Even with four regular season games remaining for the Texas Longhorns, Mack Brown is making adjustments.
As he should.
At 4-4 and on the brink of bowl ineligibility, Texas is looking for anything (and I mean anything) to jump-start a team that was supposed to contend for another Big 12 South title. If there’s on aspect of the game that can swing momentum *snap* like that, it’s special teams, and that’s exactly where Brown is looking for help -- mainly in the department of punt returns.
The Longhorns’ original punt returners were cornerbacks Aaron Williams and Curtis Brown, who received a tremendous amount of preseason praise. However, neither has lived up to said praise. Come to think of it, they haven’t gotten close.
Kind of sounds like a microcosm of the whole program.
Brown has muffed several punts this season, including two in a 30-22 loss to Baylor. Special teams have also failed to score a touchdown all season, but gave up a punt return for a touchdown in a 20-13 win over Nebraska.
Mack Brown stated in his weekly press conference that he and the coaching staff have been looking at defensive backs Christian Scott and Adrian Phillips and receiver Mike Davis to return punts in addition to Williams and Brown. Despite the experimentation, however, no permanent changes have been made yet (I’m seeing a theme here).
(A thank you to the Dallas Morning News)