Concerns and non-concerns heading into Texas vs Oklahoma State
No. 20 Texas is heavily favored on Saturday considering the circumstances. The Longhorns travel on the road to face the No. 11 Oklahoma State Cowboys.
A number of factors likely go into the trending confidence in Texas, but it could simply be a lack of confidence in Oklahoma State. The Cowboys’ quarterback will probably start, but his ability to throw accurately is in question.
Sanders has completed under 49% of his passes in consecutive weeks. The low percentage is a fairly dramatic fall from his usual stat line. Each of the last three seasons has seen the signal caller complete over 62% of his passes.
Even so, Texas comes off a shaky performance against Iowa State. Let’s examine a few concerns for Texas heading into the game.
Oklahoma wind
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Concern
It’s not necessarily an advantage for either team, but it is certainly a concern for both. Spencer Sanders likely won’t have the greatest zip on pass attempts and Quinn Ewers may not be afforded deep shot attempts either. Wind could turn the matchup into a lower scoring game than expected.
Road game woes
Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Not a concern
Steve Sarkisian’s squad defeated TCU on the road in 2021. He hasn’t had much road success since. The Longhorns looked dramatically different last year in away games, and lost their only true road game this season. On the other hand, they won 49-0 against Oklahoma in Dallas. This only becomes a significant concern if the defense can’t get stops.
Secondary struggles
Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Concern
Texas showed it couldn’t keep up with Iowa State last Saturday. That’s concerning for a defense that got picked apart in zone coverage earlier this year. Pete Kwiatkowski may need to have defensive backs reroute receivers three yards off their path to prevent Oklahoma State from picking them apart.
Third down struggles
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Concern
Iowa State went 9-for-15 on third down against Texas last week. The Longhorns defense cannot afford to let Oklahoma State convert 60 percent of their third down conversions.
Quinn's first road game
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Not a concern
Quinn Ewers makes his first true road start, but we can all agree Dallas is not anywhere near the Texas campus. Ewers and company stepped on the bus, traveled away from campus and put on white road uniforms to face Oklahoma. Texas won 49-0. The freshman quarterback should perform better against Oklahoma State than he did against Iowa State.
