Strong speaks on Bedford, Big 12 play, and getting better

AUSTIN — One way to tell if there will be personnel changes in the Longhorn lineup, apparently, is when Texas does not release a depth chart.

For the second time this season, Charlie Strong did not provide a 2-deep during his weekly Monday press conference. At the same time, he continued to stress the need to get the “right personnel” on the field to cement a porous defense.

The only other time Strong with held a depth chart was just before true freshman QB Shane Buechele made his collegiate debut against Notre Dame earlier this month. Texas didn’t want to reveal its hand to the Fighting Irish, Strong said previously and, now, the same applies to any defensive changes prior to Texas opening Big 12 play Saturday at Oklahoma State.

“You want me to give you my game-plan?” Strong smiled.

Strong would only confirm that RG Kent Perkins will serve a one-game suspension following his DWI arrest last Friday and that defensive coordinator Vance Bedford will continue to call the shots on his side of the ball.  

Strong expressed confidence in Bedford even though Strong has had a markedly shorter leash with other assistants. The boss had already dismissed seven coaches, including his entire offensive staff, during his first two years on the job. The payoff is that Texas now ranks among college football’s Top 25 in total offense, scoring offense and rushing offense.

Conversely, the defense has shown modest improvement since last season’s statistically worst unit in program history. But the 34.7 points that Texas allows these days is on pace to dip below the school-record 33.7 ppg yielded during John Mackovic’s final season in 1997. 

Is Bedford the Designated Survivor?

“It’s not like he, all of a sudden, forgot how to coach defense,” Strong said.

Bedford’s defense was one of the few bright spots of the 2014 season. That year, Texas finished No. 11 nationally in pass defense (184.2 ypg) and No. 25 in yards-per-game allowed (348.5). Now, Strong wants to slow the coaching carousel, maintain stability but strive to get better production out of his current staff.

“I didn’t see, at this point, how (demoting Bedford) would help us. I think, more than anything, it would hurt us. “

Strong cited three areas where the defense has been particularly deficient: fundamentals, grasp of concepts and “overall scheme”. 

Frankly, it casts such a wide net that it’s like saying, ‘Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?’ Yet, it still comes down to the old football adage about ‘Xs and Os not mattering as much as the Jimmys and Joes’.  

In short: personnel.

“I want to make sure the right players are playing,” Strong said. “We want to put the players on the field who can make plays. It’s all about the play-makers.”

Later, Strong said: “Let’s get the right personnel out there, and let’s go do it.”

Texas has played hard but has not always played smart, Strong noted. Strong puts the onus on himself and his staff. When players fail to fully understand defensive concepts, it’s because coaches did not properly prepare them, Strong believes.

“If you play smart, you can prevent those big plays. And you put your players in position where they don’t give them up…We’ve got really good personnel. Let’s get ‘em to play.”

Texas was barely 24 hours removed from its loss at California when Strong publicly vowed to become more involved with the defense. Strong built a reputation as a defensive guru, of course, during his seven seasons as Florida’s defensive coordinator. 

Other than a series of self-evaluation meetings with his defensive staff this past week (“I told them, going into the door, that they’re going to get their feelings hurt. But it is what it is, right now.”), how will Strong’s trickle-down-effect revitalize Texas’ D?

There will be changes in game-plans that will be apparent on game-day, Strong said. The defense will become more “multiple” and do a better job of giving offenses “different looks,” Strong added, preferring to hide the specifics from Saturday’s foe.

“I’ve got a lot of ideas that could make us a lot better with our scheme,” Strong said. “Some of those ideas we’ve used, but there’s a lot more we can use that would be very helpful. And that’s going to be done. It’s on me. I’ve coached defense. I know defense. I know how to stop people. It’s on me, also. It’s not just on our defensive staff. I said (before) we’re going to get it fixed, and we’re going to do that.”