LONGHORN LOVE

UT Austin legend awarded spot in College Football Hall of Fame

SportsMap Staff
Jan 7, 2019, 1:34 pm
Vince Young is the 23rd Longhorn to receive the honor. Photo courtesy of the University of Texas at Austin

This article originally appeared on CultureMap and was written by Katie Friel.

Long before he appeared on ESPN in bespoke suits or was a steakhouse impresario, Vince Young was just a University of Texas quarterback who happened to lead the Longhorns to their first National Championship in 35 years.

On January 7, the National Football Foundation announced that Young will be forever enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2019. Young will be the 23rd Longhorn to receive the honor, a roster that includes his coach, Mack Brown; Earl Campbell; Ricky Williams; and Darrell Royal.

Young led the Longhorns to victory in 2005, and during his college career he was named an All-American, was short listed for the Heisman Trophy, and was the unanimous pick for Big 12 Player of the Year in 2005. He maintains UT's record for winningest quarterback with a 30-2 record as a starter; Young ranks sixth for wins among the NCAA.

"It goes without saying that Vince was an unbelievable football player who greatly impacted college football and the University of Texas," Brown said in a statement via UT announcing the news. "He was a once in a generation talent.

In the same statement, Young used the moment as a point of reflection, calling his induction "life changing."

Said Young: "When I think about it, the honor is meaningful in so many ways and this award is full of reminders. It's a reminder that I came from a broken home and an under-resourced community where the odds are against us all. It's a reminder that I was given the chance to play for the University of Texas through the support of my family, hard work, and dedication. It's a reminder of the work my teammates and I put in, especially when no one was watching. It's a reminder of all the adversity we have gone through and overcome. And last, but not least, it's a reminder of all the awards, challenges, and championships my brothers and mentors have won together. None of us have accomplished anything alone, and I'm thankful for everyone in my life."

After college, Young went on...

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Houston's celebration has to wait

Rangers get walk-off win over Astros who continue to wait for playoff berth

Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

After the big offensive showing to take the opener on Thursday, the Astros entered Friday's game at Globe Life Field against the Rangers just one win or Angels loss away from securing their spot in the playoffs. Here is how the game unfolded:

Final Score (10 innings): Rangers 5, Astros 4.

Record: 29-29, second in the AL West.

Winning pitcher: Brett Martin (1-1, 1.98 ERA).

Losing pitcher: Enoli Paredes (3-3, 3.05 ERA).

Urquidy goes seven while allowing two

The Rangers would strike first in Friday's game, getting a two-out solo home run against Jose Urquidy in the bottom of the second to grab the early 1-0 lead. Urquidy did relatively well on the night, though he would allow another solo homer in the bottom of the fifth. Those were the only two runs he allowed, working in and out of some trouble throughout the game on his way to finishing seven innings. His final line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 HR, 98 P.

Houston grabs their first lead late

Unlike their hot night at the plate the night prior, it took the Astros until the fifth inning to get on the board. It came after Carlos Correa hit a leadoff single, then came all the way around to score on an RBI-triple by George Springer, making it a 1-1 tie at the time.

After the Rangers went back in front 2-1 in the bottom of the inning on their second solo homer of the night, Alex Bregman would tie it up again with a solo home run of his own, making it 2-2. Houston would get their first lead of the night in the top of the eighth, with Altuve working a leadoff walk before scoring later in the inning on an RBI-single by Yuli Gurriel.

Rangers get the walk-off to keep Houston waiting for playoff bid

After Urquidy, Blake Taylor would take over on the mound in the bottom of the eighth, retiring the Rangers in order for a scoreless inning to hold the one-run lead. Still 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Houston turned to their closer, Ryan Pressly. After two quick outs, he would allow a game-tying solo home run, making it 3-3 to postpone Houston's celebration at least another inning as the game headed to extras.

In the top of the tenth, Jose Altuve was placed on second as the free runner. He advanced to third on a groundout to start the inning, then scored on a sac fly by Alex Bregman, making it a 4-3 lead for Houston. Enoli Paredes would load the bases before Texas would tie the game on a sac fly in the bottom of the inning, keeping runners on second and third. Houston made the change to Brooks Raley to try and extend the game another inning, but instead, the Rangers would get the walk-off win, spoiling Houston's chance to clinch their playoff spot themselves with a win.

Up Next: The third game of this four-game set will get underway at 6:05 PM Central on Saturday. On the mound for Texas will be Kyle Gibson (2-6, 5.87 ERA), and, as of now, the Astros still have Lance McCullers Jr. (3-3, 4.24 ERA) listed as their starter.

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