Texas left Saturday with a comfortable 30-6 win over UTSA, but the number Steve Sarkisian has to circle is a lot smaller than the final margin.
Inside the 20, the Longhorns were not nearly as sharp as they had been through the first two weeks. Texas scored touchdowns on nine of its 11 red-zone trips in wins over Texas State and Ohio State, an 81.8% rate. Overall, the Longhorns scored on 10 of those 11 possessions, with an interception against Texas State the only empty trip.
Against UTSA, that finishing touch faded.
Texas got into the red zone five times and turned only two of those chances into touchdowns. Arch Manning hit Cam Coleman from three yards out in the second quarter, and freshman Derrek Cooper scored from a yard out with 8:57 left, long after the game had effectively been decided.
The rest of the red-zone work produced field goals from Gianni Spetic, who connected from 34 and 23 yards. Texas also had a third-quarter drive stall at the UTSA 12 and end on downs at the 14. Another possession never reached the red zone but still ended with Spetic drilling a 52-yarder.
That was a sharp turn from what Texas did a week earlier at Ohio State.
Trailing 23-3 going into the fourth quarter, the Longhorns answered with touchdown drives of 91, 72 and 73 yards. All three finished in the red zone. Ryan Wingo caught a three-yard touchdown, then Hollywood Smothers closed out the game with back-to-back one-yard scores.
Against the No. 1 team in the country, Texas had no room for error and finished every chance.
Against UTSA, with the defense controlling the game and the lead never in doubt, the offense settled more often than it should have.
Manning’s 17-of-33 passing line will get plenty of attention, and the offense never found the kind of big-play rhythm many expected. Still, Texas moved the ball well enough to create opportunities. The issue was what happened once those drives got deep into UTSA territory.
Saturday was survivable because the defense did its job. UTSA never reached the end zone, and the Roadrunners managed only two field goals. Every time Texas settled for three, the margin widened a little more.
That kind of cushion won’t be there next Saturday.
Texas opens SEC play at Tennessee in Neyland Stadium, where red-zone possessions will matter a whole lot more. If the Longhorns keep trading touchdowns for field goals after driving the length of the field, that’s a problem they won’t be able to hide.
In Other News...
Texas Heads Into SEC Play With One Big Offensive Concern
Texas finished its non-conference slate unbeaten and healthy after a 30-6 win over UTSA, and that alone is a useful place to be heading into SEC play. The Longhorns got the kind of defensive outing they have come to expect, holding the Roadrunners to 143 total yards, while Derrick Cooper Jr. added a fresh wrinkle in the backfield with 44 yards and a touchdown.
The bigger question sits on the other side of the ball, where Arch Mannings day underscored both the upside and the unevenness of the passing game. He threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, but the rhythm was not always there, leaving Texas with a little bit to clean up before the competition gets much tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Major Defensive Concern Before Tennessee
Texas got a jolt of concern on the defensive side when Colin Simmons was spotted on the sideline in street clothes and wearing a walking boot during the UTSA game. Simmons has been a key edge rusher for the Longhorns, so even the sight of him away from the action immediately changed the temperature around a unit that has otherwise tried to build more depth at that spot this season.
Steve Sarkisian did not offer an update on Simmons at halftime, and no official information has been released since, leaving Texas with more questions than answers as Tennessee approaches next week. The Longhorns have worked to add depth at edge rusher, but losing or even limiting a player like Simmons would be a significant development for a defense that needs as many answers as it can get right now. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Win Over UTSA Still Left Fans With One Big Concern
Texas handled UTSA in a 30-6 non-conference win, and there were enough encouraging signs to make the afternoon feel like a step in the right direction. Arch Manning came out sharp enough to set the tone, the running game found some support from Hollywood Smothers, Raleek Brown and Derrek Cooper, and Cam Coleman finished as the top target with two touchdown catches. On the other side of the ball, Texas did what it was supposed to do, holding UTSA to 70 rushing yards and getting an interception from Rasheem Biles.
Still, the result did not erase the biggest question hovering over the Longhorns afterward. Manning's line finished at 164 passing yards with two touchdowns, but the inconsistency showed up often enough that it left fans wanting more than just a comfortable win over an overmatched opponent. For a Texas team with bigger goals ahead, the margin of victory was fine, yet the passing game still has to look a lot steadier before the schedule gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]