In three days, the Texas Longhorns football season opens, and the Garrett Gilbert era begins. While we received a taste of what he brings in the National Championship Game against Alabama, Gilbert has now been working as the starting quarterback since spring practice, and has an offense designed around his traditional, drop-back-quarterback, strengths.

But make no mistake, the Longhorn season rides on the shoulders of Gilbert’s 6′ 4″ frame.

With the departure of Sherrod Harris from the team, true…

I made it out to DKR-TMS Thursday evening for the Texas Longhorns second open practice. Of course, I took a few pictures.

The big takeaway from the practice was the reminder that Garrett Gilbert has a cannon. The pleasant surprise was that his timing with the receivers was quite good. If we can muster anything resembling a decent running game, the offense will be in good shape.

Technical Notes: All pictures taken with my Nikon D200 with the Nikkor 300mm…

This morning, Texas Longhorns backup quarterback Sherrod Harris, a fifth-year senior, announced that he will not return to the team this season. He will instead focus on finishing up his corporate communications degree in hopes of graduating in December.

Said Harris in the statement released by the team:

I’ve had a couple of tough semesters in school and I really need to get back on track academically so I’ve decided to focus most of my effort on academics for what is possibly my last semester in school. This was a very tough decision because I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time on the football field, running out of the tunnel on game day and being a part of the team.

One of the annual rites of each year’s upcoming Texas Longhorns football season is the release of the Preview Magazine from Inside Texas. I won’t comment on the advertisement for grape flavored vodka, but as usual, Clendon and the guys have put out a quality product.

Going into the BCS championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns, if you had told me that with four minutes left in the game, we would be down by three points and have the ball, I would have said I liked our chances. If you had told me that we would get there with our true freshman quarterback, I would have told you that you were nuts.

After a very ugly first half, most of America thought the Longhorns would be blown off the field in the second half. I’ll admit that I was worried it was going to get ugly.

Instead, the Longhorns dug deep and were playing for the win late in the game. And while the final score differential as seventeen (thanks for showing your ass, Coach Saban), Texas proved their strength of heart and depth of talent on that field.

As always, the Wife and I were in Section 127 (upper deck eastside at about the 28 yard line). As usual, I brought a camera with me to take some pictures.

We started at the north gate to see the coaches and players walk in.

A Saturday of upsets and near upsets.

Fifth ranked Oklahoma State lost to unranked Houston by two scores. Freshman quarterback Tate Forcier lead his rebuilding Michigan team to a four point victory over 18th ranked Notre Dame. Number 21 Georgia slips by South Carolina. Eleventh ranked LSU can’t put away Vanderbilt until midway through the fourth quarter. And third ranked USC needs a game saving touchdown late in the fourth quarter to beat Ohio State.

And for thirty minutes in the rarified air of Laramie, Wyoming, much of the Longhorn Nation wondered if Texas was destined to join the mighty fallen in the second week of the season.

I’ve been going to Texas Longhorns football games for quite a few years now, and I can’t remember a season opener with such comfortable weather. The temperature was mild, and the little bit of rain we got felt nice and wasn’t enough to actually wet anyone down.

Prior to the game, the Wife and I watched the Longhorn players and coaches enter the stadium. Then it was up to the University of Texas Club for some pre-game food.

Wednesday evening, the Texas Longhorns football team held an open practice at Frank Denius Fields (southeast corner of 26th Street and Red River) from 7pm to 9pm. Although it was raining prior to the practice and for the first thirty minutes of the practice), it looked like as many as two thousand people showed up.

I stayed for the first hour and came home with the following pictures.

With just hours, I mean minutes, left until Signing Day, let’s take a quick look at the list of those expected to join the 2009 Recruiting Class for the Longhorns.