Coleman Feeley
On the line
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2013
- Messages
- 177
submitted Today, 07:20 PM in Texas Longhorns Football By Coleman Feeley
Finally...the pads come on. In college football it is impossible to separate players from contact. Even when precautionary steps are taken and players are told to hold off, contact is inevitable. There is a small community of people who believe the risk of injury out-weighs the positive work achieved with full contact in practice, but if you can’t hit, you can’t play.
Each day spring practice in Austin starts off with a bang. Many fans know it as the “Oklahoma Drillâ€; however, I’m sure it goes by a different name while wearing Burnt Orange. This 3-on-3 drill is all about contact and tells coaches more than you’d think about the players based on who’s willing to hit and get the job done. Spring football is all about recognizing and assessing talent, and developing that talent – more accurately, devising a plan to develop that talent to help the team win games. When spring football is concluded, these coaches will then be charged with not only building a preliminary depth chart for the start of fall practice, but a game plan for the season as well.
Developments this spring are starting to hint at the evolution of this Longhorn football team. Early last season we saw Tyrone Swoopes take snaps under center in an attempt to operate a more traditional run-based offense. As the season progressed, Swoopes’ talents encouraged the Texas coaches to integrate more spread and shotgun style formations while still keeping a focus on the run. One of the largest complaints from last season is that Texas’ ‘zone read’ didn’t seem to put much emphasis on the ‘read’ aspect of the play. That does not seem to be an issue this spring. While Coach Strong hasn’t said flat out that he wants his quarterbacks to run more, his history as a coach and Texas’ spring practices reveal that a mobile quarterback is in his plan.
The talents available to the Texas coaches are shaping the offense into more of a spread-based attack. Texas has been utilizing up-tempo play calling along with more simple read-based plays; and from the first group to the second group there doesn’t seem to be a change in the style of play calling. Many people would assume that observation as a given, but it indicates that, regardless of who starts at quarterback (Swoopes or Heard), the position will be played in the same fashion.
Let me introduce you to a previous staple of Texas football and what we should all prepare to call “our bread and butter†(fig 1).
High tempo play calling, like anything else, has its positives and negatives. By utilizing high tempo play calling, offenses are able to keep the pressure on a defense. Generally, while defending against an up-tempo offense, teams must play conservatively to keep their ‘gap integrity’. This almost guarantees the offensive line will not encounter complicated blitzes or defensive fronts that are difficult to block.
The disadvantages to a high tempo offense, however, are of a similar nature. If you operate at a quicker pace, you limit the complexity of your own offensive formations and plays. The biggest pre-play advantage an offense has is the fact that they know the play and the defense doesn’t – If a team eliminates the number of formations and plays they run, then that air of mystery begins to evaporate, making it a near necessity to increase the tempo.
With this style of play calling, Texas will be sure to score some points and move the ball, but the offense will only go as the offensive line goes. The good news on this front is that Joe Wickline has been recruiting lineman for just that purpose – lineman like Connor Williams, a former high school tight end from Coppell… he will start next year. Williams isn’t at the top of the depth chart today, but this kid is the real deal.
Expect Texas coaches to keep testing and working their players throughout the spring. Coach Strong made it clear that he needs his best players to play. He also made it clear that, regardless of popular opinion, his choices will ultimately decide who the starters will be. Coach Strong has a firm grip on this team and I expect him to keep that hold.
