Texas players understood that the retooled defensive line would, early on, be a work-in-progress. One month into the 2009 campaign, is the Longhorn defensive front ahead of schedule?
"Our D-line is strong," S Earl Thomas said Tuesday. "I have confidence in them going up against anybody."
Obviously, no Longhorn is ready to pronounce its defensive front as a finished product. Yet, the crew has benefited from solid play from the likes of DEs Sam Acho and Eddie Jones. Sergio Kindle's transition from SLB to DE has now combined a sack-with-fumble in consecutive outings. And senior DT Lamarr Houston has not only raised his level of his play but also emerged as the much-needed vocal leader of the unit.
The defensive line is currently reaping the rewards of team camaraderie that was forged long before the season opener, Houston believes.
"We did a lot of team-building during the summer," Houston said. "We did a lot of hanging out and getting the younger guys acclimated. We'd built a lot of team chemistry over the summer."
Now, a defensive front (whose starters average somewhere in the vicinity of 270 pounds) is trying to improve by taking care of the so-called little things. The list would include lowering their pad level , maintaining a consistently high level of intensity and reducing mental errors, according to Houston. Almost to a man, Texas defensive players report that the emphasis during the bye week involves attention to fundamentals and technique (more so than game-planning for upcoming opponents). It means the current week is much like what players experience during August camp.
"It's like two-a-days," said S Earl Thomas, the current Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. "We're going against the offense and giving them different looks. We've got time to work on fundamentals and getting the little things squared away."
Texas was the NCAA sack leader in 2008 and currently ranks No. 10 by averaging three sacks-per-game. Yet, the off-season emphasis was generating more turnovers. Last season, Texas finished last in the Big 12 (and No. 113, nationally) with just six interceptions. The Horns have already matched last year's INT total through four ball games. The Horns are No. 10 nationally with six recovered fumbles and No. 17, nationally, with six INTs.
"We've done a better job of forcing turnovers," Acho noted.
Texas' rush defense is No. 2 nationally, and tied with Alabama, after surrendering just 47.25 ypg (both teams trail Oklahoma's NCAA-best 40.6 rushing ypg). Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp cautions that stats are skewed early in the season. Indeed, the Horns haven't exactly played a murderer's row of running teams. (Louisiana-Monroe checks in this week as the statistically best running team Texas has faced this season. The Warhawks' 184.7 rushing ypg currently ranks No. 40.) But the times, they are a' changin' (relatively speaking). Colorado, Texas' next opponent, emphasizes more of power-running game while Oklahoma, arguably, boasts the best stable of RBs in the Big 12 Conference
"The next part of the season we'll see more power, more two-running backs and two-tight end (sets)," Houston said. "That's something we haven't seen much of so far."
The Horns rank No. 17 this week in total defense (259.5 ypg). Muschamp challenges his crew to give up no more than 13 points-per-outing. The Horns did not yield an offensive TD in each of the past two non-conference games, and rank No. 23 in scoring defense (15.25 ppg).
Passing efficiency, rather than yards allowed, is the best barometer of a pass-defense, Muschamp believes. Texas ranks No. 23 with a rating of 97.96.
"Coach (Will) Muschamp has done a great job with the D-line," Thomas told Inside Texas. "They've come a long way. They're attacking the ball and swarming to the ball. They're creating a lot of turnovers for the secondary. The pass-rush is very important. It helps us out tremendously. Without that, we'd be back there getting picked apart because the quarterback would have all day. Every time one of us (DBs) makes a good play, we tell the D-line that if it wasn't for them it wouldn't have happened."
It's something Thomas mentioned to his linemen at least twice Saturday. For the second time in his career, Thomas notched a pair of INTs in a single game.
"Every time there's a positive, it's always the D-line in the quarterback's face making him throw earlier than he wanted to," Thomas added. "It helps the secondary out so much."
