The entire Texas Longhorns offense is under the microscope this week after their disastrous performance against the Florida Gators. Texas finished with 100 or fewer rushing yards for the third consecutive game.
Second-half struggles also played a large role in Texas' losses, which shouldn't be happening given the talent on offense.
As the Longhorns prepare for the Ole Miss Rebels this week, they have to find a way to get Cam Coleman the ball more often.
A Cam Coleman Absence
Texas invested heavily in Coleman, who was the highest-rated wide receiver in the transfer portal. He's tied for the SEC lead in receiving touchdowns (6), but his impact hasn't felt as grand as people thought.
Coleman had a breakthrough performance against the Oklahoma Sooners, eclipsing 100 yards and scoring a touchdown, but on Saturday, he took a step back. Coleman finished with three catches for 18 yards and a nine-yard touchdown.
Coleman's target distribution has been sporadic. During weeks 1, 3, and 5, Coleman was targeted 21 times. The other three weeks: 13. Coleman is Arch Manning's go-to guy in the red zone but he's a ghost before then.
Coleman usually draws a lot of attention from opposing defenses. He demands corner and safety help, allowing Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley to capitalize. That could explain his lack of involvement, but Steve Sarkisian isn't surprised.
“For Cam, it's kind of not so uncommon at this stage as a transfer coming in to not have 40 catches in our offense," Sarkisian said last week. "Now, can that start to elevate? I think we saw that with AD Mitchell, we saw that with Matthew Golden in their transformation in their first year in the system, how it started to take off in the second half of the season."
Regardless, Sarkisian has to find a way to involve Coleman. The Longhorns are struggling, and Coleman's lack of targets isn't helping. However, Manning isn't blameless. He missed Coleman a couple of times against Florida.
Texas will have another opportunity to capitalize on a vulnerable secondary. The Rebels are coming off a strong defensive performance against Missouri, but they've allowed 236 passing yards per game. This week should be Coleman's opportunity to break through once again.
Sarkisian admitted his play-calling needs to remain creative. He doesn't need every answer on Saturday, but Coleman's involvement should be a top priority.
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