Strong Still Living with and Standing by April’s Honest Assessment

Coaches say the damnedest things. Sometimes they even tell their fans the truth.

Sometimes, though, that truth is tough for fans – and media – to stomach. Especially when the truth-teller is the new head football coach at the University of Texas and the truth hurts. On April 21, the first night of Strong’s 12-city “Coming on Strong” tour of Texas, the coach uttered a simple sentence that has bounced around the Longhorns fanbase – and the college football blogosphere — ever since.

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Amidst other comments, Strong told everyone in Fort Worth’s Joe T. Garcia’s that, “We will not be in the national championship game,” reported Brian Davis for the Austin American-Statesman.

Since then, at nearly every interview opportunity, Strong has had assuage his fanbase’s fears as well as explain and defend that original statement, all the while owning the truth. While meeting the Big XII media Tuesday, Strong explained his April statement and added a little more context.

As the Associated Press’ Stephen Hawkins wrote, Strong’s original comment came as spring practice wrapped up. During spring practice, the Longhorns worked out without the presumptive starting quarterback, the lightning of the thunder-and-lightning running back combination, a third option at running back and the top linebacker.

“We were not a healthy football team at that time,” Strong said. “I can’t say just how far off we are and that we will not know that until we go compete this fall.”

Since that April sentence, the Longhorns have gotten healthier. The school’s medical staff cleared those missing key players. David Ash, who missed the bulk of the 2013 season recovering from a concussion, broke his foot in the spring. Johnathan Gray, who was on pace to rush for 1,000 yards before tearing his Achilles at West Virginia. Linebacker Jordan Hicks also missed the bulk of the season with an Achilles injury. All will be ready to begin fall practice when camp opens.

If Strong’s strength coach Pat Moorer has his way, the Longhorns will be bigger, stronger, faster and tougher when they take the field this fall. At media day Strong said he liked the results from Moorer’s work with the players. Players have worked harder than they have before.

“Coach Moorer worked our players extremely hard,” Strong said. “They’ve done everything they’ve asked of them.  When you talk about toughness, you have to not only talk about it but you have to practice it.  And that’s what we felt like we did in spring practice when you look at three‑on‑threes and you look at one‑on‑ones and you look at the goal line.”

They’ll also have a new attitude and new expectations.

“I just know this,” Strong said. “Just from their attitude right now, I think that we’re going to find us a different football team, just because of their attitude and just their work ethic and how hard they’ve worked.”

One main expectation is to do exactly what the coaches say, and do, as Quandre Diggs explained this week in a Davis story in the Austin American-Statesman.

“No negotiation. There’s no negotiation,” Diggs said. “What’s there to negotiate about? You’re a player…”

Diggs, among other players and especially defensive players, can’t wait to take that new attitude out on the field. Along with the health of the offense, and how quickly the Longhorns can master the new offense installed by Shawn Watson and Joe Wickline, how the defense adapts to its new scheme will be key.

Last year’s defense allowed better than 400 yards per game and nearly 26 points per game. Fans haven’t gotten the image of Brigham Young quarterback Taysom Hill running wild against the Longhorns. Diggs and his defensive teammates know there’s only one way to erase that image from everyone’s mind: play better this year. Defensive coordinator and Texas-ex Vance Bedford’s defense at Louisville rated as the best in the country last season, and the former Longhorn hopes that he’ll get the defense back on track sooner rather than later.

Three months removed from his honest assessment, Texas has made strides, Strong said.

“But we still have work to do,” Hawkins quoted the coach as saying. “Now, we’re not as bad as we used to be.”

Strong also said that teams that want national championships don’t talk about it. They put their heads down, do the hard work and let the results speak for themselves. That may be a diplomatic way of saying he’s done talking about the national championship.

Will that be good enough for fans? They may accept the honesty now, but as Aug. 30 approaches and the lights at Royal-Memorial Stadium get bright, fans will hope – expect – their Horns to win each time they take the field. Whether that happens or not will remain to be seen, but as fall practice draws near, the players are ready to improve.

“I think our defense can be one of the tops in the conference again,” defensive end Cedric Reed said in Davis’ story. “The defense and the whole team, I think we have a chance to complete for a conference championship again.”

 

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