Mack Brown: "I don't like inexperienced players inside the 20"

The recent struggles of the Longhorn defense have led Mack Brown to a few conclusions on how to get things fixed as they move forward in their final four games of the regular season.

One thing that Brown has told both coordinators is to substitute some experienced players inside of the 20 yard line.

“I don’t like inexperienced players inside the 20 on either end. That’s something we’ve talked about a lot. That was a key play in the ballgame. We not only lost points, but we gave up the possibility of points offensively. That won’t happen again.” Brown explained, referencing a specific defensive play in their Kansas game where they had two freshman linebackers in.

The Longhorns have only allowed less than 170 yards rushing on just one occasion this season (week one against Wyoming). A year after finishing in the top ten nationally in run defense (6th - 96 ypg), the Longhorns have dropped to 108th this season, allowing opponents to run for 218 yards per game.

This week, after giving up at least 450 yards of total offense in the past four out of five games, Brown has been hanging around defensive staff meetings a little more, lending a fresh set of eyes to their defensive struggles, and how to get them fixed. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz welcomed the new viewpoint.

“I enjoy it. The thing the head coach can control is maybe subtle changes to how we are practicing. This is Mack understanding our issues and the easiest ways to fix them.” Diaz explained.

The Horns will be tested this weekend on both sides of the ball against Texas Tech. Kick off is scheduled for 3:30pm ET on ABC.