The Texas Longhorns had an unusual spring game. The final score was 52-51 with the Orange team beating the White team, but that's a bit deceptive. Head coach Tom Herman had a modified scoring system, one you can see below.
Here's the scoring system for the @TexasFootball spring game today #HookEm #Longhorns pic.twitter.com/JBWAeA5YAO
— Jeff Howe (@JeffHowe247) April 15, 2017
The Orange team won when Malik Jefferson stuffed RB Toneil Carter at the goal line on the final play of the game. Even with the weird scoring in place, there were plenty of takeaways. With that in mind, here are # things we learned from the Texas Football Spring Game.
Shane Buechele Shined, Still Not The Starter
The sophomore QB had quite the spring game. He completed 23 of 39 passes for 369 yards, with two TDs and one pick. He also had 42 yards and a score on the ground. He clearly outplayed true freshman Sam Ehlinger, who was 10 of 31 for 148 yards and a touchdown. Despite clearly being the superior QB, Buechele won't be named the starting QB by Herman.
"I think a healthy fear of losing your job is just that: healthy," Herman said. "Shane knows we have a lot of confidence in him, and Shane did a lot of things really well this spring. But to say he's won the job in 12 padded practices, when he doesn't even get hit, that would be a bit premature."
The Longhorns will continue to look for another QB for depth purposes. A transfer would be ideal, but one might not materialize.
Major Lack Of RB Depth
With Chris Warren and Kyle Porter hurt, the Texas RB depth chart didn't look great. Carter was the leading rusher, with 60 yards on 10 carries. After Carter, the top (non-QB or WR rushers) were Tim Yoder (18 yards on five carries) and Trenton Hafley (4 carries for 6 yards). Both players are walk-ons. So, the Longhorns better hope their guys stay healthy and
Collin Johnson Primed For Big Year
It looks like Johnson will be the top weapon at WR for Texas. The 6-foot-6 matchup nightmare had eight catches for 117 yards and two TDs. Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Devin Duvernay also played well and could form the top 3. Meanwhile, the speedy John Burt was a complete non-factor.
Plenty Of Sacks
A poor and thin second team offensive line played a big role in this, but there were plenty of sacks in the spring game. Texas had a combined 10 sacks, led by two from Elliott and Nelson. While Malik Jefferson was quite, the upside was there for a Texas defense that badly needs to take a step forward.
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