STILLWATER, OK - It would be an insult to say Texas beat a really bad Oklahoma State team.
Heck, Texas was viewed as a below average team just a few weeks ago.
The fair thing to say is Texas has gone from a team in turmoil to one that is finally starting to gel. After playing inconsistently most of this season, Texas defeated Oklahoma State, 28-7, to record its third straight victory this season. Texas almost recorded its second shutout this season.
More importantly, Texas (6-5, 5-3) has become bowl eligible, and the Longhorns will not have a losing regular-season record in Charlie Strong's first year. Those are two accomplishments that seemed unobtainable after a loss against Kansas State.
"In the locker room, they were just so happy," Strong said. "I said to the seniors, I'm just happy for them to get to that bowl game. A few weeks ago, nobody thought we would be here. They wrote us off. I tell them all the time, don't let outside forces run this football team. You know how good you are. You know what you can really do. Take it upon yourself to get it done."
What the Longhorns have done is go from a 2-4 team that many skeptics thought may not win more than two more games to becoming a squad with the chance to finish 7-5 in the regular season.
Strong has said for weeks Texas needed to make a bowl game for school pride, recruiting, and the seniors. If Texas did miss the postseason this season, Strong's rebuilding project would have been viewed as a first-year failure, and the mindless speculation about his long-term job security - paging Paul Finebaum - would have continued.
Instead, Strong will advance to his fifth consecutive bowl game as a head coach. Ironically, Louisville finished 7-6 in Strong's first season and won the Beef O' Brady's Bowl in 2010.
"It means a lot (to become bowl eligible)," Texas senior cornerback Quandre Diggs said. "Getting another month with my teammates is the most important thing, and getting the opportunity to play with these guys again. It'll be fun. We did what we wanted to do tonight, and we played the way we wanted to. It feels good to be bowl eligible."
10 Other Things You Need To Know
1. As some Texas players were getting ready for the cold weather against Oklahoma State, they started to layer up to stay warm. Once Strong noticed what was going on, he made them take off the cold gear clothing. Strong said, "They thought it was cold, and I told them it isn't cold. I told them look at what I have on. I made the lineman take off their they had on their tights, or whatever. Up front, we're going to win the game, so you guys get that mess off. I made them take it off. We weren't going to wear it. Skill guys went out there, and they had the little pouches on. I said the quarterbacks will wear a pouch, but no one else. DBs, wide receivers, take it off. We were going out there with the right mindset. The weather wasn't going to be an issue."
2. Making a bowl game became a point of emphasis for the current group of seniors, especially those who were 5-7 and missed the postseason as freshmen in 2010. Receiver John Harris and linebacker Jordan Hicks are among the players relieved they will not be part of senior class that started and ended their college careers without a bowl appearance.
3. Longhorns offensive coach Shawn Watson said he had an incredible amount of confidence in Tyrone Swoopes, who completed 24 of 33 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Watson was impressed with Swoopes' decision making ability, and the quarterback credited his success to the amount of time both men spent preparing for Oklahoma State.
4. Longhorns receiver Jaxon Shipley sustained a hamstring injury while trying to catch a pass from Swoopes in the second quarter, according to Strong. Shipley ran into the wall, which is less than 10 feet away from the field of play, but Strong said the collision did not lead to the injury.
5. The Longhorn defense registered four sacks in the first half. Malcom Brown, Hassan Ridgeway, Jordan Hicks and Caleb Bluiett took down the quarterback before halftime. Texas gave up a touchdown late in the game, but Strong believed it was one of his team's best defensive performances this season.
6. The special teams unit continues to be an adventure for Texas. After receiver John Harris caught a 9-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, punter William Russ mishandled the snap, which led to a failed attempt. Nick Rose made a 51-yard field goal, but missed a 21-yard attempt. Strong said, "He bangs a 51-yarder, then we hit the goal post on the shorter kick. Then we let one get blocked right now the middle, but the coverages got to be better. We knew that (Tyreek) Hill was going to be an issue for us We can do a lot better on special teams."
7. Strong said Saturday's win against Oklahoma State is exactly the formula he believes it will take to be successful at Texas: "I've been a part of two national championships, and the only way you're going to win is you've got to play great defense. You have to play great defense. I know this is a conference where there is a lot of offensive production, but you've got to be able to play defense. If you don't think about going in and matching score by score, just on defense - get off the field guys. You're good enough. We have good enough talent. Get off the field. We know we can get a lot better."
8. Texas' offense started strong against OSU. The Longhorns scored on their first three possessions to take a 16-0 lead. Watson said it was the kind of start he hoped for, and credited Swoopes for playing well in the first half.
9. It was probably an emotional day for Longhorns offensive coordinator Joe Wickline, who used to coach at Oklahoma State. Wickline went to the OSU side before the game and shook hands with a few staff members - coach Mike Gundy was not on that list - and he bolted into the locker room as the victory was wrapped up. He did not hang around for The Eyes of Texas, and it appeared Wickline just wanted to get out of Stillwater.
10. Johnathan Gray rushed 16 times for 87 yards and one touchdown, and Strong credits the offensive line with the constantly improving running game. Gray said the running backs have more confidence in the guys up front, which makes it easier for them to run the ball.
In My Humble Opinion: This is just a glimpse of what 2015 might look like. Most of us went into this season with the understanding that 2014 is really about laying the groundwork for years to come. However, Strong has gotten the most out of several players, like receiver John Harris, and the future looks bright. Once the staff successfully recruits the right players, the program should be back where many Longhorn fans want it to be.
Postgame Quotes
Longhorns offensive coach Shawn Watson
On using Daje Johnson in the first quarter
"We wanted to get him involved early in this game and get him going. So it was a part of the plan. His speed alone is a factor. You have to account for him. It opens up other things. We use him to open up runs. He does a lot for us in that facet. Then it's the other side of what he brings to the table, too, because defenses have to account for him on those sweeps. That opens up things for the running backs.
On the fast offensive start
"It was a good start. Our starts are always big. We challenged the guys this week to do just this. We're coming to an opponent's home. We've got to start fast, and we've got to be efficient in the way we manage ourselves on the field because out defense has played lights out all year. We're growing to become like them. We wanted to talk the challenge ourselves to get the fast start and leave no doubt what we were here to get done."
On Armanti Foreman's productivity
"He came off the bench. When my man Jaxon went down, he's next in. He did a really nice job for us. He made some great catches off some great throws by Ty. The corner route, in particular, on the third down. He ran a great route. He got himself open. He's got Daje type speed. He can put the fear of God in you, he's so fast. Tyrone told me on the touchdown down throw, I was hoping I can get it to him. He's that fast through the back end of the secondary."
On putting the ball in Tyrone Swoopes' hands late in the game
"It was an easy decision (to pass the ball). It was loaded up, so we could take advantage. Ty's hot. He's seeing it. He's moving protections. He's triggering things, so we're going to cut him loose. When he's playing like that, that's what you get. We've talked about it before. Learning to become a championship quarterback is being able to function and do those things, and then deliver, finish plays, which he was able to do. He had all my confidence tonight. He was changing routes at the line of scrimmage, and doing some things that were really pretty awesome. I just can't wait to see where we can take him from here."
Cornerback Quandre Diggs
One being proud of his teammates
"No doubt. I think we've been resilient all year. We could have easily packed it in three games ago and said we weren't going to finish the season out. These guys continued to fight, and it's a great opportunity for us to continue to build on, something that is going to get this thing going in the right direction for next year."
On how far his team has come since the Kansas State loss
"I think we've come a long way on both sides of the ball, and also on special teams. Guys took it upon themselves to go out and play the game the right way. It hurts, losing. There's not better feeling than to win a game."
Defensive end Cedric Reed
On Strong telling players to not layer up before the game
"I kind of knew it was coming. I told my teammates don't put all that stuff on. They're going to make you take it off. Of course, they still put it on. They tried to challenge him, but I told them, 'Hey man, he's not going to let y'all win that.'"
On the difference during the three-game win streak
"We just came together as a group. We fought through the wounds, and we made it. We're bowl eligible and we still have another game on our schedule.
Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes
On Armanti Foreman
"It was great seeing young guys come in and step up. We've told them all season just to stay ready because you never know. It was great to see him step him and have a big part (in the win).
On how the win feels personally
"It feels good. Just these last couple of weeks, I didn't play too well. To come in and have a game like this, it was a confidence booster."
On having a lot of confidence prior to this game
"The coaches did a great job of giving us the looks in practice. In the film sessions, they were doing a good job of explaining what was going to happen. I feel like we were all really confident going in, and that gave me the ability be loose and not tense before the game, so it really helped."
Heck, Texas was viewed as a below average team just a few weeks ago.
The fair thing to say is Texas has gone from a team in turmoil to one that is finally starting to gel. After playing inconsistently most of this season, Texas defeated Oklahoma State, 28-7, to record its third straight victory this season. Texas almost recorded its second shutout this season.
More importantly, Texas (6-5, 5-3) has become bowl eligible, and the Longhorns will not have a losing regular-season record in Charlie Strong's first year. Those are two accomplishments that seemed unobtainable after a loss against Kansas State.
"In the locker room, they were just so happy," Strong said. "I said to the seniors, I'm just happy for them to get to that bowl game. A few weeks ago, nobody thought we would be here. They wrote us off. I tell them all the time, don't let outside forces run this football team. You know how good you are. You know what you can really do. Take it upon yourself to get it done."
What the Longhorns have done is go from a 2-4 team that many skeptics thought may not win more than two more games to becoming a squad with the chance to finish 7-5 in the regular season.
Strong has said for weeks Texas needed to make a bowl game for school pride, recruiting, and the seniors. If Texas did miss the postseason this season, Strong's rebuilding project would have been viewed as a first-year failure, and the mindless speculation about his long-term job security - paging Paul Finebaum - would have continued.
Instead, Strong will advance to his fifth consecutive bowl game as a head coach. Ironically, Louisville finished 7-6 in Strong's first season and won the Beef O' Brady's Bowl in 2010.
"It means a lot (to become bowl eligible)," Texas senior cornerback Quandre Diggs said. "Getting another month with my teammates is the most important thing, and getting the opportunity to play with these guys again. It'll be fun. We did what we wanted to do tonight, and we played the way we wanted to. It feels good to be bowl eligible."
10 Other Things You Need To Know
1. As some Texas players were getting ready for the cold weather against Oklahoma State, they started to layer up to stay warm. Once Strong noticed what was going on, he made them take off the cold gear clothing. Strong said, "They thought it was cold, and I told them it isn't cold. I told them look at what I have on. I made the lineman take off their they had on their tights, or whatever. Up front, we're going to win the game, so you guys get that mess off. I made them take it off. We weren't going to wear it. Skill guys went out there, and they had the little pouches on. I said the quarterbacks will wear a pouch, but no one else. DBs, wide receivers, take it off. We were going out there with the right mindset. The weather wasn't going to be an issue."
2. Making a bowl game became a point of emphasis for the current group of seniors, especially those who were 5-7 and missed the postseason as freshmen in 2010. Receiver John Harris and linebacker Jordan Hicks are among the players relieved they will not be part of senior class that started and ended their college careers without a bowl appearance.
3. Longhorns offensive coach Shawn Watson said he had an incredible amount of confidence in Tyrone Swoopes, who completed 24 of 33 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Watson was impressed with Swoopes' decision making ability, and the quarterback credited his success to the amount of time both men spent preparing for Oklahoma State.
4. Longhorns receiver Jaxon Shipley sustained a hamstring injury while trying to catch a pass from Swoopes in the second quarter, according to Strong. Shipley ran into the wall, which is less than 10 feet away from the field of play, but Strong said the collision did not lead to the injury.
5. The Longhorn defense registered four sacks in the first half. Malcom Brown, Hassan Ridgeway, Jordan Hicks and Caleb Bluiett took down the quarterback before halftime. Texas gave up a touchdown late in the game, but Strong believed it was one of his team's best defensive performances this season.
6. The special teams unit continues to be an adventure for Texas. After receiver John Harris caught a 9-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, punter William Russ mishandled the snap, which led to a failed attempt. Nick Rose made a 51-yard field goal, but missed a 21-yard attempt. Strong said, "He bangs a 51-yarder, then we hit the goal post on the shorter kick. Then we let one get blocked right now the middle, but the coverages got to be better. We knew that (Tyreek) Hill was going to be an issue for us We can do a lot better on special teams."
7. Strong said Saturday's win against Oklahoma State is exactly the formula he believes it will take to be successful at Texas: "I've been a part of two national championships, and the only way you're going to win is you've got to play great defense. You have to play great defense. I know this is a conference where there is a lot of offensive production, but you've got to be able to play defense. If you don't think about going in and matching score by score, just on defense - get off the field guys. You're good enough. We have good enough talent. Get off the field. We know we can get a lot better."
8. Texas' offense started strong against OSU. The Longhorns scored on their first three possessions to take a 16-0 lead. Watson said it was the kind of start he hoped for, and credited Swoopes for playing well in the first half.
9. It was probably an emotional day for Longhorns offensive coordinator Joe Wickline, who used to coach at Oklahoma State. Wickline went to the OSU side before the game and shook hands with a few staff members - coach Mike Gundy was not on that list - and he bolted into the locker room as the victory was wrapped up. He did not hang around for The Eyes of Texas, and it appeared Wickline just wanted to get out of Stillwater.
10. Johnathan Gray rushed 16 times for 87 yards and one touchdown, and Strong credits the offensive line with the constantly improving running game. Gray said the running backs have more confidence in the guys up front, which makes it easier for them to run the ball.
In My Humble Opinion: This is just a glimpse of what 2015 might look like. Most of us went into this season with the understanding that 2014 is really about laying the groundwork for years to come. However, Strong has gotten the most out of several players, like receiver John Harris, and the future looks bright. Once the staff successfully recruits the right players, the program should be back where many Longhorn fans want it to be.
Postgame Quotes
Longhorns offensive coach Shawn Watson
On using Daje Johnson in the first quarter
"We wanted to get him involved early in this game and get him going. So it was a part of the plan. His speed alone is a factor. You have to account for him. It opens up other things. We use him to open up runs. He does a lot for us in that facet. Then it's the other side of what he brings to the table, too, because defenses have to account for him on those sweeps. That opens up things for the running backs.
On the fast offensive start
"It was a good start. Our starts are always big. We challenged the guys this week to do just this. We're coming to an opponent's home. We've got to start fast, and we've got to be efficient in the way we manage ourselves on the field because out defense has played lights out all year. We're growing to become like them. We wanted to talk the challenge ourselves to get the fast start and leave no doubt what we were here to get done."
On Armanti Foreman's productivity
"He came off the bench. When my man Jaxon went down, he's next in. He did a really nice job for us. He made some great catches off some great throws by Ty. The corner route, in particular, on the third down. He ran a great route. He got himself open. He's got Daje type speed. He can put the fear of God in you, he's so fast. Tyrone told me on the touchdown down throw, I was hoping I can get it to him. He's that fast through the back end of the secondary."
On putting the ball in Tyrone Swoopes' hands late in the game
"It was an easy decision (to pass the ball). It was loaded up, so we could take advantage. Ty's hot. He's seeing it. He's moving protections. He's triggering things, so we're going to cut him loose. When he's playing like that, that's what you get. We've talked about it before. Learning to become a championship quarterback is being able to function and do those things, and then deliver, finish plays, which he was able to do. He had all my confidence tonight. He was changing routes at the line of scrimmage, and doing some things that were really pretty awesome. I just can't wait to see where we can take him from here."
Cornerback Quandre Diggs
One being proud of his teammates
"No doubt. I think we've been resilient all year. We could have easily packed it in three games ago and said we weren't going to finish the season out. These guys continued to fight, and it's a great opportunity for us to continue to build on, something that is going to get this thing going in the right direction for next year."
On how far his team has come since the Kansas State loss
"I think we've come a long way on both sides of the ball, and also on special teams. Guys took it upon themselves to go out and play the game the right way. It hurts, losing. There's not better feeling than to win a game."
Defensive end Cedric Reed
On Strong telling players to not layer up before the game
"I kind of knew it was coming. I told my teammates don't put all that stuff on. They're going to make you take it off. Of course, they still put it on. They tried to challenge him, but I told them, 'Hey man, he's not going to let y'all win that.'"
On the difference during the three-game win streak
"We just came together as a group. We fought through the wounds, and we made it. We're bowl eligible and we still have another game on our schedule.
Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes
On Armanti Foreman
"It was great seeing young guys come in and step up. We've told them all season just to stay ready because you never know. It was great to see him step him and have a big part (in the win).
On how the win feels personally
"It feels good. Just these last couple of weeks, I didn't play too well. To come in and have a game like this, it was a confidence booster."
On having a lot of confidence prior to this game
"The coaches did a great job of giving us the looks in practice. In the film sessions, they were doing a good job of explaining what was going to happen. I feel like we were all really confident going in, and that gave me the ability be loose and not tense before the game, so it really helped."
