09: Texas Longhorns-UL Monroe Warhawks

Written by Mark | 03 September 2009

College Football 9/5/09

UL Monroe Warhawks (Sun Belt)-#2 Texas Longhorns (Big 12)

By Mark • Saturday, September 5th, 2009 7 PM EST

Texas (0-0) vs. UL Monroe (0-0)
Line-Texas-40

I suppose UL Monroe looks at this game as a David versus Goliath and a win will immediately put the Warhawks on the map. Texas probably has tougher scrimmages and look at this as a warm up for when the conference schedule begins. Texas is certainly a premiere team, but the Sun Belt should know better than this, and I hope the money everyone receives is well spent.

The preferred method of attack for the Texas offense was through the air with QB Colt McCoy playing catch with anybody in a Longhorn uniform. The #7 passing attack in the land should be just as prolific in 2009 and if McCoy hits on 78% of his pass attempts again, it will be just as high scoring as well.

The running game took a back seat to the Texas air show as they were only the #40 rushing team but when there's a talent in McCoy taking snaps, it's almost a travesty to have him turnaround and hand the ball off. The Longhorns could run the ball, but they simply played to their strength.

The Longhorns were something of a bend but don't break defense that was barely a top 50 unit, but they allowed only 19 ppg which had them sitting at #18 nationally. The numbers say Texas was not a great pass defense but after watching the weekly air assaults coming from the Big 12, I'm not ready to say that. The Longhorns led the nation in sacks and allowed a miniscule 84 yards rushing per game so they know how to ‘D' up.

UL Monroe was a lower echelon offensive team that didn't excel at much except occasionally on the ground. Unable to move the ball consistently, points were hard to come by, but if the Warhawks hit last years average of 24, I'd consider this game a success.

ULM can not be looking forward to the Texas air game with a defense that crawled out of 2008 ranked #110 and were susceptible to the pass and run. I'd say the 31 ppg they allowed isn't all that bad considering how easily offenses cut through them.

UL Monroe has two huge problems in this one; their strength in running the ball happens to be a Texas strongpoint and their inability to stop any facet of an offense will be exposed by the lethal offense of the Longhorns. Another problem is that Texas returns 16 players, 9 on an offense that was loaded in 2008. The Warhawks return 17 but that won't come into play until they face somebody with the same ability.

Keep in mind that Monroe built these numbers primarily against fellow Sun Belt members and the difference in competition in Texas is obvious. This is what I call name your score and the Longhorns will decide how much punishment they‘ll inflict.