OTF Premium One Burning Question: With the season on the line, can Texas' offensive line come through?

[Jeff Howe]

It’s time to tackle “One Burning Question,” an On Texas Football in-season feature where we’ll examine a question facing the Texas Longhorns as they enter a game.

On Sunday, we’ll revisit the question to see whether Steve Sarkisian’s team answered it successfully.

This week, with No. 19 Texas (4-2, 1-2 SEC) welcoming No. 7 Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1) to Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC), the question is:

With the season on the line, can the offensive line come through?

There have been times throughout the first six games of the season when the offensive line has done its job. While the flashes have been few and far between, Kyle Flood’s group makes things happen when they’re on the same page and execute Sarkisian's calls.

The fleeting moments of quality trench play aren’t what Texas fans had in mind when Sarkisian and Flood set out to rebuild the offensive line after the 2025 season. Considering how the Longhorns overcame a rough start to the transfer portal cycle and landed two players targeted by other SEC programs (Melvin Siani and Dylan Sikorski) and added depth when Laurence Seymore was granted another season of eligibility, the situation up front is worse than it was last season.

Traditional statistics tell an unsavory story.

Texas is tied for 121st in FBS in sacks allowed (2.83 per game), is tied for 135th in tackles for loss allowed (7.8 per game) and is on pace for the program’s lowest output in points per game (30.2) and yards per play (5.45) since 2017. The 362.3 yards per game (No. 92 nationally) the Longhorns are averaging is on pace to be the worst season for total offense on the Forty Acres since 2014 (Shawn Watson’s offense averaged 337.3 yards per game).

Texas enters Saturday’s game against the Rebels ranked 101st nationally in rushing yards per game (136) and 120th in yards per carry (3.64). The Longhorns haven’t run the football with this little success since the 2002 offense averaged 135.5 yards per game on the ground, an average buoyed by Cedric Benson’s 1,293-yard sophomore season.

Advanced statistics don’t put the Texas offense in a flattering light either.

Line yards per carry measures an offensive line's effectiveness through weighted yardage. The offensive line is credited with 120 percent of the negative yards on running back carries stopped behind the line of scrimmage and 100 percent on carries that gain 0-4 yards.

Texas is 115th out of 138 FBS offensive lines.

The Longhorns are 97th nationally in stuff rate, which calculates the percentage of rushing plays stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage.

Power success rate is the percentage of third- and fourth-down runs with two or fewer yards to go that result in a first down or a touchdown. Texas is No. 98 in the country, with 69.4 percent of its runs moving the chains or reaching the end zone in those situations,

The offensive line isn’t solely to blame for the offense’s struggles. Still, things won’t improve if an ailing backfield that could be without Hollywood Smothers (shoulder) on Saturday doesn’t have room to operate and the quarterback (whether it’s Arch Manning or KJ Lacey) is under constant duress.

The group can’t fade in the second half as they did in last Saturday’s 27-24 loss to Florida. After racking up 114 yards on 18 non-sack rushing attempts in the first half, Texas netted just 14 yards on seven non-sack rushing attempts after halftime. Those seven carries included Smothers losing three yards on third-and-1 on the offense’s first possession of the third quarter, Raleek Brown getting dropped for a 2-yard loss on the first play of the next series and Manning losing three yards while trying to run for a first down on a fourth-and-2 at the 8:30 mark of the fourth quarter.

There’s a chance Sarkisian and Flood will make personnel changes for the Ole Miss game. They could stand pat and hope Saturday is the day when everything comes together.

Regardless, if the Longhorns can’t move the chains and limit the time that Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels’ potent offense are on the field, things could get out of hand.

The offensive line is out of time to figure things out. It’s now or never for a unit that’s fallen woefully short of the most measured preseason expectations through six games.

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[Jeff Howe]

This is it for the Texas offensive line under Kyle Flood, IMO. A performance on Saturday like their last three and it'll be time to stick a fork in the group as it stands.

Or maybe they turn things around with their backs against the wall. We'll see tomorrow.

[Tuco Ramirez]

1 minute ago, Jeff Howe said:

This is it for the Texas offensive line under Kyle Flood, IMO. A performance on Saturday like their last three and it'll be time to stick a fork in the group as it stands.

The problem is you’re sticking a fork in the  season too. You can make any OL changes you want after this weekend if we lose. None of the changes will matter until sark fires flood or gets canned himself. 

[Joe Z]

LOL

[JMarquette]

10 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

This is it for the Texas offensive line under Kyle Flood, IMO. A performance on Saturday like their last three and it'll be time to stick a fork in the group as it stands.

Or maybe they turn things around with their backs against the wall. We'll see tomorrow.

Retaining Kyle Flood to keep Goosby another year really ended up being the worst possible outcome.

Edited 6 hours ago by JMarquette

[Hexter]

Seymore had a PFF rating of 82.6 for pass protection.Only 1 sack and 1 penalty in 840 snaps. But not in the conversation. Why?

[Mark Futrell]

All great stuff Jeff, Appreciate the analytics and all your hard work. If I can add a couple of things, as bad as the OLine has been they have: 1) improved Arch's protection time in the pocket from last year to over 3 seconds - that is a huge plus 2) the sacks that gets credited to the OLine can be differentiated to an actual QB sack for 2a) holding the ball to long 2b) for not throwing the ball away 2c) not actually improving and running for yardage. In addition the 3rd key point is: coverage sacks whereby WRs have not created separation and have been well covered. And finally the 4th point is a Play Called by Sark against a Defensive Play Called (DC) that does not work out; for example, a blitz trumps a bad offensive play call. A long slow developing route against a particular Defensive Play Call results in failure. So, as bad as The OLine is and gets dinged, there are other factors that contribute to that Group's short comings and weakness. At the end of the day, the question is: Is it the OLine individual players or The OLine schemes designed by The Coaching Staff? If one is in Tony Hills Camp - must listen to this past Wednesday Hump Day with Hills - I submit that one can change any personnel you want or mix the combination of current personnel, but until you change the schemes there will be no difference in outcomes. Tony Hills does a terrific articulation of the real world in the trenches during mid season play. Must Listen on C&F. Personally, I remember MeMa telling me when I was growing up that I was to smart for my own good. MeMa was always right. I think Sark and His Offensive Staff is to smart for their own good. They are implementing Pro like schemes that Collegiate Players obviously can't process, comprehend and execute. Furthermore, Sark's Play Call Sheet doesn't apply to The College Game, it is more suitable for The NFL. Hey Sark, are you building a resume for a job in The NFL? Are you putting on tape schemes that would be effective, productive and efficient in The NFL? Just curious. Just a question. Hook'em!!!

[Alex Butler]

40 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

It’s time to tackle “One Burning Question,” an On Texas Football in-season feature where we’ll examine a question facing the Texas Longhorns as they enter a game.

On Sunday, we’ll revisit the question to see whether Steve Sarkisian’s team answered it successfully.

This week, with No. 19 Texas (4-2, 1-2 SEC) welcoming No. 7 Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1) to Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC), the question is:

With the season on the line, can the offensive line come through?

There have been times throughout the first six games of the season when the offensive line has done its job. While the flashes have been few and far between, Kyle Flood’s group makes things happen when they’re on the same page and execute Sarkisian's calls.

The fleeting moments of quality trench play aren’t what Texas fans had in mind when Sarkisian and Flood set out to rebuild the offensive line after the 2025 season. Considering how the Longhorns overcame a rough start to the transfer portal cycle and landed two players targeted by other SEC programs (Melvin Siani and Dylan Sikorski) and added depth when Laurence Seymore was granted another season of eligibility, the situation up front is worse than it was last season.

Traditional statistics tell an unsavory story.

Texas is tied for 121st in FBS in sacks allowed (2.83 per game), is tied for 135th in tackles for loss allowed (7.8 per game) and is on pace for the program’s lowest output in points per game (30.2) and yards per play (5.45) since 2017. The 362.3 yards per game (No. 92 nationally) the Longhorns are averaging is on pace to be the worst season for total offense on the Forty Acres since 2014 (Shawn Watson’s offense averaged 337.3 yards per game).

Texas enters Saturday’s game against the Rebels ranked 101st nationally in rushing yards per game (136) and 120th in yards per carry (3.64). The Longhorns haven’t run the football with this little success since the 2002 offense averaged 135.5 yards per game on the ground, an average buoyed by Cedric Benson’s 1,293-yard sophomore season.

Advanced statistics don’t put the Texas offense in a flattering light either.

Line yards per carry measures an offensive line's effectiveness through weighted yardage. The offensive line is credited with 120 percent of the negative yards on running back carries stopped behind the line of scrimmage and 100 percent on carries that gain 0-4 yards.

Texas is 115th out of 138 FBS offensive lines.

The Longhorns are 97th nationally in stuff rate, which calculates the percentage of rushing plays stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage.

Power success rate is the percentage of third- and fourth-down runs with two or fewer yards to go that result in a first down or a touchdown. Texas is No. 98 in the country, with 69.4 percent of its runs moving the chains or reaching the end zone in those situations,

The offensive line isn’t solely to blame for the offense’s struggles. Still, things won’t improve if an ailing backfield that could be without Hollywood Smothers (shoulder) on Saturday doesn’t have room to operate and the quarterback (whether it’s Arch Manning or KJ Lacey) is under constant duress.

The group can’t fade in the second half as they did in last Saturday’s 27-24 loss to Florida. After racking up 114 yards on 18 non-sack rushing attempts in the first half, Texas netted just 14 yards on seven non-sack rushing attempts after halftime. Those seven carries included Smothers losing three yards on third-and-1 on the offense’s first possession of the third quarter, Raleek Brown getting dropped for a 2-yard loss on the first play of the next series and Manning losing three yards while trying to run for a first down on a fourth-and-2 at the 8:30 mark of the fourth quarter.

There’s a chance Sarkisian and Flood will make personnel changes for the Ole Miss game. They could stand pat and hope Saturday is the day when everything comes together.

Regardless, if the Longhorns can’t move the chains and limit the time that Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels’ potent offense are on the field, things could get out of hand.

The offensive line is out of time to figure things out. It’s now or never for a unit that’s fallen woefully short of the most measured preseason expectations through six games.

 

View full news story

 

Let me help you write Sunday’s article, one word four letters:

NOPE

[BurntOrangeDNA]

The OL staters haven't consistently gotten the job done but we are told by Sark the backups aren't practicing well enough to play.  Why?

Given this statement, what would happen if one of the starters went down?  Would OL play deteriorate further?  

Portal talent was brought in over the off season to supposedly address deficiencies yet it hasn't produced consistent results.

Just the opposite, as Jeff noted, things are worse than last year.

There are serious issues with either OL talent evaluation, acquisition, or development.  Or all three.

The multitude and continuing nature of OL difficulties point to overall systemic problems and that lands squarely at the feet of Flood.

Sark ultimately owns the problem because, unlike the defense, he has failed to take effective steps to remedy the situation.  

Will the OL come through tomorrow?  

While recent experience says we should not expect it - I definitely hope so.

Because on the heels of two consecutive losses, failure should not be an option.

 

[Jeff Howe]

1 hour ago, Hexter said:

Seymore had a PFF rating of 82.6 for pass protection.Only 1 sack and 1 penalty in 840 snaps. But not in the conversation. Why?

He had an issue with ankle/foot in camp. I don’t know if it’s still an issue, to be honest.

[Hexter]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

He had an issue with ankle/foot in camp. I don’t know if it’s still an issue, to be honest.

Never listed on the injury report.

[Beldar]

17 minutes ago, Hexter said:

Never listed on the injury report.

Nor was Derek Cooper last week. 

 

[Beldar]

Offense so out of sync, don't think even the coaches have a clue what to do Sure as hell need to try something different. Do not feel like trying changes could possibly make it worse. Hope like hell Sark is looking at everything including his play calling . A lot to fix and not much time to do it. Some how I think we win tomorrow. Looks bleak but think they play like they are fighting for the season and get it done. 

[Deep in the heart]

We should have bit the bullet and paid Jordan Seaton.

[HookedOnTF]

On top of the Michigan guys and recruiting misses - something's wrong in the priorities list to let this be a perennial problem.

[CJ Vogel]

Good read, Jeff!

[Joe Z]

17 minutes ago, HookedOnTF said:

On top of the Michigan guys and recruiting misses - something's wrong in the priorities list to let this be a perennial problem.

 

[Hookem72]

If the oline sucks on Saturday we need a livestream from Hashtag’s lazyboy with Superdave commenting.   They were all over this problem since last Summer and it is more of the same. I hope this is finally the time where Sark and Flood earn their salaries and come up with a solution/solutions. 

[HookedOnTF]

6 minutes ago, Joe Z said:

 

Well I'm leavin' you baby

Lord and I'm goin' back home to stay

Well back home there're no floods or tornadoes

Baby the sun shines every day

[Rockin TL]

If we see more than one run blocking scheme this game, that is staff failure.

[SuperDave0805]

I'll keep saying it, If Texas keeps putting Connor Robertson in at center they are not serious about winning football games 

[DanielOnorato]

Always great stuff, Jeff. Thank you!

[CoachScott619]

Oline isn't a burning question it's a burning hole. Flood hasn't produced an interior lineman drafted in the top 5 rounds since he's been at Texas. It's clear the line is unable to do what's being asked either because of coaching, decision making, scouting, or all of the above. Either way unacceptable and whenever the third loss inevitably comes, changes need to be made.

[bourbasted]

I've seen nothing this year outside of Goosby that says this o-line will do anything special tomorrow.  That said, this team has a way of winning (despite the o-line) at key times to keep Flood's tenure alive.  I'm expecting boom or bust from Arch and we will go as he goes.  He may end up disguising more inept line play with his legs tomorrow.  If he gets smacked early and starts playing back-yard ball, Flood may survive another year.

[Txhorn1213]

Kyle Flood… I sat here at the beginning of the offseason last year absolutely astounded we kept him around after last years disaster class and somehow someway he is still here. To take this level of our recruiting and going and getting pretty good pieces in the portal to produce another horrible offensive line that is essentially going to end another season, ruin the biggest name in footballs time at Texas and potentially Sarks… is something I hope ignorant Steve realizes was the downfall of his time here at Texas. What an absolute clown show