Matt Cotcher
Under Contract
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2014
- Messages
- 4,968
1. I’ve always been a fan of the mental side of football. Especially in college, I think it’s very underappreciated. It’s also one of the key problems with this year’s Texas team – this team looks like they’re all thinking instead of playing.
That point was reinforced for me while I watched Cincinnati vs Tulane last night. There were several players in the game that played faster than anyone on Texas is at the moment. I thought, “This is Tulane and they look faster than Texas at key spots.â€
I don’t buy the talent argument…the players on the Texas roster are all extremely talented. They might not be Top 10 talents, but the talent on the roster is far & away better than the majority of teams in D1.
With that thought, perhaps the most important thing for Texas coaches to do tonight is to get the players to loosen up, relax and remember that football is fun. That sounds hokey, but these players are 20 years old…the mental part of the game is enormously important.
2. On defense, it all starts with the defensive line tonight. We’ve said it throughout the year, but against Tech the performance of the DL will make or break the defense. Since Tank went down, the DL has taken a step back, but tonight they need to find their “beast modeâ€. The LB & DB units both look better when the guys up front are wrecking shop.
3. I know, I know - it’s Lubbock…at night…on Halloween weekend. Everyone is expecting crazy stuff from this game, but as a player pointed out to me this week – when the ball kicks off, it’s their 11 against our 11 and none of that matters. Can these young Horns shut off all the distractions and do their job tonight? If each player turns this into a 1-on-1 battle, the Longhorns win easily.
4. Tonight’s game is the perfect opportunity for the OL and the RB’s to find their groove and gain confidence. This game is going to be interesting from a play calling perspective…it will look like everything is open to Shawn Watson up in the booth. Will he stay with a clock-churning rushing attack, or will he opt for the opportunities provided by Tech? With the critical home stretch starting next weekend with WVU in Austin, it will be telling to see how Watson chooses to build confidence.
5. After the game, Bryce Petty said that he had no idea where the pressure was going to come from when he looked over the Texas defense. Whether it’s Webb or Mahomes, I expect a lot of that tonight. Bedford knows the Tech quarterback will get rid of the ball in a hurry. Even if the defense isn’t racking up sacks or pressures, making a quarterback uneasy before the snap (by disguising coverages and blitzes) is half the battle.
6. Kent Perkins is more important in this game than Daje Johnson. Texas has enough skill to beat Tech without Johnson. They can also win without Perkins, but having Big Perk on the line tonight would be beneficial for next weekend.
That point was reinforced for me while I watched Cincinnati vs Tulane last night. There were several players in the game that played faster than anyone on Texas is at the moment. I thought, “This is Tulane and they look faster than Texas at key spots.â€
I don’t buy the talent argument…the players on the Texas roster are all extremely talented. They might not be Top 10 talents, but the talent on the roster is far & away better than the majority of teams in D1.
With that thought, perhaps the most important thing for Texas coaches to do tonight is to get the players to loosen up, relax and remember that football is fun. That sounds hokey, but these players are 20 years old…the mental part of the game is enormously important.
2. On defense, it all starts with the defensive line tonight. We’ve said it throughout the year, but against Tech the performance of the DL will make or break the defense. Since Tank went down, the DL has taken a step back, but tonight they need to find their “beast modeâ€. The LB & DB units both look better when the guys up front are wrecking shop.
3. I know, I know - it’s Lubbock…at night…on Halloween weekend. Everyone is expecting crazy stuff from this game, but as a player pointed out to me this week – when the ball kicks off, it’s their 11 against our 11 and none of that matters. Can these young Horns shut off all the distractions and do their job tonight? If each player turns this into a 1-on-1 battle, the Longhorns win easily.
4. Tonight’s game is the perfect opportunity for the OL and the RB’s to find their groove and gain confidence. This game is going to be interesting from a play calling perspective…it will look like everything is open to Shawn Watson up in the booth. Will he stay with a clock-churning rushing attack, or will he opt for the opportunities provided by Tech? With the critical home stretch starting next weekend with WVU in Austin, it will be telling to see how Watson chooses to build confidence.
5. After the game, Bryce Petty said that he had no idea where the pressure was going to come from when he looked over the Texas defense. Whether it’s Webb or Mahomes, I expect a lot of that tonight. Bedford knows the Tech quarterback will get rid of the ball in a hurry. Even if the defense isn’t racking up sacks or pressures, making a quarterback uneasy before the snap (by disguising coverages and blitzes) is half the battle.
6. Kent Perkins is more important in this game than Daje Johnson. Texas has enough skill to beat Tech without Johnson. They can also win without Perkins, but having Big Perk on the line tonight would be beneficial for next weekend.
