Texas survived last night, beating Ole Miss 34-7 and avoiding another loss. Now, it’s time to take stock of the Longhorns performance, with our players of the game. Texas got a number of elite individual performances but a few stood out among the pack. Without these four players(and one coach), Texas is 4-3 right now and Sarkisian is under fire once again.
Here’s who stood out from the Longhorns performance yesterday:
Offense: RB Raleek Brown
This was the best performance from Texas’ offensive portal class this season. Smothers was great against Ohio State but Brown took over this game. He set a career high for carries and rushing yards in this one, toting the rock 23 times for 157 yards. Brown made the most of a strong run blocking performance from the OL, creating a number of explosives for the Texas offense. If Texas can get that production from Brown and the run game moving forward, it could be the lynchpin of the Texas offense.
Defense: LBs Rasheem Biles and Justin Cryer
The pair of transfer LBs took over this game for Texas. Both Biles and Cryer nabbed an INT, both coming in massive moments for Texas. They added multiple PBUs at the line of scrimmage and some great open-field tackling. Despite no sacks, Biles and Cryer led a very disruptive performance from the Longhorns defense. With Simmons out, these two helped fill that void and put together an elite performance.
Special Teams: DT Alex January
Alex January’s FG block is just about the only thing the special teams unit did to help Texas in this one. It was a huge play and one, according to Hero Kanu, that January called before the snap. He’s been an unsung hero of the Texas defense but he flashed in a major way on special teams in this one. If January doesn’t come up with the block, the complexion of that game changes down the stretch and Texas could be leaving with a loss.
Coaching: DC Will Muschamp
Will Muschamp continues to prove is worth every single weekend. This week, he had the unenviable task of corralling Trinidad Chambliss. He found a way to confuse Chambliss, leading to a 48% completion and 3 INTs, both FBS lows for the QB. Muschamp did a great job of creating pressure in unique ways, bottling the Rebel run game and staving off the second half flurry. As Texas looks towards the CFP, they know their defense will give them a great performance each weekend, largely due to Muschamp’s brilliance.
Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions. Follow Tommy on X: @bresee_thomas.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Longhorns of the Week: Raleek Brown, LB duo, Muschamp