25th ranked Ole Miss comes to Austin tomorrow night to face the Texas Longhorns in a critical contest for both squads. Texas enters the game with a new defensive coordinator, and likely a backup quarterback under center. Though many feel the Longhorns can’t win this game, it is possible friends, and the path to victory is actually pretty simple.
1 – Tackling Tackling Tackling Fundamentals Fundamentals Fundamentals.
As usual, the first key is playing solid assignment football and getting the ball carrier down quickly. Play a sound game, don’t commit stupid blunders, and wrap up and hit. Hold your blocks and protect the quarterback. Fundamental seventh grade football tactics.
2 – Shut down the Ole Miss running game.
The Rebels are going to bring the read option, because as it stands right now Texas can’t stop it. Ole Miss has several viable options at running back, and stopping these guys from breaking off good yardage on first and second down is key. If the Horns want to win, they need to make Bo Wallace throw, where he can be mistake prone.
3 – Put Laquon Treadwell on a milk carton.
Treadwell was the favorite target of Bo Wallace against Vanderbilt, and will be the focus again on Saturday. He is a 6-3, 215lb match up nightmare out of the slot, and burned the Commodores time and again. He is also a threat running the ball, a wrinkle showed against SE Missouri State. The Longhorns still need to deal with Ole Miss TE Evan Engram and WR Vince Sanders, but the guy who can hurt the most will be the former five star recruit Treadwell. Lock him down and make him disappear.
4 – Get Dalton Santos more playing time.
Santos has not yet been able to overtake Steve Edmond, which may change as soon as this weekend, but the guy is an emotional power hitter with the range to make plays other guys can’t or wont. He can be a match up problem for the Rebels and should be exploited as his lateral movement against the run game is superior to Edmond’s.
5 – Get the running game going by whatever means necessary.
Texas will in all likelihood go into the game with Case McCoy at quarterback, who has proven time and again he can’t make all the throws necessary to open up the offense. McCoy could be working with a short leash with Tyrone Swoopes armed and ready, and it does not help he skipped the summer to go do mission work. The Longhorns offensive line was absolutely annihilated by BYUs defensive line, which has led to the apparent benching of SR OG Mason Walters, and a shuffling which should put more size and athleticism up front. Establish the running game, keep the heat off McCoy, and keep the Rebels offense off the field. Simple fundamental football folks.
6 – Have someone beside Mike Davis emerge as a legitimate receiving threat.
Mike Davis has dropped a few passes already, but has been the only guy to consistently deliver with Jaxon Shipley working back from injury. Someone needs to do the blocking, go over the middle, and open up some passing options McCoy can reasonably hit. I’d love to see it from Kendall Sanders, but Johnson or Harris will do just as well. Ole Miss doesn’t have an elite secondary, and if the run game can get going the intermediate play action game should be wide open.
7 – Leave Major Applewhite alone to do what he needs to do.
Mack may be coaching for his job, but he got himself into the position of letting his coordinators do the work, and must trust them. We know Brown has gotten in Applewhite’s way before (Alamo Bowl) and I suspect he has gotten in his way again this season. Leave him alone to do what he does best, which is coach up quarterbacks and run offenses. Brown sat in on a quarterback meeting this week and was impressed with Swoopes knowledge. Be as impressed with your offensive staff and let them work.
Prediction: This should be a good ballgame, but until proven otherwise, I believe McCoy’s mistakes and Mack keeping him in the game too long will be too much to overcome in a 35-24 Ole Miss win. Let’s hope I’m wrong.
