For the quarterback, this is all new. He has to prove himself. His team is faltering. He is told to hand off the ball. Let the running game take hold until he gets comfortable passing. When he does keep the ball, the opposing defense stomps him to the ground.
But late in the contest he sees his chance, scrambles, feels the game tingle within his arm and lets loose with a perfect pass for a touchdown. Unfortunately, it’s too little too late. His team loses.
Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert in a late comeback against Iowa State that fell short 28-21? No, former Texas QB Colt McCoy in his first start for the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He came back the next week and won, but that was more about the Browns’ defense than anything else. McCoy is just getting his chops to the NFL level. It’s fun to watch — if you don’t care about wins.
The same could be said about Gilbert, who has already helmed Texas to three losses this season, including an embarrassing loss at home to Iowa State last week. I said early this season that it would all come down to if Gilbert had the winning instinct. So far, the jury remains out. He’s got a jet plane for an arm, but seems to have no rhythm with his receivers and he tends to telegraph his throws — thus lots of dropped, tipped, and intercepted balls.
McCoy will have his No. 12 jersey retired by the Longhorns on Saturday as Gilbert tries to prove his flashy high school stats hold up the college football level against perhaps the best Baylor team in at least 16 years. Their QB Robert Griffin‘s razzle dazzle was delayed a year due to injury, but he’s back and in fine form for the 6-2 Bears. He sliced up Kansas State last week for four touchdowns and 404 yards passing. His go-to guy is Kendall Wright who had six catches for 113 yards against KSU. Griffin can also run the ball with 384 ground yards racked up this season. And then there’s potent running back Jay Finley.
The last time Baylor beat Texas was 1997 when the final score was 23-21 in Waco. It was a bad year for the Horns They were blown out by UCLA 66-3 at home, battered at Oklahoma State 42-16, then sputtered to four straight to Missouri, Colorado, Baylor, and Texas Tech, followed by a Kansas win and a season-ending debacle against the Aggies. James Brown was the Texas QB with (and current assistant coach) Major Applewhite in waiting. Future Heisman winner Ricky Williams was running the ball. What went wrong? Everything. But Texas did beat Oklahoma, if that counts.
What is going wrong this year? Everything. The Texas offense doesn’t know what it is. The so-called commitment to the running game has not worked. The defense is dinged up — the Horns sorely missed Jackson Jeffcoat and Emmanuel Acho against Iowa State. Coach Mack Brown keeps comparing this team to 2007 when the Horns were bitch-slapped 41-21 by Kansas State in Austin and later lost close games to Oklahoma and Texas A&M. No, Mack, this has more shades of 1997, the dismal year that led to then Coach John Mackovic‘s firing.
The Longhorns have already matched 2007’s three losses. Fans are wringing their hands over the rest of the season. Baylor is actually good, nationally ranked and bowl-eligible. Texas is none of those things. The Horns looked excellent and well-coached against Nebraska, but the dizzying loss to lowly Iowa State tested the limits of even the most ardent fans.
Let’s repeat: There are no certain wins for the Texas Longhorns circa 2010, just like there weren’t any in 1997. No worries for this Coach Mack. His job isn’t on the line, but when even former Texas players like Johnny Walker (http://texas.247sports.com/Article/Johnny-Walker-Its-time-for-a-change-3947) are calling for Greg Davis to resign as Texas’ offensive coordinator, changes are likely to come. Walker even throws out the idea of putting Applewhite in the job and demoting Davis to quarterbacks’ coach.
Meanwhile, Gilbert is still finding his way. He showed sparks in the fourth quarter against Iowa State, and did lead his team back. It came too late to avert the loss. He, like McCoy in the NFL, is still finding his way. My guess is he’ll do fine, but the end of this season may be full of land mines for him and the Longhorn faithful.
This article appears in October 22 • 2010.