Charlie Strong strips Shawn Watson of Texas play-calling duties
It took just one game for Texas coach Charlie Strong to make a change on offense.
Strong announced Tuesday night that wide receivers coach Jay Norvell will assume play calling duties moving forward, replacing quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson.
Norvell is in his first season at Texas after spending the previous seven seasons at Oklahoma. He did not call plays for the Sooners.
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Watson, Strong said, will remain on staff.
The move comes a few days after the Longhorns were blown out in its opener – a 38-3 road loss to Notre Dame. In that game, Texas managed to gain just 163 yards of total offense, including 60 rushing yards on 29 attempts – a 2.1-yard average. The passing game wasn’t much better with Texas quarterbacks completing 8-of-23 passes for 103 yards.
Strong said he was so upset after Saturday’s loss that he had to wait until Monday to speak with the rest of his staff.
“It bothers me when we play the way we do,” Strong said. “It bothers me when we’re not productive, and it bothers me when we’re not accountable as coaches, so it’s hard for me to meet with guys. It’s hard for me to talk. I don’t talk to my own family, so I don’t say nothing.”
Strong also maintained that the quarterback competition between Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard is ongoing. Swoopes started against Notre Dame.
In 2014, Strong’s first season as Texas head coach, the Longhorns ranked 110th in total offense and 106th in scoring offense.
Strong and the Longhorns hope to get things on track in Saturday’s home opener against Rice.
For more Texas news, visit Orangebloods.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
