The No. 7 Texas Longhorns have put themselves in a good position heading down the final stretch of the regular season with three final games remaining on the schedule. The Longhorns arrive at the back half of their schedule with a 7-2 record and their College Football Playoff hopes in their hands.
The Longhorns’ next challenge has them heading out on the road to a place they haven’t been to in a very long time. Texas prepares to head to Baton Rouge to take on the No. 14 LSU Tigers in a battle under the lights at one of the most hostile venues in the sport, Tiger Stadium.
The talent level is close to evenly matched, with both rosters having some of the top players at their positions in the country; however, the Tigers have one distinct advantage along the line of scrimmage, which could be a deciding factor in the outcome of the matchup.
It’s not a secret that the Longhorns’ offensive line unit has had trouble keeping quarterback Arch Manning upright all season long as Manning has been sacked 27 times through seven games, a mark that is the third most in the SEC.
Those major struggles along the Texas offensive line will be a point of emphasis in this Saturday’s game, given the massive danger that LSU’s pass rush presents. And head coach Steve Sarkisian is aware of the challenge the Longhorns’ offense is walking into against the Tigers.
“You could argue this is the most talented defense we will go against all year, and arguably the most talented team,” Sarkisian said at his Monday press conference.
The Tigers rank second in the SEC in sacks with 36 to their name, only trailing the Tennessee Volunteers, who have recorded just three more. With 36 sacks in seven games, LSU is averaging four sacks per game.
Leading the pass-rushing force for LSU is star edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, who has totaled 8.5 sacks this season, and opposite him is edge rusher Jordan Ross, who has added five. The Tigers aren’t just able to get pressure off the edge, with defensive tackle Deuce Geralds recording five sacks.
The Texas offensive line unit has undergone a slight reshuffling following the loss of star left tackle, Trevor Goosby, as former starting right tackle Melvin Siani has shifted over to protect the blindside and Andre Cojoe has filled in on the right side of the line.
This iteration of the Longhorns’ front five has been used in two games, against Mississippi State and Missouri, and in those two games, they haven’t been stellar by any means, giving up eight sacks.
And while the interior of the offensive line has remained the same after it was settled early in the season, the guard-center-guard combination of Dylan Sikorski, Connor Robertson and Brandon Baker will have to be at their best against an LSU team that can create pressure through the middle.
The Longhorns’ offensive line will have their work cut out for them come Saturday; however, if Texas wants to leave Baton Rouge with a win, it will need to depend on its front five to provide enough protection to allow the offense to run smoothly.
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