Forty Acres Insider: October 8

Chris Del Conte head shot

Longhorn Nation,

Y'ALL KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS! What a wonderful and well-timed week of Football R&R it was my friends. And I'm certain we all agree, that only has us even more charged up (if that's possible!) because you know what week it is — IT'S ALLSTATE RED RIVER RIVALRY TIME! There's nothing better than this one-of-a-kind tradition. No grander venue than the majestic and historic Cotton Bowl and no more unique location than on the grounds of the Texas State Fair with all the sights, sounds, Big Tex belting out Howdy, and the glorious smell of corny dogs in the air. Think about the gravitas of this rivalry, the legendary teams and players, thrilling plays and fantastic finishes, and how generations of families and friends have convened in Dallas for this annual October extravaganza. What an incredible event and this year marks the 120th meeting of two of college football's all-time best. It's another fantastic matchup featuring our Horns at 5-0 and ranked No. 1 in both major polls going toe-to-toe with a 4-1 and No. 16-ranked Sooners squad. Both teams come in ranked for the third time in four years and though it would be hard to say this one could mean more, hey, it's an SEC game this year after all and our friends at SEC Nation will broadcast live from Big D! Stay tuned for all those details.

You know what week it is 🤘 pic.twitter.com/5L3MJBhNPr
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 7, 2024

Hey, SPEAKING OF THINGS THAT JUST MEAN MORE, right out of the gates here I've got to take time to thank our Longhorn Foundation members for closing out 2023-24 with record-setting support. With two years remaining in our University's campus-wide $6 billion What Starts Here fundraising campaign that kicked off in March of 2022, we in Athletics set a goal of raising $1 billion as part of the campaign. I am so darn proud to report we have already surpassed our goal and that includes a total of 24,996 Longhorn Foundation members contributing nearly $200 million in cash and pledges in 2023-24 — the most in school history. Folks, I can't thank you enough for your generosity, unwavering passion and love for your Longhorns. With your support, we've enjoyed historical success across all our programs, our student-athletes are awarded every opportunity to succeed on and off the field, and Texas Athletics is a pacesetter nationwide. For that I say Gracias, Thank You, Grazie, y'all are the wind beneath our wings, the absolute best and we're so fortunate to have you in our Longhorn Family! And I'd be remiss if I didn't give a huge shoutout to our unbelievable Longhorn Foundation team under the leadership of Andrew Hamor. Their tireless efforts and we-not-me approach to everything they do does not go unnoticed. Here's to all their work and commitment to the pride and winning tradition of The University of Texas!

The gold standard is here 🤘

THANK YOU Longhorn Foundation members for your record-setting contributions that made 2023-24 unforgettable! Your generosity directly supports the success of Texas student-athletes, and we cannot thank y'all enough!#HookEm https ://t.co/FDE714DSx7
— Longhorn Foundation (@UTLF) September 23, 2024

Before we get too deep into it, I've got to make my annual sidetrack, so bear with me for a minute here, and I know y'all can relate. My biggest test every year may come on Friday as I attempt to maintain some level of moderation during an annual taste-a-rama and fried food excursion (I'm thinking the Cookie Butter Nachos could be this year's new hit!) I go on with my long-time friend, colleague and counterpart from OU, Joe Castiglione. It's our annual ritual to venture off after our Friday meetings, make our way through the Fair perusing all the offerings, taking in the sites, smells, sounds and marvelous scene that awaits our teams. It's a special time indeed and takes the indulgence of a cheat day to a whole new level!

Crimson red and burnt orange never tasted so good! ❤️🧡 We're ONE week away from the @allstate @RRRivalry, so get ready to chow down on all the game day treats and rep your team in delicious style! 🏈🔥

Learn more about each of these themed foods here: https://t.co/kMMhVvpP9a pic.twitter.com/HIuEDenF2t
— State Fair of Texas (@StateFairOfTX) October 5, 2024

Back to the game and College Football's grandest of clashes of titans on the most magnificent of stages. The State Fair, Big Tex, and all the pomp & circumstance of this great rivalry game, and another great Saturday with the absolute best fans in the land gets me so darned fired up. I know you are, too, and I know you'll be rockin' the house and the fairgrounds while the spotlight shines brightly on our programs with ABC's Saturday Night Primetime crew of our friends Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe on the call. And you asked for it, you got it, a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff to boot! We're absolutely thrilled to know millions around the country and world will be tuned in for this year's renewal of this truly unique spectacle! And we know what's at stake, that glistening Golden Hat that we need to get back here in Austin. So, let's get decked out in our Burnt Orange-best, bring the juice, show off our patented Longhorn passion and pride, and give it all we got to help our guys bring that beauty back to Austin again this year. Horns Up all the livelong week for this one y'all!

Always fun to sit down with @CoachSark. We dove deeper into what makes the Allstate Red River Rivalry the most anticipated game for @TexasFootball year in and out. pic.twitter.com/why7k2UlvW
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) October 3, 2024

It's been a heck of a fall in all our sports and what a night last Wednesday was at The Greg as Volleyball swept South Carolina in our SEC home opener. Coach Elliott had the squad clicking on all cylinders and y'all were bringin' the heat in what was an absolutely insane environment for that one. Y'all made a huge impact in that one for sure. And how cool was Comic Book Night!? Our Horns followed that up with an emphatic top-25 sweep on Sunday at No. 18 Florida for all to see on ESPN and remained perfect in the SEC (4-0, including three of those via the sweep!) and we've got another key conference top-25 road tilt this week as our Horns travel to Kentucky on Sunday. If you can't be there in person, you can catch that one on ESPN (Noon CT).

just doing what we do best 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/RBcI6jggmi
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) October 3, 2024

Soccer's rally at Florida on Friday came up short and this week we need y'all in the house to help the ladies bounce back in a Red River Rivalry soccer-style on Thursday at Mike A. Myers Stadium (8 p.m. CT/SEC Network). Be there or be square before we send our squad off on another challenging SEC road trip to Baton Rouge to face LSU on Sunday (1 p.m. CT/SEC Network+). The conference season is heating up so let's do this!

plan accordingly 🤘#HookEm | @Seatgeek pic.twitter.com/EeRUpABoJQ
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) October 7, 2024

While I've got you, what a special night it was last Tuesday in the Frank Denius Family University of Texas Athletics Hall of Fame as we hosted our Annual Texas Football Career Fair. Over 60 companies were on hand visiting with our student-athletes about opportunities after football. It's such an awesome time seeing our guys interact, learn, and get exposed to so many great people that will serve as valuable resources for them during their time at Texas and beyond. What Starts Here!

Another great turnout at the annual 4Ever Texas Career Fair 🤘@be4evertexas x @TexasLonghorns pic.twitter.com/F1YV5GFh5J
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 2, 2024

And in closing before we get to all the notes, this video with our Longhorn Legend Colt McCoy shadowing his visit for Hall of Honor weekend is must-see TV. It's another tremendous example of the content our talented crew at LHN continues to produce in a heartwarming feature on one of our all-time greats whose retired jersey No. 12 is proudly displayed in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. Great hosting you, Colt. Congrats and come back soon!

Always great to be back! Special weekend being inducted into the Longhorns' Hall of Honor.

Thank you @TexasFootball 🤘 https://t.co/dcYhfeb3AY
— Colt McCoy (@ColtMcCoy) October 5, 2024

Volleyball posts a pair of SEC sweeps!

Our No. 7-ranked Volleyball team has certainly been on a roll lately. Through the first two weeks of SEC play, we are unbeaten, including an impressive top-20 sweep over No. 18 Florida on the road. Last Wednesday, the Longhorns took care of South Carolina in front of another amazing atmosphere at Gregory Gym. Our ladies then hit the road for Florida and made quick work of the Gators in front of a huge crowd and a national television audience. Marianna Singletary was a blocking machine in both contests and earned both SEC Player of the Week AND Defensive Player of the Week honors. The schedule doesn't get any easier, as the Longhorns head back on the road to face No. 12 Kentucky on Sunday (12 p.m. CT/ESPN). Let's keep the momentum going!

all smiles for a top-20 win 😁🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/zagGrmi42K
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) October 6, 2024

Soccer hosts Red River Rivalry matchup on Thursday!

No matter if it's home or away, I know Coach Kelly will have her squad ready to battle and that's exactly what happened in Gainesville last Friday night. Even though we were on the wrong side of a 2-1 outcome against the Gators, our ladies showed that patented Texas Fight with 11 shots and five corner kicks in the second half. Now we quickly turn the page and host Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry on Thursday (8 p.m. CT/SEC Network). Our squad is unbeaten over its last 15 matches at Mike A. Myers Stadium, so join me and let's pack the house on Thursday to cheer on the Longhorns!

back to work 🤘#HookEm | #RunWithTexas pic.twitter.com/l4cPnYV9dv
— Texas Soccer (@TexasSoccer) October 7, 2024

Women's Cross Country sets personal bests throughout the lineup in Chicago

Our newly-ranked Women's Cross Country team traveled to Chicago for the Sean Earl Lakefront Classic and finished sixth overall on Friday. Senior Eva Jess led the squad with her 12th-place finish individually in the 6K race after setting a 72-second PB in a time of 19:59.99. Talk about a great performance! Six of our seven scorers also set personal-best times in the women's third race of the season. Let's keep it up ladies!

Eva Jess sheds 72 seconds off her 6K personal best (19:59.99) to finish 12th overall in Chicago 🤘#FloKnows x #HookEm pic.twitter.com/qpFCsPaQHB
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) October 4, 2024

Men's Golf finishes runner-up at Ben Hogan Collegiate Invite

Coach Fields and our guys posted an outstanding effort last week at historic Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, placing second against an elite field at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational. The 15-team tournament featured 12 squads in the latest top-25 of the national polls, including three of the top four ranked teams in the country. Our Longhorns went toe-to-toe with the best of the best and recorded a 54-hole total of 6-under 834 (280-273-281), just four strokes behind team champion Oklahoma at 10-under 830 but two strokes ahead of No. 1 Auburn at 4-under 836. And how about the collegiate debut of Daniel Bennett, our freshman from South Africa! All our guy did was card a three-round total of 5-under 205 (65-69-71) to tie for third in the individual standings. Daniel certainly had some help on the course, as all five Longhorns placed inside the top-20 on the final individual leaderboard in the 75-person field. Both our No. 11 Men's and No. 4 Women's teams are already back on the course competing at the inaugural NB3 Matchplay event in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M., and you watch them live on Golf Channel on both Tuesday (4:30-7:30 p.m. CT) and Wednesday (3:30-6:30 p.m. CT) as we face New Mexico State, New Mexico and Stanford in a round-robin match-play tournament.

Impressive debut 🤘

Freshman Daniel Bennett fires a 1-over 71 in today's final round & places in a tie for 3⃣rd in the individual standings at 5⃣-under overall in his collegiate debut !!#TakeDeadAim | @HoganCollegiate pic.twitter.com/nfdBqyFf3D
— Texas Men's Golf (@TexasMGolf) October 1, 2024

Hook 'Em Horns,

Chris Del Conte

P.S. — Gives me goosebumps!

POV: You're running out of the tunnel at DKR 🤘 pic.twitter.com/Z9jY21FbBp
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 5, 2024

P.S. — Love our Coach!

.@CoachSark on how the adversity he's faced has made him the person and leader he is today. pic.twitter.com/FVvKzArrIe
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) October 2, 2024

P.S. — So do our Longhorn Legends, appreciate the shoutout for Coach Sark, Ricky!

My man @Rickthelaureate 🤘🏽 https://t.co/AavF3V0rRJ
— Steve Sarkisian (@CoachSark) October 4, 2024

P.S. — This is SO AWESOME, nothing like THE GREG!

a Postcard from Texas 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/DOXPy1B9hx
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) September 26, 2024

P.S. — It's always such a joy hosting NCAA Championships!

welcome back to the Forty Acres, @NCAA🤘‼️ pic.twitter.com/D3QdpYNjTt
— Texas Men's Swimming & Diving (@TexasMSD) October 2, 2024

P.S. — Kudos to Breana and Hayden, getting it done on and off the field!

making a positive impact everywhere they go 🤘

📰 https://t.co/fA4mQdNUfR #HookEm | @truistnews
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) October 1, 2024

P.S. — Can't wait to see this team in The Mood!

officially back 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/ZdAPQ5mDbJ
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) September 30, 2024

P.S. — We see ya, Timo!

Not a bad first tournament as a Longhorn for Timo Legout – he sweeps his 6️⃣ total matches at the Big 12/SEC Challenge in Waco and is named MVP for the SEC! #HookEm 🤘🎾 pic.twitter.com/yaea4Ci84G
— Texas Men's Tennis (@TexasMTN) October 6, 2024

P.S. — Make sure you wish Coach Flo a belated birthday when you see him!

Happy birthday @coach_Floknows 🤘🤘 pic.twitter.com/rrb8Pq7NeR
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) October 5, 2024

P.S. — Such a great symbol of our history, culture and bold vision!

Since the UT Tower's construction, it has stood as a symbol of our history, culture and bold vision. Now, thanks to Chairman Eltife & the @UTSystem Board of Regents, it is time to return it to its glory, to restore, revitalize and reimagine it. Learn more: https://t.co/y6thGR6Sa1 pic.twitter.com/eqG1UaIKQL
— Jay Hartzell (@JCHartzell) October 4, 2024

P.S. — Had a blast hangin' with The Daytripper and this is definitely worth a watch!