Texas Longhorns In For Major Challenge With Arkansas QB Taylen Green

The Texas defense is good, but will be tested by the Arkansas star quarterback and wide receiver duo

Oct 5, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) passes in the first quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green towers over most people on a football field, standing tall at 6 foot 6. He knows how to use his size to his advantage, making him one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the country, and garnering him high praise from Steve Sarkisian.

Not only is Green one of the best quarterbacks the Texas Longhorns will face, but he also has one of the most electric wide receivers in the country at his disposal, Andrew Armstrong.

"I mean, it's one thing to have the running ability and the throwing ability, but it's the size factor as well," Sarkisian said. "He's 6-foot-6 probably close to 240 pounds, and so his ability to get out of the pocket, extend plays, then use legs (is good). I think the scheme is really helpful. I think Coach Petrino and Coach Pittman, do a great job of giving the design quarterback runs the zone read stuff, but then also the pro-style passing game is very taxing, and so he poses a heck of a challenge for us."

Armstrong is Green's most frequent target and has caught 817 of his 2,214 total passing yards. The Texas secondary is one of the best in the country and will have its work cut out for it as this duo loves a long shot down the field.

Armstrong averages 15.7 yards per catch and has had five games with over 100 receiving yards this season. He's strong in the air and another big target at 6'4.

"We have to trust our players," Sarkisian said. "We have to trust our coverage. We have to, continually disguise our coverages. I think (Pete Kwiatkowski) does a great job at that, and I think our veteran secondary does a really good job. Those guys work really well in unison with one another. And so you know, his length can be a problem on one-on-one balls and 50-50 balls.'

Another challenge Sarkisian's defense will have to face is Bobby Petrino's offensive scheme.

"The scheme is a problem too. You have to defend the scheme, and you have to defend all 11 players that you're defending, but knowing where the targets are and where the target's going. And (Armstrong) gets plenty of targets, he has plenty of catches in yards, and so we kind of have to do both. But again, we want to remain competitive, and we want to remain confident in our own ability to do that. I think we have pretty good players too, and to marry that with the scheme, I think that's why we've been playing such good pass defense all year."

Texas and Arkansas will kick of at 11 AM on Saturday on ABC.

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