The Best Has Yet To Come For The Houston Cougars Defense

Talkin’ Bout Them Cougars, which streams on GoCoogs.com, recently conducted an interview where defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong took time out of his day to discuss the state of his defense through three weeks of play and what has been surprising.

After Houston battled SFA, Rice and Colorado, Armstrong has prepared to take the next step in proving that it has one of the most elite defenses in the country.

“We really feel like our best football is ahead of us,” Armstrong said. “I’ve certainly been pleased with the intangibles. The toughness. The effort. The physicality that we’ve played. They’ve done a good job. The job that our coaching staff has done. I can’t compliment them and the players enough for the job.”

Installing defense

After a short stint with the Florida Gators, Armstrong decided to make the move to Houston to coach, where he joined the program in February and began installing his brand of football, which he enjoys playing. With the NCAA rules and regulations to follow, everything was in correlation with how he wanted to formulate the new look defense, and he touched on how his process went.

“We as a staff figured out, OK, what are we good at?” Armstrong said. “We came in due to our schedule, and we essentially put the identity of our defense on first and second down for the whole month of February before we started spring practice, and with our meeting, lift, and walkthrough schedule. We did one call a day for four days. We took that one call each day and really went into fine detail on how we did that. All the formation issues. Because if we can get it down close the first time and do a good time of teaching, we know we are going to get an opportunity to do it in the spring, the opportunity in summer one to do it again, summer two to do it again, and then in fall camp again, and obviously the application of it in the season.”

Armstrong also added that if the repetition and schedule continued to replicate, the situational football of the conversion downs on third down, low red zone and two-minute can be multiple, meaning that there’s the ability to look different with the same things, where one can also call various formations that are the same, where the defense can dominate.

That’s how the Cougars’ defense has been successful this season. Giving up 29 points through the games is creditable to the clever mind and game plan Armstrong has structured the program to have.

Surprises

Cougars will want to improve their performance from the previous season | College Football New

Having a strong week, month and offseason of practice really rubs off on coaches. For Armstrong, it’s about how the players grow throughout practice and how they perform on the field, discussing how some players excel while others underachieve.

“Some guys step up and some guys fall short,” Armstrong said. “I think it starts in the practice environment, and we get a lot of those questions answered because they play how they practice.”

One rising star that Armstrong is exceptionally proud of is sophomore linebacker Corey Platt Jr.

“His story is like something out of a Disney movie,” Armstrong said. “I haven’t coached many guys that have torn their Achilles really ever. The perseverance and mental toughness to push through that — I admire him so much. He can run. He’s loose-hipped. He’s been unbelievable, and I’m so happy for him and the success he’s had. I’m excited for his development.”

Senior defensive lineman Eddie Walls Ⅲ is another example of what Armstrong looks for in his players. He recognizes the character and personality he displays day in and day out and how he can play inside and outside.

“He was unbelievably impressive as a person,” Armstrong said. He has been a blessing to have in our program. We needed to add a player at that position that’s played—the position characteristics of height, weight, speed. The tape was really good. I think Eddie’s best football is ahead of him.”

Armstrong’s defense is rebooting on two weeks' worth of rest from a bye week for Week 3, but will be back in action against Oregon State on Friday, September 26, at 9:30 p.m. in Corvallis, Oregon.