Texas walked into this game with all the usual trappings of a powerhouse: a roster loaded with talent, one of the most expensive groups in college football by some measures, a defense that was supposed to have new life under a new coordinator, and a quarterback carrying one of the biggest names in the sport.
None of that mattered against Florida.
The Longhorns dropped their second straight game, falling to the Gators one week after losing to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. Texas also lost to Florida for the second straight time, and the performance raised even more questions about where this season is headed.
The biggest issue starts at the top. Steve Sarkisian is the first name that has to come up after this one, because the offense keeps going nowhere while he continues to handle the play-calling.
That’s the part of this story that feels impossible to ignore now. Texas has too much talent to keep producing these kind of flat, stalled-out performances against teams it should be beating.
Sarkisian is the clear loser here because the Longhorns simply didn’t do enough on offense, and the blame lands heavily on him. After this loss, his name is going to start showing up on hot-seat lists, and that’s just the reality of it.
Arch Manning also comes out of this one looking rough. Outside of a 62-yard completion to Emmett Mosley V in the fourth quarter, Manning never found a rhythm.
He finished with 173 passing yards and one touchdown, but that doesn’t come close to telling the full story. He missed throws, made poor decisions, and looked uncomfortable throughout the game.
There was also a game-sealing fumble and what easily could have been, as the source put it, “(nay, should have been) an interception.”
At some point, Texas may need to look at another option, whether that’s KJ Lacey or Dia Bell, because Manning’s current level of play is not getting the job done.
The offensive line didn’t help him much either. Trevor Goosby and the rest of the unit allowed pressure to leak into the backfield again and again, leaving Manning with very little time to work through his reads. Texas managed to settle in somewhat on the ground, but the numbers still weren’t good enough: just 99 rushing yards, 11 tackles for loss allowed, and five sacks surrendered.
That’s not the kind of line production Texas can afford, especially if Manning remains QB1.
There was at least one bright spot on the Texas side, and it came from the defense’s best individual performer. Colin Simmons was everywhere before leaving with an injury at the beginning of the fourth quarter and not returning.
He posted eight total tackles, five solo tackles, four tackles for loss, and one sack before going down. The injury was one of the biggest gut punches of the afternoon, and the Longhorns can only hope he’s back sooner rather than later.
Still, even with Simmons playing at a high level and other familiar names like Rasheem Biles, Lance Jackson, Justin Cryer, and Jelani McDonald holding up well enough, the defense didn’t do enough overall. Florida finished with 313 total yards and still managed to beat Texas 27-24, with one of the Longhorns’ touchdowns coming on Ryan Niblett’s punt return.
That’s the part that stings most. Texas brought in Will Muschamp to avoid exactly this kind of result, yet a sophomore quarterback making his first career start still found a way to beat the Longhorns.
And that quarterback was Tramell Jones Jr., who had the kind of night Florida needed. In his first career start, Jones completed 155 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air, while also adding 41 rushing yards. He did it against one of the nation’s most imposing defenses and helped push Florida to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play.
There had been plenty of doubt about Florida’s offense entering the game, and Jones erased a lot of it. In a game where Texas needed to look like the better team, Florida’s backup quarterback played like the best one on the field.
In Other News...
Texas May Be Getting A Very Different Florida Offense Than Expected
Floridas quarterback situation is suddenly a major subplot for the Longhorns, with Aaron Philo trending toward sitting out the upcoming game because of a shoulder injury. If he cannot go, Texas would be preparing for a different look entirely, with sophomore Tramell Jones lined up to make his first career start in a game that already carries plenty of weight for both teams.
Jones was a four-star recruit and has flashed efficiency in limited action this season, enough to draw praise from head coach Jon Sumrall as a potential starting quarterback. For Texas, that means the film and the plan may need a late adjustment, because the offense coming to Austin could be shaped as much by inexperience as by the usual Florida personnel. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Colin Simmons Problem Fans Will Fear
Colin Simmons gave Texas everything it could want from its star edge rusher before the game turned sideways against Florida. He had already piled up eight tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack when he went down with a lower-body injury early in the fourth quarter, a sequence that immediately changed the feel of the Longhorns defense.
Simmons was taken off the field for further examination, and Texas felt the effect almost right away as Florida moved ahead on a field goal while he was out. For a defense built around his disruption, the bigger concern now is how much time the Longhorns may have to manage without the player who had been driving their pass rush all game. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Have A Colin Simmons Problem They Can't Afford
Texas got a scare in the fourth quarter against Florida when Colin Simmons, its star pass rusher and the nations sack leader, went down with an apparent leg injury. He was helped off the field and taken for further evaluation, leaving the Longhorns with an immediate concern about one of the most important players on their defense.
Simmons has been central to everything Texas wants to do up front, giving the Longhorns the kind of edge pressure that can change a game in a hurry. Any absence would put extra pressure on a defense that leans on him to disrupt opposing quarterbacks, and it adds another layer of urgency as Texas waits to learn more about the extent of the injury. [Read more 🡒]