STILLWATER DOLDRUMS After a fast start Texas once again struggled in the second half, surrendering a double-digit lead in losing to Oklahoma State.
THIS WEEK: Second Half Doldrums |
by Joe
Cook Quinn Ewers struggled and Texas gave up another second-half lead in Stillwater.
Five Quick Thoughts | by Ian Boyd
4
8
Inconsistent on offense both passing and running bring down Texas.
Post Mortem | by Paul Wadlington
12
Quinn Ewers and the offense could not get out of their own way in the second half.
Recruiting News |
by
Gerry Hamilton and Justin Wells
20
An update on 2023 commit Tre Wisner and some hoops recruiting news.
Kansas State Preview |
by
Paul Wadlington
22
Texas travels to Manhattan to take on the 13th ranked Wildcats.
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Texas vs Oklahoma State | October 31, 2022
October 31, 2022
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STALLED OUT I
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Jordan Whittington
IN STILLWATER BY JOE COOK
STILLWATER, Okla. — The No. 20 Texas Longhorns entered halftime with a 31-24 lead over the No. 11 Oklahoma State Cowboys in spite of uneven performances from the offense and defense. Texas accumulated near double-digit penalties while OSU was not flagged once. Texas struggled to sustain drives while the Cowboys made things happen to stay on the field.
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- TEXAS | OKLAHOMA STATE -
T
exas entered halftime with a
his third pick of the day, squashed the
tions for 78 yards and the early first-
seven-point advantage thanks to
Longhorns’ hopes and solidified the
quarter score.
two scores from Bijan Robinson, one
final 41-34 tally.
from Xavier Worthy, one from Roschon Johnson, and a Bert Auburn field goal.
Robinson tallied 140 yards on the Ewers struggled from the opening kick
ground and added a 42-yard touch-
to the final whistle. He was 19-for-49
down, while Johnson had five rushes
But those aforementioned trends in
for 319 yards and two first-half touch-
for 73 yards including a 52-yard score.
OSU’s favor? They continued through-
downs, and threw three backbreaking
But as the second half carried on, the
out the second half. To no surprise,
interceptions. Two of them came on
Cowboy defense zeroed in on the run
that helped Oklahoma State put 17
the Longhorns’ final two possessions.
game and forced Ewers to be the one
on the scoreboard to Texas’ paltry
After the game, Texas head coach
to beat them.
three. Once OSU took a 41-34 lead
Steve Sarkisian said he never consid-
late, Texas looked to Quinn Ewers to
ered pulling Ewers from the game in
Whatever the specifics of the plan was
overcome his poor outing and stage a
favor of Hudson Card.
it worked. Texas mustered 2.9 yards per carry on 15 second-half attempts.
comeback. The problems on offense went deeper
Texas had only 110 yards on 30 at-
Ewers couldn’t rise to the occasion in
than just the quarterback position.
tempts that didn’t result in a touchdown
his first road start. A interception off
Ewers targeted Worthy a whopping 16
across all 60 minutes..
a deflection during Texas’ final drive,
times. They only made four connecLackluster play from the quarterback position was paired with problems familiar and unfamiliar to the Longhorn defense. Pete Kwiatkowski’s side of the ball struggled to squash third-down opportunities (OSU was 8-of-19) and cover the middle of the field, neither of those being new developments. What was out of the norm was the volume of missed tackles. Those missed tackles helped spring Bryson Green free late in the fourth quarter for the winning score. For the second week in a row, there were injuries suffered in the defensive secondary. Anthony Cook left the game with what Sarkisian described as a broken arm. But that absence wasn’t the reason for so many mishaps in the back end. No matter who lined up in the deep
Quinn Ewers
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secondary, whether Jerrin Thompson,
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- TEXAS | OKLAHOMA STATE -
T’Vondre Sweat
Michael Taaffe, or Kitan Crawford, they
Texas gained 523 yards with 319
up penalties. It wasn’t just one side
all struggled to complete the play.
through the air and 204 on the ground.
responsible for all of them. Texas had
But when operating behind the chains
offsides penalties, holding penalties,
When such a small discrepancy exists
so often, the 14 penalties explain
false starts, and even a roughing the
on the scoreboard, finding the wide
Texas going 3-for-19 on money downs
passer.
statistical gulfs often point to the true
despite those gaudy offensive stats. Addressing those issues will be part of
difference in the game. All those numbers in concert? They
the process in solving the problem that
Ewers’ struggles compared to Spencer
create a difficult situation for Texas to
has plagued Sarkisian most not just
Sanders’ steady performance in spite
overcome on the road against a top 15
during his time in Austin, but as a head
of injury (34-for-57, 391 yards with 2
team.
coach in general: winning on the road.
constantly found Green to the tune
And for the sixth time in seven games
The next chance comes in Manhattan,
of five catches for 133 yards and his
under Sarkisian, Texas heads back to
Kan. in two weeks against Kansas
score. Texas didn’t have a receiver like
Austin in defeat following a true road
State. If the Longhorns can win a third-
that even with so many attempts.
game. The only win? Last year at TCU.
straight game in Bill Snyder Family
TDs and 1 INT) was one. Sanders also
Stadium, it’ll serve as their first road But the most glaring disparity? Penal-
Texas enters the bye week at 5-3 and
win of the 2022 season and an impor-
ties. Texas committed 14 penalties,
3-2 in the Big 12. One of the main
tant feather in the team’s cap.
mostly deserved, for 119 yards.
tasks in the bye will be for the team to lick its wounds and get healthy,
But until then, they’ll have to reflect on
especially in the defensive second-
heading back to Austin without a win
ary. Cook, Ryan Watts, and Jaylon
thanks to many familiar and unfamiliar
That free yardage helped the Cow-
Guilbeau all left at assorted times in
failings in Stillwater.
boy offense stay on the field at some
Stillwater.
Oklahoma State was not flagged once.
junctures and assisted the Cowboy defense off the field at others.
Another main task will be to clean Jean Delance
October 31, 2022
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QUICK
vs
thoughts By Ian Boyd
Texas and Oklahoma State fought a war of attrition in Stillwater. Both
but it didn’t matter today.
teams had players beat up before the game or dropping during it and back-ups were flowing in from both benches.
Quinn Ewers looked uncomfortable for the vast majority of the game, opening with an interception and finishing 19-49 for 319 yards at 6.5
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ypa with two touchdowns to three interceptions. Texas couldn’t overcome that disparity (particularly when combined with other factors)
Ultimately, Oklahoma State had a 4th year starter at quarterback and
and ultimately were beaten down over the course of this game.
Texas had a redshirt freshman and each played like it. The bye week comes at a great time for Texas to heal up and prepare Spencer Sanders zeroed in on Texas’ defenses, repeatedly beating
for a back half of the season where the win to secure bowl eligibility is
the blitz and helping OSU convert four of five red zone trips with three
still uncollected and a single loss probably knocks them out of the Big
touchdowns. On the day Sanders went 34-57 passing for 391 yards
12 Championship hunt.
at 6.9 ypa with two touchdowns and one interception. He also added
Here are the standout themes from Texas’ narrow win at home.
11 carries for 43 yards, including some big scrambles which enabled scoring drives. Will he stay healthy carrying such a heavy load? No,
#1: 16 TARGETS FOR XAVIER WORTHY, FOUR CATCHES One of Ewers’ big issues in this game
to one side of the field all facing man
was his reliance on Xavier Worthy, which
coverage with no deep safety and Ewers
Oklahoma State (naturally) figured out
made a sort of token look their way before
with time.
turning to try and fire in a dig at the sticks to Worthy which was bracketed by senior
On multiple snaps it seemed Ewers only
safety Jason Taylor.
had eyes for his star receiver, yet they could not connect due to miscommuni-
Worthy didn’t even extend for it and it’s
cations, errant tosses, and some heavy
hard to blame him, the ball sailed high
coverage shaded his way. With 16 targets
over his head and a huge hit would have
Worthy’s way and only four catches for 78
been coming had he a realistic shot. In a
yards and a score, the efficiency of Texas’
related story, Texas was 3-17 on 3rd down
passing game was nearly crippled.
for the day.
That’s 4.9 yards per target when throwing
This connection is one Texas has failed to
to Worthy, much worse than Texas’ num-
effectively establish this season and will
bers when involving the other receivers.
likely be a big point of emphasis in the bye
One of the worst moments came on a 3rd
week.
down where Texas had three receivers
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Xavier Worthy
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#2: TEXAS’ SECONDARY LOST THE WAR OF ATTRITION Texas has some depth issues in the secondary, obviously.
playing through some issues from the Iowa State game and Texas was running out of answers on the back end as the game
They lost Ryan Watts again, who’s impact was apparent in mo-
progressed.
ments such as his red zone interception when Oklahoma State tried to work the ball to Bryson Green.
Lack of assignment soundness from Crawford is an obvious issue for this team. He’s the most athletic safety on the team but if they
Once Watts was out, Texas really struggled with the physicality of
can’t count on him to be in the right spots it doesn’t help them.
Green, who’s shockingly listed at only 6-foot-1, 205 pounds. He
The depth chart gets thin behind him at safety and Taaffe has to
plays a lot bigger, like many Cowboy receivers before him. Green
run around to plug holes with what’s probably 4.8 speed at best.
would eventually run through the Texas secondary for the winning
He did a solid job but there are some obvious deficiencies when
touchdown and finished with five catches for 133 yards and the
he has to cover a lot of space as a nickel or field safety, he’s at his
aforementioned score.
best working in the boundary helping to direct traffic and delivering some big shots.
Losing Watts hurt but at least they had some solutions worked out for this eventuality. They played freshman Jaylon Guilbeau at
Texas had a great start to this game on 3rd down, mostly by
nickel and moved Jahdae Barron back to cornerback, as they’d
playing some base quarters coverages. As the game wore on and
settled on against Iowa State. However they also lost Anthony
Sanders lost a little something they mixed in more man coverage
Cook early in the game and eventually Guilbeau went down as
and shut the Pokes down in the 3rd quarter. Then the injuries piled
well. Kitan Crawford had some bad coverage busts playing for
up and eventually they were just hanging on for dear life, a good
Cook and eventually was pulled for Michael Taaffe, who played
initial gameplan forgotten as they scrambled to patch holes.
three different positions in this game. Jerrin Thompson was clearly
Jahdae Barron
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- 5 Q uick T houghts | O klahoma S tate -
#3: JEFF BANKS NEARLY DELIVERED A WIN FOR TEXAS At various points in this game Texas had an awful lot go right on
Texas was called for 14 penalties for 119 yards, many of them pretty
special teams. They blocked a punt, they recovered a muffed punt,
harshly called on defensive pass interference or offensive holding.
they avoided Oklahoma State pinning them on a few while they successfully pinned OSU.
Oklahoma State was called for zero penalties, a truly miraculous event the announcers hardly knew how to discuss.
Texas returned punts for 52 yards, including a Worthy return which set up a very short field (and a field goal). OSU had zero punt return yardage. Texas returned kicks for 109 yards, OSU had 61, and at various points Texas beat the touchback with long returns near midfield. In the field goal game, Bert Auburn hit a pair of kicks and missed from 46 yards when they had a chance to take a late lead. OSU was also 2-for-3 in their own attempts. There was a lot to suggest a major disparity in this game which should have taken its toll, but it did not. Texas’ struggles at quarterback and in the red zone (3-for-3 but with two field goals) were major factors. Another was penalties.
Morice Blackwell (37) and Kitan Crawford (21)
#5 GROWING PAINS… Quinn Ewers’ amazing arrival on the scene in college football was
any previous point in the game and zipped in some throws that
obscured early on by a few key factors.
almost made it interesting. The idea of using that concept to find Ja’Tavion Sanders up the seam is one they should explore more
His opener against ULM was solid but flawed, much like you’d ex-
this season. I heard from someone who attended the game live
pect from a first-year signal-caller. Then he had a fantastic open-
who was ultimately impressed by Ewers’ ability to keep coming
ing against Alabama, executing a script they’d probably practiced
after them and making several throws into whipping winds late.
all offseason, before leaving with injury. Ewers then had several weeks to practice before taking the field against Oklahoma with
Ultimately this will go down as a painful lesson for Ewers in what
another well prepared gameplan against a team lacking a quarter-
it’s like to face a smart opposing team on the road in a very hostile
back to oppose him. He was good, not necessarily dominating but
atmosphere where it seems the fans, officials, and even the wind
certainly making several eye-popping throws.
are against you.
Since then, Ewers has come back down to earth. This was his
You have to grit these games out with high-IQ play and physical
first road game in the Big 12 and the pressure of the moment was
toughness. It’s a lesson quarterbacks generally learn with experi-
clearly getting to him. He struggled to step up in the pocket, get
ence, experience Ewers still lacks.
through progressions, or even deliver accurate balls in rhythm. Texas has a bye week to try and get him more comfortable again, When executing more Southlake Carroll-esque 4-verticals
figure out the Worthy connection, and rebuild the secondary
concepts down the stretch he looked more comfortable than
before a big final stretch.
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- 5 Q uick T houghts | O klahoma S tate -
#4: RUN GAME DISPARITY We knew Texas had advantages in the trenches in this game, it
Roschon Johnson added five carries for 73 yards and a touch-
was really simply a matter of maximizing them and not allowing
down. Texas just couldn’t get into the run game playbook often
Sanders to outweigh them with his scrambling and throws into
enough due to the disastrous nature of the passing game which
space.
routinely put them behind the chains.
Texas held the Cowboys to 142 rushing yards on 40 carries for an
Early on they were also crushing Oklahoma State with counter
average of 3.6 ypc.
runs from 12 personnel, run to the weak side of the formation. Eventually the Cowboys started spilling the pulling blocker better
They had issues with the split zone and accompanying arc-read
and Texas’ tight ends struggled to lead around the edge, leading
runs OSU loves on the goal line, which lead to Dominic Richardson
to some stuffed runs. They also loaded the box more and more
managing a line of 13 carries for 24 yards at 1.8 ypc and three
aggressively as the game wore on, like Texas was facing back in
touchdowns. Split zone beat them badly on a 51-yard run by Jaden
2021.
Nixon as well. Beyond that and a scramble or two from Sanders, Texas defended the run very well once again.
Late in the game Texas almost imposed their will by forcing some runs only for a few incompletions to Worthy to derail another drive
Meanwhile the Longhorns ran the ball 32 times for 204 yards at
and lead to the missed field goal.
6.4 ypc and two touchdowns. Bijan Robinson looked like he was going to put up a Heisman game early on and still finished with 24 carries for 140 yards at 5.8 ypc and a score while also catching one ball for 41 yards and another score.
Bijan Robinson
October 31, 2022
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POST-MORTEM |
O F F E N S E
by Paul Wadlington A schizophrenic performance by the Longhorn offense saw first
the entire Iowa State game. Half of their 10 first half posses-
half success and second half frustration, highlighted by 31 first
sions yielded scores (four touchdowns, a field goal) while nine
half points and a solitary field goal after intermission.
possessions in the second half yielded 3 points. That field goal occurred on a 5 yard drive where Texas started with the ball on
As in Lubbock, Texas managed to snatch road defeat from the
the Oklahoma State 20 yard line.
jaws of victory. Right now, Texas fans are hoping that the second half turns that characterize Longhorn losses don’t charac-
In fact, the first six Longhorn possessions of the second half
terize a broader second half turn of the Longhorn season.
totaled 21 plays for 49 yards. It was during this stretch that Oklahoma State erased the Longhorn lead and the Texas offense
A few key offensive numbers defined the game:.
frittered away the only quarter where the Longhorn defense was effective. During those six possessions, Quinn Ewers was 2 of
19
10 for 27 yards, had a mishandled snap for -7 yards, and a self-
Texas had a season high 19 offensive possessions. That’s a
sack. That’s objectively bad, but subjectively it looked worse.
lot. Consider that they had only 9 meaningful possessions in
.
XAVIER WORTHY
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14-0
Texas had 14 penalties. The Cowboys had 0. I can’t offer much commentary on the pristine Cowboy performance, but the home cooking was likely hearty. As for Texas, most of their penalties were well-earned. Though some Longhorn penalties were questionable, many were clear errors that put the Longhorns behind the chains or cost Texas on a critical down. Interestingly, 31 points and 351 yards of offense came in the half where Texas totaled 10 penalties for 85 yards and they still left meat on the bone. The Longhorn offense failed to convert a 4th and 3 on the Oklahoma State 28 yard line by lining up in an illegal formation. Later, the Horns had a 2nd quarter drive that got to the OSU 12 yard line, but
BIJAN ROBINSON
false starts on Karic and Sanders helped to create 3rd and 22 and an eventual Auburn field goal. In the second half, Texas was largely clean on offense (while failing) but as the score tightened, Christian Jones was called for a pretty tough holding penalty that negated a long Ewers run. A couple of plays later, JT Sanders went offsides and on the next play the ball bounced a ball off of his hands for an interception that sealed the game. Hayden Conner added another
work anywhere outside of the service academies and that’s because the Army QB went 1 for 3, not 8 of 25. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to sit Ewers is a philosophical one and there are valid points to be made on both sides. At least as it relates to player development. Whether Ewers had the yips or had a physical issue becomes increasingly irrelevant as the 3 and outs mount and the Cowboys narrow the
motion penalty later.
score.
The Texas offense had 5 different penalties for procedure or
The goal is to win the game. Fear of a QB controversy should
lining up incorrectly. Pure mental errors than can’t be pinned on the zebras. The Texas offense left points on the field due to penalties, but they were thwarted more by awful execution and
not enter into it. Any coach or fan more scared of media narrative and second guessing than trying to win has completely lost the plot. There are legitimate long term reasons to keep Quinn
their second half stubbornness..
in the game and make him battle through adversity, but under-
11/24 + 8/25 = 19/49
tant, particularly when you have a viable 2nd option available
Question: How does a QB go 19 of 49 in modern football
standing where you are in the program build is far more imporand it’s clear that the Cowboy defense is beatable. You must try
against a defense that surrendered 523 yards?
to win the game. That’s ultimately the difference between a head
Answer: Because the head coach didn’t stop him at 13 of 34.
sion and a coordinator who can’t see the big picture in-game.
Quinn Ewers was a shaky 11 of 24 at halftime with an opening
30-212-2
drive interception, but he totaled 190 yards passing largely on yards after the catch. In the second half, he went 8 of 25 for 129 yards and never completed consecutive passes. He opened the first six drives of the second half completing 2 of 10. A 32% completion percentage on total second half attempts doesn’t
coach who takes the heat (or praise) for a key personnel deci.
30 carries for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns is the combined stat line for Longhorn runners on Saturday. Texas runners averaged over 7 yards per carry, yet Texas found themselves throwing over 63% of the time with a freshman QB who was having a moment for four quarters. The simple argument is that Texas
October 31, 2022
13
action to the tight end, the running game would have flourished, wore down the Cowboys, and ultimately won the game.
3/19
In my preview, I articulated that the only real collective strength of the Cowboy defense was 3rd down defense. That certainly bore out. Texas is more capable than going 3 of 19 on money downs for a 15.7% conversion rate and probably more capable than going 1 of 10 in the second half. It’s notable that the Horns managed to score 31 points while going 2 of 9 on 3rd down in the 1st half, but that’s attributable to multiple big plays. When the big plays dried up, it was incumbent on Texas
ROSCHON JOHNSON
should have run the ball 50 times, but running efficiency is relevant as two Texas runs totaling 94 yards and 2 touchdowns were offset by 28 other runs for 118 yards. That 4.2 yard per carry clip outside of Bijan and Roschon’s touchdown runs isn’t bad at all, but there are a few considerations here: First, Texas primarily made its hay on the inside counter wrinkle, pulling the backside guard and bringing the tight end across to kick out. Great game plan installation to counter Oklahoma State’s run blitzing linebackers. That run was really good for Texas, but OSU did make some adjustments. Unfortunately, the good ideas ran out and Texas couldn’t execute a second layer to this staple to target OSU’s adjustments either in the running or the passing game. Second, the Longhorn QB threatening Stillwater bird life prevented the easy drive-extending passes needed to keep stubborn with the running game. It’s one thing to argue for running the damn ball, but when they load the box or it’s 3rd and 5 because Runs #1 and #2 didn’t move the sticks, you still have to find a new set of downs. Much of that is on the QB failing to execute throughout the 3rd quarter, but it’s ultimately on Sark for not making a personnel switch or having a foolproof short passing game counter to Cowboy adjustments. Texas could have run the ball more by having a counter to the inside counter or by passing more effectively on shorter gimme throws. If Texas had been able to keep drives extended in the second half with short to intermediate balls in the wide receiver screen game, to running backs, to jet sweepers, or via play
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to concern itself more with chain moving and making some scheme or personnel adjustments than trying to hit Xavier Worthy in double coverage downfield. If Texas even performs at the season average of other Cowboy opponents on 3rd down, the Horns are probably celebrating a win. I’m not going to break down the positions. There’s not much point. A passable Longhorn passing game would have meant 45+ points on the board, ultimately more Texas runs, and fewer possessions for Oklahoma State to rally. The cause of second half inefficiency was the nexus between head coach, quarterback and perhaps the Longhorn receivers. The offensive line, if imperfect, absolutely played well enough to win, including stretches where they featured three true freshman. While Xavier Worthy’s lack of connection to Ewers throughout the game bordered on the surreal, it’s clear that the Texas signal caller and his receivers were not on the same page for most of the contest. I don’t know where the lion’s share of fault rests, but Ewers’ inability to get past his first read and a defective internal clock ignored open secondary pass catchers on multiple downs. Ultimately, when the offense you want to run isn’t working because the QB isn’t making the throws available, you can either hope it turns, pare down the offense considerably, or you can make a change. Sark bet it would turn and it didn’t.
insidetexas.com
POST-MORTEM |
D E F E N S E
OVIE OGHOUFO (18) AND DEMARVION OVERSHOWN (0)
It started off encouragingly enough for the Longhorn defense in
points. The bright spot in that sequential pummeling was a Ryan
their first action after a sudden change Quinn Ewers interception
Watts interception in the end zone, where #6 demonstrated
deep in Longhorn territory yielded the Cowboys only a field goal.
nearly flawless press coverage while also keeping his eyes on the QB and destroying any attempt at route. Sanders threw it on
Unfortunately, that early standard did not hold. Texas played
timing and wasn’t pleased with the result.
poor to passable defense against the Oklahoma State Cowboys for most of the game. The worst demonstrated by an end of
The Cowboys had 318 yards of offense and 24 points at half,
the first half sequence in which Oklahoma State put together
largely on the strength of seeking out D’shawn Jamison in cov-
consecutive drives of 75, 63, 85 and 54 yards that resulted in 17
erage (he was burned on a 3rd and 9 for 39, drew two PIs, his
October 31, 2022
15
poor tackling directly contributed to two Cowboy touchdowns,
synced up to a Texas offense that had regressed into the fetal
early on and finally the game clinching 41 yard score), exploiting
position.
Longhorn penalties (and a weird phantom call on Jahdae Barron), the use of hard counts to draw easy first downs and tempo
If Texas had any offense during that time period, Cowboy of-
to confuse Longhorn defenders in the back 7.
fensive adjustments would have been pushed into the late 4th quarter with the game already out of hand. Uncomplementary
OSU started the game down three offensive starters. Addition-
football.
ally, I pointed out in the preview that Oklahoma State was playing with a compromised offensive line. The failure of the Texas
OSU eventually made their offensive adjustments to the
defense to capitalize on this was notable. When there are weak
Longhorn looks and personnel losses, despite the absence of 2
players on the field up front, the failure to attack those bodies
starting receivers, a weak OL, an injured starting running back
with a team strength is a little puzzling.
and an entire receiving corps comprised of sophomores and freshmen.
After limping into the locker room at halftime, the Texas defense came out with four consecutive series of outstanding defense,
Texas had key personnel losses but there were two unhealthy
holding the Cowboys to four consecutive punts and only 38
teams on the field forced to play some marginal starters and
yards of offense on 15 plays. The Horns switched to a lot of
youngsters. One of them made the critical adjustments to win, with a senior QB likely the decisive difference. The Cowboys scored 17 points on their next four possessions starting in the late 3rd quarter and their last two meaningless possessions of the game were effectively clock running punt opportunities. The Texas defensive staff was holding it together with chicken wire and duct game by game’s end as
RYAN WATTS
Longhorn injuries and exhaustion mounted.
single high safety looks (perhaps more from injury necessity
Further, a high possession game at tempo is going to yield
than inspiration) and brought an extra man off of the edge in the
points, but there are still too many critical errors by deployment
form of a safety, linebacker or corner about 80% of the time.
and personnel in critical moments.
The extra man didn’t do much, but it did create some penetrat-
On review, I identified a dozen or so that stuck out. I’ll share a
ing 1 on 1 matchups inside on a bad Cowboy OL and it forced
couple:
the OSU receivers to make quicker decisions. Unfortunately, the rock-ribbed effort that comprised most of the 3rd quarter was
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The first was a 3rd and 9 in Longhorn territory with Texas up
insidetexas.com
7 points in the 4th quarter. This is the definition of a critical down. Get your best personnel on the field. The Cowboys have
Gundy noted the defensive deployment and personnel on that
a screen call on but it turns into a Sanders scramble for the
run and immediately used tempo and ran the same concept.
first down and an eventual OSU score. Texas used a 3 man rush, with second level defenders being Diamante TuckerDorsey and Oghoufo. An offset Oghoufo is apparently assigned as the spy. Texas had him deployed a dozen times like this throughout the game and it’s bad football. They are down a man in coverage and he is not a lateral mover or open field tackler in any alignment. MORO OJOMO
The issue was further compounded by the fact that Vernon Broughton, lined up inside the offensive tackle, mysteriously worked outside from an inside
With OSU so close to scoring Texas should have replaced Rich-
alignment, removing himself from play relevance and eliminating
ardson with Collins or Ojomo and Broughton should have been
the idea of bouncing Sanders out to Oghoufo’s abandoned “spy-
replaced by Murphy or Coburn.
ing alignment.” The combination created a natural opening that Sanders exploited for a first down. It was a bad defensive call,
That can’t happen in goal line defense. Texas handed the Cow-
badly staffed, poorly executed. The trifecta.
boys a touchdown in the part of the field where the Longhorns should actually have had significant advantages by both person-
A second example was goal line sequence for the first OSU TD
nel and available space. Situational football matters. Oklahoma
run where the Cowboys score by exploiting personnel and a bad
State couldn’t run the ball honestly in the red zone if Texas was
red zone approach.
in the proper defense.
Oklahoma State was inside the 10 yard line and Texas used
Beyond the moments where I thought PK’s personnel and call
a 230 pound former 3rd string off-ball linebacker in Devin
didn’t match the game situation, there was plenty that went
Richardson to play edge (he’s been practicing there for a couple
wrong that can be put on the players. Kitan Crawford struggled
of weeks) and their least effective run defending DL in Vernon
to process things properly when Anthony Cook left the game
Broughton.
with a broken arm.
OSU scored in two plays -- on the first the OSU running back
On review, Texas had more hard hits on Spencer Sanders than
missed the assigned hole but still ran for positive yardage
I originally thought. Keondre Coburn, Moro Ojomo and Alfred
because Texas was ttotally outmatched.
Collins also played notably strong games.
October 31, 2022
17
XAVIER WORTHY
Devin Richardson actually exhibited more pure pass rushing tal-
in Cowboy territory and out gained the opponent by 100 yards
ent than Oghoufo playing on the edge. Take that as you will. At
in returns, a loss would have not been in my predictive index.
this stage, it’s odd to watch PK try to sort through edge options
Losing finds a way.
when he has a healthy Ojomo and Collins and plenty of mix and match options in various fronts if he wants to employ Murphy,
FINAL THOUGHTS
Coburn, Sweat etc.
When the Texas defense played good football, the offense betrayed it. When the offense played good football, the defense
The secondary is a problem without Cook and probably needs
was AWOL. Special teams were let down by both.
a rethink. D’shawn Jamison played terrible football when Texas needed a lockdown presence from the senior so they could
I have questions about how this staff deploys its assets on criti-
simplify with the safeties while overplaying inside releases with
cal downs. With injuries in the secondary mounting and shaky
the corners.
depth on the second level, it’s more important than ever that Texas be right in the things it can control. Who you play and the
While many Texas fans believe that playing Kansas State will
defense you play on critical downs are in the staff’s control.
mean relief for the secondary’s alignment issues, the premise of the entire Wildcat offense is based on 2nd and 3rd level assignment conflict. Teams that handle it shut them down. Those that don’t bleed big plays..
SPECIAL TEAMS A terrific effort overall. Texas won every phase of the return game. Morice Blackwell blocked a punt, Trejo had a punt to the 1 yard line that should have turned the game and Worthy had multiple strong punt returns. Texas won this phase of the game convincingly and if you’d told me before the game that the Horns would have blocked a punt, returned another to the opponent 20, recovered a muffed punt
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Texas Spirit Photo of The Week
October 31, 2022
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RECRUITING TRAIL NEWS by Gerry Hamilton and Justin Wells
CATCHING UP WITH TRE WISNER AND HOOPS RECRUITING TRE WISNER 2023 Desoto (Texas) running back and Texas commit Tre Wisner is enjoying a strong senior season. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound On3 four-star made the transition from Waco Connally to Desoto last spring and always already made himself at home for the 7-2 Eagles in 2022. He joined forces with UT pledge Johntay Cook as well. With 21 offers including Florida, LSU, Auburn, Oregon, and Ohio State, two schools are pushing to get the Texas commit on campus before early signing day in midDecember. “Florida State and Texas A&M reached out a lot,” Wisner said. “I still talk to Auburn, Oklahoma State, a few schools in my top five. I actually just thought about some official visits because I still have three visits left. It’s crossed my mind I could use a few more.” Wisner committed to the Longhorns in the spring and hasn’t looked back since. He’s watching the usage of Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson and knows he’ll be a natural fit in Steve Sarkisian’s offense and under the tutelage of running back coach Tashard Choice. “Those (Bijan) are big shows to fill but I think if I just stay true and do what I do, take the coaching, and be a good teammate, I’ll hopefully be able to do that,” said Wisner. “I’ll be back in Austin on December 16th or 17th. Wisner has been fantastic in his first year at Desoto. He notched 157 yards rushing and one touchdown on 14
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TRE WISNER
carries in a win over Mansfield Lake Ridge. He also added 121 yards on the ground and two scores on 10 carries in a win over Mansfield Legacy as well as tallying rushing scores in wins over Dallas Skyline and Waxahachie. Wisner emerged as one of the top offensive playmakers in Texas in 2020 when he rushed for nearly 900 yards and 15 scores with an additional 181 yards receiving. Wisner backed it up with another big junior season of 909 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns. Wisner was the District 9-4A Co-Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2020 and Co-Offensive MVP as a junior at Connally. Wisner is ranked as the No. 311 prospect, the No. 19
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RON HOLLAND / COURTESY PLAYER INSTAGRAM PAGE
- RECRUITING TRAIL NEWS -
running back, and the No. 55 prospect in Texas accord-
his trainer/mentor both in Houston full time, Johnson be-
ing to the On3 Consensus. On3 ranks Wisner as the No.
ing close to Houston makes a lot of sense. As does the
24 running back and the No. 64 prospect in the state of
immediate playing time at Texas with the Longhorns set
Texas.
to lose Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice after the season, and possibly Tyrese Hunter.
HOOPS RECRUITING
The Longhorns showing a faster pace Saturday vs.
Inside Texas continues to feel good about the RPM pick
telling Johnson and other targets they are going to play
for On3 Consensus 5-star Ronald Holland (Duncanville,
faster is key as well.
Texas) to Texas. Holland was at the Texas absolute tar and feathering of Arkansas Saturday with his mom, other
Texas continues to chip away with On3 Consensus 4-star
family members and the Duncanville coaching staff.
guard/wing Andrej Stojakovic (Carmichael, Calif./Jesuit). Stanford has been the slight leader over Texas and
Of course, the Duncanville staff was also there to watch
UCLA in the last couple of weeks.
Arkansas freshman combo guard Anthony Black. Chris Beard and Rodney Terry have done a very good job with
Texas has done everything they can in this recruitment
this recruitment. Inside Texas will be surprised if Holland
to show Stojakovic he’s wanted and needed. The family
doesn’t sign in the November window.
knows the playing time will be there, and that Texas is going to continue to play a little quicker under Chris
Inside Texas also continues to like the Longhorns chanc-
Beard.
es with On3 Consensus 5-star point guard AJ Johnson (Woodland Hills, Calif./Taft).
This one comes down to very close to home and degree at Stanford vs. better basketball situation and quality
The 6-foot-4.5 explosive playmaker has made official
degree at Texas. Andrej and Peja really liked Austin o the
visits to Texas and LSU. The only visit Johnson’s “big
visit as well.
brother” Jalen Green made was Texas. With Green and
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NEXT WEEK |
P R E V I E W
by Paul Wadlington The 6-2 Wildcats are euphoric coming off of a 48-0 obliteration of Oklahoma State in Manhattan behind the passing of backup QB Will Howard and a terrific defensive performance. The Cats know that a win will allow them to control their destiny in seeking a conference title berth. Texas will see a motivated road atmosphere.
OFFENSE The Cats have a fundamental choice to make in how they’ll attack the Texas defense and it has everything to do with their starting QB. Will Howard replaced an injured Adrian Martinez against TCU and has played lights out in the passing game, throwing for more touchdowns in two games (6) than Martinez
DUECE VAUGHN QUINN EWERS
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had in six (4). Howard has seen plenty of action in his career and his current passing efficiency doesn’t fit his history — in 14 prior appearances he had more interceptions than touchdowns, completed less than 55% of his attempts and averaged a pedestrian 6.7 yards per attempt. But he has been awesome throwing the ball around this year. Will he regress to his mean? Maybe. But my eye says he’s making throws he’s never made before and it seems something has clicked for him mechanically. The 6-5, 235 Howard is also a very capable runner, though they backed off his load with Martinez out. Must watch in short yardage and goal line. Adrian Martinez has been a pedestrian passer this year but his 565 yards rushing, a 6.1 per carry average and 9 rushing touchdowns are testament to the danger he poses as a runner. He doesn’t turn it over, but K State has largely been a dink and dunk passing game with him at the helm. The starter will tell us how Collin Klein’s offense want to attack the Longhorns. Will they play both? Famous last words of a fool, but Texas would probably rather see Martinez if they’re willing to game plan his weaknesses.
RUNNING BACK
BYRON MURPHY
Deuce Vaughn doesn’t need much hype from me. He’s the quickest back in the league and highly durable despite his 5-5, 170 pound frame. He’s not a tackle breaker, but he’s so quick and surprisingly tough that he can run effectively between the tackles. He’s averaging 112.8 yards per game rushing at just under 6 yards a carry on the season. Historically he has been phenomenal as a receiver out of the backfield, but
pass protection. This is not a sophisticated passing offense. They run basic passing plays exploiting defenses mesmerized by running threats. Defenses that are paying attention catch up to them over the course of the game.
OFFENSIVE LINE
he has seen much less success this season as a pass catcher.
A typical Wildcat overachieving unit with particularly good inte-
WIDE RECEIVER
protect on predictable passing downs and the Wildcats struggle
In my preseason preview, I mentioned that the Kansas State wide receivers are better than people think but they can’t showcase their talents in the Cat offense. Will Howard at the helm showed what they’re capable of when the Cats toss the ball around. Malik Knowles is their leading receiver and best chain mover, Philip Brooks is their speedy, undersized slot and Kade Warner is their obligatory coach on the field. When TE Ben Sinnott is in the game plan, he can hurt defenses. When he’s not, which is most of the time, he blocks and helps out their deficient
rior run blocking. Tackles Leveston and Duffie struggle to pass on 3rd and long overall, but Texas won’t do much about that unless they shake up their schematic and personnel approach. Guard Cooper Beebe is the headliner.
STRATEGY Tulane and Iowa State each provided terrific game plans to stop the Adrian Martinez led Cat offense. Both squads skinned the Cats in a different way, each holding their offense to 10 points while strangling them on 3rd downs. The Cyclones gave up
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some deep looks in order to take Deuce Vaughn completely
Texas does well, namely multidimensional offense.
out the game (10 carries, 23 yards) and forced Adrian Martinez to singlehandedly carry the offense. Tulane played the run
DEFENSIVE LINE
honestly with pretty good success, but absolutely throttled the
Felix Anudike Uzomah has developed into the most danger-
K-State passing game to less than 5 yards per attempt and
ous edge in the Big 12. He has 7.5 sacks on the season and a
crushed them on third downs (2/15) with extra men in coverage
ton of pressures. Very quick and he has gotten much stronger.
and a solid three and four man rush.
Kelvin Banks will have a lively matchup. Eli Huggins has been around forever at nose tackle and he’s solid. The other edge is
Bottom line: get Kansas State in 3rd down and take advantage
Brendan Mott and he does a good job exploiting the attention
of their limited offense. Texas has struggled to win on 3rd down
FAU receives on the other side. Depth is OK, but there’s a drop
or make opponent’s left handed in critical moments, but here’s
off when the front gets winded and teams can run right at them.
hoping. Will Howard adds a different dimension obviously, but the Cat offense doesn’t have a ton of diversity when the chains
LINEBACKER
are long. Texas playing a third interior DL on the edge or playing
Khalid Duke is effectively a hybrid rush end and he’s probably
some three man front to throttle the run game and bring different
their 2nd best pass rusher. Good size and speed combo. Daniel
pass rushing looks screams out as an obvious adjustment for
Green should be available and he’s a plus athlete at middle line-
this opponent. For Texas, assignment soundness on the 2nd
backer. They used to blitz him quite a bit but he’s playing more
and 3rd levels will be more important than individual talent.
conventional linebacker and is adept in coverage (2 intercep-
DEFENSE
tions on the season). 215 pound linebacker Austin Moore has been a very pleasant surprise for them. He’s a terrific coverage
They check many of the schematic boxes that give Texas and
linebacker and he leads them in tackles. Great Big 12 spread
Sark trouble, but they’re also vulnerable to several things that
busting asset.
DEFENSIVE BACK They’re strong outside with big Julius Brents (6’4″ 205) and Ekow Boye-Doe (6-0, 170). Doe is their speed guy, Brents is their mauler. The Wildcats play more man coverage than I’ve seen them play in some time and the two corners and pass rush are the reason. The safeties are three guys who were transfers from Prairie View, North Dakota State and a JUCO, respectively. Leave it to KSU to mine a gravel pit and find precious metals, but they are the weakness of the defense. They compensate by deploying them with some knowl-
MORO OJOMO
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WILL HOWARD
edge of their own self-scout, relying on clogging the middle of
Multifaceted offenses that can pierce the pass rush and corners
the field, giving a lot of help with the coverage linebackers, while
can give them big problems, particularly when they have to play
putting their corners on islands. They rotate in a number of guys
the running game honestly. Both TCU and OU rushed for over
at safety, trusting that fresh legs and straightforward assign-
200 yards against them with Eric Gray averaging over 7 yards
ments can compensate for moderate ability.
per carry. Kendre Miller dropped 153 yards and two scores and TCU bullied them at times up front. They will also surrender big
STRATEGY
plays in the passing game if you can block ’em up and exploit
Kansas State is holding opponents to around 17 points per
their weaker links.
game and analytics love them because they can rush the passer, force negative plays and are good at turning people
If you can’t attack their weaknesses, KSU doesn’t just “limit” op-
over. FEI has them as the 7th best defense in the country.
posing offenses. They slaughter them. But an offense that can pull the trigger on their weak spots will drop 30+ on them.
SPECIAL TEAMS The Cats have an inaccurate place kicker and likely won’t attempt long field goals. Warning: both Phillip Brooks and Malik Knowles are outstanding kick returners.
FINAL What-might-have-been road losses are becoming an unfortunate expectation in the Sarkisian era. Here’s an opportunity to break the cycle.
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