Hollywood Smothers is among the new running backs at Texas as the Longhorns look to improve a a woeful rushing attack from last season as part of Steve Sarkisian’s call for more physicality.
Eric Gay/Associated Press
AUSTIN — Steve Sarkisian had a bold proclamation Monday.
Just five days into training camp, he said his message to his players is clear. He wants a physical football team.
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Don’t they all? Aren’t all the best football teams physical? That’s a given. It’s a prerequisite.
Seen any great basketball teams that can’t shoot? Any outstanding golfers who can’t putt? Accountants? They want to be good at math. Landscapers have to like working outside. Librarians want quiet. Lawyers want to be, uh, verbose. Consultants want to consult. Politicians want to … let’s not go there.
But wait. The sixth-year Texas head coach deserves credit. He hit the nail on the head when he said that’s a top priority for his team.
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Great football teams, of course, have to be able to play smash-mouth football, and not just on defense. On every down. Especially on offense. Particularly in the red zone. In the Longhorns’ case, that’s particularly true.
I think you know where I’m going.
Finesse has no place on a football field. Especially inside the 20. Especially on third-and-2.
“I think one thing that this camp has been, it has been very physical,” Sarkisian said in his introductory meeting following Monday’s practice. “And I give our players a lot of credit on both sides of the ball for playing with a level of physicality that’s needed for us to be the type of team that we want to become, right?”
And that’s where Texas has been lacking during Sarkisian’s era.
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The offense has been physical at times, but never consistently. Not when the Longhorns are poised on the goal line against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl and in Columbus. Not when they need to run the clock out in the Peach Bowl and hold off Arizona State. Not whenever they play Georgia.
Totaling 83 yards rushing in three losses to the Bulldogs in the past two years alone doesn’t exactly cry out physical. When you run for 23, 31 and 29 yards in those three losses don’t scream physical. It doesn’t scream many first downs, either.
Longhorn fans are waiting for some maulers on the offensive line. Some behemoths who can get Texas into the end zone. Longhorn Nation is a little weary of seeing first-and-goal from inside the 5 always qualify as a passing down. Or inside the 1. Fade routes don’t seem all that physical.
The reminder that Arch Manning couldn’t get in the end zone at the Shoe last September is still too fresh in fans’ minds.
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That would become more the rule than the exception as Manning led the team with 10 rushing touchdowns and Texas ranked a pitiful 90th in rushing nationally and 11th in the SEC.
The Longhorns scored just 17 touchdowns on the ground. By point of comparison, James Madison had 38 and made the College Football Playoff. Heck, Texas State, which plays Texas in the season opener, had 36.
“We’ve got to run the football,” Sarkisian acknowledged. “It’s got to be our identity, and we’ve got to stop the run. And I thought those two areas a year ago, we weren’t good enough. And so it’s not new to us, but placing more of an emphasis on it, taking pride in that, is something that we had to kind of reinvent ourselves into, and it’s been a good start to that here in the first few days.”
Sarkisian isn’t shying away from the issue.
Let’s be clear. Texas has been physical on defense. You want to tell Colin Simmons he isn’t physical? Didn’t think so.
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Sarkisian, in fact, used the word physical 24 times in a half-hour press conference Monday. He mentioned that in describing no fewer than six times with certain players.
“I think Melvin Siani’s playing really physical.” He’s an offensive tackle.
“Derrek Cooper for a young guy. he runs a physical style, which is encouraging.” He’s a freshman running back.
“Emmett Mosley blocking on the perimeter. Ryan Wingo. These guys are physical players.” Both are wide receivers.
“I love Justin Cryer. I mean, this guy is a pros’ pro. He’s smart. He’s physical.” He’s a linebacker.
“Brad Spence has played a really physical brand of football for us.” The second-year transfer from Arkansas plays linebacker and edge rusher.
He bragged on others, too. Like linebacker Rasheem Biles and defensive linemen Hero Kanu and Justus Terry. Safety Jelani McDonald is another.
Sarkisian was a bit reluctant to single out players out of fear he’d leave out some who are also showing up in a big way.
“I’m not going to name names the other way,” he said of those who have to raise their physical level if they want to have an impact. “It’s the guys that aren’t or weren’t, especially the last couple nights, as physical as they need to be. They’re standing out moreso than the guys that are being physical because there’s so many guys being physical that the guys that aren’t, it’s like, that ain’t it. That’s not what we’re looking for.”
Sarkisian’s right on when he addressed what is the elephant in this year’s room. And elephants are physical by nature. Not that the Longhorns need a bunch of elephants on the roster. But they’re not far off in weight class.
The five projected starters in the offensive line average 310 pounds. All are 6-foot-4 or taller except Laurence Seymour, who is a skinny 6-2 and 320 pounds. All-American offensive tackle Trevor Goosby towers above them all at 6-7 and 312 pounds.
To reinforce what the coach is saying, in one drill Monday the offense ran the ball 16 straight plays. No passes allowed.
That will get the players’ attention.
“We want to be able to be a team that can run the football when you know we’re going to run it,” Sarkisian said, “and finding ways to run it, and that’s running through down safeties who are unblocked.”
He does think that philosophy is seeping in quickly. With 47 new players on campus who are transfers or freshmen, that comforts him.
“There’s a mindset to it that this team maybe better than some other teams have really embraced that mindset,” he said.
It’s way early. The opener remains 25 days away, but Sarkisian likes what he’s seeing.
The team doesn’t put on full pads until Tuesday night and won’t hold its first scrimmage until Saturday, and Sarkisian will seek a balance between developing a physical team and not overworking the players.
“I just can’t keep banging on them and banging on them,” Sarkisian said.
But they need to be banged on as much as possible. His new defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp, will see to it.
“I think there’s a level of physicality that we have to play the game with,” Sarkisian said. “There’s a mental and physical toughness component to this thing that I think training camp provides us. I want to commend our team. I think they’re working extremely hard. As I said, this has been a very physical camp.”