To begin its 2024 season, Texas football recorded a 52-0 win over Colorado State before beating Michigan by 19 points on the road.
That’s been enough to impress the 54 voters in the US LBM Coaches Poll; Texas is still ranked third. That effort has also been enough to impress the 63 voters who moved Texas into the No. 2 slot in the Associated Press poll on Sunday. Texas even received first-place votes from one coach and four media members.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has also been impressed. To start his weekly media availability Monday, he listed some of the things he likes about his team. The Longhorns have scored touchdowns on 10 of their 11 red zone trips, and Bert Auburn hit a 26-yard field goal on that 11th possession. Texas has forced five turnovers and committed just one. The third-down numbers are good on both offense and defense.
But …
“We are not a finished product by any means,” Sarkisian stated.
FILM REVIEW: Quinn Ewers’ poise under pressure; less blitz vs. Michigan
Steve Sarkisian: remember all gas, no brakes?
So what doesn’t Sarkisian like about these Longhorns? Texas only has one sack, so those numbers must improve. There have been a few kickoffs that he hasn’t been pleased with. Texas would like the newcomers in the receiving corps to block better on the perimeter.
Sarkisian also stressed that Texas must develop a killer instinct. Texas played its starters in the fourth quarter against Michigan, but the Longhorns were outgained by a 132-16 margin over the final 15 minutes. Texas earned just one first down and didn’t score in the fourth quarter while Michigan tallied its lone touchdown on a 31-yard pass with less than two minutes left.
“I want to play 60 minutes. I want to make it 60 minutes of hell for our opponents, and we have a roster that can do that,” Sarkisian said. “That’s also a mentality that we’re…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-football-searching-killer-instinct-011909496.html
Author : Austin American-Statesman
Publish date : 2024-09-10 01:19:09
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
