No. 3 Texas 31, Kentucky 14: Three things we learned

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns had opportunities to make it a more decisive win in the second half, but did enough to hold off the Kentucky Wildcats, 31-14, to reach the 10-win plateau for a second consecutive season. The Longhorns head to College Station in a week with an opportunity to win their way into the SEC Championship, but need to learn from this win to do so.

The ground game can end games

The Texas offense sputtered in the second half, thanks in large part to Quinn Ewers’ ailing ankle, a lack of mobility hampering the offense and contributing to turnovers. After three bad drives that opened up opportunities for Kentucky to attempt a comeback, the Longhorns leaned on the ground game — and the Wildcats — to put the game away. On the final drive, Texas went 15 plays, all runs, for 86 yards and a touchdown, taking more than eight minutes off the clock.

Despite the fumble issues earlier in the game, Steve Sarkisian leaned into the running backs on the final drive — converting two third downs and punching in for a touchdown on 4th and 1 to take a three-score lead. The pair finished with 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both averaging more than six yards per carry.

The defense can hold if need be

For the second consecutive week, the Longhorns took a team that wanted to run the ball and took away their preferred method of moving it. Going into the game, the Wildcats averaged 157.1 yards per game — with 437 rushing yards in the previous two weeks — finishing with 21 yards in Austin. They played much of the game in the Kentucky backfield, bringing down Wildcats runners behind the line 11 times and turning in a season-high six sacks.

Sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill led the charge with three tackles for loss and two sacks, while, fittingly on Senior Night, Barryn Sorrell was not far behind with 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Texas forced the turnover-prone Kentucky offense into two turnovers, including senior Andrew Mukuba with the game-ending interception as the Wildcats tried to score late.

Quinn Ewers needs to be better

Maybe not a new learning, but quarterback Quinn Ewers struggled late in the game again in part due to his mobility issues. After the injury, Ewers attempted just five passes, completing three in the second half for 14 yards in addition to the fumble that was returned for a touchdown, initially ruled an interception.

With Texas A&M as the lone barrier between Texas and its goal of reaching the SEC Championship game, the Longhorns need more from their signal caller to come away from College Station with a win — the Aggies’ defense is opportunistic and tough, playing a style of football fitting head coach Mike Elko.

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