Texas keeps winning despite injuries and the absence of a killer instinct. The Longhorns are closing in on a spot in the Big 12 Championship game with a 29-26 win over TCU. But they have now lost the plot in three of their last four games. They blew a 20-point lead on the road before holding on for yet another win that went down to the wire.
Texas (9-1, 6-1) turned in a carbon copy of the performances it had against Houston and Kansas State. Every time the Longhorns seem on the verge of blowing out their opponent, they allow the other team to come roaring back. Blowing a big lead in one game is a fluke. It becomes a concern if it happens a second time. Once it occurs a third time, it’s officially a pattern.
Texas took a 26-6 lead into halftime against TCU (4-6, 2-5). The Longhorns led 27-7 against Kansas State and 21-0 over Houston, so it should not have come as a surprise when TCU outscored Texas 20-3 in the second half. Things went from bad to worse when Jonathon Brooks literally crawled off the field with a leg injury in the fourth quarter. His status remains uncertain as a result.
A Win Is a Win
The Longhorns are 9-1 for the first time since 2009. Texas keeps winning despite the lack of killer instinct on display for three of the last four weeks. The team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. It has exuded character and confidence despite the inconsistency. Conversely, there isn’t a team in the Big 12 that would not trade places with the Longhorns this season.
Texas welcomed Quinn Ewers back with open arms. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 317 yards and a touchdown after missing the previous two games with a sprained shoulder. Ewers overcame an early interception to find a rhythm. He sealed the game with a 35-yard completion to Adonai Mitchell late in the fourth quarter. His performance delivered the win and widened the gap between Texas and the rest of the Big 12.
Defense Wins Championships
Texas held TCU to 88 yards rushing. The only way the Horned Frogs were going to win was by relying on the arm of redshirt freshman Josh Hoover. He nearly came through, throwing for 302 yards and two touchdowns on 24 of 36 passing. Although Hoover rose to the occasion, it was too much to ask of the young signal-caller.
T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Murphy II, and Trill Carter each had a sack for Texas. Sweat continued his dominant play in the trenches, totaling four tackles including a tackle for loss. Texas benefited from a pair of standout performances from linebackers Jaylan Ford and Anthony Hill Jr., who had eight and seven tackles, respectively. Ford is the team’s leading tackler and has been named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award as one of the nation’s best linebackers. He lived up to his reputation against TCU, flying to the ball and making plays all over the field.
Killer Instinct
The missing ingredient remains a killer instinct. The Longhorns struggle to put overmatched teams out of their misery. Texas fans got their first glimpse of it in mid-September when the Longhorns were locked in a 10-10 tie with Wyoming at the start of the fourth quarter. The re-emergence of this chink in their armor makes the 34-24 victory against Alabama seem like a distant memory.
Trailing 26-6 at the half, TCU held Texas scoreless in the third quarter. The Horned Frogs followed the script of other teams, finding a groove against a Longhorns squad that starts to look complacent after early success. TCU scored touchdowns on its final three possessions of the game. The Frogs moved the ball at will against the Texas defense in what has to be a disturbing trend for Longhorns players and coaches alike.
The Big Question
Does it all boil down to a lack of killer instinct for Texas? Additionally, does it fall on the players or the coaching staff? It could be a little of both. As in the past, the Longhorns’ swoon occurred when the team emerged from the locker room after halftime. Texas had five possessions in the second half. It produced three punts and a field goal before holding onto the ball to end the game.
Texas deviated from its game plan in the second half against TCU. Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian stayed with his pass-first philosophy on the first two drives. Both possessions ended in punts. The next time it had the ball, Texas staged a 10-play, 44-yard drive that ended with a 49-yard field goal by Bert Auburn. The Longhorns ran the ball nine consecutive times on that drive. While the drive ended with Texas putting points on the board, Sarkisian had clearly switched to a run-heavy offense. The only problem with that philosophy is that TCU was busy scoring touchdowns while the Texas offense had turned one-dimensional.
Cyclone Warning
Next up for Texas is a night game against Iowa State (6-4, 5-2). The Cyclones are coming off a 45-13 thumping over BYU. Iowa State fans will surely turn Jack Trice Stadium into a hostile environment as the Cyclones are chasing a bid in the Big 12 Championship game.
If it weren’t for BYU, Iowa State would have the worst offense in the Big 12 when it comes to total yardage. By the same metric, its defense ranks as the best in the conference. Defensive backs Jeremiah Cooper and Beau Freyler are the leaders on that side of the ball. The Cyclones will try to limit Texas’ high-powered offense and rely on a proven defensive unit. If Iowa State can grind down the game and the Longhorns’ killer instinct fails to materialize again, it could be the makings of an upset in Ames.
