Texas Football: 3 things the Longhorns are missing after first two games
1) What’s missing for Texas football in 2020: Defensive backfield not getting torched
This wasn’t necessarily just a problem that Herman has experienced in the first two games of the 2020 season alone. Texas parted ways with former defensive coordinator (now in the same role with the USC Trojans) Todd Orlando following the regular season finale last year. Ironically enough, the game that Orlando was fired after was also a win over Texas Tech.
Herman brought aboard former Rutgers head coach Chris Ash to be the Longhorns next defensive coordinator/safeties coach early in the 2020 offseason. Ash’s defense played really well, but against a bad opponent, in the season opening win over UTEP. The results weren’t nearly as great in the win over the Red Raiders, in which the Longhorns allowed 56 points, including 35 in the second half alone.
But not all of this was the fault of the defense. Texas did give up 14 points alone on special teams mishaps. That does have to be cleaned up.
Still, the Longhorns cannot be giving up five yards per carry and more than 450 total yards to a team that couldn’t muster a huge offensive effort against even the Houston Baptist defense. Texas was saved by a few picks from Texas Tech redshirt sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman, but they still gave up 331 passing yards and five passing scores last weekend.
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Top notch defensive backs that were anticipated to be big for the Longhorns this fall, like junior cornerback D’shawn Jamison and junior safety B.J. Foster are posting some of the worst coverage grades of their career. Texas also posted their worst team-tackling grade in more than a full season in the Big 12 opener. Secondary leaders like Jamison and junior safety Caden Sterns need to come up big for the Longhorns in Big 12 play from here on out.
Stats courtesy of Sports-Reference and PFF.