Texas will bounce back. Reeling from an opening week loss to Ohio State where the Texas Longhorns offense looked lost, San Jose State should be a good team to bounce back against.
The pass-heavy Spartans come to Austin 0-1 after losing to Central Michigan 16-14. In that game, SJSU missed two field goals late in that game. Quarterback Walker Eget finished 24 of 43 for 308 yards and two touchdowns for the Spartans but was picked off twice and fumbled once. Look for the Longhorns defense to get after him.
But the focus of most fans will be on the offense. Arch Manning’s disappointing performance against Ohio State could be chalked up to the fact he faced a really good defense on the defending national champion. We’ll see what Manning looks like against a defense that isn’t college football playoff calibre.
Jamie Gatlin’s Prediction:
After a disappointing performance in Week 1, the Longhorns will face San Jose State in their home opener. As Texas looks to get back on track, they will have thousands of Longhorns faithful behind them. This should be an easier matchup for an offense that looked lost last week.
The key will be betting on the board early after being held scoreless in their first three quarters against Ohio State. The Longhorns’ offense and Arch Manning should be able to bounce back and get into the win column.
Final score: Texas 24, San Jose State 10
Tommy Bresee Prediction:
This is a game Texas should be able to flex their muscles in. San Jose State gave up 250+ rushing yards to Central Michigan a year ago and Sarkisian has made it a point to be a run-first team early in the season. I believe Texas should be able to run the ball very well, which opens up a couple of deep shots later in this game. This game is about more than the score, however. Mainly, it’s about getting Arch Manning(and the offense as a whole) playing with confidence moving forward. This should be one that Sarkisian can decide how much he wants to score, and go out a score that, and I think they will do just that.
Final score: Texas 52, San Jose State 10
Trey Luerssen Prediction:
Let’s start on the defensive side of the ball. The Longhorns defense did an admirable job on Ohio State last week. You could see the makings of an elite defense. The Spartans will have a hard time scoring any points on Saturday.
As for the offense. Don’t expect it to be miraculously fixed just because the opponent is inferior to last week. Arch Manning’s mechanical problems will take some time to iron out, if they can be. But the quality of opponent will give Manning and the offense a sandbox to figure things out in.
Final Score: Texas 34, San Jose State 0
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Longhorns Wire staff predictions for Texas Football vs. San Jose State
Reporting by Trey Luerssen, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
