Texas is just about 48 hours away from the Lone Star Showdown taking over Austin for the first time in 15 years. The Aggies walk in undefeated and the Longhorns hope to play spoiler to a perfect season. If the Longhorns are going to pull off the upset, they have to win specific matchups on Friday night. From playcalling battles to specific 1-on-1 bouts, the Longhorns need to find advantages in the margins.
Let’s jump into the five matchups that will decide this game:
Collin Klein vs. Pete Kwiatkowski
This is the most important coaching battle in this game. The Texas defense has been out of sorts in the last month. If that continues into Friday night, Marcel Reed and the Aggies are going to have a field day. Kwiatkowski needs to be strategic with when he blitzes, because of how dangerous Craver, Concepcion and the rest of the Aggie pass catchers are. Collin Klein is a great playcaller, particularly with the playmaking talent they have and Kwiatkowski has to find answers for a dynamic offense.
Texas OL vs. Texas A&M Pass Rush
This is the most important battle on the field. The Texas OL has begun to play better over recent weeks, but this is a different beast coming to town on Friday. Cashius Howell leads a nasty pass rush that excels off the edge, but can get consistent push on the interior and brings blitzes from the second and third level of the defense often. The Texas OL has to play their best game of the year on Friday if Longhorns fans don’t want to watch Arch Manning pick himself up off the ground over and over.
Texas WRs vs. Texas A&M CBs
Working off what we just talked about, the Texas A&M defense is an aggressive group. They consistently rush more than 4 and love to play man coverage on the outside, with Will Lee III, Tyreek Chappell and Dezz Ricks leading the way. The Texas WRs have elevated over the last few weeks, but they will be forced to make special plays on Friday night. Emmett Mosley V, Ryan Wingo, Parker Livingstone and DeAndre Moore Jr. are more than capable of winning this battle, but it’s going to require some elite 1-on-1 reps.
Colin Simmons vs. Texas A&M OTs
Simmons is the most important Longhorn not named Manning in this game. Marcel Reed is an improved passer this year, but he is still most dangerous when he leaves the pocket and gets moving. Colin Simmons is going to be used as a pass rusher, but also has been used as a classic “spy” on mobile QBs this season. Regardless, he will have to consistently win battles against Trey Zuhn III and Reuben Fatheree II to make sure Reed’s legs don’t become a factor in this game.
Punters vs. Returners
This game features two of the most dangerous punt returners in the country: Ryan Niblett and KC Concepcion. Concepcion has five 20+ yard returns on the season with Niblett sitting slightly ahead with seven. Both have brought a pair of punts back to the house as well. In terms of the punters in this one, A&M’s Tyler White only outpaces Jack Bouwmeester in yards/punt by half a yard. This game could very well come down to one chance in the punt game. The question is: who gets that chance?
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Matchups to Watch: Texas WRs vs. Texas A&M CBs, Klein vs. Kwiatkowski
Reporting by Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
