The biggest subject Texas players were asked about after Charlie Strong’s press conference was how to pull off a road win against Texas Tech.
Texas is 0-4 in games away from Austin this season, and Texas was 2-3 away from DKR last season. If you remove the Red River games, Texas’ only true road win that was not on a neutral site occurred in the season finale against Baylor in 2015.
Here is what some players said about trying to win the road:
Texas tight end Andrew Beck:
“We need to wear our orange jerseys or something. I need to talk to Charlie. Get an alternate jersey."
“One thing we’ve emphasized is picking up our excitement on the sidelines. If you watch this last game, granted it was a home game, if you look at the sideline, we were rooting for our defense when we were out there. Everybody was getting excited when our offense made a big play. I think it’s just bringing the energy to the sideline. This will be our fifth road game. We understand we know that we’re all we have when we go on the road. I think it’s going to be exciting.”
Texas receiver Jacorey Warrick
“We just have to be mentally tough when we go on the road. For whatever reason, we haven’t provided enough energy just from within once we’ve been on the road. When we’re at home, we make a play and the crowd goes crazy. It’s like a spark comes. We just have to find a way to make initial plays early in the game to provide the spark to carry us throughout the game, and provide that from within.”
Texas defensive tackle Chris Nelson
“That’s just going to be on us as a defense. We’re going to have to quiet down their fans. As a defense, that’s how you’re going to have to make them shut up.”
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- When asked about the team playing flat against Kansas State, Nelson said the country music played in the stadium before that game affected their squad. Nelson said he listens to country music, but said the tunes in Manhattan, Kansas were too mellow: “Versus, K-State, it was kind of dead. From the moment we went out there, the music they were playing, we can’t let that get to us. We've got to take it upon ourselves to get in each other’s head to win the game.”
- Texas coach Charlie Strong’s defense has limited the amount of points per game allowed since the loss against Oklahoma. After giving up 43 points or more in three of the team’s first five games this season, Texas has held Iowa State to six points, Kansas State to 24 and Baylor scored 34.”
When linebacker Breckyn Hager was asked about Strong’s influence on the defense, he said, “He’s just been keeping it simple, and really making sure we understand everything in practice. If somebody messes up, he’ll bingo it two or three times if he needs to. He really just makes sure that we understand the concept of the defense he’s running.”
- Here is what Paul Boyette said about the difference with Strong as a play-caller: “I just think the communication and putting us in the right position to be successful, and everybody just believing. Everybody just bringing everybody along. I think all the coaching staff has brought everybody along, including coach Strong and coach (Vance) Bedford.”
- Texas cornerback John Bonney said he was more aggressive against Baylor than in any other contest because of his comfort within the system. Bonney knows there are good players who are behind him, and he is practicing hard to earn playing time each week: “I think they’re probably the two best athletes that we have on the team (Davante Davis and Holton Hill). Holton is so long at corner, and Davante really knows what he’s doing out there. Almost the same thing for me. Sometimes you need a confidence boost. That’s what happened for me, and that’s why I played like I did this last game. I don’t really see anything. They still do well in practice. They do what they’re supposed to do. I don’t really know (why Hill and Davis are not seeing a lot of playing time).”
Texas is 0-4 in games away from Austin this season, and Texas was 2-3 away from DKR last season. If you remove the Red River games, Texas’ only true road win that was not on a neutral site occurred in the season finale against Baylor in 2015.
Here is what some players said about trying to win the road:
Texas tight end Andrew Beck:
“We need to wear our orange jerseys or something. I need to talk to Charlie. Get an alternate jersey."
“One thing we’ve emphasized is picking up our excitement on the sidelines. If you watch this last game, granted it was a home game, if you look at the sideline, we were rooting for our defense when we were out there. Everybody was getting excited when our offense made a big play. I think it’s just bringing the energy to the sideline. This will be our fifth road game. We understand we know that we’re all we have when we go on the road. I think it’s going to be exciting.”
Texas receiver Jacorey Warrick
“We just have to be mentally tough when we go on the road. For whatever reason, we haven’t provided enough energy just from within once we’ve been on the road. When we’re at home, we make a play and the crowd goes crazy. It’s like a spark comes. We just have to find a way to make initial plays early in the game to provide the spark to carry us throughout the game, and provide that from within.”
Texas defensive tackle Chris Nelson
“That’s just going to be on us as a defense. We’re going to have to quiet down their fans. As a defense, that’s how you’re going to have to make them shut up.”
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- When asked about the team playing flat against Kansas State, Nelson said the country music played in the stadium before that game affected their squad. Nelson said he listens to country music, but said the tunes in Manhattan, Kansas were too mellow: “Versus, K-State, it was kind of dead. From the moment we went out there, the music they were playing, we can’t let that get to us. We've got to take it upon ourselves to get in each other’s head to win the game.”
- Texas coach Charlie Strong’s defense has limited the amount of points per game allowed since the loss against Oklahoma. After giving up 43 points or more in three of the team’s first five games this season, Texas has held Iowa State to six points, Kansas State to 24 and Baylor scored 34.”
When linebacker Breckyn Hager was asked about Strong’s influence on the defense, he said, “He’s just been keeping it simple, and really making sure we understand everything in practice. If somebody messes up, he’ll bingo it two or three times if he needs to. He really just makes sure that we understand the concept of the defense he’s running.”
- Here is what Paul Boyette said about the difference with Strong as a play-caller: “I just think the communication and putting us in the right position to be successful, and everybody just believing. Everybody just bringing everybody along. I think all the coaching staff has brought everybody along, including coach Strong and coach (Vance) Bedford.”
- Texas cornerback John Bonney said he was more aggressive against Baylor than in any other contest because of his comfort within the system. Bonney knows there are good players who are behind him, and he is practicing hard to earn playing time each week: “I think they’re probably the two best athletes that we have on the team (Davante Davis and Holton Hill). Holton is so long at corner, and Davante really knows what he’s doing out there. Almost the same thing for me. Sometimes you need a confidence boost. That’s what happened for me, and that’s why I played like I did this last game. I don’t really see anything. They still do well in practice. They do what they’re supposed to do. I don’t really know (why Hill and Davis are not seeing a lot of playing time).”
