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DOUBLE presents
COVERAGE Friday, September 4, 2015
THE FRESHMAN 16
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Friday, September 4, 2015
SCENARIOS
presents
DOUBLE COVERAGE Vol. 10, Issue 2
Friday, September 4, 2015
Double Coverage Editor....................................Nick Castillo Design Editor...................................................Iliana Storch
By Jillian Kushner @JillianKushner
Texas wins if…
A quarterback steps up and gets in a rhythm. Yes, just a quarterback. It really doesn’t matter who, as long as junior Tyrone Swoopes or redshirt sophomore Jerrod Heard show up. Last season, Swoopes completed 58.3 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and Heard was redshirted. If one of these QBs can make some plays and move the offense down the field, Texas stands a huge chance of winning. Defensive backs learn to tackle. Last season, Texas was ranked No. 25 in total defense. But this year, the secondary will be without Mykkele Thompson and Quandre Diggs, who led the defensive backs last season. Senior corner Duke Thomas will have to play lights-out coverage on Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller. Fuller had 1,094 yards last season with 15 touchdowns and could be the game-changer for Notre Dame. The Horns can establish the running game. Running back Malcolm Brown led the team with 183 carries last year. In his absence, senior running back Johnathan Gray will need to be the star. Gray had 147 carries last season with 637 yards and seven touchdowns. Sophomore running back D’Onta Foreman got barely any playing time last season, but he will get a fair share against Notre Dame. Foreman will need to step up in that second spot.
Photo Editor.......................................................Amy Zhang
Left: Junior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes fights off an Arkansas defender in the Longhorns’ 31-7 Texas Bowl loss.
Copy Editor..............................................Blanche Schaefer
Amy Zhang | Daily Texan file photo
Cover Photo.................................................Jenna VonHofe Writers:
Jacob Martella
Claire Cruz
Akshay Mirchandani
Jori Epstein
Blanche Schaefer
Jason Epstein
Ezra Siegel
Jillian Kushner
Aaron Torres
EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to the new age. The Longhorns have brought in a fiery group of freshmen which they won’t be afraid to use in 2015. Sixteen freshmen are listed on the Texas depth chart and five will start against Notre Dame. Buckle up, the new age of Charlie Strong – Texas Football is here.
LINE UP
By The Numbers PAGE 6 Texan Staff Picks PAGE 8
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Texas loses if…
The defense cannot stop Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire. This will be Zaire’s first season as a starter since the departure of Everett Golson to Florida State. Zaire only had 35 pass attempts last season, but completed 21 of those. The difficult thing about Zaire is that there is such little film of him, which could be a big advantage for Notre Dame early in the game. Texas was the No. 11 defense last season in team sacks. However, Texas lost big defensive players Jordan Hicks and Malcom Brown to the NFL draft. Texas will need big plays from freshman linebacker Malik Jefferson, senior linebacker Peter Jinkens, sophomore defensive tackle Poona Ford and senior defensive tackle Desmond Jackson. Notre Dame gets its running game established. Texas ranked No. 59 last season in rush defense. The defense allowed 2,136 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns last season. This is an obvious weak spot for the defense that Notre Dame will most definitely target. Lucky for Texas fans, Notre Dame was pretty weak at rushing last season, ranking No. 68 in rush offense with an average of 159.5 yards per game. Junior Tarean Folston is the go-to running back for the Fighting Irish, rushing for 889 yards last season and six touchdowns.
fourstarevents@trudys.com
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Wide receiver Will Fuller Will Fuller’s name is already being tossed around in Heisman talk, and rightfully so. The junior racked up 76 receptions for 1,094 yards in a breakout 2014 season. His best game was overshadowed by a 43-40 overtime loss to Northwestern, where Fuller had nine catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns. He’s tied at the top of the Notre Dame record books with 15 single-season touchdown receptions and is poised to have an even better year. Texas defensive backs will have their work cut out for them trying to contain the explosive Fuller.
Linebacker Jaylon Smith The Texas offense faces one of the best linebackers in the country in junior Jaylon Smith. He led the Notre Dame defense last season with 112 tackles, and with all 11 defensive starters returning, the Longhorns offense has a force to be reckoned with. Smith is speedy, kan- with the ability to get from sideline to sideline quickly, burst through blocks and get to the ball to shut down offensive playmakers. As the Texas offense struggles photo to find its identity, look for Smith to take advantage of any mistakes the offensive line makes and come through with big tackles to stop the running game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH By Blanche Schaefer @schaefer_bb
Cornerback KeiVarae Russell KeiVarae Russell promised his coaches and teammates he would be back for 2015. One year later, he’s starting the first game of his senior season after serving a two-semester suspension for academic dishonesty allegations. After enrolling at a community college and continuing to train for a year, Russell has been cleared by the NCAA and is hungry to prove what he’s made of on the field. The All-American made waves his freshman and sophomore years, recording a total 109 tackles and starting all 26 games. He was regarded as Notre Dame’s best defensive back and is set to pick up right where he left off. Although Russell is likely to be shaking off some rust Saturday, Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes and the Longhorn receivers need to play smart and be careful with pass plays to avoid costly interceptions and pass break-ups at the hands of Russell.
Quarterback Malik Zaire Junior Malik Zaire earned the starting job for the Fighting Irish after quarterback Everett Golson transferred to Florida State this spring, and Zaire’s performance will be key to a Notre Dame turnaround after a lateseason implosion last year. With only 35 career pass attempts under his belt, Zaire was used primarily as a backup and made his first start against LSU in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 after the Irish lost four of their last five games behind Golson. Zaire helped guide Notre Dame to a 31-28 win, passing for 96 yards and completing 80 percent of his passes, along with 22 carries for 96 yards. Although Zaire’s stats don’t exactly jump off the page, he’s a dual-threat who could pose problems if the Longhorns defense doesn’t stay on their toes.
Irish starting quarterback role in Zaire’s hands By Aaron Torres @aaron_torres95
Malik Zaire had the ball in his hands. In his first collegiate start, the Notre Dame quarterback held it when kicker Kyle Brindza’s 32-yard field goal cleared the uprights and won the Music City Bowl for the Irish over No. 23 LSU 31-28. While splitting snaps with quarterback Everett Golson, who started Notre Dame’s previous 12 games, Zaire finished 12-of-15 with 96 passing yards, 22 rushing yards and one touchdown on his way to being named the Bowl MVP. Tears streamed down his eye-black-striped face. But Zaire didn’t know if he would start the 2015 season. When spring practice began, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said Golson and Zaire would compete for the starting job.
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“They’ll continue to compete into August,” Kelly said at a news conference April 9. “There’s no question.” Zaire and Kelly didn’t need to wait until August. In May, Golson announced he would transfer to Florida State. Kelly named Zaire the starter soon after. He gave him the ball and the keys to the offense. Now Zaire gets ready for another test when he faces Texas on Saturday in South Bend. It’s another game where he could make headlines, for the right reasons or the wrong ones. “I have 100 percent confidence in myself to be able to handle this job,” Zaire said Aug. 18. “That’s why I was able to be granted the ability to start and the support from my teammates and coaches to help this program win football games.” Zaire won’t be alone in his quest to win games for Notre Dame and bring them anoth-
er bowl victory. Notre Dame brings back four members of one of the best offensive lines in college football last season. “We are very locked-in,” senior offensive linemen Ronnie Stanley said on Aug. 18. “When we are in there, we are live. We are a very serious group out there.” Zaire will have targets to lock on to. He has junior wide receiver Will Fuller, who racked up 1,094 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 2014. There’s wide receiver Corey Robinson, the son of former NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson, who is 6-foot-5-inches and has the ability to turn a jump ball into a highlight. “Being consistent for every rep and making sure there isn’t a drop off from one guy’s performance to the next is our priority,” senior wide receiver Chris Brown said. “We want
Quarterback Malik Zaire to have the same chemistry with every person on the offense. That way, we’re a well-oiled machine.” The machine that is the Notre Dame offense may be well-oiled, but it can also be fast-paced. Especially with a 6-foot tall, 225 pound dual-threat quarterback at the helm of the offense. A quarterback with characteristics that reminds Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford of a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. “[He reminds me of] Russell Wilson,” Bedford said on Wednesday. Wilson has similar physical characteristics of Zaire. Wilson is 5-feet-11-inches and weighs 206 pounds. But the comparison doesn’t stop at the physical. “He’s a guy that has the running ability of a running back,” Bedford said. “You know, Rus-
Courtesy of Kevin Song The Observer
sell Wilson is that way right now. He’s a guy that can beat you with his feet, he can beat you with his arm.” Zaire will try to beat Texas with his feet or through the air Saturday. The ball is in his hands.
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Friday, September
NEW YEAR, NEW ATTITUDE By Ezra Siegel @SiegelEzra
Heading into head coach Charlie Strong’s second season, there’s a different air about the Longhorns’ locker room. The team knows it will be under heavy scrutiny after going 6-7 last season. Yet, the Longhorns are displaying nothing but confidence while facing the challenge of turning the program around. “There is such a different team chemistry and energy this year compared to last year,” junior safety Dylan Haines said. “[Senior cornerback] Duke Thomas had a quote and he said ‘we always had dogs but now we have a team,’ and you really feel that.” Last year, the Longhorns were far from the poster child of positivity. Nine players were dismissed from the program for
breaking rules, while injuries piled up and the Longhorns stumbled to just their third losing season in the last 20 years. Now, a year later, Strong’s system is finally in place and the focus is shifting from installing a culture to winning football games. As the players wear shirts that read “no more excuses,” they appear ready to turn that corner. “Last year it was all about teaching, and then you’re trying to teach it each and every week,” Strong said. “So now you go out and you say just ‘go play’ … they understand when you talk about concepts and what we’re trying to get accomplished.” Even though Strong is focused on winning, he’s still shown a more optimistic side this summer. With a more experienced team and a talented freshman class, the pieces are falling into place and the Longhorns are improving on the field. While the improved play pleases Strong, it’s the cohesive-
ness in the locker room that gives him his confidence. For the first time since taking over the program, Strong is seeing his team connecting as one. “We’re really coming together as a team, and we really trust each other,” sophomore defensive tackle Poona Ford said. “We treat each other like brothers. I think that’s going to play a big part this year.” The improvements in positivity and the team’s closeness are vital for the team’s chemistry. When the team is playing more together, there’s bound to be better results on Saturdays. With improved relationships and better confidence, the Longhorns are now ready to take that next step. While Texas’ coaches and players have embraced a new approach in the locker room, their attitude wasn’t developed overnight. Strong said that the Longhorns prepare more effectively this year, which has helped them practice
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eptember 4, 2015
Freshmen bring new passion to team By Nick Castillo @Nick_Castillo74
The freshmen who will walk on the field at Notre Dame are unaware of the history surrounding their opponent. They’re oblivious to the Fighting Irish’s rich tradition. Nor do they know about their 882 wins. But under the gaze of Notre Dame’s ‘Touchdown Jesus,’ those Longhorn freshmen will have a chance to make an immediate mark on the Texas program. Sixteen true freshmen are listed on the Longhorn depth chart, headlined by starting linebacker Malik Jefferson. Four other freshmen will start: left tackle Connor Williams, right guard Patrick Vahe, wide receiver John Burt and punter Michael Dickson. Head coach Charlie Strong said these players have earned the right to play with their hard work during the summer and in fall camp. “If you’re talented enough, you can go get on the field,
Sarah Montgomery | Daily Texan file photo
and will make them more competitive going forward. More importantly, the extra preparation gives the Longhorns their confidence. “You have to have that confidence and it has to build,” Strong said. “I just explained to our team, let’s not wait to wake up Saturday morning and say we have confidence … it’s going to take each and every day.” The Longhorns will need to keep building their confidence as they head to South Bend, Indiana, to take on No. 11 Notre Dame this weekend. Listed as a 10-point underdog, according to CBS Sports, many are already counting Texas out against a talented Fighting Irish team. Yet, with their newfound confidence, the Longhorns won’t be intimidated. “We’re going to shock a lot of people,” said senior defensive end Shiro Davis. “We need to go out and prove that we’re back, and we’re the big dog on the block now.”
but let’s put [the freshmen] on the field,” Strong said. “That’s what we’ve done, and this is a freshmen group that has worked really hard, and they want to play… I’m really excited just to see how we’re going to play and how hard they’re going to play.” This freshman group came in with a certain swagger to them. They’re confident and aren’t afraid to show it. Coming out of high school, they were part of a highly ranked recruiting class – Scout.com ranked the 2015 class at No. 7 in the nation. The energy and confidence the freshmen came in with has sparked the locker room. When fall camp began in August, it wasn’t the upperclassmen jumping around and dancing during practice — it was the freshmen. Although they’re a confident group, they realize they have an opportunity to be part of something bigger than just a highly touted recruiting class. “We are [very confident in ourselves],” Jefferson said at Texas’ media day in August.
“But we know our role. We know what we’ve come here to do. [But] it’s not about us, it’s about the guys in front of us and Coach Strong. We want to do big things for those guys.” While their attitude could come across as aggressive, the upperclassmen have brought them in with open arms. Junior safety Dylan Haines said he’s been helping the younger players adjust to the college game. He’s also tried to get the freshmen used to studying the playbook to help them learn the game better. Senior running back Johnathan Gray added that he’s surprised to see so many freshmen step up and ready to make an immediate impact on the field. “Coming in as a freshman, for me, we definitely didn’t have that many guys, and this year, seeing those guys ready to play, learning the playbook faster than we did is exciting for me being a senior,” Gray said. “I know that those guys are willing
Since they got here, they’ve been putting in the work, and they had the mindset they want to play early. They have the opportunity to, and we’re going to need them. —Poona Ford, Defensive tackle
and ready to put everything on the line for their teammates.” As Texas prepares to play Notre Dame with an arsenal of freshmen, it knows it will rely heavily on it young players in 2015. “Since they got here, they’ve been putting in the work, and they had the mindset they want to play early,” sophomore defensive tackle Poona Ford said. “They have the opportunity to, and we’re going to need them.” Freshman middle linebacker Malik Jefferson, right, and junior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes watch a play develop during the OrangeWhite scrimmage in April.
Stephanie Tacy Daily Texan file photo
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BY THE NUMBERS
6-7
The Longhorn’s overall record last season. Falling just below .500, Texas snagged a spot in the Advocare V100 Texas Bowl where it fell 31-7 to Arkansas.
881
The number of football wins in Texas history. Texas has the third-most wins of any university, second to the Notre Dame by just one.
98
By Jori Epstein @joriepstein
2
The number of quarterbacks Texas will play this weekend. While Coach Strong named junior Tyrone Swoopes the starting quarterback, he will also give redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard a chance to compete.
2–8
11
The number of interceptions thrown by Swoopes last season.
The amount of interception yards Texas junior cornerback Dylan Haines recorded on four interceptions, third in the Big 12.
Friday, September 4, 2015
11
The preseason ranking of Notre Dame entering Saturday’s game. Texas enters unranked.
54
The percent of Longhorns’ starters against Notre Dame who will be upperclassmen.
Texas’ career record against Notre Dame reflects just 20% victory in the Longhorns’ favor.
2409
The amount of yards Swoopes threw for last season. Notching 13 touchdowns and a 58.3 passing percentage, Swoopes averaged just 185.3 yards per game.
5784
The total yardage of the Fighting Irish last season. They averaged 4.3 yards per carry and 13.4 yards per catch.
Texas in better shape entering 2015 season By Jori Epstein
Daily Texan Columnist @joriepstein
I’ve been asked countless times this week my prediction for the Notre Dame game. There’s confusion that as sports editor, I foresee the news rather than reporting it. I don’t. I can’t tell you who will win. What I can tell you: Texas is in a much better place than it was one year ago. And it’s light-years ahead of the squad that faced BYU, the Horns’ second game of 2014. It’s largely a numbers game. Last year, then-junior quarterback David Ash was the only experienced, capable option behind center. When a history of concussions – the last, in the season-opener vs. North Texas – forced Ash to retire, the Horns were left with a
bumbling sophomore Tyrone Swoopes to cope. The supposedly dual-threat QB offered a great chant – “Swoopes, there it is” – but little else. Swoopes threw 11 interceptions to his 13 touchdowns, leading the Horns to a 6-7 season that ended in miserable fashion when Swoopes passed for just 57 yards and netted a 32-yard rushing loss in the Texas Bowl. I don’t have significantly more faith in him this year – for what it’s worth, head coach Charlie Strong, assistant head for offense Shawn Watson and teammates do – but with a year of experience under his belt, he shouldn’t get worse. Pairing Swoopes’ potential with that of redshirt freshman QB Jerrod Heard, the Horns have two respectable contenders at the position – two more
than they had facing BYU last year. We’ll take what we can get. Further empowering this year’s offense will be its line. Last year’s ill-fortuned North Texas game was center Dominic Espinosa’s last. Espinosa had been a line stalwark, holding it together in his team-record 40 consecutive starts. Combined with the suspensions of Kennedy Estelle and Desmond Harrison, Espinosa’s broken ankle left the Horns struggling to piece together a line. The product: a group with five combined starts and no clue how to work together. This year’s picture looks brighter. Not only will senior center Taylor Doyle anchor the line, but Strong also claims the Horns’ five backups are prepared. That’s 10 more linemen
Senior Longhorn kicker Nick Rose and senior linebacker Peter Jinkens celebrate a successful field goal during Texas’ 48-45 win over Iowa State last season.
Ethan Oblak Daily Texan file photo
than were ready last year. For senior running back Jonathan Gray, the rushing potential skyrockets. The final numbers gap: players suspended. Strong suspended nine players entering 2014 for violating his core values. Many were subsequently dismissed. In
contrast, zero players warranted suspension in 2015. Plus Texas hauled in the No. 9 recruiting class in the offseason. With two more quarterbacks, 10 more offensive linemen and nine fewer suspended players, this year’s Horns roster is at full
capacity – a luxury of late in Texas. Whether it still will be post-South Bend is a mystery. But it seems we can only improve from last year. The Horns must prove their talent and teamwork come Saturday. But the (plus) signs are hopeful. Just look at the math.
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Friday, September 4, 2015
BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS
By Akshay Mirchandani @amirchandani141
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
TCU
The Horned Frogs enter 2015 as a national championship contender and the Big 12 favorite. Not only that, but senior quarterback Trevone Boykin is considered one of the top Heisman contenders. With him leading TCU’s high-octane offense, the Frogs are easily the team to beat in the conference.
BAYLOR
There is controversy off the field in Waco with the Sam Ukuwachu scandal. But on the field, the Bears are going to be near the top of the Big 12 again. Bryce Petty is no longer the quarterback for the Bears, but junior Seth Russell is expected to smoothly slide into the starting ole. With senior defensive end Shawn Oakman returning to anchor the defense, the Bears have another good year in store.
OKLAHOMA
The Sooners made some changes after last year’s disappointing campaign. Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield is starting instead of junior Trevor Knight, and Lincoln Riley is taking over as the offensive coordinator. Oklahoma still has star running back sophomore Samaje Perine, but the Sooners need a great season or more changes could come to Norman.
OKLAHOMA STATE
The Cowboys started last year 5-1 before losing five straight, but ended the season on a high note with a double-overtime win against Oklahoma and a bowl victory against Washington. They have the talent, and should be able to build on last year’s finish.
TEXAS
There are plenty of questions for the Longhorns, mainly at quarterback. Will junior Tyrone Swoopes keep the starting job through the season? Will redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard have a bigger impact? That along with growing pains from a very young team could keep the Longhorns in the middle again.
GAMES TO WATCH By Jacob Martella @ViewFromTheBox
Wisconsin vs. Alabama 7 p.m. – Saturday – ABC The start of the Paul Chryst era at Wisconsin will get off to a challenging start against reigning SEC champion Alabama in the season opener. Chryst went to Madison after Gary Andersen bolted for Oregon State, becoming the third head coach in the past four seasons for the Badgers. Meanwhile, Alabama head coach Nick Saban has yet to name his starting quarterback, adding to the concern at the most important position in football. If Alabama struggles at the quarterback position and Wisconsin comes out swinging, this ought to be a fun way to start the season.
Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech 7 p.m. – Monday – ESPN Reigning national champion Ohio State comes into this game with revenge in mind. Last year, the Hokies handed the Buckeyes a loss in Columbus, adding some concern to Ohio State’s playoff chance. The loss didn’t hurt them, but the Buckeyes come in with other concerns, including an injury to wide receiver Noah Brown and suspensions for a number of players, including defensive end Joey Bosa. Virginia Tech is said to be much improved, but that’s yet to be seen on the field. With the crowd going at Lane Stadium, this is a must-watch game this weekend.
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Friday, September 4, 2015
TEXAN STAFF PICKS
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Texas vs. Notre Dame
BYU vs. Nebraska
Louisville vs. Auburn
Arizona St. vs. Texas A&M
NICK CASTILLO
Notre Dame 20-17
BYU
Auburn
Arizona St.
Wisconsin
CLAIRE CRUZ
Notre Dame 27-21
BYU
Auburn
Arizona St.
Alabama
JORI EPSTEIN
Notre Dame 28-24
BYU
Auburn
Arizona St.
Alabama
JASON EPSTEIN
Notre Dame 27-23
Nebraska
Auburn
Texas A&M
Alabama
JILLIAN KUSHNER
Notre Dame 28-21
BYU
Auburn
Arizona St.
Alabama
JACOB MARTELLA
Notre Dame 24-21
BYU
Auburn
Texas A&M
AKSHAY MIRCHANDANI
Notre Dame 28-17
BYU
Auburn
Arizona St.
BLANCHE SCHAEFER
Notre Dame 28-17
Nebraska
Auburn
Arizona St.
EZRA SIEGEL
Notre Dame 31-20
Nebraska
Auburn
Texas A&M
AARON TORRES
Notre Dame 24-13
BYU
Auburn
Texas A&M
Wisconsin vs. Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
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