Shoring up pass defense is critical to the Longhorns 1st SEC season

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A big knock against the Texas Longhorns last year was their pass defense. They ranked No. 116 in FBS allowing more than 254 yards per game and were torched through the air by Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix, Jr., for 430 yards in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The defense is on a mission this season to not let another quarterback light them up like that again.

Sophomore defensive back Malik Muhammad said focusing on "the details" is something they've "honed in on."

"Tackling and getting our drops right, knowing our opponent and playing together and communicating," he said. "We've got a great defense this year. We know how to play together as a whole defense."

Muhammad said he's become more of a vocal leader for the secondary this year after playing in all 14 games of his true freshman season, notching 31 tackles with an interception and a blocked punt return for a touchdown.

"I'm just trying to bring the other guys along and show them what I know," he said.

The Longhorns ranked No. 52 in FBS averaging 2.29 sacks per game last season, but Muhammad thinks that number will go up because of the talent coming in. A better pass rush means the defensive backs don't have to cover as long, making their job substantially easier.

"Those guys have been doing a great job getting to the football, and I've been feeling that during the scrimmages," he said.

Senior defensive tackle Vernon Broughton has seen quite a bit during this time at Texas. He said over the past three years under Steve Sarkisian, the locker room has "matured."

"We're locked in as a unit," he said. "As years go by, from my first year to now, we've matured as to how we approach the game."

With two dominant interior linemen off to the NFL in Byron Murphy II and T'Vondre Sweat, Broughton isn't listening to anyone who questions the talent up front this season.

"I don't pay attention to that," he said. "I know what we've got, and we're gonna do what we gotta do."