Texas’ offense looks to hit the reset button with matchup against Kentucky

For Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns offense, this Kentucky game offers a chance to hit the reset button.

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It’s been an odd start to the year for what many hoped would be one of the best 20-or-so offensive units in the nation. Through three Power Four games so far, Texas’ offense is averaging under 15 points per game. Even if you add the Ryan Niblett special teams score to the total, the number only rises to 17 PPG.

Knowing that Texas would be a 17 PPG offense, you’d assume they’d be 5-1 up to this point thanks to a stellar defense entering the year. That was somewhat true, as the offense wasn’t good enough against Ohio State, but it was sufficient against Oklahoma to take home the win.

Florida was a different story, however, as the Gators took advantage of poor run defense from the Longhorns and scored 29 in an eight-point win.

But the Longhorns aren’t playing Ohio State—or even Florida—tonight. They’re playing Kentucky, the holder of the worst offense in the SEC. Given the matchup, and Texas coming off a strong defensive performance, it’s easy to see Texas’s path to a win being similar to the Oklahoma game.

But the offense shouldn’t operate the way it did against Oklahoma.

Texas has the chance to flip the switch on what we think this offense can be—and what individual players can be—for a potential late-season run.

There’s been more turnover than it feels like in this group so far. Though Arch Manning has developed, and the pass catchers are a strong group, the run game and offensive line have gone through a lot of attrition.

Two of Texas’ four running backs expected to be in the rotation at the beginning of the season are unavailable for this game. That means the Longhorns will need to lean on freshman James Simon, or even fellow first-year Michael Terry III, who was practicing as a wide receiver as recently as last week.

On the offensive line, Texas will be starting two different interior linemen than it did to begin the year. Connor Stroh and Cole Hutson are injured, meaning Nick Brooks (who had already assumed a starting spot) and Connor Robertson need to step up.

But where two positions seem inexperienced and uncertain, the other three have developed throughout the year.

“I think it’s the experience they have where you can lean on those guys early in the season, but I’m seeing now more leadership out of Trevor Goosby,” Sarkisian said Wednesday on the SEC Coaches Teleconference. “I’m seeing a much more confident version of Brandon Baker. Like I said Saturday after the game and on Monday, I think Nick Brooks is providing us a spark of energy, nastiness, and attitude, which is helpful as well.”

Robertson is someone who may even have the chance to take over the starting center spot if he plays well over the next week—and potentially the next two after that. He’s a fourth-year player with a ton of experience within the program.

So what will be the emphasis of this Longhorn offense today?

In theory, it should be what they hoped it could be at the start of the year—just with a new set of characters. Attrition is not always a bad thing. Some of the best players in Texas history emerged because players ahead of them on the depth chart gave them a chance.

Texas now has its best version of Manning, and potentially its best version of an offensive line and run game. This is the game where Sarkisian can return to what he does best:

Motion offense, with screens and reverses aiding a strong run game.

Play-action passes, either to set up those screens or take shots downfield.

Intermediate route running, using his strong pass catchers to create space and get the ball in their hands for heavy YAC opportunities.

No two offenses are the same year over year, but this group has felt a lot different from the one we saw last season. There’s no Matthew Golden or Kelvin Banks this year, but that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of talent capable of operating Sarkisian’s offense.

“It’s a fun process,” Sarkisian said. “I think we all would want to play perfect football from the line of scrimmage from the very beginning. I’m seeing growth. We’re not a finished product, but I’m seeing growth in individual players and the unit as well.”