The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
04.17.2014 | Football
Defensive coordinator/secondary coach Vance Bedford and assistant head coach for offense/QB Coach Shawn Watson visited with the media Thursday
Defensive coordinator/secondary coach Vance Bedford and assistant head coach for offense/QB coach Shawn Watson visited with the media after Thursday's practice, the final workout before Saturday's annual Orange-White Scrimmage, which is set for 1 p.m. from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Assistant Head Coach for Offense/QB Coach Shawn Watson
On did he accomplish everything he wanted to during spring practice: Well no. I have a lot of work yet to do but we got a good start on it. Really, what we tried to do is one of the big steps in starting a program is getting your culture talk, teaching the little things like what we expect in practice effort and little fundamental things that affect a football team such as covering after throws that go down field, getting all the receivers to turn and find work and cover, yards after the catch. Defensively, I know one of the things our defense works hard on is getting a lot of hats in the frame. We spent a lot of time doing those kinds of things and obviously getting our base formations, personnel groups, the base run taught, the base protection, the base pass, and we haven't gone much past that because we wanted to bring that to detail. Along with that, (we worked on) situational football which is really important to help the quarterback learn to manage it more than anybody else.
On whether the coaching staff treated the team like it didn't win any games last season: Not so much that, that is not the mindset. It is more of what I just said if that makes sense. We are different in our style and what we believe it takes to win. Obviously, it starts with (head coach) Charlie (Strong) and how he manages us and what we believe as a staff. The crux in what we wanted to get started, first time working on the field, is (being detailed). For example, in the passing game I want our route work, I expect it to look exactly like the drawings and our receivers have to understand what it takes to do that. There is fundamental training that is involved with that, first and second level releases and then, who we are attacking, how we space up on them, and how we leverage defenders. So with all those details it takes time. It was a three-year project for us—it didn't take three years there at Louisville but if you looked at our play it looked exactly like the drawings and it started that way in our second season. I hope I am making sense but you have to bring all those things to detail. Then the things like finishing, we put cones down the field expecting them to finish, depending on the drill, 20 or 30 yards down the field because we want our receivers, backs, tight ends, and quarterbacks - if they have the ball - to practice scoring touchdowns. It has to be a habit. You don't just get it on gameday. So you teach those fundamental things and train them to react when they are in that situation so you get it on gameday.
On whether there will be tempo on offense during Saturday's spring game: We are going to be really vanilla. We may hop into it; we worked on it. Obviously, our base install was our tempo. We worked out of the huddle for the first couple of weeks simply because we wanted to coach them and we wanted to be there with them and it is hard to do that when you are in tempo. It is more get them on the field and we wanted to be with them on every play because we want to get them to detail and teach them all those little things that we want to be part of our culture. It will be vanilla. We will execute things that we feel like we want to get seen on film with our players. It is more about the players right now and putting them out there and seeing what we have now, especially our one's (first team) because our one's are the guys we are going to play with next year. See what we have with the two's (second team) competing with them also.
On how big of a setback is David Ash's injury for the future: I look at it like this for David—because we don't know when it really happened, those fractures like that are kind of weird and just pop up. He finished practice the day it happened and he was going full speed and I didn't think anything was wrong with him until I saw him in the training room and he was saying he was going to go get an x-ray. It was a setback for him but it is not a big one because he got the majority of our install done. Thursday was the first time because of the injury he missed a scrimmage and he missed this week but very little went in, very little. He got all the situational football, he got the base offense, he got the tempo offense at least the beginning and is not going to be any worse off than anybody else. The only thing he missed was one other install that we did, which really plays off things we are already doing so it is not that big of a setback for him.
On whether he see enough from David Ash that he established himself and they could win off it: Here is what I feel about it, David was beginning to get it. He has really worked hard in the offseason studying and I can't beat him out of my office, he is always there. He is like my chair in my office and every time I turn around he is in it. That's good because he has worked really hard at learning what we do and most importantly he is going to know how. But I want him to know why and he really started to catch on. He was doing really well and his last week and a half he was really playing at a high level. He showed us that we can win with him so he has done well. The other side of it though for Ty (Tyrone Swoopes), it gave Ty a chance to get more reps and we put more into him because we started rolling those two guys around quite a bit.
On the play of the offensive guards: I think, Sed (Sedrick Flowers) is a really tough kid and has proven himself at the left guard spot. (Kent) Perkins was having a really big spring for us before he got knicked up and I think he is going to be a really good player. He was playing really well and we are going to move him inside. It has given Rami (Hammad), (Taylor) Doyle, and some of the other guys more time and Joe (Wickline) did a really great job rolling those guys and doing a little cross-training with them so it worked out really well for them. Now they are still works-in-progress because that is the biggest transition spot, that and quarterback, there are so many - from their standpoint fundamental - technique things to learn and from the quarterback the whole system.
On whether Kent Perkins played guard: Yeah, he was playing guard. We played him at both and cross-trained him at tackle and guard. We felt like with what we saw in him we can move him inside.
On thoughts about the depth increase at tackle: We actually had to move (Kent Perkins) because he did play tackle and we cross-trained him. The other younger tackles have done—that is the hardest position because they are on the edge. Pass rush, especially the way Vance (Bedford) and the way the defense structures itself, those younger tackles have had a real fast learning curve. They are a work-in-progress. (Kennedy) Estelle has played really well and Desmond Harrison has played really well. Those two tackles are good players and you can see Harrison, he can be a very special player and I know with Joe's persistence he is going to become that because we see his talent and you see some of the things he does and you say wow this guy can be really special. Then with Dom (Espinosa) at center and Sed (Sedrick Flowers) and those two tackles and then you roll Perk (Kent Perkins) in there then we really have a pretty good core of guys there in that first group.
On if any younger guys caught his eye that he didn't have film from last season: (Desmond) Harrison you could see in winter conditioning that he is very athletic, he could run, he could bend, and he has got a really physical mindset so you were hoping when you put the pads on out there that you wouldn't be disappointed and you weren't. He played really well. Now, he is still learning and he is still catching on but he is a natural. He has a lot of natural ability and natural attitude for a lineman. He has got some nasty in him and he will grind, which is what we need in that whole core of guys. But the younger guys since it is their first time worked with by us and a new system, they have been growing is the best way to put it. We are not dissatisfied; we just know it is a process with them. They are still not where we want them to be but we see the talent in them and they are developing.
On if Tyrone Swoopes is capable of being a successful quarterback: I think so. I am really encouraged by him. The thing I like about Ty is his demeanor. He has got poise. He is a good study too and what I mean by that is he will put the time into it. He has got great notes. I pick their notes up and I look at them to make sure that they are hearing me right and make sure they know how to. It is one thing to take notes and another to teach them how to take notes so I have been really impressed with the detail of his notes and how he has grown through the spring. I am really pleased with him, I really am. He is not a done product but every time we do something new situationally, we will put him in several different two-minute situations as an example, and every time he goes out there we put him in a new situation so because of that he has learned to rely on the fundamental principles of what it takes to be successful in that drill. Otherwise you can get lost in all the stuff. So he has really learned how to center himself so he has poise and he can be taught. I just like him a lot. I like his demeanor, I like his skill set; he is really explosive. There are things that we are going to work on this summer in terms of things he needs to do in terms of mechanics of football but they are really easy fixes and everything he has done for us on the field. He has been a hard worker and I know he wants to succeed because he has put it in his work ethic.
On his thoughts about the wide receivers: Marcus (Johnson) is a big-play player. I mean he has got great speed, he is assignment sound; he has played, obviously, a lot of football so he has got a real good feel for the game. He is a great fit in what we do and he has had a great spring for us, he has played really well. Daje (Johnson) has played really well. He is explosive and he needs to continue to work on the assignment aspect—and I can really say that about everybody—but as he grows and gets confident in those things, his talent is overwhelming with what he can do. He is one step at full speed and very explosive. (Jaxon) Shipley has had a really big spring for us. He is so consistent every team needs him. He is smart, tough, and dependable. He has had a really nice spring and he has got a skill set that I think sometimes you underestimate because he is so steady in his play and then he will make some huge plays for us. Kendall (Sanders) has had a good spring. I think that whole group of kids there, obviously a lot of those guys played last year, have done very well for us this spring. Then the younger guys are like the young offensive lineman and are developing.
On if the offense will be 50/50 run-pass in the fall: We are still finding out who we are a little bit because we don't have Johnathan (Gray) out there and we miss Perk (Kent Perkins) out there. When you look around, Greg Daniels isn't out there and he is big. I know this, I really feel with this group of guys with the receivers, the tight ends—I am really pleased with Geoff Swaim, really pleased with him. He can set an edge and I know Greg can because I have seen that on film. So the tight end group is a really solid group of guys. Geoff, we worked with him this spring and he had a really nice spring. Then you have the receiving core and there's a lot of skill, lot of speed, lot of guys that can change the game. In the running back spot, Malcolm (Brown) has really been lights out all spring. He has been very consistent and he is a big-play player and he is my kind of back, I love feeding those guys. I have seen Johnathan play obviously and see what he can do. So I think the biggest thing, to be honest, is the development of the quarterback, and I like the way David (Ash) came along and I like the way Ty (Tyrone Swoopes) is coming along. We got a lot of work in front of us but we certainly have the pieces around those quarterbacks that we can be that type of team.
Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach Vance Bedford
On the "monster defense": Monster defense? We're a long way from that. We're still working hard and trying to develop an identity. I think that's the main (thing) to do when you're talking about defense. It's real simple, if you tackle well, you're probably going to have a good defense. We worked on that quite a bit this spring. I believe as a team we've made strides, but we have a long way to go.
On the secondary: Quandre Diggs is a guy who has shown a lot. He has shown that he can be a leader on this football team. He's practiced well and he's made great strides. Mykkele Thompson, we played him some at corner and some at safety, had an outstanding spring from the first practice to the last practice. Today he did a great job as well. Duke (Thomas) is coming along. You know you've had a lot of guys who have had playing experience and the biggest thing that I'm finding out is that we lack confidence. To play a position, you have to have confidence. You're going to have a bad play, you're going to have a bad day, but if you can't put it behind you, you can play that position. That's the biggest thing we're trying to develop here is confidence and the things we do and who we are as a defense and as a team.
On with the starting quarterback being injured there is no reason to not dominate on Saturday because the plays called are going to be vanilla: We are going to be vanilla too. We are going to be real simple. In the spring game it's about having fun and about playing everybody who's out there, walk-ons included because they are a big part of this program. We are going to play everybody, we are going to keep it simple and we are going to let the guys go out there and have fun. We aren't trying to scheme or trick anybody. It's real simple, just blocking and tackling; that's all it's about. It's not about what scheme we can come up with, can we trick the offense, or can the offense trick the defense. We're just going to line up, block the guy in front of you and can we tackle the guy that is in front of us.
On if he will try to trick people in the fall: The number one thing about anything you do is you must have a plan. The one thing we are going to do is be simple. If we execute well on defense, we tackle well on defense, we run up to the ball, then we have a chance to be pretty decent. You can't fool anybody—eventually they are going to figure out what you are going to do. So you've got to be simple, have a game plan and have a good foundation. That's the main thing you want to have, a solid foundation.
On if the defense is doing anything that is football 101: You have to start there. You know yesterday what all the coaches did is they put every player on the board. We talked about things we need to do. It's not about us doing all the talking, or trying to lecture the guys. Sometimes it's about finding out what they know. So in all the roles, defensive line, linebacker and secondary, they had to go to the board and we said, 'You have to draw this defense and right now, you're Coach Santos, you're Coach Diggs, explain what you're doing and why this assignment on this particular play. What do you need to do?' Because sometimes as a coach, you spend more time trying to lecture instead of sometimes listening and that's the biggest thing good coaches (do). I learned that from (former UT defensive backs coach and Beford's position coach) Allen Lowery. I started there as a matter of fact, and that's how he taught me. He made us talk by putting us on the board to see what we knew and what we didn't know. And as coaches, I firmly believe in that. Put them to the test, make them talk because if they can explain it, then they have a chance to go out there on the football field and do it. But if you never ask them and don't put them to the test in the classroom, then don't expect them to do it on gameday. I'm a firm believer in that. If you don't put them to the test, you have no reason as a coach to be upset.
On whether there was a lack of confidence and getting the players to feel better about themselves: It's about having success. You have to build one block at a time. If you build a house, you never start with the roof, you start with the foundation and so we are just going back to the simple things. Let's get in the stance and take a proper step. If you don't take a proper step, let's do it again. So now believe what you're doing just one step at a time; the little things. You know, the first three days we didn't put a lot of defenses. I had a schedule I wanted to stick with and at practice four, we hadn't got practice two or three down the right way, we aren't going to put anything else in unless we improve in these areas. So we are doing it one step at a time and the players have to learn to believe in the system. You have to trust the guy next to you and not only understand what you're doing and what you're job is, but what his job is. So now, we look at a run defense and everyone has a gap. You have a certain run fit. If you take care of your responsibilities, the defense has a good chance of working. Another thing we're doing right now, just real simple things.
On how many confident players they have right now: When I look at our d-line, those guys have the attitudes you want. I look at (Quandre) Diggs. Diggs has been a four-year player here, he has that type of swagger as a player would say. We need more guys with Diggs' attitude. The walk-ons, you know what? I'm at The University of Texas, but I'm going to show you why I'm at The University of Texas and that's the mindset you must have. You come here for a reason, you come here to win championships. Let's not kid ourselves, otherwise, you shouldn't come here. And Diggs has that attitude. You know, Malcom Brown, our defensive tackle, he has that attitude. You look at Tank (Desmond) Jackson, I mean my man is a nose guard, he has high energy, is a high motor guy and has a smile on his face. I love being around him because he brings a certain attitude to practice that you must have to be successful.
On if the players going through this year will make up the core group of the program: It is. Part of a team, I think Coach Strong has the right idea, is moving them back on campus. It starts there because when I was here we all stayed in the dorms and I had a great time. I got to know not only the seniors, but juniors and I became older and the freshman came in. Right now, the juniors and seniors live off campus so the freshman and sophomores don't even know them. It's a lot of things you do of the field that you get to know and trust each other so now it comes to on the field. It's like having a family. I mean if you have a family and you always eat in a different place, then you never get to sit down and talk to get to know each other. Well a team is a family and what we're trying to do is build the attitude back to this program that we are one, big happy family. You should know who is brother is or how is his mom is doing, but you can't know that if you're living off campus. It starts off the field and then comes on the field with things we do to be together. You know we work hard together, we sweat together and we cry together. That's all part of it.
On a perception the linebackers are big and slow and whether they can compete in the Big 12: Well Steve Edmond, number one, is not slow. He is very athletic. He is a perfect fit for this conference. He is long, he can run and he can change directions. He's very athletic and in a lot of places he'd probably be a Will linebacker because he can run to the ball, he has a great skill set. You know, my man Tim Cole, I call him Nat King Cole's nephew. I mean he is a big, physical guy. So we have some guys that we have a good mixture of linebackers, physical and athletic. And the biggest thing for those guys is learning to trust the system and right now they aren't sure. We are a one-gap defense. You need to know where your fit is. And I hear, 'Well Coach I saw this, no you did not see that, this is your gap and take care of your responsibility. Do that first before you do anything else. Then it comes back to that trust factor. When they understand what to do and how to do it and trust that the other teammates are going to do their job, then we are taking steps in the right direction. We aren't there yet. We have a long way to go, but we are going to play a game until we play North Texas, we have a little time yet.
On his biggest concern after nearly a full spring practice: No one across this country has depth. Not Alabama, not Florida, everyone is the same. My biggest concern right now is still us playing as a unit and understanding the expectations of playing at The University of Texas. I'm looking at some of the former teammates I've played with, you know Kenneth Sims will go out there and Brad Shearer was out there, talk about two guys who played in the NFL and won all types of awards. One thing that they say is good is to see those guys out there working hard. It starts right there. It starts with hard work. Nothing is easy. There is nothing easy about what you do in the real world. The jobs that you have right now, you've got to work hard. Who gave it to you? Nobody. So we try to get these guys back to the simple thing, if you want it, go work for it. That's what it's all about. If you come in and work hard, good things will happen for you and this is what this university is all about.
On if his biggest concern is guys playing together: That's always a part of it. When you have teams that come together as one and trust each other, you have great success. I went back to Michigan in 2007 and we had a 10-year reunion of the 1997 National Championship team and those guys said coach you didn't know this, but you've taught us everything we need to know. We would go out there and we could adjust and change the defense as of what we saw on video because of what the guys taught us because they trust each other and that's what football is all about.
On his biggest surprise: The biggest surprise is the confidence to go out there and make a play. In the game of football on the defensive side, those who play it safe are going to miss the bus. If you have confidence, you're going to be aggressive and you're going to win. You don't go to play it safe. You don't go to lose, but go to win. That's why Alabama has three national championships (recently). That's why Florida State won a national championship (last year). They have players that go out there and play to win. We have to get that back here and that comes with confidence, understanding how to play the game, know what your job is, trusting your teammates and then going out and doing that job. When we get to that point of going to win, not just to survive, we will be heading in the right direction.
