Another week, another poor showing from the Texas Longhorns offense led to the Longhorns' second straight loss, falling to the Florida Gators 27-24.
Texas must now do some major soul-searching as it heads into the middle of the season with a 4-2 record, 1-2 in the SEC, and a plummet to No. 19 in the country after being ranked No. 1 just a few weeks ago.
And the Longhorns, especially the offensive side of the ball, have to take a long look in the mirror after what was a disastrous performance against the Gators, who are one of the bottom defenses in the SEC.
Texas' Major Offensive Concerns Can't be Ignored
Texas offense didn't take long to get started on Saturday, beginning the game with back-to-back scoring drives, going up 10 points early thanks to a seven-play, 75-yard opening touchdown drive followed by an eight-play drive which yielded a field goal.
However, that would be the best the offense looked for most of the game, with the Longhorns' next score not coming until late in the fourth quarter. The Florida loss was the second time this season the Longhorns' offense was held under 300 total yards.
While all of the Texas offense struggled, all eyes are on head coach Steve Sarkisian as the play-caller and quarterback Arch Manning.
Against a Florida defense that had allowed over 250 yards passing to every quarterback it had faced before taking on Texas and ranked as the 131st-ranked passing defense in the country, Manning managed just 173 yards through the air.
And that 173 yards is slightly deceiving, as before a 62-yard completion to Emmett Mosley V with five minutes left to go in the fourth quarter, Manning sat at 111 yards.
Sarkisian’s offensive game plan against the Gators undoubtedly was to get the ball out of Manning’s hands and force the Florida defense to tackle in space with several screens and throws behind the line of scrimmage.
However, that game plan limited the Texas offense mightily, as Manning completed 14 of 20 passes but had just four completions for more than five yards.
Additionally, 131 of Manning’s 173 yards were yards after the catch and were created by his wide receivers, and with 10 minutes left to go in the fourth quarter, Manning’s 10 completions at the time averaged negative 0.7 air yards per completion.
While the game plan didn’t lend itself to an impressive style of offense, Manning’s poor execution and decision-making did not help.
Routinely, Manning was holding onto the ball far too long, missing open targets, or simply not seeing the field properly, leading to head-scratching decisions.
Not all the blame can be pinned on Manning, as the rest of the Texas offense also struggled.
The Longhorns' running game was held under 100 yards rushing for the second time this season as Texas' leading rusher totaled a measly 58 yards.
Manning’s offensive line also did him no favors as the quarterback faced plenty of pressure and was sacked five times. The five offensive linemen upfront also struggled to create a push in the run game as Florida’s defense generated 10 tackles for loss.
The Longhorns offense is in a serious rut, and if any improvements are to be made, it’ll begin at the top with Sarkisian as the play caller. However, week after week, Sarkisian has expressed a reluctance to give up play-calling duties.
If Sarkisian won’t give up the play sheet to someone else, he’ll have to reevaluate his game planning and scheme, Manning’s job, and address the rest of the offense's struggles.
The Longhorns don't have time to pity themselves with No. 7 Ole Miss awaiting next week, and if the Longhorns offense wants to look merely competent, major improvements need to be made across the board.
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