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Me hoping for early tank season to line up for 2027 draft

They aren’t confident.

Hi Longhorn nation! Drop your Longhorn memorabilia in the thread here. I'm 27 so just getting started, but I'll start. Acquired some new ones between the two images but, A Ricky signed jersey with "HT 98" and a VY signed jersey. I've got the Colt Mccoy signed picture as well. The 3 frames on the wall were sent by the University after I wrote them a letter in grade school for a school project! 2 of them are trading cards maybe? that I just kept together and framed and the other is a picture with the entire 2009 team, signed by all the players. Feel grateful and lucky to acquire these, thank you for sharing below!

AUSTIN, Texas — Oklahoma finds itself in the same position No. 1 Texas was in ahead of last season's Red River Shootout in 2025. Steve Sarkisian's team traveled to the Cotton Bowl reeling after dropping their SEC opener on the road against Florida, their second loss of the young season. The Longhorns pulled the nose up with a convincing 23-6 upset of the Sooners and made a run at a third consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff, which is why they're not taking their wounded rivals lightly on Saturday (2:30 p.m., ABC). “We know we're going to get OU's best shot. They're a really good team. They're a very talented team and they've got good coaches,” Sarkisian said Thursday during his pregame Zoom call with reporters. “Sometimes, things don't go your way and you just don't quite get the momentum that you need. Hopefully, they don't figure it out Saturday either. Hopefully, we can cause a little more chaos for them. But I know we're going to get their best shot and I know they're going to have a great plan. I know their kids are going to play hard and physical and tough because that's what that program is built on. We know it's going to be a four-quarter game — rivalry games generally go that way — and we know we're going to need to play good football if we want to come out on top.” If Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC) wants to avoid an upset and retain the Golden Hat when the dust settles on the program’s 122nd all-time meeting with Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1), these are the matchups the Longhorns must win. WHEN TEXAS RUNS A healthy amount of focus will be on how well Brandon Baker, Connor Robertson and Dylan Sikorski handle a stout Oklahoma interior defensive line rotation led by Jayden Jackson and David Stone. But the head-to-head battle that will go a long way toward determining whether the Longhorns can generate explosive plays and convince Sarkisian to stick with the running game is Hollywood Smothers’ ability to maximize runs against the Sooners' active, experienced linebackers. Even with Cole Sullivan (questionable) and Owen Heinecke (probable) listed on Wednesday’s availability report, Kip Lewis’ return from injury against Georgia will make it tough for the Texas running backs to get yards after contact. As the Longhorns’ best zone runner (Raleek Brown has been better in his career and this season on gap and power runs), if Smothers (who signed with Oklahoma out of high school and played for the Sooners in 2022) can find the cutback lanes that will be open against Brent Venables’ hard-charging defense, Texas can control the ball, the clock and the game. WHEN OKLAHOMA RUNS Arguably the most effective way the Sooners can run the football is whenever John Mateer scrambles. According to Pro Football Focus, Mateer has gained 69 yards on 12 scrambles, including one of Oklahoma's three 20-plus-yard runs from scrimmage (a 22-yard scramble against Michigan). Mateer has also accounted for 23.3 percent of the 193 yards the Sooners have gained on D-gap runs. That’s the most yards Oklahoma has gained in any direction through four games, according to PFF, putting the fate of a Sooners running game that’s gained just 169 yards (2.82 yards per attempt) between the C-gaps in the hands of the Texas edge defenders and linebackers. Maintaining a disciplined pass rush, setting the edge and eye control at the second level and beyond will be paramount, especially whenever Will Muschamp’s defense is in man coverage. The longest run the Longhorns have allowed in four games was a 32-yard scramble by Brad Jackson in the season opener against Texas State, when Jackson took off while the Texas defenders in coverage had their backs to him. WHEN TEXAS PASSES Expect Venables’ Oklahoma defense to attack the line of scrimmage similar to how UTSA and Tennessee got after the Longhorns. Both defenses disguised their looks well and brought extra defenders on delayed blitzes, with Jim Knowles and the Vols using slants and stunts to break through Texas’ pass protection. Sarkisian’s game plan must include more hot reads and quick-hitting, stationary routes than it did in Knoxville so that Arch Manning has somewhere to go with the ball when the Sooners bring the heat. The key matchup, however, will be the Longhorn wideouts winning their one-on-one battles against the Oklahoma defensive backs when those opportunities arise. One of the few times Manning got the ball out of his hands before Tennessee's pressure got to him, he hit Cam Coleman down the sideline for a 30-yard gain. While the Sooners pressured Gunner Stockton on nine of his 19 dropbacks two weeks ago, the Georgia quarterback went 3-for-7 for 77 yards and a touchdown, with an average depth of target of 27.5 yards, according to PFF. Stockton was 3-for-9 for 106 yards and a touchdown on pass attempts that went 20 yards or more downfield. Manning's deep ball opportunities will likely be few and far between, but he and the Texas receivers need to capitalize when they're available. WHEN OKLAHOMA PASSES The Longhorns must know where Isaiah Sategna and Rocky Beers are lined up before every snap. Sategna and Beers have accounted for 38 of Oklahoma’s 73 receptions this season, 522 of the Sooners’ 889 receiving yards and they've been on the receiving end of four of the offense’s eight pass touchdowns. While Texas will face more prolific offenses the rest of the way, Sategna and Beers can change the game whenever one of them touches the football. That’s why the pass rush getting home is the best answer for whatever new wrinkles Ben Arbuckle might throw at Muschamp to help get the ball to one of Oklahoma’s top two playmakers. The defensive line recorded nine of Texas' 10 sacks against Tennessee, including Colin Simmons' school-record 5.5 sacks. Simmons can control the game on his own, but the dominance of Kenny Baker's and LaAllan Clark's groups goes beyond what Simmons brings to the table. When the Longhorns needed winning plays up front against the Vols and Ohio State, the defensive line delivered. The Longhorns' deep rotation makes Muschamp's front tough to handle, especially late in games when relatively fresh bodies are on the field for high-leverage snaps. With Michael Fasusi not expected to play, Texas must win up front against an undermanned Sooner offensive line to lighten the load for a secondary facing an offense that can get easy yards by drawing defensive pass interference calls in the deep part of the field. The help will be imperative whenever Muschamp decides to play more man coverage and devote more resources to pressuring Mateer while hunting negative plays and turnovers. SPECIAL TEAMS If the Sooners flip the game with a momentum-shifting play in the kicking game, it’ll likely be when Mac Chiumento is on the field with the Texas punt team. Oklahoma is 15-2 under Venables when scoring a non-offensive touchdown, putting the focus on Chiumento executing his directional kicks and making it hard for the Sooners to set up a return for Sategna, whose 18.6 yards per punt return is No. 8 in FBS, and on the protection holding up for the Longhorns to avoid getting a punt blocked. View full news story

There were changes to Thursday's SEC student-athlete availability report ahead of No. 1 Texas facing Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout on Saturday (2:30 p.m.) after Wednesday's initial report was released: — Nick Townsend isn't on the report, indicating he's good to go for Saturday — Kaliq Lockett and Zion Williams join Jordan Coleman as OUT for the game — Justus Terry has been upgraded from DOUBTFUL to QUESTIONABLE — Oklahoma's Fred Hinton has been downgraded from DOUBTFUL to OUT — While Michael Fasusi remains DOUBTFUL for the game, four Sooners (Jer'Michael Carter, Cole Sullivan, Michael Boganowski, and Jack Van Dorselaer) were upgraded from QUESTIONABLE to PROBABLE View full news story

Seems like we have good reason to have a thread to chat on all summer and through the season. Team workouts begin June 1, I believe

“Dana Altman is one of the BEST college basketball coaches to ever do it. A relentless competitor himself, his teams mirrored his personality. No lead was ever safe against his teams. Full court pressure, match-up zone, fast-paced transition and his systematic two-guard offense forced opposing teams to play ‘left-handed.’ His players ALWAYS DEVELOPED. I’ll just name a few – Kyle Korver, Dillon Brooks, Chris Boucher and Payton Pritchard. I competed against all of them. They weren’t the same players walking out the door of Coach Altman’s program as they were when they arrived. Many times, their overall improvement, both on and off the court, was remarkable! More importantly, Dana is a true friend and a genuine person who cared about the game of basketball and the people in it. When times became tough, he would pick up the phone and check in on you. I’ll always remember that about him. Here’s to your next chapter in life. ENJOY IT ALL and CONGRATULATIONS.”

AUSTIN, Texas — With three wins in five meetings with Oklahoma as Texas’ coach, Steve Sarkisian knows what it takes to win the Red River Shootout. “The team that runs the ball, the team that converts third downs, the team that wins a turnover battle and the team that can pressure the quarterback generally comes out on top,” Sarkisian said Monday. “You get back to the core fundamentals of what the game of football is all about. As much as we want to talk about the emotions of the game, as much as we want to talk about the trick plays or the craziness that can happen in this game, it generally comes back to the things that are important to football, right? Who can run the ball? You know who can convert third downs and extend drives? Who can create turnovers? Who can take care of the ball? And then, ultimately, who can pressure the other team's quarterback to affect him?” If Sarkisian is going to become the first Longhorn coach since David McWilliams to win three in a row over the Sooners and give No. 1 Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC) the program’s first three-game winning streak over Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1) in almost 30 years (1997-99), his squad must continue to execute four core principles of football at a winning level inside the Cotton Bowl. In winning the last two meetings by a combined score of 57-9, the Longhorns have dominated Brent Venables’ team in the statistical categories that matter when the two long-time rivals lock up in Dallas on Saturday (2:30 p.m., ABC). RUSHING YARDS The team that’s won the rushing yardage battle has won 25 of the last 28 meetings. That’s been the case in Sarkisian’s five games against the Sooners, with Texas owning the line of scrimmage over the last two seasons. The Longhorns out-gained Oklahoma on the ground in 2024 (177-89) and 2025 (136-48). Even excluding lost yardage on sacks, Texas has still dominated the Sooners on the ground; the Longhorns had a 183-120 edge two years ago and won the rushing yardage battle 142-80 last season. Texas played defense at such an elite level in last year’s 23-6 victory that Sarkisian didn’t need to abandon the run. Even in the face of Oklahoma racking up 12 tackles for loss and almost half of the Longhorns’ net rushing yards coming on two plays (a 37-yard run by Tre Wisner in the second quarter and a 29-yard game-clinching run by Arch Manning), Sarkisian kept plugging away long enough that only three of Texas’ 21 non-sack rushing attempts in the second half were stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. “Everybody wants to run the ball and sometimes it's not always pretty. Everybody wants to run the ball and the first run doesn't go for eight yards. Sometimes, it goes for one. You can't just give up,” Sarkisian said. “I think what also helps you stay committed to the run is playing good defense. When you're playing good defensive football, sometimes, games aren't pretty early on, but you can stay committed to it and then, inevitably, the dam starts to break and you can start to snap off some longer runs that way.” If Hollywood Smothers and Nick Townsend return from injury, the Longhorns should run the football more effectively than they did in their 20-17 win over Tennessee on Sept. 26, when they recorded a season-low 61 rushing yards (94 yards and 3.1 yards per attempt when adjusted to exclude sacks). Venables' run defense is a respectable 42nd nationally, allowing 115.5 yards per game. Oklahoma is 36th in FBS in yards per rushing attempt allowed (3.23) and is tied with the Longhorns for allowing the third-fewest 10-plus-yard runs among SEC defenses (13). Still, the challenge the Sooners face stopping the Texas running game isn't as daunting on paper as what's in front of Oklahoma on the other side of the ball. Ben Arbuckle's offense will try to establish the run against a Longhorn defense allowing fewer than 100 rushing yards per game (99.3, ranked No. 26 nationally) while holding opponents to under three yards per rushing attempt (2.84 yards per carry allowed is No. 18 in FBS). Oklahoma enters the game with the 131st-ranked rushing offense in the country (99 yards per game) and is 133rd nationally in yards per rushing attempt (2.93). Stanford is the only FBS offense with fewer 10-plus-yard runs than the Sooners (nine). The advanced statistics paint Oklahoma's running game in a less favorable light. According to CFBData.com, the Sooners are last in the SEC in line yards per carry (2.5), second-level rushing yards, open-field rushing yards, stuff rate and power success rate. TURNOVERS The winner of the turnover margin has won 19 of the last 28 meetings. That includes the last four games, with Texas racking up a plus-4 in turnover margin in the last two seasons (plus-5 in Sarkisian’s three wins). Since 1999, the team that wins the rushing yardage battle and the turnover margin in the same game is 17-0. Playing turnover-free football helped the Longhorns weather the storm in last season’s win over Oklahoma. The Sooners, meanwhile, couldn’t recover from John Mateer’s three interceptions, including one right before halftime that was equal parts a bad decision by Mateer and questionable clock management by Venables. Texas left Knoxville with a win despite losing the turnover battle, even if one of the lost turnovers was an onside kick recovery by the Vols that the SEC later clarified was an illegal kick. While the Longhorns are even in turnover margin on the season, Oklahoma’s minus-6 deficit (tied for the worst among Power Four clubs) includes an SEC-leading 10 giveaways, with six fumbles lost tied for the second-most in FBS. THIRD-DOWN EFFICIENCY Somehow, despite facing third-and-7 or more 11 times, Texas was 10-for-17 on third down in last year’s Red River Shootout while facing an average to-go distance of nine yards. The Longhorns can’t expect the same results in third-and-long situations against a Sooner defense that’s held opponents to a 23.1-percent third-down conversion rate (12-for-52) through four games, the third-best mark in the country. Even though Texas was 3-for-12 on third down in its win over Tennessee, it's still a top-20 offense in college football on third down, moving the chains at a 50-percent clip (30-for-60). A 9-for-16 effort in the team’s Sept. 12 win over Ohio State included a 4-for-5 showing in the fourth quarter. Will Muschamp’s defense has performed well enough on third down in the last two games to bolster a No. 48 national ranking in third-down defense (34.6 percent conversion rate allowed). Texas held UTSA and the Vols to a combined 5-for-28 on third down; the Longhorns are tied for No. 35 nationally and third in the SEC on fourth down (3-for-8), with only Tennessee (0-for-5) and LSU (1-for-4) boasting better fourth-down defenses. The current trend bodes well for Texas against an Oklahoma offense that’s a combined 10-for-32 on third down in its last two losses to the Longhorns. The Sooners are 109th nationally on third down this season (18-for-53), including a combined 5-for-27 (18.5 percent) effort in losses to Michigan and Georgia. SACKS The 11 sacks the Texas defense has piled up in two consecutive wins over Oklahoma almost matches the historic 10-sack game the Longhorns recorded in their road win over Tennessee. Texas’ run defense in Dallas has opened the door to get after the quarterback; the Longhorns got Mateer on the ground five times in an upset victory in 2025. While Oklahoma finished last season’s loss to Texas with 12 tackles for loss, only one of those was a sack of Manning, which came on the Longhorns’ first possession. The offensive line’s protection and Manning’s ability to escape pressure minimized negative plays on a day when the offense struggled to stay on schedule. This season, Manning has been a more effective passer under pressure than Mateer. According to Pro Football Focus, Manning (pressured on 43 of 146 dropbacks) is 14-for-26 for 190 yards and a touchdown under pressure, with four big-time throws, one turnover-worthy play and an adjusted completion percentage of 71.4. Mateer (pressured on 46 of 127 dropbacks) is 16-for-32 for 237 yards and two touchdowns, but has thrown two interceptions, has committed five turnover-worthy plays and has an adjusted completion percentage of 55.2. Mateer has been better at preventing pressure from turning into sacks. His pressure-to-sack rate of 15.2 percent (seven sacks on 46 pressures) is on track to be better than his 2025 mark of 19.7 percent (27 sacks on 137 pressured dropbacks). Sacked on 13.3 percent of the pressures Texas allowed last season when he was behind center (22 sacks on 165 pressured dropbacks), Manning has been sacked 10 times in four games. His 23.3 percent pressure-to-sack rate is the fifth-highest among 17 SEC quarterbacks who’ve been pressured at least 25 times. Making these two quarterbacks feel the heat is only part of the battle. Getting home and getting the quarterback on the ground is a formidable challenge for two aggressive, talented defenses. View full news story

I wanted to go through a rabbit hole here about the propensity for the Oklahoma defense and special teams to score points in the Venables era. Obviously, any time your defense or special teams is able to add points to the board, your chances to win the football game greatly increase. I don't think that is breaking news in the slightest. Some teams do it more than others. And to me, Oklahoma has been one of the best in the country during his tenure when it comes to non-offensive scoring. So, I went through each game in the Venables era, dating back to week one in 2022 where I found 17 games in which the Sooners added points to their scoreboard without an offensive touchdown or field goal being the reason. First off, 17 non-offensive scores in a 56 game span is a remarkable rate. That is special stuff. That's 30.3% of games played seeing some sort of non-offensive score. But here are the numbers: 2 punt return touchdowns 4 scoop & scores 5 safeties 7 pick sixes Here is the real reason why I wanted to go down this rabbit hole. In a game like the Red River Shootout where the emotions of the game are as high as they are and the momentum swings can feel like euphoria then the closest thing to your dog dying in the matter of seconds, non-offensive touchdowns are a huge reason for the game. Taking care of the football is paramount. Since Venables took over as head coach at OU: Oklahoma is 15–2 in games they have a non-offensive score Oklahoma is 19–20 in games they do not have a non-offensive score *** As for Texas. Since 2021, the Longhorns are 52–20 in the Sarkisian era. Texas is 16–2 in games they have a non-offensive score Texas is 36–18 in games they do not have a non-offensive score Texas records a non-offensive score in 25% of their contests by my math. 1 kickoff return TD 2 safeties 3 scoop & scores 6 pick sixes 6 punt return TD *** I write all of this to say, if Texas is able to shutout the Oklahoma defense and special teams from bizarre scoring opportunities, they will win this football game on Saturday. The only path to victory I see for the Sooners is through non-offensive scores.

OTF on the road Prichard, Ala. - I’m starting the week on the road seeing Texas commits and targets in the Mobile area. The day starts with a 6:40-8am practice at Vigor High. This will be OTF’s first look at 4-star++ EDGE/LB JaBarrius Garror. Monday afternoon update: Now at Prattville (Ala.) High to see Georgia Tech verbal and new Texas LB target Jason Crenshaw Jr. (6-1, 222). Will OV for the Ole Miss game October 24-25 Tuesday afternoon update: At Thompson High practice to see Texas DB commit Junior Tu’upo Wednesday afternoon update: At Brookhaven (Miss.) High practice to see Texas 4-star EDGE commit Derwin Fields.

The 1971 Sooners rushed for 472.4 yards PER GAME (an NCAA record I can't imagine will ever be overtaken). The 2026 Sooners have not yet rushed for 472.4 total yards this season as a team (396 to be exact).

While the Longhorns were very competitive for Monshun Sales and wanted him in the class, the heaviest focus has been on keeping Easton Royal in the fold. So where do things stand with Texas and Royal? OTF checked in with a few sources close to the situation on Friday morning. Here’s the latest: Since the end of Royal’s official visit slate, the nation’s No. 1 wideout has gone somewhat radio silent in terms of communicating with college staffs. Texas, LSU and Florida all remain in the mix, with the focus seemingly narrowing to the Longhorns vs. Tigers. That doesn’t mean people in Royal’s camp aren’t communicating with each program involved, but Royal has largely taken a step back into the day-to-day conversations with college coaches. That hasn’t kept him from keeping up a very active social media presence, showing love to each school involved, whether wearing LSU gloves and Texas cleats, or posting visit pictures, etc., etc. One of the sources OTF communicated with this morning wasn’t sure of where things truly stood due to Royal stepping back to evaluate all of his options. While another source with direct knowledge of the five-star’s recruitment described the situation as “back and forth” while he’s in decision-making mode. That same source relayed that this is a “four quarter” situation. What quarter are we in? I’d say probably halftime. OTF has been adamant in reporting that regardless of whatever comes out this summer, whether Royal reaffirms his commitment to Texas or flips to LSU, this recruitment is going to December, with each program motivated to sign the Bayou State standout to their 2027 class.

Key to the game? Converting 1st and 2nd downs into positive gains to set up third and short is the biggest point of emphasis in my eyes going into this weekend's contest against Oklahoma. A look at every 3rd down Texas faced against OU in 2025: 3rd & 23 3rd & 12 3rd & 30 3rd & 10 ... converted 3rd & 1 ... converted 3rd & 3 (goal line) 3rd & 1 ... converted 3rd & 8 ...converted 3rd & 8 ... converted (touchdown) 3rd & 7 ... converted 3rd & 7 ... converted 3rd & 2 ... converted 3rd & 19 3rd & 7 3rd & 2 ... converted 3rd & 12 Pretty easy trend to decipher here. 0–3 on 3rd & 15+ 1–6 on 3rd & 10+ 5–11 on 3rd & 7+ 4–5 conversion rate on 3rd & 5 or less Texas has not been great in these exact situations. Against Tennessee, the Longhorns average distance to go on 3rd downs was 9.0. On 3rd and short, Texas was 2–2. On 3rd & long (9+), the Longhorns were 0–4. Oklahoma has a superb front seven with the interior defensive line leading the way. The edge rushers of Taylor Wein and PJ Adebawore being two incredibly toolsy edge rushers as well. Not allowing that group to pin their ears back and rush the passer will be key in my eyes.

Was seemingly back to pre-UTSA week Arch Manning. Seemed comfortable, was cracking some jokes, smiling. Bye-week looks to have served him well.

For the second time in three seasons, Texas will face Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 and the AFCA Coaches Poll. The Longhorns, who were No. 1 in both polls entering their 2024 matchup with the Sooners, held onto the top spot after their only scheduled regular-season bye week. Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC) is ahead of No. 2 Georgia in both polls, tying the Bulldogs for the ninth-most No. 1 appearances in AP Poll history with 54. View full news story

Friday update on Texas LB target Jason Crenshaw Jr. Texas was by Prattville (Ala.) High earlier today to see Georgia Tech LB commit and Texas target Jason Crenshaw Jr. That included defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. OTF talked to a source close to the recruitment and the word is Texas walked away impressed after the in person eval. Crenshaw is a legit 6-1 and 222 pounds. OTF can report that Crenshaw is a “take” for Texas. Crenshaw was offered by Texas September 21. Since that time, OTF’s @Hank Southbroke the news that Crenshaw has scheduled an OV to Texas Oct. 24-25 weekend around the Ole Miss game. Crenshaw originally committed to Georgia Tech over North Carolina.

Royal tells OTF he'll be at Texas-Florida on Oct. 17 at DKR. This'll mark his second visit to Texas this season. He's also expected at Florida-South Carolina next weekend (Oct. 10). That'll mark two visits to Florida, two visits to Texas, and one to LSU. He's also expected at LSU-Texas in Baton Rouge next month.

Nick Townsend returned to practice on Thursday, per a source close to the Texas tight end. Big news for the Longhorns after Townsend exited the Ohio State game with a knee injury.

In his newsletter: https://texaslonghorns.com/news/2026/9/29/forty-acres-insider-september-29 "Gritty, gutsy, driven and determined … our Horns dug deep, stood tall and delivered some TENACIOUS TEXAS FIGHT in Knoxville on Saturday! We can all agree it was a heck of a game and an incredible performance on the field, but I also know we had some major issues to address with inappropriate celebrations from our players. I'm not happy about that, I know none of us are, and it was embarrassing to our proud and widely respected football team, athletics program and university. It certainly raised very warranted concerns that many of you shared with me, drew a lot of attention, and I understand why. Rest assured, Coach Sark has addressed both situations with the players individually and with the team, and he discussed them after the game and again in Monday's press conference. As he said, it is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The message is clear — the players conduct did not reflect the values of Texas Athletics or our university and cannot happen again. I also want to add my apology to our Longhorn community and everyone who expects better from Texas. We should represent this university with class, dignity and respect at all times, and in those moments, we fell short. I do recognize that these are young men who made mistakes, and this is a meaningful learning experience. They have owned their mistakes, and those actions are not reflective of who they are. They are good people who made poor choices — they know it, we know it, and they, along with our entire team, will grow from this. What matters now is that they do just that and that our entire team understands the responsibility that comes with representing The University of Texas. We are proud of the team and what it accomplished Saturday and thus far this season, and we will continue to hold ourselves to the standard that all of you rightly expect from Texas. Thank you for your passion, your candor and your unwavering support of our Longhorns."

It’s time to revisit On Texas Football's “One Burning Question,” where we ask a question about the Texas Longhorns heading into a game. Entering Saturday’s 20-17 win over No. 14 Tennessee, the burning question was: Will the Longhorns start to form an identity on offense against the Vols? In short, no. Texas lacked the consistency needed to string together successful possessions and didn’t capitalize on opportunities to put Tennessee on the ropes. The Longhorns were out-gained by the Vols on the ground (70-61), lost the turnover battle (2-1), went 3-for-12 on third down and had more three-and-outs (six) than scoring drives (four). Yet amid the trash heap of forgettable moments, Texas did some things well. Well enough that if they build on them during the bye week, the Longhorns could come out of the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma on Oct. 10 (2:30 p.m., ABC) with a clearer sense of who they are and what kind of team they can be offensively. It’s unrealistic to think every call Steve Sarkisian makes will work. Still, one of the most frustrating things about the offense’s performance in the SEC opener is that when the Longhorns weren’t beating themselves and trusting proven concepts, Jim Knowles and the Vols couldn’t handle Sarkisian’s attack. For starters, Sarkisian’s opening script was executed to perfection, with Raleek Brown's 9-yard touchdown run punctuating a 7-play, 75-yard drive on the offense’s first possession. After Arch Manning connected with Ryan Wingo on an 8-yard, high-percentage pass on the first play from scrimmage, two tough, between-the-tackles runs (one by Brown and another by Derrek Cooper) set up Manning’s 43-yard play-action bomb to Emmett Mosley V. Two plays later, Brown reached the end zone with help from Connor Robertson and Brandon Baker, who walled off their defenders to create an alley, and Ryan Wingo, who’s second-level insert block (lined up stacked behind Melvin Siani at the snap) got Brown loose. “To get the ball in that environment and to go seven plays, 75 yards, to take the lead 7-0 on the road, I thought, was really big for us about owning the environment, owning the arena,” Sarkisian said Monday. “I've never been to a game where the opposing fans were all in their seats by the time we took pregame warmups. That was a different environment. “That was a really cool way to start,” he added. “From that point forward, until about the second-to-last offensive drive, we did not play very good offensive football. I'd love to say it was this or that. It literally was us taking turns not doing the things that we had practiced to do.” Texas mounted four scoring drives against Tennessee: the game-opening touchdown drive; a 10-play, 62-yard drive in the second quarter for a field goal (a 22-yarder by Gianni Spetic); a 6-play, 48-yard drive in the third quarter for another field goal (a 44-yarder by Spetic) and an 8-play, 60-yard drive in the fourth quarter for a touchdown (Brown’s 4-yard rushing touchdown with 5:41 left in the game). Even though a clunky goal-to-go sequence and a delay-of-game penalty on third-and-2 forced the Longhorns to settle for field goals on two of those possessions, the offense was humming on those four drives: — Total Plays: 26 — Total Offense: 230 yards — Yards Per Play: 8.8 — Arch Manning: 11-for-13, 184 yards — Rushing Offense: 15 carries, 46 yards (3.1 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns — Sack-Adjusted Rushing: 13 carries, 56 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and two touchdowns — First Downs: 12 — Third Down: 2-for-4 — 10-Plus-Yard Plays: 7 — 20-Plus-Yard Plays: 3 What worked for Texas on those possessions: — Sarkisian leaned mostly on duo and insert as the primary running game concepts, ditching long-developing plays and running the ball without pulling linemen. Baker and Siani caved in the front side of the line on Brown’s 4-yard touchdown run, clearing a path for Emaree Winston to lead Brown into the end zone. The only negative play on 13 non-sack rushing attempts was a 3-yard loss when the Vols’ penetration swallowed up Cooper for a 3-yard-loss on a zone run behind the right side of the line. — Most of Manning’s completions on those four drives came on hard play-action passes set up by positive rushing plays, quick throws to stationary targets or screens and other quick throws to the perimeter. The football moved through the air when Sarkisian stuck with those calls and Manning pulled the trigger at the right time. The Longhorns found themselves behind the chains in a world of trouble when some combination of long-developing pass plays, poor pass protection and communication breakdowns didn’t give Manning enough time to find an open man before Knowles’ pressure got home. — Texas either avoided stubbing its toe and made plays to recover from its mistakes on the four scoring drives. The most pivotal moment came on the fourth-quarter touchdown drive, with the Tennessee defense sacking Manning for an 8-yard loss on the first play. But Winston and Trevor Goosby opened a lane over the left side of the line on the next snap, springing Brown loose for a 10-yard gain. From there, with the offense recovering from second-and-18 to face third-and-8, Manning hit Wingo down the seam for 18 yards and a first down, one of four first downs the Longhorns picked up on the drive. No college football offense is perfect. Still, what Texas must avoid, by building on the things the offense does well, are possessions that destroy the fabric of complementary football. There were three drives in the Tennessee game when the Longhorns could’ve mashed the gas and cruised to a win: — A second-quarter drive from their own 43-yard line after Faizon Brandon left the game with an apparent shoulder injury. Texas led, 10-3, with 12:38 remaining in the half. — Another possession in the second quarter, this time with 10:17 on the clock and the ball at its own 38-yard line. — With 4:50 remaining in the game, the Longhorns had the ball at the Vols’ 41-yard line after Alex January sacked Brandon, forcing a Tennessee turnover on downs. What happened on those three drives? — A two-play drive that ended when Kayin Lee intercepted Manning’s attempt to hit Cam Coleman on a post route at the 4-yard line. — A three-and-out that started with a 12-yard loss when Manning couldn’t handle a high snap from Robertson. — A three-and-out that ended on third-and-8 from the Tennessee 40-yard line, with Arion Carter and Tyree Weathersby converging on Manning for the Vols’ sixth sack of the game. With three chances to pull away, the Texas offense gained 16 yards on eight plays, didn't record a first down, punted twice and lost their fifth turnover of the season. When the Longhorns needed to execute, they couldn’t protect the quarterback and failed to run and protect the football. After 60 minutes, Texas had enough on its four scoring drives to overcome a litany of self-inflicted wounds and failed attempts to execute. The Longhorns must eliminate the extended lulls that have plagued the offense through four games before a stretch of eight consecutive SEC games begins against the Sooners in Dallas. View full news story

Here's a look at Texas football's stats leaders through four games. Of note, to qualify the player had to play the majority of snaps at the position. Passing yardage Arch Manning — 862 yards Passing touchdowns Arch Manning — 7 Interceptions Arch Manning — 3 Rushing yardage Raleek Brown — 214 Yards per carry Hollywood Smothers — 4.8 Rushing touchdowns Raleek Brown — 4 Rushing yards per game Hollywood Smothers — 66 Receiving yardage Ryan Wingo — 239 Yards per catch Cam Coleman — 17.3 Receiving touchdowns Cam Coleman — 4 Receiving yards per game Ryan Wingo — 59.8 Total Tackles Rasheem Biles — 30 Solo tackles Rasheem Biles — 18 Tackles for a loss Colin Simmons — 9 Sacks Colin Simmons — 7.5 Interceptions Rasheem Biles — 2 Pass breakups Graceson Littleton — 3 QB hurries Hero Kanu, Justin Cryer — 3 Forced fumbles Rasheem Biles, Colin Simmons, Zina Umeozulu, Maraad Watson — 1 Fumble recoveries Graceson Littleton, Colin Simmons — 1 Punt average Mac Chiumento — 43.92 Field goals Gianni Spetic — 7 for 7 Points leader Gianni Spetic — 37