Texas Football: What the Longhorns Must Do on Offense vs. Baylor Bears

Beating Baylor requires an offensive attack that can put up a lot of points while eating enough clock to keep Art Briles' offense on the sideline.

In other words, to upset the No. 7 team in the country, Charlie Strong's Longhorns will have to do two things they haven't done all season—break into the 30s and sustain drives. 

Through four games, Texas is averaging 21.2 points, 120.5 rushing yards and 195 passing yards per game, all of which are second-to-last in the Big 12. The Longhorns also rank last in yards per play and convert just 31.1 percent of their third downs, which is also dead-last in the conference.

Conversely, the Bears rank near the top in every single one of those categories, wearing out their opponents with a relentless all-around attack that's running almost 90 plays per game this season.

It takes a collective effort to beat that, which defensive coordinator Vance Bedford discussed with the media on Wednesday:

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It takes a team to beat Baylor. You talk about Central Florida's Blake Bortles, first-round pick, offensively, they outscored them, their defense was physical for three quarters and the special teams were out-of-sight. You know at Oklahoma State, you take a 99-yard drive in five minutes, so you keep the offense on the sideline. So in order to have success against that team, it's going to take a team to beat them.

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Bedford's unit figures to hold its own. But that Baylor offense, which has been held under 30 points just five times in the last three-plus seasons, will get its points, and Texas will have to answer.

Of course, that will be easier said than done behind Texas' patchwork offensive line, the primary cause of its woes on that side of the ball. This group is blocking for just 3.4 yards per carry, which is killing the offense's chances of sustaining the long drives needed to keep Baylor off the field.

If these problems persist, the Bears will run away with this game before halftime. No part of this Longhorn team is built to win 56-49, much less stage a multiple-touchdown comeback.

So how does Texas create room for running backs Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray to move the chains and shorten this game?

The simple answer is throw the ball downfield to pull defenders out of the box, but that also requires this struggling line to hold a pocket for quarterback Tyrone Swoopes. Not only will the incompletions stop the clock, but the Baylor defense ranks second in the nation with an average of 4.5 sacks per game.

What the Horns need is to get the ball to the players who can make defenders miss in the open field, namely Armanti Foreman, Jacorey Warrick and, if his suspension is lifted, Daje Johnson.

A true freshman, Foreman got his first real action of the season against Kansas, turning his two touches into 37 yards. On those plays, a 30-yard end-around and short reception for a first down, he showed off his impressive lateral quickness as well as some deceptive power.

ED ZURGA/Associated Press

Warrick and Johnson are cut from the same cloth, capable of taking the short passes Swoopes has consistently put on target, then putting on a move and getting upfield. 

It would seem like Johnson's absence would open the door for the other two, but Foreman and Warrick have combined for just five offensive touches this season. Thankfully, the staff is starting to acknowledge their value:

Utilizing these players as almost an extension of the running game will pull spread out the back seven while also allowing Swoopes to get the ball out before the pressure gets to him. That should open up at least some room for Brown and Gray, of which they've had none this season.

Swoopes will still have to hit his deep throws when they're open, but moving the ball efficiently to create a manageable down and distance has to be the priority. Giving touches to players like Foreman, Warrick and Johnson gives this offense a means of doing that with some bonus big-play potential included.

Unless the offensive line has suddenly jelled in the past week, their involvement gives Texas its best chance to hang around long enough for something crazy to happen.