Tulsa World: Defensive transformation

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Defensive transformation
Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp brings intensity to Longhorns.

Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, shown before the Longhorns' game against Florida Atlantic, led the LSU defense that sacked Jason White seven times in the 2004 Sugar Bowl. Harry Cabluck/Associated Press file

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 10/10/2008 2:08 AM
Last Modified: 10/10/2008 3:35 AM

Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp brings intensity to Longhorns.

NORMAN — Will Muschamp has seen a supposedly unstoppable Oklahoma offense featuring a Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback before. He stopped it.

Muschamp coordinated the LSU defense that sacked Jason White seven times and forced him into 13-of-37 passing in the Tigers' 21-14 BCS championship-winning Sugar Bowl in 2004. Now he coordinates a Texas defense that must clamp down on Sam Bradford and the top-ranked Sooners on Saturday in the Cotton Bowl.

"We're a much different team than in '03," OU coach Bob Stoops pointed out, "and they're not LSU. That was a while ago."

True. But then, Muschamp's success rate hasn't changed much since then.

Muschamp followed Nick Saban from LSU to the Miami Dolphins in 2005, and the Dolphins wound up second in the NFL with 49 sacks. Muschamp was at Auburn in 2006 and '07, when the Tigers surrendered the sixth- and seventh-fewest points, respectively, in college football.

Now, he is in the process of transforming a Texas defense that allowed the most passing yards, touchdown throws and highest completion percentage in school history last year. There are secondary issues — all five safeties on Texas' depth chart are freshmen, helping explain the 244 passing yards per game the Longhorns give up.

The front seven, however, are thriving under the first-year coordinator, chalking up the second-most sacks in the country and allowing the third-fewest rushing yards.

What's Muschamp's secret?

"First, let me say personality. He is very intense. That's obvious to people who watch us play," said Texas coach Mack Brown, who swiped Muschamp from Auburn just as he did Gene Chizik before Chizik shut down OU offenses in 2005 and '06. "He's got a tremendous knowledge of scheme, disguise, pressure, toughness. He was a tough player. He was a safety at Georgia. He's carried that personality throughout. He says he wasn't a great player, so he had to play hard every play. He is not allowing anyone to take a lazy step at any time."

Asked about the most intense he's ever seen Muschamp, Longhorns defensive end Brian Orakpo said: "Probably last week (in a 38-14 rout of Colorado). The game was controllable and we were able to play some of our backups in the fourth quarter. And it was kind of funny to see Muschamp... He was still coaching, still getting on guys for not fitting right, not tackling and really getting on the fourth-quarter guys."

Texas' first quarter of the season wasn't over before Muschamp had blood trickling down his face. He'd yanked his headset off during an angry moment against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30 and sliced his cheek.

"That was crazy," defensive tackle Roy Miller said. "I was looking at him like, 'Did he just come off the field?'"

Combine that intensity with Muschamp's pedigree, his success becomes a practical formality.

"The only two he hasn't worked for are Bob Stoops and Pete Carroll in the defensive world of head coaching," OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "Tommy Tuberville (Auburn's coach) and Nick Saban are two of the premier defensive minds in college football.

"He has that enthusiasm and energy. They've got tremendous players. You see guys buying in and playing with great attitude. They're fun to watch."

They may not be so fun to play against Saturday. LSU certainly wasn't five years ago.

"It's going to be a hard challenge," Wilson said. "We'll need to play great."

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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