DALLAS — What will Texas do now that quarterback Colt McCoy, the all-time NCAA leader in passing accuracy, has graduated?
Run. Run. Run.
Coach Mack Brown said Wednesday that the Longhorns are serious about moving their new No. 1 quarterback, sophomore Garrett Gilbert, under center regularly and using a tailback lined up in the I-formation.
Extensive self-study, Brown said, revealed that UT produced more “explosive'' run plays from that configuration.
“We feel we'll give (our guys) a better opportunity to be stronger and tougher in the running game than we've been in the past two years,'' he said.
Another factor in retooling the offense is to help the Texas defense get better prepared for running teams.
UT lost to Alabama in last year's BCS championship game. Alabama uses a two-back system with an emphasis on a power running game. Texas also struggled against the run in a 2009 Fiesta Bowl win over Ohio State. The Buckeyes ran for over 200 yards.
“In both cases,'' Brown said, “we didn't tackle the great tailbacks very well.
“We feel that by having ‘downhill' runs and working more against the running game in practice that it would help us if we go out of conference and see someone who wants to run it at us.''
OU-UT game to move?
Brown sang the praises of the Big 12 for holding together as a 10-team league after the latest round of realignment.
UT polled high school coaches, recruits, current players and parents about staying in the Big 12 as opposed to going to the Pacific-10 with its longer travel distances.
“They were all 100 percent that if it could still work out to have a Big 12,'' Brown said, “they all wanted it.''
Brown said he has been told not to discuss future Big 12 issues or positions, but did mention the Oklahoma-Texas game and its place on the schedule.
That game now is in early October at the Cotton Bowl in conjunction with the Texas State Fair. But with the revised league no longer eligible to hold a football championship game starting in 2011, some are suggesting that OU-UT be played the first weekend in December.
“Those are issues our athletic directors and our presidents will start looking at immediately,'' Brown said.
Bits and pieces
The 2010 Texas defense could be as good as any in Brown's 13 seasons, with one catch — the inexperienced defensive line must progress rapidly. “It's our true key on defense,'' Brown said. ... A radio reporter asked quarterback Garrett Gilbert if he wanted to be known as “G-Squared.'' Gilbert replied: “I'm fine with Garrett.'' ... Brown recalled the warm welcome Texas got from Nebraska fans in 1998, even after UT won. Former coach Darrell Royal told Brown that he wished he could get Texas fans to show the sportsmanship that Nebraskans do. Said Brown: “Coach, they're booing me. I can't talk to them about not booing the other team. I've got to work on me first.''
— Lee Barfknecht
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