Texas will travel to Starkville, Mississippi, on Saturday to face Mississippi State in the final game of its grueling October road stretch.
The Longhorns are coming off an ugly win over Kentucky and enter the weekend in survival mode. With a tough conference slate ahead, Texas needs to find improvement, and fast, to keep its season on track.
Clean up penalties
Texas remains one of the most penalized teams in the Southeastern Conference, and it’s costing the team an average of 66 yards per game. Through seven games, the Longhorns have committed 55 penalties for 464 yards.
The numbers have improved as the season has gone on. Texas committed just five offensive penalties against Kentucky, a step forward from the eight for 50 yards in its loss to Florida. But timing matters as much as quantity.
On the first play of overtime against Kentucky, a holding penalty on first down briefly pushed Texas out of field-goal range. In a hostile road environment like Starkville, these errors can quickly snowball, turning potential touchdown drives into punts.
“We’ve got to quit the self-inflicted wounds,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Granted, we do some things that are obviously very frustrating … that’s what we need to do offensively, is we’ve got to minimize the self-inflicted wounds and become more efficient.”
Win in the trenches
Texas has often lost the line of scrimmage, with rush attempts stuffed and pockets collapsing. The mostly inexperienced offensive front has yet to establish the physical presence needed to sustain drives or impose its will.
The young offensive line, already missing injured senior center Cole Hutson, struggled to protect sophomore quarterback Arch Manning against Kentucky.
Manning was sacked three times and pressured on the majority of dropbacks. That lack of protection also stalled the run game. Junior running back Quintrevion Wisner led Texas with just 37 yards on 12 carries, while the team totaled only 47 rushing yards.
Mississippi State’s defensive line does not stunt much and has struggled to generate pressure, recording only 10 sacks this season. If Texas’ offensive line can keep the pocket clean, the unit will be a good match against a defense that does not blitz heavily or disguise pressure well.
Establish an offensive rhythm
The Longhorns’ offense has been inconsistent all season, but the performance against Kentucky was one of their worst in recent years.
Texas managed only one touchdown drive for five yards, was outgained by 216 yards and converted just eight first downs. Manning completed 12 of 27 passes for 132 yards.
Long-developing dropbacks and deep play-action calls have left Manning holding the ball too long, a recipe for disaster behind a struggling offensive line.
Texas needs to simplify. Short, quick passes can help Manning find rhythm and neutralize pressure. Sustaining drives through efficient execution while establishing the run will keep the offense on the field.
Mississippi State’s defense doesn’t generate much pressure, which means Texas does not need trick plays or forced deep shots. Smart, physical football — not flashy — is the key to finding consistency. Manning also needs to clean up the misreads and missed throws that have killed momentum.
At the end of the day, play-calling only goes so far when protection breaks down. A struggling offensive line limits everything. But Sarkisian has shown, particularly against Oklahoma, that he can scheme around those deficiencies, and he will need to again on Saturday in Starkville.
