The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Tracking the Longhorns: Tuesday with the media [Oct. 18, 2016]
10.18.2016 | Football
Offensive Coordinator Sterlin Gilbert, running back D'Onta Foreman and wide receiver Devin Duvernay met with the media on Tuesday night following practice.
Offensive Coordinator Sterlin Gilbert
On where freshman quarterback Shane Buechele is in his development: Just steady growth and steady development, and I know that's what I've said all along, but with a young guy like that, those are your goals day in and day out with him. Each one of those game reps or practice reps is essentially a growth rep for him and understanding and just gaining knowledge, especially in games, about pictures and schemes and what he sees and where he needs to take the football. Those are things that we really focus on with him, that he absorbs, that he takes in and really goes to the practice field and focuses on executing. And then obviously you want to carry that into the game and be able to do that on Saturdays.
On junior running back D'Onta Foreman's seventh straight 100-yard rushing game and whether he can get better: Absolutely. I believe his ceiling is still high. You've just got to think that he's still early in this offense and still growing and understanding our schemes and knowing how to run and utilizing tempo to be able to excel and do what he does every Saturday. He's a guy that continues to take care of his body, continues to be great in the weight room and grow in that aspect, and just be a complete football player, as a running back, as a blocker, as a guy who can catch the football out of the backfield as well. There's plenty of room for improvement for him. The thing about him, he's driven, he's determined to do those things. Coach [Anthony Johnson] has done a great job with him and his development and those guys up front, I tell those guys all the time, 'As y'all go, we go.' Talking about the offensive lineman. So you don't have that kind of success on the back end with a running back without guys doing right up front, so Coach Mattox and those guys are doing a great job blocking up front and creating holes and ways for him to run.
On how much he emphasizes consistency with his players: The thing about that, is just be consistent and be right. Just those two things, I probably put them in reverse order. If you're right, you'll be consistent. Part of our preaching is about playing a complete game, and part of that is playing a complete game as a football team as well. If we're playing good on the defensive side of the ball and special teams, then we've got to do our part on the offensive side of the ball. We're just continuing to preach that, about playing a complete game, be consistent, start fast, be able to come out and then complete games. Those are where our focus is, and that's where our development needs to go.
On how he plans to utilize freshman Lil'Jordan Humphrey going forward: He's a guy, like I've talked about before, he's very, very talented. He's rare to be in a backfield with that kind of size and speed and athletic ability, so he's a guy you can utilize in multiple different ways with his skillset of being able to run the football and then his skills being able to catch the ball and run pass routes. So he has the dimension that's kind of rare.
On what the offensive coaches did during halftime to remedy a slow first half against Iowa State: You've just got to be aware and be cognizant that as coaches, our coaching staff, what are they schematically doing to us and what do we need to come out in the second half and make our adjustments and go do? So what you do is you come in at halftime, you identify what things and schematically, which way we need to go, you get that information to our players, and then you come out for the second half and you go execute those plays.
On whether Buechele gets enough credit for staying calm under pressure: I don't know credit-wise., I just know from our aspect of it, from a coaching standpoint, that's one thing he's done really well. He just stays calm and just stays steady with what we're trying to do offensively. And that's really huge for him, especially for his age and lack of experience, for him to stay that calm and for him to stay to the process, stay to the game plan of what we're trying to get accomplished, and then going into halftime, make adjustments, and then come out and play the way he has in the second half the last couple of games.
On whether freshman wide receiver Devin Duvernay has lived up to expectations coming in: Yeah, absolutely. The first thing that jumps out about him is his speed. On top of that, he's a great kid. He's high character, he's intelligent and has every intangible you could want in a recruit, and especially in our receivers. He's an unselfish kid, he's bought into what we're doing and he's worked extremely hard. He got on campus a little late, he obviously wasn't through spring ball, so his development and understanding of the offense has just come a little bit slower than some of those other guys that were here. So he's done a really good job of catching up and lessening the learning curve for him, and he's being productive right now and we're excited about him.
On players like junior Tristan Nickelson and sophomore Jake McMillon stepping up to fill in for injured players on the offensive line: It is easier said than done. Part of it is it's how we practice and the amount of reps that we give in practice, so it prepares you somewhat for those kinds of situations, for the second guy to be able to step in and play. Those guys have just done a really good job with that rotation and guys stepping up and filling in those spots. Coach Mattox has done a really good job with those guys in their development and speeding those guys up and being able to fill those gaps when we have injuries and we have needs.
On the Kansas State defense: They're good. I know I used this word last week, but they're stingy. They're good up front. Obviously, their rush defense is top in the nation, and they're well-coached, fundamentally sound. Their coach has been there a long time, so what they do is fundamentally sound. They're a good football team.
Running Back D'Onta Foreman
On the offensive line: They've done a wonderful job. Like I said that night, I talk to those guys on the sideline, I talk to those guys at practice, and we just try to keep a good relationship between each other. I just tell them what I see if something got away on the field and we talk about it. We just try to get it fixed as fast as we can. I appreciate those guys. I went up to each and every one of those guys personally and shook their hand and told them thank you. I couldn't have done it without them.
On taking care of his body: I go to the training room everyday. I talk to my coach and the strength coaches and tell them if there is certain stuff I can't do or if something is bothering me after the game I just let them know. I try to get stem or whatever treatments like that. I love massages.
On what he needs to work on: Holding the football. I have to protect the football better than what I've done these last two games. That's my biggest thing. I carry the ball kind of loose at times so coach stays on me about holding the football. But everything else, he just tells me to run hard. I feel like I've been doing that. So I think the biggest thing is how I carry the football at times.
On if he thinks he's getting recognition he deserves: Honestly, I don't worry about it. I see a lot of stuff saying I'm underrated and stuff like that. I guess if that's how everybody else feels then yeah I just roll with it. Whatever people say I roll with it. But I don't worry about it. I worry about what's going on in this locker room. Trying to get this team back moving forward in the right direction and me just going out there and be a leader and working hard everyday at practice, on the field, and in the game.
Wide Receiver Devin Duvernay
On how his transition to the team has been: It's been great. I transitioned well even though I came here late. I found the offense was great to me, not too hard to learn so I feel like I fit in great.
On how Texas recruited him: A couple of days after I heard everything about Art, Coach Traylor was on me hard, he had some players after me. And I got to talk to Sterlin. I felt like he was trying to turn this program around and I was interested in that. That was a big part.
On why he chose Texas: I felt comfortable with Coach Strong and I just felt like they had a ton of talent and the future was bright here. So I felt like I could come join and help out.
On when he first got here: I didn't really know any of the upperclassmen. I just knew some of the freshman I had seen around camps and stuff. But they took me in well and have been guiding me along. The transition has been real smooth.
On relationship with Shane Buechele: I talked to Shane a couple of times before and then he recruited me a little bit. Coming here Shane's a nice guy, a good guy to talk to. It was easy fitting in with him.
