The Texas defense allowed the Oklahoma State Cowboys to rack up 530 total yards of offense last Saturday. The number was primarily made up of 400 passing yards from redshirt sophomore quarterback Spencer Sanders, who exploited Texas’ issues in zone coverage on OSU’s first drive with an open-field pass to senior wide receiver Tylan Wallace.

But this stat is not representative of the progress Texas’ defense has made since the start of the season. Texas has been knocked for playing down to its opponents, but Saturday’s performance showed its ability to play with a top-10 opponent. The defense still needs work, but a gritty win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma State showed that if the defense and offense can land on the same page performance-wise, the Longhorns’ Big 12 championship hopes are still alive. 

“If you’re going to win football games, you stop the run, get the ball back and be good on third down, you have a chance to win games,” defensive coordinator Chris Ash said in a Wednesday press conference. “We did that more so (on Saturday) than any other game so far this year.” 

People argued that the Cowboys were overhyped and underperformed, but Sanders, Wallace and redshirt junior running back Chuba Hubbard are a lethal trio destined to make any NFL team happy. Sanders and Wallace both saw season highs Saturday. Sanders threw for 400 passing yards and Wallace snagged 11 receptions for 187 receiving yards. The 530 yards of  total offense is nothing to sneer at.

However, Texas’ defense showed up when it mattered. In the past, the defense has settled in after the first half. On Saturday, it was just getting started. 

Oklahoma State’s third-down efficiency against opponents sat at 44% before Saturday. Against Texas, it was just 25%. Oklahoma State fumbled three times, threw one interception and allowed five sacks. Texas’ defense applied an impressive amount of pressure and capitalized on each situation. The unit was responsible for 20 of Texas’ 41 points. 

The Longhorns also mostly contained Hubbard and held him to a season-low 72 rushing yards. The explosive back, who averages one rushing touchdown per game, couldn’t get through Texas’ trenches for most of the afternoon, consistently running into a wall of defensive lineman eager to tackle him. 

“(Stopping the run) has been a major, major emphasis for us,” Ash said. “We wanted to try to make offenses one-dimensional and stop the run. … Instead of being a third-and-two, third-and-three, third-and-four where those pass rush opportunities aren't there, we’ve created more third-and-long situations because we can stop the run. That’s a testament to the D-line as well.”  

Texas’ improved defensive performance was aided by its strongest defensive weapon, junior jack Joseph Ossai. A career performance that totaled 12 tackles, six tackles for 30 yards lost and three sacks showed what he’s always been — a fast, hard-hitting linebacker who can make an impact anywhere on the field. In overtime, he and junior linebacker DeMarvion Overshown crumpled Sanders in a brutal tackle. 

It is imperative the program maintains this defensive momentum against West Virginia on Saturday. Oklahoma State showed that what fans saw in the Baylor game wasn’t just a glimpse; Texas’ defense has improved under Chris Ash and his new scheme. And if Texas can secure a win against West Virginia, those glimpses will become reality.