Signal Watch Sports: Longhorns - we aren't totally horrible this year!

This Saturday I attended the UT/ Texas Tech match-up at Darrell K Royal - Memorial Stadium.

Firstly, it was Veteran's Day (observed, I guess) which meant the 82nd Airborne dropped 4 paratroopers into the sky who, to a trooper, landed pretty much dead-center of the field (I literally had no idea that you could be that accurate with a parachute).  They brought the flags AND the game ball.

I feel like such a sucker for just walking into the stadium

And then a pair of F-18's buzzed the stadium at the end of the Star Spangled Banner.  It was AMAZING (I am about 11 years old at the sight of a fighter jet in the sky).  

The point is, UT hit the field, and on the first drive by Texas Tech, I got a bit nervous.  Tech manhandled Oklahoma this year, and we've had issues with Tech in recent years.  Yes, Texas Tech lost last week's game pretty badly, but every week is a fresh start, so I really didn't know what to expect.

Your Texas Longhorns take to the field

Well, it seems at this point in the season that UT is getting its act together, and Tech may be starting to show some wear.  By the second quarter, UT seemed to have Tech's number pretty well, and the final score of 20 - 52 really didn't reflect how much trouble Tech seemed to have every time they got within 20 yards of the end zone.

Your Texas Longhorns scored on this play, reaching 44 points.

Anyway, I'm thrilled. Right now UT is 6-2 for the season, which is about 4 more wins than I gave them credit for prior to the season.  The offense is finally gelling with Ash as quarterback (and a guy we can play for years yet), and the coaches seem to be working together a bit better.  

I'd like to see more aggressive play by the secondary on short pass plays, but they held Tech to basically 1 TD until the traditional Mack Brown "gimme" touchdown we tend to hand over at the end of the 4th when we rotate in guys who rarely play.  

Mostly, I love the fact that we're not just running the ball, but we're running it well.  I like a QB like Colt McCoy, who can break all kinds of records throwing, or Vince Young who could do whatever he felt like, but I admire a strong running game as far as foundational football goes.  If we can get 4 yard every time we run the ball, that's good stuff, and it opens up other opportunities.  Apparently we ran 54 times this week.

We may wind up in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, but at least we've found a way to be bowl eligible this year (hooray!).  And I got to high-five random folks.

By the way, Joe Bergeron* and Fozzy were totally amazing today.  And I thought Goodwin and Okafor did pretty well, too.

Oh, and props to the UT Band (The Showband of the Southwest), who were just much better and more entertaining than lame ol' Texas Tech's marching band.  Not that I'm biased.

*That name sounds totally made up to me.  I just have to say it.