Texas wins if…
It can throw the ball. The run game worked for a few games, but opposing teams have caught onto these plays. Against Oklahoma, Texas’ run game destroyed the defense. Against Kansas State, it was still semi-successful. Against Iowa State, it crashed and burned. Texas only had 119 rush yards in the loss to the Cyclones. Texas was shut out 24-0, so clearly the run game was not successful. For the third game in a row, Texas was in double-digit passing yards. Texas threw for only 85 yards against Iowa State. Of 22 pass attempts, only 12 were completed and one interception was thrown. Texas must establish a passing game. This is crucial to compete in the Big 12. Texas has a handful of talented receivers that it never uses. Seniors Marcus Johnson and Daje Johnson have proved they can be successful once they get going. Texas has barely used junior Jacorey Warrick and sophomore Dorian Leonard. Texas also has freshmen DeAndre McNeal and Ryan Newsome that are sparingly used. The talent is there, but it is not utilized. This is the fault of the play calling and the quarterback. Play caller Jay Norvell has been extremely conservative with plays since the Oklahoma game. Teams have caught onto this, and it will no longer work. Norvell has to let redshirt freshman quarterback Jerrod Heard throw the ball for Texas to stand a chance the rest of the season.
Texas loses if…
No changes are made. A shutout loss at Iowa State needs to bring change. Whether this change is in the coaching staff, in the play calling or on the field, it needs to be done. Maybe Norvell needs to lose his play calling duties, or maybe some coaches need to be gone altogether. If Texas neglects to make any changes, then it will continue to lose games. Adjustments need to be made for Texas to salvage its season. Texas should be able to beat Kansas – the Jayhawks are one of the Big 12’s only teams playing worse than the Longhorns. If the Texas team that played in Ames, Iowa, shows up Saturday, Kansas may just get its first win of the season.
