AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker / flickrIn response to their team's less-than-mediocre performance in 2007’s home opener against Arkansas State, Longhorn coaches continually stressed the importance of finishing off opponents throughout training camp this season. And to that end, the team left little to chance in this year’s opener, steamrolling Florida Atlantic and their overly loquacious head coach, 52-10, last Saturday. More of the same is to be expected this week when the Longhorns face the......

This is the last in a four-part series previewing the upcoming college football season for the Longhorns and teams across the Big 12. Part One: Longhorn Offense Part Two: Longhorn Defense Part Three: Big 12 A few weeks ago, this was just another ho-hum opener. Then Florida Atlantic Coach Howard Schnellenberger popped off about Texas not being tough, then UT added some spice by announcing they were bringing back Vince Young to retire his jersey,......

Brood_wich/flickrThis is the third in a four-part series previewing the upcoming college football season for the Longhorns and teams across the Big 12. Subsequent articles will be posted every Friday leading up to the home opener on August 30. Today, the Big 12. Part One: Longhorn Offense Part Two: Longhorn Defense Toward the end of this past NBA regular season, when asked for his insight into the upcoming playoffs, it was Charles Barkley who said......

This is the second of a four-part series previewing the upcoming college football season for the Longhorns and teams across the Big 12. Subsequent articles will be posted every Friday leading up to the home opener on August 30. Today, the Longhorn defense. It's notable that the most important addition to the 2008 Texas Longhorns defense doesn't plan to suit up for a single game. Instead, he'll be pacing the sidelines. As the Longhorns' new......

rstiller/flickrThis is the first of a four-part series previewing the upcoming college football season for the Longhorns and teams across the Big 12. Subsequent articles will be posted every Friday leading up to the home opener on August 30. Today, the Longhorn offense. It’s not a stretch to say that Mack Brown knows a thing or two about what it means to be the coach of a "deep" football team. After all, it was only......

MoralesDirect/flickrIf waiting until August 30 to get your first taste of the 2008 edition of the Longhorn football team is unacceptable, UT officials have got your back. Last week the team announced two open practices to be held Wednesday and Thursday, including the first full-team practice of the season on Wednesday. The practices are scheduled to begin around 6:45 p.m. at Frank Denius Field (26th and Red River). Highlights should include new wrinkles in the......

Been looking to grab some face time with Mack Brown or new Longhorn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp? Here’s your chance. Brown and Muschamp, as well as offensive coordinator Greg Davis, will be speaking tomorrow afternoon at the Austin Sports Commission’s inaugural Texas Gridiron Kickoff to be held at the Hyatt Regency Austin. ESPN broadcaster Ron Franklin will be on hand to emcee and interview the coaches about the upcoming season. Local high school standouts will......

This Sunday, grab a friend, grab a kite and head down to Zilker Park for a local tradition that is over 50 years older than SXSW and over 70 years older than ACL Fest. If we're talking about true Austin, the Zilker Park Kite Festival can't be beat....

A season ticket for the Longhorns' seven home football games this year will cost you $385, according to the Statesman's Bevo Beat blog....

While the nation recovers from Super Tuesday, the University of Texas is gearing up for Super Wednesday, better known as National Signing Day....

Although Longhorn football folk hero Major Applewhite interviewed today for a vacant assistant coach position, it will be at least Thursday until any announcement is made. ...

Texas sophomore tight end Jermichael Finley became the second player in less than a week to declare themselves eligible for the upcoming NFL draft....

In the wake of an all-conference season where he gained more than 1,600 yards, Texas running back Jamaal Charles announced today that he is skipping his senior season and entering the 2008 NFL draft....

Two area high schools will trade the Friday night lights for the Saturday spotlight when they play for state football championships this weekend. The Pflugerville Panthers play the Katy Tigers at 7 pm Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio for the Class 5A Division II championship, while the Lake Travis Cavaliers take on the Highland Park Scots for the Class 4A Division II title at 1:30 pm Saturday at Baylor's Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco....

This weekend human rights activists protested against the family immigration detention center in Taylor. Body left for San Antonio medical examiner after traffic accident wasn't dead yet. McKinney man caught after following UPS trucks and stealing packages left outside homes. Was Jessica Simpson's appearance at the Cowboys game yesterday the reason they lost? If not, can we blame her anyway?...

Photo by mirsasha on flickr In June an APD officer sped 139 miles/hour through a funeral procession on Mopac; he resigned in November. Ford recalling over a million trucks and SUVs because of a faulty engine sensor. The Austin Energy Alt-Car Expo is coming next October. Texas Legislative Conference (who?) names Lt. Gov. Dewhurst as Texan of the Year. New state law set to go into effect January 1 charges $5 per each strip club......

Photo by fotocitizen on flickr Ann Richards' gravesite doesn't have a permanent marker yet. Classical guitar a popular subject in Austin schools. Gas line broken this morning in South Austin has been capped. Local man crushed by a dump truck Saturday evening. Aggie news: Mike Sherman to be new A&M football coach. Mother and stepfather of "Baby Grace" arrested; the case is still being investigated. Mississippi GOP senator Trent Lott is resigning . . .......

Image from nbc.comAustin's favorite high-school football drama, Friday Night Lights, could be changing networks. Radar is reporting that ESPN is in talks to bring the critically-acclaimed, but little-watched, show into its lineup of original programming. Friday Night Lights, which follows the lives of the fictional Dillon High School Panthers, films in and around Austin. Despite winning critical awards and having a loyal following, the show has moved time slots three times and has struggled in......

Waller Creek Design Workshop. Image from City of Austin News Austin Music Commission's Town Hall Meeting Notes AMD Sued Over Birth Defects Plant a Tree for Freedom Waller Creek Design and Vision Workshop At This Rate, We're Having Our Next Happy Hour in Cancun Pangaea: It's For Real, Y'all UT Biologists Propose Biodiversity Institute Save BookWoman! Austin Music Commission Considering Plan to Stop the Rock They've Got the Lasers... Now All You Need is......

On October 17, a UT student committed suicide in the Gregory Gym pool. Austin unveiled Texas' first hybrid school bus yesterday. Those helicopters flying over Austin yesterday were "supposedly" practicing for this weekend's football festivities. New study finds that most Texas High School graduates are not prepared for college. Clever: Give inmates jobs. Borderline: Give them jobs cleaning cars. Not-so Clever: Leaving the keys in the ignition. Even more proof that in this day......

Better late than never -- here's a video clip of college football's play of the year. Last Saturday, players from San Antonio's Trinity University pitched the ball back and forth 15 times on the final play of the game to score a touchdown and defeat Millsaps College, 28-24. Just as amazing as watching the on-field action, where the play goes on for more than 60 seconds, is listening to the reaction of announcers Jonathan......

Mac Lethal has been called a “contemporary cross between a folk singer and a stand-up comic” by Rolling Stone – and that dichotomy of inane observation and thought-provoking insight defines his debut album, 11:11. We spoke with Mac Lethal from his tour bus while on the road for the Everybody Loves a Clown Tour with label-mates Grayskul and Atmosphere. That tour bus is currently parked outside of Emo’s, where the Everybody Loves a Clown......

The notion that ‘It's not a conspiracy theory if it's actually true,’ is about as spot-on and useful as ‘Golly, she ain’t a witch if she done drown.’...

#17 Texas (6-2) vs. Nebraska (4-4) Time: 2:30 pm, Saturday, Oct. 27 Location: Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium TV: ABC Radio: KVET (98.1 FM, 1300 AM) The Texas-Nebraska game on Saturday highlights the clash of history and reality. Historically, both are among the premier programs in college football, and the numbers prove it. The schools have combined for more than 1,600 victories, nine national championships, 90 bowl appearances, and five Heisman Trophy winners. But in......

There are some fantastic documentaries screening at this year's Austin Film Festival, so we thought we'd give you the heads-up on a few standouts that we've seen. Chasing the Dream | Dir. Angelo Mei Saturday, October 13th - 5:00pm, Dobie Theater Monday, October 15th - 7:15pm, Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek A high school surfing coach who claims to have "lost his compassion years ago" takes his team of freckled, hormonal surfer boys on a journey......

Band of Horses Cease to Begin (Sub Pop) Editors Note: This review reflects the personal opinions and experiences of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of the Ist network as a whole. Enjoy! In your typical southern suburban town of Irmo in Columbia, South Carolina is where Band of Horses singer Ben Bridwell and I went to high school. Among the strip malls and neighborhood watch signs, between high school football games......

Math teacher at Bowie high school wins a national education award worth $25,000. Last night, the Planning Commission voted against proposals made by CWS to develop land so close to Lady Bird Lake. TxDOT used cameras hidden in orange barrels to collect license plate data for a transportation study. Staph infections making the rounds at Austin high schools; 10 Anderson football players have been affected in recent weeks. As if we needed another reason......

The Texas Tech vs. Texas A&M football game has been a heated rivalry in recent years. This year's game now has taken on an added fervor after a Tech student started selling a T-shirt with the likeness of Michael Vick hanging A&M's dog mascot. A take-off on the Aggies' slogan "Gig 'em", the shirts say "Vick 'Em" and show a cartoon of football player wearing Michael Vick's No. 7 jersey holding a rope with......

#19 Texas (4-1) vs. #10 Oklahoma (4-1) Time: 2:30 pm, Saturday, Oct. 6 Location: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas TV: KVUE (ABC) Radio: KVET (98.1 FM, 1300 AM) One of the realities of college football is that a single loss, particularly at the wrong time, effectively ends your season. Teams that begin the season with a hope of winning the national championship can see those hopes vanish in the span of four hours on a......

DPS will let the neighbors know that an Austin couple (mentioned in yesterday's Extra Extra) are not sex offenders. Because of "grade issues" and injuries, Johnston High's football season may already be kaput. So teens can't vote? A former Texas Secretary of State thinks they should be able to work at the polls anyway. City of Austin releases schedule for free flu shots; check eligibility requirements. Some North Texas sex offenders arrested for posting......