Win In The SEC? A Texas Veteran O-Line Could Help

Derek Kerstetter is the grandpa in the room for Texas' offensive line. He already has graduated and enters his fifth season. Then again, isn't redshirt freshman Jake Majors just the baby? 

Texas returns four starters from the 2020 campaign. Kerstetter, who last season played center before suffering a season-ending injury, now moves to right tackle. The other three names are just in a new offense instead of a new position. 

Maybe having a veteran offensive line will be the key for the Longhorns Saturday in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium as they take on Arkansas. Even with a long-standing losing record, the Razorbacks remain a member of the Southeastern Conference. 

You all know the saying, right? How "it just means more" after all? 

"This is an SEC defense," Kerstetter said Tuesday. "It's going to be a good time going against them and just seeing how we stack up against them." 

The Longhorns' 38-18 victory over Louisiana started a new era of football under the direction of Steve Sarkisian. It also showed an emphasis on expanding the run game. 

Last season, Bijan Robinson never saw more than 15 carries in a game under Tom Herman's play-calling. He finished with 20 carries and 103 yards on the ground to go along with a two-touchdown performance. 

Texas also averaged 4 yards per rush, but they entering halftime averaging 2.8. 

"They're a hard-nosed team," Kerstetter said of the Razorbacks' defense. "They're well-coached, their defensive coordinator (Barry Odom) is a known coach and he's a good coach."

Odom, who last coached at Missouri, revamped the Razorbacks' front seven in a year. In 2019 under the direction of John Chavis, allowed an SEC-worst 36.8 points per game and an average of 450.7 yards per outing. 

In an all-SEC schedule for the Hogs, Odom lowered the points to 34.9. The Razorbacks finished 11th in run defense, giving up an average of 192.1 yards per still. 

Are those numbers still high? Sure. Could they be lower against Texas? Sure. 

"That's a big thing in our room. Holding each other to a higher standard," Kerstetter said. "We're each accountable for each other. We got to make sure we're all studying our playbooks and getting the stuff down to make sure that we're able to on Saturdays perform at a higher level." 

Kerstetter says that new offensive coordinator Kyle Flood gives out grades for the offensive line in the meeting room after a game. He's quiet, however, refusing to give out who ranked at the top and who was near the bottom. 

All need to pass with flying colors to beat Arkansas at home. 

The Longhorns might be testing the waters with another young gun Saturday night. Following a knee injury to Junior Angilau, freshman Hayden Connor saw action in his place. 

The result? Much to like, but much to improve on. 

"It was good to see Hayden come in and really just hold his own, especially at such a young age," Kerstetter said. "It's hard to play offensive line when you're a freshman. He came in and played really, really well."

Should Connor start in place of Angilau again, the line should go, Christian Jones, Denzel Okafor, Majors, the freshman and Kerstetter. That, plus a packed house for the first time four years in Fayetteville, might be enough to give the Razorbacks an edge. 

Kerstetter understands the importance of the rivalry, but it's not everything to Texas. SEC opponent or not, everyone is viewed as a threat to holding them back from contention. 

Last week, Odom's defense allowed Rice to average just 2.1 yards per rush in a 38-17 win. The good news here is Texas has two running backs who should see better results behind a stable offensive line. 

Of course, stable is a big "if" entering Wednesday. 

"We got to be ready for the things they're going to do, they have to be ready for the things we're going to do," Kerstetter said. "It's going to be a lot of fun Saturday night." 

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