Texas Football: Run Game Crucial to Longhorns' Success in 2015

The Texas Longhorns' only path to success in 2015 comes on the ground, where the effectiveness of their revamped offense rests until the quarterback situation clears up.

Improving at quarterback remains the most pressing need on the roster. The disastrous state of that position has been well documented as the biggest difference from the profound success of the 2000s.

However, last year's quarterback, Tyrone Swoopes, was far from the only issue with Texas' offensive attack.

	Comp	Att	%	Yards	TD	INT
McCoy (2013)	187	329	56.8	1,933	11	13
Swoopes (2014)	224	384	58.3	2,409	13	11

As the table shows, Swoopes was statistically better in 2014 than Case McCoy was in 2013, though he did record two more starts than the former fan favorite. However, Swoopes was only able to put up a 6-7 record, while McCoy led the 2013 Horns to an 8-5 finish.

The real difference between the two is that McCoy knew when he handed off the ball, his running back was going to pick up meaningful yardage, whereas last year's squad might as well have run backward.

One year after finishing third in the Big 12 with 2,551 rushing yards, Texas could barely crack 1,700 in 2014. Worse yet, the Longhorns only averaged 3.9 yards per carry, which ranked 93rd in the nation, per cfbstats.com.

That won't cut it in 2015, as the program has to replace six starters from last season's tenacious defense. It's now the offense's turn to take pressure off that side of the ball.

Head coach Charlie Strong knows this, which probably has to do with the offensive change (more spread looks) that he confirmed on signing day. And without an established quarterback running the show, the only way the offense is going to work is by emphasizing the run game.

The roster has the talent to pick up big yards on the ground—it's now up to Strong and his staff to turn it loose.

All Eyes on Gray

It's now Johnathan Gray's show in Texas' backfield, and it's time for him to deliver.

Gray has flashed at times, but the numbers haven't quite been there. A consensus 5-star recruit in 2012, the speedy back has yet to crack 1,000 yards or even sniff an All-Big 12 roster as a Longhorn.

However, both achievements could have easily happened for Gray in 2013, when he averaged 87 rushing yards per game. That mark was a tick better than Oregon's Byron Marshall, per cfbstats.com, and would have translated to more than 1,100 yards that year.

Instead, Gray succumbed to a ruptured Achilles in his ninth game of the season. The injury cut short Gray's career year and killed his production in the first half of 2014, when he ran for less than 50 yards in six of eight games.

Then something clicked for the shifty back, as he ripped off a three-game streak in which he ran for 259 yards, averaged six yards per carry and scored five touchdowns.

His final numbers were lacking, but the late-season surge proved the explosion, vision and long speed that made Gray so effective in 2013 are still there. And this time, there are only freshmen around to share carries—though they, too, should fit in.

Where Do the Freshmen Fill In?

A 5'11", 215-pound senior with a pretty complete skill set, Gray should handle a bulk of the carries next season. But he needs a complement, which is why Texas recruited three running backs in 2015.

Chris Warren leads the trio of new ball-carriers, coming in at 240 pounds with enough speed to pick up big yards once he reaches the second level. He's an immediate fill-in for the departed Malcolm Brown, who averaged more than 150 carries per year as the power option.

Kirk Johnson and Tristian Houston each have talent, as well, but possess skill sets similar to Gray, whose size and experience will keep the senior at the head of the pecking order.

Another name to watch out of the backfield is all-purpose terror Ryan Newsome. The incoming wideout has every bit of the explosive potential that senior Daje Johnson does but without the baggage that has kept the latter off the field.

Warren should see a regular role early, with Newsome mixing in as the pure-speed option.

Chris Covatta/Getty Images

The Importance of the Dual Threat

For the Longhorns to maximize their chances in 2015, they have to employ a quarterback running game.

Texas is moving toward the spread in hopes that increased tempo and simplified reads will help dig the offense out of the rut it hit late last season. To get the most out of this switch, the Horns would be best served starting a mobile quarterback who can take off when the throws aren't there. 

Jerrod Heard makes the most sense of anyone on the roster. No matter how seriously you take his self-reported 4.3 40 time, the redshirt freshman has some real wheels and is easily the best athlete Texas has at the position.

There have been concerns about Heard's progression as a passer, but elite running ability would mask those shortcomings. Vince Young led one of the Big 12's best offenses in 2004, completing 59 percent of his passes for 12 touchdowns and 11 picks, and Heard's throwing motion is far more coachable than Young's sidewinder delivery.

In pairing Heard with a back like Gray, who can accelerate with the best of them, Texas would add a fearsome read-option element to its offense. As Heard's confidence builds, the play-action and rollout should also become staples.

Much of this ground success depends on the offensive line, which played a major role in the Longhorns being stuck in the mud for most of 2013. With a year of experience and the additions of four early enrollees, this group has to be better.

If the blocking is adequate, the Longhorns have plenty of weapons to excel in the change of scheme by getting the most out of the Gray-Warren tandem, mixing in guys like Newsome and taking advantage of what they have in Heard.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats and information courtesy of TexasSports.com and 247Sports.com.