- Let’s start with the big picture. This is as bad as a loss for Texas since Tom Herman took over the program. The Longhorns outplayed the Cyclones for pretty much the entire game, but when it came down to crunch time Texas showed the all too familiar traits that have gotten them to this point: Untimely penalties, questionable 4th down decisions, abandoning the running game. It is year 4 under Herman and the Longhorns are still plagued by the same issues that were obvious in year 1 of his tenure.
- Bijan Robinson had 10 carries on the first 3 possessions of the game and proceeded to only get 3 more carries the rest of the game. The ironic part is many expected Texas to struggle to run the ball against a strong Iowa State front, but the Longhorns actually had their fair share of success. This offensive staff appears to be good at scripting out their first few drives of the hame, and then when it comes time for adjustments, they panic and fail to capitalize on what is working.
- A lot of people will look back at Sam Ehlinger’s performance and remember the sack he took right before Cameron Dicker’s 57 yard miss, but overall it was a good game for the senior. He definitely looked better throwing the ball and connected on several deep shots he was missing in previous weeks.
- It was by far Brennan Eagles best game as a Longhorn. The junior had 5 catches for 142 yards. One of the biggest frustrations for Longhorn fans and coaches have been the inconsistency of #13. This could be a game that allows him to turn the corner and set himself up for a big senior season.
- Now, turning our attention to the defense. It was emphasized all week how good Texas would need to be against Iowa State’s tight ends, and the Longhorns let them do a lot of damage between the 20’s. Charlie Kolar and Dylan Soehner combined for 11 catches for 199 yards. Kolar in particular killed Texas up the seam several times when he was completely uncovered.
- All in all, the Texas defense turned in a winning performance. They couldn’t stop Iowa State on their final drive when they went in for the go-ahead TD, but otherwise limited the Cyclones to a lot of field goals.
- In regards to special teams, you have to focus on the decision to run a fake punt around midfield up by 7. People can debate whether it was the right call or not, but the fact of the matter is having a brand new punter throw to the least-athletic pass catcher you have on the roster is not a recipe for success. It ended up costing Texas field position, which allowed Iowa State to go down and kick a field goal to cut the lead to 20-16.
What’s next?
Texas is now pretty much officially out of Big 12 title contention. The Longhorns still have a game on the road against Kansas State and a makeup game at Kansas remaining, but all eyes will turn to what they decide to do about Herman’s future. He certainly did not do anything to help his cause today and it’s hard to envision any scenario that has him coaching the Longhorns in 2021.
