OTF Premium Texas is determined to 'go up and be consistent' heading into the Kentucky game

[Jeff Howe]

On the eve of No. 21 Texas attempting to build on winning last Saturday’s 23-6 fist fight with Oklahoma when it faces Kentucky on the road (6 p.m., ESPN), what Colin Simmons said on Monday stands out as the theme of the week for Steve Sarkisian’s team.

Texas (4-2, 1-1 SEC) wants its suffocation of the Sooners to be the jumping-off point to a prosperous second half of the regular season. Coming off of his most productive game of the season (five tackles and 2.5 sacks), Simmons, who was named SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in the win over Oklahoma, was blunt in his response when asked about the challenge of maintaining the mental approach the Longhorns carried into the Red River Shootout.

“Well, I'll let you know this right now: We're not here for the emotional roller coaster. We're not here to go up and down,” Simmons said. “We're only here to go up and be consistent.”

Simmons, along with the other Texas players who met with the media on Monday, and Sarkisian referred to Saturday’s meeting with the Wildcats as “an SEC Championship Game.” While that might sound disingenuous on the surface, the mantra speaks to the Longhorns' understanding that a loss to Kentucky (2-3, 0-3) would all but put an end to their hopes of returning to Atlanta for the second consecutive season.

A start to Saturday’s game that mirrors what happened when Texas got itself into an early 10-0 hole in Gainesville on Oct. 4 (Florida hung on for a 29-21 win that knocked the Longhorns out of the Associated Press Top 25) is one from which the Longhorns might not recover. Mark Stoops has had better teams than the one he’ll lead onto Kroger Field. Still, the Wildcats’ potential to successfully utilize a ground-and-pound style of offense (Kentucky averages 159.4 yards per game and 4.22 yards per attempt on the ground) is the kind of attack capable of protecting a lead.

According to College Football Data, the Wildcats average 3.2 line yards per carry, which ranks fifth in the SEC. According to the metric, which distributes a percentage of the credit for an offense’s rushing yards to the offensive line, the Kentucky offensive line gets the job done in the running game better than all but four lines in the conference.

For all of the talk about the Texas offense needing to start fast, the defense’s job is just as important in that regard.

“We've got to come out and stop the run,” defensive tackle Hero Kanu said on Monday. “That's, obviously, the mindset we’ve got to have.”

In the loss to the Gators, Florida gained 94 of its 159 rushing yards in the first quarter. If the Longhorns can replicate what it did against the Sooners — the defense allowed only 80 sack-adjusted rushing yards (3.2 yards per attempt) and, once Texas grabbed the lead in the second half, turned up the heat on John Mateer to the tune of five sacks — it will go a long way toward making sure the team returns home with all of its goals intact.

“We've got to force them to have third-and-longs,” Kanu said. “We've got to stop them on first and second down. That's really the mindset we have and we know what we've got to do.”

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[Jeff Howe]

Greetings from the Nashville airport! On my way to Cincinnati and then Lexington tomorrow!

It feels good to be back on the road with the Longhorns!

[Rocky P]

12 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

Greetings from the Nashville airport! On my way to Cincinnati and then Lexington tomorrow!

It feels good to be back on the road with the Longhorns!

why are you headed to Cincy?

[Brad Beatty]

19 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

Greetings from the Nashville airport! On my way to Cincinnati and then Lexington tomorrow!

It feels good to be back on the road with the Longhorns!

Graeter's Ice Cream in Lexington, Jeff.  You're welcome. 

[MJW2327]

11 minutes ago, Rocky P said:

why are you headed to Cincy?

only ~80 miles from Cincy to Lexington vs. flying into Lexington

[Rocky P]

Just now, MJW2327 said:

only ~80 miles from Cincy to Lexington vs. flying into Lexington

that makes sense.  I was confused why fly from nashville to cincy and then go to lexington.

[MJW2327]

5 minutes ago, Rocky P said:

that makes sense.  I was confused why fly from nashville to cincy and then go to lexington.

I often forget those couple of big cities that are halfway in KY (both divided by the Ohio river): Cincy = KY & OH; Louisville = KY & IN

Edited yesterday at 07:02 PM by MJW2327

[alrightalrightalright]

4 minutes ago, MJW2327 said:

I forgot those couple of big cities that are halfway in KY: Cincy = KY & OH; Louisville = KY & IN

Yep happens a lot when rivers are the state borders. Big cities sit right on the border. Same river in this instance

[Sarah O]

Safe travels, Jeff! 

[Waxahorn]

Consistent would be good. A comfortable lead would be consistently better for my heart.

[BILL ALLEN]

Jeff, 

I was told all gas no brakes. That’s what I want! When do I get it? It feels like forever since Texas Tech and Oklahoma State beat downs. Can we get a beat down?

[Steamboat Willie]

Hopefully “consistently “ good 

[watty7796]

Consistent and hopefully disciplined.  No dumb penalties or turnovers.

[PaulieD]

6 hours ago, Jeff Howe said:

Greetings from the Nashville airport! On my way to Cincinnati and then Lexington tomorrow!

It feels good to be back on the road with the Longhorns!

Safe travels Jeff.

[thatdude2]

8 hours ago, Rocky P said:

why are you headed to Cincy?

It’s always about a woman

[AusMOJO]

Hoping to see the team stop the up and down performances. No better chance than to do that at Kentucky, imo. Don't think we blow them out but want to see the boys come out strong and stay on top of Kentucky all game long. 

[Judd_Irby]

9 hours ago, MJW2327 said:

I often forget those couple of big cities that are halfway in KY (both divided by the Ohio river): Cincy = KY & OH; Louisville = KY & IN

Covington, KY is directly across the river from Cincinnati.

[diegozanna20]

8 hours ago, BILL ALLEN said:

Jeff, 

I was told all gas no brakes. That’s what I want! When do I get it? It feels like forever since Texas Tech and Oklahoma State beat downs. Can we get a beat down?

This is the SEC.
If you don't consider last weekvs OU a beatdown then you're not gonna see many beatdowns at all.

[Jeff Howe]

12 hours ago, thatdude2 said:

It’s always about a woman

Well, I don't imagine my wife and daughter are too broken up when I travel. So there's that.

[Jeff Howe]

14 hours ago, PaulieD said:

Safe travels Jeff.

Thanks, PaulieD. Great to have you as a part of the community.

[Jeff Howe]

16 hours ago, BILL ALLEN said:

Jeff, 

I was told all gas no brakes. That’s what I want! When do I get it? It feels like forever since Texas Tech and Oklahoma State beat downs. Can we get a beat down?

I just don't think the offense has that kind of explosive element right now. I'd rather Sark and the staff work smarter, not harder (i.e., forcing the issue, trying to hit the big play on offense or being static on defense).