Words Horns fans never thought they'd hear: Rice game is must-win

Published Sep. 8, 2015 12:31 p.m. ET

foxsports

One game into the season and the Texas Longhorns are a mess. With one of the toughest opening stretches of any team in the nation, Saturday's game is a must-win.

That Texas is playing at home against the Rice Owls, and those two words -- must-win -- are still being used says all that needs to be said about the state of the mighty Texas' football program. It's not so mighty anymore.

After laying a gigantic egg at Notre Dame, the 38-3 defeat has thrown the program into full-on panic mode. The quarterback position is as unsettled as ever, coach Charlie Strong blasted his offensive coaches Monday and now all of Longhorn Nation faces a horrifically embarrassing scenario if Texas can't get it's stuff together enough to beat little, old Rice.

"There’s millions and millions of people involved with this program, and we’ve got to give them hope, and they need to see progress,” Strong said during his Monday press conference. “And after the other night … you look at that game, and you’re like, ‘Wow.’”

One game in and this is where Strong finds himself: "We’re going to take our time … and evaluate everything in this program. Start all over again."

That's typically something that happens during the long offseason, and it that's what seemed to be going on at Texas as Strong talked about implementing an up-tempo offense, about using running back Johnathan Grey much more than a season ago, yet neither happened against Notre Dame.

“We can’t go through another season with a bad offense,” Strong said. “No, that cannot happen.”

If the offense doesn't spring to life on Saturday against the Owls, Strong's hot seat will feel more like a boiler plate.

(h/t Dallas Morning News)