Texas football snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday and exercised some demons. The Longhorns defeated Iowa State 27-6 at DKR and momentarily relieved some of the pressure on Charlie Strong and his coaching staff. In the process, Texas showed us some pretty important things.
First and foremost, Texas won a game they absolutely could not lose. After starting 2-0, the Horns had stumbled in three straight. The defense, in particular, had been particularly bad, surrendering yardage and points in bunches on a silver platter. Losing a fourth straight, particularly against Iowa State, would have spelled certain doom for Strong’s tenure at Texas.
For the first half, it looked like it might have happened. A sluggish, mistake-filled start hindered the Horns, resulting in a 6-3 deficit at the break. However, the team made effective adjustments at halftime to fix what ailed them. The Longhorns outscored Iowa State 24-0 after half to pull away and seal the win.
It’s Texas’ first win in over a month. The team improved their home record to 3-0 on the season and got themselves halfway to bowl eligibility with six games to play. This was a game that Texas absolutely could not lose and they responded with a resounding 21-point victory.
So what did we learn about Texas in this game? Here are five takeaways from the Longhorns’ win over Iowa State.