Texas Tech vs. Texas: 5 Halftime Adjustments the Longhorns Must Make

Well, this has been a doozy already! It should be a great second half today in Austin, as these two offenses go head to head in a high-scoring battle. Seth Doege has looked good marching down the field but has definitely gotten a little bit of help from Texas penalties to keep those drives alive.

Both offenses are going to put up big points, so this could turn into a battle of which defense makes more stops or forces more turnovers.

Here are five big adjustments Texas must make at halftime to preserve the big win at home:

1. Limit the Penalties, Secondary!

It ended up not costing Texas too badly, because Tech hurt themselves with penalties in response. Still, on Texas Tech's first drive, they had 12 snaps in the red zone. 12. That's just ridiculous. And the only reason they stayed there so long is because of big penalties on the Texas DBs.

The Red Raiders are going to throw the ball. We know that. But unless it's an absolute do-or-die situation, the secondary needs to keep its hands off the receivers before the ball gets there. The refs are very whistle-happy on pass interference calls and today is no exception.

2. Get to Doege

Texas has actually done a pretty fair job of this today. Doege has been sacked a few times and is definitely getting pressured. That's going to be huge to stop one of the nation's best passers today. At halftime, the Longhorns should ramp up the pressure even more.

Every time Doege has been pressured today, he's had to tuck the ball and run. He hasn't even had a chance to get off a last-ditch effort of a pass. So not only do they get a sack out of it, but they take away the heartbeat of the Red Raiders' offense. Keep blitzing!

3. Protect Ash

On the flip side, QB David Ash has looked pretty solid for the Longhorns today. The line has done a decent job of protecting him so far. But for such a young, sometimes skittish quarterback, they need to do an even better job giving him a safe pocket to throw in.

When he has had time, he's made nice, crisp passes that are on target. In a game like this, where first to 50 seems to be the key to winning, they are going to need that strong right arm to complement the running game and get some big points on the board.

4. Smash the Ball

Fozzy Whittaker's touchdown in the second quarter was really impressive. That is one thing the Longhorns can utilize that Texas Tech can't. They actually have a running game, and an affective, smash-mouth one at that. 

To offset the passing game, they need to mix in more runs here and there. They did a pretty good job of it in the first half, but you can always push it even more. I think if Whittaker and the rest of the backs get the ball at least three or four times a drive, you're looking at Texas being allowed to run play-action passes that go for big chunks of yardage in the second half.

5. Turnovers to Gain Momentum

A big play to separate Texas from the Red Raiders would be huge in the second half. Getting a turnover, whether it be a fumble or, more likely, an interception, would completely deflate the Texas Tech sails. The Longhorns are already going to have a huge edge in momentum playing at home, but more can never hurt.

If they continue to pound the run as they have been, and mix in some nice, confident throws from Ash, they should begin to pull away in the second half. But you can never count out the dynamic Tech offense, so to ensure a big win at home, Texas needs to get a takeaway and widen the gap.