Texas Longhorns 2015 Spring Game: Five things we learned

Nov 8, 2014; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong prior to kickoff against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

The Offensive Philosophy Is Changing but Needs Work

Watching the offense during the Longhorns’ Saturday spring game, it’s clear the coaching staff has retooled the offense to quicken the pace and take advantage of both Tyrone Swoopes’ and Jerrod Heard’s athleticism. There were elements of the zone read in evidence on Saturday, as well as a desire to run a quicker offensive pace. But did it work?

While both teams started their respective offensive possessions with touchdowns, three of the next four possessions for both teams ended in punts. Scoring drives were sustained (the longest scoring drive was a fifteen play drive that ended in a field goal) but there were also many drives that ended in three possessions. And the miscues (one interception, a fumble and a missed field goal) are sure to get the coaching staff’s attention over the coming months.

A critical item on the to-do list: get the quarterbacks to see the field better. Many times, it appeared both Swoopes and Heard were locking on to receivers and forcing passes into coverage. For Texas to have success in 2015, whoever inherits the controls to the offense must do a better job of recognizing the open receivers and getting the ball to them. This ability is critical to the success of the type of up-tempo attack Texas coaches want to install and execute.

So, even though it’s evident Texas is trying to execute a fast paced type of spread offensive scheme, the Longhorns still have ways to go before they catch up with the other up-tempo attacks in the Big 12 conference.

Next: No Go-To Receiver Emerged