Texas finally took the field once for the first time in nine months and put together a dominant performance. The Longhorns topped the Texas State Bobcats, 59-7, with Arch Manning putting together a strong afternoon.
Ryan Wingo, Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown all got in the endzone, adding to the excitement around this skill group. As Texas rolls into an ever-important Ohio State game, there are a few things we have learned about this squad.
Here are five things we learned about the Longhorns this afternoon:
The Upgrades Are Real
This is very clear. Cam Coleman found the endzone twice, flashing his elite mismatch ability. Hollywood Smother and Raleek Brown showed their ability to create explosives anytime they touched the ball. Rasheem Biles forced
two turnovers, one a forced fumble taken back to the house by Graceson Littleton. Finally, the offensive line looked strong in pass protection, showing the additions of Siani, Sikorski and Seymore are paying off. The entire offseason was about upgrading the roster from good to great. Through one game, it’s clear that has been achieved.
Will Muschamp’s Defense Is As Advertised
This is just about the performance I expected from Muschamp’s unit in Week One. There were multiple mistakes, including blown coverages, that need to be cleaned up next week. However, there were also three forced turnovers, one of which went back for six points. They were able to get in the backfield for 2 sacks and 8 TFLs throughout this game. There was always going to be some growing pains from the defense, but the “havoc plays” are as plentiful as expected.
Arch Manning Looks Much More Comfortable
This is the biggest takeaway. It’s impossible to know what Manning’s season at large will look like. However, he looked much more confident and comfortable today than he did almost any time last season. He finished the day 20/27(74% completion) for 305 passing yards, 4 TDs and just the one INT. Obviously, you’d love to see a zero in the turnover category, but this was as good of a performance as could’ve been expected from No. 16. Next week, he’ll need that poise and accuracy against the Buckeyes.
It’s Incredibly Hard To Guard Coleman and Wingo
I’m not sure this was much of a question coming into the game, but it sure isn’t coming out of it. Ryan Wingo totalled 7 catches for 121 yards and a TD this afternoon, all coming before halftime. Cam Coleman entered halftime with just 1 catch for 1 yard and 1 TD, but added 2 more catches for 69 yards and another score in the second half. Given the complementary abilities the two bring to the table, it’s incredibly difficult to corral both No. 8 and No. 1 at the same time.
Offensive Line Issues Are Not Answered
I want to be clear: this was a positive performance from the offensive line. The pass protection was very strong and Texas got enough from the run game in this one. However, from the Hollywood Smothers 45-yard run to open the game to the Raleek Brown 21-yard TD run, Texas averaged just 2.1 yards per carry. The run blocking has to be cleaner and more consistent against Ohio State for them to be successful offensively. Now, I didn’t expect those issues to be answered in Week One, but it could’ve been a better run blocking performance for the Texas OL.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: 5 things we learned about Texas Longhorns in 59-2 win over Texas State
