Texas vs OU Post-Game Breakdown 5 Questions

Five Questions: Oklahoma

By Steve Habel, Senior Contributing Writer

What was the most deceiving part of the loss to Oklahoma?

The final score, 34-27, was not indicative of how the Sooners dominated the game and every aspect except the scoreboard. Yes, the final score is all that counts, and the Longhorns did make plays to keep themselves in the game (especially in the first half), but the discrepancies elsewhere, most notably in the trenches, showed just how far Texas needs to go really be an elite team.

[Subscribers – Watch What It’s Like To Walk Behind Ehlinger, Duvernay, and team onto the field after halftime]

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The Sooners outgained Texas, 511-305, despite running 66 offensive plays to the Longhorns’ 73. That’s an average of 7.7 yards per snap, compared to 4.2 for UT. Even though Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts can not be considered an “elite passer” — and he’s a surprisingly a lot slower when you watch him in person — he outgained Sam Ehlinger through the air, 235-205, thanks mostly to the escapeability of all-world wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who had 10 catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns.

“Hats off to our opponent,” Texas coach Tom Herman said afterward. “They are really, really good and played really, really well. We did not, and it’s disappointing. We’ve got to figure (it) out. Our job as coaches is to get to the root of the issue and make sure that we correct those things so they don’t happen again.”

The only thing that kept Texas in the game was the Sooners’ head-scratching refusal to keep doing what they were doing so well: running the ball. Hurts ended up with 131 yards on 17 carries while running back Kennedy Brooks had 10 totes for 105 yards. Oklahoma averaged 7.3 yards per carry in the game.

 

Still the Longhorns hung around. Will that lead to a false confidence going forward?

“It wasn’t like we had no shot,” Ehlinger said. “We didn’t do everything we could to win. In order to beat a top-10, top-five team like that, that’s what you have to do.”

What was the most glaring difference between the two teams?

As mentioned above, the Sooners ruled the trenches, on both offense and defense.

The Oklahoma offense rushed for 290 yards, buoyed by its two starting tackles who, according to Sooners coach Lincoln Riley, were “highly questionable” to even play in this game. That means Texas managed zero sacks against a makeshift and injured OU offensive front. It’s the second game in a row in which the Longhorns didn’t record a sack, a stat that has to be a huge concern.

Conversely, UT’s offensive line, which has been glorified this season for its improvement and togetherness as a unit as the Longhorns won four of their first five games, was like a sieve against the Sooners’ stunting, twisting, blitzing defensive attack.

The Longhorns surrendered nine sacks, the most allowed by Texas since the 2009 Big 12 Championship game against Nebraska and the other-worldly Ndamukong Suh.

Herman, who said that the Sooners did not blitz more or change from the attack the Texas coaches had seen on film, and refused to place all the blame for the sacks on the offensive line.

“Every time you see sack numbers, everybody wants to blame the offensive line, but it’s on everybody,” he explained. “It’s on the playcaller and the protection that’s called. It’s on the receivers to get open at the right time. It’s on the quarterback to deliver the ball. It’s on the running back to handle his assignment.

“So obviously, certainly, the O-Line is going to shoulder some of that blame, but they are not to be blamed entirely. “

One of the keys to the game for Oklahoma was putting pressure on Ehlinger, and the Sooners certainly were successful in that goal. “I don’t think it was anything schematically,” Riley said. “We had a good mentality. Alex (Grinch, the OU defensive coordinator) called a great game.”

Expect UT’s remaining opponents to latch on to what the Sooners did Saturday and try to replicate it against the Longhorns in the coming weeks.

What was the most glaring difference between the two teams?

As mentioned above, the Sooners ruled the trenches, on both offense and defense.

The Oklahoma offense rushed for 290 yards, buoyed by its two starting tackles who, according to Sooners coach Lincoln Riley, were “highly questionable” to even play in this game. That means Texas managed zero sacks against a makeshift and injured OU offensive front. It’s the second game in a row in which the Longhorns didn’t record a sack, a stat that has to be a huge concern.

Conversely, UT’s offensive line, which has been glorified this season for its improvement and togetherness as a unit as the Longhorns won four of their first five games, was like a sieve against the Sooners’ stunting, twisting, blitzing defensive attack.

The Longhorns surrendered nine sacks, the most allowed by Texas since the 2009 Big 12 Championship game against Nebraska and the other-worldly Ndamukong Suh.

Herman, who said that the Sooners did not blitz more or change from the attack the Texas coaches had seen on film, and refused to place all the blame for the sacks on the offensive line.

“Every time you see sack numbers, everybody wants to blame the offensive line, but it’s on everybody,” he explained. “It’s on the playcaller and the protection that’s called. It’s on the receivers to get open at the right time. It’s on the quarterback to deliver the ball. It’s on the running back to handle his assignment.

“So obviously, certainly, the O-Line is going to shoulder some of that blame, but they are not to be blamed entirely. “

One of the keys to the game for Oklahoma was putting pressure on Ehlinger, and the Sooners certainly were successful in that goal. “I don’t think it was anything schematically,” Riley said. “We had a good mentality. Alex (Grinch, the OU defensive coordinator) called a great game.”

Expect UT’s remaining opponents to latch on to what the Sooners did Saturday and try to replicate it against the Longhorns in the coming weeks.

Who was UT’s best player against the Sooners?

Ehlinger is the Longhorns’ best player every week — he has to be — but the Texas quarterback can’t do it alone and especially not when he’s having to pick himself up off the turf after nine sacks.

The Longhorns had some big dropped passes — here’s looking at you Brennan Eagles and Keaontay Ingram — and weren’t able to get the ball downfield. Their longest pass a 22-yard hookup to Collin Johnson.

So our nod here goes to freshman Roschon Johnson, UT’s backup-quarterback-turned-running back, who ripped off 95 yards and a touchdown on eight carries and caught three passes for 23 more yards. Johnson’s weaving 57-yard run set the table for the Longhorns’ first touchdown midway through the third quarter and was his team’s biggest gain of the game, and the longest rushing play in Herman’s three seasons as coach on the Forty Acres.

So has Johnson done enough to supplant Ingram as the Longhorns’ starting running back? We think so … so we asked him after the game.

“That’s not up to me,” Johnson said. “That’s up to the coaches. I’m just trying to do all I can to help this team and help us win games.

“So just like every other week, I’ll just take it day by day and focus on what I can control. When I got my opportunities to take advantage of then today I felt like I did for the most part. But again there’s always something you can do extra to help the team.”

Who was UT’s best player against the Sooners?

Ehlinger is the Longhorns’ best player every week — he has to be — but the Texas quarterback can’t do it alone and especially not when he’s having to pick himself up off the turf after nine sacks.

The Longhorns had some big dropped passes — here’s looking at you Brennan Eagles and Keaontay Ingram — and weren’t able to get the ball downfield. Their longest pass a 22-yard hookup to Collin Johnson.

So our nod here goes to freshman Roschon Johnson, UT’s backup-quarterback-turned-running back, who ripped off 95 yards and a touchdown on eight carries and caught three passes for 23 more yards. Johnson’s weaving 57-yard run set the table for the Longhorns’ first touchdown midway through the third quarter and was his team’s biggest gain of the game, and the longest rushing play in Herman’s three seasons as coach on the Forty Acres.

So has Johnson done enough to supplant Ingram as the Longhorns’ starting running back? We think so … so we asked him after the game.

“That’s not up to me,” Johnson said. “That’s up to the coaches. I’m just trying to do all I can to help this team and help us win games.

“So just like every other week, I’ll just take it day by day and focus on what I can control. When I got my opportunities to take advantage of then today I felt like I did for the most part. But again there’s always something you can do extra to help the team.”

What’s next for the Longhorns?

Texas (4-2 overall, 2-1 in Big 12 play) returns to play next Saturday night when it hosts Kansas, with kickoff set for 6 (CDT) at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. “We’re about Kansas right now,” Longhorns center Zach Shackelford said. “This one’s over. We’ve got to learn from it.”

Despite the loss to the Sooners, there is still plenty left on the table, including a likely rematch in the Big 12 championship game if the Longhorns win their final six regular-season contests: against Kansas, Oct. 26 at TCU, at home Nov. 9 against Kansas State, Nov. 16 at Iowa State, Nov. 23 at (currently) undefeated Baylor and at home for Texas Tech the day after Thanksgiving.

“Losing is not a failure unless you refuse or don’t learn from the things that you did poorly,” Herman said, “and as long as we do that (we will) continue to improve.”

Texas linebacker Joseph Ossai said his team will rise to the challenge.

“I expect us to get closer,” Ossai said. “We’ve faced a lot of adversity and never folded. We’re not going to let this one game dictate our season.”
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