Texas has long been heralded as a recruiting powerhouse. In recent years, top talent has poured in from all over the state of Texas, along with a few top-100 recruits from elsewhere in the US. Many of these exceptional players have gone on to careers in the NFL, including three defensive backs from last year's class.
So can someone please explain why Texas' defenses over the past three seasons have been so mediocre?
Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik was brought to Austin to reproduce the best defense in Division I, but his best season came only when the Longhorns had the best athlete in all of college football on offense.
Vince Young single-handedly helped the UT defense thrive for two seasons by keeping them off of the field. Once Vince left for the NFL, Chizik lucked out again with Colt McCoy's stellar freshman season—but even then the Horns' pass defense was exposed.
My question: If the talent was there, why couldn't the team stop opposing quarterbacks from airing it out week after week?
UT ranked 99th out of 119 teams against the pass in 2006. One might argue that several teams in the Big 12 have pass-happy offenses, including Texas Tech and Nebraska. However, Texas A&M's passing attack was ranked 98th in the country going into the UT game...and the Aggies had their best passing game of the entire year against the Longhorns.
This year, the Horns are ranked 109th nationally against the pass. They gave up an average of over 500 yards on defense the last four games, most of them through the air.
Is it the unimaginative defensive scheme?
Duane Akina inherited a very talented group from Chizik. Even though three key players moved on to the NFL, the rebuilding seemed to occur more on the offensive side of the ball. But Texas rarely, if ever, stunted or blitzed on pass plays.
The result?
The front line didn't get to the quarterback, which left receivers plenty of time to create space. Given enough time, most quarterbacks will eventually find at least one open target.
Coach Mack Brown is going to have to take a long, hard look at the issues on the defensive side of the ball. Texas fans and alumni aren't going to sit idly by and accept mediocrity.
The Longhorn defense shouldn't rank lower than 30th out of 119 teams on pass defense next year. Someone, somehow, is going to have to find a way to get the job done.
2 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Kirk E. about 1 year ago
You are 100% correct - It's certainly not for a lack of talent. Yes, injuries played a part, but with depth that only Top 10 programs have, it goes back to coaching. Mack's loyalty to his staff has been the team's downfall. The team has played flat & uninspired and lack many of the fundamentals (blocking & tackling). Same fo the gameplans. A new DC (& OC) will go a long way in restoring the Longhorns ability to use the amazing talent they have. While it’s unrealistic to expect a national champ. every year, it is NOT unrealistic to expect to be in contention for the Big 12 title and gunning for a BCS bowl. Look at Stoops - he continues to be in the top almost every year. Maybe it's Mack not letting the coordinators do their job, but I think it's his loyalty to mediocre coaching.
Signed a disappointed Longhorn
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Darin Phillips about 1 year ago
I am elated that the Horns took me to task last night and showed that they actually can play defense. ASU got a ton of passing yardage, but only because they were playing from behind the entire game and because Texas' defense stuffed the run completely. I am VERY disappointed that ASU got that last run for positive yardage because it would have been nice to show exactly how dominant the run defense was for UT by finishing with the -7 rushing yards that ASU had prior to that last sprint.
So, will Mack Brown continue to let the co-defensive coordinators keep their job? He gave them the benefit of the doubt based on last year's bowl game and handed them the reins for this season. My greatest fear is that he will make the same mistake going into next year. This was the most inspired and tenacious performance we have seen from the Horns' defense in three years. In fact, this was the most well-prepared bunch we have seen in a long time (despite the repeat visit to the Holiday Bowl where Washington State took out a disheartened team under similar circumstances). However, one game does not a season make! It is time for an overhaul on both sides of the ball (i.e. new Coordinators) and I want to see Mack take the same attitude and spirit into next season.
I also want a great quarterbacks coach to teach Chiles how to pass so we can run an offense like Florida did last year with Tebow in the game. Perhaps I needed to put these things on my list for Santa this year...
Darin Phillips
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