Texas Football: 3 red flags for the Longhorns moving forward

Accounting for the QB scramble

The other big problem the Longhorns had trouble adjusting to in the loss to Oklahoma last weekend was the QB run game. Gabriel and the Sooners exploded for over 110 rushing yards, eight yards per carry, and one rushing TD from the QB.

Of Gabriel’s 114 rushing yards last weekend, 80 were on scramble plays.

Gabriel exploited a Texas defensive front prepared to take away the outside running game and the designed QB run. He took advantage of that by scrambling up the middle when his first couple of reads in the passing game weren’t available.

Had it not been for Gabriel’s efforts scrambling from the pocket, Oklahoma probably would’ve scored fewer points and ultimately come up short against Texas. Gabriel’s dual-threat ability deceived Texas’ linebackers all game long, especially senior Jaylan Ford.

Ford missed multiple tackles in run defense against the Sooners, including a key tackle attempt that he whiffed on Gabriel within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Ford’s missed tackle attempt on Gabriel before the first-down marker was a 44-yard run play for the Sooners quarterback.

Texas defended the QB run threat well in the season’s first five games. But Gabriel’s short-area quickness and decisiveness in knowing when to tuck the ball and run was a major difference-maker in OU’s win in Red River last weekend.

Gabriel’s 80 scramble yards in Red River is the third-most in a Big 12 game since the 2020 season.

It is a bit concerning that Texas was exploited to this extent in the QB run game before facing a dual-threat QB that’s given them issues before in Houston’s Donovan Smith.

We’ve seen Pete Kwiatkowski and the Longhorns effectively limit a dual-threat QB before in the Week 2 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide on the road. Texas spied QB Jalen Milroe effectively in the win over Bama earlier this season. They should’ve done the same against Oklahoma.