By Wendell Barnhouse
Big12Sports.com Correspondent

2014 record: 6-7 overall, 5-4 in Big 12, lost to Oregon 31-7 in Texas Bowl.

Returning starters: 8 on offense, 5 on defense.

Top players returning: Junior QB Tyrone Swoopes, senior RB Johnathan Gray, senior WR Daje Johnson, senior WR Marcus Johnson, senior OT Sedrick Flowers, DT Desmond Jackson, senior LB Peter Jinkens, senior LB Dalton Santos, senior CB Duke Thomas.

Key players to replace: RB Malcolm Brown, DT Malcom Brown, DB Quandre Diggs, WR Mike Davis, S Mykkele Thompson,LB Steve Edmond.

Spring review
Winning six games and reaching a bowl game was better than sitting at home in December. Now, heading into his second season, Charlie Strong's challenge is improving the won-loss record against a challenging schedule with a team that will rely on underclassmen.

Junior quarterback Tryone Swoopes wasn't supposed to be the starter last season and after taking over for David Ash, Swoopes had an inconsistent season. He and the offense needs to be more productive, particularly with a defense that has to replace six starters who helped set the tone for the team.

Swoopes apparently held off a challenge from redshirt quarterback Jerrod Heard during spring practice. This year's offense will be more up-tempo with coaches make play calls from the sideline.

"A lot of the checks are going to be made from the sideline," Strong said. "So they don't have to make a lot of reads - just go get the ball out of their hands and into the hands of the play-makers and let the tempo take its toll on the defense."

Last season ended with two blowout losses that saw the Longhorns score a total of 17 points.

"It still burns, the way the season ended," Strong said. "The whole team has a chip on their shoulder, and should have. The first season didn't go well, certainly not as well as we expected. The good thing about it is that Year 2 you get to start a new chapter.

"What will be written this season about this program?"

Quick slants
The Longhorns need play makers on offense, particularly at wide receiver. Senior Daje Johnson has the ability to be a factor but he has had trouble staying out of Strong's dog house. Last year he missed the first four games serving a suspension because of a violation of team rules. After serving the suspension, Johnson told his coach that he would stay on the straight and narrow. "He can help us," Strong said. "He can do so many things with the ball in his hands."

The Longhorns' depth and inexperience will be difficult to overcome. Texas lost 403 career starts from last season's team and has just one player (senior cornerback Duke Thomas) with 20 or more career starts. UT only has a dozen seniors who figure to be starters or backups.

One of the top recruits in this freshman class is linebacker Malik Jefferson, who enrolled early and was able to participate in spring practice. The freshman was outstanding in the spring game with six tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. He's making a push to be a starter for the season opener at Notre Dame. "He's an outstanding athlete. Ton of athletic ability," Strong said.

Coach Charlie Strong on …
His assessment of where the team is compared to last season:
"After watching last year's spring game, I thought, 'Man, it's going to be a long year.' I'll say this right now, we're a better football team right now than we were at the last game of last season. I see improvement in the offensive line. I see improvement at the receiver position."

The offense shifting to more of an up-tempo spread offensive philosophy:
"It's all about taking what you have and using it to your advantage and seeing that you can be successful doing it."

The quarterback battle between junior Tyrone Swoopes and redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard:
"I don't want to turn this into a quarterback controversy. When you look at it, Tyrone has come into the spring as a starter. I don't know that Heard has done anything yet to unseat him as a starter. I said he's closed the gap, which is what you want. Ty is still the No. 1 guy at this point."

2015 Schedule

Sept. 5	at Notre Dame
Sept. 12	Rice
Sept. 19	Cal
Sept. 26	Oklahoma State*
Oct. 3	at TCU*
Oct. 10	Oklahoma * (at Dallas)
Oct. 24	Kansas State*
Oct. 31	at Iowa State*
Nov. 7	Kansas*
Nov. 14	at West Virginia*
Nov. 26	Texas Tech*
Dec. 5	at Baylor*

*- Conference game.