2016 - Page 8 of 9 - Texas Chalk Talk

Hatred of losing and respect for Strong drives Bluiett, Longhorns

July 27, 2016July 27, 2016 Jennifer Fierro0 comment

Don’t bother asking Caleb Bluiett whether he likes the role of the tight end in Texas offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert’s offense. He can keep a secret. “I’m happy to be on the field again,” he said. “I know how we’re going to be used. I can’t necessarily tell you that right now. The season hasn’t started.” Last year he caught eight passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. The two scores came in the team’s two biggest wins — Oklahoma and Baylor. Bluiett has always tried to lead by example.…

Big 12 Media Days College Featured Football

Mahomes happy to have spent spring on the gridiron to make his field of dreams come true

July 26, 2016 Jennifer Fierro0 comment

Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes couldn’t help but laugh. Mahomes gave up baseball last spring to concentrate wholeheartedly on football. So what did the Red Raiders baseball team do? Only returned to the College World Series again. Mahomes laughed again as he recalled that even his old high school, Whitehouse, reached the Class 5A state tournament. But he has no regrets about passing on baseball. That extra time resulted in getting stronger in the weight room and putting on an additional 15 pounds. “I turned myself into a meathead,” he…

Big 12 Media Days College Featured Football

To expand or not to expand — The question for the Big 12

July 21, 2016 Jennifer Fierro0 comment

Fans of the Big 12 aren’t seeing the reason why university presidents have authorized Commissioner Bob Bowlsby to explore candidates for expansion. Fans are thinking in terms of competition. They want strong competition in order to help their teams secure playoff spots and win numerous trophies in prestigious bowls and in March Madness. But the university presidents are thinking in terms of money. Big money. Reports are surfacing that Oklahoma president David Boren said television contracts allow the conference to add up to six new members and that ESPN and…

Big 12 Media Days College Football

Experienced players will lead West Virginia this season

July 21, 2016 Jennifer Fierro0 comment

West Virginia had five players taken in the NFL Draft in May — athletes with talent, great work ethic and attitude. And yet head coach Dana Holgorsen smiled as he thought of his 2016 squad when he visited with reporters July 18 at Big 12 Media Days. The five athletes — Karl Joseph, K.J. Dillon, Daryl Worley, Nick Kwiatkoski and Wendell Smallwood — were seniors who had been in the program almost as long as Holgorsen. The coach said they were purposely recruited as players who would stay for at…

Big 12 Media Days College Football

‘Fantastic kids’ are the foundation of Baylor’s program as Grobe era begins

July 21, 2016 Jennifer Fierro0 comment

Baylor’s acting head coach Jim Grobe wanted to make it clear that the Bears have “have fantastic kids, and we need to continue to stress that.” That’s what led to him saying Baylor “doesn’t have a culture problem” as he talked to reporters on the last day of Big 12 Media Days July 18. Grobe said many players make it a point to be contributing members of society, including going on mission trips, such as the one quarterback Seth Russell went on last month and doing community work. But, he…

Big 12 Media Days College Featured Football

New, old pieces lead to productive offseason for Oklahoma

July 20, 2016July 20, 2016 Jennifer Fierro0 comment

The Oklahoma Sooners won last year’s Big 12 Championship and were selected to play in the College Football Playoff. And while many of those players return, head coach Bob Stoops called this season’s version a “new team.” Stoops was the last coach to address reporters July 18, the last day of Big 12 Media Days. “There are enough new pieces that it’s still a new team all together,” he said. “But I’ve been really pleased with the overall intensity and the effort and the winter conditioning and spring practices and…

Big 12 Media Days College Featured Football

Culture is changing at Texas heading into Strong’s third year

July 19, 2016July 20, 2016 Jennifer Fierro0 comment

It didn’t take long for Texas head coach Charlie Strong to be asked about the number of wins the Longhorns have to capture so that he keeps his job. Strong was the first coach to address reporters on the last day of Big 12 Media Days July 18. “Expectations here are always high, which they should be,” he said. “There’s no reason for us to go 6-7 or 5-7. They want to see progress. Our goal is to win every game.” Then he recalled the end of last season, after…

Big 12 Media Days College Football

Campbell sees Cyclones buying into changes

July 19, 2016 Jennifer Fierro0 comment

Eight months ago Matt Campbell was the head coach at the University of Toledo. He spent his entire life there, played high school football for his dad and attended the University of Mount Union where he played for Larry Kehres, whose .929 winning percentage is tops in the nation. But in November, Iowa State University called Campbell’s number, and he answered. He said he has accomplished a lot already during the last several months, and he credits the coaching staff for the progress. “I think one of the greatest parts…

Big 12 Media Days College Football

Kansas’ Beaty — ‘I think society can learn a lot from these young men’

July 19, 2016 Jennifer Fierro0 comment

Kansas head coach David Beaty returned to his hometown of Dallas with a heavy heart because of the shootings of Dallas police officers July 7. During his portion of Big 12 Media Days July 17, Beaty said he believes college football can serve as an example to help the nation. “Young men from all walks of life, different backgrounds coming together, listening to one another, working hard together, learning from one another, fighting together for a common goal,” he said. “I think society can learn a lot from these young…

Big 12 Media Days College Football

Oklahoma State’s offseason mission — establishing the run game

July 18, 2016 Jennifer Fierro0 comment

Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph threw for 3,770 yards last season. But when head coach Mike Gundy took the podium during Big 12 Media Days July 17, he didn’t talk about the passing game; his focus was on getting the running game going. “You’re being nice by saying we struggled with the running game,” he said to chuckles. “We weren’t very good at all.” The Cowboys netted 2,430 yards on the ground as a team and 26 touchdowns. Rudolph said the running game is equally important for the success of…