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Charlie Strong: Offensive change gave fans 'shot of juice'

Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout Charlie Strong's disappointing first two seasons with Texas, the common issue behind the Longhorns' struggles was a lack of offense.

But after a strong showing in the annual spring game earlier this month, Strong is optimistic about his team's new fast-paced attack.

"We needed to give our fans something. We needed to give them hope," Strong told Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel. "The new offense, the change, it gave them a shot of juice."

Spearheading that change is Sterlin Gilbert, who came over from Tulsa. The 37-year-old brings a spread-based attack he learned from Baylor, Texas' in-state rival. Under Gilbert's direction, the Golden Hurricane ranked 13th in the country with 502 yards per game on offense.

"We had to go in that direction, No. 1, in order to recruit, because it's the system that most players (in Texas) come out of, that's the system they want to go into," Strong admitted. "I looked at Sterlin and felt this would be the perfect fit for what we need to do to get this program heading in the right direction."

The most exciting thing about the new-look Longhorns offense could be freshman quarterback Shane Buechele. The early enrollee starred in the spring game, throwing for 299 yards, which is more than Texas quarterbacks achieved in all but one of its games last season.

"(The fans) were looking for something different," Strong said. "Shane goes out and plays well in the spring game, and they walk away feeling good knowing now that, 'Hey, we have a quarterback.'"

If Strong sounds optimistic about his new quarterback, it's likely because he represents a symbol of the coach's job status. If Buechele flops, Strong will likely be out the door, with the pressure from boosters and fans overwhelming. If the first-year player can adapt to the new offense quickly, it would give Texas stability at the position for the first time since Colt McCoy was under center.

Should that happen, Longhorn fans will likely want more than just "a shot" of that juice.

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