Longhorns Ready For Test From 'Hard-Nosed' Wyoming

The Texas Longhorns finessed the Alabama Crimson Tide with explosive plays, but will be tested in the trenches against the Wyoming Cowboys.

The No. 4 Texas Longhorns are looking to avoid a hangover against the Wyoming Cowboys after upsetting th e then-No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 2.

The Cowboys upset Texas Tech in Week 1 in Laramie, Wyoming, then defeated Portland State last Saturday. Texas had a laser-sharp approach to playing Alabama, and it appears the Longhorns have as much focus on understanding Wyoming and its tendencies as they did preparing for the Crimson Tide.

“I think teams ultimately take on the personality of their head coach and Coach Bohl has been doing it a long time, and he’s been doing it at a high level at multiple places,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “They play a physical brand of football, and this team is no different. 

"They love to run the football. They love to do it in a variety of ways with the personnel groupings, the shifts, and the motions to come downhill at you. They utilize the play-action pass and they utilize the quarterback’s legs to take advantage of that.”

Wyoming is averaging 170.5 rush yards per game, and the Longhorns will focus on slowing down the Cowboys on the ground. Through two games, Texas has allowed opponents to rush for 67 yards per game.

If the Cowboys run the ball effectively, with the new running clock rules after a first down, they can shorten the game and limit Texas' offensive possessions.

The Longhorns have a pass-first offense as Quinn Ewers has thrown for 324.5 yards per game — the ninth-most in the Football Bowl Subdivision. However, Jonathon Brooks, CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue among others, have averaged 131.5 rush yards per game, providing a good complement to Ewers and the aerial attack.

Sarkisian said the Cowboys play "tough and hard-nosed" defense.

“They’ve got a really good pressure package, especially on third down and in the red area that they execute really well," Sarkisian said. "They have confidence in their DBs to cover people. I think all those things are a byproduct of who the head coach is.”

Texas hosts Wyoming at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Longhorn Network.