Texas Longhorns RB Jaydon Blue Making 'Big Emphasis' On Ball Security Before Oklahoma

After having two fumbles against Mississippi State, Jaydon Blue made it clear that he had work to do prior to the Texas Longhorns matchup against Oklahoma this Saturday.

Sep 28, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns running back Jaydon Blue (23) runs the ball in front of Mississippi State Bulldogs linebacker Stone Blanton (7) in the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Heading back to its regular practice schedule on Monday after having the weekend off, Texas received some crucial downtime to reflect and prepare ahead of its historic matchup against No. 18 Oklahoma in Dallas.

For junior running back Jaydon Blue, a key point that he wanted to hit during the bye week was being able to handle the ball better after having two fumbles against Mississippi State in the program's first SEC game.

The mistakes cost Blue to be benched in the third quarter and he did not see field time for the remainder of the game, to which he admitted hit hard when asked about the decision in the post-game press conference. That ultimately sent a message to Blue of what he needed to personally focus on during the two weeks leading up to the Red River Rivalry.

"That was a big emphasis, to make sure that I get those things fixed going into the next few games. I know in order to be as successful as I want to be, I have to hold onto the ball," Blue said. "It's just me working on a lot of things mentally and making sure I'm carrying the ball the right way."

Blue joked that his two turnovers urged him to carry a football around campus for the rest of the week, but instead, he stuck to clutching onto the ball when it mattered during practice.

"I mean, naturally, when, when you're back and you fumble twice in the game, you know, that's your instinct to carry the ball around that week. But I did a pretty good job of holding on to it today, and I made sure it was a big emphasis for me."

However, another aspect that Blue implemented into his plan to reevaluate and recover for Saturday was watching opponent film, specifically the defense and how they tackle so that he doesn't face surprises that could cause him to enact another turnover.

"I look at, you know, of course, from looking at the defense," Blue said. "I look at the backers and I'll see how the DBs, you know, tackle, do they tackle low? Or do they tackle high? And then I look at see, what the, what the D line does. Do they move and slant a lot? Or are there two gap teams? So in the game, it's kind of natural for me to be able to make a move based on what the defense is doing."

"If you know a team, players tackle low, you just have to make sure you run with your legs up so they don't trip you up. And you have to have a move ready, and don't get surprised by it."

Aside from his mistakes against Mississippi State, Blue has been an elite choice for quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning this season to get the ball down the field. His absence against UTSA during week three was heavily felt but made his return against ULM feel even sweeter as he totaled 124 rushing yards on 25 attempts and a combined four touchdowns.

So far on the season, Blue has accumulated 239 rushing yards on 51 attempts and four touchdowns. His efforts and preparation will be necessary against an intimidating Sooner defense on Saturday, where he hopes to prove that he's developed since his stint with the Bulldogs.