Longhorns expect UH quarterback Donovan Smith to be dangerous – and they should know

While there will be plenty of unknowns in play when No. 8 Texas squares off against former Southwest Conference rival Houston on Saturday in the first game between the teams since 2002, the Longhorns need no introduction to Cougars quarterback Donovan Smith.

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Smith, a three-year letterwinner at Texas Tech (2020-22) who transferred to the Cougars for this season, passed for four touchdowns in Houston’s most recent game, a 41-39 win over West Virginia on Oct. 12. That scoring haul included a 49-yard Hail Mary on the game’s final play that lifted the Cougars to an unlikely victory. Smith completed his final 16 pass attempts of the game and racked up four scoring passes for the second straight contest.

But it’s not the game film of Smith’s spectacular past two games that the Longhorns remember the most or are focused on for Saturday. Smith’s talent and potential are burned in their collective mind thanks to his leading the Red Raiders to a 37-34 overtime victory against No. 22 Texas a season ago.

“This football team we’re getting ready to play has an experienced quarterback which we know all too well in Donovan Smith from how he played against us a year ago and the challenges he presents,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday.

Smith passed for 331 yards and two TDs and had 15 carries for 42 yards and another score in that win. He was at his most dangerous on fourth down, when he passed four times for 20 yards and ran for 11 of his yards and his rushing TD. Texas Tech was 6-for-8 on fourth down in the victory and produced its most fourth down conversions as a Big 12 member. 

One of the issues the Longhorns struggled with in their 34-30 loss against now-No. 6 Oklahoma in Dallas on Oct. 7 was containing the quarterback when he scrambled. Texas better be better at that on Saturday if it wants to contain Smith.

Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford said the scouting report on Smith has the Houston quarterback at 250 pounds. 

“I don’t know if he was that big at Tech,” Ford said. 

“When you break down the OU game and you see how many times (Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel) was able to use his legs to extend plays, as a defense you make sure you highlight containing Smith and keeping him from getting outside the pocket, as well as containing him from stepping up into the pocket or stepping into the open B-gap. For us having a strategy if a situation does occur like that again,” Ford added.

Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron said Smith likely incorporated some of the offensive plays from Tech to Houston this season.

“He brought some of those plays with him, the plays that worked for them,” Barron explained. “Houston does QB sneaks a lot with him. They know it’s beneficial. He has a great arm. He trusts his receivers with deep balls. They’ll probably have a lot of designed runs after the game that we played (against Oklahoma) They’ll be doing a copycat offense and we’re going to have to get him down.”

Texas linebacker David Gbenda said Smith’s tenancies and strengths have been a top topic of study this week.

“We learned his style of play, how he likes to take throws but he also will try to use his legs when he needs to like we saw on a couple of fourth down conversions,” Gbenda said. “I feel like Houston will use him more (on the ground). He’s the leader of that offense, so they will try to run it through him.”

Gbenda lauded Smith for his growth as a quarterback since the Longhorns last played against him.

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“What I’ve noticed from Smith is he’s very comfortable and calm in the pocket now,” Gbenda said. “He’s leading the UH offense. If we get after him a little bit, we’ve got to pressure him, get him on the run, try to make him force throws and get him out of his comfort zone.”