It’s not time to panic about the Texas Longhorns’ offense, but it’s certainly time to be concerned
Time is running out on this Texas Longhorns offense as SEC play looms.
Texas still got the win Saturday, but it wasn’t pretty. In fact, I would call it ugly. Arch Manning at one point had 10-straight incompletions, a bad interception, and collectively the offensive unit was disjointed and marginal at best.
In the first half, Manning was just 5-for-16 for 69 yards and an interception. An ill-advised one at that. Scrambling around and throwing back across your body in the red zone is not going to get it done for Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns.
And the second half was better, but the final result left a lot to be desired. He was just 6-for-9 for 45 yards and a touchdown – finally finding Ryan Wingo for six to cap off another red zone trip. But, the offense is just not clicking at all right now.
Steve Sarkisian was positive after the game. But still wants more.
“It’s always good to win. I’ll start with that, right? Could be worse. We could lose. I think a couple things. One, our defense was fantastic again. They continue to play a style and a brand of football defensively that is definitely winning football,” Sarkisian said. “They negated really the explosive plays, maybe there until the end, eliminated the run, created turnovers. Jelani [McDonald] had a great game. Anthony Hill, Hero Kanu, a lot of guys played really well on that side of the ball.
“Offensively, losing [running back] CJ [Baxter] the first play of the game kind of forced some other guys into action quicker, which the end result was probably a positive for us that we got to see more of Christian [Clark], more of Jerrick [Gibson] and, obviously, more of James Simon, of what they could do.”
Baxter had a hamstring injury and Texas opted to hold him out in the non-conference game. But the run game has got to shoulder a lot of the load while Manning continues to settle in. With one more non-conference game ahead of the SEC opener versus Florida in the Swamp, you need everything at full go.
Texas Longhorns News
Steve Sarkisian gives an injury update on one of the Texas Longhorns’ biggest playmakers
On Wednesday, Steve Sarkisian spoke with the media ahead of Saturday’s contest against the UTEP Miners. Orangebloods’ Anwar Richardson has the latest on star running back Tre Wisner after sistting down with the Texas head coach. “I’d probably say today he’s doubtful. I’m not ruling him out, but I would say he’s doubtful,” Sarkisian said. […]
It was good to see Arch Manning and Ryan Wingo connect for a touchdown.
“I don’t know if it’s about a connection with one player in particular. I feel like our passing game in week one was average,” Sarkisian said. “I thought last week it was explosive, and today was … I don’t even know if it was average, you know?
“And so I don’t think it’s about one player in particular. I just think it’s about rhythm in the passing game overall in general,” Sarkisian said. “I loved the touchdown at the end in the fourth quarter, because it was great timing, great route, great throw.
“And around here, that’s the expectation of the passing game, that that’s how we operate. And they understand that,” Sarkisian said. “But we’ve got to be able to play at that level consistently, and we’re just not there right now, and it’s our job to try to get him to that point.”
James Simon and Jerrick Gibson were marvelous.
In Baxter’s absence, the two combined for 131 yards on 35 carries. They averaged under four yards per carry, but it was enough to get the offense moving out of the mud. Again, if Manning is going to settle in, you need the run game to be in a great place. I think these two can do it. And if the hamstring isn’t so bad, Baxter can come back and provide even more punch.
“I felt like in the run game, first of all, start there. I felt like we had a really good plan, and I thought we blocked them really well,” Sarkisian said. “And I thought some of the runners, you know, first time for a lot of those guys really playing like that.”
