heading into the SLOW SEASON: i think that i shall just leave this right here.....

Discussion in 'On The Field' started by meadowlark, Jan 26, 2017.

  1. meadowlark

    meadowlark 100+ Posts

    (HD quote)
    A GLIMPSE INTO TOM HERMAN'S THINKING
    The following is all information I've picked up from those close to Tom Herman about how he feels about the makeup of the current Longhorns' roster and what he expects of them in 2017.

    In a word, he expects his team to be physical.

    Herman expects that to be evident in Game 1 against Maryland and again against San Jose State in Game 2. But he expects the whole country will see it when the Longhorns take on USC at the Coliseum in Los Angeles on Sept. 16 in Game 3.

    "He's definitely told some people to get their tickets and airfare to LA for that USC game, because he plans on having the more physical team," one source said. "I think the quote was, 'We don't want a track meet with them. We want to grind them like hamburger.'"

    Herman has noted how Alabama destroyed USC last year - 52-6 - in the 2016 season opener by being the more physical team. USC feasted on less physical teams after that game - including Penn State in the Rose Bowl, Herman said, according to sources.

    So, how does Texas plan on being the more physical team? Sources said Herman believes he has NFL talent on the offensive and defensive lines as well as at running back.

    Don't be surprised to see freshman OG Patrick Hudson, who redshirted last season with a broken foot, line up at left guard in the spring.

    Coaches want to see if Hudson is the road grader they think he is and put him next to LT Connor Williams. It sounds like Herman has visions of Chris Warren, whom he has compared to former Bama Heisman Trophy winning RB Derrick Henry, pounding away behind Williams and Hudson. That ground-and-pound approach would then be complemented by getting the ball to the perimeter in the hands of burners such as Devin Duvernay, Armanti Foreman and John Burt (whom Herman helped convince to skip track this spring).

    On the defensive line, Herman has told others he thinks sophomore DT Jordan Elliott has talent on par with Houston 5-star DT Ed Oliver. He thinks OLB/DE Malcolm Roach is an NFL talent and says to file away the name of redshirt freshman DT Marcel Southall.

    Herman has made it no secret that he feels UT's linebacker group - the entire group - needs to play better and play up to their physical talents.

    When it comes to how he feels about individuals within position groups other than the offensive and defensive lines and running back, Herman isn't handing out platitudes. He wants to wait and see how position battles develop.

    "But you can tell he likes his roster," one source said. "He wouldn't be tellin' people to get their airfare to LA if he didn't. And I'm not sure anyone is more confident in his and his staff's ability to X and O with any team in the country. He's reaching out to people and getting them fired up."

    (CHIP BROWN)

    @@@@@
    BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN WINTER CONDITIONING
    Based on my conversations, the biggest difference between this year's winter conditioning and years' prior - even dating back to the Mack Brown era - is Yancy McKnight's ability to explain WHY everything players are doing is important.

    Under strength coaches Pat Moorer and even under Jeff "Mad Dog" Madden, there were definitely "intimidation factors" that helped motivate players, said several sources familiar with all three.

    "Where McKnight might be the most different from Moorer and even Madden is his ability to get across the 'why' of the work being put in," one longtime program insider told HD. "That way, players take ownership in everything they're doing - rather than simply hearing demands with an or-else implication in terms of consequences."

    And McKnight is no touchy feely guy. He's plenty tough and intimidating. But one source said McKnight is a relentless worker - before, during and after workouts - in trying to get to know what makes individual players' tick. Some need it screamed at em. Others, you can just tell them once, and it's point-taken.

    "McKnight and Tom (Herman) both do an excellent job of constantly freshening up the message, so it doesn't get stale," the source said.

    (CHIP BROWN)
     
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  2. LonghornCatholic

    LonghornCatholic Deo Gratias

    :hookem:
     
    • Like Like x 1
  3. IvanDiabloHorn

    IvanDiabloHorn 1,000+ Posts

    September cant get here fast enough. Hopefully the spring game will give me just enough football infusion to make it to September.
     
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  4. Badass

    Badass 2,500+ Posts

    great nuggets in there meadowlark! :bevo:
     
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  5. ProdigalHorn

    ProdigalHorn 10,000+ Posts

    It's off-season, so I choose to take all of this as 100 percent true, and that we're going to roll over SC by 30. Hook em!!
     
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  6. BevoJoe

    BevoJoe 10,000+ Posts

    Same here. I want to see the Horns destroy the OOC teams to warm up for Conference play. I'm not sold on a B12 title or big name bowl this year and those should be the goals at Texas every year, but total effort every game on every play by every player should rack up a lot more Ws than we've seen in awhile. I'm pumped!! See you guys at the Spring Game! HOOK'EM! :hookem2:
     
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  7. car54

    car54 1,000+ Posts

    This article is odd.......HOW can he know that these players are all that he supposedly said; when he himself said he was not watching any film on them, and hasn't seen enough of them to know what they are capable of ?
     
  8. meadowlark

    meadowlark 100+ Posts

    @car54 coach herman most likely conferred with his assistant coaches for whom did admit to watching films from last season's horrible team......
     
  9. Hoop

    Hoop 500+ Posts

    Maybe it's 'trickeration'?
     
    • Like Like x 1
  10. LikeMike

    LikeMike 500+ Posts

    It is very simple. He knows more than his generals!
     

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