By Ernie Gonzalez (@superego1012):
Entering Saturday, all the pre-game talk revolved around who would start at quarterback for the Longhorns.
Freshman Sam Ehlinger got the call, but it didn’t matter, as the Spartans were blown out via the run game by the Horns, en route to a 56-0 loss in Austin.
San Jose State had all the opportunities it could ask for, especially when the game was close, but did not execute when it needed to.
Quarterback Montel Aaron overthrew receiver Bailey Gaither not once, but twice. One of which would’ve been a no-doubt, would-be touchdown if caught.
That touchdown would have made the score 14-7 in the second quarter, instead, Texas marched down the field and made it a three-score game right before the half.
The Spartans also let some chances slip by on defense, as cornerback Andre Chachere had the ball go through his hands and safety Trevon Bierria dropped a ball that hit him right in the chest.
Either play would have been huge for the Spartans, but as the saying goes, almost doesn’t count.
Texas head coach Tom Herman put an emphasis all week on establishing a run game, one that ranked Texas 17th in the nation last season.
Last week, the Longhorns had only 98 rushing yards but multiplied that by a little more than four this week, as they rushed for 406 yards this week.
Spartan nose tackle Sailosi Latu went down with a lower leg injury early in the second quarter, unstitching the only hope SJSU had of controlling the run.
The very next play, Chris Warren III scattered for 25 of his 166 rushing yards during the contest. He and backup quarterback Jerrod Heard both found the end zone twice on the ground.
The Horns had six different players rush for 27 or more yards, including both of their quarterbacks. The Spartans were limited to just 42 total rushing yards all game.
No receiver or rusher on the Spartans had more than 22 yards from scrimmage. Tight end Josh Oliver and wide receiver JaQuan Blackwell both had 21 yards a piece and running back DeJon Packer totaled five carries for 22 yards.
Aaron’s afternoon wasn’t great either, completing just 12/23 passes for 104 yards and an interception that was brought back for six.
The shutout marks the first win under the Herman era for the University of Texas and is one he won’t forget.
SJSU will try to forget this one, however, as it flies back to San Jose Saturday evening and begins preparation for another tough road opponent next week, the Utah Utes.