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Time for Texas to get out of the 100s in these stats

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook2 hours agojosephcook89
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Colin Simmons (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

There are 136 teams in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision in 2025. So if a team like Texas ranks in the 100s in a certain stat, that means the Longhorns are pretty poor in that area.

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At this point in the season, a lot of the data needs contextualizing. The Longhorns played Ohio State to start the year. Meanwhile, other Power Conference teams have enjoyed their cupcake appetizers ahead of conference play.

That in mind, having any stat rank in the hundreds is a jarring look for the Longhorns. More data in the form of more games, including Saturday’s game against UTEP, will help to normalize some of the numbers.

Because Texas cannot continue to rank in the 100s in these specific categories.

Third down conversion percentage

Texas is No. 119 in the nation in third down conversion percentage at 26.9%. Steve Sarkisian’s team was 2-for-12 on third downs against San Jose State and 5-for-14 against Ohio State. Our own NashTalksTexas wrote about how third downs have been a problem for the Longhorns through two weeks. Continued failures on third downs lead to more opportunities for opponents against the Texas defense. At some point, the offense needs to help the defense like it did late in the first quarter and early in the second against San Jose State by keeping drives alive.

Red Zone Offense

Texas is tied for No. 128 in this metric, scoring on 50% of their red zone opportunities. This isn’t just touchdown percentage on red zone trips. This is scoring percentage. The stops at Ohio State stand out, but so too do unpunished goal line gaffes against San Jose State.

Punt returns

Texas is tied for No. 114 in punt returns. At this point, the Longhorns only have two returns for three yards. Texas wants to see more from its return game, especially when it comes to making sure balls don’t bounce back closer to its own end zone. A lot of this depends on whether Texas tries to go for the block or for a return, so when the return is on it’s time for Jeff Banks’ special teams to do something with the opportunity.

First Downs Offense

Texas is tied for No. 107 in first downs offense. The Longhorns have accumulated 34 first downs this year. Again, this is an instance where the data will look different as Texas gets further and further away from Ohio State, but conversions have been tough to come by for Texas.

Fewest Penalties Per Game
Fewest Penalty Yards Per Game

The 12-penalty game against San Jose State that cost the Longhorns 115 yards is what has UT No. 121 and No. 125 in those respective categories. Put simply, Texas has to be more disciplined in all three phases.

Tackles For Loss

The Longhorns have not been able to register very many stops behind the line of scrimmage so far, ranking No. 124 in the nation with six total TFL. Ohio State kept things moving against Texas just enough to avoid negative plays and San Jose State got the ball out quickly. UTEP will try to do the same, but there should be more opportunities for stuffs

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