Texas Football: How many points will the Longhorns need to beat TCU?

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AUSTIN, TX – SEPTEMBER 08: Breckyn Hager #44 of the Texas Longhorns hits Luke Skipper #13 of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the endzone during the second quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

Balanced effort from both sides of the ball

Last week, the defense and special teams won the game for the Horns without a doubt. Texas shut down the USC offense by stopping the ground game to the tune of -5 rushing yards and then locked down on the passing game. Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando made USC one-dimensional and it paid dividends in the second half.

We can’t forget about the special teams for the Horns either. True freshman kicker Cameron Dicker was a perfect three-for-three on his field goal attempts last week, including a pair of 46-yarders. Those points will be key for the Horns to not let the little things get away against a team and coaching staff as smart as TCU’s.

One thing that the Texas defense could do better this fall than what we’ve seen so far from them is getting points off turnovers. The secondary has to come up big in this game regardless and drawing a turnover or two wouldn’t hurt their cause. Senior cornerback Kris Boyd came up with his first pick of the season last week, and that momentum could carry over this week.

However, if either side of the ball has a letdown for the Horns against TCU, there shouldn’t be a doubt in any fan’s mind that the Frogs will take advantage. Texas has a real shot at upsetting TCU for the first time since the 2013 campaign but will have to put up a considerable amount of points to do it.

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