The Texas Longhorns survived the Kansas State Wildcats in overtime to improve to 8-1 on the season.
What did we learn about the Texas Longhorns on Saturday?
Maalik Murphy Is Not Ready
Maalik Murphy has been put into a challenging position. He does not have much experience, but the injury to Quinn Ewers has thrown him into the middle of Texas’ push for a Big 12 Championship and a College Football Playoff berth. While Murphy may become a good quarterback with seasoning, he’s not ready to lead the Longhorns to a title in 2023. Despite being handed an early lead and allowed to settle into the contest, Murphy went 19 for 37 with two interceptions. He struggled mightily with accuracy in the second half and overtime, missing receivers on throws down the field and shorter passes. He adds nothing with his legs, and if he can’t take care of the ball and deliver accurate passes consistently, the Texas offense cannot flourish. If the Longhorns contend for a national title, they’ll need a healthy Ewers.
Red Zone Success
Entering Saturday’s contest, the Longhorns had been frustrated by missed opportunities in the red zone. They were in the bottom fourth of the country in red zone success rate, and head coach Steve Sarkisian stressed how vital the red zone would be in Saturday’s game. Texas won that battle against Kansas State, and it was a key reason they were able to prevail in overtime. Both teams were awful on third down (a combined 4 for 29), but Texas converted three of their four red zone chances, while Kansas State only converted two of four. Add in the missed two-point conversion that kept the game tied at 27 and a short missed field goal for the Wildcats, and Texas won this game because of plays near the goal line.
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Longhorns Take Control of Big 12 Championship Fate
Texas already has a loss to the Oklahoma Sooners. A loss to Kansas State would have put them in a significant bind with only three weeks remaining and two losses in the conference. The win by Texas, combined with other results in the conference on Saturday, drastically changes the picture. Oklahoma State knocked off the Sooners in the final scheduled edition of “Bedlam,” leaving the Sooners with two losses. That takes the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over Texas off the table. The Longhorns are now tied at 5-1 with the Oklahoma State Cowboys and a game ahead of a group of five teams at 4-2. Texas and Oklahoma State will not play in the regular season, and if the Longhorns can take care of TCU, Iowa State, and Texas Tech, they will be assured a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game in their final season in the league.
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