College Confidential

Aledo ex Johnathan Gray all that expected and more for Mack Brown and Texas

Texas coach Mack Brown knew what kind of player Johnathan Gray was at Aledo High School. It was no secret that Gray, a National Gatorade Player of the Year winner, was one of the top recruits in the country. But now, nine games into his freshman season as a Longhorn, Brown has seen why Gray is such a special player.
“He’s so competitive, that’s what you didn’t know,” Brown said. “He works so hard every day in practice that you’re not surprised to see him accomplish what he does on gameday.”
Gray has rushed for consecutive 100-yard games in Texas wins at Kansas and Texas Tech, and has become the Horns’ featured back with Malcolm Brown out with an injury.
“He’s done what we expected him to do,” Brown said. “He’s very mature, he’s tough, he’s fast, he’s a  very smart football player. He loves football.”
Gray has had more carries than all other Texas rushers combined in the last two games, while averaging 6.2 and 5.3 yards per carry. He has 217 yards on 38 carries the last two weeks. All Texas rushers have combined for 32.
-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs 

 

How will Big 12 end up in 2012? My guess for final standings:

Here's how I see the Big 12 finishing after four league games played (for every team but Oklahoma State and Baylor). Please hold your jeers until I'm proven to be dumb and misguided Dec. 1.

Kansas State	7-0, 4-0	11-1, 8-1
Oklahoma	5-1, 3-1	11-1, 8-1
Texas Tech	6-1, 3-1	10-2, 7-2
TCU	5-2, 2-2	8-4, 5-4
Oklahoma State	4-2, 2-1	7-5, 5-4
West Virginia	5-2, 2-2	7-5, 4-5
Texas	5-2, 2-2	7-5, 4-5
Iowa State	4-3, 1-3	6-6, 3-6
Baylor	3-3, 0-3	4-8, 1-8
Kansas	1-6, 0-4	1-11, 0-9

Beautiful day for football and tailgating in Stillwater. Here's some pictures:

Here's a Fox Sports networks cheat sheet to find TCU-Oklahoma State on television across the nation:

Download Big 12 - TCU at Oklahoma St

TCU's alternate defensive looks aid secondary against pass-first opponents

TCU coach Gary Patterson repeated a familiar concern Tuesday: the defense's penchant for giving up big plays over the top of the secondary.
“It’s the old adage; you can play three-deep coverage, you don’t have to play man, but if they run three verticals after 15 yards you’re in man coverage,” Patterson said during his media luncheon. “It doesn’t matter what you call, when the ball is in the air you have to make plays.”
However, Patterson has shaped his defense a little different at times this season to help give his secondary some support.
Varying from Patterson’s traditional four defensive linemen, two linebacker and five defensive back formation, he’s opted to pull a defensive lineman off the field in favor of an extra safety to aid in pass coverage.
Saturday, TCU ran this package four times against Texas Tech with a high success rate, typically subbing free safety Geoff Hooker in for defensive tackle Davion Pierson.
In the first quarter, the extra coverage support allowed Patterson to blitz Jason Verrett, stopping a Tech run for a loss.
In the third quarter, Devonte Fields punishing sack on Seth Doege came from this formation. Patterson rolled this formation out exclusively on third down and long distances. The coaching staff dialed up a noticeably larger number of blitzes in the Frogs past two games, rushing more than the front four approximately 16 times against Texas Tech. Out of those 16 blitzes, TCU picked up a sack, a tackle for loss, or put significant pressure on Doege at least seven times.
The game plan could remain similar Saturday against another pass-first Big 12 team, Oklahoma State, at 2:30 p.m. in Stillwater.

-- Travis L. Brown
@Travis_L_Brown 

TCU kicker Oberkrom selected as Big 12 special teams player of the week #tcu, #big12

TCU kicker Jaden Oberkrom, who booted a school- and conference-record six field goals in Saturday's 56-53 loss to Texas Tech, has been selected as the Big 12 special teams player of the week. Oberkrom, a freshman from Arlington Martin, connected on all six of his attempts, including a 42-yarder with 18 seconds remaining in regulation that sent the game into overtime. The Horned Frogs lost in triple overtime. Oberkrom kicked five field goals in regulation and one in the third overtime. He also was 5-for-5 on PATs during the contest.

Other Big 12 weekly honorees today included Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein (offense) and Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown (defense). The Wildcats routed West Virginia, 55-14, to give No. 3 K-State (7-0, 4-0 in Big 12) sole possession of first place in the league standings.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Oklahoma State QB J.W. Walsh out for season ... or maybe not

Oklahoma State quarterback J.W. Walsh is out for the season, according to coach Mike Gundy.
The redshirt freshman injured his knee Saturday in the Cowboys’ win over Iowa State but stayed in the game.
Walsh’s dad, John Walsh, the head coach at Denton Guyer High School, said his son needs about three to five weeks to recover. John Walsh said via text that surgery will not be required and that there was no ligament damage.
Oklahoma State (4-2, 2-1) host TCU (5-2, 2-2) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Stillwater, Okla.
Gundy told reporters on a conference call Sunday evening that Walsh was out for the rest of the season. Walsh completed 32 of 47 passes for 415 yards and a touchdown against Iowa State.
Walsh replaced true freshman Wes Lunt, who was injured in the Cowboys’ win over Louisiana-Lafayette Sept. 15. Lunt has yet to return in a game. Walsh has thrown for 1,467 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 254 yards and three scores.

-- Travis L. Brown

Texas Tech loses two receivers to injury, gains formerly dismissed linebacker

Texas Tech will be without its fourth and fifth leading receivers Saturday against No. 23 TCU. Coach Tommy Tuberville said receivers Javon Bell and Brad Marquez are out for the rest of the season with injuries.
Bell broke his foot and Marquez injured his knee last week against West Virginia. Bell and Marquez had 17 and 16 receptions and one touchdown between them. Tight end Jace Amaro (23 catches for 394 yards and four touchdowns), and cornerback Cornelius Douglas are questionable to play Saturday, Tuberville said.
Linebacker Daniel Cobb, who was arrested for felony burglary and dismissed from the team in August, is back with the team and will play Saturday, Tuberville said.
Authorities declined to press charges and his record was cleared.
"He was 100 percent innocent and we're glad to have him back on this team," Tuberville said. "No wrongdoing whatsoever. He's had to clear his name. The kid's going to graduate in two months and three and a half years in business. Never gave us one bit of problem. But it cost him two and a half months of playing college football and six games."
Cobb started seven of Tech's last eight games in 2011 and finished with 70 tackles, including 7.5 for losses.
-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs 

Baylor's Art Briles impressed with TCU's freshman quarterback

TCU freshman quarterback Trevone Boykin impressed Baylor coach Art Briles. Boykin, making his second start, threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns on 22 of 30 passing without any interceptions in the Horned Frogs’ 49-21 win over the Bears.
Boykin also ran for a score. Briles said he was already impressed after watching Boykin’s first start against Iowa State, despite Boykin’s three interceptions.
“He was very good last week against Iowa State,” Briles said. “They just had a few miscues. He’s a good football player. He’s just a really good fit with what they’re doing with their offensive scheme.”

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs 

"Disappointed and surprised." Mack Brown's reaction to Texas' loss to Oklahoma echoes Longhorn fanbase

Disappointed and surprised.
That was the reaction of most Texas fans after Oklahoma dominated the Longhorns Saturday in Dallas for the second consecutive season.
It was also what was going through Texas coach Mack Brown’s head after losing 63-21.
“I told them we got out coached and outplayed in every form and fashion you could have,” Brown said. “It’s two years in a row. It’s unacceptable. That’s such a traditional game in Dallas and we haven’t held up our end for the last couple of years and that’s the disappointing thing for our coaches, our fans, our administration and our players.”
The blow out was particularly disheartening for Texas, which figured to be better after last season’s 55-17 loss to the Sooners. Texas trailed 36-2 at the half and never challenged No. 9 Oklahoma (4-1, 2-1).
“We’re exactly where we were this time last year, we’re sitting here 4-2,” Brown said. “It was a setback. I feel like we made a lot of progress. I feel like we’re a better team than we were this time last year in a lot of ways. It didn’t look like it Saturday at all. You’ve got to take the negative and turn it into a positive and play harder, play better and play tougher.”
No. 25 Texas (4-2, 1-2 in the Big 12) host Baylor (3-2, 0-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday.
“We have a chance to win the rest of our game and still win 10 games so we’re sure not quitting, we’re not getting our head down, we’re not giving up,” Brown said. “We’re going back to work.”

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs