Texas came out of its win over Mississippi State with a cleaner result on the scoreboard than in the trenches.
The Longhorns have now strung together back-to-back victories for the first time since the end of September, and Arch Manning was a big reason why. He put together one of the most efficient performances of his career, helping Texas control the game against the Bulldogs.
But the offensive line left behind a fresh concern, and it’s not a small one.
Texas gave up five sacks and eight tackles for loss, a rough reminder that pass protection is still a problem even after a dominant showing. That becomes even more important with two of the nation’s best defenses still waiting on the schedule.
The line had already taken a major hit when star offensive tackle Trevor Goosby went down with a season-ending injury. The Longhorns had a full week to adjust, and Steve Sarkisian made a small but notable shuffle up front by moving Andre Cojoe to right tackle and Melvin Siani to left tackle. That was a change from the setup Texas used after the mid-game injury last weekend, when Cojoe was placed at left tackle.
Even with the adjustment, the Bulldogs were able to get into the backfield too often and disrupt the offense. The issue has become bigger than one game, too. Texas has now allowed 24 sacks this season, one more than the 23 it gave up all of last year, which was the very problem that led to the offseason overhaul in the trenches.
The schedule does Texas no favors from here. Mississippi State entered the game ranked 48th nationally in sacks per game at 2.3, which is solid but not overwhelming.
Next up are Missouri and LSU, and both bring far more pressure. Missouri is No. 18 in sacks per game at 2.8, while LSU sits at No. 1 at 4.4.
The run game didn’t offer much relief, either. Texas averaged just 1.9 yards per rush on 32 attempts, another sign that the offense still needs more steadiness if it wants to match the expectations around it.
The hope is that more reps will help the offensive line settle in, but right now the group needs a real boost in confidence and production before the rest of the season gets even tougher.
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Texas Win Came With One Sideline Concern Fans Should Watch
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