Plus, did the loss to Georgia impact the season in any way and discussing the offensive line’s struggles
Let’s start with Steve Sarkisian’s decision to bench Quinn Ewers in the 2nd quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs. What did you think of the move and has Sarkisian opened the door for QB controversy, as some have alluded to?
Daniel Seahorn (@DanielSeahorn) – I wasn’t a huge fan of it, but I’m ultimately glad they put Quinn back in the game because it was clear that it wasn’t going to matter who you had under center with how bad that was happening on the offensive side. There is no quarterback controversy for me. Yes, Quinn was shook out there, but hell so was Arch. People demanding a change need to understand that Kirby Smart and Georgia’s defense had Texas and Sark outflanked in just about every way possible. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap and move on. If the Quinn we saw on Saturday against Georgia manifests against Vanderbilt we can revisit this conversation, but right now I am not letting that game make that decision for me.
Gerald Goodridge (@ghgoodridge) – It was a dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t situation. Quinn Ewers wasn’t playing well and needed a moment to settle in. However, part of the problem was that the entire offense was struggling. Ewers could have stepped up in the pocket more, but also, running backs missed blocks and offensive linemen couldn’t communicate about late shifts from the defense. Whatever he wanted the impact to be, it worked because Ewers was somewhat better in the second half.
Cameron Parker (@camerondparker) – I was honestly surprised to see Arch come in at that moment but with how the rest of the game played out and with Sark’s comments after the fact, I’m totally fine with it and understand it. Whether it was the injury, Georgia’s DL, or a little bit of both, Quinn was not settled in and Sark trusted Arch enough at that moment to try and spark the offense. It didn’t work and Quinn was able to settle in coming out of halftime. There is no quarterback controversy. The locker room isn’t going to be divided. It reminds me of a goalie in hockey. Sometimes even the best goalies get pulled but it doesn’t mean they’ve lost their jobs, it just means they need a breather and possibly a moment to get settled. Quinn will be fine, y’all.
Jacob Neidig (@jneidig_2) – I think it depends on what Sark was trying to gain. While Quinn Ewers was not playing well, both mentally and physically, the blame was not on his shoulders alone. This was all the more clear when Arch came in and the offense struggled with similar issues. If the opposite had been the case and Manning had done well, Sarkisian would have put himself in a bind moving forward. I understand trying to spark the offense but I’m against the move because of the complications it creates moving forward, beyond just the Georgia game. Texas’ ceiling is highest with Ewers at the helm.
How concerned are you with the offensive line after allowing 13 pressures and seven sacks against Georgia?
Daniel – Mildly to moderately I guess you could say. On one side of the coin, Georgia reminded everyone that they have some absolute DUDES on the defensive front despite not having a Jalen Carter or Jordan Davis in the middle of it. On the other side of the coin, I was concerned that the offensive line seemed unprepared and was not processing things well. You had times when Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams were having tough times in 1 on 1 situations and that was definitely a little jarring considering how well they’ve played, but Georgia also nullified Texas’ run game completely so it made it easier for them to pin their ears back. You hope this was just Georgia being Georgia and having a really good plan for the matchup. I have a feeling this group will rebound on Saturday.
Gerald – Moderately. Some of the issues arose from the defensive alignments, shifts, and changes, while some were just Georgia having better athletes. Thankfully for Texas, there’s only one team left on the schedule with talent even remotely in the same stratosphere as Georgia.
Cameron – According to PFF, five of the seven sacks were on the quarterback. And when you’re trailing by double-digits, everyone knows you’re going to have to throw the ball and allow the defense to pin its ears back and attack the quarterback. Having said that, it wasn’t the best game for Kelvin Banks or Cam Williams but Texas won’t face another defensive line like that in the regular season.
Jacob – I think part of the problem with the offensive line troubles on Saturday was just the shock factor. This group hasn’t been schematically confused or outplayed physically like they were on Saturday. It’s hard to regroup when you’re reeling. I contribute a lot of that to the coaching of Georgia. They used disguised looks that created free rushers and/or favorable matchups throughout the game. I would like to see more from this group but I think this performance will be an anomaly.
Did Saturday’s loss to Georgia change your expectations for the Longhorns this season?
Daniel – Absolutely not. I didn’t have Texas running the table this year and I entered the season hoping they would be able to split the back-to-back of Oklahoma and Georgia. That has come to fruition, so I still ultimately feel fine about the team as long as they can handle business down the back stretch of the schedule. People seem to forget that the playoff field is 12-teams this go-round. A 1-loss Texas or even a 2-loss Texas (I hope that isn’t the case) could still make the field. Just reset mentally and find ways to win from week to week.
Gerald – Not at all. I had Georgia as a loss preseason and coming out of the first seven weeks 6-1 was an outcome I expected eight weeks ago. My expectations for Texas are the same, but a lot of folks thought they were head-and-shoulders the best team in the country and that’s clearly not the case.
Cameron – Nope. I’m gonna spew some coach speak here but everything is still in front of Texas. They can still win out and reach the SEC Championship game and make the College Football Playoff. If anything, this game reminded us that Georgia is the team to beat.
Jacob – Everything I expected Texas to be able to achieve remains on the table. The ability for Texas to achieve some of these things may be a little bit more difficult than I anticipated. Georgia looked bigger, faster, and more prepared. I didn’t expect the gap to be nearly as wide even if the 2nd half was competitive. Texas remains one of the most talented teams in the country and while time will tell where they stack up, I remain optimistic.
Texas has only scored once on their opening drive with Quinn Ewers this season. Is this a big deal?
Daniel – Somewhat, but I think it’s more of an offensive execution thing at times than it simply being on Ewers. That hasn’t ultimately mattered because Texas has scored plenty of points up until last week. In a perfect world, you would love to see the offense come out looking crisp and sharp to open the game instead of taking a couple of possessions to get out of neutral.
Gerald – Yes. We’ve talked about before that the slow starts would eventually become an issue and it happened that it was against a team with an argument for the best team in the country. With Ewers’ play struggling, the offense has to find a way to get consistent earlier in the games.
Cameron – Yes, but there’s still time for Texas to figure it out. Two of the opening drives this season have stalled because of penalties which includes a touchdown being called back against Michigan and a missed field goal. Another two are because of a Quinn Ewers interception – one being a miscommunication (ULM) and another just a bad throw that could’ve been a big play (Oklahoma). I’m not making a big deal out of the opening drive against Georgia because it’s Kirby Smart. However, starting fast against Vanderbilt will be key to how they like to control the clock. Another turnover on the opening drive and Texas could be looking at a deficit quickly.
Jacob – Yes, but not because of Ewers. The opening script for Texas has been ineffective the last three weeks which includes a start with Manning. While the first drive is a great place to look for trends, the failure to move the ball early in games transcends just the opening drive. Texas has scored 7 points in the first quarter in the last three weeks. Sarkisian needs to do a better job at drawing up plays that can be executed and create favorable matchups. The onus is far from just being on Ewers.
Score Prediction for Texas (-18) vs Vanderbilt?
Daniel (6-1/3-4 ATS) – Texas 31, Vanderbilt 17 – I think this will be a lowish scoring affair with how Vanderbilt will try to play keep away with the football, but I am also mildly concerned to see how Texas plays minus Isaiah Bond. Ryan Wingo will likely be getting a big increase in snaps, so we could see a breakout game for him this week.
Gerald (6-1/3-4 ATS) – Texas 35, Vanderbilt 17 – I think Texas is going to come out with something to prove on Saturday. I also think Diego Pavia is a menace that they have to look out for.
Cameron (6-1/3-4 ATS) – Texas 34, Vanderbilt 13 – I can’t believe I’m taking Texas to cover but I’m predicting a big bounce-back game from Quinn Ewers and the offense.
Jacob (6-1/4-3 ATS) – Texas 31, Vanderbilt 10 – Vandy is going to try to control the time of possession and win the turnover battle but I think Texas is able to control the line of scrimmage and put this one away.