Big 12 Football: Week 1 Winners and Losers
By Joshua Lea
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Sep 5, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Texas Longhorns coach Charlie Strong coaches on the sidelines against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Loser: Texas Longhorns
There are times when you must go back to the lab, drawing board, or square one to find the missing ingredient or secret to the lack of success in whatever it is you do. Texas needs a telethon to help find this missing link. Seriously, Charlie Strong may be on the hot seat by the end of the season.
Granted the Fighting Irish are ranked 11th, and they are a great team. But, losing in the fashion of 38 to 3 is not something you want to see. Texas allowed 30 first downs and 527 total yards. The Irish scored touchdowns on three possessions in a row during the second half, sending Texas to its worst opening-game defeat since 1988.
Texas failed to score a touchdown for the third time in the last decade; two of these instances have come in the Longhorns’ past seven games. The Longhorns gained 163 yards against Notre Dame, with 48 yards coming on a single play. Going back to last season, the Longhorns have gained 512 yards in their past three games 15 fewer yards than Notre Dame on Saturday night.
Notre Dame sacked Texas’ quarterbacks three times in the first half. Texas had a two-quarterback system with both junior Tyrone Swoopes and redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard in the game. During the Longhorns first two drives, the Swoopes-led offense went three and out, then Texas inserted redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard at quarterback to try to spark the offense. Needless to say, the Longhorns are going to have a long season.
Next: Loser: Kansas Derps