Could Savion Red Be Texas Longhorns 'Secret Sauce' In Red Zone?

Steve Sarkisian says there is no 'secret sauce' to solving the Texas Longhorns issues in the red zone. But could Savion Red potentially play a role?

A four-play sequence that has been haunting the Texas Longhorns and their fans over the past week or so, is when they had a chance to power in a score against Oklahoma but were unable to.

They brought in two of their massive defensive linemen to block for Jonathan Brooks, who was stuffed at the goal line multiple times. They then tried a quick pass to Xavier Worthy who whether it was by a facemask or not, was stopped just inches away from scoring on fourth down. 

This Texas team doesn't have many flaws, but their ability to score in the red zone stands out as a weakness. They rank t-No. 70 in the country in red zone offense, scoring on 20 out of 24 trips. However, of those 20 times they have scored, nine of them have come from field goals, meaning they don't yet have a surefire way to get into the end zone seemingly every time.

Something that head coach Steve Sarkisian addressed when speaking to the media. 

“We have to game plan better and we have to execute better. There’s no secret sauce to this deal," Sarkisian said. "I think our players buy in and trust and believe in what we do. Clearly, it shows when we create explosive plays and we can execute.”

Texas Longhorns running back Savion Red (17) takes the field ahead of the game against Rice at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 2, 2023 in Austin :: Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman-USA TODAY NETWORK

He did however flirt with the idea that gadget player Savion Red could carve out a role for himself as their red zone threat. 

“To find a niche for him in some of the short yardage running he was able to do, I thought was very effective," Sarkisian said. "Hopefully there are more opportunities that present themselves in the second half of the season.”

Red is a versatile player who came to Texas as a receiver after playing quarterback in high school but transitioned to running back this past spring. In the game against Oklahoma, Red returned a kick, threw a pass, and also had a rushing attempt.

He seems like a very capable wildcat quarterback being that he poses a running threat, but can also throw. He would add yet another dynamic to this offense, who is looking to bounce back against Houston this weekend.