The defending Big 12 conference champions head to Austin on Saturday after initially falling off the radar, with losses to Missouri and Oklahoma State putting Kansas State at No. 23 in the polls. Despite these early season losses, head coach Chris Klieman has found the right pace for his team and could cause some trouble for the Longhorns.
Here is what Texas should focus on ahead of the weekend’s game.
Take care of the red zone
No. 7 Texas might have had an easy time beating unranked BYU 35-6, but the team ranks 120th in the country in red zone efficiency, compared to Kansas State’s top three position.
While Texas’ defense has been solid and game-winning, the team can’t keep relying on them to pick up the pieces of a scrappy offense. Quinn Ewers’ injury at Houston resulted in second string quarterback Maalik Murphy taking the main role, and though it was his debut start, Murphy was sacked and fumbled the ball to miss an important opportunity. The Longhorns need to work on avoiding turnovers and fumbles. Kansas State has been a strong finisher, and if Texas can’t fight back in the second half, it might be in trouble.
Invest in Michael Taaffe and walk-ons
One of the big names coming out of the last games, sophomore defensive back Michael Taaffe’s talent needs to be explored. At Houston, Taaffe led the team with eight tackles, five being solo tackles, along with getting his first career interception, which prevented the Cougars from scoring a touchdown and grabbing the lead. Taaffe has been a key player on the team whose best game will be needed on Saturday, and his story can serve as motivation for other walk-ons to shine in the Texas team.
Focus on the players on the field, not the bench
Texas will head into this game with three key injuries: edge Ethan Burke, defensive back Jalen Catalon and quarterback Quinn Ewers. Though the loss of these names can impact the team dynamic, there is still plenty of talent found in the roster, and Sarkisian must focus on who he has available. True freshman linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and senior linebacker Jett Bush have been strong in hybrid edge rusher snaps, succeeding in the position originally meant for Burke. Quarterback Maalik Murphy stood up for Ewers in his first ever career start against BYU and will start once more on Saturday. To solve the safety depth issue with the loss of Catalon, the Longhorns have turned to true freshman safety Derek Williams Jr., who took the most defensive snaps of any Texas safety in each of the last couple of games. Big names might be missing, but this might be an opportunity for Sarkisian to create new greats and establish a greater depth in the team.
