As Texas approaches its final out-of-conference game, there are a few boxes left to check. The Longhorns go on the road to Knoxville, Tennessee next week and it’s important to build confidence before the first road trip. The Roadrunners should be a rather comfortable win for the Longhorns, so what are the things Texas can do beyond the scoreboard to inspire(even more) confidence?
Here are the four things I have circled:
Letting the Run Game Lead
Through two games, the Roadrunners have really struggled to stop the run. They’ve given up 233 rushing yards/game, including giving up 289 to Texas State last week. Against Ohio State, the run game was the biggest positive offensively. Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown should lead the way in this game. On top of that, star freshman
Derrek Cooper is set to return this weekend as well. Simply put, there’s no reason to not lean into the run game on Saturday and continue building the OL and RB’s confidence heading into SEC play.
Clean Football
One of the biggest positives through two games has been Texas’ ability to avoid penalties. They’ve racked up just 6 penalties for 47 yards, including just 12 penalty yards against Ohio State. However, the Longhorns still lead the SEC in drops, with 8. They also have three turnovers on the season, including at least one in each game. Getting a no drop, no turnover performance before SEC play begins, especially on the road, is very important for the Longhorns confidence.
Get Key Freshmen Reps
Depth is still an unanswered concern for Texas. With Derrek Cooper out, Jermaine Bishop Jr. and Richard Wesley were the only freshmen to get non-special teams snaps against Ohio State. This is the final chance before SEC play to get a number of younger players quality snaps. Bishop Jr., Cooper and Wesley will obviously see the field, but Tyler Atkinson, Kosi Okpala, Rocky Cummings and Samari Matthews have to get on the field this weekend. They will be called on throughout the SEC slate and this weekend is the best chance to let them loose before high-pressure snaps.
Manning Playing On Time
Arch Manning was remarkable on the final three drives against Ohio State. Early on, drops kept him from a much stronger stat line. Despite that, there were multiple moments where Manning’s indecision got him into trouble. There were a number of open receivers that Manning either didn’t see or hesitated to throw to, leaving yards on the field. He needs to play on-time and not hesitate when he sees an opening. It could be the circumstances of the game that caused the indecision but a road environment will present similar challenges. He needs to a clean, efficient, on-time performance before heading into Neyland Stadium next weekend.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Keys to the Game: Longhorns should lean on run, play clean vs. UTSA
