Texas spent its bye week getting healthier, and the timing could hardly be better with the Red River Rivalry up next.
The top-ranked Longhorns come out of the open date with several key pieces trending back toward action for Saturday’s meeting with Oklahoma, a game that always sits near the top of the calendar. Steve Sarkisian said the week off should help, and on Monday he made clear he already sees the benefit.
“Naturally, anytime you come out of a bye week, if we do it right, we should be healthier than we were going into the bye week,” Sarkisian said. “I think we’re healthier than we were this time a week ago.”
That matters most for Texas’ offense, which sputtered on the ground in the loss to Tennessee. The Longhorns managed only 61 rushing yards on 1.7 yards per carry in that game, and getting senior running back Hollywood Smothers back into the mix gives the unit a much-needed jolt.
Smothers was dressed at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, but Sarkisian said he was only there as an emergency option and never took a snap. Before that road trip, though, he had been the lead back.
In three games, Smothers logged 41 carries for a team-best 198 yards, averaging close to five yards per attempt, and scored three total touchdowns. Two of those scores came late against Ohio State and helped seal the comeback.
“I think all the tools that we look for in a running back have shown up for him,” Sarkisian said about Smothers on Thursday. “He’s been sorely missed, not having him, and it’s good to have him back.”
Texas is also set to get sophomore tight end Nick Townsend back after he had been out since the win over Ohio State. Townsend was removed from the injury report following Thursday’s update, and his return gives Arch Manning another reliable target while also adding more physicality to the run game.
Another expected boost comes in the secondary, where junior defensive back Xaiver Filsaime is poised to make his season debut. Filsaime had not played yet this year, but he was not listed on the Wednesday report. In 17 games as a Longhorn, he has 21 tackles, and his return adds depth to a Texas pass defense that ranks No. 4 in the SEC.
Not everyone is on the way back. Sophomore offensive lineman Jordan Coleman, wide receiver Kaliq Lockett and defensive lineman Zion Williams are out for the rivalry game. Sophomore defensive lineman Justus Terry is still working his way back from an injury suffered in pregame warmups before the Ohio State game, though his status is moving in the right direction.
“That hurt because we had a plan for him (against Ohio State),” Sarkisian said about Terry on Sept. 14.
“We were counting on him, and in football sometimes that happens, and you just deal with it. Hopefully, we get him back sooner rather than later because he is performing at a high level.”
Texas may have spent the bye week idle, but it came out of it in better shape. Oklahoma also had last weekend off, though the Sooners entered this week with 13 players on the initial injury report, leaving their availability unsettled heading into Saturday.
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What makes the run even more notable is the level of competition Texas has already seen, with the schedule asking for answers against Ohio State and Tennessee. For a team trying to protect its top ranking, the defensive performance has been the clearest reason the Longhorns have been able to keep moving forward, even as the offense has not always matched it snap for snap. [Read more 🡒]