Follow along as I jot down notes from today’s game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Texas Longhorns.
First Quarter:
The first drive was a thing of beauty for the Longhorns. Quinn Ewers came out firing, showcasing great touch on a pass to Ja’Tavion Sanders over the middle. And, to cap it off, Longhorns running back Keilan Robinson was able to make a rare trip to the end zone on a swing pass (thanks to a solid block from Jordan Whittington on the edge).
Through one quarter of play, the Longhorns defense has been up and down. On their last drive on defense during the quarter, they allowed Tahj Brooks to break free for an easy 25-yard rush after seemingly being stopped for only a couple of yards. Afterwards, Kitan Crawford was called on an obvious defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone.
However, even with the negatives, the Longhorns have been able to create pressure on Behren Morton. We will have to see if the near-sacks turn into sacks as the game goes on.
Second Quarter:
YOU’RE MY BOY BLUE!! Sorry, I could not help it. The Longhorns third-string running back has been getting more opportunities following Jonathon Brooks’ season-ending injury, and has been making Steve Sarkisian look good. To open the second quarter, Blue ran the football 69-yards to the house.
The Longhorns secondary has been tremendous at creating turnovers today, with two first half interceptions by Malik Muhammed and Terrance Brooks. However, the Longhorns offense has failed to fully capitalize on these chances, leaving points on the board and settling for field goals time after time.
Heading into halftime, you cannot help but feel as if the Longhorns left points on the board. Statistically, the Texas offense is near the worst in college football at capitalizing with touchdowns when in the red zone. Tonight, the trend has continued as Steve Sarkisian has been forced to send Bert Auburn and the field goal team out onto the field repeatedly.
Third Quarter:
The most efficient offense is an overly-efficient special teams unit… right? Keilan Robinson has had a big game today with two touchdowns, opening the second half with a massive 95-yard kick return touchdown.
Bert Auburn has arguably been Texas’ most consistent player since the Oklahoma game in October. Just over midway through the third quarter, the Texas kicker had already connected on five attempts, including one from 54-yards. With the difficulties of punching the ball into the end zone, Auburn’s growth as a kicker has been more than welcome for Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. Over the last few weeks, it seems as if Sarkisian has gotten more and more confident in his kicker, electing to take the points instead of going for it on fourth down. With Auburn being as consistent as he has been recently, you cannot blame Sarkisian for his subtle change in philosophy as of late.
What a quarter that was for the Longhorns. Texas was able to put up points on four different occasions during the quarter, capped by a 43-yard pick-six interception by linebacker Jett Bush.
And, for the first time ever, Arch Manning has been substituted into the game with Texas holding a sizable 50-7 lead over Texas Tech.
Fourth Quarter:
It is always good for a team when you are able to check backup players into the game. On Friday, Steve Sarkisian was able to get a lot of underclassmen into the game late, which will bode well for their growth.
