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5 Takeaways From Texas Football Win vs Iowa State
Oct 15, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong reacts against the Iowa State Cyclones during the third quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns won 27-6. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Texas football snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday and exercised some demons. The Longhorns defeated Iowa State 27-6 at DKR and momentarily relieved some of the pressure on Charlie Strong and his coaching staff. In the process, Texas showed us some pretty important things.
First and foremost, Texas won a game they absolutely could not lose. After starting 2-0, the Horns had stumbled in three straight. The defense, in particular, had been particularly bad, surrendering yardage and points in bunches on a silver platter. Losing a fourth straight, particularly against Iowa State, would have spelled certain doom for Strong’s tenure at Texas.
For the first half, it looked like it might have happened. A sluggish, mistake-filled start hindered the Horns, resulting in a 6-3 deficit at the break. However, the team made effective adjustments at halftime to fix what ailed them. The Longhorns outscored Iowa State 24-0 after half to pull away and seal the win.
It’s Texas’ first win in over a month. The team improved their home record to 3-0 on the season and got themselves halfway to bowl eligibility with six games to play. This was a game that Texas absolutely could not lose and they responded with a resounding 21-point victory.
So what did we learn about Texas in this game? Here are five takeaways from the Longhorns’ win over Iowa State.
Oct 15, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong observes his team during warmups against the Iowa State Cyclones at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Iowa State has been a thorn in the side of Charlie Strong since he came to Texas. This was the first time that the Horns have looked dominant against the Cyclones under Strong and it was a very welcome sight.
Back in 2014, Texas needed a last-second field goal to beat Iowa State in DKR. It was Strong’s first season, so it was expected that there would be some growing pains. The important thing was that they avoided the home upset and got the win. As Texas grew under Strong, it was expected that they would handle Iowa State accordingly.
Not so in 2015. Traveling to Ames following two of the best games of the Strong era, the Longhorns laid an egg against Iowa State. They looked undisciplined, ineffective, and outmatched in a 24-0 loss. It was arguably one of the worst performances from the Texas program in the last decade. It did not do Strong any favors.
No offense to Iowa State, but Texas should beat them by three touchdowns every season. This was the first time that Strong has been able to handle the Cyclones as the Horns are expected to do. It’s a necessary first step to proving that Strong deserves a fourth season on the Forty Acres.
Oct 15, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Jordan Elliott (55) and defensive end Breckyn Hager (44) and linebacker Anthony Wheeler (45) tackle Iowa Stte Cyclones quarterback Joel Lanning (7) during the third quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns won 27-6. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Coming into the game, Texas was statistically one of the worst defenses in the country. That can’t happen when you have a defensive head coach like Strong and the level of talent that Texas has on that side of the ball. On Saturday, the Horns finally put together a competent defensive performance.
Before this game, Texas had allowed 45 points or more in four of five games and was giving up more big plays than anyone in the Big 12. Poor tackling, missed assignments, and general confusion plagued this defense and made them wildly ineffective in trying to keep opposing offenses out of the end zone.
On Saturday, the Texas defense finally put it together. The Horns recorded eight sacks and allowed just 280 yards of total offense. After allowing yards in huge chunks in every game up to this one, Texas showed dramatic improvement. They allowed Iowa State to gain just 2.3 yards per rush and 5.4 yards per pass. The Cyclones converted just 6-of-19 third down attempts and were forced to punt seven times.
This was a major relief to Strong and the Longhorns defensive staff. With the talent that has been added to the roster on the recruiting trail, their defensive struggles have been a perplexing issue. At least for this game, we saw what this group is capable of doing.
Oct 15, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; The Texas Longhorns take the field prior to kickoff against the Iowa State Cyclones at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns won 27-6. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Charlie Strong has done a tremendous job of recruiting to Texas the last two seasons and has relied on young players to contribute right away. On Saturday, we saw that youth movement lead the way to victory.
Offensively, Shane Buechele continued his excellent debut season as a true freshman. He completed 26 of 28 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman Devin Duvernay stepped up offensively as well, leading the Horns with 96 yards receiving on four catches with a touchdown.
On defense, the Horns got more freshman into the mix to provid a spark. Jeffery McColloch stepped into the linebacker rotation and made four tackles, including a sack. Jordan Elliott disrupted the Iowa State offense and recorded 2 tackles with .5 tackles for loss in the game. Erick Fowler, who joined the team late in fall camp, made his presence felt as well, recording his first tackle of the season, a tackle for loss.
Talent talks at Texas. Strong has a young, inexperienced, but potential-laden roster that can provide a much needed boost on the field. Trusting these young stars in the making could be a major difference-maker for the Horns moving forward.
Oct 15, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns running back D’Onta Foreman (33) and offensive lineman Connor Williams (55) react against the Iowa State Cyclones during the third quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns won 27-6. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Before this game, Texas had been playing great on offense but was let down by the defense. In the first half against Iowa State, it was reversed with the defense performing and the offense disappearing. Eventually in the third quarter, we got to see what this team can be when they put it all together and it was spectacular.
Coming out of the half, Texas finally looked like a complete team. The offense had rhythm and pace and was attacking Iowa State down the field. Defensively, they ramped up their strong play from the first half and shut down the Cyclones offense (which had been dangerous in upset bids against Baylor and Oklahoma State the previous two weeks). In the end, Texas’ full-team effort paid serious dividends, out-scoring Iowa State 24-0 in the second half.
If Texas can get more consistent production from the offense and defense together like this, they will have a shot in every game down the stretch. There is talent up and down this roster on both sides of the ball but they had not all come to play at the same time yet in 2016. We got a chance to see it against Iowa State and it resulted in a big margin of victory.
Whatever Texas did at halftime, it worked. They need to clone it, bottle it, and bring it to every game the rest of the way.
Oct 15, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns running back D’Onta Foreman (33) runs for a touchdown against the Iowa State Cyclones during the third quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns won 27-6. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Another game, another dominant performance from D’Onta Foreman. Foreman did nothing to hurt his standing as the top running back in the Big 12 rushing for 136 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown.
Foreman has effectively silenced concerns about his ability to be a workhorse back in this offense. After the injury to Chris Warren, there were questions about how much of a workload Foreman could handle without wearing down. So far, so good.
The junior back followed up his 25 carry performance with 30 carries against Iowa State and provided a consistency to the offense that they desperately needed. It was the seventh straight game that Foreman has rushed for at least 100 yards, the second longest streak in Texas program history.
Strong praised his back, saying “He is our offense” following the game. Foreman is one of the best backs in the nation this season and will continue to be a steady presence for the Horns’ rushing attack moving forward.
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