AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian knows what he’s walking into on Saturday. He knows Vanderbilt is going to try to play a game of keep-away, similar to what Mississippi State attempted against the Longhorns, and his team will have to make the most of its possessions.
So is he concerned about his team’s recent slow offensive starts in Southeastern Conference play?
Who’s to blame for the Longhorns’ recent offensive struggles? Everyone.
“I’m not concerned at all,” he said. “We’ve had some opportunities on opening drives that we haven’t capitalized on, but our players have a lot of confidence in what we do early in the game, it just hasn’t hit exactly as we want it to. But we believe in our process to get guys ready to play.”
A quick start against the No. 25 Commodores would bode well for the No. 5 Longhorns. With a run-heavy, possession-based offense predicated on quarterback Diego Pavia’s ability to make quick run-pass option reads, there’s no telling when they’ll get the ball back. Vanderbilt is the No. 11 FBS team in average time of possession, holding the ball for roughly 33 minutes per game, and they simply don’t give it back. The Commodores have turned it over twice this season, a lost fumble and an interception, tied for second-least with Navy among FBS programs.