Keys to a Texas win vs. Ole Miss: Beat the blitz, win turnover battle

Texas is gearing up for the biggest game of the year against Ole Miss. The Longhorns likely need a win to keep their CFP hopes alive, which has been a tall task against the Trinidad Chambliss-led Rebels. For Texas to end their two game skid, they’ll need to win multiple aspects of this game, some they haven’t won of late. 

Here are the four keys to Texas getting this win and staying alive for the CFP:

Beat The Blitz 

Arch Manning and the Texas offense has not given teams a reason to do anything but attack. Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma have stifled the Texas offense with their pass rush and I’d imagine Ole Miss will take a page out of their books in this one. Manning (and Sarkisian) will need to find early answers against the blitz and force Ole Miss to think twice about being blitz-heavy in this one. If they can’t, the Texas offense will struggle once again this weekend. 

Win 1st and 2nd Down 

One of the issues the last two weeks for Texas has been 3rd down. The offense has struggled all season in that category but the defense has shown susceptibility there as of late. To avoid those issues, they’ll need to do better on 1st and 2nd down. The offense needs to create 3rd and 3-5s instead of 3rd and 8-10, while the defense will need the inverse. That’ll require quick decisions from Manning, productive run game and solid blocking from the OL, but it’s a must. 

Win Turnovers and Field Position Battle

One of the other areas Texas has lost the last two weeks is the turnover and field position battles. Too often, the defense is being left defending short fields because of offensive turnovers. Sarkisian will need to lean into his defensive strength and avoid attempting 4th downs anywhere before midfield. For the defense, they’ve struggled to take the ball away, something that has kept the offense from getting easy momentum. Manning and offense need to avoid mistakes and the defense will need to give the offense easy momentum in this one. 

Allow Crowd To Change The Game

This will be a unique atmosphere for Steve Sarkisian and Texas. The noise around the program is loud and the fans will follow the team’s lead on Saturday. If the offense gets off to a quick start, the fans will buy in and give them an elite atmosphere. If they sputter out of the gate, the home crowd advantage could turn into a disadvantage fast. The Longhorns will need the crowd to make a difference but they need to give them a reason to cheer first.