The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Video: Charlie Strong Monday press conference [Aug. 29, 2016]
08.29.2016 | Football
Texas Football head coach Charlie Strong meets with the media on Monday to discuss Sunday's season opener versus Notre Dame.
On this upcoming season: Looking forward to an exciting matchup against a top-10 program. You look at two programs that are so rich in tradition, it's going to be an exciting game for us, but also it's going to be a big challenge for us.
I look at their program, last year they lost a lot of players, and they beat us pretty handily up there in South Bend last season. But you look at the two best quarterback tandem when you look at Zaire and you look at Kizer, two of the best in the country, when you look at what they can do. Everybody talks about Zaire and they look at him as runner, but he can also throw the football. You look at how well he threw the ball against us. And then Kizer, one thing, he's a thrower and then you look at some of the quarterback runs and some of the big plays he made last year with his feet.
The offensive line, they lost Stanley but they have McGlinchey and Nelson. They always talk about the strength, and you look at their offensive line. They always talk about just how well-coached it is and how physical they are at the point of attack.
The wide receivers, they're young but they're talented. They lost some key players, but they have that young group back. The running back, Adams, No. 33, had a big run against us last season, then Folston got hurt. He's going to be able to return, also.
And then defensively, their front four with Rochell and Jones, probably be the most physical front four that we'll face all season long. Their linebackers group, they lost some key players at linebacker, but they still have some players, and even in the back end with the secondary.
The kicking game is very solid.
The thing we have to do is when you look at us, we have to play physical, and when you talk about just playing physical, we have to win at the line of scrimmage. Last year we weren't able to stop the run. You've got to be able to stop the run. You're going to have to be able to run the football.
Next thing we want to do is execute. I told our coaches we just need to simplify the game plan and just make sure we execute and give our players a chance to just play loose and play with a lot of energy and just be very relaxed.
And then the third thing we need to do is finish. Just got to make sure that finish. Didn't do a good job of that last year. We got in some long-yardage situations and we didn't get off the field on 3rd down. You've always got to follow the plan, and to follow the plan we've got to play great defense, we've got to win the turnover battle, can't give up the ball on offense, got to get turnovers on defense.
Win in the red zone. We had some trips down there last year that we weren't able to score, but you've got to win in the red zone and then win the kicking game.
You know, it's exciting, I'm so proud of our players. I'm excited for them, especially our seniors, just their leadership that they have provided this whole camp. I know this, and I told our kids, just enjoy it. Just relax and enjoy it because it's a big-time game on a national stage where everyone is going to get a chance to watch us play.
On whether or not Notre Dame's front four will play into his quarterback decision: Well, that's not going to play into the decision because our front offensive line has got to block them. You're talking about Rochell, you're talking about Jones, and it's going to fall on the shoulders of the offensive linemen be able to block them.
On who will be starting on Sunday: Well, I know who we're going to start, but Sunday we'll see who runs out there.
On why he isn't announcing the starters and letting fans get excited about it: Well, the fans, they'll be fine. You need to know so you can write it. But I'll say this: Both of those guys are competing. It's been a great matchup, and our players and the team is going to know who the starting quarterback is. Some of them probably know, have an idea of who they want.
On how the players will play based on the fans reactions: You know, the thing we have to do, I know so much is played into the quarterback position, but there's other positions -- we've got to play well on defense, too. We've got to play well up front on the offensive line. There's so many other positions got to play well. I know so much weight is played into the quarterback position, but whomever gets the nod, they're going to go out there, be prepared to play.
The game plan will be where they'll be able to execute it, and you have enough around them with the wide receivers, with our running backs that they can make plays.
On players with injuries: You had them all, didn't you? Where did you get that from? You had somebody watching practice. All our players, those injuries, those guys will be back in and they'll be ready to go play.
On why this season will be better than past seasons: Well, you look at now, and you feel like now we're a very talented team. We're young but we're very talented, but also our seniors have been here now and they have worked so hard to get the program headed back in the right direction, and that's what they want.
And the whole team just looked good, just our overall work ethic and they've been around the coaches so they understand exactly what we want and how everything has been approached. I really like this football team, and I told them out there the other day, I just like just their overall attitude, and usually when you talk about their training room in there, you just said it, usually when guys have a bad attitude you see a lot of guys in the training room and guys aren't trying to get back on the field. When you have a team with a good attitude they're all working to get back on the football field, and that's what you're seeing now because at every position it's been so competitive.
On the defensive line and last years game against Notre Dame: Well, you go with Cottrell, you go to Omenihu, Boyette, Poona Ford, Nelson, Naashon, and then you have a bunch of freshmen who's going to be backing them up. But we have to play better up front with our defensive line, and we've got to be able to get off of blocks and make plays and can't allow the run game to get established.
On how a starting quarterback will be determined: Well, they both are going to play, and then whomever the starter is will end up being the starter. The first guy when he runs out there to take that first play, we'll see who the starter is going to be.
On how he will tell the starting quarterback that he is starting this weekend: It'll be way before then. We have an idea, they have an idea who the starter is going to be, and we'll have that conversation with them.
On how he will determine a starting quarterback: Well, you've got to have someone who can win the team over and the players feel comfortable with that player, and then it's got to be someone who can just manage your offense and execute the offense. We've been practicing, we've been seeing who can do that, so that's what the decision is going to come down to.
On how Tyrone has changed over the past year: Well, you have a different scheme now. You have a totally different scheme. You have a chance for both of those, not only Tyrone but even with Tyrone that he has more players around him. If you look at us the last two years, who were our playmakers, we had one or two. Now he has enough around him where you have a running game where you have two big running backs who now -- and you can add in Porter, but you have so many players around him at every position, the tight end position, now you go with Bluiett and Beck, the offensive line is more stable, now you have guys that have been starters that can protect the quarterback. But so much comes into playing, and whomever takes that snap you're going to feel comfortable enough when he runs out there and he's going to have enough confidence in his teammates where he's going to be protected.
On what he learned about the team at fall camp: Well, you know what, it started back in January and just their overall work ethic and how hard they were working and how hard they were working just to build a team themselves. You say so much about, hey, you have to have trust, you have to really like the guys you're around, and you saw that happen. You saw that building within the team, and they have carried that theme over, and it's from January to the summer all the way through fall camp, and you see guys make so much about the game room, but that is something big to me because now you see guys around one another, not so much they have to go in there and play ping-pong or even shoot pool, they can just sit around and just sit down and talk to one another because there used to be a time guys would just grab and just go back to the room and just sit by themselves. But you see that camaraderie being built, and our players are here now and you can ask them later on, but you're just seeing that happening, and that's when the team -- when the seniors start taking ownership of the team, and that's what has happened with this football team, then you see it beginning to change.
On how he is building the anticipation for the game slowly: What we have to do is we have to continue to get the work in, so now they continue to build from Tuesday all the way up to Saturday, and just making sure that they get the looks and they see what they need to see, whether it be on offense, just the different looks on offense, different looks on defense, even in the kicking game. We've just got to make sure that they're aware of everything that's happening around them, where we talk about on offense, they use two quarterbacks -- just defensively there's two quarterbacks you guys are going to face, so this is what their package is and this is what they like to do. But just make sure that we just focus in on what they are doing with their scheme rather than just building a game up, hey, this is -- they feel it now. They know how big this game is. I don't have to say anything to them now.
On if there will be alternating quarterbacks or one set starter: I'm going to hear them anyway. No, when we name the quarterback, he is our starter and he will be the starter unless he gets beat out or something happens to him.
On why he isn't announcing the starting quarterback: Well, I don't need to announce it because you look at him, you're going to have a starter, but the reason why both are going to play is because they deserve to play because of the work they put in, but there's going to be a starting quarterback. Now the next one, whoever plays, you package it where he may go in in the third series of the game or the fourth series of the game, but you're going to play both of them because of the work that they've put in.
On if the starting quarterback will be kept on a long or short leash: How long or short in which way?
On if the quarterback struggles: The starter is going to be the starting quarterback, okay, guys? It's not like we're going to put one in and we're going to pull him all of a sudden because it goes bad for him. You ride it, guys. You have two good players. We've never had this problem before, have we? We've never had a problem where we sat here and talked about the quarterback, which one we really want.
But no, it won't be one where if he goes in and something bad happens where you just all of a sudden pull him out of the game because he still has to get in the flow of the game, he still has to execute the offense, and that's the thing. Something goes bad, you still -- it still has to be that guy you go with.
And the other quarterback is going to get his chance and he's going to play some, but when you watch when we name the starter, that's who's going to play and he's going to get most of the work.
On if the new offense has changed what he looks for in a quarterback: Well, when you look at it now with the quarterback position, it's more of the plays coming in, but he's reading the defense, so he has a chance to either hand the ball off or set the ball outside and get the ball out of his hands. It's more of we're simplifying the game plan to make it very simple for the quarterback, and he doesn't have to go through so many different reads.
On how he balances the work that he puts into the game each week: Well, you know, I told our players that there's enough guys rotating at positions now where sometimes they themselves look at it as they've got to get their legs back, but they'll be ready. When game time comes, they'll be fresh and they'll be ready to go.
On how many freshman could receive legitimate playing time: Well, you go with Collin Johnson. You go with Duvernay at the wide receiver, and then Lil Humphrey will probably get some snaps there. You've got Kyle Porter will probably get -- he's at the running back position. The offensive line is going to depend on how things work out with the offensive line.
On defense, sitting there just thinking, with the freshmen they will have limited roles, but quite a few of them will play, and some of them are going to play in the kicking game.
On what is better about this years team compared to last year: It's a combination of much. You just look at when you think about just their overall attitude and how they go about things now. It used to be a time where you just had to just stay on them to get things done. You don't have to do that anymore. They show up -- when you talk about the training room, they're in the training room and they're making sure that they're taking care of their bodies. A lot of confidence now because they actually believe in one another and they trust one another. We do have some size. We have speed, and we have guys that are athletic and can make plays.
On if the team has made improvements on their ability to get off the field on the third down: Well, we have to tackle better. The thing we didn't do a good job of last year on 3rd down, we didn't tackle. We had times where you were there and we just didn't make the play. But it comes down to we have to be able to make plays and we have to be able to get turnovers and just get off the field, get the ball back for our offense.
On if the players are full bore going into Sunday: No, when we get to Saturday, they should be full bore because when you look at our offensive line, Hodges is fine, Connor Williams is fine, McMillan is working some at the center position right now, and then you look at Big Perk is good, and so with Vahe, Vahe will be able to practice tomorrow. Tristan has been practicing. And then Shack will be worked back in this week.
On comparing this years team to the Louisville team in their third year: Well, it's different than it was in our third year at Louisville because you look at, number one, when you said the quarterback position, there is a totally different player there at quarterback. But some of the other positions, you had some skill, and guys were able to all of a sudden just play well. But it's a totally different football team than the Louisville, and everybody makes a big deal because it's the third year and it's some good things happening, and then usually when you have a good year, things have to happen and have to happen in your favor, and you've got to get some good breaks.
On how getting an official QB starter will affect the teams preparation: Well, it really doesn't because we've had a chance to -- we played against Zaire last year, so we had a chance to see him firsthand, and then with Kizer, it's been enough tape on him where you can watch him and see his athletic ability and see how he runs the offense. We're preparing for both quarterbacks, and I know both quarterbacks are going to play, so it's just a matter of us making sure that whomever is in the game that we handle our business.
On if it is going to take more work than usual to prepare the team: No, because when you look at it, like I said earlier, with Zaire everybody makes a big deal that he can throw the ball, and he threw the ball very well against us last year, and with Kizer, they said that he can't run it, but he had some really good quarterback runs. So their offense -- he did not change. When Zaire went down, they did not change their offense to suit one quarterback. He continued with his offense, and when you have a plan like that, that's what you continue.
On there not being a depth chart today: No. You know what it is, I still have some positions that hasn't really cleared up yet and guys are really competing, and they'll get a chance to battle it out this week. So by the latter part of the week I think we'll get us a depth chart.
On not having announced the quarterback position: (Laughs.)
On if the team worked on tackling this year: Yeah, you always work on it. It's not something you don't do, but you have to improve on it. You always find your mistakes. When you miss a lot of tackles, you have to improve on it and make sure you get better.
On Antwuan Davis: Antwuan has had an outstanding camp, and he's athletic, he's big, he's strong and he's physical, and he can play a lot of different positions in the secondary. He does play some nail but he also plays corner, and he's really valuable on our special teams.
On the size of the crowd this weekend: I know, it's tough.
On what fans are going to see on Sunday night: Well, you should see a football team that's excited, a football team that plays, and they play with a lot of passion and they're excited about what they're doing, and they're going to go out and compete and they're going to go play hard.
On what improvements he wants to see Malik make this year: Just with his leadership role. He's a special player, and even though he's young, he can still provide that leadership that we're looking for, and he has. He's taken steps to do that, and a lot of times when a guy is young they feel they're not old enough yet to really speak out, but he's doing a better job.
On not having a game on Saturday: I know, it'll be tough, and I always tell our guys when we're sitting there on Saturday, just don't get so involved in the other games because we have our game coming up. Just sit there and just enjoy it and watch it. We have some things planned out where we're not just going to sit there and watch somebody else play all day. We're going to wrap ourselves around ourselves.
On how he has changed since he first started coaching here: You know what happens, I think once you walk in here, you look at the first time you're out on the field, my first game, I was kind of excited, and now once you have settled into this job and going into it, the third year now, it's more a focus of just making sure your coaches and your players are really ready to go play, and not that I wasn't, it's just that it's so much that's put into the game, and you just can't get caught up -- that's what I tell our players now. Let's just not get caught up into all the noise. Let's make sure that we stay focused and our preparation is there. We have to play the game. We know we're going to have to go play the game. But just make sure that we study and make sure that we understand that everything we need to know about Notre Dame, and then once we understand that, then everything else is going to take care of itself.
On if he is more comfortable now: Oh, I'm a lot more comfortable. I'm a lot more -- even now when you feel like -- you felt like now with this football team, and I told our team the other day, I said, you know what, I really like this football team now, I really do, because I see guys now that are really coming together and guys that really -- they understand it, and they want to win. Not that they didn't want to in the past, but now it's more than them just talking about it. They're working at it, and they're working hard to get it accomplished.
On if he is excited to see Bevo 15: Love that, and I told our players, it will be the -- that we'll get a chance to see our new Bevo. But for them, they're going to be so locked into that game, the only guys that will probably really get a chance to see him are the guys who come out during pregame because everything else is going to be more focused on the game. But we will get a chance to see Bevo.
On if last year's loss is motivation for this year: You know, it has. We put the game up and we've seen some highlights from the game. But I really just flash them up there and I say, hey, you know what, we're not that team anymore. That's not us. We're a totally different team than we were last season, and I feel like that we've taken those steps to become a better football team. Every now and then I throw something at them just to give them a stick in the side, but it's more I do it just to get them going and just try to get them fired up a little.
On what to expect from Norte Dame's Brian VanGorder: Well, VanGorder, he's not going to change. He is a guy, he loves to bring pressure, and he's going to bring the pressure, and he feels like with his front, with the front that he has that he can get pressure on the quarterback and also bring an extra guy. So it hasn't changed. If you look at them from game by game, they've been solid, and once you feel like that you have a good defense and you've had some success, there's no reason to change it all.
On how he's handling not having a set starting quarterback: Well, really, it's really not -- our problem is a little different. Their problem is in that they've had two starters and they were there, where Buechele hasn't been here. So now you're looking at, with Heard switching positions, Heard came to me and said, hey, Coach, I want to help this football team, and I know where I can help this football team, if I got play wide receiver, and I said, you're more than welcome, go play wide receiver. I said, now, if something was to happen at the quarterback position, I may have to move you back there, barring an injury. He said, that's fine, but I want to help this team, and he's so athletic and he has so much skill, then the other day that's what Kai did. Kai came and said the same thing. He said, I think I can help this football team, and I don't just want to be sitting on the sideline when I know he can help this team in other area.
But when you have that type of attitude with guys where you can see where we were talking about the team moving, you don't have to worry about, hey, you need to go move and a guy challenge you and tell you, no, I'm not going to do it. But that's what's been great.
But our problem is a little different than theirs. You're looking at a guy who's going coming into his senior year, then you have a freshman who's sitting there and they're battling it out. We haven't made such a big deal about it. I don't even make a big deal about it in the locker room. We just go out to practice and our guys go at it and they compete each and every day, and not much is said because they have so much respect for one another. They actually count plays, so as a coach you don't have to say, hey, you're next. They count them and say, hey, now it's my time, and Buechele will say, hey, I'm up, or Swoopes will say, hey, okay, you've got a couple more, so they do it themselves. So that's the respect that they have for one another.
On his relationship with Sterlin Gilbert: You know what, those guys game plan, and they know -- he will always ask, so it's not like he'll make a call. He's going to come on the headset and say, Coach, look here, what are you thinking here, do we need points or we don't need points. I'm always going to say we're going to need points.
But that won't become an issue because I'm not one of those guys who tries to run in and say, no, don't do that. No, that won't become an issue at all. That's only happened to me one time. I just remember one year we was playing a game and I was a defensive coordinator, and I called an all-out blitz, and the coach was walking away, and he turned around and said, oh, please don't do that, Charlie; can we call time-out and talk about it? I said, yeah, we can, but I'm just telling you right now we'll hit the quarterback. We went with it and we hit the quarterback and ended up winning the game.
But no, he has total control.
On this year's kicking game: Well, with our kicking game, you look at Aussie now with Mike, it's amazing how each year his leg just gets stronger and stronger, and it's going to be just fun to watch him hang some out this year.
And getting Domingue was really big for us. We needed a kicker and we needed someone who could hit it through, and he's done a great job in practice. He hardly ever misses in practice. It's good to see that, knowing that you feel like once you get the ball down there you're going to get some added points when we get it down there far enough.
And then with the returners we have so much skill and so much speed. I talk about Jacorey Warrick, and he's had an unbelievable camp, the things he's done. Really I didn't realize how fast he was until I seen him run by some of our defensive backs on some of the vertical routes. He's a guy who can get the ball back in place where we need to get it.
You still have Duvernay. He's quick enough and he's talented enough where he can return them.
We have so much skill set now where guys -- with our returners that we can find us a guy who can get the ball back to where we need to.
On how a freshman can handle this game: You know, I said our freshmen -- and I had meeting with our seniors on Saturday. I met with our seniors, and I said to them, I said that the amazing thing about it is that some of these freshmen, they have not been in this spotlight before. Some of you guys have. So it's going to be so important that you talk to them about it because they are not going to understand when they run out and it's 100,000, I'm just telling you right now, guys, they're going to be all over the place. So they can act like they're not, they can stand around and say, oh, I'm ready. Yeah, we can say we're ready all we want, but I was telling them then, which we were talking about that one time, and we was out there in the stadium practicing, and I had all the freshmen standing there, and I said, now, what are you guys going to do come game day when we're sitting here and this place is going to be crowded. Oh, we'll be fine. They won't be fine. They won't be. I know they won't be.
It's going to be more of us where it's going to be -- you have to like stay on top of them, hey, and I think once they get out there and they get that one play or two, then they'll settle in and everything will be fine. But not up until that point because they have no idea, no idea yet what they're getting ready to step into, especially Saturday with it being a nationally televised game, with a sold-out crowd, with the buildup, and that's what we've got to be careful of because we've got so many freshmen that we plan on playing, just the buildup and just that moment is going to be -- it's going to be a special moment, but it's going to be also where we have to be able to manage our younger players.
On what he's seen from the offensive line: You know, a guy that really doesn't say a lot is Kent Perkins. We were in a team meeting one night, and he raised his hand and said, Coach, I have something to say. You know I don't say much, but this is where I feel like this football team, what we have to get done, so whenever -- it's almost like E.F. Hutton, whenever he speaks everybody listens because they have so much respect for him because he doesn't say much. But he was just talking about just how physical they're going to have to play as an offensive line.
He wasn't calling them out, but he was just saying, hey, it's going to fall on us as a offensive line. It doesn't matter who the quarterback is. We've got these two big running backs back here and we have to protect whomever lines up at quarterback.
But when you look at Perk and then you look at Connor and you look at two guys and Vahe, there's three starters right there that play some, and even with Tristan last year, now with Hodges being in the mix, the center position with Shack being down, with McMillan coming in, and I said last year, when McMillan was on defense, I said to him last year, I said, I think you may be a center, and he fought me on it forever. No way, Coach, I'm a defensive lineman. I said, I'm just telling you right now, I think you are a center.
So finally when I moved him there, now he's like, I'm so glad you moved me. But he fought me on it for about three or four months, and I said, okay, then just stay at D-line, you're fine.
But it's just -- that's what's going to be key. Like you said, whomever lines up at quarterback we've got to protect him, and we've just got to make sure that he gets the ball out, but our offensive line is going to be key.
