Texas Football: 5 reasons the Longhorns will upset Oklahoma
By Shawn Ekwall
3. Eliminate the Sooners’ ground game
A staple of Tom Herman-coached teams is to take away the opponents’ run game and harass the quarterback.
It’s no secret that Texas will attempt to render the Sooners’ running game useless, and pin its ears back going after Mayfield. If the Longhorns can slow down Oklahoma running back Trey Sermon, they will be well on their way of accomplishing the task.
Make no mistake, this game will most likely be won through the air. However, the team that establishes the most consistent run game, will be tough to beat.
Herman has never shied away about winning the ground war in big games. He knows that his offense must have some success on the ground, and that his defense must corral the Sooners’ ground attack and force Mayfield and the Oklahoma skill players to make play after play.
Look for Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson to be an impact player come Saturday. Jefferson leads the team in tackles (43) and will find himself in one-on-one tackling opportunities. If Jefferson can tackle soundly, and wreak havoc at times in the backfield, the Texas defense will gain confidence.