AUSTIN, Texas — A season with high expectations gets under way for the No. 5 Texas Longhorns on Saturday against the Texas State Bobcats at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in a prelude to the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes coming to the Forty Acres next week.
First quarter
After Texas State received the opening kickoff, a touchback deep into the end zone, Texas gave up a first down on three short completions, but inflicted a tackle for loss on a second-down running play and got pressure on Bobcats quarterback Brad Jackson to force a throwaway on third down under pressure from fifth-year defensive tackle Hero Kanu.
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A bad snap to the Texas State punter impacted his rhythm, leading to a shank out of bounds only 17 yards past the line of scrimmage, affording Texas favorable field position at its own 44-yard line.
Lined up in 12 personnel, the first touch went to senior running back Hollywood Smothers, who bounced the run outside behind blocks from sophomore tight end Nick Townsend and junior wide receiver Ryan Wingo, made two defenders miss in the open field, and got down the sideline for a 45-yard gain.
Two plays later, on 3rd and 5, junior wide receiver Cam Coleman beat an attempt to jam him at the line of scrimmage and left the Texas State cornerback falling to the ground on an easy six-yard touchdown catch, his first touch for the Longhorns.
With the Bobcats facing 3rd and 11, the Longhorns made their first big mistake of the season when sophomore cornerback Kade Phillips was flagged for pass interference down the sideline on a hopeful throw by Jackson. Texas State was able to gain another first down, but when Jackson pulled the ball, senior linebacker Rasheem Biles had contain. Going for it on fourth down, Jackson had his pass batted down at the line of scrimmage by junior defensive tackle Alex January for a turnover on downs.
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Facing its own fourth down, senior quarterback Arch Manning found Wingo on a wheel route before connecting with senior tight end Spencer Shannon for 11 yards, the first career target and catch for the Mater Dei product. On the next play, Wingo found the end zone on jet sweep, a pass credited to Manning that turned into an eight-yard touchdown with help from Shannon and Townsend blocking on the edge.
On a drive that started with a 22-yard run by Jaylen Jenkins, Texas State created another explosive play when Jackson scrambled to find an outlet receiver down the sideline for 25 yards to the Texas 5-yard line. A one-yard gain up the middle ended the first quarter.
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Second quarter
The Texas defense forced Jackson to hold the ball long enough for Phillips to break up a pass in the end zone and force 3rd and goal from the 4-yard line after GJ Kinne used his first timeout of the first half. The play call by Kinne wasn’t an effective one, as Kanu created quick penetration to create a tackle for loss, forcing a field-goal attempt that missed wide left from 24 yards.
Able to stand in the pocket on second down, Wingo worked open for a 16-yard reception before Smothers found a seam outside for nine yards. Running downhill on his first college carry, freshman Derrek Cooper moved the chains, but freshman wide receiver Jermaine Bishop quickly put the Horns off schedule by dropping a screen pass.
Cooper ended up leaving the field during the first half with an apparent injury.
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It didn’t hurt Texas as head coach Steve Sarkisian dialed up a screen pass to Smothers that featured Townsend as an escort for the first down. After a check down to Smothers and a run by fifth-year running back Raleek Brown produced 3rd and 1, Sarkisian used his first timeout of the half, sparking frustration with the officials.
With sophomore running back Michael Terry III in the game in a two-back set, Smothers took a carry up the middle for the first down and Townsend caught a short pass for nine yards. Needing to convert another 3rd and 1, a pin and pull for Brown included a nice cut by the USC and Arizona State transfer for a 13-yard touchdown and a 21-0 margin with 7:53 remaining in the second quarter.
The first forced turnover of the season for Texas came from Biles, who knocked the ball loose on a running play. Sophomore nickel back Graceson Littleton scooped it up with some momentum and out-raced Texas State to the end zone for a 59-yard touchdown return.
Down 28-0, Texas State fought back, taking advantage of a busted coverage by Texas for a 41-yard completion and lost contain on Jackson in the pocket on a 33-yard scramble. A four-yard touchdown run finished the drive as the Longhorns defense found itself off balance.
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With 3:59 remaining in the second quarter, the Horns had a chance to respond, but it started poorly, as senior kickoff returner Ryan Niblett fumbled the ball in the end zone, forcing the drive to start at the 10-yard line after his recovery.
A nine-yard completion to Wingo and a two-yard run by Smothers moved the chains as Texas operated without much urgency. A 30-yard gain by Wingo as Manning scrambled was reduced to 19 yards on a holding penalty on junior wide receiver Emmett Mosley V heading into the two-minute warning. It could have been an even bigger play — Coleman was running free in the Texas State secondary, but Manning didn’t see him.
Out of the timeout, Manning made an even worse decision, holding the ball after getting flushed from the pocket and taking an unnecessary sack. A completion to Mosley into a tight window helped make it for it, but left the Longhorns still looking for a big play to flip the field before halftime.
Manning found it quickly despite facing 3rd and 15, dropping a pass into Wingo’s hands down the sidelines after a double move that gained 45 yards.
A throw to Mosley over the middle picked up another first down, but Texas was running out of time after opting to run a running play after the completion instead of calling a timeout. Sarkisian was forced to use his second anyway, with only 16 seconds left on the clock and the ball at the 11-yard line.
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The Longhorns had a chance to score before halftime, but Wingo couldn’t come up with a difficult catch in the end zone and Manning committed a cardinal sin, throwing late and over the middle for an interception that effectively ended the first half.
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