Steve Sarkisian spent the offseason trying to clean up one of Texas’ ugliest habits from a year ago, and the opener against Texas State showed early progress.
The Longhorns were flagged only four times for 35 yards in the win, a sharp step forward from last season’s 134th-ranked penalty output, when Texas averaged 8.3 penalties and 69.7 yards per game. Four penalties matched the team’s low from last year, while 35 yards would have been the second-fewest penalty total.
Three of the four flags came on offense. Emmett Mosley was hit with a spot foul holding call, Nick Townsend was called for encroachment, and Jaydon Chatman was flagged for a false start. The lone defensive penalty was a pass interference call on Kade Phillips that Sarkisian questioned afterward.
“I really thought he was in pretty good position. It’d be worth taking a look at the film,” Sarkisian said after the game.
Not every penalty carries the same weight, though, and that was true here. The holding call on Mosley and the false start on Chatman set Texas back, but neither one wrecked the possession. One drive still ended in a Longhorn touchdown, and the other eventually led to Arch Manning throwing a red-zone interception 50 yards later.
The Phillips penalty was more damaging in the moment. On Texas State’s second offensive series, Brad Jackson saw man coverage with both safeties deep and took a shot down the field on 3rd and 10.
Phillips was isolated, beaten by a step and dealing with a slightly underthrown ball, which put him in a tough spot. He got his head around and made a play on the ball, but slight contact as the receiver slowed to catch it drew the flag.
Texas State did not score on the drive, but the free first down on third and long gave the Bobcats a chance to extend a possession they badly needed early.
Townsend’s encroachment was the most avoidable of the bunch. He lined up in the neutral zone, and the mistake stalled the drive as Texas couldn’t recover from 1st and 15. The Longhorns settled for a field goal, which turned out to be kicker Gio Spetic’s only attempt of the game.
For a team trying to erase self-inflicted damage, the opener was a decent first step. Still, Texas left room to grow, especially with two pre-snap penalties and a defensive flag that helped Texas State stay alive on a key series.
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