Texas is walking into its first SEC road test with a lot more scar tissue - and a lot more answers - than it had a year ago.
That matters because the last time the Longhorns spent a season on the road, it was ugly far too often. Texas played five road games and lost three of them, while the two wins came against Kentucky and Mississippi State in games that still demanded plenty of surviving.
One was a slugfest. The other required a comeback that bordered on miraculous.
There wasn’t much room for comfort anywhere.
This time, the trip sends Texas to Tennessee on Saturday, where the Longhorns will face one of the toughest atmospheres in the SEC as the favorites. The setting brings back memories of last year’s first SEC road game in Florida, where Texas went into the steamy swamp of Gainesville and, in a very real sense, watched its playoff hopes fade.
The numbers from that day told the story. Texas was hit with five false starts against Florida, and road penalties remained a problem all season long, with the Longhorns finishing with 15 false starts in away games. Neyland Stadium is not expected to be any easier.
But the biggest difference now is what Texas is bringing with it. ESPN noted that this roster entered the season with more than 2,300 additional career snaps compared with last year’s team. That kind of experience can’t erase every problem, but it can keep a shaky moment from turning into a full-blown collapse.
That’s the real question Saturday: not whether Texas can avoid every mistake, but whether it can absorb one without losing control. Arch Manning and the offensive line do not need perfection.
A pre-snap penalty won’t automatically decide the game. But one miscue can start the chain reaction, and the crowd noise from 100,000 Tennesseans can make that chain reaction hard to stop.
Manning’s composure will be a major piece of the puzzle. He has not played in an environment like this in over 300 days, and Texas needs him to stay steady if the game starts to wobble.
The line will be under its own pressure, too. A silent count figures to be part of the night, and fifth-year center Connor Robertson will have a central role in keeping everything lined up.
Texas cannot afford to get stuck behind the chains the way it did in so many of those road struggles last season. The line has been in sync so far this year, and it will need to stay that way while also giving Manning a clean pocket.
If that happens - if the line holds up and Manning answers after an erratic showing against UTSA - Tennessee’s biggest edge could disappear fast.
Texas has seen environments like Rocky Top before. Now it has to prove that last year’s road lessons actually mean something. If they do, the Longhorns could be headed into the Red River Rivalry unbeaten.
In Other News...
Texas Defense Faces A Tennessee Test That Could Wear It Down
Tennessees ground game has become the sort of weekly problem that can test even a disciplined defense, and Texas is getting the latest look at it. The Volunteers lead the SEC in rushing yards per game, and Josh Heupels offense has leaned into a mix of run schemes and 12 personnel looks as it works to keep true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon comfortable and protected.
For Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns, the challenge goes beyond just stopping one back or one formation. Tennessee has had to adjust after the injury to tight end Ethan Davis, but the creativity of the run game has remained intact, and Sarkisian acknowledged the variety it brings. If Texas cannot control the line of scrimmage early, the Volunteers have a way of turning the game into a long, physical test for a defense that may have to keep answering snap after snap. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Lets Another Road Lead Slip In Frustrating SEC Draw
Texas had another road result it probably felt it should have finished off, leaving Donald R. Dizney Stadium with a 1-1 draw against Florida in SEC play. Anderson gave the Longhorns the edge in the 30th minute with a penalty kick, and for a while it looked like Texas had done enough to carry a lead into the finish.
Florida answered in the 60th minute on Zoe Mains free kick, and from there the Gators pressed harder in the second half. Texas goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn kept the point intact with five saves, but the Longhorns still had to settle for a frustrating tie after letting the advantage slip away on the road. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Faces A Massive Road Test Every Longhorn Fan Fears
Texas is about to walk into one of the sports most intimidating settings for its biggest road stage yet, with a trip to Knoxville bringing the kind of atmosphere that can rattle even a top-ranked team. ESPNs College GameDay will be on hand, but the real test begins well before kickoff, with more than 100,000 fans expected to pack the stadium and turn the night into a full-scale pressure cooker.
Steve Sarkisian and several players have already pointed to the noise as a major factor, and it is easy to see why this one has the feel of a true measuring-stick game. For a Longhorn team trying to handle the moment as much as the opponent, the challenge is not just the ranking or the spotlight, but managing a setting that has become one of the most feared in the sport. [Read more 🡒]