Column
Bohls: Texas has no answers, and no offense either, in 24-10 loss to Baylor
Posted November 23rd, 2019
Story highlights
- After a Longhorn team that began the year ranked No. 10 in the nation with enormous expectations dropped a lopsided game 24-10 to Baylor in an humiliating offensive performance Saturday afternoon at McLane Stadium, no one can adequately explain how that same Texas club now sits 6-5 with one game left in a most irregular season.
- "It's very frustrating," said Sam Ehlinger, who threw for 200 yards and ran for 102 yards before the sacks are included. "We're not holding up our side of the bargain. We've got to fix it."
- Texas was without outstanding receiver Collin Johnson for the second straight game and without a disabled Ingram the second half Saturday, both critical handicaps. But the offensive line was anemic and looked overmatched against Baylor’s fast, physical defense.
Sam Ehlinger called them great questions, but he had no answers either. “I don’t know.”
When Chris Del Conte was asked about the ongoing troubles of the Texas football team, the athletic director in the back of the press conference room told me, “No comment.”
In truth, what is there to say?
After a Longhorns team that began the year ranked 10th in the nation with enormous expectations dropped a lopsided 24-10 game to Baylor in a humiliating offensive performance Saturday afternoon at McLane Stadium, no one can adequately explain how that same Texas club now sits 6-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12 with one game left in a most irregular season.
So where do you start?
Where will it end? Is there an end?
Somehow this great, innovative machine under Herman, the supposed offensive guru, one that hung with LSU and hung 38 points on the No. 1-ranked team and easily put up 48 on hapless Rice, 45 on respectable Louisiana Tech and 42 in the hills of West Virginia suddenly can’t find the end zone.
End zone?
Hell, they have a hard enough time locating the red zone.
Herman credited the Bears’ dominant defensive front with potential All-American James Lynch and rugged nose tackle Bravvion Roy and end James Lockhart and said Baylor’s formula of dropping eight men in coverage forced Ehlinger into more check-down passes.
Texas was without outstanding receiver Collin Johnson for the second straight game and without a disabled Ingram for the second half, both critical handicaps. But the offensive line was anemic and looked overmatched against Baylor’s fast, physical defense. Three of the linemen were hit with personal fouls or unsportsmanlike conduct, including a mouthy Parker Braun who apparently lashed out at the referee.
Asked if the season has gone how he thought, center Zach Shackelford said, “What do you think?”
This much appeared obvious with Texas’ second consecutive loss and fourth in six games.
The Longhorns lack direction. They lack leadership. They lack an identity. They lack discipline. They lack a plan.
In short, this team can be described as such:
Lackluster.
“I have a lot of emotions,” Ehlinger said. “I certainly didn’t expect it to be this way.”
As for having any doubts in Herman’s ability to lead an offense and a program, Ehlinger said, “It’s not my position to comment. I still feel trust, love and confidence in every single player and coach on this team.”
Does the head coach really need to head-butt his best defensive lineman four times — without wearing a helmet, mind you — in a pre-game huddle to get his team fired up?
Is Texas the only team with injuries? Baylor lost its middle linebacker for the year at midseason, and his replacement, Terrel Bernard, has played just as well. And with a wrap on his broken right hand. It also lost a starting left tackle for four weeks. Its running backs have played hurt.
Can Texas find its way out of this black hole?
Questions. Lots and lots of questions.
But very few answers.
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