Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski has a decision to make on Saturday. He can either be aggressive and force West Virginia’s hand or the Mountaineers will dictate to the Longhorns defense.
By now, we have a solid idea of what Kwiatkowski wants to do. The veteran play caller wants to eliminate explosive plays and make teams drive the field. That sounds great on paper, but it didn’t work last week against Texas Tech.
Despite the lack of talent in the conference, Big 12 teams have a reputation for being well coached and fundamentally sound. West Virginia was not that last season, but is vastly improved with new quarterback JT Daniels and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell. Texas can’t count on the Mountaineers to make mistakes.
Nobody should question whether or not Kwiatkowski can coach an effective defense. Whether or not he creates a game plan that protects his linebackers in coverage is to be seen.
Kwiatkowski has to force the issue. The Longhorns need to move the game behind the West Virginia line of scrimmage and make JT Daniels hold the football.
If Texas can take away passes within ten yards their defensive line will wreak havoc. Texas has to raise its defensive standards on Saturday. If they do, the Longhorns have a chance to erase last week’s loss from memory.
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