Texas Defensive Line Has Its Work Cut Out For It
The Texas defensive line will play an important role in tomorrow’s game.
What was supposed to be a strength of this defense, the Texas defensive line has been more of a liability so far this season.
More from Texas Football
- Texas Football: Quinn Ewers joins 7-Eleven Cleat Crew for charity event
- Texas Football: 4-Star A&M OT commit officially visiting for KU game
- How to watch Texas football vs. Baylor: TV, stream, game time
- Texas Football: Predicting each remaining 5-Star commit for Horns this fall
- Texas Football: Top 5 defenders during nonconference play
Now with a formidable Oklahoma offense up next the d-line will have its hands full.
The Sooners come in to the game with a rushing attack ranked 83rd in the country. A rebuilt offensive line has hindered the run game to some extent. Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon haven’t had big rushing games – the Tulsa game the exception. The Sooners rushing attack isn’t as scary as it’s been in the past.
Where Oklahoma excels on offense is in the passing game. Former Lake Travis quarterback Baker Mayfield has solidified the position, and the offensive attack. Mayfield has thrown for 1382 yards and 13 touchdowns. This is good enough to rank the Sooner’s passing game 10th in the nation. You know he would love to stick it to his hometown team that passed on him.
The one thing the Texas defensive line cannot do is stick to the way it has opened the season. Hassan Ridgeway, Desmond Jackson, Shiro Davis and Naashon Hughes anchor Texas’ deepest position. A strong pass rush would help the young guys in the secondary avoid having to chase receivers all across the field. Stuffing the run game would free up Malik Jefferson and the linebacking corp to attack the ball carrier.
Things haven’t gone according to script.
Aside from Ridgeway’s scoop and score against Oklahoma State, there hasn’t been much to cheer about from this group. Texas sits 119th in the nation in total defense, giving up more than 500 yards per game. The Longhorns give up 210 yards on the ground, and 297 yards through the air – good for 108 and 118 nationally.
These results shouldn’t be that surprising considering Charlie Strong and Vance Bedford have been forced to play mostly youngsters at linebacker and in the secondary. The inexperience has shown.
One way to hide youth is to get a pass rush and disrupt timing plays or force the quarterback to scramble and even throw the ball away. The linebackers need to be able to come free to support the run, not have to fight off offensive lineman blocking downfield. The defensive line needs to tie up the o-line and give the linebackers the chance to make the play.
Expect Bob Stoops to exploit Texas’ youth and have a balanced attack early. If the Sooners can build an early lead I would not be surprised to see Stoops transition to running the ball and let Perine and Mixon do a bulk of the work. Perine had just 17 touches against West Virginia last week. You know the Pflugerville product would love to have a big game against the school that didn’t recruit him.
Ridgeway has shown flashes of the kind of player he can be. The rest of the group has left a lot to be desired. But don’t forget the 2013 game when Chris Whaley scooped up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown as Texas shocked Oklahoma. Anything can happened in a rivalry game.
In order for things to break right for Texas, the defensive line must have a bigger impact on the game then we have seen from it so far this season.