Texas needed Saturday to go right, and it got exactly that against Ole Miss. Staring at a two-game skid and the possibility of watching its College Football Playoff hopes fade for a second straight year, the Longhorns answered with a 34-27 win over the then-top-10 Rebels.
The victory didn’t just keep Texas alive. It also came with help from three unlikely difference-makers who stepped into bigger roles and delivered.
At the top of that list was Andre Cojoe, a name few would have expected to carry that much weight. The fourth-year offensive lineman from Grand Prairie, Texas, had already appeared in all seven games, but his workload jumped after Trevor Goosby went down. Goosby’s afternoon ended in the first half with a knee injury that was later diagnosed as a torn patellar tendon and required season-ending surgery.
That left Cojoe to handle the blind side for Arch Manning, and he held up well after entering the game. He did allow one sack, but he otherwise settled in and drew praise for the way he helped in the run game, repeatedly sealing off Ole Miss defenders and opening lanes for Raleek Brown and the rest of the ground attack.
Steve Sarkisian said Texas leaned more heavily on the run after Goosby’s injury because of concerns about pass protection with a new left tackle, but Cojoe’s showing gave the Longhorns a reason to believe they can absorb the loss without everything falling apart.
Texas also had to navigate another thin spot: running back. Injuries have battered that room in recent seasons, and they were an issue again on Saturday. NC State transfer Hollywood Smothers missed the Ole Miss game for the second time in just seven weeks, while former highly ranked true freshman Derrek Cooper was also unavailable.
That opened the door for Brown to carry the offense, and he made the most of it. Brown finished with 157 yards on 23 carries in a strong day on the ground.
Behind him, Michael Terry provided a lift as the No. 2 back. The converted wide receiver ran for 41 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, and his work on Texas’s final touchdown drive stood out. After Brown ripped off a 47-yard run, Terry followed with gains of 12 and 19 yards to help put the Longhorns on the goal line.
Tight end usage also shifted in a way Texas had wanted before the season started. The Longhorns had hoped to get back to more two-tight-end looks, but early offensive issues pushed Sarkisian and his staff toward more 11 personnel - one running back and one tight end - to get an extra wide receiver on the field.
Still, Michael Masunas saw his role grow against Ole Miss. The fifth-year senior, who had played in every game before Saturday, logged a season-high 56 snaps and caught three passes for 37 yards. By the end of the night, he looked like Texas’s most trusted tight end.
In Other News...
Texas Pass Rush Just Took Another Hit Before Mississippi State
Texas is heading into its meeting with Mississippi State with more questions on the edge than it would have liked. Colin Simmons, the Longhorns standout pass rusher, was downgraded to doubtful because of an ankle sprain, and Richard Wesley is already out, leaving the front seven thinner than usual at a spot where Texas normally likes to create disruption.
There is some relief on the other side of the availability report, with running back Hollywood Smothers and wide receiver Cam Coleman removed from the injury list and expected to play. Mississippi State, meanwhile, will be missing starting quarterback Kamario Taylor and wide receiver Ayden Williams, so the matchup still comes with some notable absences for both teams as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Must Avoid One Trap As Mississippi State Changes The Equation
Mississippi States quarterback situation has changed the shape of this matchup in a way Texas has to respect, even if the Longhorns still look like the more complete team on paper. With the Bulldogs dealing with that injury at the most important position, the focus shifts to how Texas handles the trenches, where the offensive line will be tested by Mississippi States front seven and the Longhorns need to stay steady enough to let the rest of the offense settle in.
There is also plenty for Texas to attack through the air if it protects the football and keeps the penalties in check, two areas that can turn a manageable road game into something messier than it should be. On defense, the Longhorns will need clean work from the linebackers in particular against Fluff Bothwell, because Mississippi State may look for ways to stay balanced and make Texas earn every stop while the game plan adjusts around its quarterback issue. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Found A New Defensive Formula When Colin Simmons Was Out
When Colin Simmons was unavailable, Texas had to get creative against one of the SECs most difficult offenses, and the result was a defense that looked noticeably different than the one Longhorns fans have been used to seeing. In the win over then-No. 7 Mississippi, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp adjusted the front and asked the line to function in a new way, all while trying to keep Ole Miss from finding rhythm in its Veer-and-Shoot system.
The bigger surprise was how much Texas leaned on linebackers Rasheem Biles and Justin Cryer in flexible roles to help make the plan work. It was not a perfect pass-rushing night, but the Longhorns still found a way to limit Ole Miss scoring and survive one of the seasons toughest schematic tests, which leaves an obvious question for Texas moving forward: how much of this adjustment package can carry over if the defense has to play without Simmons again? [Read more 🡒]