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The Texas football team held a preseason scrimmage over the weekend in preparation for the 2025 campaign. The defense reportedly shined in that matchup.
The positive reviews are a good sign for the Longhorns, even if it meant that Arch Manning struggled. The program’s title chances are going up.
Texas was one of the last four teams standing in 2024. They fell in the College Football Playoff to eventual national champion Ohio State.
That loss came down to the wire. The ‘Horns were in position to tie the game before a questionable play call led to an eventual game sealing turnover.
Defense was a huge reason for that success. They allowed just 21 points to the Buckeyes, who’d racked up 83 points in their two contests prior.
The Longhorns ranked third in the nation in scoring defense across the ’24 season. It was one of the best units in college football. It appears that will again be the case in ’25.
Texas football is built on defense.
The group was a Top 5 performer last year. It was the school’s best defense of the Steve Sarkisian era, taking the title from the Longhorns’ 2023 defensive unit.
Both of those squads ranked amongst the sport’s best in both points and yardage allowed. Not surprisingly, both the ’23 and ’24 Texas teams finished the season one game away from the national championship.
Those performances offered a stark shift from what was seen early in Sarkisian’s tenure, and beyond.
Sark’s first Texas team ranked 99th in college football in scoring. The ‘Horns went 5-7.
Tom Herman never boasted a Top 25 defense in Austin. He was fired after just four seasons.
The Longhorns have never had a problem with offense. Both Sarkisian and Herman are offensive minded. UT’s always been able to score.
Despite the offensive outputs, success was limited. The program didn’t turn the corner until the defense caught up. Based on early reviews, the trend should continue in the coming season.
Arch Manning had no answers in the Longhorns’ scrimmage.
“Sark made it a point to say…, ‘I really want to see this offense step up. I want to see a little bit more out of them,'” insider Anwar Richardson said about the Texas head coach.
“He’s an offensive guy… The defense goes ahead and decides, ‘We’re going to dominate once again.'”
Sarkisian challenged the offense to step up in the scrimmage. It could not answer the call. Richardson says that the unit was largely ineffective in both red zone and goal line opportunities.
Arch Manning was unable to lead his group into the endzone on a consistent basis, much to his head coach’s dismay. While that will undoubtedly frustrate Steve Sarkisian, it should be viewed as a major positive.
The defense should once again be the better unit on the Texas football team. That formula’s led to success in years past. It could mean another College Football Playoff appearance is in the future.
The Longhorns’ defense should be elite. Sarkisian will make sure the offense catches up.