16 Takeaways after Sam Houston State | How About That Defense?

16 Takeaways after Sam Houston State​

• Texas was 7 for 7 in the Red Zone on Saturday Night. The first perfect game in the Red Zone since November 16th of last season against Arkansas, when they were 3 for 3. In 2024, Texas was 7 for 7 against both Colorado State and UL-Monroe.
  • UTEP 5 for 7
  • San Jose State 3 for 4
  • Ohio State 0 for 2
  • Ohio State (CFP) 1 for 2
  • Arizona State (CFP) 2 for 3
  • Clemson (CFP) 4 for 5
  • Georgia (SEC) 1 for 2
  • Texas A&M 3 for 5
  • Kentucky 4 for 5
  • Arkansas 3 for 3

• The Penalties need to be addressed… Entering the game with 25 penalties (12 against San Jose State and 7 against UTEP), the Horns added 9 more to their Top 10 in the country total

• Texas caused 1 turnover on Saturday night, taking the season total to 7 takeaways. The Horns are (+4) in Turnover Margin (4th in SEC)
  • Oklahoma is the only team in the SEC yet to cause a turnover; they’ve given it away 5 times.

• 9 Straight Drives with points to start the game, a perfect run with Arch Manning and the starters in the game before we saw Jack Bouwmeester boot a couple late into the Austin night.

7 Super Explosives (20+ yards)

• 6 different players registered a super explosive play. Entering Week 4, Texas had 11 total (3.6 per game) – In 2024, Texas averaged 6.8 per game, led by Matthew Golden (23), who led the SEC. Gunnar Helm was 2nd on the team with 15.
  • Ryan Wingo – 32-yard rush
  • Jordan Washington – 32-yard touchdown reception
  • DeAndre Moore – 38-yard reception
  • Daylan McCutcheon – 21-yard reception
  • Ryan Niblett – 39-yard reception
  • Ryan Wingo – 53-yard touchdown reception
  • Matthew Caldwell – 50-yard rush

23 Explosives (10+ yards)

• 12 different players registered an explosive play. Entering Week 4, Texas had just 35 total explosives on the season (11.6 per game). Four of Ryan Wingo’s 5 touches went for 10+ yards. Each of the three running backs, Clark, Gibson, and Simon, averaged 1 explosive per 4.5 touches.

• I talked on Orangebloods Live this week about Texas being equally as bad on third and fourth down this year as they have been in the Red Zone and the NEED for a reversion to the mean in a game like this.
  • 126th of 136 teams in 3rd Down Conversion Rate (28.5%)
    • 7 for 11 on 3rd down against SHSU (63.6%)
  • 103rd of 136 teams in 4th Down Conversion Rate (41.6%)
    • Zero 4th downs attempted.
  • 130th of 136 teams in Red Zone Conversion Rate (61.5%)
    • 7 for 7 in the Red Zone (100%)

Half-Time Score against Non-Power 4 opponents with Steve Sarkisian as Head Coach

• Only the fourth overall shutout of Steve Sarkisian’s tenure. Colorado State (2024), Oklahoma (2022), Rice (2021)

2025
31-0 SHSU | Final: 55-0 (+24)
14-3 UTEP | Final: 27-10 (+13)
28-7 San Jose State | Final: 38-7 (+10)

2024
28-3 UL-Monroe | Final: 51-3 (+23)
28-7 UTSA | Final: 56-7 (+28)
31-0 Colorado State | Final: 52-0 (+21)

2023
10-7 Wyoming | Final: 31-10 (+21)
16-3 Rice | Final: 37-10 (+21)

2022
17-17 UTSA | Final: 41-20 (+24)
24-3 UL-Monroe | Final: 52-10 (+28)

2021
44-0 Rice | Final: 58-0 (+14)
14-6 UL-Lafayette | Final: 38-18 (+24)

• Cody’s Co-Players of the Game
  • Arch Manning, QB
  • Ryan Wingo, WR
  • Brad Spence, EDGE
  • Jelani McDonald, DB
  • Ryan Niblett, WR/PR

• Colin Simmons led the Longhorns’ defense in total pressures entering Saturday night, but hanging out quietly in third, tied with 4 pressures, were True Freshman Lance Jackson and Transfer Brad Spence. Both took another step forward on the defense! I’ve been talking about checking boxes off in “finding” each players “game” for the preseason and announcing their arrival. This was definitely Brad Spences’ best effort in Burnt Orange. Speaking of, it was good to see Trey Moore finally catch a quarterback escaping the pocket!

• Texas has given up 77 rushing yards on 49 attempts over the last two games. The same amount that Ohio State rushed for in Week 1 and 8 fewer than San Jose State finished with in Week 2. This run defense has been ELITE in 2025.. E-L-I-T-E!
  • 112 carries 239 yards (2.13 yards per carry) – the 1942 Longhorns are the best Run Defense in team history (1.88 yards per carry allowed)
  • That puts them No. 1 overall in the SEC and Top 5 in FBS in Run Defense.

• The Longhorns compiled north of 600 yards on offense for the 39th time in program history, according to the TexasLonghorns.com Team Record Book.

• 14% of Ryan Wingo’s career yards came on Saturday Night, as well as 40% of his career touchdowns. He is yet to have a 50+ yard game or catch a touchdown against a Power 4 opponent. It was great to see him connect with Arch on the deep post that Arch missed last week to Livingstone.

My Top 12 Teams in America….

• 1) Oregon 2) Miami 3) Ohio State 4) Georgia
• 5) Texas A&M 6) Texas 7) Florida State 8) LSU 9) Indiana 10) Tennessee 11) Texas Tech 12) Missouri