The Genealogy of Texas Quarterbacks - 1977-1997
It was in the 76th year of the 20th century when the Royal reign came to an end.
A tragedy occurred in the Texas-O.U. Game at the quarterback position leading to destiny for randy McEachern in Akers's first year as head coach.
Randy says that he was 4th string quarterback. In the Spring of 1977, Mark McBath was the starter with Ted Constanzo and Jon Aune pressing him. Ted hurt his knee, so Randy McEachern moved up to 3rd string for the Fall of 1977. During the season Aune was much improved with the strongest throwing arm of the three quarterbacks. In the first game of the season, Jon Aune threw an 88-yard touchdown pass to Alfred Jackson, breaking a record held by Bobby Layne to Jimmy Canady in the 1946 Cotton Bowl.
McBath was taken down early against OU
Jon Aune came in to replace McBath and was quickly injured in the game leaving only the 3rd team quarterback to lead the team.
Akers in 1974 convinced Royal to recruit McEachern late in the season. Akers said about Randy McEachern “he’s a scrappy competitor. He doesn’t have great talent but he did a lot with what he had.”
Horace Ivory's 33-yard T.D. run with 5:31 to go gave O.U. its fifth consecutive win over the Longhorns. The Sooners went on to win another national championship.
Against O.U., two Texas starters miss the game, and six others are injured during the game. David McLeod is lost for the season, and Gordon leaves with a scratched eyeball. In addition, Texas lost 4 of 5 fumbles against O.U.
In 1958 -Cheating Was Running Rampant, And The Media And Fans Celebrated The Cheaters. Don Faurot Tells The Saturday Evening Post, "The Nation's Press Could Help By Ceasing To Glorify The Successful Lawbreakers. According To When Football Becomes War By Robert Heard, O.U. Is The Worst Violator. Don Faurot And Robert Heard Have Legitimate Points. As Of 2019, 7 Of The 13 Universities That Broke NCAA Rules Have Winning Programs. O.U. is one of them.
Coach Royal complains that O.U. coming off of probation was allowed to play with players who were the reason for the punishment. In addition, it did not sit well with Royal that O.U. had a "monster team" in 1975 recruited through illegal tactics.
1976• No. 3 Oklahoma 6, No. 16 Texas 6
1976- Al Eschbach, columnist for the Oklahoma Journal, accused Texas of being just as guilty as the Sooners of players scalping tickets. O.U. assisted the players financially by distributing 1 155 tickets to the players for the OU-Texas game. Royal did his research and stated the Texas players had either received or paid for a standard allotment of 365 tickets. The matter was dropped after this revelation.
Russell Erxleben gave Texas a 6-0 lead on 37 and 41 yards on field goals, and the Longhorns' defense throttled the Sooners until Ivey Suber's fumble at the Texas 37 with 5:31 left led to O.U.'s only T.D., a one-yard run by Ivory with 1:38 to play. However, O.U. missed the PAT after a bad snap, and the game ended in a tie.
Royal, embittered by O.U.'s acknowledged spy tactics and a bitterly fought defensive battle, was photographed dry-heaving in the tunnel leading to the Cotton Bowl dressing rooms. He retired after the season with a 12-7-1 record against the Sooners.
1977• No. 5 Texas 13, No. 2 Oklahoma 6
Randy McEachern won-loss record was 11- 4 .
Texas beats O.U. for the first time in 5 years, and Randy McEachern lives the dream he shared with his mother and father at the start of the 1977 season.
Randy McEachern's Dream:
During the previous six years, Texas's record against O.U. was 0-5-1. However, in 1977 Texas finally beats the Sooners.
In the book Oklahoma vs. Texas, the author Robert Heard chronicled the O.U. and Texas game in 1977. History will show that Randy McEachern was 4th team quarterback, not 3rd team quarterback when he helped pull off one of the most significant momentum-changing games in U.T. football. However, before the season quarterback, Ted Constanzo underwent knee surgery for Randy McEachern did an outstanding job. Started 15 games, winning 11 and losing 4 for a .733 winning percentage.
In 1977 Randy started six games, winning five and losing 1. In 1978 Randy began to nine games, winning six and losing 3.
In the book Oklahoma vs. Texas, the author Robert Heard chronicled the O.U. and Texas game in 1977. History will show that Randy McEachern was actually 4th team quarterback, not 3rd team quarterback, when he helped pull off one of the biggest momentum-changing games in the history of U.T. football.
Before the season quarterback, Ted Constanzo underwent knee surgery for a racquetball injury, so Akers moved Randy from defense to 3rd team quarterback.
"A month before the O.U. game, Randy told his parents about "his crazy dream." Randy says, "I dreamt the quarterback got hurt, and we were behind, and I went in and won the game." Robert Heard continues his story. He says that Randy's parents were listening to the O.U. game, and when McBath went down, his mother and father looked at each other. "When Aune went down," Randy's father got a sheet of paper and wrote in big letters, "Randy's dream." When the Horns won the game, Randy's father took that piece of paper and completed the sentence, "Randy's dream comes true."
1978 Randy started nine games with a record of 8-1. Donnie Little started one game and won it.
Sam Ansley, in 1977, started two games and won both of them.
Injuries to Ted Constanzo in the summer, followed by injuries to Mark McBath and Jon Aune in the Oklahoma game and Randy McEachern in the Houston game, led to Ansley taking over as a starter against TCU and Baylor. Sam had played sparingly in 3 games up to that point, throwing one pass and running the ball four times.
The other freshman quarterback, Sanford Coggins, had been moved to flanker in the summer, meaning that in the TCU game, Sam’s backups were sophomore defensive back Ricky Churchman and Constanzo, who was only partly recovered from his surgery and still being held out for as a medical redshirt.
Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell leads the Horns to a 44-14 win. But Ansley ran for one touchdown and threw for two others, putting in an admirable debut. Akers said, “Sam did very well, really well running and throwing. I’m proud of him; I think the rest of the team had a lot to do with how all our quarterbacks have responded. Our success is really a tribute to the attitude of our players.” All-American Rick Ingraham said, “It doesn’t matter who we have at quarterback because we’re not a one-man team.” The following week, against Baylor, Sam led Texas to an early lead, scoring one touchdown, and then alternated series with a recovering McEachern. In the fourth quarter, Costanzo used a whole year of eligibility to fill in as a punter.
From 1981-1992 15 quarterbacks competed for the starting position for the Longhorns. Three won 59 games, and the other 12 quarterbacks won 45 games.
Donnie Little Peter Gardere and Bret Stafford won 59 games; the others - Donnie Little, Danny Akers, Donovan Forbes, Mark Murdock, James Saxton, Rick McIvor, Rob Moerschell, Rob Brewer, Bret Stafford, Peter Gardere, Jason Burleson, Steve Clements, Bob Lllljedahl, Doug (Hadley), Rob (McManis), and Shannon Kelley.
Each has a story to tell, and each story is different. However, all share a brotherhood of shared self-doubts, injuries, wins, losses, promotions, demotions, and the ability to adjust through challenging psychological and mental attacks on their self-confidence.
Here are their Stories
Donnie Little - starts 20 games wins 15 loses 5- ..750 winning percentage.
The Longhorns wanted Donnie. Akers said, "It was between Oklahoma and us." Former Texas recruiting coordinator Ken Dabbs said, "I had a very good in with his high school coach, which helped. His mother wanted him to come to Texas, too. That never hurts."
In 1978 Donnie started one game and won it. Donnie entered the Rice game, and the announcer over the PA system says, "The University of Texas is about to make history. Donnie Little (a freshman) shows promise as a quarterback against Oklahoma and replaces Randy McEachern in the SMU game.
1979 he started nine games for a record of 8-1.
1980 he started ten games with a record of 6-4.
One of Donnie Little's best quotes was funny but true. . He said, "Everybody loves the number two quarterback until he becomes the number one quarterback, and then they like the other guy again."
Before his senior season, Little asked to be switched to split end to better enhance his chances of getting drafted by the NFL. He caught a team-high 18 passes in '81 but wasn't selected.
Rick McIvor- Games started 14; winning 8, losing 5, and tying 1 for a winning percentage of .607.
Donnie Little moves to receiver and Rick McIvor successfully leads the team until he is injured in the Houston game. Enter Robert Brewer.
Rick starts 3 games in 1979 winning 1 and losing 2.
In 1980 Rick starts 2 games winning 1 and losing 1 .
In 1981 Rick starts 8 game for a 6-1-1 record before getting hurt.
In 1983 Rick starts 1 game and loses it.
McIvor started games in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1983.“ Five quarterbacks competed for the starting position . All played at some point and time. McIvor said. "Somebody didn’t know who was going to start. I can tell you that. That happened a lot. We weren’t selfish. We were here to win a ballgame.” Credit: KVUE McIvor was the starting quarterback at the beginning of 1981, but got hurt against Houston.
Robert Brewer- Started 15 games winning 13 and losing 2. for a .867 winning percentage.
Most of the guys that end up playing quarterback, they look at it as an opportunity," Brewer told KVUE. "They’re just trying to get on the field and make something good happen. Pressure is sitting there on the bench. The fun is getting on the field. I never felt the pressure other than to do for your teammates It’s a blast, not pressure.”Brewer held on to the starting job until the bowl game in 1982, when he got hurt before leaving for El Paso. Brewer's injury propelled Todd Dodge into the starting role.
Robert Moershell -1981-1984
In 1983 Robert Moerschell almost wins a National Championship. In 1984, he is moved to tailback and punt returner when Todd Dodge wins the starting position. Rob’s story is at
Danny Aker’s - Early 1980’s
Danny Akers played for his father during the early 1980s as a reserve quarterback. Throughout his career at Texas, Akers completed 10 of 25 passes for 132 yards and had a passer rating of 76.4, according to College Sports Reference.
Todd Dodge- 1981-1984 started 15 games winning 9 , losing 5, and tying 1 for a winning percentage of .633
In 1981 there was a rule in the SWC that you could not redshirt freshmen. Todd as a freshman was the 3rd team quarterback and played very little. Between Todd’s Junior and Senior years that rule was rescinded and made retroactive. Any athlete who as a freshman who played less than 30% or less in games could qualify as a redshirt. Under the new rule, Todd was now considered by the NCAA as a junior instead of a senior. Todd got 5 years of college football instead of 4.
Bret Stafford - 1985-1987 Bret Stafford. His record for 3 seasons is 19-15.
Bret had the grit. It was a good transition for him coming in after Todd. It was a pretty diverse group.”Bret Stafford wound up winning the quarterback competition in 1985 and held on to the job into 1986 and most of 1987. Stafford is still a little disappointed in being 19-15 as a starter.“The years I was there, we were close. Had some great players, had great fun, had good talent. We never accomplished some of the goals.
Bob Lilljedahl-1985
Shannon Kelley - 1987, 1988 -Games started seven games won 4
For many Longhorns, factors not under their control determine their destiny. For Shannon, he had to try and re-adjust to 3 new Offensive coordinators in 5 years. He was not successful. In his own words, Shannon said, “See, I was playing not to lose rather than playing to win. I was praying to God I wouldn’t screw up.
In 1987 Shannon set the UT record for the Highest Percentage of Passes Completed (min. 70 attempts) in a career.
1987 Shannon Kelley, as a starter, was 0-1.
In 1988 he started six games and compiled a 3-3 record.
His senior year, he was benched in favor of freshman Mark Murdock; Murdock would, in turn, be replaced by a redshirt freshman Peter Gardere.
Mark Murdock- 1988 and 1989 - started 8 games winning 2 games and losing 6 ; winning percentage .250
One small note -- Murdock graduated from RR Westwood in May '87, the spring after Akers' last season at Texas. (He actually went to Purdue on a recruiting trip that spring before signing with Texas.) He redshirted the Fall '87 season and saw his action in '88, '89 and '90.
When Stafford left UT, Mark Murdock got his chance to start but didn’t have much success. “It’s not easy,” Murdock told KVUE. “I look back on it with fond memories. No regrets. You just came here, and you laid it all on the line. There were good days, and there were rough days.” Murdock was involved in a three-quarterback situation in 1989 with Peter Gardere and Donovan Forbes, but despite wins over Oklahoma and Arkansas, the results weren’t great.
Mark started five games in 1988 and lost 4 of those games.
1989 Mark started three games and compiled a 1-2 record
Donovan Forbes 1985- 1989 (no photo)
Forbes was a tall, strong-armed quarterback adept at running the option whose career never met up to its promise as he struggled with weight, injuries, academic issues, fumbles, and limited opportunities.
After redshirting for the 1985 season, Donovan spent 1986 as a backup quarterback to Bret Stafford. He first saw playing time in the Oklahoma game in which he and Stafford combined to complete a then-school record of 22 of 39 passes in a losing effort. He saw limited action in 3 other games that season.
Forbes played in only one game, against Oregon State, in 1987, and only two games in 1988.
In spring practices in 1989, Forbes had performed well, and he was expected by most to compete for the starting job in the fall, but he was then dismissed from school for academic reasons in May and was only able to play in the fall after a successful appeal. Late in the season against TCU, Gardere suffered a shoulder injury in the 2nd quarter, and backup Mark Murdock was ineffective, giving Forbes his chance. He rallied the Longhorns from a 17-10 deficit, completing 8 of 9 passes for 117 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown pass to Kerry Cash to win 31-17. He was then named the Associated Press Southwest Conference offensive player of the week.
Despite Forbes' play the week before, Gardere got the start against Baylor the following week. Unfortunately, Texas got off to a bad start, and Gardere was pulled in the first half for Forbes, who couldn't do much better as Texas lost 50-7.
Forbes finally got his one chance to start when Peter Gardere was ailing. Texas took an early lead in that game and was up 10-7 at halftime but could not overcome several miscues, including three interceptions and a fourth-down pass incompletion by Forbes.
Many thought he got a bad deal. Donnie Little said Forbes had a great arm, was a good scrambler, and could read defenses, yet he did not play. Donnie Little believed that wasting Donovan's talents deterred other black quarterbacks from signing with Texas.
Stan Thomas said that "that guy would have been another Andre Ware or Kevin Murray." Instead, the coaches "screwed him over bad….." Donovan had a much better arm than Donnie Little.
He was the second black quarterback ever to start a game for the University of Texas.
1989-1992 Peter’s record is 25- 16
Peter Gardere was handed the skin in the 89th year and carried the ball for four years, including four straight victories over the rivals North of the Red River. "Peter The Great" blessed the McWilliams reign.
Hopes were high for quarterback Jason Burleson, but he was not accurate and never played a game. In perhaps, Peter’s best game the Horns defeated #3 ranked Houston. Houston had Heisman Trophy candidate David Klingler and had beaten Texas three years in a row. However, This game will be different. Houston offense loss to UT’s #1 pass defense. On offense, the Horns produce 626 yards of total offense. Klinger had four passes intercepted while Peter Gardere passed for 322 yards and Butch Hadnot rushed for 134 yards. This game catapulted Texas into the 1990 Cotton Bowl.
According to the book" Bleeding Orange" by John Maher & Kirk Bohls, "Yet no one- least of all his receivers or offensive coordinator- ever called Peter one of the team's best athletes.
The Longhorns were better with Gardere as the full-time starter in 1990 but returned to mediocrity in 1991 and 1992. Credit: KVUE And just because there was a regular starter didn't mean there was no controversy. Some Longhorn fans wanted Jimmy Saxton at quarterback instead of Gardere in 1991,
Steve Clements was the future quarterback hope for the Longhorns in the fall of 1990, but by mid-July of 1991, he was still 3rd team behind Saxton on the depth chart, so Clements transferred to BYU. Jimmy Saxton's record at Texas is 14 Completions in 35 Attempts for 215 Yds and 1 TD
This book is an excellent read. Peter Gardere is one of the 25 individuals who shares his Longhorn story in the book.
Peter inherited his athletic ability from his grandfather and father. In 1922 George P. Gardere and his father in 1951 played for the Longhorns. Each had their career cut short by injuries.
Peter admits that he was not the typical type of quarterback. He says, “ I wasn’t tall enough, I wasn’t big enough, and my arm strength wasn’t as good. “
Peter played for for two diametrically different types of coaches- David McWilliams and John Mackovic. After Coach McWilliams resigned it was difficult for Peter to make the transition from a coach that was “even-keeled” to one who was intense. Peter says, “Mackovic wasn’t a players coach.” Mackovic’s style added a level of pressure that made him “tight” every practice. He was stressed but kept his starting job.
Peter ended his career with a 25-16 record, so his record is certainly not the reason he was called “Peter the Great.” Texas fans forgive many losses but not to OU. In that regard, Peter record was 4-0 against the Sooners. A record that can be equaled but never beaten.
Coach Blair Cherry learned the O.U. lesson the hard way. His teams in the late 1940s were ranked in the top 5 three separate years, but he was 1-3 against OU, and the Longhorn fans forced him out. If you don’t believe my comment, then look no further than Peter’s 1-3 mark against Texas A & M that did not hurt his reputation. Longhorn fans discounted those losses because of Peters 4-0 record against OU.
The McWilliams reign ends in 1991
Mackovic’s reign begins in 1992
Chad Lucas QB 15 Cmp, 40 Att, 174 Yds, 1 TD - 1991-1994 no photo
Mackovic says of Peter Gardere " I don't know anybody who earned as much respect from his teammates and coaches this year.”
Peter Gardere handed the skin to Shea Morenz in 1993. Shea started 19 games winning 9 ,and losing 9, and tying 1
Shea Morenz took over as the starter in 1993 with mixed success.“Strangely I never felt pressure. I always felt I had an opportunity,” Morenz said. “I guess when you’re 18 to 21 years old, you don’t think about it that much. I felt like the luckiest guy in the world.” But Morenz's luck ran out in 1994 when he got injured, which gave backup quarterback James Brown a chance.“In 1993 Shea’s record was 5-5-1. In 1994 his record was 4-4. Shea Morenz returned to the starting rotation after recovering, but he was hurt again in the Texas A & M game. So after Brown's great match against A & M, Morenz permanently handed the skin to James Brown with John Dutton as the back-up.
James Brown - 1994-1997 -starts 39 games, winning 25, losing 13- .654 winning percentage.
Brown was an accurate passer and electric playmaker. Oklahoma and Texas A&M talked to him, but Texas won the day.
Brown chose Texas because of John Mackovic's NFL pedigree. But years later, he expressed regrets about not being in tune with Coach Mackovic. He said, "I wish I had talked to him more and let him know what we needed as a team."
In the 5th game of the 1994 season, Shea Morenz suffers a knee injury, and James Brown takes over and is the starter for the OU game. Texas wins that game 17-10, with James completing 17 of 22 passes and rushing for 51 yards.
Stonie Clark, the 6-foot-1, 343-pound nose tackle, Crush's running back James Allen at the goal line with 43 seconds to play.
In 1994 James started 4 games and is undefeated.
In 1995 James Brown started 12 games and ends the season with a 9-2-1 record.
1996 his record 8-5.
1997 record is 4-6.
James rewrote the records for passing at Texas.
It was in 1996 when James Brown carried the skin to victory over the Cornhuskers. The Mackovic reign ended in 1997.
1995-1999 - Richard Walton Starts 4 games wins 2 loses 2
Richard Walton was a coach's son, starting as quarterback for Bay City for three years, earning All-American status as a senior.
His first start for Texas was a 21-13 win over Baylor in 1995 where he replaced an injured James Brown, a win that helped Texas win the last SWC championship. His second start, again in place of an injured James Brown, was in the 1997 UCLA game, in which Texas lost 66-3 - the second-worst loss in Texas history. He also saw considerable playing time in the 1996 Virginia game, 1996 Baylor game, 1997 Rutgers game, and 1997 Colorado game, as Walton replaced an injured or struggling Brown.
In 1998 after winning the starting job, and winning his first game as the team's unquestioned leader, he broke his hand in the UCLA game and was replaced by Major Applewhite.
CHERRY LEMONADE- 1997- Marty Cherry and UCLA
by Larry Carlson
Unless they lived through the worst home loss in UT history, Longhorn fans likely don't recall the name of Marty Cherry. The sophomore from the Arkansas side of Texarkana got a rough football baptism as a relief pitcher for the eleventh-ranked Horns on a hot mid-September day in 1997. A stunning 66-3 whipping from UCLA --- to live in infamy as "Rout 66" -- ultimately resulted in a positive turn for
Cherry. That was despite a tough day at the office. Cherry, not any more or less effective than his teammates, had three interceptions amid his 9-18 passing and was roughed up for minus 25 yards and a lost fumble on five sacks.
It was only the third game since UT coach John Mackovic had been hailed as an offensive genius, thanks to a gutsy call (James Brown to Derek Lewis) the previous December that resulted in an upset win over Nebraska in the inaugural Big XII title game.
Marty Cherry enters the game at the 6:57 mark on the video below.
Push fast-forward one year to autumn '98. A personable, sunny Mack Brown had replaced Mackovic at The Forty Acres. Ricky Williams was Heisman-bound and a freckle-faced youngster named Major Applewhite was coming on strong as a fill-in for injured senior QB Richard Walton.
Cherry? He'd been picked off by noted male fashion photographer Bruce Weber, who saw Marty's handsome mug on the televised UCLA debacle and had his assistants contact Cherry about a possible photo shoot.
Cherry reportedly deflected the first advances but took up the offer in February '98.
The guy later described by one writer as "square-jawed and aqua-eyed," was soon modeling for Abercrombie & Fitch and strolling the catwalk in Italy. By the '98 season, Cherry had traded in his burnt orange and white togs for more uplifting finery. After dropping 25 pounds from his 6-2, 200 frame, he was featured, along with a football, in a Ralph Lauren Chaps billboard in Manhattan's Times Square.
"I'd probably tease him about giving up football," Applewhite, one of Cherry's buddies, told the Dallas Morning News. "But on second thought, he's making the money and hanging out with all the pretty women."