Strengths, weaknesses emerge third of way into year
AUSTIN — Four games into his third season at Texas, coach Tom Herman is certain of a few things.
He knows Texas is solid against the run.
Holding Oklahoma State sophomore tailback Chuba Hubbard, who leads the nation with 938 yards and 10 touchdowns, to 3.3 yards per carry was proof.
Herman also knows he’s got a quarterback in Sam Ehlinger. His development into a genuine, well-balanced dual-threat is one of the primary reasons 11thranked Texas (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) is still considered a threat to unseat sixth-ranked Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0).
Ehlinger ranks among the nation’s top 11 in passing touchdowns (15), passing efficiency (181.0), passing yards per game (309.3), and total points responsible for (98).
“I know that our quarterback is as good as there is in the country at managing the game and getting us into good plays and out of bad plays,” Herman said.
Herman also has a few lingering questions and concerns with two-thirds of the regular season remaining.
Most pressing is finding a way to limit the aerial damage inflicted by opposing offenses. Texas has been terrorized through the air, surrendering more passing yards per game (314.5) than all but six teams in the nation.
To make matters worse, safety Caden Sterns (knee), defensive back Josh Thompson (broken foot) and cornerback Jalen Green (dislocated shoulder) will miss a significant amount of time.
“I’d like to see us defend the pass a little bit better whether it be in man or zone,” Herman said.
Herman also wants to see more consistent production from the running game in order to alleviate some of the burden placed upon Ehlinger and the wideouts.
Texas hasn’t struggled in that facet, especially given the rash of injuries that hit in August, but even sophomore Keanotay Ingram (5.4 yards per carry) has admitted the rushing attack can be more productive than it already is.
After some critical self-assessment, Ingram broke out for 114 rushing yards in the Longhorns’ most recent win over
Oklahoma State. Four of his 21 rushing attempts went for at least 12 yards, with a long of 16.
“We’ve had back to back weeks where we’ve felt pretty good about it, so I think we’re headed in the right direction there,” Herman said.
Injury outlook starts to improve
Senior wideout Collin Johnson (hamstring) has missed two straight games. Sophomore safety B.J. Foster hasn’t played since sustaining a hamstring injury in Week 2 against LSU.
Tom Herman is hopeful both will be able to play on the road against West Virginia on Saturday. There is a chance sophomore defensive back DeMarvion Overshown will be cleared as well.
“B.J. practiced yesterday,” Herman said Monday. “So I would put him as probable.
“Collin and DeMarvion are going to try to practice tomorrow. We’ll know a lot more about their status after tomorrow’s practice.”
Freshman running back Jordan Whittington is also trending toward making his Big 12 debut. The electric five-star Cuero recruit has been on the mend since a torn adductor forced him out in the first half of the season opener against Louisiana Tech.
“Jordan Whittington is just now starting to run on the ground,” Herman said. “I don’t know that this weekend is out of the question, but we’re certainly not expecting him to be cleared.”
Even if Whittington is able to play this week, true freshman Roschon Johnson would likely remain the primary back-up to Keaontay Ingram — for at least one more game.
More chances for punt returners
Freshman Jake Smith and senior Brandon Jones will both continue to field punts despite a pair of disastrous performances against Oklahoma State.
Smith bobbled and lost a punt late in the first half, allowing the Cowboys to score a touchdown just before intermission.
In the fourth quarter, Jones chased a punt and attempted to field it while sliding, but the ball ended up in Oklahoma State’s possession. Tailback Chuba Hubbard scored on a 13-yard run with 1:37 remaining and forced Texas to recover an onside kick to seal the win.
“They’re both unique instances when they dropped it,” coach Tom Herman said. “Jake’s was a lot more fundamentals, he let his hands get low and his elbows got separated. So it’s just a consistency with perfect technique that he’s got to work on.
“And Brandon, that’s my fault. We have harped on him for two years about fielding every punt. We should’ve reminded him the situation in the game. He was doing what he thought he was being coached to do, which was save that field position. But at that moment in the game we should’ve done a better job of alerting him on the situation.”