This is no fluke, the Texas defense is real, ready for the SEC after another strong showing vs. ULM
After four games, the Longhorns are among the top-five defensive units in college football
At this point, it’s no longer a statistical fluke or some imaginary concoction. The Texas defense is real.
No team can win anything big without a strong defense. The No. 1-ranked Longhorns certainly have that with a unit that’s allowed only two touchdowns in four games and is currently tied for the nation’s lead in fewest points allowed per game (5.5).
If college football fans believe the SEC has the best defensive units out there, put Texas in the conversation. After four weeks, Tennessee (No. 1), Georgia (No. 4) and Texas (No. 5) are all ranked in the top five nationally in total defense. Kentucky and Missouri rank sixth and seventh, too.
“Man, just to do the work we all put in that nobody sees, we’ve finally been able to show it and it feels good,” said defensive tackle Alfred Collins, who blocked a field goal attempt at the end of the first half.
WATCH AND SUBSCRIBE: Follow A to Z Sports’ Texas Longhorns channel on YouTube.
Texas (4-0) allowed a measly three points Saturday night in a 51-3 beatdown of Louisiana-Monroe. The Warhawks (2-1) crossed midfield only twice and got inside the Horns’ 20-yard line just once, resulting in that 35-yard field goal.
Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s unit allowed 111 total yards while holding ULM to 2-for-11 on third down. Linebacker Liona Lefau stuffed a ballcarrier for a safety, and the Horns had two sacks and five quarterback hurries.
Linebacker Anthony Hill also became just the second player since 2020 to have a sack and interception in the same game. Hill almost had a pick-six after an impressive interception near the hash mark, but his touchdown was waived off by a penalty on the return.
Defensive tackle Trey Moore, you owe Hill lunch this week. Probably dinner, too.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian explains how trainers got RB Jaydon Blue’s ankle injury healthy and ready for ULM
Blue had four touchdowns, the most since Bijan Robinson had four against Kansas in 2022
What’s more impressive is Texas had two more interceptions and now have seven through four games. Texas didn’t miss a beat Saturday without safety Derek Williams Jr. (hamstring), but they’ll gladyly welcome him back.
“It was amazing, but the standard, we don’t want (to allow) anything,” defensive back Jahdae Barron said. “We don’t want no points on there. So we’ve got to raise the standard, never lower the standard. Always raise that bar even higher.”
Barron didn’t want to spend much time dissecting the Horns’ performance, either. He was already on to next week’s SEC opener against Mississippi State, a team that lost its starting quarterback on Saturday.
“I watched them today,” Barron said.
That was music to coach Steve Sarkisian’s ears.
“If Jahdae’s talking about going and watching tape tonight, well, what are the younger guys hearing?,” Sarkisian said. “You want to be a really good player? You’ve got to commit to this. You’ve got to be obsessed with this process right now. And I think that our team is: hungry, obsessed, all those kinds of adjectives is exactly what our team is exuding right now.”
