AUSTIN, Texas -- Charlie Strong has a masters degree in education, but like any head coach with 35 years on his resume, he is an expert in chemistry. What gnawed at Strong during his first two years of trying to excavate Texas from the muck of mediocrity is that he had to go downstairs to the locker room to find his players.It wasnt the flight of stairs that bothered him. Strong, 56, awakens at 4 a.m. every morning to jog. He has the physical presence of a man 20 years younger. What bothered Strong was the players lounge, or as he calls it, the game room, right down the hall from his office.The lounge looked as if it belonged in a business titans vacation home. The lounge was a man cave of dark wood, cushy chairs, high-top tables and two big flat-screens hovering above eye level. In the middle sat a pool table with burnt orange felt. What the game room didnt have was bodies. It looked emptier than Perry-Castaneda Library on Saturday night.You walked in there, and it was always clean, Strong said. Youre like, God almighty! We dont even use this thing.If the Longhorns return to glory in their third season under Strong, it will be because the 30-man freshman class, with players like guard Patrick Hudson, receiver Devin Duvernay, and especially quarterback Shane Buechele, have the maturity to match their athletic skill. It will be because the players who sat home during last bowl season came back in January with the desire never to do that again.But dont forget about the pingpong table.The transition from Mack Brown to Strong was rocky, which explains why only three seniors are expected to start this season. The difference in attitude between Strongs first two teams and this one is stark.I dont have to say, Hey, listen, tomorrow Id like for some of you guys to be over (here), doing something, Strong said. They show up now. Players used to come over to the football building, get their snack and go back to their dorm room. Strong, the defensive coordinator on Floridas two most recent national championship teams, knew a lack of chemistry when he saw it.So in June, Strong began serving lunch to the players in the lounge. He also had the lounge upgraded, adding a pingpong table, a second pool table, a foosball table, an air hockey table and even an old-school arcade game. The change came almost overnight.The place is always packed, Strong said. Even in the afternoons, theyre in there. Theyre always in there. Theyre always in there. Theyre sitting around, and its such a big deal. Theyre interacting! Theyre shooting pool. Theyre waiting on a pool table. Hey, Coach! Im the best pingpong player EVER! OK, whatever. You cant beat so-and-so.When August practice began, that so-and-so might have been Buechele, undefeated at pingpong since the table arrived in June. Junior defensive end Naashon Hughes has been seen taking down Strong at the billiards table.The players lounge used to be a spot where people would go and take naps. People would go and relax, senior safety Dylan Haines said. And now weve added all these different games and stuff. It just provides more areas for competition for the players, and it gets us all in there and all involved with talking to one another.You see a team coming together, which we had never had happen before, Strong said.When players want to be in the football building, it means they want to be around football. That sounds simplistic to the point of idiocy. Until its missing. When senior offensive tackle Kent Perkins began taking his bench-press test this summer, his teammates gathered. As Perkins continued past 20 reps, past 30 reps of the 225-pound bar, his test became a team event.He was going for rep 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, defensive line coach Brick Haley said, and you could just feel the energy in the room. Everybody is into their teammate and not into themselves.You see guys doing extra where theyve never done it before, Strong said. Or you ask a guy to do something, and its not like, Why do we have to do that, Coach? Weve never done it before. You dont hear that now. If you walk over (to the football facility), theyll be watching video, or theyll be outside on the field throwing, just doing things theyve never done before.On Friday, Strong sat down for a Big 12 Digital Network interview. In the middle of it, defensive end Breckyn Hager burst into the room. Strong, with bemusement, halted the interview.I beat Shane! Hager said. Im the first one to beat Shane!You beat him? How bad?21-18.I will be down there, Strong said, unable to control his laughter. Why are you sweating?Cause Ive been trying. This means a lot to me! Hager said.Exit Hager. That was breaking news, Strong said, still laughing.For Texas to contend for its first Big 12 championship in seven years, the Longhorns will need the fortune of good health. They will need freshmen and sophomores to beat juniors and seniors.Strong is too smart to promise anything. He trusts improvement. Improve, and success will follow. Already he has seen attitudes improve. The Longhorns held their first scrimmage on Saturday. It was also their first day of two-a-days. When they returned to the field Saturday night, they retained the enthusiasm they brought to the scrimmage.Sometimes you feel like theres been a change, Strong said. You feel it, and you see it. Thats what you see now with the team. You see it.You see the Longhorns chemistry formed in the heat and grind of sweaty August competition. And thats just in the air-conditioned comfort of the players lounge, the room a few steps down the hall from the head coachs office.Max Olson contributed to this story. Cheap Buccaneers Jerseys . Sgt. Eric ONeal says most of the arrests at Monday nights game were for public drunkenness, though one person was taken into custody on suspicion of trying to steal a seat from the stadium. Authentic Buccaneers Jerseys . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. http://www.cheapbuccaneersjerseys.net/justin-watson-womens-jersey/ . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Ronald Jones Womens Jersey . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. Cheap Buccaneers Store . Pert has formerly spent time as an assistant coach with Cardiff City, Coventry City, and Bahrain mens national team. "Martyn is a highly-respected coach with experience at the top levels in England," said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson. Pressure is mounting on South Sydney coach Michael Maguire after a host of unwanted records came tumbling down on his side in their 54-4 NRL drubbing by Canberra on Sunday.Rabbitohs general manager of football Shane Richardson made recent assurances about Maguires position but hard questions will be asked of Maguire and his playing group following the 10-tries-to-one humiliation before a small home crowd of 10,076 at ANZ Stadium.It was the foundation clubs worst loss in a decade - not since their 66-0 defeat to the Warriors in 2006 have they been on the end of such a scoreline.It was also their biggest loss under Maguire, and the first time since his arrival at Redfern in 2012 that they have let in 50 points.It was their worst-ever home loss and their biggest-ever defeat to Canberra.Premiers in 2014, they have now lost eight straight and conceded 20-plus points in their last 13 matches, sending alarm bells ringing as they languish in 13th on the ladder.When youre had that many points scored against you, its really the most disappointing part, Maguire said.Were a very proud club and when youve had that many points scored against you its not a very nice thing to go through.But itll determine the character of who we become.Rumours of player unrest have dogged the club this year with Rabbitohs management forced to deny Tom Burgess was being shopped around to rivals while Paul Carter and Kirisome Auvaa were earlier this month sacked for misbehaviour.Bad as Souths were, there is no denying the rise and rise of Ricky Stuarts Raiders, who climbed to third on the ladder, sending a statement to rivals ahead of clashes with heavyweights Cronulla and Melbourne in the next fortnight.ddddddddddddMeanwhile, Manly continued their late-season march, racking up their fourth win on the trot to move to within two points of the top eight.Fullback Tom Trbojevic and returning five-eighth Dylan Walker starred as the Sea Eagles ran out 36-16 winners over stragglers Newcastle at Brookvale Oval.Melbourne all but secured a top two spot when they defeated a Johnathan Thurston-less North Queensland on Saturday night thanks to a classy performance from Cooper Cronk.Wests Tigers kept their top eight hopes alive with a 23-6 victory over Parramatta, however it came at a cost with halfback Luke Brooks suffering a knee injury which is expected to keep him out for three to five weeks.Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson scored a match-winning try in Saturdays golden point 20-16 win over Penrith to jump his side into the top eight.Canterbury ground out a dour 13-10 win over St George Illawarra in a game marred by controversy, with Josh Reynolds charged with tripping and Tyson Frizell (touching referee) and Joel Thompson (high tackle) both facing a week on the sidelines.The Sydney Roosters rebounded with a 32-16 win over Brisbane on Thursday night with ex-Bronco Dale Copley delivering a message to Wayne Bennett with a two-try haul. Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys 2019 ' ' '