Against the Missouri Tigers, the Texas Longhorns continued to shoot themselves in the foot in the same fashion as previous contests despite the 34-20 victory in Columbia — pre-snap penalties on the offense, holding calls, and defensive mistakes continue to plague the Longhorns week after week, and Saturday was no different.
In total, Texas was called for seven penalties that netted 65 yards. They were also flagged for illegal formation and holding penalties that were both declined.
Including those
two declined penalties, the Longhorn offense was called for three pre-snap penalties and two holding calls.
Once again, mental miscues cost Texas before the ball was even snapped.
The most costly false start was undoubtedly on 3rd and 5 with a little over two minutes to remaining in the fourth quarter as the Longhorns tried to execute their four-minute offense to ice the game. With a chance to face a manageable third-down situation, tight end Michael Masunas was flagged, creating third and long.
The penalty effectively ensured Missouri would get the ball back with a chance to drive down the field and tie the game. Indeed, Michael Terry III ran for six yards and Texas punted the ball away.
Though only one was accepted, the Longhorns were flagged for two holding calls. Tight end Emaree Watson and offensive lineman Brandon Baker were the culprits. Baker also contributed a false start.
Texas has now been flagged 10 times for holding, not including those that were declined, which is tied with false starts for the most frequent penalty against the Longhorn this season.
On the other side of the ball, penalties once again contributed to points. Of Missouri’s 20 points, 10 came via drives that Texas was called for a penalty.
The opening drive granted the Tigers 30 free yards — 15 from a hands to the face penalty and another from defensive pass interference. The damage from the hands to the face penalty was exacerbated by the fact that it came on a play that produced a 15-yard reception, resulting in the Tigers gaining 30 yards on the play. Missouri went on to score a touchdown.
The hands to the face call went against defensive end Lance Jackson, who is tied for the most penalties on the team with five.
The defensive pass interference was called against cornerback Warren Roberson and was the ninth flagged against the Longhorns this season.
The other defensive penalty, a face mask by Ian Geffrard, helped the Tigers convert a field goal, so all 10 points scored by Missouri in the first half came on drives aided by Texas penalties.
False starts, holdings, and pass interference make up 48.4 percent of all accepted penalties against the Horns. Every week, some combination of these three penalties hurts Texas.
A year ago, the Longhorns averaged 8.3 penalties per game, totaling 108 flags for 906 yards over 13 games, which ranked 134th out of 136 teams in total penalties and 132nd in penalty yards per game.
This season, Texas is 80th in penalties per game at 6.67 and 99th in penalty yards per game with 63.0.
