More takeaways from Texas' win over Oklahoma
Finished my second watch of Texas’ win over Oklahoma yesterday afternoon.
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Some thoughts…
OU had nothing on offense. Zilch.
They genuinely thought they could run the wildcat and beat Texas?
Brent Venables not only has problems on defense, which is what most of Soonerland has decried the past couple of weeks, but his offense was abysmal and dysfunctional.
Imagine the vitriol that would be directed towards Steve Sarkisian if his back-up QB produced zero points in a rivalry game.
In fact, think about that in general for any game.
Sark went with his back-up for 3+ games and still averaged more than 30 points a game.
The Sooners had no response with their back-up. Absolutely none.
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Quinn Ewers’ ability to layer an intermediate ball is just a thing of beauty.
I mean, it’s not supposed to look that easy. It’s just not.
It is fundamentally a difficult thing to do with bodies flying around you, receivers running 20+ MPH more than 20 yards downfield and a hundred-thousand screaming fans encircling you. At best, it’s controlled chaos.
Yet he makes it look effortless.
Maybe OU’s defense is just that bad. Or maybe Quinn’s just that talented.
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The Texas defensive line is the proverbial rising tide that lifts all ships.
Keondre Coburn playing better helps T’Vondre Sweat. A solid Moro Ojomo helps Alfred Collins. Bryon Murphy aids the development of Vernon Broughton.
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Interestingly, when the Sooners went almost fully to the wildcat, Texas substituted true freshman Justice Finkley in for Barryn Sorrell. Finkley must grade better against the power run than Sorrell, or Sorrell sustained an injury that went unnoticed and unreported.
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The Horns are running right with more effectiveness than running left.
Christian Jones and Cole Hutson are a good run-blocking duo.
However, one of the more noticeable blocks in this game – at least for me – came on the first play of the second quarter, and it was delivered by Kelvin Banks.
It was a third-and-one inside zone play that Roschon Johnson gained eight yards on.
Banks engaged a Sooners’ linebacker and literally snapped the LBs head back on impact. Banks hit him so square that it stunned the LB… and me.
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At one point in the fourth quarter, the entire Texas offensive line was comprised of true freshman.
From left to right: Neto Umeozulu, Malik Agbo, Connor Robertson, DJ Campbell and Cam Williams.
They moved OU off the ball without the threat of a passing game.
Of that group, the one who looked the best to my eyes was Neto. He clearly has taken a step forward since fall camp.
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Sticking with some of the guys blocking, two unsung heroes of Saturday’s butt whipping were Andrej Karic and Gunnar Helm.
Karic moved people routinely. Helm was key in several of the longer runs.
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All off-season, we talked about just how good the skill position talent on Texas could be.
Well, that is starting to come to fruition.
Not only is there Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson and Xavier Worthy. Now there’s Quinn, Ja’Tavion Sanders and a healthy Jordan Whittington.
Texas is so much more difficult to defend than anything we’ve seen in years. Pick your poison, literally.
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Texas hosts Iowa State next Saturday. The Cyclones may just have the league’s best defense.
We will see just what this Texas offense can do because it’s going to be a different look than what Quinn Ewers has seen before.
Hopefully, the fans will be out in full force.
Matt Campbell’s five-star culture quote still stings, and it’s part of why Tom Herman was fired. Texas needs to bring it on Saturday and show Campbell the culture most certainly has changed.
