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In perhaps one of the best games of college football so far this season, Texas football nearly came out with an upset win versus the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide. The matchup was only decided in its final possessions, with Alabama hitting a 33-yard field goal with just 10 seconds left to play to beat the Longhorns.
Even though UT lost 20-19, there were still many positive takeaways from the contest. Now No. 21, Texas has a great chance of climbing the college football rankings with a strong win this Saturday at home against UTSA. If that happens, things should be bright for the Longhorns for the remainder of the 2022 season.
With that being said, here are three things Texas football must do to keep the Alabama momentum going against the Roadrunners this weekend.
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3. The DKR Texas Memorial Stadium needs to stay loud
In the game versus the Crimson Tide, 105,213 fans were in the DKR Texas Memorial Stadium's stands. It turned out to be a new all-time attendance record at the stadium. The sound of the crowd most likely played a role in the Longhorns' near-victory in Week 2.
Alabama converted just five of its 15 third downs. The team also had 15 penalties for a total of 100 yards lost. That included multiple false starts and offsides.
If the atmosphere on Saturday is at least similar to the Alabama game, Texas has a good chance of coming out with a win. UTSA's stadium, the Alamodome, has a capacity of 65,000. So, even if the Longhorns fans fill out around 80% of the DKR Texas Memorial Stadium, it will already be a big challenge for the Roadrunners. Expect a lot of noise and bad communication from UTSA, especially early in the game.
Nothing like 105,213 fans screaming TEXAS FIGHT 🤘 pic.twitter.com/JC77HhTWHA
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 14, 2022
2. Pressure the quarterback
Against Alabama, Texas football had perhaps its biggest challenge of the year. The Longhorns had to play against Bryce Young, one of the best college football quarterbacks and reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Not only did they put up a fight, but they contained Young for most of the day.
The Crimson Tide had 213 yards through the air, while the Longhorns had 292. For a player at Young's level, this number showed he did not have one of his best performances. Texas also forced Alabama to complete just five of its 15 attempts in third downs. This eventually resulted in six straight punts by the Crimson Tide.
Texas also held Alabama scoreless in the second and third quarters, something unusual for a team led by Nick Saban. The Longhorns made Young's life even more difficult with seven quarterback hurries. Because of that, the Alabama star quarterback was forced to bad throws or runs. Additionally, Texas defenders sacked Young twice, something worth noting, especially with a defensive line as strong as the Crimson Tide's.
If Texas football continues its strong quarterback pressure in Week 3, it can perhaps even shut down UTSA's offense for a majority of the game. Should that happen, the Longhorns will have a good chance of cracking the top 15 in the next college football rankings.
1. Keep the strong passing game going
Despite not scoring thorough the air, the Longhorns had a very strong passing performance. It all started with quarterback Quinn Ewers, who completed nine of his 12 pass attempts for 134 yards before coming out with an injury. He is expected to miss up to six weeks with an SC sprain to his left shoulder.
Still, Texas football did not slow down. Backup quarterback Hudson Card stepped up and was a crucial part of the team's offense. He completed 14 of his 22 throws for 158 yards. But perhaps most importantly, both Ewers and Card made most of the receiving group involved in the game.
A total of seven players recorded at least one catch against Alabama. Of those seven, five had at least three receptions. The team was led by Xavier Worthy, who finished with a game-best 97 yards in five catches. Another spotlight was Bijan Robinson, who added 73 yards in just three receptions, an impressive average of 24.3 yards per catch. Robinson also had 21 rush attempts for 57 yards and the Longhorns' only touchdown of the day.
Without Ewers for some time, Card will need to continue the momentum with high-quality passes. Worthy and Robinson will also need to step up and help the backup quarterback, especially early in the contest against the Roadrunners. If Card starts strong, getting multiple first downs or even scoring through the air, it can dictate how Texas football will play in the entire game. His confidence will likely be determined by those early possessions, so, to keep the momentum going, the passing game needs to be very strong.
Should that happen, the Longhorns will be on pace for a dominant win. Then, expect them to be in the conversations for the Big 12 conference title.
