Texas left Saturday night with a 30-6 win over UTSA and a 3-0 record, but the No. 1 Longhorns did not exactly look the part for long stretches in Austin.
With non-conference play now complete and SEC play looming, the biggest story from this one was not style points. It was Texas getting through a choppy, uneven game without any real damage on the scoreboard.
The offense never settled in cleanly against a UTSA defense that made things uncomfortable. Arch Manning finished 17 of 33 for 164 yards and two touchdowns, a stat line that included no interceptions but also plenty of missed chances. He was under pressure often enough to turn the game into a grind, and Texas never found the kind of rhythm it had against Ohio State.
That was especially true in the first half, when the running game never really took hold. Derrek Cooper and Michael Terry III helped steady things after halftime, but the Longhorns still have work to do before heading to Tennessee.
"I just felt like offensively we started off in a pretty good groove, and then it was just kind of a choppy game," Sarkisian said. " ... The flow of the game just could never really get going for us offensively."
One of the brighter offensive notes came from Ryan Wingo. After a quieter night against Ohio State, when a dropped pass led to an interception, he delivered against UTSA with four catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns. He still has not had the huge yardage breakout game, but he now has four touchdowns in Texas’ first three games.
Manning also spent too much time scrambling and taking hits. In the first half, he was forced out of the pocket repeatedly, and one of those runs ended with his helmet flying off. He finished with nine carries for 50 yards, both season-highs through three games.
Texas’ defense set the tone early and drew the first praise from Sarkisian after the game.
"I felt like our defense, first of all, had a phenomenal game. And talk about answering the bell. We talked about being intentional, trying to go get the ball, first play of the game, Rasheem Biles interception," Sarkisian said.
The Longhorns also need to clean up the flags. After committing just two penalties in the win over Ohio State, they were hit with eight against UTSA for 88 yards. That kind of sloppiness did not cost them here, but it is the sort of issue that can turn a close game into a problem fast once conference play starts.
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 🡒]