Petrino Must Be Beside Himself Wanting to Play Texas

Longhorns' spring game shows secondary begging to be exploited

Arkansas running back AJ Green scores during the Razorbacks' 40-21 drubbing of Texas in Fayetteville in the two schools' final non-conference game back in 2021. / Nelson Chenault – USA TODAY Sports

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The renewal of Arkansas vs. Texas as conference foes on the football field should be interesting this year.

Part of it is because the oldest generation of Hogs fans desperately cling to a time when both schools were competing as Top 5 programs back when only white players were allowed on their teams and the beginning of the dying years of the Southwest Conference in the decades that followed. They use this ancient hatred of the Longhorns to try to brainwash younger generations into thinking Texas matters and is worth the same emotion as the SEC rivals (no one is looking at you Mizzou) of the past 30+ years.

However, the biggest reason is because of what happened this past Saturday. Texas back-up quarterback Arch Manning torched the starting secondary in the Longhorns' annual spring game.

Every throw from Arch Manning in the spring game 🔥🔥🔥

Ladies and Gentleman...we might just have another legit Manning in the QB world pic.twitter.com/f0j1zuP7d6

— Nash (@NashTalksTexas) April 20, 2024

Now, it's easy to hear some of the Razorbacks fans screaming across time from the future as they read this. "Look at this idiot! Arch Manning isn't even the starting quarterback at Texas. Quinn Ewers is!"

Well, first off, this isn't about Arch Manning. There's a chance if Ewers falters early in the season Manning becomes the golden child and is starting by the Arkansas game, but this is about the other half of the equation in the videos above.

You see, it's not so much what Manning was doing. An average high school quarterback with decent arm strength could have completed those passes.

It's why they were so easy to complete that matters. Nearly every completion was to a guy running wide open and it would be shocking if, by now, Hogs' offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino hasn't seen this footage.

All it took was a simple play action on the opening play to fry the brains of the Texas secondary and let a receiver run all alone in a straight line for a touchdown. Granted, the Longhorns aren't running their more elaborate defensive calls, but this isn't an issue with a call.

Time and again, back-up receivers, running backs and wide receivers easily find openings in the defense and make big plays. Despite the vanilla nature of what the starters are being asked to do, Petrino must be licking his chops because there are weaknesses all over the secondary that can be exploited no matter what Texas does to try to cover it up.

Texas gave up 3,561 yards passing last year, allowing three out of every five passes thrown to be completed. Also, as the game progressed, the secondary got softer.

The Longhorns were fairly stout in the first half of games last season, only giving up 1,435 yards. However, in the second half, opposing team passing stats exploded.

The secondary gave up 2,126 yards, 150% more touchdowns and plays of 15 yards or more grew from 42 to 75. The last time Arkansas and Texas squared off, the Razorbacks made Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns quit in the second half and were able to do whatever they wanted, which resulted in a 40-21 drubbing.

The stats say nothing has changed defensively down in Austin from a mental standpoint. However, it should be noted that Petrino's job won't be as easy as the video makes it seem at first glance.

Look a little closer. Either Texas has the worst defensive line ever put on a college field, or the coaches asked them not to rush to allow Manning to shine and build a little confidence while putting pressure on Ewers to keep getting better and build hope with Longhorns fans for the future.

That back-up offensive line isn't destroying the starting defense to that degree. Those guys aren't trying even a little bit.

They are basically standing up and pretending to push one another. If that's not the case, the embarrassment for the Longhorns should be to a level that makes them never want to walk onto a field again.

As a result, Arkansas fans shouldn't get excited that finally a defensive front may enter the SEC that the Razorbacks offensive line can block. Quarterback Taylen Green is going to face plenty of pressure that night.

However, if he can avoid the rush and be patient long enough to let plays develop, especially in the second half, Petrino will set him up for a big night against this Texas secondary. And that will be music to Razorbacks fans ears.

Especially those requiring hearing aids.

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