The No. 3 Texas Longhorns won 31-14 against the Kentucky Wildcats in Austin on Saturday, returning to 10 wins for the second straight year under coach Steve Sarkisian. There were some swoons in the second half of the game, but Texas eventually regained its composure and was able to close out the game the same way it did against Fayetteville a week ago.
Texas controlled most of the game, and it probably would have been over sooner if quarterback Quinn Ewers hadn’t been beaten up. All that matters is that the Longhorns record one more win and remain in control of their own destiny as they play for the SEC title in Atlanta in December.
There’s a lot to discuss this week, so let’s quickly move on to the takeaways from Saturday’s win over the Wildcats of Lexington.
Texas’ OL may have had his best game of the year.
Kyle Flood’s team looked like one of the best groups in college football early in the season, but struggled in the second half of the year. They may have played their best game of the season Saturday against a very formidable Kentucky defense.
Sarkisian seemed to challenge this group early on by playing the football diligently, but when the passing game started to get messy in the second half, he completely put the game on their shoulders. As a result, the Longhorns gained 250 yards on 47 attempts, or 5.3 yards per carry. It’s physical big boy football. Thanks to the group’s efforts, Quintrevion Wisner had a career day with 158 yards and a late touchdown to “officially” end the game.
In addition to the offense’s dominance in the run game, their pass protection was also very good, giving Ewers good pockets and limiting the Wildcat pass rush. Ewers has a sack on his record, but given his condition at the time and his inability to really get back there, I’m not ready to throw that into the offensive line.
It was a very welcome sight to see this group put together a strong performance for a matchup that will feature another strong defensive line. They will need another effort in College Station to close out the regular season.
Quinn Ewers’ health should be monitored again
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said Quinn Ewers was hit with a hip-drop tackle and his ankle began to tighten. I was proud of how they were able to pivot and focus on the run game.
— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) November 24, 2024
Before Ewers got beat up, the offense was pretty balanced and was moving the ball well at Kentucky. Things took a bit of a twist when it became clear that Ewers couldn’t really move much, and the offense started to stagnate. Kentucky’s fumble that led to the touchdown was a direct result of Ewers not being able to really move in the pocket after his injury.
Many were saying it would probably be wise for Sarkisian to sit Ewers, considering his condition and next week’s game. I was also in that group. With his size, Ewers couldn’t really be a functional passer, essentially making the Texas offense one-dimensional. Thankfully for Texas, the offensive line was fully loaded on Saturday and was able to rely on the run game when needed in the second half.
I’m sure Sark had his reasons for not sitting Ewers on Saturday, but I think Arch Manning could have at least come in in the second half and lead the ship. All things considered, it felt like a very risky proposition.
This will be an important storyline to follow throughout the week leading up to Saturday. I hope Ewers can ice it up and bounce back a little bit.
Texas’ defense was great again.
I can’t say anything about this group at this time. They have been one of the best defensive units in the country all season, and they showed it again Saturday in their final home game of the year.
Kentucky’s offense had such a bad time in the first half that Mark Stoops benched Brock Vandagriff coming out of halftime and started true freshman Cutter Boley. Vandagriff and Boley combined for 211 passing yards, one touchdown (Vandagriff in the first half) and two interceptions. Kentucky’s run game had even worse times at DKR, gaining just 21 net yards on the ground and averaging a whopping 0.7 yards per carry.
The Texas defense was once again destructive and productive, getting close to the quarterback six times and resulting in tackles for loss. Linebacker Anthony Hill puts in his day (11 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 TFLs) and is playing as an All-American candidate.
Edge Trey Moore is also heating up at the right time, recording 1.5 sacks and 1.5 TFL on the afternoon. His sack late in the game was so impressive that he sent the right tackle a shot directly into the quarterback’s knee before finishing off the playoffs. Also, Colin Simmons is the guy because he gets strip sacks (currently has 7 sacks on the year) and has 2 TFLs.
The Longhorns’ defense was already at the top of the SEC leaderboard in interceptions entering the day, and added two more goals against the Wildcats.
Feel free to say whatever you like about the schedule. But this unit has been great this year and gives Texas a chance to win every game.
Ball safety was once again an issue for Texas.
If I’m a ball carrier wearing burnt orange, I’m probably going to have a bad time heading into next week.
Ball safety has been a big issue for the Texas running back team this year, and that struggle was on display Saturday. Jadon Blue officially put the ball on the ground once, and why I say that is because he appeared to fumble toward the end zone early in the game, only to have a touchdown call on the field. Because there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn it.
Add to that an Ewers fumble in the pocket that resulted in a Kentucky defensive touchdown, and then there was Silas Bolden, who blocked a punt but was lucky enough to recover it on top. If you’re on the Texas offensive staff, you should be pissed at this point. Because that’s what’s been going on all year.
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said the team was effective offensively in the first half but struggled to hold onto the ball in the second half, an issue he will address going forward.
— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) November 24, 2024
The fumble problem for the Texas Bucs actually continued into last season and was an issue in the bowl game against Washington. A lot is at stake for Texas this season, and whether the Bucs can be trusted to consistently play the football will be a big question if they can secure a playoff berth.
The final scoring drive was as erotic as it gets.
When your quarterback is hobbled, all you can do is lean into the run game and hope you can ride it out to victory.
The Texas offensive line had great games, but none more impressive than when they mounted a methodical drive in the fourth quarter that clinched the victory.
The drive begins on the Texas side’s own 14-yard line. They marched on a 15-play, 86-yard drive in 8 minutes, 22 seconds. Wisner then finished it off with a punch-in on fourth down from inside the 1-yard line. There will be 15 straight runs on the drive between Wisner and Blue.
This was absolute football porn for the former offensive lineman and highlighted how the Texas offensive line was able to dominate Kentucky’s defensive front. In my opinion, the entire unit got the game ball on Saturday, but I may be a little biased.
10-1. You’re still in control of your own destiny, and the only thing standing in your way of playing for the SEC Championship is their hated rivals in the East.
It must be difficult. It will be noisy. But these are the kinds of games you come to Texas for. What happened before November 30th no longer matters. If they can find a way to win a game in College Station, they’ll get a ticket to Atlanta and possibly the College Football Playoff. It’s that simple.
The 24-hour rule has officially come into effect. Everyone, please bring your helmets and pickaxes. A Lone Star showdown awaits.
