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Texas Football: Narrow win over Kansas should raise concerns

By Matthew Bartlett

AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns watches a replay in the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns watches a replay in the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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Texas football struggled through their Turkey daze, fending off Kansas to secure a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game to face either West Virginia or Oklahoma.

Kansas gave No. 14 Texas everything they could handle on Black Friday. The Jayhawks never mustered enough offense to push the Longhorns to the edge, but a close game into the third quarter was much more problematic than Texas fans had hoped it would be.

The win pushes Texas through to the Big 12 Championship Game, but more than one glaring issue was confirmed by the post-Turkey day results. Here are three takeaways from the game.

1. How does Texas not have an elite running back?

Texas produces top-flight running backs like they’re going out of style. From Ricky Williams to Cedric Benson, to Jamaal Charles to D’Onta Foreman it just seemed like the Longhorns always had someone waiting in the wings to carry the load. Well, who is the next man up now?

The Longhorns haven’t had a true No. 1 back since Foreman left for the NFL following the 2016 season. Five players registered at least one carry against Kansas. Only one, defensive back D’Shawn Jamison averaged more than six yards per carry — he managed 14 yards on his two rushes. Tre Watson led the way with 79 yards on 14 carries, a decent day, but nothing spectacular.

Texas has plenty of talent at the position, but that talent hasn’t produced. A school with such a rich tradition of elite rushers struggling to this degree is puzzling.

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