Anyone can say Texas’ offense needs to play better in the last five games on its regular season docket.
Few people can determine what that should actually look like.
For the Longhorns to survive their final stretch, these three specific things must happen: Texas runs the ball exactly how it did against Ole Miss on Saturday, senior quarterback Arch Manning prioritizes intermediate distance passing plays and the offensive line and tight ends show up big on the blocking front.
Simple, right?
Not so much, but that doesn’t mean the Longhorns aren’t capable of it. They’ve shown glimpses of being able to do each of these things; now, they just need to do them consistently and simultaneously.
Texas’ rushing effort against Ole Miss demonstrated that the group can perform in the absence of senior running back Hollywood Smothers. Fifth-year running back Raleek Brown recorded 157 yards, and sophomore running back Michael Terry III had a breakout game with eight carries for 41 yards and a touchdown.
Now that it’s shown what it’s capable of, this rushing unit will need to maintain momentum throughout Texas’ last five matchups against Mississippi State, Missouri, LSU, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Whether or not Smothers takes the field for these games, the Longhorns won’t succeed if they don’t pose a serious rushing threat against their opponents.
Texas also needs to stop romanticizing the deep ball to junior wide receiver Cam Coleman and start focusing on executing intermediate distance passing plays. Because, as beautiful as it is when he makes those plays, no Texas fan wants to watch a perfectly thrown pass that could’ve become a 59-yard touchdown slip right through Coleman’s hands.
Instead, the Longhorns need to further involve their wide receiver known for his third-down reliability and ability to secure the ball in tight pockets: junior Emmett Mosley V.
“He’s got the best hands on our team,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday about Mosley V. “He’s a confident guy. He’s an experienced guy.”
I would like to see what happens when the Longhorns utilize those hands to their full potential. Mosley V is a smart player who has spent time in the program, and his short-area speed and agility could be better used in the Longhorns’ remaining Southeastern Conference matchups.
Finally, if Texas has any shot at pulling off five straight wins, Manning needs protection in the pocket. That starts with the offensive line, but it will need to be an effort completed by tight ends.
This year’s tight end group already seems to understand that blocking comes before catching — a result of the fact that the Longhorns’ offense has struggled to get into a groove. Proving this is fifth-year tight end Michael Masunas, who leads the room in average yards per reception with three receptions for 37 total yards that all came against Ole Miss last Saturday.
“I always like to emphasize blocking first,” Masunas said. “(If) you block well, the defense is going to soften up a little bit, and then you’re going to be able to get some passing opportunities.”
With senior offensive tackle Trevor Goosby out for the season with a knee injury, it will be even more important for the tight ends to contribute as blockers.
The most critical and most complicated part of this final stretch for Texas will be making sure it can execute all of these things at once. With Mississippi State and the rest of their SEC slate on the horizon, the Longhorns need a multifaceted offensive game plan.
