Bio Blast: Texas Longhorns

Kentucky (4-6, 1-6) faces another stiff road challenge in Week 13. The Wildcats will finish this year’s four-game road schedule by facing one of the best teams in college football at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon in Austin.

Steve Sarkisian has built a strong football team with a three-year starter at quarterback, a top-five defense, and two potential first-round draft picks on the offensive line. The Longhorns have not played the toughest schedule in their first year in the SEC, but there is no denying that this is one of the best rosters in college football and they have played to that standard most of the season.

KSR’s Bio Blast is taking an in-depth look at the Horns.

Quinn Ewers is still QB1 in Austin

Texas landed a commitment from five-star prospect Arch Manning in the 2023 recruiting cycle, and that led many to wonder what the future looked like for former No. 1 overall recruit Quinn Ewers in Austin. However, Steve Sarkisian has remained committed to the former Ohio State transfer.

Ewers is now a three-year starter in Sarkisian’s offense having accumulated 7,554 passing yards, 58 passing touchdowns, and 18 interceptions in 30 career games at Texas. The redshirt junior has averaged 8.1 yards per attempt on a 65.4 percent completion rate during his time at Texas. Texas has remained committed to Ewers even after the quarterback missed more games this season due to injury.

The quarterback takes care of the football (1.9% career interception rate) and has helped this pass-first offense stay ahead of the chains (No. 35 in offensive success rate) and create explosive plays (No. 4 nationally in pass plays over 20 yards). Ewers has thrown for less than 250 yards in four of six starts against power conference competition this season but that hasn’t stopped Texas from ranking No. 11 nationally in points per drive.

Quinn Ewers is not having the Heisman Trophy season many thought he would have, but the veteran quarterback plays a big role for this top-10 offense that does not have a running back with 500 rushing yards. Sark has asked a lot of his veteran quarterback, and Ewers has delivered.

The defense is legit

Tennessee (No. 4), Ole Miss (No. 5), and Georgia (No. 8) are all top-10 defenses that Kentucky has faced, according to ESPN’s SP+ rankings. There is one more left on the schedule. Texas might be the best defense that Kentucky has faced.

The Longhorns currently rank No. 2 overall in SP+ defense behind only Ohio State. Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski has built a dominant unit in year four on the Forty Acres. Texas currently ranks inside the top 10 in numerous defensive metrics.

• Yards Per Play: 3.95 (No. 1 overall)
• Yards Per Dropback: 4.56 (No. 1 overall)
• Points Per Drive: 0.93 (No. 2 overall)
• Havoc Rate: 15.3% (No. 2 overall)
• Success Rate: 35.4% (No. 7 overall)
• Yards Per Rush: 4.07 (No. 11 overall)

Georgia scored 30 points against this defense but only produced 283 offensive yards and had three scoring drives begin inside the Texas 35. Vanderbilt reached 24 points, but no one else has gotten to 20 points against the Horns. Michigan, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, and Arkansas were all held under 14 points.

Texas has a ferocious pass rush with EDGE defenders Trey Moore, Colin Simmons, and Barryn Sorrell combining to record 10.5 sacks on 73 total pressures. Jahdae Barron at cornerback and Clemson transfer Andrew Mukuba at safety have combined to record seven interceptions and 11 pass breakups in the secondary. Anthony Hill Jr. has logged 6.5 non-sack tackles for loss and three forced fumbles at linebacker. There are playmakers everywhere.

The Horns are dynamite on defense.

Iffy kicking game

Texas owns a dominant unit on defense and an efficient one on offense with legitimate big-play pop in the passing game. The one weakness this team has is in the kicking game.

Starting placekicker Bert Auburn is 8-of-11 on field goals but is just 3-of-6 on attempts over 40 yards with a career-high of 49 yards. Starting punter Michael Kern is averaging only 40.42 yards per attempt as Texas ranks No. 112 nationally in net punting average (36.70). Only LSU is worse in the SEC. Starting kickoff specialist Will Stone has only produced a 59.7 percent touchback rate.

The Texas defense enters this matchup with Kentucky ranked No. 70 in average starting field position (own 28). That has not burned the Longhorns yet, but could be something that loses them the game down the road.

Kentucky will have an advantage in the third phase on Saturday afternoon. If Barion Brown returns to the lineup, there could be multiple return opportunities that could help the underdog flip the game.