Longhorn Defense Gets Intensity from Muschamp

Muschamp has made his mark early, getting players up fro 6 am practices and fielding a speedier, lighter squad designed to keep up with the high-powered offenses in the Big 12.

In 2007, Texas gave up 25.3 points per game, the most since 1998, and allowed opponents to complete 60.7 percent of their passes for 277.8 yards per game, both school records. To reverse that trend, Muschamp must mold a pass rush from his front seven and assemble a secondary almost from scratch.

The Longhorns have produced their share of run-stoppers from the defensive line, from All-Pros Shaun Rogers and Casey Hampton to last year's tandem of Frank Okam and Derek Lokey. This year, senior Roy Miller (6-foot-2, 300 pounds) will fill that role, while junior Lamarr Houston has the speed to shoot the gap and get into the backfield.

Texas has been looking for a unblockable pass-rushing defensive end since the days of Tony Brackens, and the team hopes that senior Brian Orakpo can live up to his prodigious physical gifts and create havoc among opposing offenses. Sophomore Sam Acho showed impressive flashes last year and is expected to take on a larger role this season.

Last year's linebacking corps took the brunt of the blame for Texas' defensive woes, with critics blasting them for lack of coverage, pass rush, and tackling. This year's group of returning players retains their physically impressive look, but will have to produce on the field to erase last year's bad memories. Sergio Kindle battled injuries for much of 2007, but can be a disruptive force when healthy. Fifth-year senior Rashad Bobino will run the show at the beginning of the season, but will be pushed by the younger Jared Norton.

In the secondary, redshirt freshman Earl Thomas has established himself as a vocal leader in preseason workouts, and has shown a tendency to flatten any receiver who crosses the middle. Cornerbacks Deon Beasley and Ryan Palmer saw significant time last year, and they'll be paired with newcomers Ben Wells and Christian Scott as they face some top quarterbacks in the country this season

But the players on the field will share the spotlight with Muschamp, whose defenses have ranked among the top 10 in the country at his previous stops at LSU and Auburn. If he duplicates that at Texas, a few choice words on YouTube will be a distant memory.