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Three keys to a Texas win over Michigan

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•09/07/24•

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Steve Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian -- Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

We’re close to game time. Here are the three keys to a Texas win over the Michigan Wolverines.

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Win the explosive play battle

Last season, the explosive plays told the story about how the Longhorns defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Sure, touchdown passes to Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell stand out, but think of the other major swing plays in the game. Ja’Tavion Sanders‘ lengthy catch and run. Mitchell’s reception coming out of the Longhorns’ end zone. Amari Niblack‘s long touchdown reception for the Tide.

Then think of the defensive explosives, namely the interceptions from Jerrin Thompson and Jahdae Barron.

For sure, Texas was able to handle the physical battle with Alabama and even excelled in certain areas, beating the Tide at a game they had mastered over the course of almost 20 years.

But those explosive plays were not only why Texas won on the scoreboard, but won going away.

The Longhorns appear to still have that explosive play capability with players like Jaydon Blue, Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden, Silas Bolden, and — in a peculiarity only possible in modern college football — Niblack too. There is not a short list for candidates to make an explosive play in the Texas offense.

The same cannot be said of Michigan. Davis Warren and Alex Orji could not find targets downfield, as they averaged a paltry 4.5 yards per attempt. Aside from Kalel Mullings and Michigan’s natural ability to lean on Fresno State, the Wolverine offense struggled to get down the field in quick burts.

The defense, however, did their part.

Winning the explosive play battle, especially as it pertains to stopping long Michigan runs, will be key for the Longhorns.

Keep Quinn Ewers clean

And some of that falls on Ewers as well.

The defensive tackle combo of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant will be the main thorns in the side of the Texas offense, but don’t discount their EDGEs on the pass rush, too. The Michigan defense is really, really good and the strength is in the defensive front.

So to create those explosives, the Longhorns have to make sure Ewers is able to operate and hit not just short passes but also the intermediate and deep shots that everyone knows is coming in Steve Sarkisian‘s offense.

As mentioned, a lot of that falls on Ewers. Self sacks and mistakes by No. 3 must be kept to a minimum if not to zero for Texas to win.

100 vs. 100,000

Those number may need revising with the number of Longhorns in Ann Arbor this weekend.

That said, 100 vs. 100,000 has been the mantra of the team this past week. They know that no matter how many fans have made the trip from Austin or wherever, more trips made the trip from Detroit or Grand Rapids or Lansing. The Longhorns will face a crowd noise level and have a sense of awe they may have only faced once in the past few seasons.

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Maintaining that poise across all three phases (a freshman punter…) will be what’s needed. Sark has tried to emphasize it. We’ll see if that emphasis pays off at 11 a.m.

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