The Tom Herman Era of Texas Football can officially begin now that the Texas Longhorns have secured their first win of the 2017 college football season.
The Longhorns shut out San Jose State 56-0 Saturday afternoon in Austin.
It was an emphatic win that righted a lot of wrongs from their 51-41 opening week loss at home against Maryland last week.
The biggest question going into the game was who would play QB. The answer was true freshman Sam Ehlinger starting in place of injured sophomore QB Shane Buechele.
Ehlinger was solid in his first Texas start. But, the real key was the running game, which pounded San Jose State into submission.
The Longhorns completely abandoned the running game Week 1 against Maryland. Offensive coordinator Tim Beck learned his lesson, as he gameplanned a terrific rushing attack featuring Chris Warren, Kyle Porter, and even former QB Jerrod Heard.
Plus, freshman RB Toneil Carter recorded his first career TD late in the game to seal a 56-0 victory.
Sam Ehlinger also got his first career passing TD for the Longhorns late in the game. Ehlinger was credited with a one-yard toss to Armanti Foreman for a TD. It wasn’t exactly a 40-yard post route to the endzone, but it got Ehlinger in the record books.
And then there was the defensive side of the ball.
Texas Defense Shuts out San Jose State
The Longhorns spent most of the game on offense, especially in the second half when Texas went ground and pound with the running game.
When the defense was on the field, they were dominant. San Jose State only had 100 total yards at halftime and never really threatened during the half.
The only real threat was taken care of by Malik Jefferson, who stuffed a 4th and 1 at the line of scrimmage on the Longhorns’ side of the field.
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There was no let-up in the second half. And, when transfer kicker Josh Rowland missed his third field goal in as many tries this season, the defense answered the call.
After the missed FG, who else but Holton Hill took a interception to the house for his third TD in two games.
Hill now has two INTs for TDs and a blocked field goal returned for a TD to start the season.
That just does not happen. But, Hill has been in the right place at the right time for the Longhorns.
Net Up: The Much Anticipated USC Game
Texas is not as bad as they played last week against Maryland. And, they’re probably not as good as a 56-0 shutout against San Jose State. So, how good are they?
It’s time to find out next Saturday when the Longhorns travel to Los Angeles to face USC in a huge road test.
The game will have all the hype of a marquee non-conference game, especially being the first Texas vs. USC game since the 2006 Rose Bowl National Title game won by Texas.
So, how will this Longhorns team handle the moment? How will Tom Herman handle this marquee matchup?
And, perhaps most importantly, who will be the QB next week against USC? A lot of that answer will depend on Shane Buechele’s health. Sam Ehlinger looked good, but is he ready for Top 10 USC in prime time?
If Ehlinger is the QB, the Longhorns will need to strategize a rushing attack similar to what worked so well against San Jose State. That means a lot of support from Chris Warren, Kyle Porter, and even Jerrod Heard.
If it’s Shane Buechele, then Texas will be leaning on an experienced QB who is ready for the moment.
Next: Texas Football Q&A with Peter Gardere
Either way, the Longhorns should be ready to play USC next Saturday after getting the first win of the Tom Herman Era and rebounding from last week’s poor performance against Maryland.