Bohls: A little more anger from the Texas Longhorns could go a long way

While I got ya, here are nine things and one crazy prediction:

1. Raise your hand if you're mad. Steve Sarkisian mentioned Monday that everybody inside the Texas football program was “a little pissed off.” Maybe so, but it sure didn’t seem like it Monday or in last Saturday's postgame press conference in Lubbock. I’m sure everyone processes a loss a bit differently, but it made me wonder if the players are just numb to defeat after struggling for so long or if they're just accepting it. There’s no better and more productive player on the team than Bijan Robinson, and he’s the most positive, God-fearing, role-model of a guy, maybe ever. But it struck me when he responded to a question about whether the team was angry over the loss to Texas Tech: “Obviously, I hate to lose. At the end of the day, it sucks. But we have a whole bunch of games left to play.” When KEYE sports director Bob Ballou asked if players were screaming and throwing helmets in the locker room, Robinson said, “Not at all. It’s a little quiet in there. We’ve got to move on from it. It’s already gone. I think it’s a learning lesson.” That’s fine, but how much more does Texas need to learn? What this team really needs is what Quandre Diggs used to say when he said Texas “needs more dogs.” He meant more tough-minded players who were sick of losing, played with 60-minute intensity and who would do anything it took to win. Alpha players. And he’s right.

2. No quit. Say what you want, Texas didn’t quit. Its effort has been fine. Execution, not so much. Its two losses this season have come on last-second field goals against Alabama and Texas Tech. Is Texas a good team? I have no idea. Sarkisian thinks he has a good team, and I’d tend to agree with him, but this is a bottom-line business. … Sarkisian didn’t wow with his play-calling Saturday, especially after the goal-line stand that put the Longhorns at their own 2-yard line. He had Hudson Card throw low-percentage deep balls twice in that ill-fated series, and while Jordan Whittington had his hands on one of the passes before it popped out when he hit the ground, he was hardly open. … For those who point out Texas was playing with a backup quarterback, so were the Red Raiders with Donovan Smith, who almost looked like Lamar Jackson. He took supreme advantage of crossing routes over the middle where he usually connected with Myles Price, who was targeted 17 times and caught 13 passes for 98 yards. On the other hand, Texas’ wide receivers had just six receptions for 99 yards and Tarique Milton’s came in the final seconds of the game in one of the most impressive two-minute drives I’ve ever seen. Actually it was a 21-second drive. Card played very well and wasn’t the reason Texas lost. … The sour ending with the loss and the field-storming by the students will undoubtedly leave a bad taste in the Longhorns’ mouths and further fuel the Texas desire to no longer play Tech, once it heads to the SEC. “I’m sure their alumni are howling,” said one highly placed Tech source, dubious of future Texas-Tech football games. “I know they’re mad.” … Credit to Joey McGuire for beating Texas in his first try. I’m sure it went over well in the Texas locker room when he told his Texas Tech players that he knew “Texas would break.” Shows a lack of respect for the Longhorns in advance of the game.

Bohls: Steve Sarkisian could stand to make a few better adjustments

3. Texas' quiet MVP. Bert Auburn has to be feeling a little bit like bandleader Wallace Hartley on the deck of the Titanic. His rendition of Songe d’Automne may have been soothing, but, yeah, we all know how the story ends. The Longhorns placekicker has been money. He has now booted nine of 11 field goals, but of his two failed attempts, one was partially blocked by Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. and the other was botched because of a bad hold. Neither was his fault. Auburn’s about as clutch a kicker as I’ve seen at Texas. And quite frankly I was surprised Sarkisian didn’t give him an opportunity for a 49-yard kick in the third quarter in lieu of that failed fourth-down try. But Sarkisian said he wasn’t comfortable with the wind at the time.

4. One play. Winning teams make a big play at the big moment, and so far Texas has not done that. Neither was the fault of one person, but rather a collective defeat. But one could almost trace the chance of victory vanished with Ryan Watts’ inability to sack Alabama’s Bryce Young before his big scramble to set up the Crimson Tide’s winning field goal and Robinson’s fumble on the first play of overtime against Texas Tech. Sure, there were lots of other contributing factors like Texas’ running game versus Tech (only 149 yards, 62 of which came on Robinson’s 40-yard run and Card’s 22-yard scramble) and the defense’s inability to get off the field and Tech’s 100 plays with a lack of a pass rush and bad coverage. But games usually come down to five or six critical plays one way or the other, and Tech made almost all of them, save for some clutch throws and catches by Card and Milton and Ja’Tavion Sanders.

Golden: Bijan Robinson packs books, water bottle and, oh yeah, a football

5. Net gains. WTA player Ashley Lahey, who is participating in the fourth annual H-E-B Women's Pro Tennis Open sponsored by the DropShot Tournament Series that began Tuesday at the Texas Tennis Center, was announced as the winner of the Women’s Catalyst Award for her efforts to help fund a hospital in Uganda. The award goes to a female player who best exemplifies a role model. Included in the tournament draw for this year’s International Tennis Federation Women’s World Tennis Tour event, featuring players who are ranked in the Top 500 worldwide, are former Texas national champion Peyton Stearns, who steered the Longhorns to the team title last summer, along with eight current UT players like Sabina Zeynalova and Charlotte Chavatipon on last year’s champion and former Westlake star Fernanda Contreras. The purse is $25,000. Lahey was college tennis' No. 1 player for Pepperdine during 2019-2020. She worked at a medical clinic in Uganda and was so inspired that she then recruited sponsors and donors to help build a small hospital there to provide safe and affordable medical care for thousands of Ugandans. She will receive the award at the inaugural ATX Open on Feb. 27. Contreras will take on UT star Malaika Rapolu.

6. Anti-Pro Bowl. The NFL finally wised up and killed the Pro Bowl. Maybe someone will even notice. Yes, they got rid of the worthless exhibition and will replace it with a skills competition. I’m guessing a Punt, Pass & Kick competition. I hope they let Chiefs coach Andy Reid participate for old time’s sake. Not sure what skills they’re considering, but I’d go for table tennis, arm wrestling, bowling, and rock, scissors, paper.

More: Longhorns out to regroup after self-inflicted wounds

7. Say it ain't so. Shame on Kim Mulkey for declining to speak out about Brittney Griner’s ridiculous detainment in Moscow for having less than two grams of hashish oil in her luggage and still sitting in a Russian cell. The former Baylor women’s basketball coach, now at LSU, was asked about probably her best player ever, and she declined. When the reporter said he hadn’t seen any public comments from the coach about the imprisonment of the best player she’s ever coached, Mulkey snapped, “And you won’t.” So much for empathy, appreciation and gratitude for a player who helped Mulkey go 40-0 and win the second of her three national championships at Baylor. A couple of her other former players noticed as well and were not amused. Queen Egbo tweeted a warning to future recruits, writing, “A player that built Baylor, 2 national titles, & a 40-0 record. Yet her former coach refuses to say anything or simply just show any kind of support. Keep that in mind when you’re choosing schools.” Another, Chloe Jackson, who starred on Baylor's 2019 team that won a title, tweeted, “And I will say it again. SILENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES, smh.”

Bohls: Texas suffers from a very familiar script in loss to Texas Tech

8. Scattershooting. While wondering whatever happened to former Longhorns running back Johnathan Gray, who still ranks 13th all-time at UT with 2,607 career yards.

9. On the couch: Loving “House of the Dragon.” It’s as good as “Game of Thrones” in my opinion, just as riveting and surprising. Averages 29 million viewers an episode. Gave it eight ducks.

Crazy prediction: Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, who has thrown for 11 touchdowns with one interception and run for four more scores, will win the Big 12 offensive player of the year award. Heisman?

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: A little more Longhorns anger, intensity would go a long way