OTF Premium Immediate Reactions | Texas vs. Vanderbilt

[CJ Vogel]

The first true road game of the SEC era for the Texas Longhorns comes in a game where the Longhorn faithful completely fill the away stands. Nothing hostile about this game, that’s for sure.

1st Quarter:

Texas gets the ball, but doesn’t do anything to help itself in terms of field position. Holding forced the Longhorns to start on their own 7-yard line.

It took all three plays to gain 10 yards and an inch for the first down. Texas is running more on this first drive already than at any point this season.

Oh man. A batted pass is intercepted and the Longhorns are giving Vandy a tremendous start to the game. This is absolutely not what Ewers needed to begin this game. The keys to this game are field position and time of possession. Texas is already losing that battle about four minutes into the game.

Vandy doing Vandy things on their first drive. Creative rush attempts, jet motion, full house. Diego Pavia just out-athleted Jaylon Guilbeau to the edge and finds the end zone on a heck of a play. The Longhorns are continuing to do themselves no favors early on in these games. It’s an issue. 

Vandy 7–0.

Texas stubbed its two on first down again. Missed block by Golden.

But man, what a play from Tre Wisner to haul in that pass and make a couple of guys miss for a much needed first down and explosive play. Sarkisian is not tasking Quinn with many throws vertically. Everything has been a screen or a bubble at this point following the INT.

What a catch by Matthew Golden! That was tremendous and the Longhorns answered very, very well to tie the game at 7 after a horrid start.

How about that! Nice 3-and-out for the Texas defense after Vandy tried to get tricky on 4th down. An illegal formation helps the Longhorn D in that regard. Huge for the Longhorns to get the ball back there.

Silas Bolden almost got loose again. Stop me if you have heard that before. Nice return. Longhorns are back to midfield.

Texas is cruising offensively. What a throw to DeAndre Moore from Ewers and what a route win and catch from Moore. Huge play on third down, love the call from Sarkisian as well.

Texas is up 14-7 after 1Q.

Ewers has completed 12 consecutive passes since the INT. He eclipsed 125 passing yards in the first frame as well. The offense is still short, but it’s working and the deep/intermediate throws are growing at the moment.

It took eight games, but we finally have an Amari Niblack sighting for the Texas Longhorns! Two receptions for 22 yards, including a 20-yarder.

The Texas defense has come to play. Vandy has been able to get a couple of first downs on drives, but nothing significant and no chunk plays.

Ewers is lighting it up statistically. A sack kills the drive, but he is in a groove. Penalties definitely hurt the Longhorns on that drive there as well. Self-inflicted.

What a play by DeAndre Moore as a gunner to down Vandy at the one! Haven’t seen that in special teams all too much this year.

Hello Trey Moore! Key play on a tricky third down forces a punt. Big play there for the UTSA transfer.

Quinn Ewers definitely heard everything said these past two weeks and has answered in a big way. Ewers has been tremendous and just found his third touchdown of the day to DeAndre Moore, his second.

I love the way this Texas defense plays football. They fly to the ball and continue to hustle. A freakish play gets Pavia his biggest gain, but it's called back to holding.

Michael Taaffe should be a fan favorite and it shouldn’t be a debate. A huge forced fumble there gives Texas a chance to score before halftime. Taaffe and McDonald have been tremendous today for Texas, no drop off at safety despite two starting caliber guys out this afternoon.

Halftime:

Texas leads 21–10

***

3rd Quarter

Big test for defense to not allow Vandy the chance to double up after getting 3 before half. Vandy will have to go 75+ for a score. 

The running game is alive for the Texas offense. Tre Wisner has gotten loose on three consecutive rush attempts in the third quarter. Love the complementary approach from the offense here, needs to hold up moving forward. 

A sack bumps Ewers back and a drop leaves Texas in a field goal position. Auburn drills it and the Longhorns are back up two TD. 

Now, back to the defense. 

Kobe Black! Big PBU to force an incompletion and punt. Barron got some run at safety there. 

Man, I don’t know what to say, maybe Ewers is just incredibly unlucky? But another batted ball is picked off and Vandy gets great field position again. 

Jahdae Barron with a PBU of his own! Thorpe resume continues to improve. 

Jermayne Lole has been really, really good today. Second or third straight week I can say that about his play. 

I have no clue how Pavia fit that ball in for a touchdown on fourth down. Jelani looked to be in a good spot for a deflection as was the case for about three other Longhorn defenders. Regardless, a one score game again, the case for about three other Longhorns.

Texas offense has hit a second half wall. 

Only 2.22 yards per snap for the Texas offense over the last three drives. Need another defensive stop. 

When Texas needs momentum, it’s the defense that provides it. It’s been the case for a long while now and it shouldn’t have to be. 

Longhorns have shot themselves in the foot all day with penalties and sacks. It’s been a disaster in the 2H. 

Liona Lefau gets the pick! Barryn Sorrell gets the pressure! Massive play for Texas. Put the game away. 

Jaydon Blue! Finally. Texas down to the five. Now punch it in and end this game. 

Texas doesn’t do anything with the first and goal. Field goal. 27–17

Such a bad, dumb play from Vernon Broughton there. He will be out of the Florida game for the 1st half. 

[jkates]

Conference road win. Not to be taken for granted. Texas! Fight! #hookem

Edited October 26 by jkates

[HudGar1922]

not impressive florida arky and atm

are gonna be tough

[bgreen04]

10 Penalties for 108 yards. OL is not playing well at all right now.

[CJ Vogel]

Weird game. Offense cruised in the first half, then disappeared in the second half. Penalties, turnovers, sacks. Really the same story of the last couple of weeks just with shades of a better QB for the first half.

[Cujonation83]

Oline miscues everywhere. Definitely need a bye week. 

[chennups]

Oline definitely hurt us with the holding penalties (one on helm and niblack each as well) but also with their miscommunication allowing the free rushers. They need a reset. 
 

 

[Randy Fistfighter]

What is going on with the OL?

[NothinButDaHorns34]

Not an inspiring performance but it’s a win 

[Joe Zura]

I am drinking the memory of the game away we won on the road. My father in all Alabama couldn’t do that. So Hookem and cheers

[rgvhorn80]

16 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Weird game. Offense cruised in the first half, then disappeared in the second half. Penalties, turnovers, sacks. Really the same story of the last couple of weeks just with shades of a better QB for the first half.

Same story every year on the road. Start fast then do nothing in the 2nd half. Nothing new. Undisciplined team. 

[Alex Butler]

45 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Weird game. Offense cruised in the first half, then disappeared in the second half. Penalties, turnovers, sacks. Really the same story of the last couple of weeks just with shades of a better QB for the first half.

We could really use more stuff across the middle of the defense. Where are the drag routes, slants, curls routes, deep crossing routes? That great 3rd  and  long conversion…deep slant. 

[HardcoreHorn]

At Houston last year. At Vandy this year, felt so so similar 

[GoHorns1]

56 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Weird game. Offense cruised in the first half, then disappeared in the second half. Penalties, turnovers, sacks. Really the same story of the last couple of weeks just with shades of a better QB for the first half.

One turnover in 2nd half. Penalties are the reason drives ended

[Realist Horn]

I hope they took the Joe Moore sign down from the locker/meeting rooms. 

[nycHorn]

We are going 2-2 over the next 4 at best if we don’t clean up our act. Broughton is an idiot. The o-line is regressing.  Any team with any sort of d-line is going to turtle Ewers. 

[nycHorn]

58 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Weird game. Offense cruised in the first half, then disappeared in the second half. Penalties, turnovers, sacks. Really the same story of the last couple of weeks just with shades of a better QB for the first half.

We were gashing them with the run in the beginning of the 2nd half. Then we tried to pass and things went awry.  Lost all the momentum. Lucky to hang on at the end despite our efforts to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. 

[Cajunhorn]

I’d love to know the yardage breakdown for yards traveled through the air east/west vs downfield on Quinn’s passes. 

[ThatHornsGuy87]

57 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Weird game. Offense cruised in the first half, then disappeared in the second half. Penalties, turnovers, sacks. Really the same story of the last couple of weeks just with shades of a better QB for the first half.

Is it because the offense when not shooting itself in the foot, call nothing but quick passes and screens? Granted I wasn't able to watch the game with 100% interest being at work. I saw vandy just sit on everything. I could play corner if I just said there if I just had to worry about a 3 yard pass every time. I'll take the win. But that was a maddening 2nd half

[Robert Gilbert]

There have been numerous comments, on the OTF Postgame show and other sites, complaining about Sark’s play calling in the 2nd half. My only complaint was the second and goal late in the game. Sark threw it and it was incomplete. I would have loved to see a run which would have taken the clock down to the 2 minute warning or forced Vandy to call a time out. Other than that I thought it was well called. It was the penalties which brought back several long gains and a INT for TD which destroyed any momentum we were starting. 

[FatherofMinky]

This team really lacks discipline. Too many penalties, self inflicted wounds. We should have won by 20 honestly. Lack of discipline starts at the top though…

[Walter Jenkins]

How many penalties, sacks, and missed blocks do Williams, Campbell, and Connors have to allow before they are replaced at least for a play or two to regain their focus? Sark keeps talking about his meritocracy, but clearly some "are more equal than others."

[Neil Leininger]

I don't understand how there is no accountability on the OL. The only two guys that should get the benefit of the doubt are Banks and Majors. Every other OL should be benched for series if they continue to make stupid penalties. The miscommunication between Majors and Conner should be unacceptable at this point.

Edited October 27 by Neil Leininger

[ArizonaLonghorn]

Four games left and every team we face will have lesser talent than us, but each team has some dudes on the defensive line who can cause our OL problems. I'm pretty sure they'll be coming hard after what we've done the past two games.

Kentucky and Florida (in Austin) should be doable though it might get ugly, but you know the Hogs and Aggies (on the road) will be fired up and coming for blood.  The team needs answers if we're to go 4-0 the rest of the way.  Can we at least stop with the stupid penalties on offense?

[goattalk100]

10 minutes ago, Neil Leininger said:

I don't understand how there is no accountability on the OL. The only two guys that should get the benefit of the doubt are Banks and Majors. Every other OL should be benched for series if they continue to make stupid penalties. The miscommunication between Majors and Conner should be unacceptable at this point.

I mean if we’re being real here, Banks struggled today. He had a few penalties & didn’t look all that comfortable. Tough to tell what’s going on. It seems like some of it is protection from a scheme standpoint that’s getting us in trouble. I really think Conner has gotten by for a couple years without giving us a ton. I think Neto or Hutson would be help us in the run game.