Decoding Bellmont after a humbling 23-0 loss

[Matt Cotcher]

Charlie Strong: “We have got to figure out what we have to put together to play the game. One week it is the offense, one week it is the defense, and one week it is the special teams. All three phases have to play well and that is the only way we are going to win games. We had our chances and we just did not take advantage of them.”

Reading between the lines – This team is like whack-a-mole…just when you think you need to focus on one particular area, it’s a different one that causes the problem. What is left unsaid is that when one unit of the team doesn’t perform, they do it in such spectacular fashion that it hinders one (or both) of the other two units. At this point, average play from all three phases (at the same time) would be an improvement.



John Harris: “I do not really have an answer. We just did not make good plays.”

Reading between the lines – John, if someone had an answer it wouldn’t still be happening after 7 games.



Charlie Strong: “I like the way our guys went out and competed but you still cannot give away opportunities. We gave them too many opportunities.”

Reading between the lines – Coach Strong had to say something positive – it’s part of the show. Notice that he chose a vague term that can be argued. There was nothing positive to say about execution, fundamentals, or even toughness. It is a mistake to assume those absences were lost on Coach Strong.



Cedric Reed: “We kind of gave in.”

Reading between the lines – Several players declined talking to the media. Perhaps Reed should have joined them.



Charlie Strong: “Last week he [Tyrone Swoopes] made those throws and made a lot of plays. We would have liked to see that today since it was there for him. He just did not make them into plays when we had the chances to get it done.”

Reading between the lines – No punches pulled here. Along with the fans, Strong’s expectations of Swoopes went up over the last two games. Swoopes did not meet those expectations in Manhattan and Strong was realistic about it. Tough love at it’s finest.



Tyrone Swoopes: “They did not do anything we did not expect. We practiced against it all week. We just were not able to execute any plays today to have a strong drive. They are a good team, but we did not make the plays we needed to.”

Reading between the lines – That’s a young player that is taking responsibility for the team’s offensive performance instead of taking the easy road and crediting the other team. With plenty of blame to go around on his side of the ball, Swoopes’ pronoun usage is correct.



Charlie Strong: “We thought we had a game plan.”

Reading between the lines – With an emphasis on the word ‘thought’, Strong said this in utter disgust. Whether the team failed to execute the game plan, or KSU took the plan away with their play, the fact is that Texas appeared to be a disconnected series of pieces all afternoon on Saturday.



John Harris: “Maybe we did not get some calls that might have changed things, but at the end of the day we did not make the plays we needed to. We got down there and just let ourselves down.”

Reading between the lines – Another player that didn’t blame the other team or referees and chose to accept responsibility for the lacking performance. The only question is whether Harris (or anyone else on offense) is saying these things during the game instead of waiting until afterwards.



Bill Snyder: “We did not turn the ball over, and we did create a few big plays that were significant in the ball game…not [as] significant as being able to hold possession of the ball game. We had substantial time. It was two to one possession time. That was important.”

Reading between the lines – Breaking news: Kansas State is sound fundamentally and executes well. Snyder was pleased with his team after the game. Strong was not. It seemed like Texas’ gameplan was to do the things K-State was able to do. Trying to out-KSU at their own approach to the game, in Manhattan, is not a wise gameplan.



Bill Snyder: “My concern was that they were going to take [Marcus] Johnson and fly him down the field and try to throw over the top of us, or they were going to take [John] Harris and run him down the field and just have the jump balls out there. They did that a couple of times, but we played the vast majority of those well.”

Reading between the lines – The game within the game. Swoopes didn’t have time to attack the deep zones of the Wildcat defense. Whether that is a credit to KSU or a fault of the Longhorns is open for discussion. 

 

[Jedi Day]

This game was brutal to watch. It seems youth versus sound fundamentals is a losing proposition. The thing that concerns me most is the seeming lack of emotion.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

The thing that concerns me most is the seeming lack of emotion.

When the defense produced drive-killing stops early and held KSU to field goals, there was no jumping around or celebrating. That was a sign, IMO.

 

[Lukus Alderman]

Trying to out-KSU at their own approach to the game, in Manhattan, is not a wise gameplan.[/font]

This is our season in a nutshell. Strong wants to win by controlling the clock on offense and dominating on defense.

Unfortunately, it takes discipline to do that and we just don't have it yet.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

It's interesting to me that the two teams that play how Strong wants Texas to play (BYU and KSU) are the two teams that beat Texas the most soundly.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

Early opinions on how Texas and/or Tech responds after ugly weeks?

 

[North Texas Golfer]

Early opinions on how Texas and/or Tech responds after ugly weeks?

 

[North Texas Golfer]

This site frustrates me from time to time. Won't let copy and paste and just now I replied to Matt and it doesn't show my reply but does show his quote.

He asked for opinions about the Texas/TTech game and this is what I think.

Bottom line, this is an absolute must win game for Texas. Lose this game and the team and program takes a big hit that will a long time to recover from. I'm still not completely sold on C. Strong and his staff and if Texas loses this game it will make me wonder if they, meaning Charlie and his staff, have what it takes to coach and run a big time program.

 

[echeese]

Bill Snyder: “We did not turn the ball over, and we did create a few big plays that were significant in the ball game…not [as] significant as being able to hold possession of the ball game. We had substantial time. It was two to one possession time. That was important.â€

Reading between the lines – Breaking news: Kansas State is sound fundamentally and executes well. Snyder was pleased with his team after the game. Strong was not. It seemed like Texas’ gameplan was to do the things K-State was able to do. Trying to out-KSU at their own approach to the game, in Manhattan, is not a wise gameplan.

I think the biggest mistake people and teams can make is trying to be something you are not . .. .

I think our gameplan was generally very wise (exceptions noted in the cheap seats). . .it was piss poorly executed.

We sustain drives and score some points, we very well might have forced KSU out of their gameplan. . .. . 

Face it, Swoopes ever learns to throw a deep ball, we had them beat several times. . . .D holds the bad guys to 23. . . we should win.