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    A Statement Opener

    No letting up: UT quarterback Garrett Gilbert needs to throw the ball 40 timesagainst Rice

    Kevin Benz
    Sep 3, 2011 | 4:59 am

    Texas will win, probably big.

    If that's all you wanted to know about Saturday night's Texas-Rice football game, well there you are.

    On the other hand, this game will tell us a lot about how the Longhorns' season will go. So, if you want to be able to sit at the game-watching (oops . . . only if you get Grande cable and no one in Houston does, sorry) radio listening party and prognosticate, read on.

    Rice represents a challenge for Texas. Not because the Owls are good — they're not — but because they will play over their heads wanting to make a statement (they really don't like their former Southwest Conference rival) and because Texas is trying to find an identity and figure out how its new offense and new defense will work. In other words, one team has nothing to lose, the other, everything to lose.

    "I don't know how good we'll be," head coach Mack Brown said. "That many young players, all the new schemes that we've got, it shouldn't work great the first time you throw it all out there together. But I'm excited to watch it. It's time to see what [it will] look like, and I think the players are excited about it, too."

    The Texas Longhorns come into the game with a new offense, a new defense, new coaches, a quarterback under fire, and the youngest team Mack Brown has ever coached and a fan base with no tolerance for failure. That my friends is pressure.

    There are three goals for Texas, besides winning that is:

     1). Build confidence. No team in the league is more in need of a boost. The Longhorns got beat down last season and are rightfully unsure of how good they are. Quarterback Garrett Gilbert was awful last season, barely held onto his starting status, and, to be charitable, does not enjoy much fan support. Gilbert needs to play well.

    This is not the time for Texas to test its running game, this is the time to let Gilbert air it out, test his arm and accuracy, and gain some confidence. The same can be said of the offensive line. A little confidence protecting Gilbert, and opening a few holes for the running game would go a long way.

    Last season the Longhorns tried to run the ball against Rice. It didn't work on many levels. While the game was never in doubt (well most of it, after the first quarter anyway), Texas proved it could not run well, and Gilbert got nothing out of the game. Texas cannot afford to make the same mistake again.

    Look for Gilbert to throw the ball a lot — deep, short, in the flat — all over the field while trying to build camaraderie with his new receivers. Texas should also test Malcolm Brown at tailback. Fozzy Whittaker is fine, but he's not the future, Malcolm Brown is. Texas must give him the ball more than a couple of times.

     2). Test the young 'uns. This is a young team. As many as 12 freshmen and sophomores may start the game. "It may be the youngest team we've ever had, as well," Brown said. "And when you start looking at that, Coach Royal used to say something like, 'If you've got young players, just hope they're good and young. If they're bad and young, you've got a problem.' "

    If Texas is to be successful, its young players had better be good. Those boys must become men quickly. Rice may not be good, but the Owls will play full speed and they will play hard. This will be a great time to see if the kids have the skills.

    "Youth gets hyper in most situations," said co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite,"but you’ve just got to tell them to be here now and focus on what’s important — your job, your assignment. But the scariest thing about youth is the unknown."

    Scary is right. Which is why on offense, freshman receiver Jaxon Shipley and freshman running back Malcolm Brown need to touch the ball. On defense, sophomore cornerbacks Carrington Byndom and Adrian Phillips, freshman defensive back Quandre Diggs and sophomore tackle Calvin Howell need to be pressed and tested.

    "AP [Adrian Phillips] and Carrington [Byndom] both played quite a bit a year ago and in big games," said defensive backfield coach Duane Akina. "[In] the Nebraska game, AP came in and did a great job. Against Oklahoma State, Carrington came in and lined up against a heck of a receiver and did an outstanding job. So they came in with a lot of confidence and it continued through."

    This is the time for the young'uns to get repetitions, gain confidence and learn how to play against NCAA Division I talent.

     3) Build team leadership. I hope the Longhorns face some adversity during the game because I want to see Garrett Gilbert on offense, and Emmanuel Acho on defense, take command of the team and show great veteran leadership, demanding more of those around them.

    Texas lacked leadership last year. Gilbert is by nature a shy, quiet guy who prefers to lead by example. To be successful, he needs to grow up and demand more of himself and his team. He needs to occasionally get into a teammate's face. If he can't do it, he won't be starting for long.

    Specifically here are some keys to UT success:

       
    • Protect the ball — Zero Turnovers on offense, two or more takeaways on defense. Turnovers were a huge problem last year.
    •  
    • Throw the ball — Get Garrett Gilbert 40 throws, let him air it out deep, let him play the whole game.
    •  
    • Run Malcolm Brown — Brown should get at least 12 carries to see what he can do. Can he average more than four yards per carry.
    •  
    • Hold Rice under 200 yards of total offense. The Longhorns' defense needs to dominate the game.

    UT can begin exorcizing the demons of 2010 and find itself. Texas is blessed to be playing a Rice team that will play hard, but one that lacks the talent to win. Now is the time for the Longhorns to set their standard and start over. This game will tell us a lot about where they are.

    unspecified
    news/sports

    in this corner

    Premier Japanese women's wrestling league performs in Houston this weekend

    Jef Rouner
    Jul 9, 2025 | 12:30 pm
    Two Japanese women wrestlers compete in a ring. One is stomping in the other with both feet.
    Photo courtesy of Tokyo Joshi
    Hard-hitting women's wrestling for two nights in Houston

    For the first time ever, one of Japan's premier women's wrestling promotions, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, will be touring Texas, with a two-night stay in Houston this week.

    "Bringing TJPW to Texas reflects Tokyo Story’s broader strategy," a Tokyo Story representative writes in an email. "As a Japan-inspired toy and event company, we see major Southwest cities — especially in Texas — as prime for the growth of Asian pop culture. Houston, Dallas, and others are becoming more diverse, culturally curious, and open to new entertainment formats. This isn’t a one-off stop — it’s part of a long-term push to bring Japan’s creativity to cities with eager audiences. And we are making TJPW Live an annual event!"

    The events happen on Thursday, July 10 and Friday, July 11 at POST Houston (401 Franklin). Tickets are available at TokyoStoryUSA.com.

    TJPW split off from DDT Wrestling in 2012 as a sister promotion (or "league") that ran alongside its male counterpart before becoming its own entity in 2015. In that time, they've launched the career of international superstars like Yuka Sakazaki and Mina Shirakawa (both currently signed to All Elite Wrestling in America), as well as hosting non-Japanese guest grapplers like Thunder Rosa.

    The fighting is excellent and often brutal, but TJPW is also known for its playfulness. Matches embrace anime-like absurdity, such as having a wrestler work in a giant panda mascot costume. The promoters are hoping to one day partner with Texas truck stop icon Buc-ee's for a more mascot shenanigans. Many of the women also perform in J-pop girl groups on of their wrestling duties.

    On Night 1, strike specialist Miyu Yamashita will take on Maki Itoh, known for her flamboyant style and high risk maneuvers. Night 2 will feature much of the local guest talent, such as Houston's own Kaylia Capri (Reality of Wrestling) vs Yuki Arai in a singles bout, and Austin's Vert Vixen teaming with reigning TJPW tag champ Hyper Misao. Other Texans slated to appear ar Maya World, Alejandra Quintanilla, and Billie Starkz.

    The last decade has seen a marked rise in the quality and prestige of women's wrestling in America, with WWE hosting all-women Royal Rumbles and stars like Rhea Ripley and "Timeless" Toni Storm becoming household names. Most major promotions now feature robust line-ups of Japanese women wrestlers, with some like Asuka and Iyo Sky becoming world champions.

    For Japan, women's wrestling has a more consistent history of legitimacy going back decades, and the talent pool there is vast. TJPW branching out into Texas tours gives them a chance to showcase their wrestlers in the land that spawned legends like The Undertaker, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and the Von Erich Family.

    "The response has been overwhelmingly positive," said the TJPW spokesperson. "Many who had never experienced joshi (women’s) wrestling before are discovering how entertaining, emotional, and uniquely captivating it is. Since announcing the Texas shows, we’ve received a flood of enthusiastic messages — not just from wrestling fans, but from people drawn to the theatricality, comedy, and creativity of TJPW. We've also heard from fans in other states asking us to bring the tour to their cities."

    news/sports
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