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This is more of a question based on the fact that I didn't play football beyond the eighth grade, lol. Is the Texas defense so good that it is actually causing issues with the Texas offense? I say this more so from a collegiate baseball background, where every once in a while, when the pitchers got hot and we had inner squads, they were mowing down the team, and morale wasn't where it was. I know there have been talks that things have been even and/or the offenses have been up and down. They've had their days, that type of stuff, but is it a real possibility that, for the past two years, the defense has been so good that it actually is having an effect on the offense progressing and growing?

Don’t care. The Texas offense needs to play clean and play effectively. Accomplish that and we’re getting the W irrespective of who they bring out at QB.

Aaron Philo only threw single-digit passes with the second-team offense against the scout team during late-week practice

More concerned about VBIII

Sarah is a beast, but so is Booker. I am eager to see Etute banging down low. She might need to start, alongside Breya. I watched as much of her tape as possible and she is a strong girl who doesn't take any crap. She has a decent outside shot too. Crittendon is a scorer. If Preston can model her game after Jordin Canada, from the Dream, look out. Preston should be the fastest player on the court in every game. She needs to attack the hoop with fearlessness! I am excited to see how this team gels.

Some good discussion about Texas around the 40:24 mark.

Sorry. It came up on my feed.

Yet they managed to lose to UTSA and SDSU…

Fresh meat

On3's Pete Nakos has reported that Tramell Jones is expected to start for the Gators this weekend vs. Texas. Jones had been receiving an uptick in first team reps this week in practice following a shoulder injury having kept Aaron Philo sidelined. Philo injured his shoulder in the 4th quarter of the game vs. South Carolina last Saturday and has been limited. Currently, Philo is listed as QUESTIONABLE on the injury report, and he has not been declared out for the contest. A final decision is expected to come Saturday morning per Nakos.

Texas Has an Offensive Problem Nobody Is Talking About... The Longhorns' struggles on third down have dominated the conversation. But a closer look at where Texas is losing offensive efficiency reveals a problem that starts much earlier in the drive. There's no shortage of criticism surrounding Steve Sarkisian's offense this season. The inconsistent rushing attack, stalled possessions and questionable situational play-calling have become familiar talking points. But while much of the attention has centered on Texas's inability to convert third downs, the numbers suggest the Longhorns may be fighting a losing battle well before they ever reach one. And the most revealing evidence comes from an area of the field that rarely receives much attention. Between Texas's own 21- and 39-yard lines, the Longhorns averaged 5.11 yards per rushing attempt in 2025. Through five games this season, that figure has plummeted to 2.70 yards. That's a staggering 47% decline in production from the same portion of the field. The decline doesn't stop there. Last season, Texas generated a first down on approximately 24% of its rushing attempts in that territory. In 2026, that number has dropped to 10.7%. Explosive runs of at least 10 yards have also fallen from 19.2% of attempts to just 8.9%. Granted, we're comparing an entire 2025 season with a five-game sample in 2026, and NCAA rushing statistics include quarterback sacks. Those distinctions matter. But the trend itself deserves scrutiny. Texas has gone from consistently generating meaningful rushing production in its own territory to struggling to manufacture manageable gains. And when an offense has difficulty creating positive situations early in a possession, the consequences can extend well beyond the running game. The Numbers Expose an Interesting Contradiction Here's where things become particularly intriguing. From that same area of the field, Texas is averaging 9.27 yards per pass attempt this season. Think about that. The Longhorns have produced 445 passing yards on 48 attempts between their own 21- and 39-yard lines, compared with just 151 rushing yards on 56 attempts. Those numbers aren't an apples-to-apples comparison. Passing situations, defensive alignments and the risk of incompletions all influence the outcome. But they raise a legitimate question about how Sarkisian is structuring his offense. Is Texas doing enough to use its passing success to create better opportunities in the running game? For years, offensive coordinators have emphasized establishing the run to open the passing game. Modern offenses have demonstrated that the relationship can work just as effectively in reverse. When defenses are forced to respect the perimeter, quick passing concepts and vertical threats, they must account for space that would otherwise be available to support the run. That is precisely where Texas needs to become more deliberate. This offense doesn't necessarily need more rushing attempts. It needs better rushing opportunities. Third Down Is Where the Problems Become Visible Against Tennessee and Oklahoma, Texas went three-and-out on 13 of 27 possessions and converted just six of 26 third-down opportunities. Those are troubling numbers for an offense with Texas's expectations. But viewing those failures exclusively as third-down problems overlooks an important part of the equation. What happened on first and second down? How often did Texas run into unfavorable defensive fronts? How frequently did an unsuccessful rushing attempt dictate the next play call? And how many times did the offense enter third down with limited options because it failed to generate meaningful yardage earlier in the series? Those are the questions Sarkisian and his staff should be examining. To be clear, the field-position statistics alone cannot establish how many stalled possessions resulted directly from unsuccessful rushing attempts. That requires a play-by-play review of individual drives. Nevertheless, the decline in rushing efficiency provides a compelling reason to investigate the connection. And from a schematic standpoint, there are several areas where Texas can make adjustments without abandoning its offensive identity. Sarkisian Needs to Make Defenses Defend the Entire Field The first adjustment should begin with personnel and spacing. Texas has the receiving talent to make defenses uncomfortable in 11 personnel, utilizing three wide receivers, one tight end and one running back. That formation allows the Longhorns to stretch coverage horizontally while maintaining enough flexibility to attack between the tackles. But the real advantage comes from pairing formations with answers to defensive leverage. If an opponent commits an additional defender to the box, Manning should have access to an immediate perimeter throw or a built-in run-pass option. If linebackers begin flowing aggressively toward outside zone, Texas should have complementary counters designed to exploit that movement. This isn't about allowing Manning to change every play at the line of scrimmage. It's about ensuring the called concept provides a practical response when the defense presents an unfavorable look. Texas also needs to rethink how it creates movement along the offensive line. When an interior offensive line struggles to consistently displace defenders, repeatedly asking it to win straight-ahead physical matchups can become counterproductive. More pin-and-pull concepts, movement-based blocking schemes and well-timed counters could help Texas manufacture better angles rather than relying entirely on individual strength. That doesn't mean abandoning downhill football. It means making downhill runs more effective by forcing defenses to respect something else. And then there's Manning himself. His mobility remains an asset Texas should incorporate into the offense more deliberately. Selective quarterback reads, designed keeps and movement passes can force an unblocked defender to account for the quarterback instead of crashing immediately toward the running back. The goal isn't to expose Manning to unnecessary contact. It's to make the threat of his running ability influence defensive behavior. Sometimes a quarterback doesn't have to carry the football to change how the defense plays. The Answer Isn't a Bigger Playbook One of the easiest mistakes an offensive coordinator can make during a difficult stretch is assuming the solution requires adding more plays. Texas doesn't lack offensive concepts. What it needs is a more dependable relationship between those concepts. A successful perimeter screen should make the defense hesitate before crowding the box. An effective outside-zone run should create opportunities for a backside counter. A credible quarterback-keep threat should prevent edge defenders from aggressively pursuing the running back on every snap. Those are complementary principles that make an offense difficult to defend. And that's where Sarkisian needs to sharpen his approach. Rather than measuring success solely by total yardage or explosive plays, Texas should be tracking how frequently its offense creates favorable second downs, avoids negative plays and moves the chains without requiring Manning to rescue the possession. The immediate benchmark should be straightforward: get rushing production in that 21- to 39-yard range back toward four yards per attempt while improving the frequency of successful early-down plays. The staff should also examine those results by personnel grouping, defensive box count and blocking scheme. If the same play consistently fails against the same defensive presentation, continuing to call it without an adjustment isn't establishing an identity. It's allowing the defense to dictate the terms. Texas Needs to Fix the Beginning of Its Drives There is still time for Sarkisian to correct the course of this offense. But improvement requires identifying the source of the problem rather than repeatedly addressing its most visible consequences. Third-down conversions matter. Explosive plays matter. Red-zone efficiency matters. Yet none of those categories operates independently. For an offense that relies heavily on sequencing, defensive manipulation and creating advantageous matchups, the inability to generate consistent production in its own territory is particularly concerning. Texas has demonstrated it can move the football through the air from that area of the field. The next step is using that threat to create a more balanced and efficient attack. Sarkisian has built his reputation on understanding how one play sets up another. Now he needs to apply that philosophy more consistently to the opening stages of possessions. Because the most important question facing Texas isn't simply why the Longhorns keep failing on third down. It's why they're making third down so difficult in the first place. And based on the early-season numbers, the answer may begin somewhere around their own 30-yard line. Statistical note: Field-position comparisons use Texas's 2025 season and its first five games of 2026. NCAA rushing totals include sacks. The statistical relationship identifies an area for further analysis, rather than proving a direct causal relationship between rushing efficiency and stalled drives.

There is no chance of forcing anything on Sark. I feel like it is quite obvious he would leave if told to get an OC.

We are all fans and few, myself included, have any idea about the decision processes. That said I would vet money CDC doesn't share your opinion and will not force anything on Sark sans another meltdown and 4+ losses. Not saying you're wrong.

Lol no doubt

That CSU defense is complete garbage!!! That’s also an understatement 🤘

I will pay to watch also. Want to see Sarah Strong teach Booker how to play the game.

Guru

Absolutely ridiculous to believe that right now c'mon man🤣🤣

Texas 31 Florida 26

This was likely a rage bait post for interactions lol

Arch running too much, not running isnt solving this. Sark and Flood are the issue. OL must become good. That sets the table and mentality for the entire team. You would think Sark would have learned this from Saban. Arch is an issue as well. He just may not be anywhere close to what his projection was.

34-13 Texas 🤘

Quinn was 1st / at worst 2nd round at this time 2 years ago. The nfl will dissect the crap out of his film when the time comes.

Not happening.