The No. 7 Texas Longhorns looked lethargic yet again, playing against an outmatched opponent, struggling to get the offense going, and failing to launch both on the ground and through the air. Texas managed to come away with a win, but it has just two weeks left before the start of SEC play, and there are still plenty of questions remaining for the preseason favorite to win the conference.
The offensive issues are more than skin-deep
The offense looked out of rhythm and, frankly, inept in every aspect
of its offensive performance, struggling to get any rhythm going at all. Texas leaned into the run in the game, whether that was the original gameplan or required due to the early play of quarterback Arch Manning. After starting the game 3-5 for 58 yards, Manning’s next 10 passes fell incomplete, including a fourth-down interception in the red zone. He finished the game with 114 yards on 25 attempts and a touchdown, 4.56 yards per attempt. Part of the issue is that Texas still doesn’t know who its go-to receiver is in the group, with last week’s star, Parker Livingstone, effectively disappearing against UTEP.
Part of the issue with Texas’s offensive rhythm is that it lacks a standout at the running back position. Quintrevion Wisner missed his second consecutive game due to injury, and CJ Baxter left the game after one carry for six yards, leaving Jerrick Gibson, Christian Clark, and freshman James Simon to carry the load. Simon finished as the game’s leading rusher with 67 yards, while Gibson, who avoided his usual struggles with ball security, added 64 yards of his own. Manning was Texas’s most effective threat on the ground, rushing nine times for 51 yards and the Longhorns’ two touchdowns on the ground.
The defense can carry the team, again
While UTEP was able to put up numbers against Texas, they kept the Miners’ offense in check for most of the contest, surrendering the Miners’ lone touchdown of the game, which came with 1:57 left on the clock. The Miners managed just 2.2 yards per carry on the ground and 5.8 yards per attempt through the air, while turning UTEP quarterback Malachi Nelson over twice. Jelani McDonald and Graceson Littleton took advantage of Nelson’s struggles at quarterback, both securing their first interceptions of the season.
The Longhorns spent a lot of time in the UTEP backfield, with six tackles for loss in the contest, including bringing down Nelson for two sacks and two additional hurries. Hero Kanu’s sack marked the second consecutive week where a Texas defensive tackle brought the QB down, while Zina Umeozulu added the game’s other sack.
Texas’s special teams are growing
Jack Bouwmeester has already emerged as a threat for Texas, but the rest of Jeff Banks’ unit had a lot of questions left after the first three games. Texas fans finally got an extended look at Mason Shipley, who went 2-2 on the day from 30 and 31 yards, keeping the Longhorns comfortably ahead in the game. We also saw Ryan Niblett finally break out as a return threat, specifically on punts, finishing the game with 72 yards on three chances, including a long of 49.
It wasn’t perfect from the unit, with Warren Roberson notching two block-in-the-back penalties in the second quarter, pushing the Texas offense back before they even took the field. Unforced errors continue to plague the Longhorns, with 76 total penalty yards on the defense and special teams alone.
