Texas Longhorns

Strong reiterates ball must get into Gray's hands

Published Sep. 8, 2015 1:41 p.m. ET

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Anticipation entering the season centered on a Texas offense determined to go up-tempo and promised to feed fully healthy senior tailback Johnathan Gray.

And then came Saturday's opener at Notre Dame and Gray was all but an invisible man, touching the football eight times. Eight.

“We’ve got to get the ball in his hands,” Strong said Monday during his press conference. “It’s very obvious because he’s someone that when the ball is in his hands he’s electrifying, and he can make people miss and he can get positive yards for us.”

It shouldn't seem all that difficult then for offensive coordinator Shawn Watson to devise plays for quarterbacks Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard to hand the ball off. Gray has worked mostly in a tandem during his Texas career and has navigated through various injuries to reach his senior season healthy and ready to carry the load as Texas' main rusher.

It would also seem to make sense for Texas to take as much pressure as possible of its uninspiring quarterback tandem, especially the slow-footed Swoopes, who is often asked to use his legs.

Strong said he would like to see Gray's touches double, if not triple in upcoming games. That should start Saturday when the Longhorns play host to Rice, a game Texas has to win or face unrelenting criticism just two weeks into the season.

Strong had given indications during camp that he Gray could rack up as many as 30 carries a game. Eight against Notre Dame is a far cry from 30. Now it's up to the offensive coaches to get Gray involved and get Texas' stagnant offense on the move.

(h/t Dallas Morning News)