Will Foreman play in the slot?and another thing....I expected to see a real show between Burt and Collin Johnson, but for my money, the best receiver on the field at the game was Amanti Foreman # 3...guy was unstopable
What sucks is he has all the tools.....except......between the ears. Maybe he tries too hard. But I don't think he is the every down guy either BRB.
Agreed! Foreman really impressed me. His body control looked amazing. He's falling out of bounds, catching a football, and still was getting his feet down. He looked great! Hope we can get that kid the ball a lot more this year.and another thing....I expected to see a real show between Burt and Collin Johnson, but for my money, the best receiver on the field at the game was Amanti Foreman # 3...guy was unstopable
Agreed! Foreman really impressed me. His body control looked amazing. He's falling out of bounds, catching a football, and still was getting his feet down. He looked great! Hope we can get that kid the ball a lot more this year.
How many interceptions did Dylan Haines have I'm sure he had at least one. How many tackles did he have I'll bet the led the defense.
Alright how many tackles did he miss? How many blown assignments? How many times was he beaten? Metcalf, I'm sure you have the numbers
Like they were playing in a glorified practice.siap
How did Malik look? What about PJ and Naashon?
Why on earth would you say you don't trust Bluett? The guy is killing it...siap
Questions about other players
Will Connor Williams be better than last year? Do you realize we haven't had an ol drafted since Bush 2 was in office?
Kirk Johnson is there a chance he will get some playing time?
I know he didn't enroll early but I saw an article on here that said Peyton Aucion hopes to put on enough weight to see the playing field. I just don't trust Caleb.
For those that have seen enough film of our dt recruits. Who has the best chance of starting right away? We're in trouble if we have to start Bryce Cottrell every game this year.
siap
Questions about other players
Will Connor Williams be better than last year? Do you realize we haven't had an ol drafted since Bush 2 was in office?
Kirk Johnson is there a chance he will get some playing time?
I know he didn't enroll early but I saw an article on here that said Peyton Aucion hopes to put on enough weight to see the playing field. I just don't trust Caleb.
For those that have seen enough film of our dt recruits. Who has the best chance of starting right away? We're in trouble if we have to start Bryce Cottrell every game this year.
This was the best GDDH has ever looked. Couldn't have asked for anything more.
siap
How did Malik look? What about PJ and Naashon?
Thanks for the post, Sholtz.The Sunday Pulpit
Texas coach Charlie Strong does not need to review Saturday’s film to make a quarterback decision. There is no need to let this competition play out during the summer and two-a-days. He does not need to conduct a long meeting with offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert this week. Strong should do one thing on Sunday.
He needs to officially name Shane Buechele as Texas' starting quarterback.
Some people might call the hype over the freshman’s spring game performance an overreaction. Others may label the excitement as premature. There are cautious people who believe anointing Buechele as "the answer" is simply a knee-jerk reaction.
Frankly, those people are wrong.
Buechele looked like a guy capable of leading this team during an impressive debut on Saturday. He completed 22-of-41 passes for 299 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Texas scored four times during the spring game, and Buechele played on each drive, according to the official stats. Buechele always placed the ball where his receivers could catch it, or nobody else would. He was never rattled. He looked like a starting quarterback.
Meanwhile, Tyrone Swoopes completed 4-of-16 passes for 71 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions on Saturday. After John Burt dropped a long pass from Swoopes in the first quarter, Swoopes struggled throughout the game. Many of his passes were contested by defensive backs. The accuracy was not there. For an offense that was supposed to be so simple for Swoopes to excel in, he looked like the same quarterback who struggled in Shawn Watson’s system, and was relegated to being a runner under Jay Norvell.
Game over.
There is no way Strong can sell Swoopes to the fan base, especially after what everybody witnessed on Saturday. If there was a second half, Buechele may have finished with so many yards and touchdowns, Strong would have been forced to name a starter after the game. The game ended prematurely, and so did any argument about Swoopes starting again this season. In fact, I spent the evening talking to my sources, and all of them agree it will be hard to sell Swoopes to Longhorn fans after Buchele’s performance.
Here is the deal:
- Nobody wants to hear about Swoopes’ potential when Buechele showed so much promise.
- Buechele may struggle as a freshman, but that is better than watching Swoopes flounder as a senior.
- We may not know how Buechele will react in the season opener. However, most observers can predict what will occur when Swoopes is under the lights.
- Strong is possibly facing a do-or-die season, and the blind faith in Swoopes has contributed to the program being in intensive care.
Photo via the Houston Chronicle
Nobody is saying Swoopes is a bad person, because he appears to have a lot of friends on the team. He was very effective in the 18-wheeler package last season. Swoopes is seemingly enjoying being a college player and attending Texas. It sounds like a great experience for him.
However, for Longhorn fans who want to win, they need to experience Buechele as a starter.
Strong can name Buechele a starter and never look back by making an honest observation – this is not "his" team.
This offense will be led by D’Onta Foreman and Chris Warren in 2016, not Buechele. Warren gained 101 yards and one touchdown on seven rushes, while Foreman had nine carries for 73 yards and one touchdown. It may not be as simple as just handing the ball off to those two studs, but the formula should be pretty darn close. Plus, Kirk Johnson (knee) is expected to participate in offseason workouts, and incoming freshman Kyle Porter will hit campus later this year. Buechele has enough weapons to lean on the run game.
"They’re both big," Gilbert said. "They’re both physical. It brings an aspect to your run game that a lot of people don’t have, and we’re very fortunate with those two guys. We’re obviously going to utilize those guys in our offense, and just be a part of the process of trying to win every Saturday."
Gilbert said the biggest running back he remembered coaching was 225. Foreman is listed at 238 pounds, while Warren is at 255.
“You've still got to be good up front,” Gilbert said. “You've got to get bodies on bodies, but they do a really good job. They’re big, they’re physical. They do a great job with our fundamentals and techniques and paths we ask them to run.”
Meanwhile, there are plenty of receivers who are playmakers. Collin Johnson and John Burt could be explosive options for Buechele in the fall. Armanti Foreman, Jacorey “Petey” Warrick and Jake Oliver are in the mix. DeAndre McNeal, Dorian Leonard and Lorenzo Joe are fighting to be in the rotation, too.
The offensive line may have a few question marks, but nothing was alarming about its performance on Saturday.
Right now, the only thing alarming is any talk surrounding Swoopes starting in the season opener after Buechele rose to the occasion. Strong has always maintained if an upperclassman is tied with an underclassman, he would start the young player. I asked him if the same rule applied to Buechele and Swoopes, and Strong said, “When we make that decision, it won't be a tie. It will be a guy that clearly stepped out where we can say, 'Boom. That's the guy. Let's go with him, and let's go play.'"
Well, I saw enough on Saturday.
There is no tie.
Buechele needs to be named the starting quarterback.
Photo via the Houston Chronicle
10 Things We Learned After The Game
1. Do not be surprised if Saturday was the last time you saw backup quarterback Kai Locksley in a Texas uniform. From what I was told, his tweet after the spring game did not go over well with anyone inside of the building. I was told another reason there might be a parting of ways this offseason is because there are certain expectations players in the program are supposed to meet, and Locksley has not met those requirements, which explains his lack of playing time. I know that seems elusive, but I cannot get into any details right now.
2. Texas safety Kevin Vaccaro delivered a nice hit against Buechele in the spring game. However, Vaccaro was told he could never hit Buechele like that again.
3. Gilbert was asked if he showed the bare minimum on offense during Saturday’s spring game, and responded by saying, “It wasn’t much” while smiling. Clearly, what we witnessed on Saturday was just a small preview of the future.
4. One thing Gilbert tried to emphasis is nothing has been settled on offense. He expects guys to compete for playing time at every spot. He wants to see how players perform in the summer and two-a-days before finalizing his starters.
5. Here was Gilbert’s response when asked about his biggest concern: “We've just got to get better. It’s still early. We’re still learning these guys and trying to figure out how or what is the best thing for us to be doing on our side of the ball. Just continue to watch, evaluate and see.”
6. If Longhorn fans are looking for another positive statement from Gilbert, he said the installation of this offense at Texas is on par with other places he has coached. It appears there have not been any setbacks, and Gilbert is satisfied with the progress of his unit at this point.
7. Gilbert had plenty of positive things to say about assistants Charlie Williams and Anthony Johnson, two guys he has worked with for only a few months: “Man, it’s been great. Those two guys have been great hires. They do a great job with kids. They love kids. Both of those guys are very knowledgeable. They’re very enthusiastic, and they do a great job of coaching or guys and learning what we did. They had to learn, too, before they could coach our kids. They’ve done a great job. Both of those guys are really stand up guys and coaches.”
8. This is a small note, but Gilbert said he plans to coach from the sidelines instead of the press box this season. Former Texas offensive coordinator Shawn Watson preferred to coach from the box.
9. Gilbert was not worried about Texas receiver Collin Johnson’s lack of involvement during Saturday’s game. He reemphasized that the spring game does not overshadow the previous 14 practices. Gilbert described Johnson as a hard worker, somebody who wants to be good, plus he has ball skills.
10. Finally, here was Gilbert’s assessment of freshman center Zach Shackelford: “Every day he’s just gotten better. He’s a guy that’s very coachable. He’s physical. I know (offensive line coach) Matt (Mattox) loves him. He’s just done a great job. Again, he’s a young guy [who should be] two weeks from prom. He falls in that deal, too. He’s just a young guy. He’s really jumped both feet forward with what’s been going on, and what coach has asked him to do up front.”
Add Santos to that satisfying non appearance and 100% agree!This was the best GDDH has ever looked. Couldn't have asked for anything more.
This is a very good post but Im still not comfortable starting a freshman QB against ND since I think they would throw the Kitchen sink at him with blitzes,zone changes in the secondary anything to mess up the timing of the offense.If Swoopes cannot move the chains,then bring him in.I would like to redshirt him but that is out of the question and I would prefer to work him in slowly rather than just throw him in the fire.The Sunday Pulpit
Texas coach Charlie Strong does not need to review Saturday’s film to make a quarterback decision. There is no need to let this competition play out during the summer and two-a-days. He does not need to conduct a long meeting with offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert this week. Strong should do one thing on Sunday.
He needs to officially name Shane Buechele as Texas' starting quarterback.
Some people might call the hype over the freshman’s spring game performance an overreaction. Others may label the excitement as premature. There are cautious people who believe anointing Buechele as "the answer" is simply a knee-jerk reaction.
Frankly, those people are wrong.
Buechele looked like a guy capable of leading this team during an impressive debut on Saturday. He completed 22-of-41 passes for 299 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Texas scored four times during the spring game, and Buechele played on each drive, according to the official stats. Buechele always placed the ball where his receivers could catch it, or nobody else would. He was never rattled. He looked like a starting quarterback.
Meanwhile, Tyrone Swoopes completed 4-of-16 passes for 71 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions on Saturday. After John Burt dropped a long pass from Swoopes in the first quarter, Swoopes struggled throughout the game. Many of his passes were contested by defensive backs. The accuracy was not there. For an offense that was supposed to be so simple for Swoopes to excel in, he looked like the same quarterback who struggled in Shawn Watson’s system, and was relegated to being a runner under Jay Norvell.
Game over.
There is no way Strong can sell Swoopes to the fan base, especially after what everybody witnessed on Saturday. If there was a second half, Buechele may have finished with so many yards and touchdowns, Strong would have been forced to name a starter after the game. The game ended prematurely, and so did any argument about Swoopes starting again this season. In fact, I spent the evening talking to my sources, and all of them agree it will be hard to sell Swoopes to Longhorn fans after Buchele’s performance.
Here is the deal:
- Nobody wants to hear about Swoopes’ potential when Buechele showed so much promise.
- Buechele may struggle as a freshman, but that is better than watching Swoopes flounder as a senior.
- We may not know how Buechele will react in the season opener. However, most observers can predict what will occur when Swoopes is under the lights.
- Strong is possibly facing a do-or-die season, and the blind faith in Swoopes has contributed to the program being in intensive care.
Photo via the Houston Chronicle
Nobody is saying Swoopes is a bad person, because he appears to have a lot of friends on the team. He was very effective in the 18-wheeler package last season. Swoopes is seemingly enjoying being a college player and attending Texas. It sounds like a great experience for him.
However, for Longhorn fans who want to win, they need to experience Buechele as a starter.
Strong can name Buechele a starter and never look back by making an honest observation – this is not "his" team.
This offense will be led by D’Onta Foreman and Chris Warren in 2016, not Buechele. Warren gained 101 yards and one touchdown on seven rushes, while Foreman had nine carries for 73 yards and one touchdown. It may not be as simple as just handing the ball off to those two studs, but the formula should be pretty darn close. Plus, Kirk Johnson (knee) is expected to participate in offseason workouts, and incoming freshman Kyle Porter will hit campus later this year. Buechele has enough weapons to lean on the run game.
"They’re both big," Gilbert said. "They’re both physical. It brings an aspect to your run game that a lot of people don’t have, and we’re very fortunate with those two guys. We’re obviously going to utilize those guys in our offense, and just be a part of the process of trying to win every Saturday."
Gilbert said the biggest running back he remembered coaching was 225. Foreman is listed at 238 pounds, while Warren is at 255.
“You've still got to be good up front,” Gilbert said. “You've got to get bodies on bodies, but they do a really good job. They’re big, they’re physical. They do a great job with our fundamentals and techniques and paths we ask them to run.”
Meanwhile, there are plenty of receivers who are playmakers. Collin Johnson and John Burt could be explosive options for Buechele in the fall. Armanti Foreman, Jacorey “Petey” Warrick and Jake Oliver are in the mix. DeAndre McNeal, Dorian Leonard and Lorenzo Joe are fighting to be in the rotation, too.
The offensive line may have a few question marks, but nothing was alarming about its performance on Saturday.
Right now, the only thing alarming is any talk surrounding Swoopes starting in the season opener after Buechele rose to the occasion. Strong has always maintained if an upperclassman is tied with an underclassman, he would start the young player. I asked him if the same rule applied to Buechele and Swoopes, and Strong said, “When we make that decision, it won't be a tie. It will be a guy that clearly stepped out where we can say, 'Boom. That's the guy. Let's go with him, and let's go play.'"
Well, I saw enough on Saturday.
There is no tie.
Buechele needs to be named the starting quarterback.
Photo via the Houston Chronicle
10 Things We Learned After The Game
1. Do not be surprised if Saturday was the last time you saw backup quarterback Kai Locksley in a Texas uniform. From what I was told, his tweet after the spring game did not go over well with anyone inside of the building. I was told another reason there might be a parting of ways this offseason is because there are certain expectations players in the program are supposed to meet, and Locksley has not met those requirements, which explains his lack of playing time. I know that seems elusive, but I cannot get into any details right now.
2. Texas safety Kevin Vaccaro delivered a nice hit against Buechele in the spring game. However, Vaccaro was told he could never hit Buechele like that again.
3. Gilbert was asked if he showed the bare minimum on offense during Saturday’s spring game, and responded by saying, “It wasn’t much” while smiling. Clearly, what we witnessed on Saturday was just a small preview of the future.
4. One thing Gilbert tried to emphasis is nothing has been settled on offense. He expects guys to compete for playing time at every spot. He wants to see how players perform in the summer and two-a-days before finalizing his starters.
5. Here was Gilbert’s response when asked about his biggest concern: “We've just got to get better. It’s still early. We’re still learning these guys and trying to figure out how or what is the best thing for us to be doing on our side of the ball. Just continue to watch, evaluate and see.”
6. If Longhorn fans are looking for another positive statement from Gilbert, he said the installation of this offense at Texas is on par with other places he has coached. It appears there have not been any setbacks, and Gilbert is satisfied with the progress of his unit at this point.
7. Gilbert had plenty of positive things to say about assistants Charlie Williams and Anthony Johnson, two guys he has worked with for only a few months: “Man, it’s been great. Those two guys have been great hires. They do a great job with kids. They love kids. Both of those guys are very knowledgeable. They’re very enthusiastic, and they do a great job of coaching or guys and learning what we did. They had to learn, too, before they could coach our kids. They’ve done a great job. Both of those guys are really stand up guys and coaches.”
8. This is a small note, but Gilbert said he plans to coach from the sidelines instead of the press box this season. Former Texas offensive coordinator Shawn Watson preferred to coach from the box.
9. Gilbert was not worried about Texas receiver Collin Johnson’s lack of involvement during Saturday’s game. He reemphasized that the spring game does not overshadow the previous 14 practices. Gilbert described Johnson as a hard worker, somebody who wants to be good, plus he has ball skills.
10. Finally, here was Gilbert’s assessment of freshman center Zach Shackelford: “Every day he’s just gotten better. He’s a guy that’s very coachable. He’s physical. I know (offensive line coach) Matt (Mattox) loves him. He’s just done a great job. Again, he’s a young guy [who should be] two weeks from prom. He falls in that deal, too. He’s just a young guy. He’s really jumped both feet forward with what’s been going on, and what coach has asked him to do up front.”
This is a very good post but Im still not comfortable starting a freshman QB against ND since I think they would throw the Kitchen sink at him with blitzes,zone changes in the secondary anything to mess up the timing of the offense.If Swoopes cannot move the chains,then bring him in.I would like to redshirt him but that is out of the question and I would prefer to work him in slowly rather than just throw him in the fire.
Why on earth would you say you don't trust Bluett? The guy is killing it...
No blitzing and they shut down the starting DL and LBs really quick. Doubt they had more than 10 snaps. Pretty much nothing but 3 receiver straight line go routes so nothing for PJ.
Well you guys did see the spring game so I'll take your word on it.
This was the best GDDH has ever looked. Couldn't have asked for anything more.
The link to the whole game on YouTube is on the previous page.
Our DC is a Rex Ryan disciple who thinks he can install that type of hyper-complex defense at the college level
(spoiler alter....you can't)
Our own players can't figure out the defense until they've worked in it for 2-3....and they're having it actively explained to them
Expect an encyclopedia set of zone blitzes, stunts, twists, and last second adjustments to be thrown at your True Frosh QB and Center
But........
If they just decide to throw it to the deep receiver, who's either been completely forgotten by the FS or is being covered by a DE...they'll be fine
::feelsbadman::
No question the ND D period is going to be tough for a frosh.
Again he just might be naive enough to not be bright eyed about ND. And our simplified offense will probably help him. As will the speed of our snaps will help when your DC is trying to overcomplicate things with less time.
.
You are right on that. If we can manage a few first downs and go up tempo it really limits the defense's ability to dial up those exotic blitz package/coverage combos. Most of the time when the offense goes up tempo the D checks to a specific somewhat basic package. The other thing that could help is if we can keep the ball on one of the hashes. The width of the hash makes it impossible for a D to disguise anything if they have to use a more basic scheme.
The drawback is if we go 5 or less plays uptempo the D could be back on the field in less than 3 minutes of total elapsed time and we are super thin everywhere but DE.
Who was the fastest paced offense ND faced last year? Clemson?Part of me almost wants the up-tempo to force more simplified looks and calls from the defense....because all the complication seems to hurt us more than it helps us
But I'm sure our DC would counter being in simple looks with even more checks (somehow) and manage to slow down the players even more