Strong faces test with Texas
New coach looks to shore up defense
The Orlando Sentinel’s college insider Matt Murschel has ranked all 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2014 season. The Sentinel staff will take a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 128 to our projected No. 1team.
Today at No. 47: Texas Longhorns
Coach: Charlie Strong (0-0, entering first season; 37-15 overall)
2013 record: 8-5 (7-2 in Big 12 Conference, tied for second)
Look back: Tumultuous would be too kind of aword for the kind of season Texas went through in 2013. The Longhorns were coming off an eight-win campaign and expectations were high around the program, especially with 19 returning starters. Texas opened the season by beating New Mexico State, but suffered a tremendous loss to BYU. In that game, the Longhorns allowed the Cougars to rack up more than 500 rushing yards. That loss was followed by another doubledigit defeat, this time to Ole Miss. With pressure mounting on Mack Brown, the longtime Texas coach changed defensive coordinators. The team responded by winning its next six games. Losses in three of the four remaining games, including a 30-7 loss to Oregon in the Alamo Bowl, led to Brown’s decision to step down as head coach. He was replaced by Charlie Strong in the offseason.
Offensive starters returning: 8
Offensive starters lost: 3
Defensive starters returning: 8
Defensive starters lost: 3
Key losses: LT Donald Hawkins, RG Mason Walters, DE Jeff Jeffcoat, SS Adrian Phillips
Top returnees: QB David Ash, RB Malcolm Brown, RBJohnathan Gray, WR Jaxon Shipley, WR Kendall Sanders, DE Cedric Reed, DT Malcolm Brown, LB Jordan Hicks
Strengths: Outside of Strong’s hiring, the biggest question mark surrounding the program centered on the offense. Over the past five seasons, it was a roller coaster of inconsistencies mostly centered around the quarterback position. Joe Wickline was hired to run the offense with former Louisville offensive coordinator Shawn Watson brought in towork with the quarterbacks. Watson’s history of work with Teddy Bridgewater will come in handy as he looks to develop David Ash. His best season was in 2012, when he completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,699 yards and19 touchdowns. The junior missed much of last season with an injury, but should be back in time for fall camp. … The running game was the lone bright spot last season with Texas finishing the season ranked in the top 40 in the country in rushing. The trio of Malcolm Brown, Johnathan Gray and Joe Bergeron combined for more than 2,000 yards rushing in 2013. Their return supplies the Longhorns with one of the best backfield in the country.
Weaknesses: Texas struggled to stop the run much of last season, giving up close to 185 yards on the ground per game. Strong’s background as a defensive coordinator should provide the team with a big boost. Vance Bedford’s first job will be strengthening a front line that features only 46 career starts. The team will have to deal with the loss of its top two tacklers from last season, including All-Big 12 defensive lineman Jeff Jeffcoat and safety Adrian Phillips, who accounted for 168 total tackles, 13 total sacks and three interceptions. … The Longhorns return only two starters on the offensive line, including center Dominic Espinosa, who leads the group with 39 career starts.
Outlook: Strong did an amazing job in a short time at Louisville. He turned the Cardinals from an also-ran to a national contender. Whether he can do the same sort of thing in Austin will be one of the biggest questions. The Longhorns have plenty of talent, but will need the defense to carry them until the offense hits its stride.