Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Texas Football: My (Updated) Texas Football Pedigree
We're now ten days away! I posted this a few years ago, but things have changed a little since then.
Record in games I've Attended: 67-17-1
Home Games: 53-10-1
Road Games: 11-7
Bowl Games: 2-0
Conf. Title Games: 1-0
v. Oklahoma: 3-3
v. A&M: 5-0
v. Nebraska: 3-0
v. Texas Tech: 4-3
v. Baylor: 8-4
v. Colorado 3-3
First Game: 1986 @ Baylor. L 13-18
If I recall correctly, this game was notorious for Texas QB Bret Stafford throwing the ball out of bounds to stop the clock on Texas' potential game-winning drive. Too bad it was already fourth down.
First Home Game: 1988 v. North Texas W 28-24
The Horns trailed 24-7 in the second half, and Kerry cash's game-winning TD catch (or was it Keith?) was made about two feet out of bounds. [sarcasm] Man, I do miss the glory days of Texas Football, when we needed home cooking to beat North Texas. [/sarcasm]
Best Home Game Attended: 1999 v. Nebraska W 24-20
When Nebraska's final fourth down pass fell incomplete, I turned to high five a complete stranger. I completely missed, and hit him in the face, knocking his glasses to the ground. He shook it off and grabbed me in a elated hetero victory embrace.
Best Road Game Attended: 2004 v. Arkansas W 22-20
They don't like us too much in Fayetteville. And dancing in the corner of the end zone after a close Texas win, as Hog fans filed out, didn't help our popularity. Screw'em. One teenage Razorback did tell my group that we were the first Texas fans he'd met that weren't "dicks."
Favorite Home Game Attended: 1990 v. Texas A&M W 28-27
My dad and I sat in the temporary South End Zone folding chairs. The seats weren't the best, but I got to witness Mark Berry stuff Darren Lewis' go-ahead two-point conversion run from about 50 feet away. Texas ended a six-year losing streak against the Aggies that day.
Favorite Road Game Attended: 2002 v. Nebraska W 27-24
Even when the Huskers are down, Lincoln is a special place to watch a football game. While the cold may be bitter, the hospitality is anything but (bitter or cold). I felt a little guilty leading the "Whose House? Horns House!" chants.
Worst Home Game Attended: 1997 v. UCLA L 3-66
They didn't call it "Rout 66" for nothing.
Worst Road Game Attended: 2006 v. Oklahoma (Dallas) L 13-65
$200 down the drain. How bad was it? OU fans tried to cheer us up on the way out. "It's okay, man, keep your head up."
Least Favorite Home Game Attended: 1996 v. Notre Dame L 24-27
Talk about stomach-punch losses. The Horns had that game won, and then... disapointment.
Least Favorite Road Game Attended: 1992 @ Baylor L 20-21
Worst. Officiating. Ever. I've never seen a more irate Texas crowd after a game. Vince McMahon couldn't have orchestrated a better screwjob that afternoon.
Best Road Trip: 2002 @ Tulane W 49-0
I remember the game, vaguely. What I really remember was the the Burnt Orange deluge of Bourbon Street, a horse cop that flashed the Hoom'Em with us in a photo, and a street musician playing "The Eyes of Texas" as we passed him.
Worst Road Trip: 2002 @ Texas Tech L 42-38
I think Wes Welker might still be running circles around the Texas secondary.
Home Game I Most Regret Not Attending: 1990 v. Houston W 45-24
In two-plus decades of watching Texas Football, I've never see a more dominant Longhorn win. Houston wasn't any old team. They were the #3 team in the country, and Texas flat-out whipped their ass.
Road Game I Most Regret Not Attending: 2006 v. USC (Rose Bowl) W 41-38
Is there any doubt?
My Favorite Longhorn Moments:
15. Ramonce Taylor takes an end-around pitch from Vince Young almost 60 yards to tie Oklahoma State, 35-35, after the Horns had fallen behind 35-7 in the second quarter. They won, 56-35 (2004).
14. Texas takes the final SWC championship with a 16-6 victory over Texas A&M at Kyle Field, punctuated by Bryant Westbrook's lethal hit on Leland McElroy. The ref threw a penalty flag as Westbrook strutted over McElroy's prone body, prompting Dick Vermiel to bark, "Aw, just shot the official."
13. Five years of futility against OU coming to a screeching halt, as the vast majority of Texas fans remain in the Cotton Bowl for a good half hour after beating OU, 45-12, in 2005.
12. Chris Simms' second half TD passes to each of the "Big Three" against A&M in 2000. -- BJ Johnson, Sloan Thomas, and "The Legend," Roy Williams.
11. Four -- count'em FOUR -- rushing touchdowns for Vince Young against Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl, the third coming when VY spun out of a sack, turned upfield and coasted into the end zone. Keith Jackson: "Young looking around... Wants to throw... Gets away, and scores!" Dan Fouts: "no!" Jackson: "Unbelieveable!" Fouts: "NO!"
10. Vince Young-to-Limas Sweed to put the Horns on top in the 'Shoe against Ohio State in 2005. "Got a lot of time. Throws endzone, caught! Touchdown Texas! What a great play for Horns!"
9. Beau Trahan kneeling the PAT attempt to hold Texas at 44 on "Cole Pittman Day" in the 2001 UNC game.
8. Before Mack Brown led Texas to titles he was on the losing end of a Texas bowl victory. Priest Holmes' "Superman" TD helped the Horns cap off a late comeback to beat North Carloina in the 1994 Sun Bowl.
7. The third of Texas' four straight wins against OU from 1989-92 almost didn't happen. But then Bubba Jacques scooped up fumble and returned it ten yards for a TD and a 10-7 victory.
6. Stonie Clark's goalline stop to preserve a 17-10 Texas win against OU in 1994 was the defensive play of the year in college football. "The reverse... one man to beat... Allen, NO!"
5. Texas A&M almost made it seven in a row over the Horns in 1990. Then Berry made the most unlikely stop of the season -- an open-field tackle that stopped Darren Lewis' two-point conversion run just inside the two. Lewis outweighed Berry by about 40 pounds. It didn't seem to matter.
4. Bret Stafford-to-Tony Jones didn't just beat Arkansas, 16-14, on the road in 1987. It remains to this day the best final play to a Texas football game that I've ever seen.
3. 4th and Inches: James Brown to Derek Lewis in the 1996 Big XII title game. "On a roll... gonna throw it... he's got'm wide open, baby!"
2. Ricky Williams's 60-yard TD run to break the NCAA all-time ruhing record in 1998. "Hello record book!"
1. "All the hopes, all the dreams, for the Texas Longhorns, come down to this play. Fourth down and five, Texas from the USC eight. Three wide receiver set... Young from the shotgun, back to throw... Vince looks, under pressure, he'll tuck it and run... Vince to the five... Young.. touchdown Texas, touchdown Vince Young! He's done it again! Vince Young has given Texas the lead with 19 seconds left to play on the game."
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Record in games I've Attended: 67-17-1
Home Games: 53-10-1
Road Games: 11-7
Bowl Games: 2-0
Conf. Title Games: 1-0
v. Oklahoma: 3-3
v. A&M: 5-0
v. Nebraska: 3-0
v. Texas Tech: 4-3
v. Baylor: 8-4
v. Colorado 3-3
First Game: 1986 @ Baylor. L 13-18
If I recall correctly, this game was notorious for Texas QB Bret Stafford throwing the ball out of bounds to stop the clock on Texas' potential game-winning drive. Too bad it was already fourth down.
First Home Game: 1988 v. North Texas W 28-24
The Horns trailed 24-7 in the second half, and Kerry cash's game-winning TD catch (or was it Keith?) was made about two feet out of bounds. [sarcasm] Man, I do miss the glory days of Texas Football, when we needed home cooking to beat North Texas. [/sarcasm]
Best Home Game Attended: 1999 v. Nebraska W 24-20
When Nebraska's final fourth down pass fell incomplete, I turned to high five a complete stranger. I completely missed, and hit him in the face, knocking his glasses to the ground. He shook it off and grabbed me in a elated hetero victory embrace.
Best Road Game Attended: 2004 v. Arkansas W 22-20
They don't like us too much in Fayetteville. And dancing in the corner of the end zone after a close Texas win, as Hog fans filed out, didn't help our popularity. Screw'em. One teenage Razorback did tell my group that we were the first Texas fans he'd met that weren't "dicks."
Favorite Home Game Attended: 1990 v. Texas A&M W 28-27
My dad and I sat in the temporary South End Zone folding chairs. The seats weren't the best, but I got to witness Mark Berry stuff Darren Lewis' go-ahead two-point conversion run from about 50 feet away. Texas ended a six-year losing streak against the Aggies that day.
Favorite Road Game Attended: 2002 v. Nebraska W 27-24
Even when the Huskers are down, Lincoln is a special place to watch a football game. While the cold may be bitter, the hospitality is anything but (bitter or cold). I felt a little guilty leading the "Whose House? Horns House!" chants.
Worst Home Game Attended: 1997 v. UCLA L 3-66
They didn't call it "Rout 66" for nothing.
Worst Road Game Attended: 2006 v. Oklahoma (Dallas) L 13-65
$200 down the drain. How bad was it? OU fans tried to cheer us up on the way out. "It's okay, man, keep your head up."
Least Favorite Home Game Attended: 1996 v. Notre Dame L 24-27
Talk about stomach-punch losses. The Horns had that game won, and then... disapointment.
Least Favorite Road Game Attended: 1992 @ Baylor L 20-21
Worst. Officiating. Ever. I've never seen a more irate Texas crowd after a game. Vince McMahon couldn't have orchestrated a better screwjob that afternoon.
Best Road Trip: 2002 @ Tulane W 49-0
I remember the game, vaguely. What I really remember was the the Burnt Orange deluge of Bourbon Street, a horse cop that flashed the Hoom'Em with us in a photo, and a street musician playing "The Eyes of Texas" as we passed him.
Worst Road Trip: 2002 @ Texas Tech L 42-38
I think Wes Welker might still be running circles around the Texas secondary.
Home Game I Most Regret Not Attending: 1990 v. Houston W 45-24
In two-plus decades of watching Texas Football, I've never see a more dominant Longhorn win. Houston wasn't any old team. They were the #3 team in the country, and Texas flat-out whipped their ass.
Road Game I Most Regret Not Attending: 2006 v. USC (Rose Bowl) W 41-38
Is there any doubt?
My Favorite Longhorn Moments:
15. Ramonce Taylor takes an end-around pitch from Vince Young almost 60 yards to tie Oklahoma State, 35-35, after the Horns had fallen behind 35-7 in the second quarter. They won, 56-35 (2004).
14. Texas takes the final SWC championship with a 16-6 victory over Texas A&M at Kyle Field, punctuated by Bryant Westbrook's lethal hit on Leland McElroy. The ref threw a penalty flag as Westbrook strutted over McElroy's prone body, prompting Dick Vermiel to bark, "Aw, just shot the official."
13. Five years of futility against OU coming to a screeching halt, as the vast majority of Texas fans remain in the Cotton Bowl for a good half hour after beating OU, 45-12, in 2005.
12. Chris Simms' second half TD passes to each of the "Big Three" against A&M in 2000. -- BJ Johnson, Sloan Thomas, and "The Legend," Roy Williams.
11. Four -- count'em FOUR -- rushing touchdowns for Vince Young against Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl, the third coming when VY spun out of a sack, turned upfield and coasted into the end zone. Keith Jackson: "Young looking around... Wants to throw... Gets away, and scores!" Dan Fouts: "no!" Jackson: "Unbelieveable!" Fouts: "NO!"
10. Vince Young-to-Limas Sweed to put the Horns on top in the 'Shoe against Ohio State in 2005. "Got a lot of time. Throws endzone, caught! Touchdown Texas! What a great play for Horns!"
9. Beau Trahan kneeling the PAT attempt to hold Texas at 44 on "Cole Pittman Day" in the 2001 UNC game.
8. Before Mack Brown led Texas to titles he was on the losing end of a Texas bowl victory. Priest Holmes' "Superman" TD helped the Horns cap off a late comeback to beat North Carloina in the 1994 Sun Bowl.
7. The third of Texas' four straight wins against OU from 1989-92 almost didn't happen. But then Bubba Jacques scooped up fumble and returned it ten yards for a TD and a 10-7 victory.
6. Stonie Clark's goalline stop to preserve a 17-10 Texas win against OU in 1994 was the defensive play of the year in college football. "The reverse... one man to beat... Allen, NO!"
5. Texas A&M almost made it seven in a row over the Horns in 1990. Then Berry made the most unlikely stop of the season -- an open-field tackle that stopped Darren Lewis' two-point conversion run just inside the two. Lewis outweighed Berry by about 40 pounds. It didn't seem to matter.
4. Bret Stafford-to-Tony Jones didn't just beat Arkansas, 16-14, on the road in 1987. It remains to this day the best final play to a Texas football game that I've ever seen.
3. 4th and Inches: James Brown to Derek Lewis in the 1996 Big XII title game. "On a roll... gonna throw it... he's got'm wide open, baby!"
2. Ricky Williams's 60-yard TD run to break the NCAA all-time ruhing record in 1998. "Hello record book!"
1. "All the hopes, all the dreams, for the Texas Longhorns, come down to this play. Fourth down and five, Texas from the USC eight. Three wide receiver set... Young from the shotgun, back to throw... Vince looks, under pressure, he'll tuck it and run... Vince to the five... Young.. touchdown Texas, touchdown Vince Young! He's done it again! Vince Young has given Texas the lead with 19 seconds left to play on the game."
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