Want a recipe for defensive struggles?
Take a defense that ranked No. 123 in the SP+ returning production metrics, pit it against the No. 15 schedule in defensive opponent adjustment through 10 weeks, according to FEI, then throw in a rash of injuries at linebacker and in the secondary.
Here’s how bad those injuries have been for the Texas Longhorns — eight key contributors, including five starters in the season opener, have missed 20 of 64 total possible games and were injured or limited in 20 others.
In other words, defensive coordinator Todd Orlando has gotten 24 healthy games from those key players, only 37.