Here are the highlights of Texas defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s media availability via Zoom on Wednesday:
--- Ash on the areas his unit needs to improve: “We've lost our last two games. We’ve evaluated everything. We evaluated explosive plays, runs, and passes. We evaluated first and second down calls. We evaluated situational stuff with third-down, red Zone, goal-line. We looked at all of those things, and just finding ways that we could ... whether it's an alignment, it's a technique, it's a call, an adjustment to a call. Anything that we could try to evaluate that would help us get better, help our players get better, we looked at all of it [during the bye week].”
--- Ash said the outside linebackers on the perimeter are working to improve at getting off blocks. He noted Chris Adimora and DeMarvion Overshown are former safeties who are sometimes blocked in the slot. Ash said due to their lack of experience, Adimora and Overshown are working on getting off blocks and setting the perimeter.
--- In addition, Ash said, “I love De-Mo. He's working really, really hard. It's not an easy transition. There's a lot of things he's got to get better at. Going up from up to safety to being in the box and playing linebacker, things happen so much faster. The reads are different. You're so much closer to the ball and to blockers. A lot of linebackers, [that position is] all they've been playing for their career, and they've done it for multiple years. They train and they just react faster. De-Mo is not a trained linebacker. He keeps getting a little bit better every week. He handles things a little bit better. He reads things a little bit better. Reacts faster a little bit better. Uses his hands a little bit better. It's not an easy transition. We knew he wasn't going to be a finished product by game three or game four. We knew it's going to be a long process with him and he's just got to stay positive, stay confident, keep working, and that's exactly what he's done.”
--- Ash on making sure players do not lost faith in the new defensive staff since the unit has struggled: “Our players are all bought in. There's no issues there. They watch the film. They see how close we are. They see the mistakes that have been made on game day that have prevented us from winning. We got to get cleaned up. There's no secret about it. In all three phases. We've had too many mistakes that have cost us. We feel like those were a winnable games and we didn't win them. I go back to an old Bill Belichick saying, more games are lost than are won. We lost two games with mistakes. They see it. We see it, and we're working like heck to get it cleaned up. The results will change. They're highly motivated. They come to work to be coached every single day. They still have a lot of fun coming into the complex. Our practices have been spirited. They've been competitive. There's been great energy. There's been no signs of guys not being bought in, locked in, and still highly motivated to go out. Every goal that we want, in terms of being our best and having a chance to win the league, all those things are still out there. We just got to control what we can control and play our best football. Play clean, play consistent, let the rest take care of itself, and we haven't done that yet.”
--- When asked if any of the defensive struggles could be blamed on the lack of practices due to Covid-19, Ash refused to use that as an excuse. He is focused on why Texas lost and how to improve.
--- Ash was asked about the defensive improvements Tom Herman said occurred since Texas Tech and responded by saying it was their only bad tackling performance this season.
--- Ash on the areas his unit needs to improve: “We've lost our last two games. We’ve evaluated everything. We evaluated explosive plays, runs, and passes. We evaluated first and second down calls. We evaluated situational stuff with third-down, red Zone, goal-line. We looked at all of those things, and just finding ways that we could ... whether it's an alignment, it's a technique, it's a call, an adjustment to a call. Anything that we could try to evaluate that would help us get better, help our players get better, we looked at all of it [during the bye week].”
--- Ash said the outside linebackers on the perimeter are working to improve at getting off blocks. He noted Chris Adimora and DeMarvion Overshown are former safeties who are sometimes blocked in the slot. Ash said due to their lack of experience, Adimora and Overshown are working on getting off blocks and setting the perimeter.
--- In addition, Ash said, “I love De-Mo. He's working really, really hard. It's not an easy transition. There's a lot of things he's got to get better at. Going up from up to safety to being in the box and playing linebacker, things happen so much faster. The reads are different. You're so much closer to the ball and to blockers. A lot of linebackers, [that position is] all they've been playing for their career, and they've done it for multiple years. They train and they just react faster. De-Mo is not a trained linebacker. He keeps getting a little bit better every week. He handles things a little bit better. He reads things a little bit better. Reacts faster a little bit better. Uses his hands a little bit better. It's not an easy transition. We knew he wasn't going to be a finished product by game three or game four. We knew it's going to be a long process with him and he's just got to stay positive, stay confident, keep working, and that's exactly what he's done.”
--- Ash on making sure players do not lost faith in the new defensive staff since the unit has struggled: “Our players are all bought in. There's no issues there. They watch the film. They see how close we are. They see the mistakes that have been made on game day that have prevented us from winning. We got to get cleaned up. There's no secret about it. In all three phases. We've had too many mistakes that have cost us. We feel like those were a winnable games and we didn't win them. I go back to an old Bill Belichick saying, more games are lost than are won. We lost two games with mistakes. They see it. We see it, and we're working like heck to get it cleaned up. The results will change. They're highly motivated. They come to work to be coached every single day. They still have a lot of fun coming into the complex. Our practices have been spirited. They've been competitive. There's been great energy. There's been no signs of guys not being bought in, locked in, and still highly motivated to go out. Every goal that we want, in terms of being our best and having a chance to win the league, all those things are still out there. We just got to control what we can control and play our best football. Play clean, play consistent, let the rest take care of itself, and we haven't done that yet.”
--- When asked if any of the defensive struggles could be blamed on the lack of practices due to Covid-19, Ash refused to use that as an excuse. He is focused on why Texas lost and how to improve.
--- Ash was asked about the defensive improvements Tom Herman said occurred since Texas Tech and responded by saying it was their only bad tackling performance this season.
