<\/p>\n
Hollywood Smothers, fighting for yards against Ohio State, will be back for the Longhorns against Oklahoma.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
AUSTIN \u2014 Steve Sarkisian wants to run the ball well against Oklahoma.<\/a><\/p>\n Check that. The fifth-year Texas<\/a> head coach KNOWS he has to run the ball well versus the Sooners\u2019 dominant defense.<\/p>\n He doesn\u2019t really need to check the history books to realize that.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n After all, the Longhorns have beaten the crimson and cream three of the last four years in large part by running the ball.<\/p>\n BOHLS: Nine things and one crazy prediction<\/a><\/p>\n Last year, Texas didn\u2019t score on the ground but ran for a decent 136 yards in the Cotton Bowl. OU had a paltry 48 yards rushing. Texas won, 23-6.<\/a><\/p>\n The year before, Texas had 177 yards rushing and two touchdowns, one on a 43-yard run by Quintrevion Wisner. The Sooners? They totaled 89 yards. Texas won, 34-3<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In 2022, the burnt orange dominated in this game, running for 296 yards. Some guy named Bijan Robinson stepped off 130 yards and scored twice. OU managed 156 yards rushing but didn\u2019t score. The scoreboard showed Texas 59, Other guys 0<\/a>.<\/p>\n Three games. Three Longhorn wins. Three ground attacks ranging from respectable to outstanding. Those are just the most recent examples.<\/p>\n If you want to go back, consider that nine of the last 10 winners in this series out-rushed the loser with Texas the lone exception in 2018 when it was outgained on the ground by OU and still won. Further confirmation shows the best rushing team has claimed victory in 18 of the last 20 meetings.<\/p>\n ARCH’S MOM: Ellen Manning gets in spotlight in upcoming ad<\/a><\/p>\n This year figures to be no different because the team that runs the ball the best will keep its defense fresher, will own the time of possession and won\u2019t subject its quarterback to a relentless pass rush. And keeping Arch Manning upright and with time to find his receivers is critical to Texas\u2019 chances of leaving the Cotton Bowl undefeated.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re always trying to run the ball. And this game obviously carries that weight,\u201d Sarkisian said Thursday. \u201cWe know the value of running the football, and so then we\u2019ve got to find a way to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n He did get some good news as Hollywood Smothers, part of the Longhorns\u2019 impressive backfield tandem, was pronounced healthy for Saturday\u2019s 2:45 p.m. game after suiting up for the Tennessee game but never seeing the field. Smothers and Raleek Brown have gained 394 yards between them, but the Texas running attack ranks only a pedestrian 88th nationally<\/a>. OU\u2019s even worse, ranked 131st out of 136 teams.<\/p>\n Against Tennessee two weeks ago, the Longhorns netted just 61 yards after the lost yardage from the six sacks of Manning are figured in. Repeat that Saturday, and the touchdown-underdog Sooners could emerge with the upset of the year and salvage their season.<\/p>\n It\u2019s imperative that the offensive line show up in a big way. That\u2019s been a major shortcoming in the team\u2019s first four games even though a mock NFL draft by The Athletic this week listed Texas tackles Trevor Goosby and Melvin Siani as a pair of first-round picks next spring.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Throw in three other high-profile prospects in edge rusher Colin Simmons, wide receiver Cam Coleman and Manning among the first nine projected selections, according to Sports Illustrated, and the Longhorns should have a decided manpower advantage.<\/p>\n That said, the OU defense is beyond stout. It\u2019s ranked fifth in the country and allows just 16 points a game. Sarkisian has more than a little respect for the Sooners\u2019 interior defensive linemen in David Stone and Jayden Jackson.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re elite. Those two guys, Jayden and David, are fantastic players,\u201d Sarkisian said. \u201cWe recruited both of them, and they play at a high level. They\u2019re active and physical. And with Coach (Brent) Venables\u2019 scheme, they\u2019ve got a lot of defense, and those guys move around and are in different spots a lot, so you don\u2019t know where they\u2019ll be on every play.\u201d<\/p>\n Stone is also ranked high as a certain first-rounder on those NFL draft lists.<\/p>\n But Sarkisian also singled out linebackers Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke as difference-makers on the OU defense. He pointed out the Sooners have allowed as much as 300 total yards in just one game this fall, that coming against Georgia, which had 303 but scored 17 points off OU\u2019s four turnovers.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d be remiss not to talk about Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke, the corners and the safeties. These guys are good,\u201d he said, adding that the Bulldogs benefited because they ran back a fumble for a 90-yard score and started another possession inside the OU 10. \u201cGeorgia had only six carries that went five yards or more in the game. This is a very good defensive front and a very good defense. It\u2019s very challenging, and we\u2019ve definitely got our work cut out for us.\u201d<\/p>\n The return of Smothers should pay dividends immediately because he\u2019s an electric back and elite pass-receiver.<\/p>\n \u201cHe runs hard, and he\u2019s a vertical runner,\u201d Sarkisian said. \u201cHe runs through arm tackles, he hits holes and so there is a change of pace. I don\u2019t think he and Raleek run the same style. He\u2019s been sorely missed.\u201d<\/p>\n Texas would be wise to use its outside zone plays to get on the perimeter because Smothers, Brown and even freshman Derrek Cooper can do some damage in daylight. Cooper has missed time with an ankle injury, and Smothers sat out Tennessee.<\/p>\n \u201cIdeally, we have all three of those guys ready to go,\u201d Sarkisian said. \u201cBut I\u2019m very comfortable if we have two. But I don\u2019t know if any of them are going to be 100% the rest of the way. I mean, they play running back.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s hardly the only factor in this rivalry game, which can turn on a dime. And Texas got a boost Thursday<\/a> when it landed four-star running back Micah Rhodes<\/a>, a former Oklahoma commit, to headline the Longhorns\u2019 2028 recruiting class. The 5-9, 180-pound junior from Klein Oak is ranked the eighth best running back in the nation, according to 247Sports, and the 135th ranked national prospect.<\/p>\n But Sarkisian dismisses the betting line and sure doesn\u2019t expect to see a flawed Sooners team on the other sideline.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re a very talented team, and they\u2019ve got good coaches,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes things just do\u2019t go your way. Hopefully, they don\u2019t figure it out Saturday either, and hopefully we can cause a little more chaos for them. But I know we\u2019re going to get their best shot.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hollywood Smothers, fighting for yards against Ohio State, will be back for the Longhorns against Oklahoma. 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