Longhorns look to start over after Notre Dame debacle

By Steve Habel/Senior Editor

One bad game does not a bad season make, and can be worked through, even if it can’t be forgotten.

So, after Texas was walloped by Notre Dame, 38-3, in their opening game Sept. 5, Longhorns coach Charlie Strong is pushing the reset button, and moving forward with a new beginning.

He’s hoping all Texas players, and fans and followers are ready to do so, as well.

But Strong also is kicking butt and taking names, and no one associated with the Texas program — coaches included — will be exempt from his total re-evaluation of how to make sure that what happened in South Bend is a one-time thing.

“We are going to re-evaluate everything [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]and start over,” Strong said Monday in his weekly media availability. “It’s all about correcting the mistakes we made, and we have a lot of issues to address. There is no quit in this team.”

Including the losses to TCU and Arkansas at the end of the 2014 season and the Notre Dame debacle Saturday night, the Longhorns have been outscored, 117-20, in their last three games while looking ill-prepared and unable to adjust during the game.

Against the Fighting Irish, quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson, the Longhorns’ assistant head coach for offense, had no play-calling solutions to get quarterback Tyrone Swoopes time to work when the team was in dire straits. Texas finished without a touchdown for only the third time in the past decade … but the second time in its past seven games.

“We talk about players being held accountable, and the coaching staff is going to be held accountable, too,” Strong said. “Our last three showing have been embarrassing. As a coach, these losses and the way we’ve played just hangs on you.”

Watson, and by proxy the offense’s continued ineptitude, is directly in Strong’s crosshairs. The Longhorns’ attack managed just 163 total yards against Notre Dame — hardly what was expected in Texas’ first foray into an up-tempo, quicker attack.

“I was hoping to see a difference in our offense, myself, and didn’t,” Strong said. “We had eight three-and-outs and ran just 52 plays. We have to concentrate on getting first downs, and those lead to touchdowns.”

Strong said Swoopes and backup Jerrod Heard (who played six snaps against Notre Dame) will compete in practice this week and a starter will be determined based on productivity.

Worth noting:

• Wide receiver Marcus Johnson will be day-to-day this week after injuring his ankle in the loss to Notre Dame.

• Defensive tackles Desmond Jackson and Hassan Ridgeway were physically not 100 percent against the Fighting Irish. Jackson is still working his way back from offseason surgery on his foot, while Ridgeway is dealing with conditioning issues.

• Strong said the Longhorns’ five goals for winning against Notre Dame were to run the football, control the clock, protect the quarterback, stop the run and win on special teams. He gave his team a passing score only on the last one.

• Texas had just 29 rushing attempts against Notre Dame, only eight of which game from senior Johnathan Gray, and 14 overall by the UT’ running backs. Strong said he wants Gray to have the ball in his hands as much as 25 times a game.

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