Habe on the Horns: ‘Horns find themselves up against the wall

By Steve Habel/Senior Editor

AUSTIN, Texas — There is a true sense of urgency surrounding the Texas football team as it prepares to face the only true rival on its schedule — Oklahoma — this Saturday at the Cotton Bowl.

The Longhorns are 1-4 — their worst start since 1956 — and find themselves up against the wall in a do-or-die situation against a 10th-ranked Oklahoma team that wants nothing more than to kick Texas when it’s down and keep it there.

It’s particularly worrisome that the Longhorns are still trying to find the spark that will prove that they’re a lot better than the first five games of the season has shown.

“It’s time for us to pull this team [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]together,” Texas head coach Charlie Strong said Monday at his weekly press availability. “We know what we’re up against, but we’re ready to get going … and we know this: we’re going to play with a lot of passion, a lot of intensity. We’re going to be a team that’s disciplined, a team that’s focused and a team that just really enjoys playing.

“Once we do the little things, we know that we can be the team that we expect to be.”

To that end, Strong has lorded over a series of team meetings in the days since the Longhorns got lambasted, 50-7, Oct. 3 by TCU in Fort Worth, during which he’s drawn a proverbial line in the sand.

“When we got back here on (after the TCU loss), we had a team meeting,” Strong said. “There were just some things that needed to be discussed. I was not going to let us leave here until we got some things straight.”

Asked if there is a divide on the team between Texas’ lowerclassmen and upperclassmen, junior defensive back Dylan Haines said that some of the freshmen have been resistant and hesitant to change because they haven’t been a follower before.

“A lot of people want to talk about this freshman class coming in and playing a lot,” Haines said Monday. “That’s great for them. But the team starts with the seniors and the juniors. They can’t win the conference on their own. So we have some juniors and seniors trying to lead those freshmen. In high school they were the leaders and stuff. A lot of them want to go out and play, and that’s all they want to do.”

It remains to be seen if the meetings will make any difference, especially in light of the opponent Texas will face in the annual Red River Rivalry.

To beat anyone, be it Oklahoma or Kansas or Iowa State, Texas has to be better on defense. The Longhorns allowed TCU 604 yards of total offense and currently rank 119th of 127 FBS-level teams in total defense (507 yards per game) and 113th in scoring defense (38.2 points per outing).

“Everything starts with defense,” Strong said. “As with any team, you’ve got to play through great defense, because you have no chance if you don’t. Right now, we’re not.”

Strong said the Longhorns, for all their troubles and mistakes, are not that far away from putting everything together.

“I don’t think we’re far away at all, but (Strong and his staff) just didn’t have them prepared to play,” he said. “We know we can do better ourselves and be more focused. But that team there Saturday (against TCU) — we’re a better football team than that, without a doubt.”

Other items gleaned from the Monday media session included:

Strong refused to blame the former coach Mack Brown for the situation the Longhorns find themselves in after winning just seven of 18 games under the current regime. “I will never say it was Coach Brown’s fault — it’s on me,” Strong said. “You look at it, (and) we have the players. It’s about us coaching. It has nothing to do with the last staff. Now it’s about us working and let’s get them better.”

Senior Johnathan Gray and sophomore D’Onta Foreman will continue to split the load at running back when it comes to carrying the ball. “J. Gray just works so hard — he’s such a positive impact and a positive player,” Strong said. “He helps D’Onta a lot. So you look at those two guys and they’re back and forth. I know D’Onta had a big game there (against TCU). He carried a bunch of it. But J. Gray’s good for him, and he’s good for J. Gray.”

Strong has opened the placekicker position in practice after senior Nick Rose missed two field goals and had a crucial kickoff go out of bounds against the Horned Frogs. “Rose and I, we had a conversation,” Strong said. “I told him what we’re going to do is open it up, just open competition. (I’m) not very pleased with what we’re doing there.”

The Longhorns are likely to have senior defensive end Shiro Davis (knee) back for Oklahoma. Freshman linebacker Breckyn Hager has a high ankle sprain, senior offensive tackle Kent Perkins is still being slowed by a knee injury and senior wide receiver Daje Johnson is undergoing concussion protocol. The status for those three players for the Oklahoma game will be determined as the week goes on.

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