Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN, Texas -- When Texas was good, there was a versatility to its offense and the players within that offense.

Specifically at running back. Those players weren’t asked to just grab it and go. They were expected to be a part of the passing game as well.

There was Jamaal Charles against Ohio State in 2005, catching two passes for a combined 17 yards on what would be the game-winning drive. There was Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson with five catches for 35 yards against Oklahoma in 2009, Texas’ last win against the Sooners.

Way back in 2000, as Texas’ decade at the top started, Hodges Mitchell not only led the Longhorns in rushing but was third on the team in receiving. And even last season, when Texas ultimately switched to a quasi-spread/up-tempo offense in the Alamo Bowl, there was Johnathan Gray making one of the plays that made the season at least moderately respectable with a 15-yard catch and run for a touchdown.

It’s that last play Texas wants more of as it moves into its new up-tempo offense and quite possibly back into the top 10.

"We are still fighting to find that tight end that can block in tight and still press and be able to press the field and get the ball down the field vertically," said Texas coach Mack Brown. "But at the same time, we feel like that our backs can get involved in the passing game."

Texas did a better job of getting those backs involved in the passing game in 2012 than it did in 2011 and 2010. Gray had 151 receiving yards, Malcolm Brown had 112 and Joe Bergeron had 84. But that total -- 347 yards -- still doesn’t equal the total of what Mitchell had -- 386 yards -- back when the quarterback really embraced and understood what a valuable asset dumping the ball off to the running back could be.

"Major [Applewhite] was one of the best I've ever seen at dropping the ball off to the backs," Brown said.

It just so happens that Applewhite is now standing behind quarterback David Ash working through the decision–making process with him. And standing beside those two are Gray, Brown and Bergeron, three players who have proven to have the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

Gray has the best hands of the three even though it was Brown, in five fewer games, who led the Longhorns running backs in receptions with 15. It is not just the hands, but Gray’s ability to accelerate quickly and make people miss in space that should put him at the top of the reception totals for running backs in 2013.

Brown, who went from three catches his freshman season to the aforementioned 15, is better on swing passes with his momentum already headed downfield. The same goes for Bergeron as neither he nor Brown have that quick acceleration necessary to stop and then go after a dump pass. Still, both are a better alternative than a sack or a forced pass downfield.

The latter is something Texas is trying to get Ash to avoid as he moves into his third season as a starting quarterback at Texas. Mack Brown believes, by involving the backs in the passing game more, the junior will be able to do just that.

"That's one of the areas David will really step up, instead of forcing a ball deep," he said. "Major will really help him to drop the ball off to the backs and keep the chains moving."

Which is exactly what an offense that wants to average 80-plus plays a game will have to do if Texas intends to move back to the level it once was some four years ago.

AUSTIN, Texas -- The object of the Texas running game, as it is with all others, is to not get touched.

Given that perfection is much more elusive than the runners trying to achieve it, the next best thing then is to not let those touches have too much effect. In order to quantify just how good runners are at not being adversely affected, the hairball-in-windpipe-sounding YAC (yards after contact) stat was born.

As it turns out, Texas is pretty decent at garnering YAC. Texas’ top three runners, Johnathan Gray, Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown, gained 42 percent of their yards after contact in 2012.

Brown, who carried the ball the least among the three (61 rushes for 324 yards), proved to be the most effective when it came to shaking off potential tacklers. The rising junior gained 87 percent of his yards after contact on 281 of his 324 yards.

Bergeron, the biggest of the three backs and the most apt to run between the tackles, was next with 51 percent of his yards coming after contact (287 of 567).

Gray, by far the shiftiest of the three, proved to be a much more elusive target for defenses but also, quite possibly, easier for them to bring down as well. The rising sophomore gained 14 percent of his yards after contact (102 of 701). Maybe not so coincidentally, Gray was not injured during his freshman year. Brown and Bergeron both suffered injuries as freshmen in 2011 and Brown was hurt again as a sophomore.

All three are now healthy. Expectations are the Texas run game should be as well. There are three accomplished and veteran backs. Three-year starters littered across the offensive line. And there has been a shift toward a spread offense that actually seizes upon the novel theory of running where the defense isn’t.

It’s that last factor, coupled with Gray’s elusiveness as demonstrated by his YAC, that appears to make him the ideal candidate for the most carries in 2013. Clearly Gray has already demonstrated the ability to be elusive even when having to pick his way through to green grass and daylight. So the imagination wanders when considering what he might be able to do when, egad, given the ball in space or with space which to work. His 4.7 yards-per-carry average could top 5.0 or even quite possibly wander into the 6.0 range, a mark not surpassed by a Texas runner with more than 75 carries since Jamaal Charles was given room to roam in a spread offense in 2007.

But Gray’s march could be could short if Brown and Bergeron are unable to produce YAC stats similar to 2012’s in 2013. Brown probably will not hover near the 87 percent mark. That number is slightly skewed due to a shortened season, lack of carries and Brown’s willingness to duck his shoulder and summarily dismiss every Ole Miss defender that was sent his way.

If he, like Bergeron, were to produce 50 percent of his yards after contact, Texas would succeed in producing the roundhouses and uppercuts necessary to daze a defense and therefore set up the potential for Gray to take advantage of weary bodies and glassy eyes. It’s the oft-coined thunder-and-lightning effect. Texas could have two claps and one strike.

Now while such a scenario still might not mean perfection, it might just be close enough that Texas would be satisfied.

Colleague Travis Haney ranked his list of the nation's top 10 "most talented" teams , and a certain burnt orange team you might have heard showed up at No. 2 on his list.

It's an interesting approach to ranking teams, and Haney looked at NFL draft lists, colleague Mark Schlabach's top 25 and the past four years of recruiting rankings to put together his list.

A lot of the ranking is thanks to those recruiting rankings, where Texas' class averaged a ranking of 6.5 among players currently suiting up for the Longhorns.

I agree that Texas is the Big 12's most talented team by a long way, but what does that really mean, besides more pressure on Mack Brown? The Longhorns beat a rebuilding Oklahoma State team in September that was a shell of the team it became late in the season, and did so narrowly with J.W. Walsh making his first career start for the Pokes. You've got to take all that into consideration, and when you look back at the last two years, Texas' best win was either its Alamo Bowl comeback against Oregon State or a road win against Texas Tech, who ended the season tied for fifth in the league.

A pair of embarrassing blowout losses to Oklahoma are the biggest reason for skepticism surrounding the Longhorns, who plenty of folks will pick to win the Big 12 in 2013. They've certainly got talent. Look no further than super recruits like DE Jackson Jeffcoat, DT Malcom Brown, and running backs Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray for evidence of that, not to mention defenders like CB Quandre Diggs and linebackers Peter Jinkens and Jordan Hicks.

The Longhorns have talent all over the field, and that has been the case the past three seasons, which have featured just 22 wins. Now, though, that talent has experience and Texas is preparing for it to pay off.

On paper, it should. Texas has every reason to be one of, if not the, Big 12 favorite. Still, the Longhorns have got to prove it on the field, and it takes a lot of big wins to make that happen. Texas has been short on those wins of late.

2012 record: 9-4
2012 conference record: 5-4 (third in the Big 12)
Returning starters: Offense: 10; defense: 9; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners: QB David Ash, RB Johnathan Gray, WR Mike Davis, WR Jaxon Shipley, LT Donald Hawkins, RT Josh Cochran, G Mason Walters, DE Jackson Jeffcoat, LB Jordan Hicks, CB Quandre Diggs, CB Carrington Byndom

Key losses: P Alex King, S Kenny Vaccaro, DE Alex Okafor, WR Marquise Goodwin

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Johnathan Gray* (701 yards)
Passing: David Ash* (2,699 yards)
Receiving: Mike Davis* (939 yards)
Tackles: Kenny Vaccaro (107)
Sacks: Alex Okafor (12.5)
Interceptions: Quandre Diggs* (4)

Spring answers:

1. Under center: Texas has finally ended all the debate about its quarterback situation and settled on David Ash. While Ash has yet to be stellar in his first two years at Texas, the junior has steadily improved -- he was top 25 in pass efficiency rating in 2012 -- and has won the trust of new quarterbacks coach Major Applewhite. Applewhite believes Ash is the quarterback best suited to run the new up-tempo, spread attack.

2. Loaded at linebacker: One year after being the worst tackling team in the Big 12, Texas went into the spring looking to shore up its linebacker position. And it had plenty of options. Texas has seven linebackers who have started at least one game. Included in that group is Jordan Hicks, who is back after missing 10 games last year because of a hip injury. Hicks will team with true sophomores, Dalton Santos and Peter Jinkens for what should be a much faster and aggressive unit in 2013.

3. Along the lines: While there were a sprinkling of injuries along the offensive line this spring (Josh Cochran and Trey Hopkins), Texas appears to have finally solved the depth riddle at that position. Tackle Kennedy Estelle was able to get quality snaps and should prove to be a solid backup and Sedrick Flowers finally emerged as an option at guard. While Texas returns all five starter from a year ago along the line, the Longhorns know that in the new up-tempo offense it will have to lean heavily on these backups.

Fall questions

1. Speed thrills: Texas wants to move the ball fast. So fast that the offensive players were even taught how to quickly get the ball back to the official so that they could put it down and Texas could line up and run the next play. But Texas only decided it wanted to play this way in mid-December when there was a change in playcallers from Bryan Harsin to Applewhite. So Texas has only had a handful of practices to get up to speed. With a schedule that has Texas at BYU for the second game of the season there doesn’t appear to be much time to get things perfected.

2. Safety dance: Texas’ defense was the worst in school history and that was largely due to the play of the back seven on defense. And now the best player in that back seven, Kenny Vaccaro, is gone. He was a first-round draft pick. That has left Texas wondering who will step up and make some stop at the safety position. Adrian Phillips takes over for Vaccaro, but he was inconsistent last season. The coaches blamed a shoulder injury and the fact he missed the spring. Mykkele Thompson and Josh Turner also missed their share of tackles but both are being called on to be possible starters.

3. Receiving praise: Texas has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Jordan Shipley in 2009. Mike Davis had 939 yards last year and appears poised to break the 1,000-yard mark this season. But to do that he will need help. And right now there are some questions as to where that help will come from. Texas wants to go with four wide receivers but two of the four players expected to fill those roles -- Cayleb Jones and Kendall Sanders -- are currently suspended because of legal issues. Both will probably be back. But even then, Texas is very thin at wide receiver and needs some other players to step up to help take the double teams away from Davis.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Malcolm Brown wants to believe, once again, that there will be enough carries to go around this year.

That very well could be true. Texas wants to move from running around 65 plays a game to up near 85. David Ash doesn’t appear to be a 45-pass-attempt-a-game guy, so those extra plays, if Texas is successful in producing them, will have to fall to someone’s shoulders. And Johnathan Gray probably cannot carry that load by himself.

"We can all run in there with the first group and play," Brown said. "Nobody in the running back room is selfish at all. We’re all happy for each other and want to see everybody do well. Whatever situation it is and whatever guy is best at that situation will be in the game."

That hasn’t always been the case, particularly with Brown. That’s due in part to injuries. Brown, once heralded as the back who would bring back the Texas run game, has only started eight games in his two-year career. He has played in 18. And has really only been 100-percent healthy in 12 games.

Then there were the issues with the playcalling. Brown had 14 carries and 100-plus yards in the opener against Wyoming and two carries in the next game against New Mexico State. Texas said it tried to get him the ball. But that excuse rings slightly hollow considering the level of difficulty involved in turning and handing the ball off to a running back is typically mastered in pee wee football.

Then there was the Alamo Bowl, Brown’s homecoming and a game in which he was fully healthy. He carried the ball four times for eight yards.

(Read full post)

You can only be inspired by our friends at the ACC Blog, but today, we'll start looking at a few of the Big 12's best teams and asking you the big question: Do you buy them as a Big 12 title contender?

Or is any talk of a title simply pretending?

Let's start with the team I believe will be the most polarizing in these debates: the Texas Longhorns.

Texas has recruited solidly, though it's not necessarily pulling in top-five classes with ease lately. The defense struggled to stop the run, but the offseason began with a good taste in Texas' mouths after a dramatic Alamo Bowl comeback against a good Oregon State team for one of the Big 12's best nonconference wins of the season.

Major Applewhite is finally taking over as playcaller and he's got to help David Ash mature and find the consistency to make Texas a contender for some major hardware for the first time since the 2009 season.

Two of Texas' best defenders -- linebacker Jordan Hicks and defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat -- will be back on the field after missing most of 2012 with injuries. Receiver Mike Davis elected to come back for his senior season after proving himself as a deep threat last season, offsetting a strong running game with four great backs headlined by Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray, two of Texas' best signees in its 2011 and 2012 recruiting classes.

The Longhorns won at least 10 games in nine consecutive seasons before missing a bowl game in 2010. Texas has steadily improved since that disaster, but is this the year Texas breaks back into the double digits and wins a Big 12 title?

Vote in our poll. Is Texas a contender or a pretender?

Turnover is an annual tradition in college football, but with that, teams' strengths and weaknesses constantly shift, too. Today, we'll continue our look at the biggest strengths and weaknesses for each Big 12 team.

Next up: Texas.

Strongest position: Running backs

You simply could not ask for anything more from one position, and I might make the case that this is the strongest unit in the Big 12 in terms of pure skill. The Longhorns lost D.J. Monroe from this unit last year, but they run four deep and each brings something special to the table. Johnathan Gray has the best balance of the quartet, and the rising sophomore looks like a favorite to win the starting job on the back of his strong first step. The starting position is a bit pointless ultimately, considering all four will get touches, especially Malcolm Brown, a balanced back with a great feel for space between the tackles who leans a bit more toward being a power runner.

The other two backs are pure specialty, but every backfield can use those. Joe Bergeron is a 240-pound bowling ball who rolled his way to 16 touchdowns a year ago, more than anyone else in the Big 12 except Collin Klein, who finished third in the Heisman voting. On the other end of the spectrum is Daje Johnson, a sophomore speedster who averaged 11.5 yards a touch last season. He had touchdown runs of 45 yards (New Mexico) and 84 yards (Baylor) that showcased his speed. This is a solid group with elite talent and tons of depth and versatility. Texas has recruited running backs so well lately, and it's showing up on the field. What more could you ask for?

Weakest position: Specialists

Texas has solid talent in the return game with Quandre Diggs and Jaxon Shipley, but the kicking game was a disaster last season and the Longhorns are trying to find an answer at punter to fill in for Alex King, who graduated after averaging better than 45 yards a kick on his 43 punts last year. The big problem that carried over from last season is at place-kicker. Texas finished last season just 11-of-19 on field goals, tied for the worst mark in the Big 12 and 107th nationally.

Penn State transfer Anthony Fera was the biggest hope at the position, but he was nagged with a persistent groin injury and has been working mostly at punter this spring after making 2-of-4 field goals last year. Freshman Nick Jordan made 9-of-15 kicks last season and has to be better to hold onto his spot.

Texas has recruited well all over the field and doesn't lose much from last year's team, but when I survey the depth chart, kicker and punter are clearly the biggest weaknesses for the Longhorns. The players currently on the roster are long on potential but short on real accomplishments.

More Weak and Strong.