Live Notes from ULM vs No. 1 Texas

Follow along as I jot down notes from today’s game between the ULM Warhawks and the Texas Longhorns.

First Quarter:

• Besides the Arch Manning interception on the first drive, the Texas passing game has been lethal. I cannot remember a game, in recent memory, in which the Longhorns have thrown as many deep passes in one quarter of action. Manning has had time to operate in the pocket and there has been at least one receiver who has been wide open on every play.
• Jaydon Blue may have only been absent for one week but boy was he missed. The Longhorn starting running back has already scored two touchdowns through a quarter of action.
• The young quartet of Arch Manning, Ryan Wingo, Anthony Hill Jr., Colin Simmons is incredibly special. Manning and Wingo look to be the future of Texas football offensively while Hill and Simmons may have already cemented themselves defensively.

Second Quarter:

• Passing to running backs is great when it works and ugly when it does not. Despite throwing a touchdown pass to Blue earlier in the game, Arch Manning and Jaydon Blue have not quite been in sync against ULM.
• The Longhorn defense has not looked as aggressive as it was in the first quarter, allowing ULM’s offense to muscle their way down the field into Texas territory.
• Ethan Burke may not have entered the sack column for this season just yet but he continues to make plays for the Longhorns as he ended the first half with a blocked field goal.
• Overall, the first half of action was a bit of a mixed bag for the Longhorns. While they have outscored their opponent by 25 points in the first half, there was still some room for improvement. Offensively, there were a few misses – including two Manning interceptions. Meanwhile, on defense, the ULM offense powered the ball down their throats in the third quarter. Thankfully for Sarkisian’s defense, ULM just could not finish off drives, having to settle for field goal attempts.

Third Quarter:

• Offensively, the third quarter was not a particularly appealing one. Following a hot start to the game, Arch Manning has cooled down considerably. However, the team continues to put drives together – finding the end zone, which was a hardship last season.
• Defensively, the Longhorns locked it down once again, forcing a turnover. At the linebacker position, Liona Lefau has been a stud tonight, forcing both a sack and safety. While Anthony Hill Jr. is the team’s star linebacker, the team’s overall success this season will hinge on the shoulders of guys like Lefau.