In the past two weeks, the Texas program has undergone a radical transformation on the offensive side of the football. As mentioned before, the changes were necessary, and Charlie Strong deserves a lot of credit for doing the difficult job of re-assigning staff responsibilities and then managing the egos and team in the aftermath. There is no doubt that Jerrod Heard was the players’ choice as the leader of the team as many of the most talented players on the roster were signed in the 2014 and 2015 classes. The players’ belief in him is palpable and can be seen in sideline demeanor and onfield energy/effort. Since being inserted into the lineup, the Texas offense has been able to bring back the big plays that had been painfully missing, primarily due to the threat that his running ability brings to the field, but also due in part to the change in offensive play calling and schemes.
At this moment in time, Jerrod Heard has given the Texas fanbase something they have not had in quite some time: legitimate hope for a better future. Without question, the Cowboys are going to experience a loud, engaged crowd on Saturday. Even though the loss to Cal happened in heart-breaking fashion, the residual impact of hope will keep fans engaged much longer than otherwise would have been the case. The importance of starting fast could be magnified this week, along with eliminating big plays and forcing turnovers. If the fans begin to think that last week was a mirage and that the team is not able to contend and they do not see the excitement of big plays, they will abandon ship. This is the worst front-running fan base in the conference.
The biggest questions looming over the Texas offense as the Big 12 season begins are: What will the offense be able to do going forward against quality defensive opponents? Will there be a spillover effect of renewed confidence in other position groups? Will the lack of experience prove to be an Achilles heel? I will not try to answer all of those questions now, but they will be fun to address periodically throughout the season.
Any matchup analysis with Texas has to start with new starting quarterback Jerrod Heard. Jerrod Heard is a fantastic athlete that has established himself as the emotional leader of the offense. (Amazing that the heart of this team is held by a freshman <Jefferson> and a redshirt freshman <Heard>. At this point in his career, Heard is much more athlete and play maker than he is passer or quarterback. Everything begins with his ability to run in the open field. He is elusive with very good acceleration. Most of his big plays will be unscripted where wide open spaces become visible and he is able to clearly see the field. Looking at film this week, I took note of how he did a good job of avoiding contact, even while running the ball. He is not the type of quarterback where you will see a lot of called quarterback runs. He simply does not have the frame to run up inside between the tackles very often, nor does he demonstrate an appetite for contact.
When Heard is in the pocket, he generally locks onto his first read. There was not one time in the Cal or Rice games where he made it past the second option in his progressions. This means that he has either been instructed to make one read and run, or he simply isn’t seeing the field well enough, nor reading the defenses cleanly enough to make those decisions. Based on what I know of the new offensive coordinator, I would bet that they have intentionally simplified things for him to reduce the risk of turnovers. It appears like he has one read in the run-pass option situations and two reads in standard passing plays with a designated hot option in the flats against the blitz. Simply put, he is not an accurate passer. The Longhorns appear to have scrapped much of the intermediate passing game as a result, instead focusing on short run & catch passes and low risk deep throws on verticals away from the safeties utilizing the big time speed from Burt, Foreman, and Johnson. When you hear reference to him not being a good practice player, it is likely safe to interpret that to mean “not a good passer/decision maker”. When you hear reference to him “being a gamer”, it means that his best contributions are unscripted. Bottom line for the Oklahoma State defense is that they have to limit his ability to make easy, big plays.
How do you limit the big plays of Texas?
First, tackle well. Daje Johnson and Jacorey Warrick are very dangerous players after the catch or on jet sweeps. It is imperative that the defense not allow them to turn these low risk plays into huge gains. Jerrod Heard has enough speed to blow up pursuit angles on containment, so the Cowboys have to get him to the ground when they have a chance.
Second, do not bust coverages deep. California busted coverages on two wheel routes in addition to one where a DB forced the receiver out of bounds and then came back in uncovered. This includes the secondary not overcommitting to the run on early downs. Most of the Longhorns big vertical shots come on first or second down. They simply are not a good third down passing team when the defense plays pass first. The freshman Burt is a big time deep threat, but his quarterback has yet to hit him in stride.
Third, get pressure on the quarterback without losing rush lane integrity. The defense needs to get to Heard and hit him, but they also need to contain him in the pocket, limit his vision and avenues for escape. He has accuracy issues and happy feet. Make him uncomfortable with no clear running lanes to escape and he will make mistakes.
Fourth, dominate the line of scrimmage. The Longhorns have a very average offensive line, and their best players are true freshman (both look like future NFL guys). The change in scheme and quarterback has really helped mask deficiencies, but they struggle with simple DL stunts and staying at the right level in pass protection. Neither side gets much push in the run game which is why Jonathan Gray was having such a difficult time getting into the open field until the threat of Heard flattened out the second level of Rice’s and Cal’s defenses. It would not surprise to see their tackles go for more cut blocking on the edge against Ogbah and Bean to try and allow the QB to roll out.
Fifth, own the middle of the field. Shut down the dive in the option game and stay home against the quarterback draw and scramble.
Finally, this Texas offense will rely on big plays the rest of the season. They do not have the strength on the offensive line or the accuracy at quarterback to consistently drive the football without things breaking down. The OSU defense is going to present them a real problem due to potential dominance in the trenches like they experienced against Notre Dame with enough speed on the back end to run with their rabbits at receiver. Texas will get some big plays as they will see the problems that the DEs have had in getting too far upfield and will attack the OLBs and SSs with run-pass delemmas where the defense has proven vulnerable. There will be pull your hair out moments against Heard as dynamic players will make some plays, but if the corners eliminate verticals and the DL is disruptive, Texas will have to sustain drives more than they would like.
At this moment in time, Jerrod Heard has given the Texas fanbase something they have not had in quite some time: legitimate hope for a better future. Without question, the Cowboys are going to experience a loud, engaged crowd on Saturday. Even though the loss to Cal happened in heart-breaking fashion, the residual impact of hope will keep fans engaged much longer than otherwise would have been the case. The importance of starting fast could be magnified this week, along with eliminating big plays and forcing turnovers. If the fans begin to think that last week was a mirage and that the team is not able to contend and they do not see the excitement of big plays, they will abandon ship. This is the worst front-running fan base in the conference.
The biggest questions looming over the Texas offense as the Big 12 season begins are: What will the offense be able to do going forward against quality defensive opponents? Will there be a spillover effect of renewed confidence in other position groups? Will the lack of experience prove to be an Achilles heel? I will not try to answer all of those questions now, but they will be fun to address periodically throughout the season.
Any matchup analysis with Texas has to start with new starting quarterback Jerrod Heard. Jerrod Heard is a fantastic athlete that has established himself as the emotional leader of the offense. (Amazing that the heart of this team is held by a freshman <Jefferson> and a redshirt freshman <Heard>. At this point in his career, Heard is much more athlete and play maker than he is passer or quarterback. Everything begins with his ability to run in the open field. He is elusive with very good acceleration. Most of his big plays will be unscripted where wide open spaces become visible and he is able to clearly see the field. Looking at film this week, I took note of how he did a good job of avoiding contact, even while running the ball. He is not the type of quarterback where you will see a lot of called quarterback runs. He simply does not have the frame to run up inside between the tackles very often, nor does he demonstrate an appetite for contact.
When Heard is in the pocket, he generally locks onto his first read. There was not one time in the Cal or Rice games where he made it past the second option in his progressions. This means that he has either been instructed to make one read and run, or he simply isn’t seeing the field well enough, nor reading the defenses cleanly enough to make those decisions. Based on what I know of the new offensive coordinator, I would bet that they have intentionally simplified things for him to reduce the risk of turnovers. It appears like he has one read in the run-pass option situations and two reads in standard passing plays with a designated hot option in the flats against the blitz. Simply put, he is not an accurate passer. The Longhorns appear to have scrapped much of the intermediate passing game as a result, instead focusing on short run & catch passes and low risk deep throws on verticals away from the safeties utilizing the big time speed from Burt, Foreman, and Johnson. When you hear reference to him not being a good practice player, it is likely safe to interpret that to mean “not a good passer/decision maker”. When you hear reference to him “being a gamer”, it means that his best contributions are unscripted. Bottom line for the Oklahoma State defense is that they have to limit his ability to make easy, big plays.
How do you limit the big plays of Texas?
First, tackle well. Daje Johnson and Jacorey Warrick are very dangerous players after the catch or on jet sweeps. It is imperative that the defense not allow them to turn these low risk plays into huge gains. Jerrod Heard has enough speed to blow up pursuit angles on containment, so the Cowboys have to get him to the ground when they have a chance.
Second, do not bust coverages deep. California busted coverages on two wheel routes in addition to one where a DB forced the receiver out of bounds and then came back in uncovered. This includes the secondary not overcommitting to the run on early downs. Most of the Longhorns big vertical shots come on first or second down. They simply are not a good third down passing team when the defense plays pass first. The freshman Burt is a big time deep threat, but his quarterback has yet to hit him in stride.
Third, get pressure on the quarterback without losing rush lane integrity. The defense needs to get to Heard and hit him, but they also need to contain him in the pocket, limit his vision and avenues for escape. He has accuracy issues and happy feet. Make him uncomfortable with no clear running lanes to escape and he will make mistakes.
Fourth, dominate the line of scrimmage. The Longhorns have a very average offensive line, and their best players are true freshman (both look like future NFL guys). The change in scheme and quarterback has really helped mask deficiencies, but they struggle with simple DL stunts and staying at the right level in pass protection. Neither side gets much push in the run game which is why Jonathan Gray was having such a difficult time getting into the open field until the threat of Heard flattened out the second level of Rice’s and Cal’s defenses. It would not surprise to see their tackles go for more cut blocking on the edge against Ogbah and Bean to try and allow the QB to roll out.
Fifth, own the middle of the field. Shut down the dive in the option game and stay home against the quarterback draw and scramble.
Finally, this Texas offense will rely on big plays the rest of the season. They do not have the strength on the offensive line or the accuracy at quarterback to consistently drive the football without things breaking down. The OSU defense is going to present them a real problem due to potential dominance in the trenches like they experienced against Notre Dame with enough speed on the back end to run with their rabbits at receiver. Texas will get some big plays as they will see the problems that the DEs have had in getting too far upfield and will attack the OLBs and SSs with run-pass delemmas where the defense has proven vulnerable. There will be pull your hair out moments against Heard as dynamic players will make some plays, but if the corners eliminate verticals and the DL is disruptive, Texas will have to sustain drives more than they would like.
