Texas Football: 4 reasons the Longhorns can upset Alabama in Week 2
Texas’ interior defensive line can stymie Alabama’s ground game and pressure Jalen Milroe
One of the biggest matchup advantages the Longhorns have in this game comes along the interior defensive line against Alabama’s interior offensive line. Redshirt senior defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat and junior nose tackle Byron Murphy II form one of the best starting defensive line duos the Tide will face during the regular season (including in SEC play).
The 6-foot-4 and 362-pound Sweat is bigger than most of Alabama’s huge interior offensive linemen in its starting group. Murphy and senior defensive lineman Alfred Collins will also be a load for Alabama to deal with up front from Texas’ front seven.
Murphy and Sweat were fantastic for the Longhorns in the Week 1 win over Rice. Not only were they two of the five highest-graded interior defensive linemen in the Big 12 in Week 1, but they both were wrecking balls up front that didn’t let anything past them in run defense. Sweat and Murphy combined for five run stops and no missed or broken tackles in run defense last weekend.
Texas has four or five guys in the defensive line rotation that will give Alabama’s run game fits this weekend. Senior interior defensive lineman Trill Carter, junior Vernon Broughton, and Collins are all capable run defenders who will rotate in against Alabama up front.
Alabama’s run game struggled in Week 1 against Middle Tennessee. Outside of some long runs from starting quarterback Jalen Milroe, Alabama had a pretty lackluster run game against Middle Tennessee last weekend.
Texas had its own struggles running the ball against Rice in Week 1. Texas was stuffed six times and had negative rushing plays last weekend. On the other hand, Alabama was stuffed five times and had three negative rushing plays on only two more attempts against Middle Tennessee than the Longhorns had against Rice on Sep. 2.
Combine Texas’ stifling run defense along the defensive front with its disruptiveness rushing the pass up the middle; it could be a long day for Milroe operating in the pocket and the Tide trying to run the ball.
Texas also has to watch Milroe with the dual-threat ability he presents at quarterback. Milroe is one of the fastest quarterbacks Texas will face this season. Pete Kwiatkowski and the Longhorns will have to find ways to contain him this weekend or have a spy that can get outside and clean up plays where the pocket collapses on the Bama quarterback.