The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
09.01.2014 | Football
Head coach Charlie Strong and players met with the media
Longhorns Gameweek | Texas-BYU Preview | Tickets
Coming off a 38-7 win over North Texas on Saturday, head coach Charlie Strong and players met with the media to preview the coming week. The Longhorns are preparing to take on BYU at Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. Below are quotes from Monday's news conference.
Head coach Charlie Strong
Opening statement: It was a great team victory on Saturday. It was just great to see our defense go out and perform at the level they did. I think before we start making changes, from game one to game two, we're nowhere near where we should be, and improvement—we have a lot of areas we need to work on. Just looking at the injuries, Dominic Espinosa is going to be out and he's actually going to have surgery on Wednesday; we don't know the extent or how long. Our medical staff will let you know that. And David Ash will not play this week. Ash took a hit there in the first quarter. I think it may have been a situation right around when the ball was fumbled but we are going to evaluate it more with our medical staff. There were no symptoms, and then we got a call like late that night and then we were able to get him in there and evaluate him—just made the decision for him that he would not play this week. Went out yesterday and [sophomore QB] Tyrone [Swoopes] played well—I mean not played well, but was able to execute the offense and practice. Knowing that we have two quarterbacks we are just going to turn it over to them and let it happen this week. The more information we get with that situation, we'll let you know about it.
On the fumble: It was right there in the first quarter and he [David Ash] took a hit, but just at that time, we were not aware and he just kept playing through the game.
On if David Ash was fine when he left and then the training staff got a call in the middle of the night: He was okay and then we got a call late in the night. We were able to get him with the trainers.
On if he has made a decision about who is going to start: Tyrone is the starter, he's been the second team player, but what you have to look at it as it's not all about just one position. You get the defense to play well and play like we played the other night and you have two good running backs, the offensive line protects well and then cover it up, you can function. We can function. It's not like it's the end of the world. We know we have got to go play a football game and that's what we're going to go do.
On how concerned he is with David Ash's long-term health: Well, you have to be concerned because any time we have that, however we may evaluate it, you have to be concerned. You're always concerned about a young man's health and we would never jeopardize a young man's health just for the good of this football team. A player's health is always first and that will always be the case.
On because of David Ash's situation going into the season and what happened last year, has he handled Tyrone's reps any differently than he would have: No, because we were going to get him into the game there on Saturday, I think they ended up just driving the ball, and just kept moving in on our defense because he was coming up during much of the game. And I think with Tyrone, what we'll do, we have to be smart as coaches. We know we have to get their scheme and we have to make sure that whatever we ask him to do, he's able to do and that's the job he's had. He has a job to do, and it's like anything else that could happen in the middle of the game.
On if he gave him more reps than he would have otherwise: No, in camp, any time you go to camp, it's six, six and six. So one quarterback gets six and the next one gets six and the third one gets six. So the reps were evenly distributed during camp.
On what his message to the team was from the psychological blow of losing the starting quarterback and what his message to the fans: We have a football team and we have to go play. We have players, and so we have guys on scholarship when you look at it, there's three phases to this game and it's not just all about one person.
You know this now; other players have to step up and other players have to go play. It's no different. You look across the country and it can happen to any team at any second. So now it's happened to us, and defense played well, defense has to go play well again and has to play well like that each and every week.
As an offense, you have two really good running backs and you have a receiving crew. You look at the game—if we can protect Tyrone the way we protected the other night and deliver the ball, we can still make catches. Each and every week it's going to be a different player and someone else has to step up, and that's the situation we are in now. You look at us this summer, we end up losing some players, and you look at what happened the other night with Espinosa and now you lose another player. First hit now, and now the challenge of this football team is how well we can bounce back and what we're all about.
On how much the offense changed with Tyrone and what do teams do as well: Well, the thing about Tyrone, it's offense—you're going to have to tweak it some. I don't know how much we are going to tweak it. Our offensive coaches are studying that right now and we were able to get a start on it yesterday. Tyrone can handle it. I'm not concerned about that and the team will rally around him and like I said, we'll be able to get to the problem and we'll get it fixed and move on.
On if he has made a decision about Desmond Harrison, Daje Johnson and Josh Turner: Well, Desmond will be back this week and Josh and Daje will not be back. So you get one back, but the other two will not be back.
On since he hangs his hat on defense as his history, is this the perfect opportunity to say that even if they don't have their starting quarterbacks, our defense will keep them in the ballgame or win a ballgame: What you like, and you know this, you have to play well and offensively you're going to have to get some points on the board. This is a league that scores a lot of points and you don't ever want to be behind on defense where you're going to have to play from behind, but feel like that you can get a score, when you get a turnover get it back to our offense. They have to have confidence within their quarterback, and I think that confidence will build because now you have to rally. If you want to have a good year, then they will go play for each other, which they should and I don't think that's going to be an issue.
On if he has spoken to Ash and how confident he is in Tyrone taking over: I have spoken to David. He was with us yesterday. I'm very confident in Tyrone, I am, and I'm confident in any player on this football team; that's what they have to do, and they realize that. If I don't believe in them, then no one else will believe in them. That's what it's all about; just making sure that we as a team continue to build his confidence, and it will happen. There's enough around him, and I tell him all the time, I don't need a great play; I just need to you manage it. You have got two good running backs behind you. You put that ball in [Malcolm] Brown and [Johnathan] Gray's hands and let that offensive line come off. We know without Espinosa, a guy who has had a lot of starts, we still have to piece that together. But still, we can, we have enough; it's not like we don't. We have enough.
On when he looked at tape on BYU, does it look like it was more scheme or execution: I looked at last year's game and the quarterback is an unbelievable player. He can; he's got high run potential written all over him. When you look at that game last year, he had 260. If you get outside on the perimeter of the defense, you're going to have an issue, and the outside run -- at one point, I counted ten outside runs, and 550 yards rushing. When you look at a defense and that's a stat, you talk about rushing yards, you say, hey, we don't need to give up more than a hundred a game. That's five games right there that you gave it up in one. You have to be able to contain them and make sure that we don't allow the quarterback outside the defense. And it's all about responsibility.
On how much the guys have heard about the BYU game getting ready for this year: The BYU game was critical— it was outside the defense. It was a lot of perimeter plays with the secondary and sometimes with the linebacker. They saw it. It's something that they have heard about and that everyone talked about how—they lost the quarterback last year against this defense. Like I say a lot of it has to do with responsibility on our part, where we weren't doing our job and we can eliminate those mistakes. If we just can eliminate those mental errors then you have a chance to go stop them.
On what they are medically examining on David and how does he approach if he is not going to be around the rest of the year: I'm going to approach it like he's going to be around the rest of the year. I don't know when they are going to evaluate him. I just know that he's not here this week and so we just have to move on as a football team. Just pick up the pieces and someone else has to step up and that someone else right now is going to be Tyrone and Jerrod are going to be doing the same.
On if Tyrone struggles early, will he consider putting in Heard: Well, he may struggle early, but we have to have confidence. You can't just all of a sudden go in and just pull him because of some bad plays but he's going to have enough around him. We don't have to put it [all] on his shoulder. Like I said, you have two good running backs back there and you can turn around and hand them the ball and let them run for a while. Then when you do ask them to do something, it's not like he's just going to walk in and just say the game plan is on his shoulder, now could go execute it. Yeah, he has to execute it, but as a coaching staff, too, we have to know what he can do, also and what he can do at his best.
On the offensive line and the holes they created against North Texas: Well, if you look at it, going to run the ball, you can load the box and that's where they did a great job, and that's where you have to give North Texas some credit. They loaded the box and the things they did, not all about a back trying to run through and just run through tackles. Their three big runs, we were able to set it off and get to the outside lane and hit them for a big run. But overall, we can block better and we can cover up people better. But that's why it's so critical when you just get reads. Just put guys into getting position and we are just rotating guys around and when we talk into this week, get Desmond [Harrison] back, we don't have to worry about the tackle issue, because now you have Desmond and Kennedy [Estelle] who has been working the whole camp, and it's Big Perk who has been working there the whole [time] … and now it's just making sure that we get the snaps and Jake [Raulerson] and make sure we locate and make the proper checks and calls.
On if he didn't like anything he saw with the defense Saturday: Well, if you look at our blitz technique, we could have been more aggressive than our blitzes. Sometimes we jumped out of our gaps. You have to make sure of our gap integrity and formation. A lot of times what teams will do, the way they line up there are only a few things they can do; they knew but they just never called it out.
On when the trainers got the call from David, what concerns he was having: Just headaches and then a little dizziness. That's why we told him to come on in and let us evaluate it.
On if he came in on Saturday night: He came in on Saturday night.
On how he can be sure it was the first hit he took: Because talking to the staff, I think it was the first one. I'm not the doctor and I understand what you're trying to find out here. He's the one that said coach I think it was the first one.
On if he was hiding it: I don't know if he was hiding it. He understands that and he wants to compete. He wants to make sure, 'I want to do everything I possibly can to help us win.'
On what he feels like his role is in determining to let a player go back on the field: I'm not ever going to jeopardize injury. You can never, ever in this program jeopardize a young man's health to compete in a football game. That will never happen.
On how many times he has been in that situation or seen head coaches in that situation and how difficult it is: I've seen people get knocked out in the game and try to go back in—[Tim] Tebow—I'm not trying to be funny, and we're not going to jeopardize a young man's health.
On how they'll handle Ash's injury: Well, we have the best medical staff in the country, and it will be the right decision. For him, for the player, first, we'll make that decision for him.
On if he has decided how long the other players are going to be out of the game: I have not made that determination yet, but they will for sure not be back this game.
Senior RB Malcolm Brown
On how disappointed he is to lose QB David Ash for the BYU game: It was real tough, but just have to go on and definitely be playing for him. I know he's not going to let this hurt him mentally. You've just got to keep on pushing and keep on rolling.
On if there is anything specific he and fellow RB Johnathan Gray will do to help the team overcome the loss of Ash: No, just got to keep the team's confidence level up. When you have two great leaders go down, some of the guys have to step up and even a little bit more. So I mean, it's nothing completely different that we are going to do, but just got to be a little bit more vocal and just keep guys up and those guys that are stepping in for them as a team, we have to keep those guys up.
On what went through his mind when he found out about the injuries: I was disappointed but at the same time, I know being injured myself, you've just got to keep it going. I know God has a plan for both of those guys. They are both great guys and hard working, so I know that they will be fine. I know their families will be leaning on each other and they will be leaning on us and we have no problem with that. So just got to keep on going. Guys have to step up and play.
On sophomore QB Tyrone Swoopes: Tyrone is going to be fine. I know he will. Once Tyrone gets a couple completions in, he'll start getting a little rhythm and he'll be fine. He's a guy that I've seen work since he's been here. I know as a backup, you always feel like you have to go above and beyond but that's not the case at all. Just have to be consistent.
On how they manage the blow of losing the starting center and QB: Just getting those backups ready. Just getting those guys ready. They are starters now. They have to play like it. I know those guys that they have been working just like the rest of us. They know what to do and that's something the quarterback, the ball is in the center and quarterbacks hands every single play, every single snap. Just got to keep those guys up, keep their confidence levels high. Just keep them going and I know both of those guys will be ready.
On sophomore QB Tyrone Swoopes: He's grown a lot. When he first came in, he had jitters, just coming in camp and starting to play with the bigger, stronger, faster guys. But once you get in that comfort zone and more comfortable with everything and the speed of the game, it all gets easier.
Senior CB Quandre Diggs
On what his focus is on getting the team together after the injuries on offense: It's going to be hard but we are going to have to rally around the guys that are up next. That's the thing, those guys are on scholarship just like the guys in front of them was. It's time to step up and it's time to be a man. It's time to grow up. They are put in this situation for a reason so we have to see them blossom and get ready to go.
On sophomore QB Tyrone Swoopes and freshman QB Jerrod Heard and how ready they are: We'll see on Saturday. Those guys, they have got a long week to get ready. I know those guys are probably in the film room right now. It's two guys that definitely love playing the game, and they are going to go out and compete. I know they are going to give their all, and we just have to rally around those guys and be ready to go. I have complete confidence in those guys and I have to. I'm a leader on the team and people expect me to rally around those guys and that's what I'm going to do.
On dealing with the injuries and keeping the defense focused: Like I said we just have to rally around those guys. Those guys that came out, they played well on Saturday, and being a guy that's a leader on this team that everybody looks up to, like I said, I've just got to continue just to show confidence in those guys, and like I said, I believe in those guys.
So those guys wouldn't take any answer different from what I say. If I tell those guys I believe in them, they are going to believe me and we are going to go to work. That's all we can do. We can't worry about what's going to happen. During the season there's going to be bumpy roads, and we just have to get through those things and the key is to grind.
On if he sees a bunch of things that need to be fixed from the last time they played BYU or if it isn't a big deal: Well, it's a big deal because the things we executed -- we didn't get things done the way we needed to. It's a lot of small things but those small things add up to big things. You know, we had guys -- all 11 guys had different things that they didn't do well each and every play. It's small things, eye contact, just know your responsibility, try to not do someone else's job. It's action based offense with those guys and it's a thing that's going to kill you. I went to that type of offensive high school so I know those type of things, when you do something wrong out here, a big thing can happen at any time.
We just have to stick to our keys, believe in the coaches scheme and I think we'll be ready to go. We have a great defensive coordinator and we have great defensive assistants and those guys are going to have us ready, I can tell you that.
On how much they heard about the BYU game in the offseason from the coaching staff: We heard about it a lot. We still hear about it. That's just how these guys are. They are going to continue to rub it in our face and that's what they want to do. Going to get us ready to go and I think we'll hear about it a lot this week from you guys especially and that's just the way it is. Until we go out and prove anything different, then you guys are going to continue to bring it up and it's going to be on ESPN and it's going to be on everything. But like I said, I can't wait until you see us in those five days.
Senior WR John Harris
On the couple drops he had early in the game and then bouncing back: Everything was fine. You know, it was just -- it had nothing to do with me and David. It was just me trying to calm down a little bit and just relax and get it going and get in the game flow. Everything was calm. Just told me he was going to keep coming back to me. I just had to relax a little bit and just get into the game flow as I did during the game when I was playing.
On what he likes about sophomore QB Tyrone Swoopes: He can make some really big throws in tight windows. Tyrone is a guy has a really strong arm, as you can see when he played against Oregon, throwing the deep ball to Mike. I just have a lot of faith in Tyrone. He listens to guys whenever a guy comes back and tells him where to put the ball placement, and ball placement between receivers and quarterbacks, that's key communication. He's really good at communicating with us. So I think that will help a lot, too. He's young and listens to us, and then he has a good offensive line in front of him, too.
On how much energy they got from the defense: It was unbelievable, actually… it was incredible. It was exciting for me watching those guys fly around on defense. They do it every day in practice, so it's nothing new. But just to see it out there against another opponent was pretty spectacular.
On if they have circled the BYU game on their calendar: I wouldn't necessarily say we circled it but we definitely have been waiting for this one. It was a hard fought loss for us last year. We went out there and we didn't perform the way we wanted to perform. So we are really looking forward to this one and we know we can't wait for the guys to get here this weekend. I wouldn't say it was necessarily revenge. We just want to go back out there and redeem ourselves from that game. That wasn't us and that's not who we are now.
Senior DT Desmond Jackson
On what the team needs to do to have a good performance: I know that my team is just ready to play. It's the next game up. Not try to make it to a rival game and not try to make it a revenge game. It's the next game that's on the schedule. So we have to prepare like we did last week. We just get ready for BYU.
On what the coaches emphasized about last year's BYU game: A lot of missed tackles and not being in the right spot and not being fundamentally sound and that's all we worked on this whole off season.
On losing leaders on offense and how the other players will step in: I think that we have a lot of leaders on every position, and I know [senior center] Dom[inic] [Espinosa] right now is probably talking to redshirt freshman center Jake [Raulerson] right now. I know that [junior QB David] Ash is talking to [sophomore QB] Tyrone [Swoopes] and getting him prepared for it. I feel like at The University of Texas, you have to practice like you're a starter because you never know when your number is going to get called at any given time. So I feel like us, the defense, as well, we are going to have to talk to our guys and just get them ready for it and just play within yourselves. I know they are going to be prepared for it so I'm not even worried about that.
On sophomore DT Hassan Ridgeway and his play Saturday: It was a very, very good thing. I'm very, very happy and pleased with Hassan. I know that he's going to go out there and do everything he needs to do. He put a lot of work into it so I'm very happy for the performance that he put on. So now that we have seen it for the first game, he has to do it all the time and be more consistent.
Junior CB Duke Thomas
On what he saw watching Saturday's game on film: We held them to only two explosive plays with eight yards, great to hear. Went out there and played great team defense and that's always good to hear because we emphasized it all fall and spring, and having that transition from practice to the game is really good to see.
On how they can stop BYU: Just everyone playing within the defense. Don't go doing somebody else's job because that's when big plays happen. You're in coverage -- you've got to outside contain on the quarterback, hold your contain. Do your job. Because like I said, you've got a lane and that's when quarterbacks can take advantage of you.
On if he has a sour taste in his mouth like Quandre Diggs: Much like Quandre, I probably feel the same. Definitely leaves a sour taste in my mouth knowing how that game went. I definitely understand how it looks to everybody else, but I feel like everyone on the team knows what we have got to do and understands that we have got to step it up and take care of our jobs and stop the quarterback. We don't want to have that happen again I feel like.
Senior S Mykkele Thompson
On how they're going to defense BYU differently from last year: It's all about execution on the defensive side. We didn't execute last year and we gave up big plays. That's what we are trying to eliminate this year. Just execute good plays.
On how he felt Saturday: On the defensive side, for sure we all felt comfortable just going out there and making plays and showing what The University of Texas defense is all about and that always feels pretty good.
On BYU and quarterback Taysom Hill: He's a good player. That's pretty much all I can say. I have no idea how many times I've watched that film from last year. It's a couple of times, but got to move on at some point and just get ready for this game.
On if they are embarrassed about the last time they played BYU and if this game is about revenge: As a whole team we do feel embarrassed but it's nothing about revenge. It's the most important game because it's the next game that we have.
On sophomore DB Dylan Haines: Yeah, Dylan, he's a good guy, comes to work every day and just shows everybody what type of player he really is and it's possible for anybody.
On if the defense feels added pressure with QB David Ash being out: The defense is always striving to help as much as possible. David being out, we are still going to try to do as much as we can for the offense to make sure we give them help wherever it may be.
