Texas football report card: Grades vs. Clemson

Texas football won its first-round college football playoff game against Clemson on Saturday, but it certainly came with a struggle.

The now 10-4 Tigers, who had struggled to win the ACC this season, first scored and then fell behind by as many as 21 points. But that didn’t stop Austin-born Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who cut the lead to just seven in the second half.

The 12-2 Longhorns advance to the Peach Bowl. But before that game in about a week and a half, let’s assess the Horns’ performance on Saturday.

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Here’s how the Longhorns performed in the 38-24 win that sends them to the CFP quarterfinals against Arizona State:

Quarterback: B

With the ground game amassing a season-high 292 yards, Texas only needed Quinn Ewers to manage the game and keep the Tiger defense honest. He did just that, completing 17 of 24 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown.

In doing so, he passed Major Applewhite and took third place on the school’s all-time passing yards list with 8,523 yards. Oh, and his only interception was a well-placed ball that bounced off the hands of DeAndre Moore Jr.

Season average: B-

Running Back: A

Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner did the heavy lifting, although Wisner battled a leg injury that limited him in the second half.

Wisner, the starter, ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, but switching defensive back Jaydon Blue stole the show with a season-high 146 yards and touchdown runs of 76 yards and 38 yards on just 14 carries. Freshman Jerrick Gibson even contributed to some power sets with 38 yards on nine carries.

Season average: B+

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Receiver: C+

Tight end Gunnar Helm was the focal point of the passing game with six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown and is now the school’s all-time single-season leader in receptions (55) and receiving yards (688) at his position. However, the game was quiet for the receiving corps, which was missing the injured Isaiah Bond. No one but Helm had more than two catches, and Moore’s mishandling of an Ewers dart resulted in Texas’ only turnover.

Season average: B-

Offensive Line: A-

This unit receives bonus points for its ability to overcome some key injuries. Center Jake Majors, a four-year starter who tied the school record with 55 career starts, was knocked out of the game by a blindside block in the first half and did not return. Right tackle Cam Williams suffered a knee injury and only returned for one play.

But the revamped offensive line brought in guard Cole Hutson and tackle Trevor Goosby and didn’t miss a beat while paving the way for 494 yards. The line also only allowed two sacks and had a harmless penalty with a false start by Goosby.

Season average: B+

Defensive line: A

Clemson gained the most yards of any team against Texas this season with 412, but the Longhorns’ defense got its first goal and made the Tigers one-dimensional. Clemson managed just 76 yards on 24 carries, and Texas held firm with a pair of fourth-and-shorts.

Longhorns defensive end Barryn Sorrell had a monster game with a sack, another tackle for a loss and a batted pass that led to an interception by teammate Colin Simmons. Ethan Burke also had a sack on his former Westlake High School teammate Klubnik, and senior reserve defensive tackle Bill Norton had perhaps his best game of the year with a sack, a forced fumble and a massive fourth-down stop in the red zone.

Season average: A-

Linebacker: C+

Anthony Hill Jr., the Longhorns’ leading tackler, had another busy day with a team-high nine tackles. Liona Lefau contributed five tackles, but the Longhorn linebackers had trouble containing Klubnik as he slipped out of the pocket. That contributed to Klubnik’s big night.

Season average: B+

Secondary: C

Klubnik threw for 336 yards on 26 of 43 passes, the most against Texas this season at 125 yards. He even singled out Malik Muhammad, the Texas sophomore who was quietly having a great season alongside Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron.

By the way, Barron broke up two more passes and nickelback Jaylon Guilbeau had a strong game with four solo tackles.

Season average: A-

Special Teams: C+

Texas had an uneventful game on special teams, which will be viewed as a win for a unit that has been plagued by inconsistency this season. Bert Auburn made his only field goal attempt from 22 yards, and punter Michael Kern hit a punt from 42 yards on his only attempt. The return game didn’t do much, but the coverage teams didn’t allow much.

Season average: C-

Education: B+

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian admittedly carries some riverboat gambling in his back pocket, right next to his game sheet. So it was no surprise that Texas went all-out four times on fourth down. But the Longhorns converted only one of those attempts, and that aggressiveness helped Clemson stay in the game.

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Texas football report card: Grades vs. Clemson

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