After topping Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss
, Texas turned their attention towards a Kamaro Taylor-less Mississippi State. Last week was a confidence building performance for the offense, especially the run game. Considering the struggles of the Bulldog defense, Texas should be able to build some confidence in the passing game. For the singular win to become a streak, the Longhorns will need specific players to step up, especially after injuries.Here are the seven Longhorns that can alleviate even more concerns this weekend:
Texas Longhorns RBs Michael Terry III & Derrek Cooper
Last week, Raleek Brown set a career high for carries, with 23. That’s a large workload on a relatively smaller back. The other starter, Hollywood Smothers, was back at practice yesterday but in a non-contact jersey. That opens
the door for Sarkisian to lean on his younger backs this Saturday. Terry is coming off his best performance as a Longhorn and Cooper, who was dealing with an illness last week, should be back to full strength. Considering the heavy-lifting Brown and Smothers are likely to do against Missouri and LSU, this could be a youth-heavy rushing attack for Texas.
Texas Longhorns WR Cam Coleman
Coleman was another injured Longhorn that was back at practice yesterday, also sporting a non-contact jersey. After last week’s struggles, the questions around Coleman have begun to grow louder. Considering Mississippi State is bringing in the 129th pass defense in the country, this could be a chance to get No. 8 some confidence. Despite the frustrating drop last week, Zach Arnett and the Bulldog defense can’t rely on that result on Saturday. For the Texas offense to reach its ceiling, they’ll need Coleman to find a rhythm. Saturday is one of the last chances to find it before a daunting November.
Texas Longhorns TE Michael Masunas
Saturday was Michael Masunas’ best performance as a Longhorn, reeling in 3 catches and adding some elite blocking. The Texas run game finding a rhythm had as much to do with No. 15 as it did anyone else, as he was able to make the OLs job easier. He handled defensive ends for Ole Miss consistently, freeing up Cojoe and Siani to set edges easier. Considering the need for a solid run game, I’d expect Masunas to lead the way going forward, especially in 11 personnel. Saturday could be another chance to build on his role in the offense.
Texas Longhorns DL Justus Terry
Speaking of building confidence, Justus Terry is someone that could use a strong performance. The sophomore missed much of the season with an injury but returned against Florida. He had a roughing the passer penalty against Ole Miss but didn’t have his presence felt much. The Texas DL isn’t in need of another breakout star but Terry’s pass rush ability could give the Longhorns even more capability on 3rd down. No. 15 putting together a breakout performance could do wonders for the Texas defense down the stretch.
Texas Longhorns DE Colton Vasek
One of the underrated stars of the Ole Miss game was Colton Vasek. He tallied just one tackle but set edges at a high rate throughout the game. The Simmons injury opened the door for him to find the field more and he’s shown his value. Simmons is likely out for another week and Wesley could join him there, nursing an ankle sprain of his own. Vasek is likely to get consistent snaps again on Saturday and like Terry, could add more depth to an already strong unit.
Texas Longhorns CB Kade Phillips
The biggest defensive takeaway against Ole Miss, outside the strength in Simmons’ absence, was the Rebels plan to attack No. 8. Multiple times, Ole Miss tried to go after Phillips in man coverage and found success doing so. Against Mississippi State, they’ll do the same but rely more on their speed and separation ability. Phillips having a bounceback performance is key for the Texas defense, considering the CB depth hasn’t materialized the way many hoped. It’s a tall task but if Phillips can handle it, the confidence around the Longhorn defense continues to grow.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Longhorns to watch vs. Mississippi State: Terry, Cooper, Masunas
