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UT Football – Did Shane Buechele Cost Charlie Strong His Job?

By James Caldwell

Sep 10, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Shane Buechele (7) warms up before the game against the University of Texas at El Paso at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Shane Buechele (7) warms up before the game against the University of Texas at El Paso at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Texas Longhorns starting QB Shane Buechele reportedly played the end of 2016 with a thumb injury to his throwing hand.

Shane Buechele did not look like himself at the end of the 2016 Texas Football Season. Horns247 reports that it was because he suffered a thumb injury during the season.

There was a noticeable downturn in Buechele’s play during the last three games of last season. And, it was obvious something was off during the last road game against Kansas that ultimately cost Charlie Strong his job.

Now, if Texas won at Kansas to become bowl eligible, Coach Strong still might have been fired since the administration was eyeing Tom Herman. But, Strong’s fate was sealed after the Longhorns’ awful performance at Kansas.

Coach Strong still had a chance to make a bowl in the last game of the season against TCU, but the Longhorns offense only mustered nine points in another home loss. Was Buechele’s hand injury the reason why the offense looked so bad?

Shane Buechele and D’Onta Foreman Both Tried to Play Through Injuries

Now we have some more information on what was going on with Buechele. Our educated guess was that he hit a freshman wall near the end of the season. It turns out he was playing through a hand injury.

Meanwhile, D’Onta Foreman was carrying the ball a ridiculous number of times. And, he revealed in the off-season that he was playing with a broken hand.

If you add it up, Buechele and Foreman turned the ball over five times in the Kansas game. Buechele threw three interceptions, including one in overtime. And, Foreman lost two fumbles during the game.

Both young players should be commended for trying to fight through their respective injuries to help Texas win. But, did they do more damage than good trying to play at less than 100 percent?

Texas had no business losing to Kansas, they probably should have beaten West Virginia in the home game before Kansas, and the Horns looked completely defeated in the second-half against TCU.

New information on injuries to Texas’ top two offensive players tells a much different story about the end of Charlie Strong’s run. Who knows if Strong would still be Texas’ head coach in 2017 if the results were different, but injuries did not help him.

Looking Ahead to 2017 for Shane Buechele

Shane Buechele has recovered from the injury for the 2017 season, reports Horns247. And, he is practicing in spring drills without restrictions after wearing a soft cast during winter break.

Buechele should be the starting QB for Texas Football in Tom Herman’s first year, but incoming freshman Sam Ehlinger is going to push him for the spot.

Of course, Ehlinger dealt with his own injury situation in 2016. First, he injured his thumb, then he tried to come back and finish his high school career, but he injured his wrist.

Ehlinger should be good to go in 2017, but both Texas QBs have injury situations to watch out for during the spring football season.

Next: The #1 Reason Why Texas Fired Strong & Hired Herman

We just didn’t know about Buechele’s situation and how it set in motion Coach Strong’s exit and Coach Herman’s arrival in Austin.

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