Better practice Sunday: leaders took accountability for the poor performance on Saturday. Adeoye injury: needs shoulder surgery - out R Johnson injury: shoulder sprain - minimally available in practice R Leitao out T Owens out J Moore - femur bone bruise but should be probable J Whitt - practiced Sunday and is available Q: People had circled this year as "the year," so where do you think we are? A: Growing pains on D, minimal Fall practice didn't help. Improved tackling and red zone from Tech game. Sam is doing well. Right side of OL was better than against Tech. Installation of new defensive package means growing pains and coaches try to expedite readiness for it. Lack of reps in the system. Every time they see a new thing on offense on Saturdays, it's the first time they've worked on it in the defensive system. Q: Did Tech/TCU tell us more about the team than Fall practice or UTEP? A: Yes. All of the issues are fixable though. 2018 lost to OK State and WVU and still won a New Years game, so we're not out of it yet. Players worked hard on Sunday eager to go back to work and fix the problems. Lessons are learned from the awful taste in the mouth. Happened at Ohio State too in the CFP year. If we cross the goal line against TCU and win, it doesn't erase the same issues. Q: Did he talk to leadership council? Has RRR lost its luster because of the losses? A: He talked to individuals but not the whole group. Felt better after Sunday practice. Lots of accountability. RRR does not lose luster. Platitudes about how great Texas/OU is. Q: Atmosphere of game for TX/OU A: It'll be weird with neutral site and small crowd. Tech still felt like a Tech road game. We don't know how OU will feel, like the bus ride into the Fair. Q: Kirk - OU is 0-2, stick a fork in the Big 12? A: Still sticking with the "only three games in" answer. He's obviously deflecting from the Big 12 being down. Q: Kirk - more parity? A: Don't know. Haven't watched much of other conferences play. In a year like this, you'll have a ton more parity. Q: Without the goal line fumble, does it seem like the team would be figuring out how to win close ball games? A: Thinks we always have known how to play in close games. Tech showed that. Sam is confident. Q: More TE play. OU always seems to have one. What about Rattler and TE matchups? A: We converted a 3rd and 25 with a TE. OU has always done well, like with Andrews. They use a 12 or 13 personnel when other teams use 10 or 11. Have to use nickel because of the space and they flex out a TE, but then use the same personnel on the next play where they get tight and run the ball. They only use 2 WRs typically now. Q: How do you block out noise after a loss? A: Joke about only looking at Yahoo News. Talked to Dabo about a metaphor that it's the water inside the boat that sinks it, not outside it. A lot of people think they know how to play your position. Q: Rattler impressions, was Ryan B going to fake the punt on 3rd and long on the next-to-last possession? A: Rattler is impressive. Good arm. Can throw from all the angles. Regarding the punt: TCU only had 10 on the field and there was a big hole but unless there was the option to do it, then punt away. Q: TEs: is there a perfect way to defend it? A: OU has averaged 44 ppg over last 4 years, so no one has really figured it out well. We've played them well and expect to do it again. Q: Jake Smith spark - what he brings to the offense A: Allows us to have depth. If Moore is still gimpy, Schooler will play Z (Washington was hurt). Jake can move outside but only had 1 week of practice so they scrapped it. Q: Last trip to Cotton Bowl with Sam (funny comment about "likely" to be the last year with Sam) - where's his head and what does it mean? A: He won't speak for Sam but he has displayed remarkable leadership over the past 48 hrs. Like a coach on the field. And locker room. And sidelines. And offseason. Everything you want as a member of the program. Q: Backs: highly touted. How did you convince all of them to split time and share reps? A: Pretty easy. Alabama set the bar for having backs drafted highly with only 10-12 carries per game. Most violent position in all of football. Bodies break down. Extend your career on the back end (in the NFL) in order to sell the health and freshness aspect. Q: Identity on offense - what are some strengths and weaknesses? Concepts or personnel or blocking schemes that meet or don't meet expectations? A: Pass protection was better, especially on the right side. Establish a run scheme against soft spots earlier in the game. Too many dropped passes. Easily fixed. Offense on a good trajectory - especially 3rd down from Tech to TCU and red zone. Don't want to talk about what they're emphasizing this week. Q: Ingram - ran hard. How do you tell him to not try to do too much? A: He knows better than to reach the ball out. Tight game and so close; he was going to punch it in and win and he can't do too much. Play the way you're coached to play. Simple formula but difficult to implement in the heat of the moment. Intentional "self talk" in your head.
Please enlighten me - whom are these "leaders"? Puppeteers? Assistants to assistant coaches? Pastors? University administration? Leftovers from Fenves farts? ?????????
I'm thinking team / player leaders Sabre. Appreciate the recap Horns11, I haven't watched a presser since the last few years of Mack's tenure. What's the point? Inferior product on the field and words...the same words...year in an year out. My opinions are formed by actions and results, I don't care what any of our coaches or players say at this point.
Heard an excerpt on the radio. Best Sunday practice he's ever seen. Last time I checked Saturday games trump Sunday practices. He also called the rivalry OU/TX. Is he really our coach?
I usually record the press conference when it happens vs rewatching the edited versions shown all-day, every day thoughout the week---Unfortunately I did not today but did switch over to LHN around 12:35 or so and the last question was re:"The Eyes" and players leaving the field--of course this portion was removed from the edited replays. (that is why I want to see the original presser before the Russian State TV officials have removed anything questionable) First TH acted like he did not understand the question, so the person again stated it and added that "the last two home games when the game has ended the players rush back to the locker room as to not be involved with it" (my paraphrasing what I heard 6 hrs ago)---the speaker then added something to the affect of "has this been addressed,etc?" TH had that deer in the headlights look and DID NOT respond specifically to the question, muttered something, then the presser ended. Did anyone else catch that, because you know LHN sure ain't gonna show it! I'll hang up and listen...
Subscribed. <Edit> To be fair let me add this.... I'm not a TH fan at this point but regarding these social issues it seems to me he's in an unwinnable position. He can stand with the boosters and tradition and risk, but far more likely actualize, alienating or losing some of his players. His players are his bread and butter and he knows that as they go so he goes. If you're forced to pick sides in a 'which camp do you plant your flag in' scenario... what do you do here? If it's like that... that's a tough place to be.
All true El but he’s paid the big bucks to make those tough decisions and I believe we see which route he has taken. Gonna be an interesting season if he stays on this direction (players over traditions) and team doesn’t come through for him.
CDC needs to tell the coaches and all employees to stay for the Eyes and then tell the players they have leeway for this year only. If not willing to stay for the eyes next year, they can transfer after the season.
Ah the Hornfans.com of tradition of listening to pressers after a loss and acting like, as pissed as we are with losing, the real issue is what the coach said to the media after loss, because the theme of what he said, or the nuances of the wording, or the look on his face, or his gestures or body language or tone of voice, indicate even bigger problems. Never mind that in the past 20 years, not once has any coach ever said a word after a loss that helped anyone feel the slightest bit better or caused anyone to ever post anything along the lines of "the good news is the coach said ______ which is a good indication that he's going to fix the problem and the team will improve".
So, unlike the players on this team, the posters on Hornfans are upholding the most sacred of traditions.
Does anyone else get annoyed when TH guzzles 2 bottles of water during a 30 minute interview - does the stress really dry out his mouth that bad?
Maybe it's a Mensa thing. We just can't understand. Like aggies. Can only understand from the inside and can't explain it to those on the outside.
Here’s an idea for some more disciplined play: any lineman that does a false start comes out and sits for the rest of that series. Even if it’s Cosmi.
So, speaking of hurting "feelings", I read TH comments / answers from the press conf. and a few of your responses... then I lost interest. Is it just me? Mensa, unlike any UT coach before, over analyzes, talks way too much and at times bores me with his monotone droning on and on.
When I called Direct TV and told them to get me off the premium sports package I have so I can get LHN, they gave me a great deal so I still have it but haven't watched in 4 weeks. I have no interest in listening to him.
He does this because he's nervous and doesn't know what to say. He takes 3-4 big gulps during every question just so he can buy some time to think of something stupid to say.