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4 overreactions from Texas’ intrepid win over Kansas State

By Andrew Miller

Casey Thompson, Texas Football (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Casey Thompson, Texas Football (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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Moro Ojomo, Texas Football Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Moro Ojomo, Texas Football Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas needs to get Keondre Coburn and Moro Ojomo back

Barring two explosive running plays for the Kansas State offense, this Longhorns’ defense had its best outing in Big 12 play this season in this win on Black Friday. You can thank the efforts of some of the more experienced and proved players along this defensive line for the strong second-half push in this win over Kansas State. I’m looking at the pair of fourth-year defensive linemen Keondre Coburn and Moro Ojomo here.

I personally never expected the Longhorns to contain Kansas State’s star running back Deuce Vaughn for the entire game. Vaughn did still have a big day for the Wildcats, with 150 total yards from scrimmage and more than six yards per carry, with one rushing score. But Texas limited the explosive plays for Vaughn, and they didn’t miss all that many tackles when he had the ball.

Vaughn did have four missed tackles forced, which isn’t all that bad by the usual considerations for this Longhorns’ defense against a skill position weapon that is as versatile and explosive as Vaughn.

Moreover, this win over Kansas State proved which of the defensive players for the Longhorns can be versatile and valuable pieces on this side of the ball moving forward. We might not see Pete Kwiatkowski back in 2022. But the duo of Coburn and Ojomo have steadily improved this season to prove that they would be huge linemen to get back in 2022 either way.

Ojomo rarely missed a tackle or misdiagnosed a play down the stretch this season. It wasn’t the splashiest season for the senior, but he was consistent almost the entire way. Ojomo finished up the regular season with 30 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, 18 stops, one batted ball, 10 run stuffs, 13 quarterback pressures, and just five missed tackles.

Meanwhile, Coburn can be a valued piece to get back in 2022 if he can stay healthy. Outside of a down game in the loss to the Iowa State Cyclones earlier this month, Coburn was solid throughout Big 12 play. He was one of the two highest-graded Longhorns defensive linemen in Big 12 play this fall.

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