The Texas Longhorns entered the Cotton Bowl undefeated, confident and care-free. They left the game with a reality check: Oklahoma wasn’t their equal. On Saturday, the Sooners were better.
Texas had no answer for Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the running game. Sooners running back Tawee Walker became the first back to win the physicality battle with the Longhorns.
It wasn’t just the Texas defense that struggled. The three turnovers from Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers put them behind the eight ball. That said, the defensive performance left plenty to be desired.
It wasn’t just the running game Texas had no answer for on the day. Oklahoma receivers were conceded several open receptions. That might be the nature of defending the Sooners’ wide spread offense, but at some point you have to make a play. The Sooners took what they wanted on offense and the Longhorns were at their mercy all game.
Let’s call it what it was on Saturday. Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby beat Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. And when the Longhorns needed a stop most, the Sooners drove 75 yards in five plays to win the game.
Texas has to have an answer for the Oklahoma offense. In particular, it has to figure out how to shut down Dillon Gabriel in the running game.
Gabriel had 113 rushing yards on 14 carries. Forget the lack of sacks. Texas played conservatively, and there’s nothing wrong with opening with that approach. The insistence on sticking with that philosophy proved costly.
So where does Texas go now?
The Longhorns need to figure out how to beat Oklahoma over the bye week. Should Texas find a way to reach Arlington for the Big 12 title it will require more than a week to figure out the Oklahoma offense. That the Longhorns play cellar dweller Houston following the bye week further punctuates the urgency of allocating enough resources to win a potential rematch.
With three 5-1 opponents and the undefeated Oklahoma Sooners game in the rear view, the Longhorns’ remaining schedule looks like this:
- at Houston (2-3)
- BYU (4-1)
- Kansas State (3-2)
- at TCU (3-3)
- at Iowa State (3-3)
- Texas Tech (3-3)
Make no mistake: the team will need to bring a great effort every week. Nevertheless, the above schedule can get Texas to Arlington. The Longhorns must be equipped to win when they get there. While Texas doesn’t need two weeks to prepare for Houston, it certainly needs two weeks to prepare for Oklahoma.
Texas is good enough to beat Oklahoma, but it will take careful attention. The bye week is the perfect time to get it done.
The Longhorns next take on the Houston Cougars on Oct. 21.