Habe on the ‘Horns: Strong told us this turnaround was coming

By Steve Habel/Senior Editor

The Texas football team at 3-4 is certainly a happier bunch than it was at 1-4 heading into Dallas to play Oklahoma, but the turnaround the past two games was foretold a month ago by head coach Charlie Strong.

Were you listening?

The Longhorns have shown their true colors the past two weeks by bludgeoning OU and Kansas State with a powerful running game and a defense that dominated the line of scrimmage. Was this the team that Strong saw coming — the light at the end of the tunnel after winning just once in the first five games?

It’s human nature for coaches, just like fans [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]and the media, to look ahead at the schedule to see games they think are winnable and to play out the campaign even before the season starts.

You can bet he sat down and planned out a way to keep his team together until it gelled, until it weathered the storm of Notre Dame and TCU and Oklahoma State and California, a quartet of teams with a combined record of 25-3 through Oct. 26.

“We just had to keep things moving forward and do what we could to keep the dogs off our heels,” Strong said Monday in his weekly press availabilty. “We always had our players’ attention — there was never any sign that we were losing the team — and things have started to come together.”

Strong said the Longhorns used negative comments heaped on them before the Oklahoma game as fuel to turn around their season.

“So much was said about the players before that Oklahoma game,” Strong said. “You kind of sensed when we walked out that we were going to play well. That whole week, they didn’t say much and they were getting blasted: they ‘had no chance.’ ‘Where’s the pride in this program?’ They got tired of hearing it.”

Strong said the best is still to come.

“We are better now than we were a few weeks ago,” he said, “but we will be even better in week nine and 10 and going forward.”

Texas has the momentum to continue its move ahead, but don’t think for a minute that the Longhorns have the luxury of taking Iowa State (2-5) lightly Halloween night in Ames, Iowa. UT has played poorly in its two “true” road games, losing 38-3 to Notre Dame and 50-7 to TCU, and Iowa State always plays Texas tough.

“We will have to have to have our A game with us against Iowa State,” Strong said. “We can’t afford to do anything, but take each game like it’s a one-game season.

“There have been times we went on the road and we just haven’t played good … (and) Dallas doesn’t count. We have to play better. We have to start off right, whether it’s on defense or on offense. We need to move the football and get some points. We can’t go out there and go three-and-out and then punt the ball. We need to be consistent and go play at our best.”

Other items gleaned from Strong’s presser Monday:

• Strong laughed off a question asking if he was going to be the next head coach at Miami, which fired Al Golden Sunday. “I have the best job in the nation,” Strong said. “I have plenty to do here.” But he didn’t say “no.”

• Texas punter Michael Dickson was named Big 12 Conference Special Teams player of the week. The Australian punter had a potential game-saving play early in the fourth quarter to preserve Texas’ 23-9 win against K-State. Dickson had two more impressive punts in the decisive fourth quarter with a 45-yarder and 51-yarder. For the season, Dickson has posted 45 punts for an average of 40.0 yards with a long of 59 yards. Eleven of his punts have been 50 or more yards, and he has placed 11 of his punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line (with only three touchbacks).

• Strong said RB D’Onta Foreman, who injured a toe Saturday in the win against Kansas State and has been in a hard-plastic walking boot, will be available to play against Iowa State.

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