Baylor-Texas: Five keys to the game
The Baylor Bears bring a formidable offense to DKR this weekend. Texas is struggling to move the ball and put points on the board. On paper, this looks like a mismatch in Baylor’s favor.
For the Longhorns to prevail, or at the very least make the game competitive, the team needs to bring its ‘A’ game. Here are five keys to Texas making a statement on Saturday.
- Winning the special teams battle
If Texas hopes to limit the Baylor offense, it must excel on special teams. Field position will be an important part of this game. Texas needs William Russ to pin the Bears deep in its own end of the field. Baylor’s offense is too prolific to be given a short field to work with. The coverage teams can’t afford to give up a big return.
Points are paramount, so if the offense can’t get into the end zone, Nick Rose must convert his field goal attempts. Rose has been shaky this season. This game could turn his season around if he performs well.
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- Play turnover-free football
Texas needs to maximize every offensive possession. The Longhorns cannot afford to squander scoring opportunities. Tyrone Swoopes must to be smart with the ball. He cannot force any throws. Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray will need to secure the ball on every carry.
- Win the line of scrimmage
Texas’ best hope of winning this game is to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
On offense, the Longhorns will want to run the ball. This will shorten the game, and keep Baylor’s offense off the field. To do this, the offensive line needs to step up its game. So far this season, the running game has been nonexistent. Brown and Gray have not had many running lanes to exploit. Baylor has a strong defensive line, anchored by Shawn Oakman. If there was ever a game for the much-maligned offensive line to silence the critics, this is it.
Texas defensive line has been a pleasant surprise. This group is the strength of the defense.
Dec 7, 2013; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Bryce Petty (14) hands off to running back Glasco Martin (8) during the game against the Texas Longhorns at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Baylor Bears defeated the Texas Longhorns 30-10 to win the Big 12 championship. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Losing Desmond Jackson will hurt, but it has opened the door for Hassan Ridgeway. Stopping the run and getting pressure on Bryce Petty gives the Longhorns the best chance at winning. Believe it or not, Baylor wants to run the ball. Keeping Shock Linwood in check is the first step to stopping the Bear’s offense. The next is making Petty uncomfortable in the pocket. Texas needs to hit him and hit him often. Preventing Petty from getting into any kind of rhythm should give the Longhorns a fighting chance.
- Maintain a high level of energy
Texas must keep up the intensity from the opening kickoff to the final gun. There cannot be any third quarter meltdowns like what happened against BYU. The team will feed off the energy from the crowd. The best way to keep this going is to make plays on the field. Few people give the Longhorns a chance in this game. The longer Texas can stay with Baylor, the more the crowd will get into the game.
- Tackling
All of the aforementioned keys won’t matter if the players don’t tackle. Texas was able to hang with BYU and UCLA when the team played fundamentally-sound football. Missed tackles ultimately did the defense in against BYU. Baylor offense is loaded with talented players who will exploit a missed tackle or poor form to rip off a big play. The quickest way for this game to get out of hand is for the defense to get lazy and not wrap up.