First and Ten: Florida Atlantic Preview with Ted Hutton, Orlando Sun-Sentinel

by Peter Bean on Aug 25, 2008 4:34 PM CDT in Texas Longhorns Football

With the arrival of the season opening game week comes the launch of BON LIVE, or, "PB records stuff for auditory consumption." We'll make use of audio and podcasting in a number of ways, but today we start with the debut of "First and Ten," a weekly 10 minute chat with a fan, blogger, or reporter about the week's upcoming game.

First up is Ted Hutton of the Orlando Sun-Sentinel, who covers Florida Atlantic and wrote this morning about how much Howard Schnellenberger loves junior quarterback Rusty Smith, both as a college player and pro prospect. Listen in for my conversation with Ted about Schnellenberger's controversial comments, the potent FAU offense, and the less-than-stellar Owls defense.

Right click and save to download the interview.

0 recs | 11 comments

Comments

Damnit

PB, you don’t happen to know what plug-in I need to install for Mozilla to listen to this thing without downloading do you? (I’m assuming that’s what the little lego block box on my screen is supposed to be.)

Horn Brain - August 25, 2008 reply

Plays for me using the quicktime plug-in...Firefox 3.0.1

learned hand - August 25, 2008 reply

Hmm

No idea. Loads up the player just fine for me on Mozilla.

Peter Bean - August 25, 2008 reply

Is it just me

or did you conduct that interview about half way between your normal voice and your Mack voice?

Wells - August 26, 2008 reply

He automatically

reverts to Mack-mode now whenever he says Tech-susss.

Good stuff, PB!

horndude - August 26, 2008 reply

that was downright professional

i feel like i don’t even know you anymore.

billyzane - August 25, 2008 reply

Potent FAU Offense

Indeed. Best test we could hope for for the young guys.

The Longhorns will open the season with unprecedented youth in the secondary, including freshmen safeties Blake Gideon and Earl Thomas in the starting lineup.

Backing them up will be three more freshmen, all for a unit that a year ago ranked 109th nationally in passing, set school records for passing yards and touchdown passes allowed and is already breaking in a new coordinator.

Making the task even more perilous will be Florida Atlantic quarterback Rusty Smith, who passed for 3,688 yards and 32 touchdowns for the nation’s 16th most potent passing attack last season.

And did we add that the largest crowd to attend a football game in Texas state history is expected?

So it’s understandable that Brown isn’t resting too comfortable these days — getting ready for an opponent he calls the best team that has ever traveled to Austin for an opener in his 11-year coaching tenure there.

Kiddie Korps

I expect a couple of huge passing plays due to breakdowns in the secondary. The question will be – how will the young guys respond? All in all a good prep session for Harrell, Daniel and co.

patienthornsfan - August 26, 2008 reply

what struck me about your comment

Was that FAU is the toughest team to ever come to Austin in Week 1 during the Mack Brown era. Pretty weak.

Michael Bean - August 26, 2008 reply

Oduegwu Out

The Longhorns safeties got even younger Monday when junior Ishie Oduegwu had surgery to repair his injured left shoulder.

Trainer Kenny Boyd did not set a timetable for Oduegwu’s return.

The junior was the only safety with any starting experience, getting three nods in his career. He has played in 25 games.

The expected starting safeties for Saturday’s opener against Florida Atlantic are redshirt freshman Earl Thomas and freshman Blake Gideon.

Ishie

patienthornsfan - August 26, 2008 reply

THe only thing that impressed me about Ishie

Was that he could blow people up with the big hit. Other than that he hasn’t dazzled me thus far, and he seems to be injury prone. In other words, not a huge loss (sounds cruel).

owenh - August 26, 2008 reply

on ishie

I respectfully disagree, owenh . . .

Having a veteran out there with all those freshmen has to help, even if it’s spot duty or just at practice. And we don’t know what Oduegwu might be as a player. He redshirted in ’05, then missed the following spring with an injury. He played in 12 games in ’06, was beginning to become a force in ’07, then missed the bowl and the spring and all that practice time.

Michael Huff? No. But still a big-time hitter who was a plus on special teams. And he was a better safety by the end of his third season than the 2007 starter, fifth-year man Erick Jackson, who he beat out.

edsp - August 26, 2008 reply

Burnt Orange Nation