Dominating Defense - Part I of the Texas team preview

[HornSports Staff]

Mike Roach did an excellent job of previewing the Texas defense - DOMINATING DEFENSE

This is the first part of a four piece in-depth preview of the team.

Let's talk football!

 

[Mike Roach]

Lots of questions in the secondary.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

I'm really interested to see if a CB steps up or a S does - right now, Diggs, Thomas & Thompson are the first three. A nickel allows for both positions, but if Strong & Bedford only play 4 in their base, then it's one or the other.

 

[echeese]

Good write up though I would mention true Freshman Derrick Robinson whose explosive speed off the edge likely means he'll contribute this year and be a 3-4 year guy here with no red shirt.. . .

At LB, I will not be at all surprised to see Nasshon Hughes emerge in the 2 deep as the 1st or 2nd LB off the bench. . . 

DB depth not only worries me this year, but next as well . ..young guys better have shown up ready to play .. . .

 

[Mike Roach]

I'm not sure about Roberson unless the depth demands it. Awesome player but is his pass rush enough to warrant significant enough playing time? He's on the bubble for redshirt

 

[echeese]

I'm not sure about Roberson unless the depth demands it. Awesome player but is his pass rush enough to warrant significant enough playing time? He's on the bubble for redshirt

?

BigXII is a pass happy conference. . . ..I'll wager lunch that DR contributes early and often. . . .if we were an SEC team, then I think he might shirt

Nor do I think he's on the bubble, think he's already plugged in to Rumph's rotation .. .. . .just my view from the cheap seats

 

[Matt Cotcher]

Safe to say that Reed, Shiro & Bluiett are the 1st three.

After that it gets interesting - Roberson v Cottrell for the 4th spot. But it's not that simple....if the coaches like Ford or Nelson more they could preserve Roberson by sliding Ridgeway outside and going with a big lineup up front.

Or they could play a 3-front and use another LB if they like the talent there.

From talking to coaches, the one thing I'm confident of is that they'll put their best 11 on the field, regardless of what position they're listed at on the roster.

 

[Mike Roach]

From what I gather, Charlie Strong and Chris Rumph aren't about putting guys out there with one tool. I think he could use a year to bulk up, but Orakpo did play at about that size his first year.

For me he's a bubble guy because I don't have a good enough read on Charlie's red shirting policy until I see it in action.

I'd love to have lunch sometime though Chuck so I'll take your wager

 

[echeese]

From what I gather, Charlie Strong and Chris Rumph aren't about putting guys out there with one tool. I think he could use a year to bulk up, but Orakpo did play at about that size his first year.

For me he's a bubble guy because I don't have a good enough read on Charlie's red shirting policy until I see it in action.

I'd love to have lunch sometime though Chuck so I'll take your wager

Anytime. . . .I travel too .. . .NTG and I are plotting a Strawn trip for some Mary's CFS. ..and I don't mean Charlie F Strong. . . .

 

[java]

I know cheese, you are talking about Church's Fried Chicken.  Got it!  Sounds just yummy.

 

[java]

Very good article.

Interesting.  A great D line can make a secondary look great, and a bad D line can make the best secondary look mediocre.

I can't look at any of Mack's assistants objectively because of his meddling, with the sole exception of Tim Nunez and Manny Diaz.  I heard enough feedback from former UT players to know the man had no clue about coaching offensive linemen.  Seriously.  It was my understanding that Greg Robinson agreed to take over for Manny under the the condition that he, alone, was in charge of the defense.  There was to be no interference from Mack, or from anyone else.  Mack agreed.  What choice did he have?  He can't coach offense, much less defense.

We will have no idea what we with this team until they play the first game.  There is a new energy, and a new confidence that radiates from the team.  Watch a Bull in the Ring drill from Spring Drills and watch the one from Sunday, you can see the difference.  Some of that comes from physical conditioning, and some of it comes from their confidence in their coaches, teammates and themselves.

No games.  Strong doesn't play mind games with them.  Think about the way that Strong handled the quarterback situation compared to the way it was handled in 2013.  Each and every one of us knew the Case was not a Division I quarterback, yet Brewer was told he was third string and all Spring and Summer all we heard in 2013 was that Mack didn't know who his quarterback was.  I have no idea what that was all about.  It was manipulative and destructive.  What kind of mind games did he play with Simms and Gilbert, and how did it impact them?  

Ash is fortunate to have Strong and Watson.  He can train.  He is the starting quarterback.  He knows it.  The team knows it.  They will look to him for leadership.  His game should improve tremendously.  Let's pray for his good health and the health of his offensive line.

Linebackers and defensive backs will benefit from good coaching, teamwork, and a cohesive scheme.  The best players will play.  It's so straightforward, and it's so simple.  I don't think we can predict anything from last year about either of these units.  

For at least three years, this team has played under a very dysfunctional coaching staff.  That can be placed at the feet of only one person.  Mack Brown.  He had every resource imaginable at his disposal, but he allowed distraction after distraction to impact 'our' team.  He would consider it his team, but it wasn't, it was our team.  It is Texas Football, not Mack Brown Texas Football.

I am anxious to see what our talented players can do with coaches who care about them, are invested in their well-being, are accomplished and dedicated, and are willing to invest the necessary time and energy to see them succeed.

Hook 'em!

 

[java]

I pulled one of the Toughness Training books that I have by James E. Loehr, Ed D., from my bookshelf today.  This afternoon there was time to go over a few of the notes I made when reading it years ago.  Many of the Principles of Toughness Training correlate to what Coach Strong is doing, at least to an outside observer.

At some point, when I locate my copy of Toughness Training for Sports, I thought that I would share some of it with you.  Rather than psychological mumbo jumbo, his work seems very practical, which is why I like it.  For example, he defines Mental Toughness as flexibility, responsiveness, strength, and resiliency, in pressure filled situations.  This is achieved, and I am paraphrasing, with both physical and mental training.  Exposing your body to stressors, allowing for recovery, rinse and repeat.

This sports psychologist is the individual that worked with Dan Jansen (remember who he is?), and he finally won the gold.  He also worked with Monica Seles, tennis player (I believe she was attacked by a fan during a match), to help her overcome her fear.

Anyway, starting my workout program again and need all the encouragement I can get.  If you want any information on how his model for athletes compares to what we see from Strong, let me know.

Hook 'em!

 

[Matt Cotcher]

 Rather than psychological mumbo jumbo, his work seems very practical, which is why I like it.  For example, he defines Mental Toughness as flexibility, responsiveness, strength, and resiliency, in pressure filled situations.  This is achieved, and I am paraphrasing, with both physical and mental training.  Exposing your body to stressors, allowing for recovery, rinse and repeat.

If you listen to Admiral Chancellor McRaven's commencement speech, he acknowledges the merit of this style of training.

 

[java]

Yes, Loehr, in his books highlights the similarities and differences in military training and training for sports.  There are many, many similarities.  The differences are the obvious ones, such as, marching vs. no marching, survival training vs. no survival training, weapons training vs. no weapons training, and so on.

The similarities are astounding.  He even goes briefly into the biochemical reactions experienced in the body by a properly trained individual, when experiencing stress.  Thus allowing faster reaction time as opposed to slower reaction time.  

the complexity involved in properly training an elite athlete is quite amazing!

 

[Mike Roach]

Java

Thanks for your thoughts and taking the time to read. I agree with your thoughts on the coordinators. To me, Mack is a bit like Jerry Jones in this sense. He's gotten his best defensive performances out of coordinators who demand autonomy. Chizik, Robinson, and Muschamp are guys that absolutely demand it. Just like Jerry has gotten his best seasons out of head coaches who demand it like Jimmy and Parcells.

I'd stack the talent on this defensive line up against anyone in the nation and I'm actually more optimistic than most about linebackers. Frankly, safety scares the hell out of me right now. Depth overall is also an issue, but the staff if trying to fix that. Bottom line is, there's a true football man at the helm now and I believe by next year he will have this defense playing his type of ball. We are going to see some growing pains but we are also going to see some surprises I think.

I know it's been reiterated a lot, but everyone I've talked to that is connected to the program has mentioned the words "tough" and "physical" when asked to describe the mood. The bottom line is that the team will take on the attitude of the head coach.

 

[drgilbert]

So we are going to be toughycal. Gotta love it. Sorry I was feeling creative and wanted to make up a word.

 

[java]

Java

Thanks for your thoughts and taking the time to read. I agree with your thoughts on the coordinators. To me, Mack is a bit like Jerry Jones in this sense. He's gotten his best defensive performances out of coordinators who demand autonomy. Chizik, Robinson, and Muschamp are guys that absolutely demand it. Just like Jerry has gotten his best seasons out of head coaches who demand it like Jimmy and Parcells.

I'd stack the talent on this defensive line up against anyone in the nation and I'm actually more optimistic than most about linebackers. Frankly, safety scares the hell out of me right now. Depth overall is also an issue, but the staff if trying to fix that. Bottom line is, there's a true football man at the helm now and I believe by next year he will have this defense playing his type of ball. We are going to see some growing pains but we are also going to see some surprises I think.

I know it's been reiterated a lot, but everyone I've talked to that is connected to the program has mentioned the words "tough" and "physical" when asked to describe the mood. The bottom line is that the team will take on the attitude of the head coach.

Thanks, Mike.

I've been feeling like a kid in the candy store every time I read an article detailing what Strong is doing.  It's good to know there is someone out there that feels the same way.  Your comparison of Mack and Jerry is excellent.  I never thought of it that way, but I am a huge Cowboy fan that has given up hope as long as Jerry maintains control.

I am concerned about safety, too.  My hope is that Akina was so busy protecting his turf from Diaz, he didn't coach these guys the way he has in the past.  If not that, then my hope is they were running two uncoordinated game plans.  We know we will get the entire package with Bedford/Strong.

Tough and physical sounds outstanding right now.  I don't know how Mack ended up as a coach.  Did he change that much?  How did he get by Royal, English, and the rest of the guys that interviewed him?  It beats me.

Hook 'em!

 

[Mike Roach]

That's a subject I think about a lot. You don't reach the levels Mack reached without being a good coach. I think Mack saw the truth in the line from The Dark Knight "you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." He obviously got comfortable after winning the national championship and became more obsessed with preserving his legacy than improving it, but it doesn't change the fact that the run of success he had at Texas was one of the best a coach could hope for. He's certainly not the same style as coach strong, but it's been proven that both styles can work. Eventually every coach just loses the handle if they stay long enough. Mack found himself in a weird position as the guy who saved the program and the man who ultimately saw to its downfall. I've thought about this so much, I've considered authoring his biography lol.

 

[HornEsch]

With the background of this staff, defense is the area I am expecting a faster return on investment. Even with that thought, it takes time to mold these young men into all they can be. To me the DL is the quickest fix due to talent. As mentioned that can cover up issues with the back 7 while they get caught up with the new scheme and CS filters out the weak links.