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2022 Baylor Post Mortem: Offense

by:Paul Wadlington•11/27/22
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The Texas offense couldn’t stop scoring on Saturday. They scored 38 on the Baylor defense, another 9 on Texas, and still managed to close up the regular season with a double digit win over a physical Bear team that the Longhorn running game ground into 4th quarter rubble. By the end of the game, Texas had become a service academy offense without the option elements and Baylor couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

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It didn’t start that way.

Texas had early success throwing the ball — when they could get the ball out — as Quinn Ewers started the game 5 of 8 for 111 yards, but Bijan Robinson finished the first stanza with only 7 carries for 29 yards. Texas gave up 3 sacks in its last five drop backs of the half and surrendered a safety early when Quinn Ewers’ protection fell apart and he grounded the ball to an area where Texas had no eligible receivers. That helped stake the Bears to an early 9-0 lead.

While halftime commentators and Texas fans naturally called for the Horns to just hand the ball to Bijan, actual events suggests that this was more feeling and talking points than game script reality. After Texas surrendered a safety on its first drive (and lost a possession), they scored two touchdowns and a field goal on the following three possessions running a fairly balanced offense. The offense was working just fine when it had the chance to possess the ball, but with only 9 minutes of first half possession (as Baylor’s offense converted 6 of 10 first half money downs), it’s impossible to work in 15-20 carries for #5.

Real frustration came in the last two sequences of the first half when Texas got the ball with 2 minutes left on the Texas 20 yard line and couldn’t execute a two minute drill due to repeated pass blocking recognition failures. The Horns finished with only 23 first half plays. Had Texas handed the ball off to Bijan and run out the clock at the two minute mark, I’m not sure either Longhorn fans or commentators would have been particularly delighted, but it would have been preferable to that closing sequence.

When Texas decided to stop shooting itself in the foot and get simple and fast, the game turned. But it took a while to figure it out because the plays available in the passing game were so tantalizing. In some ways, the story of the season. A second half Whittington fumble in Baylor territory was followed by an effective 78 yard touchdown drive that featured Texas using tempo for the first time in the game. That’s also when the run game really started to turn. Tempo kept Texas simple, put an end to extended snaps counts and heavy motion that was triggering repeated offsides penalties and jumpy feet (Sanders forced a punt on 4th and 2 from midfield with an offsides on the first drive of the 2nd half and Hayden Conner managed a three offsides penalty hat trick), and most crucially it disallowed Aranda and the Baylor defensive staff from getting in last second brain transplants to their defenders.

The game became about the players and Texas had better, fresher ones coming in waves.

Despite arriving at a winning formula the drive previous and Bijan starting the next drive with two runs for 16 yards, Sark still wanted to sneak in a deep shot…because he can’t help himself. After this happened he had seen enough of trying to protect the passing game:

So with Baylor leading 27-24 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, Texas decided to get medieval. On the first Texas possession of the 4th quarter, Texas ran the ball 11 consecutive times for 75 yards. After the Jaylan Ford interception and holding a 31-27 lead, Texas ran the ball 6 consecutive times for 42 yards and another touchdown. 17 consecutive runs. None went for negative yardage. Two touchdowns. Leading 38-27, Texas got the ball back with about 3 minutes on the clock and ran the ball five consecutive times to close out the game with authority on the Baylor 4 yard line.

QB

When Ewers didn’t make three massive errors, he was really good, going 12 of 16 for 194 yards. That’s a funny thing to write, but accurate. While he bears no blame for several horrific pass protection moments or a Whittington fumble after he throws a strike, an important part of his maturation and development will be playing bad cards correctly. Fold the hand and play again. You don’t have go all-in and try to bluff your way out. Ewers probably also needs a better estimation of his speed and athleticism vis a vis a college defenders with a free path.

OL

OL is the only unit in football where an entire group gets maligned when one guy messes up or a non-OL blows their assignment. Three members of the unit played their best football of the season. Jake Majors drew Siaki Ika and had zero problems with the massive nose tackle. He was also terrific on the pull. Christian Jones and Kelvin Banks pass protected well, dominated in run blocking and I think Jones may have killed some guys in the final quarter. The primary issues in protection came at right guard – whether that spot was manned by Cole Hutson or Devon Campbell after Hutson went out with a leg injury. Both struggled badly with stunts from the tite front and were the culprits in 3 sacks. Jumbo TE Andrej Karic also gave up the Ewers strip-sack-touchdown, failing to give Al Walcott much resistance at all.

When Texas decided they wanted to get simple and pound Baylor’s front, the OL was terrific.

Watch what Christian Jones does here on the RoJo hurdle TD.

Jones pancakes the Baylor edge 10 yards down the field and cuts off four different defenders in pursuit. By the way, that defender is #13 Al Walcott (he of the strip sack on Ewers and the Whittington forced fumble) and Jones is demonstrating what you do when a team decides they want to guard the edge with a 220 pound guy.

For a more subtle display of excellence on a RoJo run, check out Jake Majors as a puller from the center position:

Roschon does a nice job running the ball, but look at how long Banks and Conner hold their blocks play side to allow the puller to get around. Majors has a good pull and gets a good piece of a fast-mover in space. On the back side of the OL, Hutson cuts off pursuit while Christian Jones does a wonderful job getting downfield to cut off the backside linebacker. Awesome hustle, big man. RoJo maximized the run, but you’re looking at 5 OL wins.

WR/TE

Xavier Worthy caught seven balls simply off of Baylor being scared of him and he brought good energy and physicality for four quarters. I always enjoy a 165 pound guy dropping shoulders on people. Sanders had some great moments as an edge blocker and pass catcher. He keeps killing the offense with offsides penalties on crucial downs though. Whittington had a fumble on a nice punch out from the defender, but he blocked well and looked good with the ball in his hands. Helm was fine as well.

RB

Saving the best for last. The two Longhorn bell cows combined for 256 yards rushing on 42 carries and 4 touchdowns. Their physicality and effort set the tone and their longest run of 23 yards demonstrated that this wasn’t about popping a couple of big runs. It was a consistent pummeling. Bijan had a slow start, trying to press A gap runs to the C, but once he got the feel for Baylor’s help defenders and got his pads upfield, he gouged them repeatedly and put on a masterful performance. RoJo ran hard as hell and looked generally pissed off for four quarters. His hurdle touchdown was a chef’s kiss topper to the game and their careers.

Two of my favorite players in Texas history. They’ll be missed.

Final

That was a satisfying win with just the right amount of doubt culminating in a dominant 4th quarter showcase of physicality and effort. The game went from nip and tuck to Texas domination in a single quarter. As he did against Kansas, Sark demonstrated an understanding that the offense he wants to run isn’t the offense Texas can run.

On to the Alamo…

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