After two weeks of seeing the Texas Longhorns play sloppily but still manage to come out with victories, their match Saturday against Sam Houston State could prove crucial in getting them back on track before starting conference play.
The Bearkats are coming off three straight losses with a combined point differential of -51. While anybody can lose on any given Saturday, Texas’ aims this week need to go further than beating the only Conference USA team without a victory.
Look like the Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns picked up wins against San José State and UTEP, but the performances were far from convincing. Neither the Spartans nor the Miners got particularly close to winning, but the Longhorns failed to dominate the way they were expected to against Group of Five squads.
The offense was inept. Sophomore quarterback Arch Manning looked worse than he did last season, and the staff seems to have struggled to reload a team that lost 12 players to the recent draft. The defense delivered but lacked the chaotic energy it had last year. Losing players like cornerback Jahdae Barron and safety Andrew Mukuba has sapped the Longhorns of the mojo they had last year.
If Texas wants to contend for a national championship, it will need to start by dominating the Bearkats wire-to-wire. The offense needs to string together 10-13 play drives, Manning needs to generate splash plays and the defense needs to be a disruptive force.
If Texas can be all of those things, then it can generate momentum for the start of Southeastern Conference play in two weeks.
Get playmakers involved
Nobody outside of redshirt freshman wide receiver Parker Livingstone has jumped off the page for the Longhorns this season.
Returning receivers junior DeAndre Moore Jr. and sophomore Ryan Wingo have combined for 15 catches and 133 yards. Defensive superstar sophomore Colin Simmons has only logged half of a sack. As for Manning, the less said, the better.
These players are crucial to Texas’ title hopes, and head coach Steve Sarkisian needs to get them rolling before the start of SEC play. To do that, the Longhorns need to funnel the ball to Moore and Wingo, play to Arch’s strengths as a runner and find pressure packages that give Simmons shots at the opposing passer.
Manning, like most signal callers, is the linchpin of Texas’ season. Sarkisian needs to ensure that he is comfortable in rhythm and avoiding turnovers on Saturday.
Focus on the task at hand
With all that being said about the future of Texas’ season, there is still a game to be played on Saturday.
The Bearkats have a few wildcards that the Longhorns will need to be aware of. Three of their quarterbacks have thrown at least 10 passes this year, so defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski will need to have at least a semblance of a game plan for all three.
Sam Houston State also rosters two running backs, redshirt sophomore Landan Brown and redshirt senior Alton McCaskill, who have only taken a combined 24 carries this season but have already accrued 166 yards. Bearkat running back redshirt senior Elijah Green leads the team in receptions and averages 11.3 yards per catch.
Redshirt senior defensive back Emon Allen has two interceptions, including a 66-yard pick-six. His backfield mate, graduate Alonzo Edwards Jr., has a sack and a forced fumble on the year.
Texas has the resources to handle all of these players, but any time a team rolls in with a funky backfield, defensive playmakers and nothing to lose, the Longhorns need to remain vigilant.
