Longhorns determined to end road woes
UT’s performance has been totally different at home
LUBBOCK — Texas tight end Andrew Beck has a foolproof plan for how the Longhorns can beat Texas Tech at Jones AT&T Stadium on Saturday.
Its beauty lies in its simplicity.
“We need to wear our orange jerseys,” Beck said. “We need to talk to (UT coach) Charlie (Strong) about that.”
Although Strong lacks the authority to change the rules on which uniforms visitors wear, there’s nothing stopping him from convincing the Longhorns to play as well in their road whites as they do in their home burnt orange.
In 2016, UT’s accomplishments inside Austin’s Royal-Memorial Stadium have looked nothing like its performance outside of it. At home, the Longhorns are 4-0, with a defense that has held opponents to a respectable 389 yards and 23.5 points per game.
Elsewhere, including the neutral site Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma, UT is 0-4, while yielding a nightmarish 534 yards and 42 points per game.
The numbers are irrefutable, and the Longhorns don’t need to be reminded of them.
‘We haven’t been good’
“We already know how bad we’ve been on the road,” defensive tackle Chris Nelson said. “I’m just being honest. I’m a real person. We haven’t been good on the road.
“We put it in each other’s face, trying to fix the problem. Of course it makes me mad, because I know what this team is capable of doing.”
The second half of last week’s home upset of Baylor provided a glimpse of that potential. Over the final 23 minutes of play, the Longhorns held Baylor’s highpowered offense to only a pair of field goals while routinely blitzing quarterback Seth Russell and forcing him to make quick decisions.
The 35-34 victory put UT (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) back on pace to qualify for a bowl and at least temporarily quieted criticism of Strong. But it wasn’t a cure-all.
“It relieves some pressure, but the pressure’s still on,” UT defensive tackle Paul Boyette said. “We’ve got to win out.”
To have a chance to accomplish that, the Longhorns first need to find a way to at least slow the nation’s No. 1 offense and most prolific passer. The Red Raiders (4-4, 2-3) average 603.4 yards per game, with Patrick Mahomes throwing for 439.9, and they’re especially dangerous in Lubbock.
Intensity issues
Strong has acknowledged UT has failed to maintain its focus and intensity on the road this season. If the Longhorns cannot find a way to change their approach, Tech is more than capable of pulling off a repeat of last year’s 48-45 shootout triumph in Austin.
“We have to do a better job with just the whole mindset and just be really into it,” Strong said. “That’s what we haven’t been, and there’s no excuse for it. We have to have that mindset. We have to become road warriors.”
It might sound silly, but the Longhorns insist part of their road difficulties have stemmed from a lack of excitement near the bench. Losses to OU, Oklahoma State and Kansas State began at 11 a.m. — the same time as Saturday’s kickoff — and players said there has been far too much lethargy from a group that’s usually hooting and hollering at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
“If we find a way to bring the juice on the sidelines, we’ll be OK,” Beck said.
One reason for UT optimism? Even though Tech is known for its rowdy crowds, the Longhorns have handled them well in recent visits. UT won Strong’s first test in Lubbock 34-13 in 2014, and it has prevailed in six of the last seven games there.
Those Longhorns who have made the trip to the South Plains know two things — the fans are dangerous when they’re throwing tortillas, but not nearly as intimidating when the visitors are winning.
“We’re going to have to quiet their fans,” Nelson said. “That’s on us as a defense. We have to make them shut up.”