How does one stop Spencer Sanders? It’s a question Steve Sarkisian will have to answer Saturday if Texas hopes to win in Stillwater.
Sanders, the dual-threat passer for Oklahoma State, has had his fair share of fun against Texas over the years. In 2020, he threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-34 overtime loss. A year later, Sanders bullied his way through the Longhorns’ defense, totaling 198 yards and scoring two touchdowns to complete the 32-24 comeback.
One player does not define the status of a team. Sanders might be the anomaly to the rule after his four-year run as the No. 11 Cowboys (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) starters. And while his status remains in question entering Saturday’s homecoming matchup, Sarkisian and the No. 20 Longhorns (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) are preparing for him to suit up one more time at Boone Pickens Stadium.
“What makes Spencer unique is the competitive nature that he has,” Sarkisian said of the Pokes’ starter Thursday. “The guy is very tough. He takes hits. He gets back up. He definitely leads that team, so the challenge for us is to be disciplined when it is the designed runs, who is fitting what gaps, and when we’re rushing him to make sure that our rush lanes are really good.”
Sanders’ mobility won’t show up on the stat line like other dual-threat passers such as Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen. He isn’t a player that’ll hit the 100-plus marker on gamedays and trust his legs more than his arm.
Where Sanders shines is in the red zone. Of his eight rushing touchdowns this season, six have come on plays inside the 20-yard line. And let’s not forget Sanders is a passer first. His 1,639 passing yards rank second among all Big 12 quarterbacks, as does his 13 passing touchdowns.
The Longhorns might be the lower seed entering what could be a sneak peek of the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 3. That doesn’t mean they’re the underdogs on the road. When the initial line broke last Sunday, Texas opened as a one-point favorite in most betting circles. Two days later, Vegas inflated the line to 6.5.
In large part, Sanders’ status could be a factor in the betting lines’ growth. Two weeks ago in a win over Texas Tech, Sanders suffered a shoulder injury during the third quarter. And while he played through the pain in a double overtime loss to TCU, he was also seen icing down the shoulder after each drive on the sidelines in Fort Worth.
“Let’s all do ourselves a favor and not ask about injuries,” OSU coach Mike Gundy told reporters Monday. “I’m not going to tell you about who practices and who doesn’t. You wouldn’t reveal your hand, either.”
Sanders did not practice the week of the TCU game and the results showed. He completed 16 of 35 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown but struggled in the closing minutes. During the fourth quarter and overtime, Sanders went 2 of 12 passing for 32 yards and an interception.
Sarkisian wants to stop Sanders from using his legs in the open field. It’s much more than that, however. The Horns are entering a stretch of games where dual-threat quarterbacks will be showing up left and right.
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After facing the Cowboys, Texas must travel to Manhattan to take on No. 17 Kansas State and Adrian Martinez. Two weeks later, the Horns hit the road for a trip to Lawrence to face Kansas’ Jalon Daniels. And don’t sleep on Horned Frogs’ starter Max Duggan, either.
All three quarterbacks have at least 40 rush attempts, over 250 yards, and four rushing touchdowns. And those numbers could expand each week before Texas comes knocking on the door in hopes of keeping its winning ways alive.
“The dual-threat quarterback thing, I think it’s challenging for everybody,” Sarkisian said. “I think that’s why they’re so effective when they’re really good at it.”
Sarkisian said that freshman quarterback Maalik Murphy played the role of Sanders on the scout team this past week to give the Horns a better look at what they’re facing. Murphy might mirror Sanders’ frame, but he’ll have to continue playing that part moving into November.
Stopping Sanders is critical for a road win, but it’s more than that for Sarkisian. It’s a test of where the program is defending mobile quarterbacks. And players know the senior from Stillwater is the first of many dual-threat options set to potentially sour the recent success found within the program.
“We know it’s going to take a really good effort,” Sarkisian said. “This is a very good football team we’re playing in all three phases.”
You can follow Cole Thompson on Twitter at @MrColeThompson
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