The No. 2 Texas Longhorns enter what head coach Steve Sarkisian calls “Phase Two” of the season subsequent week within the annual Red River Rivalry sport in opposition to the No. 19 Oklahoma Sooners. That sport kicks off a seven-week gauntlet of SEC contests that features internet hosting the Georgia Bulldogs, a visit to the unfriendly confines of Fayetteville for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and ends with the rivalry renewed in College Station in opposition to the Texas A&M Aggies.
It’s no secret that Texas has targets that stretch far past the subsequent set of video games and properly into January, however the grind of SEC play will check them each mentally and bodily each week. If Texas desires to attain its targets of enjoying into January, there are a number of areas of focus they'll hone in on based mostly on Phase One of the season.
Turnover margin
Taking care of the soccer is clearly paramount for each crew, however if you have a look at what Texas completed within the first 5 video games of the season in contrast to their turnover success you possibly can see room for enchancment. The Longhorns rank No. 45 total in turnover margin at plus-two, however sit at No. 83 in turnovers misplaced with seven, three of that are fumbles misplaced. The common is floated as a result of Texas has been simply as efficient taking the ball away, rating No. 16 in takeaways with 9, seven of which got here on interceptions.
“We’re turning the ball over more than we have historically and that’s on us as coaches. We have got to emphasize it more, and it’ll be a point of emphasis this week, and it’s easy to point at a Jaydon Blue this week or an Arch Manning the week before,” Sarkisian stated on Monday.
(*2*)
Losing the turnover battle was uncommon for Texas a yr in the past, arising within the unfavourable on simply 4 of their 14 contests. Texas was 2-2 in these matchups, shedding to Oklahoma and the Washington Huskies within the playoffs. That four-game pattern additionally consists of the extra time nail-biter in opposition to Kansas State that noticed two turnovers let the Wildcats again into the sport.
In the subsequent part of the season, Texas faces three of the highest groups within the SEC in turnover margin, together with league-leading Oklahoma, and only one crew with a unfavourable turnover margin on the yr.
“We can’t continue to play games with two turnovers and false starts and holding penalties and playing behind the chains — that’s a recipe for disaster. So we’re gonna have to clean that stuff up,” Sarkisian stated after the Mississippi State win.
Explosive performs
One of the ways in which Texas maintained its dominance within the early components of the season was its capability to each generate and restrict chunk performs on each side of the ball. The Longhorns’ protection ranks No. 4 within the nation in performs longer than 10 yards allowed (31) and No. 5 in passes longer than 10 yards allowed (19). On the opposite aspect of the ball, the offense has produced 86 performs longer than 10 yards, adequate for No. 10 within the nation and is No. 4 in performs longer than 20 yards with 36.
“There’s been a lot of explosive plays. I think Saturday we averaged 8.4 yards per play, which is nearly a first down a play and that was about 23-percent explosive play rate. So one out of every four plays was hitting as an explosive — that was something we talked about this offseason. How do we become a more explosive offense to create those yards in chunks? That has shown up,” Sarkisian stated.
Surprising no one who has watched Texas play, the vast majority of the chunk performs have come by the air, with 61 of the 81 coming by way of the go sport. However, meaning Texas has struggled to do the identical on the bottom, rating No. 46 in rushes longer than 10 yards, together with only one 100-yard rusher on the yr. Finding a stage of stability and explosiveness on the bottom will go a good distance to protecting defenses sincere throughout SEC play.
“Too many players are getting hit behind the line of scrimmage or for no gains that we need to improve upon,” Sarkisian stated.
Sacks and TFL
The capability of Texas to create havoc within the backfield has grown over the previous couple of video games, with 12 of their 13 sacks and 30 of their 38 tackles for loss coming within the final three contests. They rank No. 5 and No. 3 respectively within the SEC for each classes and rank No. 1 within the nation in opposing drives that led to a landing, thanks to their capability to put opponents behind the chains.
While they’ve accomplished a superb job of late enjoying on the opposite aspect of the road of scrimmage, the offense has additionally struggled to maintain opponents out of the backfield. The Texas offense ranks No. 79 nationally in sacks allowed with 25, seven of which got here within the SEC opener in opposition to Mississippi State, and whereas the Longhorns are barely higher in protecting their very own quarterbacks upright, giving up only one sack per sport, three of the 5 sacks got here with Arch Manning within the backfield, who struggled at occasions to eliminate the ball rapidly — on brief and medium passes, Manning is holding the ball 0.36 seconds longer than starter Quinn Ewers.
