13 Days Until Kansas Football: Texas Preview
Mark your calendars: on November 19, the Texas Longhorns travel to Lawrence for likely the final time as a member of the Big 12 to face the Jayhawks on Kansas’ senior day where they will go up against the likes of Jalon Daniels and Jared Casey.
Something tells me you remember what happened the last time these teams met.
Pre-Game Notes
Texas and Kansas have been linked recently for obvious reasons, but the history isn’t as long as you might think. The squads first played in 1938, with Kansas winning 19-18. They didn’t play again until 1996, and Texas won the next 13 matchups (the Longhorns were ranked in the top six in five of those years).
But since 2016, it has been a different story. Kansas won two of the five meetings, and the losses came by two, seven, and 15 points. Most recently was the 57-56 overtime thriller that made Jared Casey an Applebees sensation.
Mike Plank Four-Down Scouting Report
First Down
Casey Thompson (who is now at Nebraska) and Hudson Card took all but one snap at quarterback last season for Texas—and both played against the Jayhawks—but it looks like it will be Quinn Ewers’ show in 2022. The Ohio State transfer and No. 1 recruit in 2021 was named the starting quarterback for the Longhorns against Louisiana-Monroe on Friday. Ewers had originally committed to Texas, but decommitted and headed to Ohio State at the end of Tom Herman’s time in Austin.
Second Down
Texas is not lacking for star offensive skill players. Running back Bijan Robinson is back ready to build on his 1,400 total yards and 15 total touchdowns in 2021. And at receiver is Xavier Worthy, who led the Big 12 in receiving touchdowns (12) last year and was third in receiving yards (981) despite being in a three-way tie for fourth in receptions (62).
Third Down
The Longhorns’ offensive line was an area of focus after a rough last year. Three starters are back and then coach Steve Sarkisian brought in seven additional linemen to the team this year. One of them, five-star recruit Kelvin Banks, even played on the first team during Texas’ spring game.
Fourth Down
The defense in Austin was not good and one of the factors in Texas going 5-7. A new player to watch as the Longhorns look to improve is former James Madison star Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey. He was an FCS All-American that dominated both in the running and passing game, collecting 116 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and four interceptions.
Matchup On Paper
Texas had a potent-enough offense, ranking 18th nationally in points per game at 35.2, but it wasn’t as effective as it could have been. Sarkisian liked throwing the ball down the field. But as Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic pointed out, although nearly 30% of the Longhorns’ traveled 15 or more yards through the air (19th nationally), Texas only completed 35% of them (105th nationally). They’re hoping Ewers changes that.
On defense, opponents ran up and down the field on the Longhorns. Just ask Devin Neal, who racked up 143 yards and three touchdowns on the ground on 24 carries. Texas gave up an average of 202 yards per game on the ground while its 31.1 ppg it gave up made it eighth best in the conference.
Way-to-Early Trend Lines
Vegas expects more from Texas than the 5-7 record of last year. DraftKings has the over/under win total at 8, while giving the Longhorns the second-best odds to win the conference, behind Oklahoma. We’ll get a good barometer in week two when Texas hosts Alabama in Austin. As of now, Bama is a 17.5-point favorite.
Despite the defensive struggles and offensive playmakers, four of the last five Texas games went under the total point total. And when it comes to playing the Jayhawks, four of the last five were decided by a touchdown or less.
Join the discussion! Come talk about this or any of our articles on the Blue Wing Rising Discord Server.
Follow Blue Wings Rising on Twitter.
Listen to the official podcast of Blue Wings Rising: The Rock Chalk Podcast.
