Why The Texas Longhorns Still Have Plenty to Fix

Four games and four wins. Two victories over top-15 teams. And the No. 1 ranking in the country.

For Texas, everything looks perfect on paper.

But on the field, the Longhorns don’t exactly look like a finished product.

Texas has leaned heavily on a defense that has quickly established itself as one of the nation’s best units. It’s also performed in a way that Steve Sarkisian’s offense hasn’t — consistently.

With a bye week arriving before the Red River Rivalry, Texas still has plenty to improve upon if it hopes to defend the Golden Hat against Oklahoma for a third straight year.

The Penalty Problems Are Back

Nov 22, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian pauses during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The most obvious problem may also be the most avoidable.

Texas has committed 25 penalties for 250 yards, the bulk of which came in Texas’ last two games. After starting the season off with clean and competent play, drawing only six penalties for 47 yards through two games, the last two weeks have felt like a rewind to 2025.

The Longhorns were flagged eight times for 88 yards against UTSA. While it didn’t amount to much, as Texas still secured a comfortable 30-6 win against the Roadrunners, those problems only got worse once Texas hit the road.

Against Tennessee, the Longhorns committed 11 penalties for 115 yards.

That’s 19 penalties for 203 yards in just two games.

And against the Volunteers, those mistakes almost cost Texas its undefeated record. They consistently put Texas behind the chains, extended Tennessee possessions and erased positive plays.

For a team that’s only been able to win one-score games against ranked opponents, giving away that much field position could prove costly.

Texas has overcome those mistakes so far; that doesn’t mean it can continue to rely on doing so.

Explosive Plays Are Far Too Rare

Sep 26, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning looks on during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For an offense featuring Arch Manning, Ryan Wingo, Cam Coleman and Emmett Mosley V, Texas hasn't consistently generated the explosive production its personnel would suggest.

According to SEC StatCast, Texas has an 11% explosive-play rate, which ranks 111th nationally. The site defines an explosive play as a pass of at least 20 yards or a run of at least 10.

True chunk plays have been rare in the air.

Texas has recorded just five completions of at least 25 yards through four games, according to CFBStats, ranking 15th in the SEC.

The rushing numbers are even more striking.

Texas has only three runs of at least 20 yards all season, and a Longhorn running back hasn't produced one since Week 1.

Texas doesn't need every possession to feature a 40-yard gain, but Sarkisian's offense becomes much more difficult to defend when opponents consistently have to respect that possibility.

Texas has already proven it can beat elite teams without playing its cleanest football.

That’s part of what makes the Longhorns' 4–0 start so impressive — and what makes this bye week so important.

The margin for error only gets smaller from here. As each week passes, Texas' SEC schedule only looks more daunting, beginning with a Red River Rivalry matchup where rankings rarely matter.

Texas doesn't need to completely reinvent itself during the bye.

It just needs to clean up the flaws that have kept its biggest games closer than they needed to be.

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