3 things the Texas Longhorns must do if they want to beat Florida
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With SEC play in full swing, the Texas Longhorns got the benefit of watching the action this weekend ahead of their big trip to The Swamp next weekend.
Despite being ranked No. 9 in the latest AP Poll and viewed as one of the best teams in the nation, Texas has a few things it must correct sooner than later. Here is a list of 3 things the Longhorns must do if they plan on kicking off the SEC part of their schedule with a win over Florida on Saturday.
1. Texas must find a consistent run game
It’s well known that Arch Manning is the undisputed QB1 of the Longhorns and his 9 passing touchdowns leads the team. What isn’t as well known is the fact that Manning’s 5 rushing touchdowns this season leads Texas by far, as he’s the only player to score more than 1 touchdown on the ground.
This is a huge problem for Steve Sarkisian and company that must get fixed ASAP.
Half of the problem could be solved thanks to the bye week, as Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter, who combined to rush for 120 yards in Texas’s season-opening loss at Ohio State, will be returning from injuries against Florida this week. Coming into the season Wisner and Baxter were listed as co-starters, but have only been able to play the Ohio State game together.
Texas needs one or both to take the lead of the running back room as the Longhorns have not produced a 100-yard rusher through 4 games this season. In Texas’s blowout of Sam Houston State, the Longhorns ran for a season-high 264 yards, which played a big role in Manning’s play-action pass success.
With the running game in full effect, Manning was able to produce his best game of the season, leading Texas’s offense to a season-high 607 yards of total offense. The Longhorns must build upon this effort to beat Florida, as the Gators are ranked No. 8 in the SEC against the run.
If Texas plans on navigating through the torrential SEC waters, it must find a consistent run game. What better way to do that than starting against a Florida squad that isn’t elite against the run?
2. Let the defense hunt
Behind a quick, free-flowing, aggressive defensive unit, Texas has produced one of the best defenses in the nation so far in 2025. Despite only being challenged by Ohio State, it’s easy to see why the Longhorns defense will be a problem for any offensive unit it sees this season.
Through 4 games, Texas’s defense has produced 11 sacks and 7 turnovers while only allowing an eye popping 7.7 points per game. The Longhorns must attack and get to Florida sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway early and often if they want to walk out of The Swamp with a win this weekend.
Lagway, who some considered a Heisman Trophy threat before the season, has looked like a shell of himself after throwing 6 interceptions through the Gators’ first 4 games. A big reason for Lagway’s problems has been his decision making under pressure.
With Texas’s defense clicking on all cylinders, expect Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski to unleash his talented Longhorn unit and let Colin Simmons and company go hunting as Lagway has shown a propensity to consistently fold under pressure this season.
3. Arch must be Arch
With his best overall game in the books, the job for Manning against Florida is simple — keep improving and eliminate turnovers, much like he did in his first SEC start against Mississippi State last season. Despite the overall struggles on defense, Florida is decent against the pass and still has a talented secondary that is capable of making game-changing plays.
If Manning can complete basic throws like he did in his last outing and hit on a couple of deep plays down the field in big moments, Texas should be able to grab a big road win to kick off its SEC schedule. At end of the day, Arch needs to simply be Arch and take the same mindset he took into his first-ever SEC start last season into his first SEC road start this weekend for the Texas to win for the first time ever in Gainesville.
Kendrick E. Johnson writes for various national outlets such as High School on SI, Yardbarker, ESPN Andscape and MMA Weekly. He is an independent print journalist, sports television reporter and multimedia journalist who has covered the NBA Finals, NFL, NCAA football, MLB, NHL, WWE and over 75 world championship boxing and UFC Fights nationally. Johnson has also covered every prep sport possible in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and all across the great state of Texas. He’s done numerous 1-on-1 interviews with some of the biggest names and personalities in sports from Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry and Shaq on the basketball side to Jon Jones, Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford on the combat sports side and John Cena, Jey and Jimmy Uso and Charlotte Flair in WWE.
