Keaontay Ingram, Running Back
When it comes to the running game or lack thereof, it starts with Keaontay Ingram. Recently he has shown a bit of the fumbling bug. On his final carry against TCU and first carry against Oklahoma, the junior runner fumbled away the ball. He had to sit while Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson split carries until Johnson went out with an injury.
Ingram needs to be the bruising runner for the team without the physicality of Roschon Johnson. In fact Keaontay leads the team in yards after contact per rush, at least for the backs. He has 2.77 yards coming after the initial contact by the defense. The team also needs the explosive runs they saw a season ago.
Last season saw 27 runs of 10 or more yards, it breaks down to 2.1 explosive runs per game. Ingram is averaging 1.8 explosive runs per game this year. Outside of Sam Ehlinger, the team hasn’t seen that same explosive play from the offense. Against West Virginia the Bears gave up three explosive runs and 58 yards after contact. Texas needs to take advantage.