BOHLS: TEXAS OFFENSIVE BOSS MAKING GREAT CALLS

Freshman back Carter deserves heavier workload after solid game.

While I got ya, here are nine things and one crazy prediction: 1. This may be heresy to say, but I thought Tim Beck just had his best game at Texas. The offensive coordinator had great calls with the throwback touchdown pass to Chris Warren III, the game-opening long pass to an open receiver that Sam Ehlinger underthrew for an interception and a lot of quarterback powers to spark the ground game . ... Tom Herman said none of his running backs has separated himself. But freshman Toneil Carter has the best burst and deserves more than the six carries he got against Kansas State. He averaged 4 yards a pop while Warren and Kyle Porter averaged 2. Easy math . ... I disagreed with Herman’s decision to go for the TD on fourth down at the 3 early. That figured to be a relatively low-scoring game, and a short field goal would have been good for Joshua Rowland’s confidence as well as the scoreboard. “I hate 20-yard

field goals,” Herman said. But I bet he hates more getting zero points in the red zone . ... Rowland has improved dramatically on kickoffs. Only four of his first 19 were touchbacks, but eight of his last 10 were. The staff should keep showing him his big 39-yard kick at USC and his 49-yarder to seal the

win over Iowa State. 2. It wouldn’t surprise me if OU used electric sophomore quarterback Kyler Murray some as a perfect change of pace to Baker Mayfield. Surely Lincoln Riley saw how the speedy Alex Delton gashed the Longhorns when he came in for Jesse Ertz. The dynamic Murray has played in three games, completing 13 of 14 passes for 252 yards and two scores and rushing five times for 25 yards . ... Surprised Herman is playing games with his QB. The entire world knows Ehlinger is the more productive player and the team believes in him. He extends plays and his physical running adds a different dimension. ... I will certainly have a Fletcher’s corny dog or two Saturday at the Fair. I might be talked into one of this year’s new delicacies, either the deepfried Froot Loops, the deep-fried chicken noodle soup on a stick or the Bohls diet-friendly funnel cake bacon queso burger . ... Hate the Florida Gators’ dull pea-green alligator-skin uniforms. When does this nonsense end? (Yes, I’m a traditionalist when it comes to uniforms.) ... Did you know Jim Harbaugh is 1-4 against Ohio State and Michigan State? Has to be unsettling for Wolverines fans. 3. Hats off to Iowa State third-string quarterback Kyle Kempt, a walk-on from the same hometown of Massillon, Ohio, as Cyclones coach Matt Campbell, who led the greatest upset in school history with Saturday’s 38-31 victory over No. 3 OU. Kempt spent his first two years in 201314 on scholarship at Oregon State but never played a down. He transferred to Hutchinson Community College in 2015, but didn’t get in a game there, either. Campbell recruited him when the coach was at Toledo and persuaded him to come to Ames where he was last year’s scout team player of the year. He played in just one game last year and this season has completed two passes for 15 yards and had a mop-up role with only handoffs against Akron. Then he threw three TDs to beat OU. 4. Raise your hand if in August you nominated Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith for NFL player of the year . ... Is there any doubt Ben Roethlisberger will retire after this season, if not before? I’m afraid he, Carson Palmer and maybe Eli Manning are all close to done . ... Weird year with Buffalo, Jacksonville, Los Angeles Rams and — oh, my — the Jets atop their divisions. ... Loved the creativity of the Bears’ 2-point reverse option pitch to quarterback Mitch Trubisky and touchdown pass on a fake punt Monday night. 5. Props to Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who turned to starter Justin Verlander out of the bullpen in Game 4 even though the newest Astro had appeared in 422 major league baseball games, all of them starts. You do what you have to do to win the game. ... At the paper we were screaming for FS1 to show a replay of Jackie Bradley’s check-swing strikeout for the second out in the ninth inning against the Astros. Never saw it. Also, FS1 took forever to reshow the inside-the-park home run by Rafael Devers — it finally did about five minutes later, but with a small split screen. 6. While we’re talking food, did you know Longhorns NFL stars Brian Orakpo and Michael Griffin will open a Gigi’s Cupcakes in Bee Cave next year? The founder, Gigi Butler, a former singer in Nashville, has more than 100 such franchises. 7. The Austin/Central Texas chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes is sponsoring Under the Lights on Thursday night at the LifeAustin Ampitheatre at 8901 W. Highway 71. It will be hosted by former ESPN analyst Ron Franklin and feature a keynote address by three-time World Series champion pitcher and motivational speaker Jeremy Affeldt. There will be a live auction with items like tickets to the Masters and the Super Bowl. Part of the proceeds will go to groups within the FCA directly affected by Hurricane Harvey. 8. Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Bubba Jacques, the free safety who scooped up the Oklahoma fumble caused by James Patton in the fourth quarter and returned it 30 yards for the winning touchdown in a 10-7 upset of the No. 6 Sooners in 1991. One reader said last week’s target, kicker Hunter Lawrence, is in the oil and gas business. 9. I found “American Made” highly entertaining. Even though the man he portrayed was 300 pounds, Tom Cruise was very believable as Barry Seal, who worked covert operations in Central America for the CIA but became a top gun-runner, drug-runner and Contra-runner until he was disavowed by the U.S. government. It was funny and light-hearted, serious implications notwithstanding. Gave it eight ducks. C razy prediction: If Texas A&M or LSU stumble the second half of the season, one of them will look at Mike Leach as its new head coach.