Playing more disciplined football
To say this team needs to be more disciplined would an absolute understatement. This football team has done the most to beat themselves at every opportunity. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger has said time and time again that the thing that is beating Texas is Texas. A breakdown of their penalties through four games.
| Opponent | Texas penalties | Opp. penalties |
| UTEP | 6-55 | 7-33 |
| Texas Tech | 10-100 | 4-15 |
| Texas Christian | 12-92 | 14-109 |
| Oklahoma | 10-86 | 11-121 |
While it might be true when head coach Tom Herman stated that their opponents have been more penalized in the last two games, it doesn’t change how bad it has been for Texas. The Longhorns are third-worst in penalty yards per game in conference play. They have also been the team with the most penalties called on a per game basis.
It isn’t just the number of penalties called against Herman’s squad, it has everything to do as to when they are called. The self inflicted wounds have absolutely hurt this team more than the sheer number of flags thrown in the other team’s favor. This isn’t some new revelation under Herman. Prior to this season, the Longhorns have finished as the second-most penalized team in the conference in two of the first three years under Herman.
Either you coach it, or you allow it.