 "Photo: Stephen Durda; The Daily Texan")
The midterm grade for Texas’ new Q-package is in, and it’s an F. Head coach Mack Brown said the team will not use the formation with quarterbacks Colt McCoy and John Chiles on the field at the same time very much anymore.
“The Q-package hasn’t brought us much so far,” Brown said. “It doesn’t look like it will be as involved in our gameplan as it did when we started the season. We like what we’re seeing out of the young receivers so it hasn’t been a problem for us.”
Chiles has two lost fumbles in the last two games. Both led to touchdowns. The highly touted quarterback ran for 84 yards in the Rice game with one touchdown and was four-of-four passing in Texas’ 52-10 win over Arkansas Saturday.
“We’re not at the point yet where we can afford to take John away from his reps in practice as a quarterback by giving him reps at receiver,” said offensive coordinator Greg Davis. “That’s part of the reason we haven’t been as proficient in that package.”
Running backs struggling
The good news is Texas is averaging 205.2 yards rushing per game. The bad news is that quarterback Colt McCoy is the team’s leading rusher, and no running back has run for more than 100 yards in a game yet or has broke a run longer than 16 yards. “You’re not seeing a guy establish himself,” Davis said. “At times they are trying too hard. They want to please so much that they are not free flowing. The game has not slowed down for them, and they are not seeing the holes and being patient.”
Vondrell McGee, who has been the starter, is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry.
“Coach Bum Phillips once said the two types of players that you don’t want to have are the ones that never do what you ask them to do and the ones that only do what you ask them to do,” Davis said. “They need to get to the point where they are in the zone and if they need to bounce the ball to the outside they will do it regardless of what the coaches told them to do. I also think they’ll get better in the second half of the season as they get more carries because that’s what happened last year.”
Redshirt freshman Cody Johnson and senior Chris Ogbonnaya are also in the mix. The powerful Johnson has four touchdowns, but also has the team’s longest run of the season from a running back. The 255-pound back nicknamed “Fat Boy” is dieting now to get down to 245 pounds.
“Cody is getting so much better,” Brown said. “He’s come out of nowhere to get in the mix.”
Redshirt freshman Fozzy Whittaker had 12 carries for 76 yards in his first ever collegiate game against UT-El Paso but missed the other three games with a knee injury. His status the last two weeks was “questionable” and that will likely be his status this week against Colorado.
“I don’t know when he’ll play again,” Brown said.
McCoy wins Award
After completing 17 of his 19 passes, rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for three in Texas’ 52-10 win over Arkansas, McCoy won the O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week Award.
McCoy has passed current coach and former quarterback Major Applewhite on the all-time touchdown list at Texas and is ranked eighth nationally in total yards per game with 324. McCoy has completed 80 percent of his passes this season.
“He’s played as near perfect as you can play, and I’m very proud of him,” Brown said.
McCoy is starting to gain Heisman buzz and is also on the Maxwell Award watch list.
McCoy wasn’t alone in the award circle this week. Senior defensive Brian Orakpo won the Lott Trophy Defensive Player of the Week honor after recording four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble on Saturday.
Orakpo is second in the nation with six sacks.
Be the first to comment on this article!