A Win Is a Win<\/h3>\n
The Longhorns are 9-1 for the first time since 2009.\u00a0 Texas keeps winning despite the lack of killer instinct on display for three of the last four weeks.\u00a0 The team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball.\u00a0 It has exuded character and confidence despite the inconsistency.\u00a0 Conversely, there isn\u2019t a team in the Big 12 that would not trade places with the Longhorns this season.<\/p>\n
Texas welcomed Quinn Ewers<\/a> back with open arms.\u00a0 He completed 22 of 33 passes for 317 yards and a touchdown after missing the previous two games with a sprained shoulder.\u00a0 Ewers overcame an early interception to find a rhythm.\u00a0 He sealed the game with a 35-yard completion to Adonai Mitchell<\/a> late in the fourth quarter.\u00a0 His performance delivered the win and widened the gap between Texas and the rest of the Big 12<\/a>.<\/p>\n Texas held TCU to 88 yards rushing.\u00a0 The only way the Horned Frogs were going to win was by relying on the arm of redshirt freshman Josh Hoover<\/strong>.\u00a0 He nearly came through, throwing for 302 yards and two touchdowns on 24 of 36 passing.\u00a0 Although Hoover rose to the occasion, it was too much to ask of the young signal-caller.<\/p>\n T\u2019Vondre Sweat<\/a>, Byron Murphy II<\/a>, and Trill Carter<\/strong> each had a sack for Texas.\u00a0 Sweat continued his dominant play in the trenches, totaling four tackles including a tackle for loss.\u00a0 Texas benefited from a pair of standout performances from linebackers Jaylan Ford<\/a> and Anthony Hill Jr<\/strong>., who had eight and seven tackles, respectively.\u00a0 Ford is the team\u2019s leading tackler and has been named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award as one of the nation\u2019s best linebackers.\u00a0 He lived up to his reputation against TCU, flying to the ball and making plays all over the field.<\/p>\n The missing ingredient remains a killer instinct.\u00a0 The Longhorns struggle to put overmatched teams out of their misery. \u00a0Texas 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.\u00a0 The re-emergence of this chink in their armor makes the 34-24 victory against Alabama seem like a distant memory.<\/p>\n Trailing 26-6 at the half, TCU held Texas scoreless in the third quarter.\u00a0 The Horned Frogs followed the script of other teams, finding a groove against a Longhorns squad that starts to look complacent after early success.\u00a0 TCU scored touchdowns on its final three possessions of the game.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n Does it all boil down to a lack of killer instinct for Texas?\u00a0 Additionally, does it fall on the players or the coaching staff?\u00a0 It could be a little of both.\u00a0 As in the past, the Longhorns\u2019 swoon occurred when the team emerged from the locker room after halftime.\u00a0 Texas had five possessions in the second half.\u00a0 It produced three punts and a field goal before holding onto the ball to end the game.<\/p>\nDefense Wins Championships<\/h3>\n
Killer Instinct<\/h3>\n
The Big Question<\/h3>\n
![\"killer](\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/11\/USATSI_21881167_168400536_lowres-300x195.jpg\")