After narrowly escaping Texas Tech with a win, the Longhorns suffered a heartbreaking loss to TCU the following week.
Needless to say, there’s numerous areas of concern. Texas now faces a must-win game against the Oklahoma Sooners on Oct. 10. It’s certainly not an easy task, but the Longhorns have the talent to get the job done.
Texas is currently sitting atop the college football leaderboard for averaging the most points per game. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger leads all active quarterbacks with 14 passing touchdowns. They’ve proven that their high-powered offense can keep up with any team in the country.
However, they can’t seem to get out of their own way and are struggling defensively. We’ve narrowed in on three primary areas of concern for Texas as they prepare to face Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
Yards after the catch
Texas must find a way to limit the big plays. Oklahoma wide receiver Charleston Rambo is one of the top pass catchers in the conference and will prove to be Texas’ biggest threat.
Oklahoma has recorded 445 yards after the catch this season and that’s an area where Texas certainly struggles. The Longhorns allowed 178 yards after the catch to Texas Tech and 139 yards after the catch to TCU.
Self-inflicted wounds
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger said it best when he stated that he feels like they’re beating themselves. If the Longhorns can stay out of their own way, they’ll likely escape the Red River Rivalry with a win.
The past two weeks have showcased undisciplined football. Whether it’s a coaching issue in regards to preparation and/or costly mental errors — it has to be fixed. The self-inflicted wounds are what cost Texas the game against TCU. Wide receiver Jake Smith had a crucial drop, running back Keaontay Ingram coughed up a costly fumble and the penalties were outrageous.
The margin for error is as slim as it can be, these mistakes cannot happen against a talented and well-coached Oklahoma squad.
Can Texas put pressure on Spencer Rattler?
Dual-threat quarterbacks seemingly have a field day with this Texas defense. Max Duggan was TCU’s leading rusher last week with 79 yards on the ground. Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler will be the most talented signal-caller that Texas has faced this season and he can do it all.
The Longhorns must find a way to get to Rattler because his completion percentage drops 20% when he’s under pressure. A player to watch here is Texas defensive tackle Keondre Coburn as he will be lining up in front of Oklahoma’s top offensive lineman in Creed Humphrey. Coburn is coming off of an impressive performance where he recorded 11 tackles and two tackles for loss against TCU. On the flip side, Humphrey has shown some weaknesses this season.