Piney said:
Hopefully the game is not cancelled. I can see it now "If UofL-L didn't cancel on us and throw us off we would have beaten Ohio State!"
I just don't want to hear excuses! Plus I was planning on using the Texas Defense for my college fantasy football league, playing against UofL-L is guaranteed money on defensive points
Don't get your panties in a wad. The game's not cancelled. It never was going to be.
---------------------
Fit and full of fight
Selvin Young, back from injury, says he's in the best shape of his career as Brown unveils Texas' starting lineup for opener.
By
Suzanne Halliburton
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Nearly a year after a broken fibula required 11 screws to repair, Selvin Young was playfully running his mouth, teasing his teammates about how they weren't fast enough to tackle him.
First Young's confidence recovered, then his surgically repaired ankle healed up for contact. On the first day of contact for No. 2 Texas this month, Young was swarmed by at least four of his teammates, who had no problems testing whether the ankle could hold up to a hard hit. In fact, he egged on middle linebacker Aaron Harris, the team's nastiest hitter, to deliver the first blow.
Once Young showed he wasn't gun-shy, he cemented his spot on the first team. On Monday, Texas Coach Mack Brown revealed his starting lineup — including Young —which will take the field Saturday in the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Obviously, with the Longhorns looking to replace four-year starter Cedric Benson, the second-most prolific runner in program history, tailback was the greatest concern coming into the preseason.
"Selvin is 100 percent," Brown proclaimed Monday. "He's gotten his speed back. He's gotten his vision back. He's bigger and strong, and he's definitely ready to go."
With nine starters back on defense and seven on offense, there were few spots to fill on the first team. Still, Brown opened many of the starting spots, making sure there was plenty of competition to help his team focus during these dog days of preseason.
Here's a scorecard on who will be where Saturday night at Royal-Memorial Stadium:
•Although Texas lost only one linebacker — Butkus Award winner Derrick Johnson — Brown was looking for two new outside guys. Redshirt freshman Rashad Bobino will man the weakside spot, with sophomore Drew Kelson, a former safety, earning the first-team job at the strongside.
However, Brown said he views the backups — Eric Hall, Eric Foreman and Robert Killebrew — as starters, too. He said coaches were planning to discuss Monday how to rotate the top six. Aaron Harris, who mans the middle, will be on the field all the time. Collectively, they're probably the fastest set of linebackers since Brown took over the program eight seasons ago.
Speed is the most valuable asset for new defensive coordinator Gene Chizik.
"I think they're all going to help us," Harris said. "I think Coach Chizik is going to have a lot of options."
•The situation at wide receiver is about as fluid as the linebackers because preseason competition didn't whittle down the contenders. Eight were listed on Monday's depth chart.
For now, it appears that the starters for Saturday will be Brian Carter and Limas Sweed.
When the Longhorns show a three-receiver set, Billy Pittman will join the action.
Somewhere in that receiving mix will be Ramonce Taylor, the hybrid player on offense who will see action at split end, slot and tailback.
Others who could see the field include Jordan Shipley, Nate Jones, Quan Cosby and Tyrell Gatewood. Sweed and Jones were starters a year ago. And other than Sweed and Jones, the rest caught a collective five passes in 2004.
Shipley pulled a hamstring the first week of preseason. But he was able to work out Monday.
•Frank Okam has supplanted Larry Dibbles as the starting nose guard. Dibbles, who was academically ineligible this spring, missed critical time when the defense made the transition from Greg Robinson, last year's coordinator, to Chizik.
However, like in the situation with the linebackers, Brown is considering Dibbles as much of a starter as Okam.
•Among the freshmen, expect to see running backs Jamaal Charles and Henry Melton, Cosby and defensive tackle Roy Miller on the field.
Colt McCoy, who technically is the third-team quarterback, will not play, Brown said.
Brown said he was unsure whether defensive ends Chris Brown and Aaron Lewis will play.
But probably the player everyone wants to see is Selvin Young, who was injured in the second game last year and then was academically ineligible in the spring.
"I'm the best shape I've ever been in," Young said Monday, speaking to reporters for the first time in weeks. "I've never felt like this before."
[email protected]; 445-3954
