Texas Longhorns: Five keys to victory over Notre Dame

Oct 11, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns receiver Marcus Johnson (7) runs after a reception against Oklahoma Sooners safety Ahmad Thomas (13) during the Red River showdown at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

1. A Fast Start 

It is important that the Longhorns get off to a quick start on Saturday. The freshmen are going to be nervous during their first college game.

If Texas falls behind early then the freshmen may get discouraged. You do not want a young team to lose its confidence in the opening game of the season on the road. If the Longhorns are able to put some points on the board early, it will quiet the Notre Dame crowd. The Irish fans are not known for being particularly raucous, but you do not want to give the home team momentum on their home field.

Texas had a losing season in 2014. Despite what the players may claim, there is going to be some self-doubt in the back of their minds. The longer they can keep the score close with Notre Dame, the more confident the Longhorns will get.

As the game goes on and the Irish are not blowing Texas off the field, the Longhorns will start to believe that they can win the game. If Texas can get an early lead and then stay close or ahead of Notre Dame going into the fourth quarter, then they can win the game.

If the young Horns fall behind early, they will revert to their 2014 mindset and simply wait for the clock to run out. This Texas team has said all the right things on the offseason. Now they need to have a reason to fight and compete. They need to see a payoff for all their hard work in the offseason and that will not happen if they fall behind early in the game.

Next: Takeaways rule the day