What Arch Manning, Colin Simmons performances say about the future of Texas football

There’s a broad selection of descriptors that could be applied to Colin Simmons’ performance for the Texas football team Saturday, in which he collected two sacks and three tackles for loss in a 35-13 win over Mississippi State.

Outstanding. Dominant. Energizing. Take your pick.

But Simmons himself went in a different direction.

“It felt normal,” the true freshman edge rusher said postgame. “It felt like it’s something I’m supposed to be doing.”

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Simmons kick-started a breakout performance for the Texas pass rush, which sacked Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. six times after picking up just seven sacks in the first four games of the season.

Those big plays forced the Bulldogs off script, taking them out of a downhill run game that Texas struggled to stop — especially in the first half.

“Juice and energy, the young bull’s got a lot of that off the edge, too,” veteran linebacker David Gbenda said of Simmons. “He’s young and energetic and always smiling and stuff. It’s fun to play with him. It’s always just good to see the type of energy he brings.

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“He’s still learning, and he’s willing to learn. He’s always by (Anthony Hill) trying to understand the nuances of the game. He’s always asking questions, always just trying to get better. He’s going to be really good.”

Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons sacks Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. during Saturday’s 35-13 win at Royal-Memorial Stadium. Simmons, a freshman, leads the team with four sacks this season, one ahead of middle linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.

There was no need to operate in the future tense Saturday for Simmons (and a number of Texas’ underclassmen). Facing their first hint of…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/arch-manning-colin-simmons-performances-130226268.html

Author : Austin American-Statesman

Publish date : 2024-09-29 13:02:26

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