Slow starts remain costly as the Longhorns fall to the Gators

It’s starting to become too predictable how games are going to begin in the recent iteration of teams in the Steve Sarkisian era.

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You could’ve probably pre-penciled in a slow start on offense for the Texas Longhorns, with a sprinkle of poor run blocking, a lack of wide receiver separation, and mistakes from quarterback Arch Manning.

What you haven’t been able to pencil in, however, is the defense crumbling at the hands of the opposing offensive line.

In what may be characterized as the worst first quarter in recent Texas memory, the Longhorn defense was bullied at the line of scrimmage, looked flat on offense, and couldn’t piece it together later as the Longhorns fell 29-21.

Florida’s first drive of the game was clinical. Though they lucked out with a first-play fumble falling their way, the Gators marched down the field for a 13-play, 84-yard drive that left Longhorn fans stunned. Even against Ohio State, this defense hadn’t looked that movable all season.

Florida leaned on sophomore RB Jadan Baugh in the first half, giving him 13 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown in the team’s 38 plays. Sophomore QB DJ Lagway battled through injury to a hyper-efficient 13-of-17 for 150 yards and a touchdown at the half.

Florida’s second drive also saw a methodical approach that brought the Gators within the Texas 10-yard line. A stand from the defense kept it to just a field goal, but 14 minutes in, Florida was up by double digits while Texas’s offense had only managed to move 30 yards in its one drive.

The Gators averaged over six yards per carry in their first two drives en route to 148 yards and 10 points. By the time the first quarter was over and the sides had flipped, Texas had just 38 total yards.

This isn’t something new for Texas. The Longhorns were lucky to score a touchdown in the first quarter against UTEP in Week 3 and gained just 41 yards in three drives against Ohio State to start their year. To end the year in 2024, Sarkisian’s Longhorns had as many yards in two drives as the Buckeyes did in their singular touchdown march down the field. Texas wouldn’t come close to a score until there were 40 seconds left in the half.

Today, the Longhorns had just 24 rushing and 63 passing yards entering the second half. Manning and Quintrevion Wisner were tied for the team lead in rushing with 10 yards apiece.

Florida knew its strengths entering the game. Baugh is probably one of the five best backs in the nation. Their defensive line is stout and filled with great athletes. They prioritized the run, and it paid off. They attacked the Texas offensive line, and that also paid off.

Texas, on the other hand, was flat. Sarkisian had some schemes that got players open, but they never established the run game. Even with Florida allowing multiple players to run deep behind the defense, Texas had just one pass completed for more than 15 yards in that first half of play, and it nearly took Parker Livingstone out of the game.

The Gators used the momentum from a 19-7 first-half lead all the way to the final whistle. Florida continued to run the ball well, find explosives through the air and bully Texas’s offensive line, even with some late heroics from Manning. Texas, inversely, failed to establish the run and saw little impact from its star-studded defense. Even with a late comeback attempt from Manning, it wasn’t enough to overcome what had happened earlier.

Starting slow has been an issue all year, and it reared its ugly head once again for this Longhorn team. Changes need to be made in multiple areas if Texas wants to exit the season with eight wins, and the plan for the first quarter of the game must be refined. There’s no excuse for what this team did after a bye week.