Tale of the tape: Texas versus Louisiana

First game of the season. First game of the Sark era at Texas. First game with the fully renovated South End Zone. First start for Hudson Card. First game to have a composed, gentlemanly game thread…

This being Steve Sarkisian’s first game at Texas is the big variable that’s hard to account for. It’s pretty easy to have an understanding of the Texas roster. As experienced as the depth chart is, many of the players are known commodities. How those players respond to new coaching and new schemes is the big question heading into Saturday’s tilt.

Those questions don’t exist for Billy Napier, who is entering his fourth year in Lafayette. He too has an experienced roster, but one that is 22-4 in the previous two seasons. This will be a well coached, confident Ragin’ Cajun squad that thinks it has a real chance for the upset.

When comparing roster strengths and weaknesses, the crafty Cajuns shouldn’t win, but that’s why they play the game.

Quarterback

On paper this is a clear advantage for Louisiana and highly experienced starter Levi Lewis. But he won’t be playing this game on paper, he’ll playing it on the field versus a talented, fast, and deep defense.

Highly touted redshirt freshman Hudson Card will be making his first career start. How do you factor for the butterflies that surely accompany that? You probably hand off the ball to Bijan Robinson quite a bit while scheming comfort throws.

Card is clearly the more talented quarterback, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be the best on Saturday. Or does it?

Advantage on paper: Louisiana
Advantage on the field: Wash

Running Back

If the opener was being played a year ago, both advantages would go to Louisiana. But, the Ragin’ Cajuns lost two quality running backs and Bijan Robinson is an entirely different player from 12 months ago. UT’s back-ups would be starters at many schools across the country.

Advantage on paper: Texas
Advantage on the field: Texas

Wide Receiver

Texas has had injury and consistency issues in August, but there’s still plenty of talent among a group of Jordan Whittington, Joshua Moore, Xavier Worthy, and Marcus Washington. They should also benefit from the running game and a more efficient downfield passing game than we saw last year.

Louisiana also has playmaking ability, mainly in the form of sophomore Kyren Lacy. The group as a whole is big and physical.

The issue for each set of receivers is they’re going up against talented cornerbacks. If Texas can get those corners looking in the backfield, Joshua Moore or Xavier Worthy should be able to shake loose.

Advantage on paper: Texas
Advantage on the field: Texas

Tight Ends

Texas isn’t 100% healthy but Cade Brewer is a solid, versatile player and true freshmen Gunnar Helm and Ja’Tavion Sanders are quite talented. Both will be good players by the midway point of the season.

Louisiana is similar in they like to use 12 personnel with a flex tight end similar to Brewer and an in-line tight end like Gunnar Helm or Jared Wiley.

Which position grouping has a better day will might be decided by blocking in the run game, though each of UT’s options listed can make plays in the receiving game and Sarkisian has been known to scheme the position loose.

Advantage on paper: Wash (due to injuries)
Advantage on the field: Wash

Offensive Line

Billy Napier’s squad has a well-deserved reputation for being able to run the ball. Napier is returning an experienced group with some talent and size once you get beyond pint-sized center Shane Vallot. This group won’t get as much help from the running back position as it has in the past and they’ll very likely have their hands full with UT’s defensive line, which is the strength of the team on paper.

UT’s offensive line has a lot of experience once you get beyond Jake Majors. It’s solid in both pass pro and the run game, but certainly not spectacular. The big question for Texas will be cohesion and remaining assignment sound. This group will be much better in a couple of weeks than what we see in the opener.

Advantage on paper: Louisiana
Advantage on the field: Texas

Defensive Line

Without even counting, UT’s defensive line is probably 10 deep. Keondre Coburn, T’Vondre Sweat, Moro Ojomo, Jacoby Jones, Ray Thornton, Alfred Collins, Vernon Broughton, Byron Murphy, Ovie Oghoufo, Ben Davis. Okay, I did count and that’s 10. Texas could still play others, like Jett Bush and Sawyer Goram-Welch.

Louisiana has perhaps one of the games biggest advantages with Tayland Humphrey going against the much smaller Majors, but alternatively Keondre Coburn should use Shane Vallot as a bowling ball to disrupt pins in the Ragin’ Cajuns backfield. When Humphrey fatigues and subs out, it’s a big loss. When the same happens to Coburn, in comes T’Vondre Sweat.

While Texas holds the advantage in the interior, edge players are more of a wash. Jacoby Jones and Ray Thornton should excel versus the run. They may get subbed for on 3rd down. Something to watch for.

Advantage on paper: Texas
Advantage on the field: Texas

Linebacker

Texas will likely play five off-the-ball linebackers in the game: De’Marvion Overshown, Luke Brockermeyer, David Gbenda, Jaylan Ford, and Devin Richardson. Overshown could blossom into one of CFB’s biggest stars this year. Brockermeyer should be a solid starter at a minimum but he knows how to find the ball in the air, and sometimes it knows how to find him. There’s excitement about Gbenda within the program long-term.

While there’s individual talent at linebacker for Texas, they’re also aided by the defensive line in front of them.

Louisiana has a solid, competent group for its multiple defense, but they don’t have the upside and athleticism. Like with every other position, they are experienced and will be assignment sound.

Advantage on paper: Texas
Advantage on the field: Texas

Secondary

Things could get real interesting here. Texas has an experienced group headlined by corners Josh Thompson and D’Shawn Jamison, but the Cajuns are good and experienced across the board. Both groups are physical. The Cajuns, as a group, are probably better at finding the ball in the air, though the Texas defensive backs should benefit from the defensive line getting pressure on the quarterback.

New nickel/STAR starter Anthony Cook is a bit of an unknown, but he played well in spot duty last year and had a big August. A converted highly rated corner, he’s better in coverage than his counterpart, Ja’len Johnson, who may have trouble keeping up with the Texas RPO game.

The Cajun DBs didn’t give up much through the air on a per pass attempt basis last year, but with the help of some timely play calls, Hudson Card could skew those numbers with a deep shot or two.

Levi Lewis doesn’t have the strongest arm so the Texas secondary should do well to keep the ball in front of it, and the Cajuns should struggle to assert the run.

Advantage on paper: Wash
Advantage on the field: Texas

Special Teams

Dicker the Kicker is also Dicker the Punter. If he gets a little more consistent he’ll be a very good college kicker.

Both teams have dangerous returners.

Both teams should be well coached. Texas has the deeper pool of athleticism to draw from for coverage teams.

Advantage on paper: Texas
Advantage on the field: Texas