The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Tracking the Longhorns: Orange-White scrimmage quotes
04.18.2015 | Football
Head coach Charlie Strong and players comment after Saturday's scrimmage.
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Head coach Charlie Strong
Opening statement: It was just good to get to the end of spring practice. [It was good] to get out there today and throw the ball around and not have any injuries. It was great to see the two quarterbacks go out and compete. I know it's the big question right now, but you watch, the offensive line did a really good job of protecting them. I just wasn't really pleased with the penalties. We just had too many personal fouls. A guy caught an interception, acted like he never intercepted a ball before and threw it up in the stands or whatever. That's the thing we can't do because it's all about us as a team. We're just not in a position right now to just go make those type of mistakes and then watch what happens, whether you end up moving the ball forward or backwards.
But just overall [I was] very pleased today. Just looking at just a total, you have 15 practices in spring ball, and just each and every day we were just looking to just get better. We are just making sure that it's all about fundamentals and technique. I just think that over the course, even with the injuries that we had, that we were able to establish some depth. Because, even today we had to leave the number one defense out there the whole time, and then with the "twos" (second team) we just didn't have many guys.
But offensively, we have numbers now. We just have to go out and just to compete and watch some of the throws and catches. You watch [sophomore running back] D'Onta Foreman and the way he ran; [sophomore receiver] Armanti made some catches. Then you just watch [Junior quarterback Tyrone] Swoopes and [redshirt freshman quarterback Jerrod] Heard make the throws they made, it's just fun. It was just fun to watch.
On what redshirt freshman quarterback Jerrod Heard showed today: Well, I said the other day that Jerrod had closed the gap and he has. You look at us today with Tyrone [Swoopes] making some good throws and just leading the offense. Then you watch the first series with Jerrod, he takes the offense down the field against the number one defense and take it for a score. It's going to be fun just going into the summer with those two guys still battling it out.
It's good to even have two quarterbacks. I think back a year ago with Tyrone, and we leave this game [saying we have work to do] … With some of the throws he made and interceptions he had, you're like, "whoa, God, it's going to be a long season. (laughs)." But now just to watch those two guys go at it, which was fun.
On the quarterbacks taking contact from the defense, and if he was pleased with the offensive tempo: Well, you talk about the quarterbacks, I think it turned into one of those games where they take off with the ball and then the defense, they're just going to tag them off. Then I think with Tyrone, he tried to lower his shoulder and run over them, but they're going to get hit. You want to protect them, but you make sure they don't get injured, and then you want to see the pace be a little quicker … Just looking to the sideline trying to get [the signals] it'll be quicker, because that's what you like to see, just a quicker pace, more up tempo. I'd like for it to go a little faster.
On the play of the defensive line: Well, I love [junior defensive end] Bryce [Cottrell], and I said it's probably the surprise of the spring has been Bryce. He told me he had three sacks, and I didn't count one. He said he hit the quarterback, but I said if you didn't, it wasn't a sack (laughs). It's always fun to just watch him compete and to see him just gaining the confidence because now he's coming out of his shell. And then you look at the rest of the defensive front, [junior defensive tackle Hassan] Ridgeway is always a mainstay in the middle, [sophomore defensive tackle] Poona [Ford] has played really well this spring. Then [senior defensive end] Shiro [Davis], the thing about him, you'd like for him to turn it loose a little bit more, but he's a guy that can make plays. He is really strong at the point of attack. You talk about Bryce {Cottrell], he is faster; he is someone that's coming on that we're going to need to come on for us. [Junior defensive tackle Paul] Boyette [Jr.] has made some plays for us inside. With the defensive front, now you have five guys that are out this spring when you talk about Tank [senior defensive tackle Desmond Jackson], you talk about [junior defensive end Caleb] Bluiett, you're looking at guys that we didn't have. Also, [redshirt freshman Derick] Roberson [is someone] that we're going to need, so when we get those guys back, then it'll add some depth for us up front there.
On his impressions on the linebackers' play today: Well, right now the linebacker position we're very thin because you talk about [senior linebacker] Pete[r] [Jinkens], [junior linebacker] Tim Cole and [redshirt freshman linebacker Edwin] Freeman, and then [freshman linebacker] Malik [Jefferson], these are the four scholarship guys right now this spring. With [senior linebacker Dalton] Santos going down, I'm glad that we signed three or four [linebackers], and [we will] get them in here where they'll be able to go to work right away this summer.
But when you talk about Malik and you talk about Freeman, they are two very athletic linebackers. You took Freeman, who was a safety, and moved him to backer, so you watch him reach down. I told him, I don't think I've seen too many guys that can bend down and pick up that ball (like he did on a fumble) in one step and go down the boundary for a touchdown. And Malik is so just athletic; he made a lot of plays. Pete[r] and Tim Cole probably didn't have the opportunities that they had because of who they were playing behind [in previous seasons].
But it's still about those guys competing, and Pete[r] has been around, he knows the pace of the game and he knows how to play it. It's just fun to just watch them just continue, like I said, over the summer, then we get the signees in here and then watch them develop.
On possibly starting Tyrone Swoopes or a redshirt freshman quarterback at Notre Dame: You know what it is, they have a chance this summer to work, and I'll be fine with that. No, I wouldn't be afraid [to start Swoopes]. Now that you feel like you have the experience around him because you look and it's an experienced offensive line, or you look at the wide receivers. The thing about it is I hope I don't have to go into that game to start a redshirt freshman. I hope I don't.
On Swoopes' performance throughout the game today: Well, I don't know if he really looked that bad because you look at it, it's still a [new] offense, and we're going to have a lot of practices before we get to Notre Dame.
On naming a starting quarterback after today's game: Well, I don't want to turn this into a quarterback controversy because now you're saying, "okay, who's going to start at the position where you have two guys?" Where you look at us a year ago where we weren't as fortunate as we are right now because we had [David] Ash … you kind of sat there and said Ash is our guy. There he goes down, now Tyrone [Swoopes] is thrown into it.
So now what we've been able to do is get Jerrod [Heard] the number of reps he's had. Then you feel pretty comfortable where, hey, if something was to happen, at least you can go into it and then you can get [incoming freshman Kai] Locksley in here and just see where he is. Ty[rone] is still the number one guy at this point.
On the story of Swoopes going to talk to a kid in the bleachers during game: Well, what happened, he threw one of those balls out of bounds, and it hit the kid in the face. So I just told him go over and see the young man and check on him. I don't know, I didn't really see it, I just know the young man was holding his nose or mouth, but you don't want to see that happen to anyone.
On the running game today: Well, it's always fun when you watch big D'Onta [Foreman] run behind his pads, and he's a guy that can run behind his pads and move people out of the way. And then J-[onathan] Gray got a few snaps in there, then [Duke] Catalon, but we have to be able to run the ball, because then when you're able to run the football, then you're playing physical, and you look at some of the good quarterback runs.
On Daje Johnson and Dorian Leonard's day: Well, you look at our receiving group, and I think that Dorian [Leonard] dropped one early, and with those guys, they're going to be given a lot of opportunities, and they're going to have to make some plays, and it may not always throws may not always be perfect, but you've got to make the quarterback look good yourself, sometimes. And then you look at Daje; he's an explosive guy with the ball in his hands. And then with Petey [Jacorey Warrick], even Armanti [Foreman] made some plays outside, Lorenzo Joe caught a few slants. Those receivers that are coming in, they're going to have a chance to help us.
On if he was disappointed with Daje Johnson at punt returner: Well, he dropped it, he muffed the one, but this spring, I didn't really work on putting him back there and going live with it, because in the kicking game, I didn't want to lose anyone. But he's going to get a chance, we've just got to find out how many guys on the team can actually catch the ball, not be afraid to catch it in space and go get positive yardage.
On what he's expecting out of Jason Hall at safety: Jason is a big hitter and he's a guy that can sit in the box and someone that can cover. But he's one of those down safeties that you love in the box, and remember the throw that we threw on the sideline. He ended up missing the ball. I don't know how it was intercepted and probably could have returned it for a touchdown. But still growing and developed last year, he ended up having a lot of starts for us. I had a conversation with him just the other day. I told him that I expect more out of him because he started last season, and I expect him to really develop and come into his own and really stand up and become a leader back here and especially in the back end. As big and strong as he is, we need him to play like that all the time.
On if he's ruled out a graduate transfer quarterback: Well, just no one has ever approached us with that, because what it is, you don't know really what's out there and who's still out there right now when you talk about a graduate at quarterback. Because if someone is interested, they'll get in touch with us, but you just don't know what's out there.
On what he sees from Swoopes and what gives him confidence in him at quarterback: Well, I see an improvement in the offensive line. I see an improvement at the wide receiver position. I see an offense now that gives him an opportunity to really show his skills, and where you're taking it now, and they are where the coaches are making the checks for him, and whether it's Tyrone or Jerrod, it's going to be made. A lot of calls are going to be made from the sideline, so they don't have to make a lot of reads. Just get the ball out of your hands and get it in the playmaker's hands.
On if he looks at this group as a young one that needs to make a lot of progress between now and September: Oh, we have to make a lot of progress because you look at it from defense, you look at the number of guys that are out, and some of those guys are going to come into play and add some depth for you there. Then we just have to improve, because even when you go through spring practice and you watch guys who can make plays, the consistency is not there. You still have to be consistent and you have to do it over and over again. You can't be like one time you see a guy go make a play, then all of a sudden you just fall and you don't know where he is. But it's about us as a team. The repetition is going to be important. But also it's just going to be about the work that they put in over the summer, and if they are they willing to do it.
On what he's looking for in the quarterback and what's going to be the determining factor in his mind in naming a starter going into next season: Well, we know this: what we all do is we just lay our hat on what happened to him last fall, and I say this, we went into the fall last year saying, "Ash was our guy." I never expected him [Swoopes] to play much at all. And then he gets thrust into that position. Then you look at an offensive line where we didn't block anyone, and then most of the time, yes, he made some bad throws, but you look at the receiver group where you take John Harris who comes on and becomes the guy for us at wide receiver, but we didn't have many more playmakers there. So what you're doing is you're taking the ball really out of his hands, and if you watch us, there's not many hard reads for him. Either Tyrone handed the ball off to the back and made sure the line can open up holes for him, and you go read the end. But what you try to do now is you get the ball in your playmaker's hands and you force the defense, like you put pressure on the defense. That's why I say when you go up-tempo, you put pressure on your defense.
On if he was pleased with the production of the offensive line: Well, the offensive line has gotten better, and the thing we have to do is be careful about it because a lot of times they reach out and grab and you can't hold defenders, but we've just got to be smart about that. You have a line now where all those guys have played and you add depth to it. But you'd love to see them play a lot better, and you'd love to see us just string a little bit more and get the tempo going.
On his confidence of not being 6-7 next year and if his team is getting better: Well, I can't say that right now because we're just you've just got to go play the games and make sure that our kids go out and compete each and every game, and we've got to coach a lot better than what we coached last year. Oh, we're getting better. I would say this right now: We're a better football team right now than we were the last game that we played last season.
On if he expects Sheroid Evans and any other players' injury to linger into the fall camp: Well, Sheroid has got to get checked. He had the knee injury, so he's going to get checked, and we're going to do that here in the next week or so. And then the other guys, I don't have the sheet in front of me, but [Dalton] Santos will be back in mid-July, I think that [Caleb] Bluiett will be back fairly early. Once we get Sheroid checked, we'll know exactly where we are, but most of the players we're talking about now are going to be back.
Junior QB Tyrone Swoopes
On how he's faring in the quarterback competition: I feel good. Doing the new offense, I've got a lot of confidence in it and the coaches. I feel good about it.
On how he would describe the new offense: Just faster, not necessarily easier. When you're going fast, you don't have to time think, you just have to go and react, so I guess in that sense, it is a little bit easier.
On how the offense suits him better: Like I said, I feel like last year, I was thinking too much. And going out here [this year] and just going fast and not thinking and just reacting to everything I see, it's helped me out a lot.
On how he has improved since the last two games: I feel like as a whole offense, we've improved. Getting a lot more protection, receivers running good routes, and the running backs running the ball real well, so I feel like it's not just me, it's everybody.
On his confidence after the Texas Bowl and what he told himself after Charlie Strong says he's still his guy: With him telling me that, it gave me a lot of confidence. I might not have played the best game, but he knows what's inside of me and what I still got, so I'm pretty confident with myself.
On if he beat himself up after the Texas Bowl: Not really, just because it's the last game of the season, you can't really do anything about it until next season rolls around, so I'm just trying to get better this spring and going into this summer.
On if this quarterback competition has helped him and Jerrod Heard this spring: I think it helps everybody. Just everybody's out there competing and staying on the field or getting on the field. I think with competition, not only is it [against] the next guy, but also against yourself. It helps a lot.
On if he's as excited about the new offense as others: I'm really excited about it. Like I was telling other people, it's pretty much what we've all done in high school. We're all used to the up-tempo, no-huddle kind of thing, so it's just kind of getting us back to our ways.
On the chemistry between him and Heard: It's been great since the fall when he got here. We've just kind of grown together. That whole quarterback room is real close. It's just kind of what we do and how we are. We don't really take the competition off of the field, so I think that's a good way to have it.
On how he would grade his performance today: I think I did pretty well. Some throws I wish I had back. I threw a pick, but luckily, the d[efensive]-line had [a] hands in the face [penalty], so I kind of got that one back. Overall I think I did pretty well.
On how Heard has gotten better: I think he's just learned the offense and calmed down. Sometimes we saw him out there and getting antsy and just kind of making decisions, but now he's learning the offense and knows where to go with the ball.
On if he's excited about the next opportunity at Notre Dame: Yeah, I think it will be fun. I've never been up there before. I just watched it on TV, and I think it will be great to go out there and play those guys.
On who are the playmakers on this team: I think all of our running backs: Duke [Catalon], D'Onta [Foreman], and J[onathan]-Gray, they've all got big playmaking ability. Guys on the outside, Marcus [Johnson], he can go and Daje [Johnson] and Petey [Jacorey] Warrick. So I feel like if we get the ball in any of those guys' hands, it can turn into something good.
On what Shawn Watson wanted to see improvement in: Just mainly body demeanor. He always tells me the team runs through me, so if they see me get down, they're gonna get down, so body demeanor was really one of the main things.
On how he approaches that: Everybody's a competitor, so try not to show when something bad happens. Don't get down on yourself, but jog off and get ready for the next series.
On how hard last year was and how different this year is: It's just different. In the past games, it was just doing what we did last year, which was more under center. Getting out there doing the whole spread thing and in the gun, just seeing more of everything, I enjoy it.
On if he's experienced more confidence from the offensive line: Oh yeah. Just with those offensive linemen, they've gotten a lot better with communicating with each other. I think it'll be a great season for us.
On how much the game has slowed down for him: Everybody getting out there and just learning the offense and getting a year under our belt with these coaches has helped us a lot, and going with the fast tempo has helped us see things and not think too much. It's been great.
On how he feels right now with the progress he's made with the offense: I feel great. Just getting out there with pretty much the same guys we had last year, they know how I play and like to make throws, and I know how they like to run their routes. I feel like it's going to be great for us.
Redshirt freshman QB Jerrod Heard
On his approach to winning the quarterback position: Right now, just doing my job for the team. I think we all are enjoying it. Right now, there is some good camaraderie on the field. We are just having fun out there.
On if he believes he deserves to be the starting quarterback: I am just focused on making myself better. I've put my head in the playbook more that I ever did, and if I can get my job right and make sure everyone else is doing [well], we're going to be good when it comes to that time.
On assistant head coach for offense/quarterbacks Shawn Watson's comments about his recent progress: He made that [statement] according to how I was feeling on the field and my progress on the field. I think I have noticed it to where I've just started to click. I've spent more time in the playbook and in the film room. So, [today] was fun.
On putting in more time studying film and the playbook: It definitely was a commitment. Through my redshirt year, I was still in the film room meeting with [Coach Watson], and I think I was just learning the ropes. Really, I was really getting his knowledge of the game, which was good.
On how he is going to go about winning the quarterback job: I'm still learning. The game is still faster than me, so right now I'm just trying to learn the ropes still, and still play the game with an edge on my side.
On if this season is different than 2014 because he knows he will not be redshirting: I think definitely, I really do have to have the team's confidence in me. I think my job is to show that when it's my time, and my number is called, that I have to be ready to lead those guys on.
On not playing last season after being a highly rated recruit out of high school: I just have to keep my head up. I was really on [Coach] Watson's side most of the time my redshirt year, I think I was right behind him everywhere I went. So, having him as a mentor [was great], and he kept guiding me through and kept pushing me, which led to good things.
On taking the next step in the passing game: I guess using the field more, and being more confident in the pocket. It goes along with the team thing. Once we get that chemistry down, it's going to be real fun.
On if he would be nervous starting the first game of the season: No, I love big stages like that. So, I think if it's my time or my number called, I'm just going to have to perform for the team.
On what he felt like he did best today: I think I really tried to distribute the ball to the playmakers. This offense is really built for that, so I really try to put the ball in those guys' hands.
On Watson commenting that his progress was the most important thing to happen for this team this spring: I just kept pushing. I really wanted to keep growing as a good quarterback, and also to be able to use my talents more. So, when I was aware of that, I kept grinding to be even better.
On if he compares himself to Tyrone Swoopes at practices: It's definitely a competition. I think we feed off each other. If he makes a deep ball [throw], I want to go make a deep ball throw. There is definitely that [competition] out there, but it's also fun as well.
On not playing at all last season: I think that's the purpose of a redshirt. But, you also have to have that mentality of being ready when your number is called. I think my job, in not letting the team down, was to be prepared.
On if the offense resembles the one he ran in high school: Yes, closer to my senior year we moved to the fast pace. That was very comfortable [today]. That's the fun part about it, just moving fast and making the defense tired.
On the steep learning curve of becoming a college quarterback: As a freshman, you want to learn how to study. I think I put myself in a spot where I tried to learn too much information in too short of a time. So, I learned to study and put my head in the books, and applied it to the field.
On if he agrees with a label of being a "running" quarterback: I prefer to throw before I run, but when the opportunity is open to run, I'm going to take it just to move the ball.
On the biggest change in the offense from last season: Just the fast pace. It's constantly moving, you have to be in shape for this offense. It's quicker and faster for the guys. Once they see the hand signals, we're lining up on our own and going. So, that's the real fun part of it, and I think everyone likes it.
On his thoughts on a possible two-quarterback system: It's not my call, but it is, what it is. I will be prepared for whatever the coaches decide to do.
On where he believes the team improved most this spring: I think it's just the whole team chemistry. I think we've kind of joined as more of a team. If you would be in that locker room, you would see the passion we all have for each other, and I think it's really growing.
On if any of the players are rooting for one quarterback or the other to take the starting job: No, I think it is more that they know we have two good quarterbacks in the locker room. Competition is happening, so I think it's more of a friendly atmosphere, and they respect both of us.
On if splitting repetitions has affected either quarterback negatively: No, not all. I think we feed off each other. Stuff like that is just to better the team.
On Swoopes helping him this spring: He has helped me a lot. Every day we're practicing, he's helping me. Every time he makes a pass, I am asking him how he completed that pass. So, I think we all feed off each other, everyone out there playing quarterback, so it's a neat deal.
On if the team will be better that last season: We are definitely looking forward to being a good team. I think this is one of the teams that people want to see, and I think the chemistry on this team is unreal. It's a real close team, and we're excited.
Junior DT Hassan Ridgeway
On how the team looked up front: We started out a little shaky, but we started improving as it went on. We still have a lot to work on. When our season comes, we should be good.
On the importance of the defensive line: The defensive line is the one that always has to stand up. It's always been up front, if you're not good up front, the whole defense collapses.
On how different he is from last year: A lot of times I wasn't as technical with a lot of the stuff I did. This year, that 's the one thing that I'm trying to focus on, to get my fundamentals down and get better at the little things that I didn't do right.
On help from coach Brick Haley: He comes in and that's the one thing that he wanted me to focus on right off the bat, is to make sure I get the little things right so I can improve.
On the confidence now after the end of last season: We do, we know what we need to do, and we know what we're going to do. We just have to go out there and show it.
On knowing how good he can be: I want to be the best I can be so I just try to come out and play as hard as I can.
On how impressed he is with Malik Jefferson: Whenever you seen an athlete like Malik come in as a freshman you always know he's going to have a few hiccups here and there, but he always makes up for it in speed, and he's always going to the ball. He's always seeing and making plays. He may not do exactly it the right way, but he's going to be there to make the play.
On if the game was a coming out party for Bryce Cottrell: It's not a coming out party. Y'all are just now seeing it. He's always been like that everybody else just gets to see it now. He's going to show it, you just have to watch out for him.
On difference in the offensive line: They've been aggressive, and they have more people to work with now. They know what they need to do and they're going out and doing it.
On the defense getting physical: We need to keep improving, but I liked it. I liked how we caused some fumbles and we got some picks. We're there hitting people, so we just need to put it all together now.
On being a dominant group: We can be a dominant group, that's not the problem. We just have to make sure we come together as a group. And when people come back from injuries, we need to make sure we have everybody together and do what we need to do.
On overall state of the team as of now: I feel like we're in a good place. I feel like with all of the injuries we've showed that we can come through, and we can still go out there and play. We might be tired and barely making it, but we're still going to keep going. We aren't going to give up and we aren't going to bow down to anybody.
Senior DE Shiro Davis
On the game overall: There have definitely been some good things. The defense was definitely making some big strides. I'm definitely looking forward to this season.
On thoughts on Heard and Swoopes' play: They both are doing a good job. They're both throwing and running the ball. I'm just glad I'm not the one who has to pick who starts this season.
On defensive line being most experienced: We definitely want to be the leaders on the field and want to lead the defense to a good season this year.
On you coming from a different angle this spring: From last season, I did a lot of dropping in [what was] pretty much outside linebacker, but this season, I'm doing pretty much what Cedric Reed did last year.
On pressure of coming after Cedric Reed: Me and Cedric talk all of the time. And Jackson Jeffcoat and all of those guys keep telling me the same thing – to keep your mind level headed and you'll be fine.
On Poona Ford having a sack today: Because he's so short and so fast it's hard for a lot of guys to block him. He definitely brought a lot to the table.
On Bryce Cottrell: He's doing a lot better, he's definitely learned defense, so he's putting a lot of pressure on me to make sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.
