Three Count: One 'winning football' player on offense, Terrance Brooks shines, Bijan Robinson usage

On3 imageby:Joe Cook11/14/22

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This week’s Three Count looks at Steve Sarkisian’s praise of Jordan Whittington, assesses Terrance Brooks‘ strong first performance, and wonders why Bijan Robinson didn’t get the ball more.

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Jordan Whittington

Almost everyone involved with the Texas Longhorns offense on Saturday night during a 17-10 loss to TCU offered negative contributions toward the losing effort. That’s not limited to the players on the field, Sarkisian’s offense failed to score a touchdown. The only score for the Longhorns was the result of a Jahdae Barron fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.

“We just didn’t play well,” Sarkisian said Monday. “We had one of those nights where if it wasn’t one guy it was another guy, and if it wasn’t that guy it was the next guy. We all just kind of took our turns to where we couldn’t get out of our own way.”

Were there any offensive players in Sarkisian’s mind whose efforts would be described as part of winning football? Sarkisian correctly landed on the right choice.

“I thought Jordan Whittington played winning football for sure the other night,” Sarkisian said. “He was the guy that if I could say ‘that guy played it,’ whether it was the run game, whether it was providing a spark for us offensively with the ball in his hand, he looked a little more reminiscent to the guy from earlier in the season.”

Whittington had six catches for 78 yards against the Horned Frogs, the most yardage between he, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Xavier Worthy. Those three were the only players to catch a pass on Saturday night.

This season, Whittington has 37 catches for 504 yards and one score. The catch total and his receiving yardage numbers are both career highs.

Whittington has constantly played winning football when available on the field. Was there anyone else Sarkisian believed joined Whittington in his company?

“No, that’d be the guy,” he said.

Terrance Brooks

With D’Shawn Jamison not available versus TCU due to a concussion, true freshman Terrance Brooks received his first start at the field corner position. He performed well, recording four tackles. That garnered a PFF grade of 68.9, his highest of the year in his most extended action.

“I think Terrance Brooks really played a good game for his first career start,” Sarkisian said. “I think he played 72 plays on defense, played our field corner. Looked comfortable. Looked physical. Got more comfortable as the game went on.”

Fellow Little Elm product Ryan Watts had similar high praise to the deserving former On3 five-star on Monday.

“He impressed me,” Watts said Monday. “He did a great job. He lined up against Quentin (Johnston) and (Savion Williams). I’m proud of him. What he did as a true freshman starting in his first game and playing the whole game, he proved a lot to me.”

Brooks was a part of the miscommunication that allowed Johnston to score late in the contest. Aside from that blip, the young defender turned in a strong effort in his first start.

Brooks joins fellow freshman Austin Jordan as first-year defensive backs to turn in strong showings during their debut season.

No Bijan Robinson?

On Saturday, Bijan Robinson had 12 carries for 29 yards.

He wasn’t injured. He wasn’t suspended. He was lightly used against the Horned Frogs.

Sarkisian explained why he went away from the run game on Saturday night.

“At the end of the day, you’re just trying to find a way to find some rhythm to the offense and I felt like the rhythm that we found was somewhat in the passing game,” Sarkisian said. “Got ourselves down there a couple of times. I know this, when we win, he generally has more carries and that comes from balance in the offense. We didn’t have balance. We didn’t really have anything there for a while.”

TCU dared the Longhorn offense to continue to take deep passing chances, something Quinn Ewers did regularly. The Horned Frogs played the run well and were successful in balancing the risk of leaving the downfield threat single-covered with the reward of stopping Robinson.

However, Sarkisian didn’t do much to manufacture opportunities for Robinson on Saturday night. In addition to his low rush total, he was not targeted a single time in the pass game according to PFF.

The lack of carries or production most likely derails any Heisman hope for the third-year player from Tucson, Ariz. TCU did their part to defend Bijan Robinson, but they didn’t have to do it very often.

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