ARLINGTON, TEXAS - The final four minutes of Texas' 20-17 loss to UCLA at AT&T Stadium were perplexing to those not on the sidelines.
Longhorns quarterback Tyrone Swoopes led his team on a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, to take a 17-13 lead with 5:13 remaining in the game. Swoopes seemingly put the Longhorns in a position to pull off an upset. Texas just needed its defense to make a stand.
On UCLA's ensuing possession, the Longhorns' defense forced a fumble, and Texas took over with 4:17 remaining. However, Texas never slowed down its high-paced tempo and continued to run a no-huddle offense. Three plays and 1:11 minutes later, Texas was off the field. That eventually led to Jerry Neuheisel's 33-yard touchdown pass, which sealed the victory.
After the game, Longhorn coach Charlie Strong explained what occurred.
"We had been moving the ball, and that is how we had been getting the energy," Strong said. "We were moving it. We just thought that was a way we could move the football. We had established that the drive before that. We had went down and scored. And you think about it, first run we hand off and we get positive yards, five or six, or so, and we end up getting hit. Then you missed a throw. That's the way we were moving the football."
Texas offensive coordinator Shawn Watson agreed with the decision.
"We played in our speed game," Watson said. "There's a lot of decides there for him. That's what was good for us. That is what was there, and he had been executing it really well. We stayed with it. It's what took us down the field for the touchdown, so we just went ahead and rode that. At the time, that's what was there, that's what he was comfortable in, and we were moving it."
Watson also explained the conversation he had with coaches to stay in the no huddle offense.
"The decision we made as a staff was what was our best option to play in?," Watson said. "How were our guys moving the football? What was our rhythm? Our rhythm was playing in the no huddle aspect of it. We were hoping to get ourselves moved down the field where we could eat up and then get into a four-minute mode. You have to really be careful jumping into it too soon. We chose to stay in our speed because that's what was working for us. Then we had plans to later on in that drive to pick up a couple of first downs and get into it."
10 Other Things You Need To Know
1. Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford laid into a reporter (not anyone at Orangebloods) after the game for asking him about his squad's missed tackles. Bedford did not appreciate the reporter saying "a lot of missed tackles" during the question. The coach demanded the reporter name all the missed tackles, and when he could only give one example, Bedford challenged the journalist to get his facts straight. The reporter attempted to approach Bedford after the interview session, but Bedford refused to speak.
2. Outside of not liking a question, Bedford had many positive things to say about his defense. He believed his unit played well, but gave up two big plays, which led to touchdowns. Bedford also felt bad for Duke Thomas after giving up the game-winning touchdown.
3. Strong said he believes defensive tackle Desmond Jackson sprained his ankle. Jackson was carted off the field.
4. Apparently Strong was just as confused about what occurred during the coin toss as everyone else. He said the player was nervous, which resulted in UCLA getting the ball to start both halves.
5. Coaches and players are very pleased with the progression of Swoopes. He is playing better than they expected, and Watson will use Texas' upcoming bye week to implement more plays for Swoopes.
6. By the way, Swoopes was asked about his performance after the game. While Swoopes was pleased with how he played, the quarterback quickly pointed out Texas lost. Two days after the BYU loss, Swoopes gave himself a "B" grade. Looks like he has quickly learned to make all of his comments about the team.
7. Nobody was happy about a close loss to UCLA. Each person who was interviewed believed this was a winnable game. Everyone was disappointed with the outcome.
8. Strong criticized his players before the BYU game for their lack of preparation, but said the week leading up to UCLA was much better. He also praised his squad for being more focused.
9. Overall, the coaches were very positive about their team. Nobody was criticized or called out. It might happen behind closed doors, but not in public this time.
10. The bye week comes at a good time. Texas has a chance to regroup and focus on conference play. Coaches believe there are plenty of things their team can learn from this loss. They also think the team is progressing.
By The Numbers
0 - rushing yards by Texas in the first quarter, but the Longhorns finished with 144
1 - sack by defensive tackle Malcolm Brown. He has a team-high 3.5 sacks this season
4 - completed passes by UCLA QB Brett Hundley before sustaining an arm injury
5 - third down conversions by Texas in 14 attempts
7 - meetings between UCLA and Texas. UCLA has a 4-3 advantage
11 - tackles by Jordan Hicks, who currently has 33 this season; straight completions for Tyrone Swoopes before his first incompletion
13 - tackles by Steve Edmond (led the team)
60 - receiving yards for John Harris. He also has one touchdown in each of the past three games
196 - passing yards and two touchdowns by Tyrone Swoopes
443 - offensive yards compiled by UCLA
Postgame Quotes
Coach Charlie Strong
On the coin toss
"I think that what happened, one of our guys got nervous and -- because I said to him, I said, "What happened?" He said, "I don't know, Coach. I was just so hyped up and I just they looked at me, and they said, 'You want to receive the ball or do you guys want to play defense?' And he was like, 'Oh, we want to play defense.' I said we lost the toss."
On building from this loss
"We've just got to keep chopping that wood, huh? The thing is, you look at it. We can improve. We've just got to get better on defense. We've just got to stop the run and not giving up the big plays. Run the ball and win more on the downs. You don't ever want to get behind the chains, and we got behind some tonight, but Tyrone made plays to get out of third down. And we have to win the third down on defense. Everything we saw could be improved and we could just get better and better."
UCLA coach Jim Mora
On second half momentum
"Well, I just think that it was -- I felt like it was going to be a little bit of a defining moment for us, at least early in the season. I mean, there's many defining moments as you go through a season, but that was one. You know? Was it 10-3 at half? I think it was. And we were down. And our backup quarterback is in there. And we're on the road. And you can say what you want about this being a neutral site. That was a Texas crowd, although our fans were unbelievable and we heard them and we felt them the whole game. We just felt like this was an opportunity for us to put all the work that we've done over the course of the last year or three years on display and really prove it to ourselves, beyond anyone else, what this team was made of. And I think that we went out and did that."
On the coin toss
"Well, I had trouble believing it at first. And I told the official, I asked them probably four or five times, I said, are you sure? Are you sure? You know? And he says, 'Yeah, you get to start the second half as well.' And had we not come out and, like you said, put a drive together with Perk breaking that big one early and scored points, it probably would have been irrelevant. But it became very relevant. And it helped us win that game tonight. We were able to steal a possession without taking the ball away. And I'm not exactly sure what went on out there, but we were the beneficiaries. And we'll take it."
Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford
On the difference the first and second half[/B]
"We had a missed tackle. We were at the point of attack and there was a one-on-one tackle and we didn't come down with it, but I felt like down in the red zone we had a chance to make a play. We ran into three backs and we had a coverage call. We were trying to make it. We were in the position to make it - to intercept the ball, and we missed that opportunity. And then, of course, at the end the double move. We cannot give up those plays in the game. We gave up two big plays in the second half and that's the game. That's 14 points. That's the difference in the ballgame."
Texas offensive coordinator Shawn Watson
On the next step in Swoopes' development[/B]
"I think Ty is really moving a lot faster than I thought to be honest with you. He's playing very confident football right now. We just need to get all the tools around him right now. I like our receivers are starting to come around with him. I like what's happening with that aspect of our game. Once we can get back at full speed, it will be interesting to see how far he can go because I think he's really an exceptional player. This kid is a good player."
Cornerback Quandre Diggs[/B]
On if he was happy with his team's effort
"That doesn't mean anything. We lost. You play with all the fight and lose; what's the point of coming out here and fighting? What's the point of going to practice? All that fight, that stuff is for the birds."
Receiver John Harris
On refocusing with conference play coming up[/B]
"It is real big. I will try to step up and help us out with that. You know, [we] finally broke through that wall, the luck just hasn't been on our side. We are just going to keep fighting and try to get it back on track just like we did last year. We will try to get into Big 12 [play] and get a Big 12 title. Get back to those 30 minutes [from a title] like we were last year against Baylor."
Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes
On how he played[/B]
"I thought I played well but at the end it is not about me. We still didn't win, so we have to build confidence off this and try to get the win next time."
Longhorns quarterback Tyrone Swoopes led his team on a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, to take a 17-13 lead with 5:13 remaining in the game. Swoopes seemingly put the Longhorns in a position to pull off an upset. Texas just needed its defense to make a stand.
On UCLA's ensuing possession, the Longhorns' defense forced a fumble, and Texas took over with 4:17 remaining. However, Texas never slowed down its high-paced tempo and continued to run a no-huddle offense. Three plays and 1:11 minutes later, Texas was off the field. That eventually led to Jerry Neuheisel's 33-yard touchdown pass, which sealed the victory.
After the game, Longhorn coach Charlie Strong explained what occurred.
"We had been moving the ball, and that is how we had been getting the energy," Strong said. "We were moving it. We just thought that was a way we could move the football. We had established that the drive before that. We had went down and scored. And you think about it, first run we hand off and we get positive yards, five or six, or so, and we end up getting hit. Then you missed a throw. That's the way we were moving the football."
Texas offensive coordinator Shawn Watson agreed with the decision.
"We played in our speed game," Watson said. "There's a lot of decides there for him. That's what was good for us. That is what was there, and he had been executing it really well. We stayed with it. It's what took us down the field for the touchdown, so we just went ahead and rode that. At the time, that's what was there, that's what he was comfortable in, and we were moving it."
Watson also explained the conversation he had with coaches to stay in the no huddle offense.
"The decision we made as a staff was what was our best option to play in?," Watson said. "How were our guys moving the football? What was our rhythm? Our rhythm was playing in the no huddle aspect of it. We were hoping to get ourselves moved down the field where we could eat up and then get into a four-minute mode. You have to really be careful jumping into it too soon. We chose to stay in our speed because that's what was working for us. Then we had plans to later on in that drive to pick up a couple of first downs and get into it."
10 Other Things You Need To Know
1. Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford laid into a reporter (not anyone at Orangebloods) after the game for asking him about his squad's missed tackles. Bedford did not appreciate the reporter saying "a lot of missed tackles" during the question. The coach demanded the reporter name all the missed tackles, and when he could only give one example, Bedford challenged the journalist to get his facts straight. The reporter attempted to approach Bedford after the interview session, but Bedford refused to speak.
2. Outside of not liking a question, Bedford had many positive things to say about his defense. He believed his unit played well, but gave up two big plays, which led to touchdowns. Bedford also felt bad for Duke Thomas after giving up the game-winning touchdown.
3. Strong said he believes defensive tackle Desmond Jackson sprained his ankle. Jackson was carted off the field.
4. Apparently Strong was just as confused about what occurred during the coin toss as everyone else. He said the player was nervous, which resulted in UCLA getting the ball to start both halves.
5. Coaches and players are very pleased with the progression of Swoopes. He is playing better than they expected, and Watson will use Texas' upcoming bye week to implement more plays for Swoopes.
6. By the way, Swoopes was asked about his performance after the game. While Swoopes was pleased with how he played, the quarterback quickly pointed out Texas lost. Two days after the BYU loss, Swoopes gave himself a "B" grade. Looks like he has quickly learned to make all of his comments about the team.
7. Nobody was happy about a close loss to UCLA. Each person who was interviewed believed this was a winnable game. Everyone was disappointed with the outcome.
8. Strong criticized his players before the BYU game for their lack of preparation, but said the week leading up to UCLA was much better. He also praised his squad for being more focused.
9. Overall, the coaches were very positive about their team. Nobody was criticized or called out. It might happen behind closed doors, but not in public this time.
10. The bye week comes at a good time. Texas has a chance to regroup and focus on conference play. Coaches believe there are plenty of things their team can learn from this loss. They also think the team is progressing.
By The Numbers
0 - rushing yards by Texas in the first quarter, but the Longhorns finished with 144
1 - sack by defensive tackle Malcolm Brown. He has a team-high 3.5 sacks this season
4 - completed passes by UCLA QB Brett Hundley before sustaining an arm injury
5 - third down conversions by Texas in 14 attempts
7 - meetings between UCLA and Texas. UCLA has a 4-3 advantage
11 - tackles by Jordan Hicks, who currently has 33 this season; straight completions for Tyrone Swoopes before his first incompletion
13 - tackles by Steve Edmond (led the team)
60 - receiving yards for John Harris. He also has one touchdown in each of the past three games
196 - passing yards and two touchdowns by Tyrone Swoopes
443 - offensive yards compiled by UCLA
Postgame Quotes
Coach Charlie Strong
On the coin toss
"I think that what happened, one of our guys got nervous and -- because I said to him, I said, "What happened?" He said, "I don't know, Coach. I was just so hyped up and I just they looked at me, and they said, 'You want to receive the ball or do you guys want to play defense?' And he was like, 'Oh, we want to play defense.' I said we lost the toss."
On building from this loss
"We've just got to keep chopping that wood, huh? The thing is, you look at it. We can improve. We've just got to get better on defense. We've just got to stop the run and not giving up the big plays. Run the ball and win more on the downs. You don't ever want to get behind the chains, and we got behind some tonight, but Tyrone made plays to get out of third down. And we have to win the third down on defense. Everything we saw could be improved and we could just get better and better."
UCLA coach Jim Mora
On second half momentum
"Well, I just think that it was -- I felt like it was going to be a little bit of a defining moment for us, at least early in the season. I mean, there's many defining moments as you go through a season, but that was one. You know? Was it 10-3 at half? I think it was. And we were down. And our backup quarterback is in there. And we're on the road. And you can say what you want about this being a neutral site. That was a Texas crowd, although our fans were unbelievable and we heard them and we felt them the whole game. We just felt like this was an opportunity for us to put all the work that we've done over the course of the last year or three years on display and really prove it to ourselves, beyond anyone else, what this team was made of. And I think that we went out and did that."
On the coin toss
"Well, I had trouble believing it at first. And I told the official, I asked them probably four or five times, I said, are you sure? Are you sure? You know? And he says, 'Yeah, you get to start the second half as well.' And had we not come out and, like you said, put a drive together with Perk breaking that big one early and scored points, it probably would have been irrelevant. But it became very relevant. And it helped us win that game tonight. We were able to steal a possession without taking the ball away. And I'm not exactly sure what went on out there, but we were the beneficiaries. And we'll take it."
Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford
On the difference the first and second half[/B]
"We had a missed tackle. We were at the point of attack and there was a one-on-one tackle and we didn't come down with it, but I felt like down in the red zone we had a chance to make a play. We ran into three backs and we had a coverage call. We were trying to make it. We were in the position to make it - to intercept the ball, and we missed that opportunity. And then, of course, at the end the double move. We cannot give up those plays in the game. We gave up two big plays in the second half and that's the game. That's 14 points. That's the difference in the ballgame."
Texas offensive coordinator Shawn Watson
On the next step in Swoopes' development[/B]
"I think Ty is really moving a lot faster than I thought to be honest with you. He's playing very confident football right now. We just need to get all the tools around him right now. I like our receivers are starting to come around with him. I like what's happening with that aspect of our game. Once we can get back at full speed, it will be interesting to see how far he can go because I think he's really an exceptional player. This kid is a good player."
Cornerback Quandre Diggs[/B]
On if he was happy with his team's effort
"That doesn't mean anything. We lost. You play with all the fight and lose; what's the point of coming out here and fighting? What's the point of going to practice? All that fight, that stuff is for the birds."
Receiver John Harris
On refocusing with conference play coming up[/B]
"It is real big. I will try to step up and help us out with that. You know, [we] finally broke through that wall, the luck just hasn't been on our side. We are just going to keep fighting and try to get it back on track just like we did last year. We will try to get into Big 12 [play] and get a Big 12 title. Get back to those 30 minutes [from a title] like we were last year against Baylor."
Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes
On how he played[/B]
"I thought I played well but at the end it is not about me. We still didn't win, so we have to build confidence off this and try to get the win next time."
