The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Tracking the Longhorns: Todd Orlando and Tim Beck media availability
10.11.2017 | Football
Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and offensive coordinator Tim Beck met with the media on Wednesday night.
Defensive Coordinator Todd Orlando
On blueprint to beat Baker Mayfield since he beat them last year with Houston: I don't know if it's part of it. They are a different football club at a different institution. They are taking a lot of pride in running the football. I think a lot of people, you know Baker gets a lot of credit, but they're big and physical up front so obviously it starts with that. As much as everyone loves Baker's numbers, their backs are really, really hard and big up front. So that will be the start of it. They are just very efficient right now. I don't know exactly what the numbers are. I thought I knew it's probably in the eight yards per play range, so do the math. If you are running 70 or 80 plays that is a lot of yards. They are being really efficient too.
On if it helps preparation that Oklahoma has the same coach in charge of offense: Yes it does. But they are saying the same thing about us to. The thing that is kind of unique with this is we are very similar defensively than what they are too. We see it every day. There are a lot of similarities in terms of what we run and what they run. Offensively there is some decent carry over from what they do and what we do. So it will be interesting. Nobody is fooling anybody, I can tell you that part of it. It is going to come down to who is the most physical and who can execute the best.
On how Oklahoma changes their running backs a lot: Yes they do, they keep them fresh. But that's normal stuff. If you go up tempo, that is the advantage offensively. For us, normally, your best guys are your best guys. Through recruiting you can roll some guys in there. But from a running-back standpoint if you go in there fast and get somebody tired, and are able to bring in fast and powerful guys every other play, it is fresh legs out there versus a tired bunch. You can break a lot of tackles and make some explosive plays. (Trey) Sermon, to me that kid is going to be just an absolute freak show when he gets older. I mean not that he isn't right now but as a freshman that is doing some of the stuff he is doing, golly he is impressive.
On what he learned from the Texas defense after watching film: Some of the stuff I was a little disappointed on just getting off of blocks. Some of the QB run stuff I was disappointed in. I think were times, especially inside, where we ran underneath blocks. I didn't think we were real stout up front towards that. But the one thing I was proud of was that we had that stretch going into it where we finished the game. When you get into a league like this, if you think you're going to blow everybody out and that stuff, every game is going to go down like an NBA game. It's like there are so many swings in this game and when it gets to the fourth quarter it is crunch time. That is where I thought we did a decent job of making some plays toward the end of the game to at least give ourselves a chance to win.
On the explosive plays Texas gave up on the passing: That is schematically, to me, we are not devising defenses where a guy is going to go touch for any yards. So that's a break down.
On Brandon Jones' growth this season: I think from my standpoint because of his speed I would like to see a little bit more out of him. But I also understand his youth and he didn't play a ton last year. So I am reasonable with that. He is the guy we are counting on because he has big speed. So as far as where he's at, I'm happy with him. Any coach would say they would want more. But I am not at all. For putting him in where he wasn't a starter, and letting him begin a starting role I am really happy with him.
On guys he needs to see more of and guys that have surpassed his expectations so far this season: I think Charles (Omenihu) has. I don't know how much I expected Charles to do. I think Charles is playing some really solid ball. Chris Nelson is another guy. Holton (Hill) and DeShon (Elliott) I think are guys, even Malik (Jefferson) has made strides. I know we all thought what Malik was last year but I think he has made some strides forward. There are some guys that we talked about them before hand, we need to see guys like Chris, Malcolm (Roach), I'd like to see a little bit more just based on stuff that I've seen in the past. I've seen Malcolm take over games before. I've seen Chris be the lock down guy that we all think he is. There are a couple guys here that I want to see more of.
On how Malik Jefferson has grown this year: I just think it is the hardness standpoint. I think he carries himself a different way. I think beforehand if he would get banged up a little bit he would dip his head down and make sure everybody knew he was hurt. I think there is less of that and it is where he is taking pride in the physicality part. You saw the one play he made on the one option, those are like the five percenters we talked about here. Where it's like that's great you did it once, but I need three of those a game. You do that, then to me you are a difference maker to go along with doing your job at a high level. Those are the things that I have seen the most out of him at a high level. Just the way he is carry himself and the respect he is starting to get with his teammates. I think his teammates look at him and when he says something, because he is a very, very intelligent guy, and a lot of the stuff he says is really good stuff in terms of leadership. But the first part you have to do is by action. I'm going to follow you Malik, when I see you be physical when you are going reckless to the football. That will speak more than his words. I think that is what he is starting to do. When he is starting to talk now, people are like okay lets listen. That is probably the biggest thing I have seen him improve at. When you see something that he doesn't like, whether it is in the practice field or in a meeting room, he is going to say something. Those kids will respond to it.
On what keeps him up at night about this current group: I don't think it's that. Part of it is I just want our practice habits, being pros, and meetings, understanding that it is not collectively coming in here for the two hours a day and saying that is it. You can't be great. I just want out guys to think about all the stuff they have learned in their life, if they had just had an allotted time to do that they wouldn't be great. So they have done things on their own, they have taken care of their bodies. There is so much that goes into being great players. To me that is coaching more than anything else. So if Malik thinks he can come in this building for the hour meeting that he has and the two hours he has on the practice field and be a great one, then I think that is delusional. I think what he has to do is understand that he has to go down and get treatment, put on the film, not that he's not, I'm just bringing him up as an example. I would like to see collectively our group, especially the first 22 guys, on the first and second team, do that at a high level. I think sometimes you get into it where it is like hey Orlando is going to give me all the answers to the test, we will be fine. It doesn't work that way. It is what you do collectively on your own, kind of behind the scenes when nobody knows. Then they have a great play and ask how'd you know that and its because they watched tape.
On if the guys know the playbook and are just practicing their craft now: Yes. I am very mindful of going in there and saying here are four or five different things. Because I am realistic. We are not in our second year like where at Houston when kids could understand exactly what we want. We have to be mindful of that. There are so many fundamental, technique, eye discipline stuff that is on the film right now, and if you start changing stuff it will get massively worse, we won't be able to get lined up, and we will give them plays. That is the biggest thing I don't want us to do. Go up there, not know how to line up, and here's seven points, here's 14, here's 21. Then next thing you know we have no chance of winning the ball game.
On the importance of not letting Baker Mayfield make plays: Yeah absolutely. We started that within the last couple of days. We would have seven on seven scout lead. And it would be like hey scramble around and scramble around again. Stay in your windows. All of the sudden he's going to run the ball or draw you in and throw the ball. Absolutely, that's what he does great. He keeps his head down on the field and he can run and throw with the best of them. So he's a major, major issue to a lot of defenses.
Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck
On his experience against the Oklahoma team last year: You know just I think they're a different team obviously this year than last year. They're obviously more experienced. You know I grew up around Mike and Bob. I've known them for my whole life. They're well coached defensively. They're a very athletic, physical team, and very multiple this year. So it's going to be a challenge for our guys to go out there at a really high level.
On (Sam) Ehlinger's performance against Kansas State: I though Sam played well, better than well I thought he played very well. You know he made a lot of plays. He played with a lot of passion and a lot of juice. That's the one thing he brings out to the offense and I really like that. He still has to fix a few things. I told him, "You played fast." That's the part I liked. He made a decision and he lived with it whether it was right or wrong. He probably had some throws that he could have threw instead of running, but he played fast and he made plays. I don't want to take that away from him I want him to continue to do that because when guys play hard or they put their foot in the ground as Coach Hermann says and go really really hard usually good things happen.
On how he feels about Sam running over a defender: Sure. Absolutely love that. Toughest guy on your team has got to be your quarterback because that's the nature of your football team. Whether he likes it or any quarterback likes it or not they're the leader because it says QB next to their name. So when he can play like that and be a physical player, play with a lot of juice, and go really fast usually the offense is probably doing the same.
On if there is a balance between when Sam should run it versus throwing it: Well there isn't. I mean you can over coach. That's one of the biggest things coaches do that's wrong is that we over coach. That's our job and we think we have to critique every single play. I want them to play fast that's what I want them to do. My job is to continue to coach him. He's a young pup and he's learning. He's seeing multiple fronts and coverages I think for probably the first time in his life. So he is going to make some mistakes. I want him to protect the football, move the offense, and play really fast.
On running backs: I like the guys. I really do think that it is a running back by committee. There is strength that each one of those guys possess. I think that all of them can do everything. There's no one that can't catch a pass, but some guys catch it better than others. All of them can block, but some guys can block better than others. All of them can run inside zones, but some of them can run better than others. So our job as we continue to grow and see these guys is to try to put the best players in the best positions at the best times for the best plays. We continue to develop their weaknesses so to speak so they can play all the time. That's kind of what we have been doing to them.
On rotations and if he calls specific players for drives: Not necessarily. Like we have talked in here many, many times Stan Drayton is a great football coach and I trust him. And he knows. He knows what his guys are good at and what they're not good at. He knows when they need a break or don't need a break. He knows that group. He can look into their eyes and see this guy is ready or this guy ehh, maybe he's not maybe he needs a play. So whoever he puts in their I trust 100%.
On the offensive line: I thought that line played really well. I was really proud of the tackles. For two young guys going out there it was a great spot. I thought Derek has been playing really well for us. Denzel probably played his best game by far from all things gathered. The inside guys have been pretty solid all year long. That groups coming together. Just like we are in offense, we're starting to slowly come together. It's a young group. We will continue to improve that's the goal to just get better, play really hard, and protect the football.
On the confidence gained from Kansas State: I think a lot. I think that Iowa State was too full. I do believe there was a part of the different defensive structure because we played hesitant. USC in that last quarter and a half we didn't play as confident. Kansas State we didn't play hesitant. So you have to think we just weren't sure what to do. Again it wasn't awful, it was just penalties, turnovers, and things like that. If we don't hurt ourselves we can be pretty good. That's been the case all year. We have been hurting ourselves with penalties and turnovers which any coach will stand up and tell you.
On what needs to change in order to be more efficient in the red zone: That's a good question. I don't know there's a couple different things that took place. Everybody kind of has a little bit different package in the red zone so you have to figure them out a little bit. So once we figured out kind of what was going on there we can be a little bit more efficient down there. We probably need to do a better job and I need to do a better job of having an all purpose plan to be in place as opposed to very specific "they're going to do this," and you get down there and they don't. And then you're like now what? Where do you go? And then you go to the drawing board on the sideline and come up with a few things and you're able to be efficient from there forward. Now we are, but early on we weren't.
