Florida Chomps No. 9 Texas 29-21 in Longhorns’ SEC-Opener

After a confidence-inspiring win over Sam Houston, the Longhorns looked to open SEC play on another positive note. Unfortunately for Steve Sarkisian’s squad, there wasn’t much the team could depend on in Saturday’s game against the Gators. In fact, Florida stunned the ninth-ranked Longhorns, racking up 457 total yards in a 29–21 win over Texas.

To be frank, not much went right for the Longhorns on Saturday – starting with the offensive line. Against Florida, offensive line coach Kyle Flood’s unit allowed six sacks to a team that had only generated three sacks all season. As a result, it’s easy to understand why Texas struggled to build any sort of momentum in either the passing or running game. The Texas O-line simply could not generate a push at the line of scrimmage. In the past, Texas’ NFL-caliber running backs were able to mask some of the issues up front. Now, those running backs are gone. This problem has reared its head in Texas’ most critical games over the past couple of seasons – and it shouldn’t still be an issue in Sarkisian’s fifth year at the helm.

Sadly, Texas’ struggles didn’t stop at the offensive line. Even the Longhorn defense faltered against the Gators in the Swamp. Florida quarterback DJ Lagway lived up to his potential, throwing for 298 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Meanwhile, Gators running back Jadan Baugh racked up a game-high 107 rushing yards. Lagway also connected repeatedly with wide receiver Dallas Wilson, who dazzled in his freshman debut with six catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, the Texas defense failed to deliver stops when it mattered. Typically, it’s the Longhorn defense that bails out the offense – but this time, Lagway and the Gators proved too much to handle.

Offensively, the Longhorns struggled to generate anything – either through the air or on the ground. As mentioned earlier, the offensive line fell short. But the numbers further illustrate the issue. Texas’ running backs combined for just 15 rushing yards. In the passing game, Arch Manning threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns but also tossed two interceptions. While Manning might still be considered the lone bright spot from Saturday’s game, he too had his share of mistakes.

Lastly, even the special teams unit contributed to the Longhorns’ disappointing performance. Punter Jack Bouwmeester – one of the season’s early surprises – had a punt blocked for a safety and saw two otherwise excellent punts fail to be downed inside the opponent’s 5-yard line.

The good news for the Longhorns? The season is still young, and we’ve already seen glimpses of stellar play. While Saturday’s loss to Florida was disheartening, the team fought back to make it close in a tough road environment.

The bad news? There’s no more wiggle room. If Texas wants to make a push for the College Football Playoff, it must thread the needle the rest of the way. And while this team may continue to improve over the course of the season, it’s also possible that Steve Sarkisian’s roster is lacking in key areas.

Next weekend, the Longhorns head to Dallas for the Red River Rivalry against the fifth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Kickoff from the Cotton Bowl is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT, with the game airing on ABC.