They say that everything's bigger in Texas.
When it comes to BYU football's matchup with No. 7 Texas, this game just feels bigger. The Cougars stand at 5-2 with their hopes of bowl eligibility in their inaugural Big 12 season just one win away. Texas — led by head coach and former BYU great Steve Sarkisian — is 6-1 with playoff aspirations.
In terms of excitement, BYU fans have had this one circled since the release of the Big 12 football schedule back in January. As the matchup looms near, here's a deeper dive into the Longhorns' season thus far.
Another backup quarterback
For the third week in a row the BYU defense will be facing a team without its starting quarterback. Quinn Ewers has been on of the best quarterbacks in the country this season, but after suffering an injury to his AC joint against Houston he will be unable to suit up against the Cougars. Sarkisian has announced that both redshirt freshman Maalik Murphy and true freshman Arch Manning will be splitting first team practice reps this week.
Murphy a consensus 4 star recruit stands at an imposing 6'5 inches tall and weighs in at 238 pounds. Many college insiders compare his skillset to that of Arkansas quarterback K.J Jefferson, whom the Cougars have faced in back to back years. Like Jefferson, Murphy has a rocket arm and a swagger that instills confidence in his teammates. Though limited in his game experience he currently has thrown for 47 yards on 4 completions this season.
Manning, the number 1 recruit of the 2023 class, has Texas fans excited for the future. A member of the famed NFL Manning family, Manning has impressed coaches and teammates with his natural ability and intelligence for the game. Manning has yet to play an in-game snap for the Longhorns, but the Texas fanbase is eager to see what the 5 star, blue chip recruit looks like in action.
An offensive juggernaut
When it comes to offensive personnel the Longhorn's are loaded with talent. The Texas offense is averaging 468.4 yards per game while averaging 34.4 points per game. Despite the injury to their star quarterback they are helped by an incredibly explosive group of skill position players.
For the third week in a row the BYU defense will tasked with bottling up a top 10 NCAA running back. Jonathan Brooks is an all-American caliber player for the Longhorns this season with 825 yards to go along with 6 touchdowns and an eyepopping 6.4 yard average per carry. He has also hauled in 17 catches for 172 yards to go along with 1 touchdown.
The Texas receiving core has been especially impressive as well. Seven longhorns have over 100 receiving yards this season, led by All Big 12 receiver Xavier Worthy. Worthy currently ranks 3rd in the Big 12 with 545 receiving yards on 40 catches to go along with 4 touchdowns. Adonai Mitchell lead the longhorns with 5 touchdown grabs and 368 yards.
Going into the season the Texas offensive line had high expectations. After allowing only 19 sacks in 2022 the Longhorns offensive line boasted a total of 101 career starts. However, the Texas offensive line has taken a step back in many ways as they have already allowed 17 sacks through 7 games. Regardless, the offensive output of the Longhorns is indicative of the talent on the Texas front.
Defensive dominance
When it comes to the defensive side of the ball the Longhorns have delivered in the 2023 season. Coming into their 8th contest of the season the Texas defense ranks 2nd across the board in the Big 12 by only giving up 333.1 yards per game and only surrendering an average of 17.4 points per game.
The Longhorn defense has the top ranked rush defense in the Big 12 allowing only an average of 98.3 yards a game and only 5 rushing touchdowns on the season. The secondary has not been as dominant as they rank 7th in the conference allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw for an average of 234.9 yards while allowing 8 touchdowns on the season and forcing 7 interceptions. This Texas defensive unit has been plus 5 in the turnover margins and has been able to sack opposing quarterbacks 17 times this season.
Conclusion
All BYU fans should know by now that this Longhorn team is the most talented squad the Cougars have faced this season. Texas is winning their games by an average of 20.5 points a game. The Longhorns survived a scare last week on the road against a 3-4 Houston squad with an upset on their minds. BYU fans should not count on a flat performance from their opponents considering the implications that a loss would mean for this Texas squad. What the Cougars do have though is a series edge against the Longhorns. In the 5 previous meetings between the two schools BYU has a 4-1 advantage including the last two. The Cougars will once again be the underdogs in the biggest game of the season for them so far, but with much to gain and little to lose this is an excellent opportunity for BYU to stir up the foundations of the 2023 college football season.