Colt McCoy – Quarterback for the Texas Longhorns

UPDATE: The Associated Press just offered another explanation for Colt McCoy's first half against Tech - the flu virus that had him down most of the week. According to the AP, after a halftime of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Pedialyte (a hydration drink for children), Colt said he felt much better (he went 15-of-18 in the second half).

There was good news and bad news for both Texas and Texas Tech last Saturday night.

Good news for Texas was they won. Bad news is Colt McCoy had another first half that was uncharacteristically poor.

But more good news for the burnt orange is that the Longhorns can win despite that trend by their QB.

The good news for the Red Raiders was that former Abilene Eagle Taylor Potts can perform under pressure.

He was cool, calm and collected. Not until the second half when the UT defense really started knocking him around did his performance suffer. The bad news for Tech is that Potts, an old acquaintance of Colt's during the Abilene days, can no longer fly under the radar.

But more good news for Tech is that with Potts' arm and a defense that bends but doesn't break, there will be a lot more W's this year.

So, is there something wrong with Colt?

I was going to call his dad, Brad, but I bet he doesn't feel like talking about it anymore than Colt does. The coaches and commentators tried to explain it with the old "trying-to-do-too-much" cliche or suggested he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

I think the answer is that he is over-thinking and thereby neutralizing his natural instincts that have brought him this far.

Why do you say that, Dr. Reagan? Rushing stats are the tell-tale sign for me.

Colt has rushed 24 times for only 46 yards this year. That's less than 2 yards a carry. Bad numbers because of sacks? Yes, but the sacks can come from over-thinking. Instead of taking off and running like he did last year, he waits a second or two more to think of a Plan B, and by then it's too late.

He had almost 200 yards rushing after the first three games last year. Granted, one of those games wasn't Tech, but Colt was minus-3 on the ground against La.-Monroe this season!

I predict this week will be the game where Colt decides to quit over-thinking and just go with the flow - or as he explained it last season - "just have fun."

And if not against UTEP, then certainly against Colorado.

And when Oct. 17th rolls around, I'm sure Colt won't have anymore of this ailment I like to call first-halfitis.