The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
04.15.2015 | Football
Head coach Charlie Strong discussed practice after the workout No. 13 of the spring
Video: Strong's Wednesday post-practice media session
The Texas Longhorns completed their 13th football practice of the spring Wednesday afternoon. The team is about to conclude spring practice, which features 15 workouts and began on March 25.
The Longhorns will practice again Friday, with a number of lettermen in attendance, and end the spring Saturday with the annual Orange-White Scrimmage, presented by Schlotzsky's, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The scrimmage is set to kick off at 1 p.m. Central, following a Fan Fest (11 a.m.) in and around the North end of the stadium.
Following Wednesday's practice, head coach Charlie Strong met with the media to discuss practice and the Saturday's scrimmage.
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Head coach Charlie Strong
Opening Statement: Just looking forward to the spring game on Saturday. It's going to be great just to get the fans out, just see the competition, just how well guys have practiced this spring. We talk about the quarterback position and look at Tyrone's [Swoopes] doing really well and then Jerrod [Heard] is also. I would say this, Jerrod has taken just tremendous steps here in the last week or so and he's really closed the gap. So it's going to be interesting to get through Saturday and then get to fall camp, and also at the running back position, J. [Johnathan] Gray's looking very well, very good. And then you look at what [D'Onta] Foreman also is really running well with the football. Then defensively we've had some injuries, been beat up some, but just get to that game on Saturday and get some guys out, let them play in front of a crowd and just see how exciting it's going to be.
On the move to a more up-tempo/spread offense this season: Just going through what we saw and just how competitive this league is. And also, if you look at the high schools, I said it before, 99 percent of the high schools in this state are spread teams, and so why take a young man who's been in that system and all of a sudden -- not so much we didn't think what we were doing last season wouldn't work, but just knowing that you had to fit what your scheme to your personnel.
You look at [Jerrod] Heard, he's won two state championships and he's won those two state championships in a spread offense. And most of the skill guys, especially on offense, that's what they come out of. And just being productive, we thought hey, this is something we can do because we had athletes and it's all about just getting the ball in the playmaker's hand. When you talk about the spread, finding mismatches, creating mismatches, but getting the ball in the right people hand and trying to win outside on the perimeter. And you put so much pressure on defensive ends because a lot of times they don't know if they're getting logged, they don't know if they're getting kicked, they don't if it's a sprint-out, and then do they need to close and take the quarterback. But you're just finding ways where you can just create positive yardage plays.
On what Jerrod Heard has done over the last couple of weeks to show improvement: The thing is, he's so athletic. I always say he's one of those guys who's very light on his feet because the pressure's coming to him, he's a guy that can get himself out of -- get himself away from the rush and then create plays on the perimeter by his feet. Where he's made a tremendous improvement is throwing the football. He's hitting the open receivers, he's finding open receivers, making the correct checks. And the thing about he's throwing the deep ball. He's opened up and we throw the ball down the field some and he's doing a great job of doing it. But it's just that he's just so much more comfortable and that's why I say he's closing the gap. He's so comfortable back there now and everyone is seeing it, even his teammates are even seeing it.
On the progression of defensive tackles Paul Boyette Jr. and Poona Ford by getting some extra reps this spring with injuries: Paul played a lot for us last season and the thing about it, with Tank [Desmond Jackson] being down and now he has a chance to really get a lot of reps at the nose position because we play a three-down and then we go to four-down and then he can slide and play the shade. But just a big body, a big presence inside, is a guy that can get off blocks and just create separation. [The thing with Poona Ford] is just his quickness. He's not very big but guys never get into his body. You always talk about just pressing off blocks, running off blocks, and the thing he can do, he can fit up and not get knocked off but he can separate off and go make plays, and a really good pass rusher. So you watch those two guys in the middle and that's why you see the gain that they're making and how well they're playing, but it's been fun to watch just the progression of those two guys.
On how much stock is put into Saturday's scrimmage for the quarterbacks since it will be close to a gameday atmosphere: Well, I'm going play both of them with the ones, and what we're going do is, we're going to play some ones against ones and ones versus twos and just see how the game goes. With the atmosphere just knowing defensively I know that we're not going to just let them go up and down the field. I know our defense is going to try to go out there and stop them. So it will be good competition and be great competition.
On whether the quarterbacks will get hit on Saturday: I only have two now. I'm going to lose one, then what? I'm back to where I was last year (laughter). No, we allowed our defense to wrap them up, but just not take them to the ground because we're running the replay, you have to hit the quarterback. But we've been smart about it. I tell our guys, just don't take a cheap shot at him. I'll usually blow the whistle so they don't. What's been challenging in practice is they try to run over some of the DBs and it happened one time with Tyrone [Swoopes], he lowered his shoulder and ran through a guy so now on defense they get mad. Now make the quarterback, Coach, he just ran over one of our guys. Okay, let's calm down, guys. You can hit anybody on the field, but do not hit that quarterback.
On the scrimmages so far this spring and what he has learned from the team: We actually scrimmaged today, and it was a good environment because offensively made a lot of plays today, big plays, too. That's what you look for, just those explosive plays. I look at where Tyrone [Swoopes], he hooked up with Petey [Jacorey Warrick] one time on a deep route and then he hit Daje [Johnson]. Daje caught a bubble [screen], he made a guy miss and took it a good distance. Marcus Johnson caught a deep ball out there today. But the receivers were making plays. J. [Johnathan] Gray had a big long run, just explosive plays on our defense. They're competing and that's what you like, but they're having fun. So it's been just a better atmosphere out there just because our guys are competing and they're understanding just how we need to get the big plays. But on defense we can't give up the big plays, can't turn the football over, had some turnovers early. Started off today with a goal-line scrimmage and just defensively they won it there. I think what happened with the defense, since they won the goal line scrimmage, they kind of settled in and then all of a sudden the offense comes back out, we start driving the ball and they really drove the ball on the defense and had some really big plays.
On the feedback from recruits on switching offenses with other schools in Big 12 running similar systems: Yeah, what's really tough is just offense with the skill guys, it was tough because what they want to see is explosive -- they want to see you be explosive, they want to see you get the ball in my hands. Coach, if you throw me the ball, where are you going to throw it to me, just where are the big plays. And you're right, when you look at the Baylors, the TCUs, they're creating those plays. So the skill guys, that's more or less what they're looking for. So you have to -- that's what you have to compete against in recruiting. We just knew that we needed -- how were we going to reach those recruits and somehow sell them, hey, this is what we're going to change, this is what we're going to do. Now c'mon and get on board with this and you can be a part of it.
On John Bonney and his progression this spring: He's been a surprise for me because we played him at the nickel position and has done a really good job The thing he does is can tackle. That's a position for us that has to cover the number two receiver and usually you put your slot guys, one of your better players, and has done a great job on the coverage. And then when we blitz him off the edge has made some plays for us. Then at the middle linebacker position, right now with [Dalton] Santos being down, Tim Cole has worked in there and then Malik [Jefferson] has taken some [reps] at the middle position. But we're rotating guys through there. Pete Jinkens has taken some because right now we're so thin at backer there's just been guys rotating through.
On the importance of having players selected in the NFL Draft which is later this month: Well, it's always big when you talk about the NFL and guys that you have a chance to watch them go across the stage or see their name pop up and they have a chance to get drafted because for a lot of them it's been their dream and that's what they truly worked for and now to have the opportunity to go play on the next level. You look at Malcom Brown, that's a name that everyone keeps talking about has the chance to go in the first round and I hope it happens for him, not knowing where he's going to fall because you never know. You look at [Jordan] Hicks, I think he's going to have a chance [to get drafted; Ced [Cedric] Reed [also]. With that class, it's just so hard to say because you never know. It's all about needs when you talk about the NFL. You never know where guys are going to be projected or where they're going to get picked, but I think we'll have a good day. I hope we have a good day.
On special teams and the competition at the place-kicking, punting and return spots: We really haven't worked a lot with the returners, but [Nick] Rose is our field-goal kicker and [Mitchell] Becker is doing the punting right now. So we've worked a lot, but they probably kicked about 15 field goals [in practice]. Not 15, but 10 to 15. Nick hit some, but the thing about it's all been consistency for him. And then with Becker, just getting him in the rushes where he feels the rush because if he's going to punt the ball he's got to feel the rush and be comfortable doing it.
On the lettermen returning this weekend for the Orange-White Scrimmage and the importance of them to the program: What we're going to do is we're going to open our practice on Friday for the lettermen and give them a chance to come out because it's all about -- it's their program and it's the foundation they've laid and you're always looking for relationships. Just making sure that it's all about -- they always have those great stories and they get bigger as those years go by. So it's always fun to be around and just talk to them and let them understand what we're trying to get accomplished here. It's still about the pride and the tradition within the program.
On the offensive line, it's performance last year, the change in attitude and the addition of four early enrollees this spring: When you talk about your football team, you have to be good up front and it's not only the offensive line but the defensive line because everything is won in the trenches, but you always look for that attitude coming with the offensive line. And we weren't very good last year and then I told them, I said our quarterback, he takes so many hits, but still though, we were not able to protect the quarterback. We didn't even open up holes to let the running backs go run the ball. It's just a total different attitude because I think that just being the embarrassment that they felt last season, I think they want to show that they can prove a point and we had some guys. But it's always good when you get depth, when you add four guys to the group because it just helps now when you go out to practice, you just don't wear down a group. Now you have some guys you can practice and go develop and get better.
