It's really hard to win in football when your defense can't get a stop.
On Saturday night, the Texas defense couldn't get stops.
LSU 45-38.
Sometimes breaking down a game can be as simple as that.
In a game that absolutely lived up to its billing, Texas just wasn't quite as good as their Cajun counterparts. Ultimately, Joe Burrow (31 of 39 for 471 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a 209.7 quarterback rating) had the game of his life against a Texas defense that couldn't get out of its own way with a combination of tortured missed tackles, poor coverage busts or bad calls from Todd Orlando.
Once you take a deep breath, you'll come to grips with the following:
a. Texas is a really good team, but perhaps not quite ready for playoff discussion.
b. Texas absolutely looks like a team that should be playing in the Big 12 championship game.
c. The Texas defense must play much, much better in future weeks or this won't be the final loss of the season (and I'm not just talking about Oklahoma, either).
Texas traded punches. Texas landed some power punches. Texas eventually lost too many rounds.
This isn't a moral victory. It's merely a hard-fought loss.
In the process, we know exactly what this team is heading into the next 10 games on the schedule.
(Other thoughts on the game).
* I can't say enough about the play of Burrow tonight. Sam Ehlinger has won almost every head to head quarterback battle he's ever had, and he was good tonight, but Burrow was on another level. Hats off.
* Ehlinger was pretty great over the course of four quarters. I mean... 461 yards of total offense, zero turnovers and five touchdowns is a hard way to go down. That he was this good and Texas still lost speaks to the sins of the Texas defense.
* Todd Orlando could explain his decision to bring extra pressure of 3rd and 17 late in the fourth quarter with a chance to get off the field until he turns blue in the face and I'll never understand the risk taken. If there was ever a time to drop eight and rush three, that was the moment.
* I feel like I woke up on Saturday and Devin Duvernay morphed into Quan Cosby. No player on the field wanted it more than Deuvernay, who finished with 12 receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He had the game I expected Collin Johnson to have...
* Speaking of Johnson, how did he not catch that onside kick? It. Was. Right. There.
* The throw that Ehlinger made to Jake Smith for the touchdown in the third quarter was the best throw of his career.
* The Longhorns have a defensive line problem and it's an issue we've talked about all off-season. Those guys up front just can't provide pressure with a pass rush, which has put Orlando in a position where he obviously feels like he has no choice but to bring extra pressure from the back end of his defense. Texas recorded four sacks on the night and each of them came from a defensive back or a linebacker.
* Welcome to college football, Jake Smith. Stay awhile.
* The SEC officiating crew impacted this game significantly in the fourth quarter. That roughing the passer call was so weak.
* It took Chris Brown about 40 minutes before he announced his presence in the game, but when he did announce his presence, he really announced his presence.
* If you had told me that the quarterback stats at halftime, would look like this, I'd probably guess the Longhorns were down by two touchdowns.
Burrow: 16 for 21 (76.2%) for 220 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT (7 carries for 12 yards)
Ehlinger 9 for 19 (47.4%) for 136 yards and 1 TD (8 carries for 6 yards
* Let me admit that I agreed with Tom Herman's use of time outs before the end of the second quarter, but the decision ended up backfiring in a big, bad way when the Texas offense wasted its possession in quick fashion, thus leaving the LSU offense more than enough time to march down the field for a back-breaking touchdown. It's easy to understand what he was thinking, but sometimes your best plan can blow up in your face and it happened on Saturday night at a key period of time in the game.
* Brennan Eagles is playing better than Collin Johnson. From the 55-yard touchdown catch to the grab below, he was basically the only offensive player that showed up in the first half.
* Derek Kerstetter played a hell of a first three quarters of the game, but he wore down a little in the fourth quarter and started to give ground in pass protection and picked up a couple of critical penalties and allowed a couple of pressures.
* Overall, I thought the offensive line protected well for the most part all night, even if LSU did finish with five sacks. Maybe that's crazy to suggest, but there's a reason why Texas had 530 yards of offense..
* It's impossible to emphasize enough the importance of the Keontay Ingram touchdown drop in the first quarter. In games against big-time teams, you can't toss away seven points like that. Its impact on the game lingered throughout the entire game.
* Outside of that dropped pass, Ingram wasn't good enough tonight and was outperformed by true freshman Roschon Johnson. I'm really going to need to marinate on that tonight with regard to its long-term significance.
* Johnson led all Texas running backs with 32 yards on seven carries. Woof.
* Speaking of Ingram, it's hard to ignore that from the moment he dropped the ball, his presence in the offense declined to drastic levels. Roschon Johnson was the better player through the first two quarters and that's not a development that the Longhorns could afford to have transpire.
* Texas rushing attack in the first half: 15 carries for 34 yards.
* BJ Foster recorded eight tackles and two sacks in the first half. He recorded one tackle in the second half.
* Caden Sterns led the team with nine tackles and I thought it might have been the worst performance of his career. Where has the first six games of 2018 version of Sterns gone?
* Jalen Green had a rough night. Kobe Boyce had a rough night. Every Texas defensive back had a rough night. They probably have lost the right to talk about DBU for a while.
* The LSU DBs should probably hush up as well because they were toasted as well.
* From last week's Buy or Sell section in 10 Thoughts From the Weekend...
On Saturday night, the Texas defense couldn't get stops.
LSU 45-38.
Sometimes breaking down a game can be as simple as that.
In a game that absolutely lived up to its billing, Texas just wasn't quite as good as their Cajun counterparts. Ultimately, Joe Burrow (31 of 39 for 471 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a 209.7 quarterback rating) had the game of his life against a Texas defense that couldn't get out of its own way with a combination of tortured missed tackles, poor coverage busts or bad calls from Todd Orlando.
Once you take a deep breath, you'll come to grips with the following:
a. Texas is a really good team, but perhaps not quite ready for playoff discussion.
b. Texas absolutely looks like a team that should be playing in the Big 12 championship game.
c. The Texas defense must play much, much better in future weeks or this won't be the final loss of the season (and I'm not just talking about Oklahoma, either).
Texas traded punches. Texas landed some power punches. Texas eventually lost too many rounds.
This isn't a moral victory. It's merely a hard-fought loss.
In the process, we know exactly what this team is heading into the next 10 games on the schedule.
(Other thoughts on the game).
* I can't say enough about the play of Burrow tonight. Sam Ehlinger has won almost every head to head quarterback battle he's ever had, and he was good tonight, but Burrow was on another level. Hats off.
* Ehlinger was pretty great over the course of four quarters. I mean... 461 yards of total offense, zero turnovers and five touchdowns is a hard way to go down. That he was this good and Texas still lost speaks to the sins of the Texas defense.
* Todd Orlando could explain his decision to bring extra pressure of 3rd and 17 late in the fourth quarter with a chance to get off the field until he turns blue in the face and I'll never understand the risk taken. If there was ever a time to drop eight and rush three, that was the moment.
* I feel like I woke up on Saturday and Devin Duvernay morphed into Quan Cosby. No player on the field wanted it more than Deuvernay, who finished with 12 receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He had the game I expected Collin Johnson to have...
* Speaking of Johnson, how did he not catch that onside kick? It. Was. Right. There.
* The throw that Ehlinger made to Jake Smith for the touchdown in the third quarter was the best throw of his career.
* The Longhorns have a defensive line problem and it's an issue we've talked about all off-season. Those guys up front just can't provide pressure with a pass rush, which has put Orlando in a position where he obviously feels like he has no choice but to bring extra pressure from the back end of his defense. Texas recorded four sacks on the night and each of them came from a defensive back or a linebacker.
* Welcome to college football, Jake Smith. Stay awhile.
* The SEC officiating crew impacted this game significantly in the fourth quarter. That roughing the passer call was so weak.
* It took Chris Brown about 40 minutes before he announced his presence in the game, but when he did announce his presence, he really announced his presence.
* If you had told me that the quarterback stats at halftime, would look like this, I'd probably guess the Longhorns were down by two touchdowns.
Burrow: 16 for 21 (76.2%) for 220 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT (7 carries for 12 yards)
Ehlinger 9 for 19 (47.4%) for 136 yards and 1 TD (8 carries for 6 yards
* Let me admit that I agreed with Tom Herman's use of time outs before the end of the second quarter, but the decision ended up backfiring in a big, bad way when the Texas offense wasted its possession in quick fashion, thus leaving the LSU offense more than enough time to march down the field for a back-breaking touchdown. It's easy to understand what he was thinking, but sometimes your best plan can blow up in your face and it happened on Saturday night at a key period of time in the game.
* Brennan Eagles is playing better than Collin Johnson. From the 55-yard touchdown catch to the grab below, he was basically the only offensive player that showed up in the first half.
* Derek Kerstetter played a hell of a first three quarters of the game, but he wore down a little in the fourth quarter and started to give ground in pass protection and picked up a couple of critical penalties and allowed a couple of pressures.
* Overall, I thought the offensive line protected well for the most part all night, even if LSU did finish with five sacks. Maybe that's crazy to suggest, but there's a reason why Texas had 530 yards of offense..
* It's impossible to emphasize enough the importance of the Keontay Ingram touchdown drop in the first quarter. In games against big-time teams, you can't toss away seven points like that. Its impact on the game lingered throughout the entire game.
* Outside of that dropped pass, Ingram wasn't good enough tonight and was outperformed by true freshman Roschon Johnson. I'm really going to need to marinate on that tonight with regard to its long-term significance.
* Johnson led all Texas running backs with 32 yards on seven carries. Woof.
* Speaking of Ingram, it's hard to ignore that from the moment he dropped the ball, his presence in the offense declined to drastic levels. Roschon Johnson was the better player through the first two quarters and that's not a development that the Longhorns could afford to have transpire.
* Texas rushing attack in the first half: 15 carries for 34 yards.
* BJ Foster recorded eight tackles and two sacks in the first half. He recorded one tackle in the second half.
* Caden Sterns led the team with nine tackles and I thought it might have been the worst performance of his career. Where has the first six games of 2018 version of Sterns gone?
* Jalen Green had a rough night. Kobe Boyce had a rough night. Every Texas defensive back had a rough night. They probably have lost the right to talk about DBU for a while.
* The LSU DBs should probably hush up as well because they were toasted as well.
* From last week's Buy or Sell section in 10 Thoughts From the Weekend...
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