Film Room: Jaylan Ford makes tackle after tackle versus UTSA

For Longhorn linebacker Jaylan Ford, the vision was clear when head coach Steve Sarkisian and linebackers coach Jeff Choate arrived at Texas.

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“I told (Choate) when he got here that I wanted to be great,” Ford said Monday. “I’m playing for UT. Everyone wants to be great here. He’s been able to hold me to that.”

With Choate’s help and his own hard work, Ford overcame a zero-tackle start versus Louisiana-Monroe to become the Longhorns’ leading tackler through the first three games with 25. He tallied 10 tackles and a sack in the Alabama game, and was credited with 15 tackles and a forced fumble versus UTSA on Saturday.

He was all over the field on Saturday against the Roadrunners, roaming sideline to sideline in defense of Roadrunner quarterback Frank Harris.

What’s helped Ford bring his A-game over the past few weeks?

“For me, I think it was just trusting what my coaches have coached me to do,” Ford said. “Trusting what I’ve been trained to do, finding that level of knowing what to do, and just being comfortable and just playing my game, and just letting everything come to me.”

Here’s a look at every Ford tackle from Saturday.

Q1 – 1^st & 10 – UTSA 31

One play prior, Ford whiffed on a tackle of big, burly Roadrunner tight end Oscar Cardenas. On this play, Ford is essentially unblocked due to several O-linemen working against Moro Ojomo and Keondre Coburn. Though Brenden Brady falls forward for a few, Ford is there to make a play.

(I’m not exactly sure what Cardenas, No. 9, is doing here, but it seems to muddy DeMarvion Overshown’s read.)

Q1 – 2^nd & 2 – UTSA 39

This could have been called illegal formation thanks to the left tackle’s positioning but it is not called. Brady takes a direct snap and tries to find a hole in a crowded area. There is a LOT of humanity in a short area, but Ford knifes through to find the ball-carrier and split a TFL with Overshown in the backfield. Kudos to Ryan Watts too for making sure there isn’t a place to bounce the run.

Q1 – 2^nd & Goal – UT 6

Ford whiffed on Harris a few plays earlier in the open field, which helped UTSA move into plus territory. As UTSA was driving, Ford subbed out to catch a breather.

Ford is isolated on this play. He has responsibility for Harris and his legs. Ford recognizes Harris is throwing and makes a break toward the receiver, and arrives to help Anthony Cook pull the receiver away from the end zone.

This helped make cause a three-point drive instead of a seven-point drive.

Q2 – 2^nd & 3 – UT 48

Sometimes when there isn’t any help around, the best thing to do is to make the most of a difficult situation. Ford does that here. His teammates are all in man coverage with Ford hanging around the line of scrimmage. The reasoning behind his steps toward the sideline isn’t clear, but he recovers to grab Harris’ shoelace after an 11-yard gain.

Q2 – Kickoff

Ford doesn’t just play in the middle of the defense, he is tasked with special teams work, too. He adds to his total here, getting full credit for this stop.

Q2 – 1^st & 10 – UTSA 31

The Roadrunner left tackle completely whiffs on Ford, who is in the correct spot. Ford then makes a tackle on Brady in the hole to limit this to a two-yard gain.

Q2 – 2^nd & 8 – UTSA 33

The very next play, Ford meets Brady in the hole once again. This play illustrates a lot of what took place on Saturday and why Ford and Overshown combined for 25 tackles despite Agent Zero’s ejection. The overmatched UTSA O-line had all they could handle with the Texas defensive front, and the two Longhorn linebackers reaped the benefits with their great play.

Q3 – 3^rd & 3 – UTSA 32

Ford gets caught one step too close to the boundary and Harris takes the running lane offered to him by Barryn Sorrell. Though Ford may do nothing more than lay a finger on Harris, he gets the credit for the tackle on this play.

Q3 – 3^rd & 13 – UTSA 47

Here’s a good example of football IQ. Harris is a left-handed quarterback, so any throw to the area Ford is supposed to cover is impossible. He tries to take an angle toward Harris, and though he can’t wrap him up, he does what was needed on 3rd & 13.

Q3 – 1^st & 10 – UTSA 25

For some reason, Ford was credited for this tackle even though he wasn’t on the field. It should have gone to Jaylon Guilbeau.

Q3 – 1^st & 10 – UTSA 14

Ford plays flat-footed to respect the quick pass to the tight end, but quickly barrels toward Brady to share a first-down tackle.

Q3 – 2^nd & 3 – UTSA 21

Next play, similar result, similar outcome. The Texas D-line isn’t doing the rest of the defense a ton of favors on these two plays.

Q3 – 1^st & 10 – UTSA 41

The LHN copy doesn’t offer much help here, but it does show the tail end of Ford corralling Brady after a gain of three.

Q3 – 1^st & 10 – UT 45

Of all the great plays Ford made versus UTSA, this might be one of the best. Ford is in coverage and sees Harris scramble away from him. He dives for the tackle and punches for the football, knocking it out. It was a mad scramble and UTSA eventually recovered, but Ford makes quite the play coming out of coverage and to an elusive runner.

Q3 – Kickoff

Ford’s last stop of the game is another special teams tackle where he breaks through and upends De’Corian Clark at the 20-yard-line, short of where he would have been had he simply taken the touchback.

It capped off a productive game for Ford where he took advantage of tackle opportunities in both the run defense, pass defense, and on special teams. He was almost consistently in the right place at the right time, and made most of the plays in front of him.