Shawn Watson as a play caller

Htown77

Htown77

5,000+ Posts
Bryan Davis of the Austin American Statesman and Max Olson have reported via twitter that Shawn Watson will call the plays next season. (Apparently Wickline is the first play suggester? I guess that makes Koenning the second play suggester?)

Big 12 Games I have attended where Shawn Watson called the plays:
2001 Texas 41 Colorado 7
2005 Texas 42 Colorado 17
2005 Texas 70 Colorado 3 *Big 12 Championship Game
2007 Texas 28 Nebraska 25
2010 Texas 20 Nebraska 13

Big 12 Games I have watched on TV where Shawn Watson called the plays:
2001 Texas 37 Colorado 39 *Big 12 Championship Game
2004 Texas 31 Colorado 7
2009 Texas Tech 31 Nebraska 10
2009 Iowa State 9 Nebraska 7
2009 Texas 13 Nebraska 12 *Big 12 Championship Game
2010 Washington 19 Nebraska 7 *Holiday bowl

Shawn Watson offense versus Bob Stoops defense:
2002 OU 27 Colorado 11
2002 OU 29 Colorado 7 *Big 12 Championship Game
2003 OU 34 Colorado 20
2004 OU 42 Colorado 3 *Big 12 Championship Game
2008 OU 62 Nebraska 28
2009 OU 3 Nebraska 10
2010 OU 23 Nebraska 20 *Big 12 Championship Game

Shawn Watson versus Mack Brown: 1-7 Average Points Scored: 15
Shawn Watson versus Bob Stoops: 1-6 Average Points Scored: 14
Shawn Watson in the Big 12 Title Game: 1-5 Average Points Scored: 14

In Watson's only Big 12 Championship Game win and win over Mack Brown, 28 of Coloardo's 39 points came from 3 Chris Simms interceptions and 1 Chris Simms fumble. Without Chris Simms, his offense put up 11 points.

In Watson's only victory over Bob Stoops, his offense put up 10 points.

We shall certainly test the "anyone is an offensive improvement over Mack Brown and Applewhite" theory.
 
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NU was a running team forever. Is that Watson's m. o.? Could be that Watson will not be calling plays. I thought the OC calls the plays.
 
ESPN UT reporter Max Olson tweeted: "Charlie Strong says Shawn Watson has final say on playcalling but that Watson and OC Joe Wickline will both make calls."

247Sports report and AM 1300 The Zone contributor Jeff Howe tweeted "On Longhorns play-calling, Charlie Strong said Shawn Watson will be the 'one, final voice.'" Austin American Statesmen Reporter Bryan Davis retweeted Jeff Howe.

This seems to indicate that Shawn Watson is our offensive coordinator and that Wickline is an offensive coordinator in name only as a defense for his legal battle with Oklahoma State.
 
Here is a story about Wickline's contract and what I and everyone else believed up until this evening's news about Watson being the play caller.

The Link
 
Shawn Watson's starting quarterbacks:
Miami (Ohio) 1992 Danny Smith (undrafted and no NFL experience)
Miami (Ohio) 1993 Neil Dougherty (undrafted and no NFL experience)
Northwestern 1997 Tim Hughes (undrafted and no NFL experience)
Northwestern 1998 Gavin Hoffman (undrafted and no NFL experience)
Colorado 1999 Mike Moschetti (undrafted and no NFL experience)
Colorado 2000 Craig Ochs (undrafted but played in NFL Europe)
Colorado 2001 Craig Ochs/Bobby Pesavento (undrafted but played 5 years in the Arena Football League)
Colorado 2002 Robert Hodge (undrafted and no NFL experience)
Colorado 2003-2005 Joel Klatt (undrafted and no NFL experience)
Nebraska 2007 Sam Keller (undrafted and no NFL experience)/Joe Ganz
Nebraska 2008 Joe Ganz (undrafted and no NFL experience)
Nebraska 2009 Zac Lee (undrafted but played in the United Football League)
Nebraska 2010 Taylor Martinez (fate undecided)
Louisville 2011-2013 Teddy Bridgewater (looks to be a top draft pick)
Watson did not recruit Bridgewater (The link) but did do a great job developing him. Hopefully Watson will do the same with Ash, Swoopes and Heard.

Btw this is about Shawn Watson not the former coaching staff but former Mack Brown/Greg Davis quarterbacks Chris Simms, Vince Young and Colt McCoy all went on to start in the NFL.

The point of this post is our offense was our biggest problem and the offense's biggest problem was the quarterback. Shawn Watson is the person Charlie Strong has hired to coach our biggest problem area. It seems his record in this area would be of interest.
 
I'm convinced that for Charlie Strong to come in and completely revamp the culture, the assistants had to be replaced. Strong said on LHN tonight in response to a reporter's question, that both Watson and Wickline would have major input, but at crunch time, it would be Watson having the final say because Watson had been in that position before and Strong was comfortable with him.

That being said, I assume that Wickline will have major say in designing the offensive run game and probably the hurry-up-no-huddle part of the offense because he has had more experience with those aspects at OSU. I think increasing the number of plays will tend to produce more points.

I'm certainly willing to wait and see what comes of it all. At the end of the year, if the offense averages 17 points, I won't be happy, unless, of course the defense can average giving up less and UT wins a whole bunch of games.
 
So, teams with better talent and at least equal if not better coaching abilities were usually able to beat Watson's offense most of the time.
How bizarre.
I think you go out of your way to drum up bad news.
I was not a fan of the Watson hire but I will wait and see what he does with the talent upgrade.
If he is not successful, both he and Coach strong will find the seat gets much hotter, much faster on the 40 acres.
 
Charlie Strong of the University of Texas Longhorns has reported via TexasSports.com that Shawn Watson will call the plays next season.In reply to:
 
Anyone that says they are comfortable with Watson as offensive coordinator and calling the offense are just whistling past the graveyard.

Since no games have been played under this coaching staff, the outcome will be determined on the scoreboard.
We will see, but Htown77 points out some good info.
Did he leave out Nebraska losing to aggy 6-9 in 2010?
 
Statistics and the "eye test" say Watson is in over his head in the Big 12. However, Texas hired Strong to run the program so Watson's success or failure will land on Strong's shoulders.

This strengthens my belief that Strong is placing everything on the defense. Unfortunately in this league you have to score points.
 
Of all the new hires, this is the one that I have to admit does not* have me fired up.

Some of you are a lot less patient and forgiving of the new coach than you were the last coach. 4 years with about a .500 conference record and the last coach still had not run out of chances. This poor new guy already hasn't even managed to lose by 7 TDs to OU once yet and the writing is already on the wall. Really.
 
I respect those loyal to Mack, and maybe they will be validated in the end, but I'm gonna give this staff a chance.
I won’t prejudge them but I will expect them to put a great, not good, product on the field.

We will see.
 
As long as Wickline is part of the equation I am not so worried, lets not forget he knows a thing or two about the Big 12 and the type of offense that needs to be run. Also this is Watson's first year along with all the other coaches so there are going to be some growing pains with both players and coaches.
 
I will reiterate I personally am neutral to Strong, not against him, and like any Texas fan hope he wins big. I am more than willing to give Strong (and Watson!) a fair chance because as I said, what will matter is what they do here. Hopefully Watson will repeat the recent success with Bridgewater with Ash, Swoopes and Heard.
With a more senior team, and the replacement of Case McCoy with Ash, Swoopes or Heard there absolutely should be offensive improvement year one. IF there is not offensive improvement or Watson's offense plainly does not work, I hope Strong will have learned from his predecessor's mistake in retaining Diaz and cuts Watson loose before it is too late.

Also, Ivan I forgot about that A&M-Nebraska game where Nebraska only scored 6 points. That same season a Texas offense featuring Greg Davis and Garrett Gilbert scored 17 points on that same aggie defense!
 
Reality is sometimes mistaken for negativity. Sometimes optimism is also mistaken for negativity. Posting Watson's coaching reality and hoping for success this fall is definitely optimism, not negativity.
 
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