While the top-ranked Texas Longhorns did not deliver a dazzling performance in their debut as the nation’s number one team, they secured a healthy, injury-free 30-6 triumph over the UTSA Roadrunners to conclude their non-conference schedule.
Offensive struggles persist
Following the matchup with Ohio State, where their offensive issues were attributed to early misfortune and strong opposing play down the stretch, it appears the Longhorns’ unit—particularly quarterback Arch Manning—remains unpolished as they prepare to enter the challenging conference portion of their schedule.
Across the initial three quarters of play, the Texas offense managed a mere 299 total yards, averaging only 4.6 yards per snap, and put up just 23 points against a defense that had previously given up 26 points to Texas State. Though the ground game performed respectably by contributing 138 yards, Manning and the aerial attack appeared disjointed and struggled for consistency throughout the evening.
Manning ended the matchup with 16 completions on 32 passes for 161 yards, yielding an average of 5.03 yards per dropback, though he managed to throw two touchdowns despite his inability to establish a steady groove until the final stages. At one point around his second scoring throw, he endured a rough patch where he went 4-for-14 for only 40 yards, which included consecutive incompletion stretches of three and four throws.
A new weapon emerges in the backfield
Having been sidelined during the early part of the season by injury, second-string running back Derrick Cooper Jr. was intentionally integrated into the offense late by head coach Steve Sarkisian, who relied heavily on him during the team’s opening touchdown drive after halftime. The freshman ball-carrier handled the ball on seven of the drive’s nine snaps, generating 33 yards and finding the end zone. Cooper finished the contest with 11 carries for 44 yards, registering a four-yard average per attempt, establishing himself as a viable third rushing option and highlighting the promising depth of the team’s ground attack.
The primary duo in the backfield also made solid contributions, as Hollywood Smothers ran for 54 yards on 10 touches and Raleek Brown added 41 yards on his own 10 rushing attempts during the matchup.
Defensive unit regains its stride
Following a difficult outing against Jeremiah Smith the previous week, the defensive unit completely neutralized a UTSA attack that had been putting up an average of 38 points per game in its initial matchups. The Longhorns limited the Roadrunners to a meager 143 yards of total offense and thoroughly contained dual-threat quarterback Owen McCown, who departed in the final quarter having thrown for just 70 yards alongside one interception. McCown was so thoroughly disrupted that he failed to connect on back-to-back throws until early in the third quarter, when he connected with DJ Allen for a gain of 12 yards.
This level of defensive authority is precisely what is anticipated from Texas when facing a lesser opponent, stepping up to secure the game while the offense sputtered and searched for its flow for the majority of the matchup.
