There’s no way around it: Texas disappointed in 2022. I predicted a 9-3 finish for the Longhorns last year. Heading into the final two games, the team had a 6-4 record.
The next two games told a different story. Texas performed more like it should to close the regular season. It secured two wins over bowl teams in the final two weeks. Following a home loss to TCU, the Longhorns cruised past Kansas on the road, 55-14. The next week the team dominated the Baylor Bears in a 38-27 win that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate.
The common theme in both games starts up front. The Texas offensive line started to create holes for its running backs. Longhorns backs went off on their opponents. The team ran for 427 yards against the Kansas Jayhawks, including an 11 carry, 108-yard performance from this year’s presumed starter Jonathon Brooks.
The next week Texas running back Bijan Robinson ran for 179 yards. Signal caller Quinn Ewers complimented Robinson with a 75% completion rate. Lost in the Longhorns’ underwhelming bowl performance was a Texas team that had started to put things together offensively.
There’s still plenty to prove for this year’s squad. Ewers in particular needs to make marked progress. Nevertheless, the arrow pointed up at the end of the team’s Big 12 slate. Texas will look to recapture some of last season’s better performances in its final season in the league.
Highest-graded Big 12 QBs under pressure in the last 3 weeks of last season:
1. Quinn Ewers (UT), 62.1
2. Max Duggan (TCU), 57.2
3. Jalon Daniels (KU), 57.0
4. Hunter Dekkers (ISU), 55.2
5. Spencer Sanders (OkSt), 52.7 pic.twitter.com/vrH4GVR6rC— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) July 16, 2023