No. 1 Texas heads into Week 3 carrying the kind of betting line that tells you everything about how oddsmakers see this matchup: the Longhorns are expected to handle UTSA with room to spare.
That much makes sense on paper. UTSA is 2-0, but Vegas still has Texas pegged for a blowout, with the Longhorns favored by 30.5 points.
The moneyline sits at -10,000 for Texas, while a UTSA upset would pay out $2,200 on a $100 bet. The over/under is set at 58.5, which points to a projected final around 45-14 in Texas’ favor.
The Roadrunners have done a decent job keeping points off the board early in the season, allowing just 21.0 per game. The bigger issue has been what happened last week against Texas State, when UTSA gave up 289 rushing yards. That kind of vulnerability is exactly where Texas can start piling up damage.
Steve Sarkisian has options there. Texas can lean on its running back room, with Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown leading the way and freshman Derrek Cooper back in the mix. It would not be a surprise if Arch Manning also gets more chances to use his legs, something Texas has not leaned on much so far.
UTSA’s offense brings a different test. Owen McCowen threw 42 passes last week, so Texas should be prepared for an Air Raid look. Even so, the Longhorns’ defensive line should have a real chance to get after the quarterback.
The expectation here is that Texas gets out in front and stays there. The projection is a 42-10 Longhorns win, a result that would land just under the posted total. That kind of margin would also give Texas the chance to rotate in second- and third-string players before turning the page to SEC play.
A win would push Texas to 3-0 and move Sarkisian’s record with the program to 51-20 since he took over in 2021. After UTSA, the Longhorns head to Knoxville in Week 4 for their conference opener against Tennessee.
In Other News...
Texas Heads Into SEC Play With One Big Offensive Concern
Texas wrapped up its non-conference slate with a 30-6 win over UTSA, and the bigger takeaway for Steve Sarkisians group was that it came out healthy ahead of SEC play. The defense did what a No. 1 team should do, holding the Roadrunners to 143 total yards, while the offense found enough bursts to keep control of the game and move on to the next challenge.
The passing game, though, still looked like the area most likely to test Texas once the league schedule begins. Arch Manning had a productive line, but the rhythm never really settled in, even as the Longhorns got a boost from freshman Derrick Cooper Jr. in the backfield, where he gave Texas another meaningful option alongside the more established pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Major Defensive Concern Before Tennessee
Texas defensive front already had a big enough week ahead with Tennessee on the schedule, and now the edge-rusher rotation has become a little harder to read. Colin Simmons, one of the key pieces off the edge, was spotted on the sideline against UTSA in street clothes, which immediately raised eyebrows for a defense that has leaned on its pass rush to set the tone.
Steve Sarkisian did not offer an update on Simmons at halftime, and there has been no official word since, leaving the Longhorns with an open question at a position where they had added depth this season. With Tennessee coming next week, Texas can at least point to that added insurance, but how much of it gets tested may depend on whether Simmons is available. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Gets A Ryan Wingo Scare At The Worst Time
Texas had a brief scare with Ryan Wingo on Saturday night against UTSA, as the sophomore receiver left in the first half because of an injury before returning to the field to open the third quarter. It was an unsettling moment for a Longhorns offense that has leaned on him early, with Wingo already off to a strong start this season with 11 catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns through the first two games.
The timing mattered because Texas was already managing a few moving parts elsewhere on the roster, with several players inactive for the game even as running back Derrek Cooper and linebacker Markus Boswell made their way back into action. For a team trying to stay healthy and build rhythm early in the season, any issue with Wingo will draw immediate attention, especially after how central he has been to the passing game so far. [Read more 🡒]