Jerry Scarbrough's True Orange Newsletter
The Newsletter for the True Texas Longhorn Faithful

Volume 12, No. 2, October 22, 2001

 Longhorn Defense Stifles Buffs; Simms, Benson Spark Offensive Fireworks in
41-7 Romp

The Texas defense forced four turnovers and totoally shut down Colorado's
offense in the second half to lead the No. 9 Longhorns to a 41-7 victory over
No. 14 Colorado in Austin.
The offense also had a great day, with QB Chris Simms throwing for 234 yards
and three touchdowns and true freshman RB Cedric Benson getting 100 yards for
the second straight Saturday. He also scored two touchdowns and caught three
passes for 59 yards.
Benson had the day's biggest offensive play. It came with the Longhorns
leading 17-7 and facing second-and-20 at their own 5 just before the the
half. The Horns were going into a stout wind and Colorado was threatening to
get the ball back in great field position.
But Simms dropped back and, just before he was hit, flipped a shovel pass to
Benson, who caught it, put an awesome move on two Buff defenders and sped 40
yards to launch the Longhorns on an 85-yard scoring drive that broke the game
open.
The UT defense forced four Buffalo turnovers - three fumbles and a pass
interception - and held the potent Colorado offense to just two first downs
and 45 net offensive yards in the second half.
The three fumbles Colorado lost all came in the first half and cost the Buffs
a first-and-goal at the UT 4 with Texas ahead only 7-0, and set up short
Longhorn scoring drives for the field goal that made it 10-0 and the
touchdown that gave Texas a 17-7 lead.
Colorado's starting QB, Craig Ochs, did not play because of a concussion he
suffered in the victory over Texas A&M last week. His replacement, Bobby
Pesavento, is a better passer, but Ochs is a much better runner and his
absence caused the Buffaloes to change their offensive strategy to include
more passing and less double tight end power running. The Longhorn defense
also had something to do with that.
Here, briefly, is how the game went
First Quarter
Texas won the toss and deferred. Colorado took the ball and the Longhorn
defense stuffed the Buffs' power running game and forced a quick punt.
Starting at their own 40 after a short punt into the stiff wind, the Horns
scored quickly. Benson ran for 5, then Simms hit TE Bo Scaife for 7. A wide
receiver reverse was beautifully blocked, allowing B. J. Johnson to gallop 35
yards to the Buffalo 13. Benson carried three times for a first down at the
3, then Simms, after a fake to Benson going right, rolled left and hit WR Roy
Williams for the TD. Dusty Mangum's kick gave UT a 7-0 lead with 9:09 left.
On the first play after the kickoff Pesavento hit two big passes to the UT
21. Then he threw into a crowd at the Longhorn 10, but WR Derek McCoy
wrestled it away from three Horns and bulled to the four before fumbling.
Freshman LB Derrick Johnson recovered for Texas. The Horns couldn't move and
a short punt gave the Buffs the ball at their own 48. Colorado went to its
power running game and rolled to a first down at the UT 15 before the
Longhorn defense stiffened and forced a 29-yard field goal try that was wide.
CU led in first downs, 6-4, and in total offense, 126-82, but the Longhorns
led, 7-0, because they scored on their only foray deep into Buff territory,
while the Buffaloes'  fumble at the 4 and missed chip-shot FG killed both
their scoring chances.
Second Quarter
DE Kalen Thornton forced a fumble that was recovered by UT CB Roderick Babers
at the CU 21. The Horns drove to the 4 before Mangum kicked a 21-yard field
goal for a 10-0 lead with 11:47 left. UT's kickoff into the wind went out of
bounds, giving Colorado good field position at the 35 and the Buffs got their
running game going and swept in for the TD in just seven plays to cut the
lead to 10-7 with 8:32 left. UT drove into Buff territory, but Simms was
sacked to kill the threat. The third Colorado fumble of the half set the
Horns up at the Buff 35 and they capitalized, but they they had to score two
TDs to get credit for one. First, Simms hit Williams in the end zone and
Williams got a foot down in bounds, but the official waved it off. Benson got
the TD on a 12-yard run and Mangum's kick gave UT a 17-7 lead with 3:22 left.
A quick defensive stop gave the Horns another possession at their 15 with
2:08 left. Simms was sacked at the 5 on the first play, but Benson took a
shovel pass, juked two defenders off their feet at about the 10 and scampered
40 yards down the sideline. Simms passed to WR B. J. Johnson for 22 and to
Williams for 29 before Benson scored from the 4 with 1:10 left for a 24-7
lead. Texas led in first downs, 8-4, and in total offense, 144-118 in the
quarter.
Third Quarter
Texas couldn't move into the wind and had to punt. Colorado drove to the
Texas 32 and went for it on a fourth-and-2, but the Longhorn defense held
Brown to a 1-yard gain to end that drive. The Longhorn offense then drove 69
yards in 7 plays for another TD, with the payoff coming on a 24-yard pass
from Simms to WR Sloan Thomas. Mangum's kick gave Texas a 31-7 lead with 6:47
left. The UT defense stifled Colorado's next effort and Nathan Vasher ran the
Buffalo punt back 44 yards to the CU 18, setting up a 34-yard Mangum FG for a
34-7 lead with 3:53 left. Texas led in first downs, 7-2, and in total
offense, 101-35, in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Simms found Thomas all alone in the end zone  for 29 yards and the game's f
inal score on the Horns' first possession in the quarter. Major Applewhite
and Chance Mock took over at QB after that. The Longhorn defense did not
allow Colorado a single first down in the period and the Buffs had only 10
plays for 10 net yards.

Drive Chart

Here's the drive chart for the game, showing how each team fared on each
possession:
First Half
CU - 6 plays, 12 yards, 1 first down, punt
UT - 7 plays, 60 yards, 3 first downs, TD, 7-0
CU - 5 plays, 73 yards, 3 first downs, fumble
UT - 3 plays, 6 yards, 0 first downs, punt
CU - 9 plays, 41 yards, 2 first downs, missed FG
UT - 5 plays, 21 yards, 1 first down, punt
CU - 2 plays, 7 yards, 0 first downs, fumble
UT - 7 plays, 16 yards,1 first down, FG, 10-0
CU - 7 plays, 65 yards, 2 first downs, TD, 10-7
UT - 7 plays, 30 yards, 1 first down, punt
CU - 3 plays, 17 yards, 1 first down, fumble
UT - 4 plays, 35 yards, 2 first downs, TD, 17-7
CU - 3 plays, 7 yards, 0 first downs, punt
UT - 5 plays, 85 yards, 3 first downs, TD, 24-7
CU - 4 plays, 22 yards, 1 first down, punt
UT - 1 play, minus 2 yards, half ends
Second Half
UT - 3 plays, minus 2 yards, 0 first downs, punt
CU - 5 plays, 20 yards, 1 first down, downs
UT - 8 plays, 69 yards, 3 first downs, TD, 31-7
CU - 3 plays, minus 9 yards, 0 first downs, punt
UT - 4 plays, 1 yard, 0 first downs, FG, 34-7
CU - 2 plays, 11 yards, 1 first down, interception
UT - 7 plays, 20 yards,1 first down, punt
CU - 3 plays, 3 yards, 0 first downs, punt
UT - 4 plays, 47 yards, 3 first downs, TD, 41-7
CU - 3 plays, minus 1 yard, 0 first downs, punt
UT - 3 plays, 3 yards, 0 first downs, punt
CU - 3 plays, 4 yards, 0 first downs, punt
UT - 6 plays, 19 yards, 1 first down, punt
CU - 3 plays, 7 yards, 0 first down,s punt
UT - 6 plays, 24 yards, 2 first downs, game ends

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I update my 900 number every day with football and football recruiting news.
The number is 1-900-288-8839. It costs $1.59 a minute. You must be 18 or
older to call.

Coach's Corner

Coach Mack Brown said Sunday studying the films of the Longhorns 41-7 victory
over Colorado Saturday "proved what we felt all along - our guys played
really well and really hard all day."
He also said Colorado "is a much better team than yesterday's score would
indicate. That was just a game that got out of hand because of turnovers."
He said he was very pleased with the shovel passes, wide receiver reverses
and other misdirection plays the Horns used very successfully Saturday.
"If you are moving the ball, they usually work," he said. "We've talked about
needing a little more misdirection. All of them are things we need to run
because it makes our regular plays work better."
He had said last week wanted to "use more traps, run more gaps and counter
gaps," saying it slowed defensive pursuit and created more doubt in the minds
of defenders.
After using a lot of them against the Buffaloes, he said they will remain a
part of the UT offense.
Colorado came into the game on a five-game winning streak and with a powerful
running game that ranked No. 13 nationally at 224.7 yards a game and a strong
rushing defense that was No. 15 nationally, allowing only 91.8 yards.
That had allowed the Buffs to dominate time of possession against their foes.
They were averaging about 36 minutes a game, compared to about 24 minutes for
their opponents.
But Texas dominated the time of possession, 33:33 to 26:27, held the
Buffaloes to 124 net rushing yards, 100 yards below their average, and rushed
on the Buff defenders for 161 yards, about 70 more than they had been
allowing.
Brown said the Longhorn defense did an outstanding job against the CU power
runners, and he said the Texas' offense was successful because it was able to
"stay two dimensional."
But he said the early UT lead, helped along by the Colorado turnovers,
"forced them to try to play catch-up, and playing catch-up is not their game."
"I think Colorado is really good," he said. "We've played so well at home,
and our crowd gives us a big advantage at home. I think Colorado will win a
bunch more football games this year."
Longhorn true freshman RB Cedric Benson picked up 100 yards rushing on 23
carries and scored two touchdowns in his second start.
It marked the first time all season a running back has hit the Colorado
defense for 100 yards.
"That's a credit to our balance, our offensive line and to Cedric," Brown
said. "He's a fine running back who has great vision and who almost always
falls forward. He's getting better every week."
Brown said he and his assistant coaches talk constantly to their players
about the need to show up ready to play every week, and he also said it's way
too early to worry about the BCS bowl situation "because there are a lot of
football games still to be played before that comes into play."
"We talked to our team after Florida lost to Auburn about how you can't
control anything except what you do. Anybody can beat anybody."{
"Our guys understand the only thing they can do is be the best football team
they can be and be ready to play Missouri this Saturday. What we've got to do
is try to win four more football games and see where that takes us."

Longhorn Notes, Quotes . .
They say football is a game of inches and UT QB Chris Simms will buy into
that, particularly after executiing the shovel pass to freshman RB Cedric
Benson just before the half that went for 40 yards and helped break the game
open.
"I was nervous dropping back," Simms said. "I was in the end zone and saw the
defensive  end coming, and I didn't know if our tackle got a good piece of
him, and I'm thinking, 'Gosh, I have to get it out.' Cedric's still turning
around, and I kind of threw it just as I was about to get hit and hoped he
could catch it."
"Cedric just got turned around and he caught it and then made an unbelievable
move down the sideline."
As for Benson, he says college football is a little more complicated than he
thought it would be.
"In high school, it was basically run left, run right," he said. "Here, I'm
learning how to block, how to fake better and how to run better routes."
Simms said Benson "is going to be great. He runs so hard on every play, and
the thing I like about him is every time I drop back to pass and he protects
for me, he turns around after his block and goes, 'Did I do okay?' "
"I say, 'I didn't get hit, did I?' You did okay."