----- Forwarded by David M Gagliardi/TTG/HouInd on 08/20/01 08:25 AM -----

                    "Gagliardi,
                    Michael"             To:     "'dgagliardi@reliantenergy.com'" <dgagliardi@reliantenergy.com>,
                    <mgagliardi@u        "'tony.a.rogers@fritolay.com'" <tony.a.rogers@fritolay.com>,
                    nocal.com>           "'david.ricks@spotplus.com'" <david.ricks@spotplus.com>,
                                         "'wrferguson@duke-energy.com'" <wrferguson@duke-energy.com>
                    08/20/01             cc:
                    07:22 AM             Subject:     FW: True Orange E-Mail/Fax #82








> -----Original Message-----
> From:         TruOrange@aol.com [SMTP:TruOrange@aol.com]
> Sent:         Sunday, August 19, 2001 6:10 PM
> To:           TruOrange@aol.com
> Subject:           True Orange E-Mail/Fax #82
>
> True Orange E-Mail/Fax Service
> Volume 9, E-Mail/Fax #82, Sunday, August 19, 2001
> Jerry Scarbrough's True Orange, P. O. Box 26530, Austin, Texas 78755 -
> Phone
> 512-795-8536
>
> Brown Says Benson "Even Better Than We Thought He Was"
>
> Texas coach Mack Brown has been cautious about putting extra pressure on
> RB
> Cedric Benson, but he apparently has discovered  the heralded freshman
can
>
> handle it because he had lots of praise for him Sunday during the team's
> annual media day.
> With reporters from several other Big 12 cities in the audience, Brown
> said,
> "Cedric Benson has a real flair with his vision, quick feet, power and
> determination. He's probably even better than we thought he was."
> And Brown and his staff thought Benson was so good last year when he led
> Midland Lee to its third straight Class 5A championship and scored five
> touchdowns in the title game for the third straight time that they made
> him
> their No. 1 recruiting priority.
> Offensive coordinator Greg Davis said the Longhorns will go into the
> season
> with junior Victor Ike as the starting tailback, and sophomore Ivan
> Williams
> and Benson splitting time with him on about an equal basis.
> The Longhorn coaches have always stressed that their tailback must be
> adept
> at pass protection, but they haven't had a freshman with talent like
> Benson,
> and they appear ready to make some adjustments to get him on the field.
> Davis said Benson is behind Ike and Williams on pass protection because
he
>
> has only been in the UT system a few days. "But Cedric has great
> maturity,"
> Davis  said. "He has special talents and we will not let pass protection
> keep
> him from playing if he is the best back."
> West Texas football is pressure packed, particularly at the Class 5A
> level.
> When Benson scored five TDs in the state title game for the second year
in
> a
> row as a junior, it looked impossible for him to do it for a third time
> because Midland Lee's great offensive line graduated en masse. TE Eric
> Winston, a top recruit this year, did start some as a sophomore, but the
> other guys, from tackle to tackle, were all seniors.
> The coaches of other Class 5A powers knew all they had to do to beat
> Midland
> Lee was stop Cedric Benson because the Rebels had no other offensive
> weapons
> of note. With a green line, it seemed like a simple chore.
> The Rebels did lose a couple of early season games, but the line kept
> getting
> better week by week and he led them to a third straight title, scoring
> five
> TDs again as a senior, this time against a powerful Austin Westlake
> defense
> that had shut out two straight foes to get to the championship game.
> Excuse me for that history lesson, but Benson is a special kind of
running
>
> back, and the UT coaches, who already knew it, are not too shy now about
> saying it because he has already shown he's ready for big-time college
> football.
> Davis also said the Longhorns have a great group of receivers,
> particularly
> when the wide receivers and tight ends are lumped together as a group,
and
> he
> said QB Chris Simms gained much needed experience last year, "and he is
> much
> more mature this year. He has had a great camp and has shown he is much
> more
> mature and much stronger."
> He also said the offensive line will be much better this season because
> four
> of the five starters return and all of them are healthy for a change.
> Defensive coordinator Carl Reese says he is still looking for a defensive

> tackle, but he said the Longhorn defense "should be pretty good." Pretty
> good, by Reese's standards, means one that will rank in the top 10 again.
> He said Marcus Tubbs is solid at one tackle spot, and said Maurice
Gordon,
>
> Adam Doiron and Stevie Lee will all split time fairly equally until one
of
>
> them emerges as the starter at the other tackle spot.
> Reese said defensive ends Kalen Thornton and Cory Redding "are bigger and

> stronger and more determined this year." Since Thornton made the freshman

> All-America team last year after starting nine games as a true freshman
> and
> Redding is being touted as a pre-season All-Big 12 choice, that is bad
> news
> for the oppostion.
> * * * *
> RECRUITING NOTES: For those of you who are wondering who will be the line
> backers next year, true freshman Derrick Johnson looks like a guy who
> will play a lot on the weakside this year and then start and star for
> three
> more years, and fellow freshman Aurmon Satchell is looking very good as a

> future strongside backer. The middle is a little more unsettled for the
> future, but Aaron Harris of North Mesquite likes the Longhorns and he so
> good
> at flying to the ball and making bone-jarring tackles that I wouldn't be
> surprised to see him be a guy who will contend for the job in a hurry if
> he
> signs with the Horns.
> * * * *
> My next e-mail/fax will be whenever events warrant.
> * * * *
> The True Orange E-Mail/Fax Service includes  at  least  99 fax/e-mails  a

> year and costs $99 ($79 by E-Mail). The True Orange Newsletter includes
> 26
> newsletters and is published weekly during football season and twice
> monthly
> during most of the other months. It costs $45. Save by subscribing to
both
>
> for $130 (or $110 if you take the faxes via E-Mail  or $99 if you take
> both
> services via E-Mail). Send check  to address at the top of page. I also
> update my 900 number - 1-900-288-8839 - daily with recruiting news. My
> E-Mail address is: truorange@aol.com.