after which Rob Lane, Texas’ backup kicker—the son of Bobby Lane—kicked the extra point to complete the scoring for Texas.
The final score was 56-17 Texas and it was Texas’ 12th straight win of a winning streak that would stretch to 30.
For the game, Texas ran the ball 83 times for 523 yards. Jim Bertelsen was the leading rusher with 99 yards on eight attempts. Eddie Phillips added 81 yards on nine attempts. Paul Robichau (you remember Paul) had 79 yards on 13 attempts.
Future all Southwest Conference quarterback Donnie Wigginton was Texas’ leading passer completing five passes in eight attempts for 51 yards.
Randy Peschel was Texas’ leading receiver catching four passes for 46 yards. None of his catches came on a “53 Veer Pass.”
Few college football games were televised in 1969. As I recall, usually there were only two games televised in a given television market on Saturdays and often only one. Navy versus Texas wasn’t on television anywhere. During Texas’ National Championship run in 1969, only three of their games were televised during the regular season. Until 1969—except for the Orange Bowl—college football night games were rarely televised. Preempt Lawrence Welk for a college football game? It just wasn’t done, until 50 years ago on the same night Navy played Texas.
1969 Ole Miss vs. Alabama Still Legendary
*************
Good Luck to the Astros and all you “Astro Buddies” out there!
It’s a great of time of year.
Hook ‘Em,
W.E
