The Texas Longhorns Grab the Keys to Victory and Drive to Upset City

On Wednesday, I published an article  “Texas Longhorns Keys to Victory Against Oklahoma Sooners” and boy did I hear it from the Longhorns fan base. Many didn’t give the Longhorns a chance against the #12 team in the nation. Perhaps I am too much of a “homer” [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] … it is the eternal optimist in me. I just believe that games like today’s will happen.

Let’s take a look back at the keys to victory (in grey) as stated on Wednesday and see how the Longhorns executed.

 

1. Run the Ball

In the Longhorns game against Iowa State, Texas came out running the ball, which led to a quick touchdown by running back Johnathan Gray. But Major Applewhite called eight of nine passing plays in the following offensive drive. If David Ash were under center, the play-calling would make more sense.

But backup quarterback Case McCoy, who lacks the ability to pass the deep ball, started for Texas and finished with 45 passing attempts. Applewhite’s play-calling was not his finest moment, and he will need to make up for it Saturday, when his offense faces Oklahoma’s stout defense.

 

Did the Longhorns run the ball? You bet they did. Johnathan Gray led the rushing attack with 123 yards averaging 4.2 yards a carry. Gray ran with authority, often using a second effort get extra yards after initial contact. He also utilized his world class speed on a few long runs (his longest run was 38 yards).

Malcolm Brown also showed up the the rushing party putting up 120 yards and averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

Overall, the Texas Longhorns offense rushed for 255 yards against a tough and smart Oklahoma defense. Much of the credit must go to the Texas offensive line. The o-line controlled the line of scrimmage. Running plays that attacked the heart of the Oklahoma defense yielded 4-5 yards per attempt. To put it simply, the Texas o-line was dominant in the running game.

 

 

2. Put up Points Early

Texas will enter the Cotton Bowl as an underdog led by a backup quarterback. The crowd plays a role in the Red River Rivalry and can shift at any given moment. It is imperative for the Longhorns to score early to help gain momentum and keep the Oklahoma fans silent…at least for a minute.

 

Did the Longhorns score early? Before the Oklahoma fans could get settled in their seat the Sooners were down 3-0, by the time they headed off for their first bathroom break, the Sooners were down 10-3. Heading into the half it was 23-10. Did Texas score points early and often? Yes indeed. 

Case McCoy did a great job managing the game and taking his shots deep when he had them. McCoy completed 13 of 21 passes for 190 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. McCoy threw a 59-yard TD to Marcus Johnson in the second quarter and a 38-yarder in the third quarter to Mike Davis. His only blemish came on a great play by  defensive lineman Geneo Grissom who returned an intercepted pass 54 yards for a score in the fourth quarter for OU.

“We hear a great speech before the game about stepping up to the challenge and overcoming something, that we’ve been put to the challenge of this game,” said McCoy, who was sacked three times in his 2011 loss but threw two late TDs in last year’s rout.

 

 

3. Contain OU’s Complete Offense

The Longhorns defense has been a work-in-progress since 2012. Although the defense has shown signs of progress since the awful performance against BYU, September 7, it still has a ways to go. Now Texas has to find a way to stop Oklahoma’s offense, which is averaging 455 yards per game.

Last year, Oklahoma backup quarterback Blake Bell scored four touchdowns against the Longhorns. Now, Bell is in a starting role and will likely be the Sooners go-to guy on the goal line.

The Texas defense will, no doubt, give up points, but the Longhorns cannot allow this game to get out of hand, as it has the last two years. The defense holding OU to as few points as possible will be the only way for Texas to have a chance in the game.

 

Did the Longhorns defense step up and contain the OU offense? You bet your cap they did! Against the tough Longhorns defense, the OU offense didn’t look so complete. In fact, they looked down right ordinary and at times, one dimensional. The Longhorns secondary played physically in the passing game, showing off great coverage and sure tackling and the front 7 dominated the line of scrimmage, holding Oklahoma’s potent rushing attack to 139 yards and an average of 3.9 per carry.

Defensive Coordinator, Greg Robinson’s strategy seemed geared towards forcing Blake Bell to beat them with his arm. Bell ran for four TDs in the Sooners’ 63-21 victory last year. This time, as the Oklahoma starter (instead of the short-yardage run specialist) he was sacked four times and had minus-27 yards on seven carries. Bell completed 12 of 26 passes for 133 yards with two interceptions.

Overall, this is the kind of game that Longhorns fans needed. For most people, it was totally unexpected. However, for this eternal optimist, it was a game I expected the Longhorns to win. BRING ON THE WORLD! Hook’Em!

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#HookEm