Ole Miss pass rush presents problems
September, 14, 2012
9/14/12
1:00
PM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
It’s eye-popping enough that Ole Miss has nine sacks. That’s good for fourth nationally. But those nine sacks have come from 11 different people -- four guys have .5 sacks each.
Texas, which allowed its first two sacks last week, knows the defensive front of the Rebels could present a problem.
"Those guys will be a faster football team all around," said Harsin of the Rebels’ defensive line. "It comes down to guys helping each other out in pass situations, the backs or whoever else can help with those situations, the tackle and interior guys."
Of course, it also comes down to David Ash making quick and good decisions. To date, he has done that. Ash has not thrown an interception in his last three starts. But he has also not been under duress.
"The ball needs to be out of your hands somehow, some way, throw it away or get up field and run," Harsin said. "So that will help us eliminate sacks in those situations."
Texas, which allowed its first two sacks last week, knows the defensive front of the Rebels could present a problem.
"Those guys will be a faster football team all around," said Harsin of the Rebels’ defensive line. "It comes down to guys helping each other out in pass situations, the backs or whoever else can help with those situations, the tackle and interior guys."
Of course, it also comes down to David Ash making quick and good decisions. To date, he has done that. Ash has not thrown an interception in his last three starts. But he has also not been under duress.
"The ball needs to be out of your hands somehow, some way, throw it away or get up field and run," Harsin said. "So that will help us eliminate sacks in those situations."
Staff predictions: Texas vs. Ole Miss 
September, 14, 2012
9/14/12
10:30
AM CT
By HornsNation staff | ESPN.com
Texas 27, Ole Miss 17
This game is going to be closer than the experts think. Texas has a more talented team than Ole Miss but the Rebels seem to have more continuity on offense. In the third week of the season this is a defining games for the Longhorns defense. Texas will allow the ball to move between the 20s but will force Mississippi into multiple field goal opportunities. David Ash will show his mettle as he will have to come back from hard hits and adversity in the first road game for the Longhorns.
- Sean Adams
This game is going to be closer than the experts think. Texas has a more talented team than Ole Miss but the Rebels seem to have more continuity on offense. In the third week of the season this is a defining games for the Longhorns defense. Texas will allow the ball to move between the 20s but will force Mississippi into multiple field goal opportunities. David Ash will show his mettle as he will have to come back from hard hits and adversity in the first road game for the Longhorns.
- Sean Adams
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AUSTIN, Texas -- When Hugh Freeze met with Dan Werner this winter, the new Ole Miss head coach was in search of the right man to run his offense. He needed a new quarterback, too.
So Freeze broke out some film. He told Werner these were a few guys he’d considered pursuing.
When they started rolling tape of a familiar junior college kid, Werner stopped the search.
“I saw his film and said, ‘Let’s go get him,’” said Werner, the Rebels’ offensive coordinator. “He didn’t tell me who any of them were.”
Freeze agreed, and he had an in. A year earlier, the kid was his third-string quarterback at Arkansas State. Werner got the job and together they set their sights on their new signal caller.
Ole Miss wanted Bo Wallace more than anyone else. That’s why he chose the Rebels over Mississippi State, Indiana and Baylor.
Had Texas wanted him, there’s a chance Wallace could’ve been a Longhorns this weekend in Oxford. For one week in January, that was at least a distinct possibility.
Texas’ unsettled quarterback situation prompted offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin to make the call. This wasn’t a quick-fix move or one to bolster depth, Harsin says now. He was looking for “the right situation at that time.”
Wallace said he had two or three conversations with Harsin during that week. No offer, no visit, nothing more than that.
So Freeze broke out some film. He told Werner these were a few guys he’d considered pursuing.
When they started rolling tape of a familiar junior college kid, Werner stopped the search.
“I saw his film and said, ‘Let’s go get him,’” said Werner, the Rebels’ offensive coordinator. “He didn’t tell me who any of them were.”
[+] Enlarge
Stan Beal/EMCCAt East Mississippi Community College last season, Bo Wallace caught the eye of the Texas coaches.
Stan Beal/EMCCAt East Mississippi Community College last season, Bo Wallace caught the eye of the Texas coaches.Ole Miss wanted Bo Wallace more than anyone else. That’s why he chose the Rebels over Mississippi State, Indiana and Baylor.
Had Texas wanted him, there’s a chance Wallace could’ve been a Longhorns this weekend in Oxford. For one week in January, that was at least a distinct possibility.
Texas’ unsettled quarterback situation prompted offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin to make the call. This wasn’t a quick-fix move or one to bolster depth, Harsin says now. He was looking for “the right situation at that time.”
Wallace said he had two or three conversations with Harsin during that week. No offer, no visit, nothing more than that.
Where the Midlands staff will be this week
September, 13, 2012
9/13/12
5:30
PM CT
By RecruitingNation Staff | ESPN.com
Each week across our RecruitingNation sites, we'll highlight which high school football games the Midlands recruiting staff will be attending:
Thursday, Sept. 13
• Norman (Okla.) North at Moore (Okla.) Westmoore - Bob Przybylo, SoonerNation
Player to watch: LB Jordan Evans, Norman North
• Grapevine (Texas) vs. Sachse (Texas) - Damon Sayles, RecruitingNation
Player to watch: 2014 QB Kent Myers, Sachse
Thursday, Sept. 13
• Norman (Okla.) North at Moore (Okla.) Westmoore - Bob Przybylo, SoonerNation
Player to watch: LB Jordan Evans, Norman North
• Grapevine (Texas) vs. Sachse (Texas) - Damon Sayles, RecruitingNation
Player to watch: 2014 QB Kent Myers, Sachse
Three questions: Texas vs. Ole Miss
September, 13, 2012
9/13/12
4:00
PM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
After two weeks at home and two games in which Texas was not challenged, the Longhorns hit the road for a game at Ole Miss. While the Rebels are in the SEC, they are not exactly the cream of the SEC crop. In fact, they have not beaten another SEC team since Kentucky in October of 2010. Still, the Rebels do have some size and speed and a 2-0 record. As for Texas, well even with a 2-0 record and a top-15 ranking, the Longhorns still have a few questions to answer.
1. Will David Ash go downfield?
The likelihood of that happening against Ole Miss is much greater than it was against New Mexico and Wyoming. The Rebels play a much more risk-reward defense and will challenge Texas’ passing offense with one-on-one coverages. That should free up Mike Davis on the outside as well as Marquise Goodwin. Of course, the main question is if Ash can hit those players when they are open. Ash has not hit a deep pass this year. The last one he did hit was a 47-yarder to Goodwin in the Holiday Bowl. But he also missed a few deep passes in that game as well.
1. Will David Ash go downfield?
The likelihood of that happening against Ole Miss is much greater than it was against New Mexico and Wyoming. The Rebels play a much more risk-reward defense and will challenge Texas’ passing offense with one-on-one coverages. That should free up Mike Davis on the outside as well as Marquise Goodwin. Of course, the main question is if Ash can hit those players when they are open. Ash has not hit a deep pass this year. The last one he did hit was a 47-yarder to Goodwin in the Holiday Bowl. But he also missed a few deep passes in that game as well.
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The Heard: UT recruiting news and notes
September, 13, 2012
9/13/12
2:00
PM CT
By
William Wilkerson and
Max Olson | ESPN.com
Welcome to The Heard, HornsNation’s weekly in-depth look inside the never-ending world of Longhorns recruiting with news, notes and interesting tidbits on the latest happenings around the program. We’ll release this every Thursday.
Talk about it in our forum and, if there’s a recruit out there you’d like to hear more from, let us know.
A few things discussed in this week’s edition:
Talk about it in our forum and, if there’s a recruit out there you’d like to hear more from, let us know.
A few things discussed in this week’s edition:
- Four-star target warming up to offense?
- In depth analysis on 2014 OT’s Texas visit
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Texas has the Big 12's biggest stadium, but at least one Longhorn says when it comes to noise, Texas fans need to pick up the slack.
The Longhorns go on the road for the first time this week to Ole Miss, and doing so is a welcome idea for safety Kenny Vaccaro.
"I like without a doubt playing on the road better than playing at home," Vaccaro told the Daily Texan. "It’s way louder and gets me way [more excited]. No offense to our fans, but [DKR] is not loud."
That's a head-turner.
The hard truth? Vaccaro is 100 percent correct. Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium can get loud from time to time, and it packs in more than 100,000 fans, but the decibel level on a consistent basis isn't even what you'll find at a number of other stadiums.
The one Vaccaro used as an example? A good one, but one that tweaked Texas fans further.
“Kyle Field is loud, man,” Vaccaro said. “Kyle Field gets wild.”
Ha. I love players speaking their mind, and everything Vaccaro said is the truth. that said, it's not exactly going to endear him to the Longhorns fan base.
Fortunately for Vaccaro, his talent and big hits will.
The Longhorns go on the road for the first time this week to Ole Miss, and doing so is a welcome idea for safety Kenny Vaccaro.
"I like without a doubt playing on the road better than playing at home," Vaccaro told the Daily Texan. "It’s way louder and gets me way [more excited]. No offense to our fans, but [DKR] is not loud."
That's a head-turner.
The hard truth? Vaccaro is 100 percent correct. Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium can get loud from time to time, and it packs in more than 100,000 fans, but the decibel level on a consistent basis isn't even what you'll find at a number of other stadiums.
The one Vaccaro used as an example? A good one, but one that tweaked Texas fans further.
“Kyle Field is loud, man,” Vaccaro said. “Kyle Field gets wild.”
Ha. I love players speaking their mind, and everything Vaccaro said is the truth. that said, it's not exactly going to endear him to the Longhorns fan base.
Fortunately for Vaccaro, his talent and big hits will.
Five storylines: Texas vs. Ole Miss
September, 13, 2012
9/13/12
10:30
AM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
Storylines for the Longhorns as they face Ole Miss on Saturday:
1. Sharing the wealth
Thirteen players have caught a pass for Texas so far. The number of players and variety of positions that they play is a testament to the versatility of the offense. With the downfield passing game still struggling to take hold, Texas will once again look to go underneath against Ole Miss and will once against use a variety of receivers to do just that. Hybrid backs Daje Johnson and D.J. Monroe could see a lot of work in the passing game if Texas is able to successfully spread Ole Miss’ defense.
1. Sharing the wealth
Thirteen players have caught a pass for Texas so far. The number of players and variety of positions that they play is a testament to the versatility of the offense. With the downfield passing game still struggling to take hold, Texas will once again look to go underneath against Ole Miss and will once against use a variety of receivers to do just that. Hybrid backs Daje Johnson and D.J. Monroe could see a lot of work in the passing game if Texas is able to successfully spread Ole Miss’ defense.
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Texas prepared for dual-threat QB
September, 13, 2012
9/13/12
8:00
AM CT
By
William Wilkerson | ESPN.com
AUSTIN, Texas -- For as well dressed and sophisticated as those that make up The Grove appear, they were probably ready to smash fine china and hurl hors d’oeuvres after the season Ole Miss had in 2011.
The Rebels went 2-10 and ended the season winless in their final seven games, signaling the end of Houston Nutt’s time in Oxford, Miss.
With two wins in their first two games of 2012 it appears that order has been restored throughout those famous tailgaiting grounds. Much of that has to do with the new system under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze and the dual-threat capabilities of junior college transfer quarterback Bo Wallace.
The Rebels went 2-10 and ended the season winless in their final seven games, signaling the end of Houston Nutt’s time in Oxford, Miss.
With two wins in their first two games of 2012 it appears that order has been restored throughout those famous tailgaiting grounds. Much of that has to do with the new system under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze and the dual-threat capabilities of junior college transfer quarterback Bo Wallace.
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Q&A: 2014 S Jamal Adams planning visits
September, 12, 2012
9/12/12
3:15
PM CT
By
William Wilkerson | ESPN.com
It didn't take long for 2014 prospect Jamal Adams (Lewisville, Texas/Hebron) to make his presence felt this season. The safety intercepted a pass in the season opener against Abilene and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown.
Plays like that show exactly why he is such a hot commodity to programs around the country, including Texas, which has only offered Adams and one other safety, Edwin Freeman, for 2014.
In addition to Texas, Adams has offers from Baylor, Iowa, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas A&M and West Virginia.
Plays like that show exactly why he is such a hot commodity to programs around the country, including Texas, which has only offered Adams and one other safety, Edwin Freeman, for 2014.
In addition to Texas, Adams has offers from Baylor, Iowa, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas A&M and West Virginia.
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Each week Sean Adams takes a look at some topics around the Texas Longhorns and college football.
1st Down: First road trip
Texas goes on the road for the first time this season. While it is not going to one of the upper tier SEC venues, it is still going to the south where most everyone cares about football. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will be rocking and everyone will have a full afternoon to get relaxed and prepared to cheer on their Rebels.
Safety Adrian Phillips talked to me about the freshmen contributors playing for the first time on the road.
“It’s a different atmosphere out there,” he said. “It can be overwhelming sometimes if you are not prepared. Stay in the playbook and do what you came out there to do.”
I would offer to freshmen playing for the first time all over the country something that Lou Holtz told me a long time ago: “The most important thing to know is that a fan has never made a tackle, never made a block and never scored a touchdown. They don’t matter.”
This is a great first road trip for Texas especially with a really tough environment two weeks after the Ole Miss game in Stillwater to open conference against Oklahoma State.
2nd Down: Are the SEC comparisons impossible
Mack Brown said that he wanted to build his teams more like the SEC teams that have won every national championship since Texas won in 2005. He made hires at offensive line, defensive coordinator and defensive tackle coaches all from SEC schools. Throw in the fact that Major Applewhite came back to the University of Texas from Alabama and you see an overt attempt to get closer to the SEC in every way shape and form.
Are Texas fans barking up the wrong tree assuming that the current iteration of the Texas offense can ever resemble the smash mouth play of the SEC's offense?
Texas has the personnel to play smash mouth football even if it does not have the depth. It will all come down to the play calling of offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin and David Ash's ability to execute the offense at the quarterback.
There is a need to grow the trust between the OC and quarterback. As Ash takes hold of the offense, he will be given more opportunities to run the full breadth of the playbook. Information transfer is so important as it really does not matter how much Coach Harsin knows as much as it is about how much Ash learns.
3rd Down: Stats do matter
Ash is a thinker and I like that. He is figuring out ways to manage himself with the media, the fans and the notoriety that comes along with playing quarterback at a place like the Texas.
During the post game of the New Mexico game he made a statement that I am still trying to process. "Stats are for losers," he said.
While I fully agree that statistics do not tell the whole story in any industry, divorcing yourself from the value of the quantifiable is silly and dangerous. Statistics tell a side of the story whether it's good or bad.
Oklahoma State beat Savannah State 84-0 and was ranked 16th in the country. The Cowboys loaded up on the stats that day. Then they went out and gave up 59 points in losing to unranked Arizona. Statistics, as they built up on the first week, did not mean much.
Statistics over the course of a season, over the course of a conference season and over the course of a career mean a lot. The fact is, you never find a winner without finding stats to somewhat support the success.
4th Down: Adams’ Big 12 Power Poll
1st Down: First road trip
Texas goes on the road for the first time this season. While it is not going to one of the upper tier SEC venues, it is still going to the south where most everyone cares about football. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will be rocking and everyone will have a full afternoon to get relaxed and prepared to cheer on their Rebels.
Safety Adrian Phillips talked to me about the freshmen contributors playing for the first time on the road.
“It’s a different atmosphere out there,” he said. “It can be overwhelming sometimes if you are not prepared. Stay in the playbook and do what you came out there to do.”
I would offer to freshmen playing for the first time all over the country something that Lou Holtz told me a long time ago: “The most important thing to know is that a fan has never made a tackle, never made a block and never scored a touchdown. They don’t matter.”
This is a great first road trip for Texas especially with a really tough environment two weeks after the Ole Miss game in Stillwater to open conference against Oklahoma State.
2nd Down: Are the SEC comparisons impossible
Mack Brown said that he wanted to build his teams more like the SEC teams that have won every national championship since Texas won in 2005. He made hires at offensive line, defensive coordinator and defensive tackle coaches all from SEC schools. Throw in the fact that Major Applewhite came back to the University of Texas from Alabama and you see an overt attempt to get closer to the SEC in every way shape and form.
Are Texas fans barking up the wrong tree assuming that the current iteration of the Texas offense can ever resemble the smash mouth play of the SEC's offense?
Texas has the personnel to play smash mouth football even if it does not have the depth. It will all come down to the play calling of offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin and David Ash's ability to execute the offense at the quarterback.
There is a need to grow the trust between the OC and quarterback. As Ash takes hold of the offense, he will be given more opportunities to run the full breadth of the playbook. Information transfer is so important as it really does not matter how much Coach Harsin knows as much as it is about how much Ash learns.
3rd Down: Stats do matter
Ash is a thinker and I like that. He is figuring out ways to manage himself with the media, the fans and the notoriety that comes along with playing quarterback at a place like the Texas.
During the post game of the New Mexico game he made a statement that I am still trying to process. "Stats are for losers," he said.
While I fully agree that statistics do not tell the whole story in any industry, divorcing yourself from the value of the quantifiable is silly and dangerous. Statistics tell a side of the story whether it's good or bad.
Oklahoma State beat Savannah State 84-0 and was ranked 16th in the country. The Cowboys loaded up on the stats that day. Then they went out and gave up 59 points in losing to unranked Arizona. Statistics, as they built up on the first week, did not mean much.
Statistics over the course of a season, over the course of a conference season and over the course of a career mean a lot. The fact is, you never find a winner without finding stats to somewhat support the success.
4th Down: Adams’ Big 12 Power Poll
- West Virginia (No. 1 last week): They Mountaineers are at the top until they lose.
- Texas (2): Can I actually move the Longhorns down after a 45-0 win over New Mexico? We will know a lot more this week.
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Stats that matter: Texas at Ole Miss
September, 12, 2012
9/12/12
10:30
AM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
Numbers are said to rarely lie. It’s with that thought in mind that each week HornsNation, with a healthy assist from the ESPN Stats and Info crew, will dig into the numbers and pull three stats that could play a significant role in the outcome in Texas’ game. On game No. 3 at Ole Miss:
No. 1: 0-14
While Ole Miss resides in the SEC and everyone trembles at the feet of that conference, the Rebels are not exactly a team that sends opponents running for cover. In fact, Ole Miss is an opponent on which teams usually do cover; at least BCS automatic qualifying teams.
No. 1: 0-14
While Ole Miss resides in the SEC and everyone trembles at the feet of that conference, the Rebels are not exactly a team that sends opponents running for cover. In fact, Ole Miss is an opponent on which teams usually do cover; at least BCS automatic qualifying teams.
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Healthy CB Davis making most of season
September, 12, 2012
9/12/12
8:00
AM CT
By
Max Olson | ESPN.com
BASTROP, Texas -- Opponents want nothing to do with Antwuan Davis these days.
When Bastrop’s ESPN 150 cornerback is covering a receiver this season, that receiver almost always runs a fly route. Often times, he doesn’t even look for the ball.
Why would he? The quarterback’s not throwing his way.
When Bastrop’s ESPN 150 cornerback is covering a receiver this season, that receiver almost always runs a fly route. Often times, he doesn’t even look for the ball.
Why would he? The quarterback’s not throwing his way.
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SEC suspends Trae Elston for Texas game
September, 11, 2012
9/11/12
2:11
PM CT
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
On Tuesday, the SEC dealt a big blow to Ole Miss' secondary when it suspended defensive back Trae Elston for Saturday's game against No. 14 Texas.
Commissioner Mike Slive announced that the suspension was due to the hit he put on UTEP receiver Jordan Leslie late in the fourth quarter of last Saturday's 28-10 win that was deemed "flagrant and dangerous." The SEC also said that Elston's hit was in violation of Rule 9-1-4 of the NCAA rulebook, which reads:
Rule 9-1-3 also states:
Elston had been a nice spark for the Rebels' defensive backfield and provided Ole Miss with some quality depth during the first two weeks. Now, against their toughest opponent yet, the Rebels will be without one of its most talented youngsters. Texas is only 69th in the nation in passing (averaging 220.5 yards through the first two games), but as far as talent goes, the Longhorns are on a different map compared to the first two teams Ole Miss faced.
It doesn't look like there will be a last-ditch effort to get Elston back, as there will be no appeals process.
"We are disappointed to lose Trae for this weekend, but we are moving forward as a team and focused on Texas," coach Hugh Freeze said in a statement.
Now, there will be a lot of debate going forward as to whether the hit was worthy of suspension. For starters, Elston wasn't flagged for the hit. It was clean in the eyes of the refs, though Leslie was on the ground for a few minutes before he got up.
On video, you can see that Leslie was bracing himself for the hit. He even pulled up short of making the catch at the goal line because he knew he was about to get laid out by Elston, who clearly wasn't interested in getting to the ball. He was looking to hit Leslie, but if Elston pulls up short and Leslie catches the ball, then people are scolding him for not making a play and allowing a score.
If Leslie catches the ball and Elston still hits him, is there still a suspension?
I understand that the league -- and the sport -- is trying to protect defenseless players. And in the wake of the head-to-head collision that caused Tulane safety Devon Walker to suffer a major spinal cord injury, it's no surprise that the SEC wants to make a statement about players leading with their heads. It's a major safety issue in this sport.
But consider Vanderbilt cornerback Andre Hal's hit on South Carolina tight end Justice Cunningham. He was hit so hard by Hal that his helmet shot off. Hal was flagged for hitting a defenseless player above the shoulders, but there was no suspension.
Elston led with both his head and his shoulders, but his hit appeared to come below Leslie's head and his helmet hit after his shoulders. My only thought for why Elston was suspended and not Hal is because Leslie backed off of going for the ball at the last second. If he catches it and then takes the shot, I don't think we hear anything about it.
I'm just not sure the punishment fits the crime. The fact that his helmet comes into the hit after his shoulders makes it a tough call. Was Leslie defenseless? Yes, but so was Cunningham.
Commissioner Mike Slive announced that the suspension was due to the hit he put on UTEP receiver Jordan Leslie late in the fourth quarter of last Saturday's 28-10 win that was deemed "flagrant and dangerous." The SEC also said that Elston's hit was in violation of Rule 9-1-4 of the NCAA rulebook, which reads:
"No player shall target and initiate contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, elbow or shoulder."
Rule 9-1-3 also states:
"No player shall target and initiate contact against an opponent with the crown (top) of his helmet."
Elston had been a nice spark for the Rebels' defensive backfield and provided Ole Miss with some quality depth during the first two weeks. Now, against their toughest opponent yet, the Rebels will be without one of its most talented youngsters. Texas is only 69th in the nation in passing (averaging 220.5 yards through the first two games), but as far as talent goes, the Longhorns are on a different map compared to the first two teams Ole Miss faced.
It doesn't look like there will be a last-ditch effort to get Elston back, as there will be no appeals process.
"We are disappointed to lose Trae for this weekend, but we are moving forward as a team and focused on Texas," coach Hugh Freeze said in a statement.
Now, there will be a lot of debate going forward as to whether the hit was worthy of suspension. For starters, Elston wasn't flagged for the hit. It was clean in the eyes of the refs, though Leslie was on the ground for a few minutes before he got up.
On video, you can see that Leslie was bracing himself for the hit. He even pulled up short of making the catch at the goal line because he knew he was about to get laid out by Elston, who clearly wasn't interested in getting to the ball. He was looking to hit Leslie, but if Elston pulls up short and Leslie catches the ball, then people are scolding him for not making a play and allowing a score.
If Leslie catches the ball and Elston still hits him, is there still a suspension?
I understand that the league -- and the sport -- is trying to protect defenseless players. And in the wake of the head-to-head collision that caused Tulane safety Devon Walker to suffer a major spinal cord injury, it's no surprise that the SEC wants to make a statement about players leading with their heads. It's a major safety issue in this sport.
But consider Vanderbilt cornerback Andre Hal's hit on South Carolina tight end Justice Cunningham. He was hit so hard by Hal that his helmet shot off. Hal was flagged for hitting a defenseless player above the shoulders, but there was no suspension.
Elston led with both his head and his shoulders, but his hit appeared to come below Leslie's head and his helmet hit after his shoulders. My only thought for why Elston was suspended and not Hal is because Leslie backed off of going for the ball at the last second. If he catches it and then takes the shot, I don't think we hear anything about it.
I'm just not sure the punishment fits the crime. The fact that his helmet comes into the hit after his shoulders makes it a tough call. Was Leslie defenseless? Yes, but so was Cunningham.
Earl Campbell working on rehabbing knee
September, 11, 2012
9/11/12
12:00
PM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
It was fitting that Bennie Wylie and Caeser Martinez were at Earl Campbell’s side as he walked out to midfield for the coin flip Saturday. That’s because the two Texas strength coaches have been there every step of the way for Campbell as he has learned to walk again.
"I really worked at it and Bennie even said, 'Man, you want that bad, don’t you?' Because I was coming over here so much," said Campbell of his rehab.
There is still work to be done. Campbell, who started working out with Wylie in March, still cannot walk without the aid of a cane or a walker. He said somewhere between his brain and his legs the signal is being lost to put one foot in front of the other. He will soon be evaluated at Methodist Hospital in Houston to see what can be one to correct the problem.
For now, the 1977 Heisman Trophy winner is satisfied with the progress he has made.
"It is one step closer to living normal," he said. "What I want to do is be able to get around like you all do, stand without a walker and move around. So I am looking forward to it."
"I really worked at it and Bennie even said, 'Man, you want that bad, don’t you?' Because I was coming over here so much," said Campbell of his rehab.
There is still work to be done. Campbell, who started working out with Wylie in March, still cannot walk without the aid of a cane or a walker. He said somewhere between his brain and his legs the signal is being lost to put one foot in front of the other. He will soon be evaluated at Methodist Hospital in Houston to see what can be one to correct the problem.
For now, the 1977 Heisman Trophy winner is satisfied with the progress he has made.
"It is one step closer to living normal," he said. "What I want to do is be able to get around like you all do, stand without a walker and move around. So I am looking forward to it."
ABOUT HORNSNATION
Sean Adams
Sean Adams has covered the Texas Longhorns and college football for the last 12 years as a writer and radio host. Sean co-hosts "The Big Show" with Erin Hogan each afternoon on ESPN Austin 104.9 The Horn. He lives with his family in Round Rock, Texas. Email him at thisean@gmail.com.
Max Olson
Max Olson joined ESPN in 2012 after covering the University of Nebraska for the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald and high school and college sports for the World-Herald and Rivals.com. Olson is a University of Nebraska graduate and lives in Austin, Texas. Email him at maxolsonespn@gmail.com.
Carter Strickand
Carter Strickland joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the University of Oklahoma for The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman and Washington State University for The (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review. Strickland lives with his wife and family in Austin. Email him at cstrickland70@gmail.com.
William Wilkerson
William Wilkerson joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering high school sports, college sports and the Texas Rangers over four years at the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram. William is a University of Texas graduate and lives in Austin. He can be reached at wilkerson.espn@gmail.com.