AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tackling is a vital part of football, yet it’s one of the most risky things to practice because of potential injuries. Coaches at all levels wrestle with finding the correct balance in their preparation, including Texas’ Steve Sarkisian.
After the Longhorns’ second scrimmage Saturday, perhaps the offense is catching up to the defense. Sarkisian said tackling in the team’s first scrimmage Aug. 9 “might have been a little better.” He needs to watch the tape to confirm his notion, but he thought the offense had more to do with it rather than defenders not making plays.
“I felt like the ball got in space a little more, which forced some more stressful tackles on the defenders,” he said. “But that’s a good thing, right? We need to learn how to do those things.”
Many national analysts and outlets have the Texas defense as a preseason favorite to be one of the best in the country, and obviously, tackling will be a huge part of validating those opinions. Sarkisian said despite his initial thoughts, the defense made big plays when they needed to.
“There were some very good tackles made, that were touchdown-saving and forced the offense to have to execute in the red area,” he said. “In the end, you know, we have to find our opportunities to tackle. We got to a great job in our individual periods of working on tackling. There’s only so much we can tackle to get ourselves ready to go.”
One defensive player in particular caught Sarkisian’s eye Saturday, junior defensive back Malik Muhammad. Sarkisian wanted to see what he was made of, and Muhammad delivered a terrific response.
“I purposefully went after him with a couple of different things, and for him to play the way that he played gave me more confidence than I’ve ever had,” Sarkisian said. “Today was very, very encouraging.”
Sarkisian said Saturday’s scrimmage was more intense and physical than the first.
“For the last two and a half weeks, our guys have been working and training and grinding to improve themselves individually to help us improve collectively,” Sarkisian said. “That’s great growth for us.”
The players will go back to a schedule that reflects when classes begin Aug. 25, and Sarkisian said he wants them to get into their routine before they take on Ohio State on Aug, 30.