Inside Texas October 31, 2022 | Texas vs Oklahoma State

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

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8

Inconsistent on offense both passing and running bring down Texas.

Post Mortem | by Paul Wadlington

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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.

Publisher -- Eric Nahlin | InsideTexas.com Editor -- Justin Wells | Lead Writer -- Joe Cook | Contributors -- Ian Boyd, Paul Wadlington, Gerry Hamilton, Bobby Burton | Designer/Photographer -- Will Gallagher To Subscribe/Customer Service -- Phone: 512-659-8167 | Email: help@insidetexas.com

Texas vs Oklahoma State | October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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