Texas is still unbeaten, still sitting at No. 1, and still waiting for the offense to look like the group everyone expected in the preseason.
That tension has defined the Longhorns’ first four weeks. Steve Sarkisian’s team has won every game, but the attack has been uneven enough to keep the conversation pointed toward what’s not clicking. For Sarkisian, who calls the plays himself, that has made the early stretch frustrating.
The reason Texas has had the luxury of patience is the defense. Under new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, that side of the ball has been dominant enough to keep the Longhorns moving forward while the offense searches for its rhythm.
Across the first four games, Texas has been strong at every level. The numbers back it up: the Longhorns enter the bye week ranked No. 12 nationally in opponents’ points per game at 13.3, No. 13 in opponents’ yards per game at 271.0, and No. 21 in opponents’ red zone scoring at 72.73 percent.
That production becomes even more striking when you look at the schedule. Two of Texas’ four opponents have come from the Group of 6, but the other two were top-15 teams, including the former No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes.
The offense, meanwhile, has not yet matched the hype. Even with a 4-0 record, Texas is only No. 32 in points per game and No. 58 in yards per game, which is not the kind of profile people expected from Sarkisian’s group.
The splits tell part of the story. Sixty-one percent of Texas’ total yards this season have come against the Group of 6 opponents, and 66 percent of the team’s rushing yards have come in those games as well.
That matters because the ground game has to be reliable for the offense to settle in. The run game and the passing attack have both left something to be desired, but the defense has given the Longhorns enough breathing room to keep working through it.
If Sarkisian gets the offense where he wants it, and Muschamp’s defense keeps rolling at this level, Texas will start looking a lot more like the team people thought it could be.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Enters Texas Bye Week With Real Pressure Building
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Inside Texas, the development path has also created its own pressure point. The Longhorns have been limiting Mannings designed running chances to help protect him, a choice that makes sense from a long-term standpoint but can also affect the rhythm of his game and the decisions he has to make as a passer. With the bye week arriving, it is a natural pause for a quarterback who looks gifted enough to excite scouts, but still has plenty to prove before the noise around him quiets down. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Faces One Huge Backcourt Question Entering Fall Practice
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More than half the roster is new, which makes the job at point guard even more important as Texas tries to settle into roles and figure out its best lineup. Schaefer is using practice to see who can handle the position, how quickly the newcomers fit, and which combinations give the Longhorns the most balance. The answer there may shape everything else about how this team comes together. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Frontcourt Might Be Built To Change Everything Inside
David Punchs move from TCU to Texas gives the Longhorns a different kind of interior look, and it is already shaping up to be one of the more intriguing frontcourt developments of the offseason. The junior center Matas Vokietaitis is expected to share the lane with a player who knows how to make an impact on both ends, and head coach Sean Miller has been openly encouraged by how the two pieces fit together physically.
Punch said his role should look different in Austin, especially on defense, where he will not be asked to do everything he did before. That shift could let Texas lean into a more complementary setup inside, with Vokietaitis doing more of the heavy lifting around the rim while Punch uses his mobility elsewhere. For a team looking to change the way it protects the paint, that combination has plenty of appeal even before the games begin. [Read more 🡒]