Texas will take on the UTSA Saturday night at home, fresh off a decisive win against Michigan. The Longhorns’ takedown of both Colorado State and Michigan foreshadow a promising season, with AP ranking them at No. 2.
UTSA is 1–1 currently, after it defeated Kennesaw State 28-16 in its season opener but fell 49-10 to Texas State last Saturday. But there’s danger in assuming Texas will win without facing any pressure.
In a press conference on Monday, head coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged Texas will take on a hungry team that will want to redeem itself after a crushing loss.
“We’re capable of anything. We’ve got a really good team, but we’re entitled to nothing,” Sarkisian said. “And we’re gonna earn everything we get, and we’re gonna have to earn the victory here Saturday night.”
Here are three things the Longhorns need to do to take down the Roadrunners and stay undefeated.
Shut down the passing game
In the past two games, the Roadrunners relied heavily on their passing game to move them down the field. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Owen McCown logged 340 passing yards against Kennesaw State and 105 against Texas State. Redshirt junior quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger threw for 147 yards against Texas State.
It’s unclear who will start on Saturday, but the Roadrunners utilized over ten receivers in both games combined. Sophomore wide receiver Devin McCuin and senior wide receiver Willie McCoy topped the stat sheet with two touchdowns against Kennesaw State and one against Texas State, respectively.
The Texas secondary will need to stay sharp to ensure UTSA does not put these wide receivers to work. Junior defensive end Jaylon Guilbeau contributed to Texas’ strong defensive performance against Michigan, as well as junior edge Trey Moore. Moore, who transferred from UTSA, will be facing a familiar opponent and logged three tackles against the Michigan offense, making Moore a key part of shutting down the Roadrunner’s passes.
Play four full quarters
With just under two minutes remaining in the game, Michigan sophomore wide receiver Semaj Morgan scored a touchdown. While it didn’t put the Wolverines in the position to make a comeback, it showed that Texas let off the gas towards the end of the game.
In a media availability on Monday, Sarkisian mentioned his dissatisfaction with Michigan scoring in the last few minutes of the fourth quarter. He wants his team to apply pressure to their opponents for the entire 60 minutes of the game, even if the Longhorns take a comfortable lead.
“We have a roster that can do that, but that’s also a mentality that we’re striving for, that we’re working towards,” Sarkisian said. “I think we can get better at (playing the full 60 minutes). That’s definitely a point of emphasis of ours as well.”
If Texas stays consistent with how it’s been playing this season, it is fully capable of putting up more points than UTSA. But to become unstoppable, the Longhorns must be relentless for the entire game.
Be physical
A full 60 minutes of good football goes hand in hand with another quality Sarkisian emphasized Monday: physical football.
“We believe in an attacking style of football. Whether it’s offensive play calling, defensive play calling or special teams,” Sarkisian said. “We like to go after people.”
Texas should aim to force turnovers, disrupt the rush and push through the UTSA defense to break down the Roadrunners’ plays and confidence. Each play brings an opportunity to display Texas’ power that has carried it through its first two games.
