Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian may not discuss injuries much, but the first injury report of the week for the No. 1 Longhorns said plenty.
Starting running back Hollywood Smothers, who missed his team’s last game two weeks ago against Tennessee with a lower leg injury, wasn’t listed among the banged-up Longhorns on Wednesday’s SEC-mandated availability report. That means he’s ready to go against Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 SEC) Saturday in the Cotton Bowl, and it also means the Texas rushing attack could get a much-needed jolt of energy.
“He’s been sorely missed, and it’s good to have him back,” Sarkisian Thursday during a Zoom call with reporters.
Texas (4-0, 1-0) certainly missed his production in the 20-17 win at Tennessee. The Longhorns ran for a season-low 61 yards on 36 carries against a Vols’ defense that had allowed 414 yards rushing in its first three games.
Can Smothers lift those moribund numbers? He better, especially based on the recent history of the Red River Rivalry. Since the start of this century, the team that runs for more yards in the series boasts a 24-1 record. In the 2006 game won by Texas, both teams ran for 124 yards.
“We’re always trying to run the ball,” Sarkisian said. “This game obviously carries that weight. We know the value of running the football, and we’ve got to find a way to do it.”
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Smothers, a transfer from North Carolina State in his first season with the Longhorns, has proven the most effective runner in a backfield that also leans heavily on Arizona State transfer Raleek Brown and freshman Derrek Cooper. He leads Texas with 198 yards rushing on 41 carries despite missing the Tennessee game, and his yards-per-carry average of 4.8 tops all Texas players with at least 10 carries.
In comparison, Brown has 196 yards on 48 carries while Cooper has chipped in 57 yards on 20 carries. Ideally, Sarkisian said he wants to keep utilizing all three backs at a position that takes on plenty of wear and tear. But the 5-foot-11, 193-pound Smothers does bring something extra to the backfield, said his coach.
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“For a guy who doesn’t have the biggest stature, he runs hard and he’s a vertical runner,” Sarkisian said. “He runs through arm tackles, he hits holes, and so there is a change of pace. That’s what I do like.
“I don’t think he and Raleek run with the same style. I think there’s a uniqueness to their style, and that’s fun for us. But (Smothers) can hit it, he’s a very good pass protector, and he catches the ball really well. So, I think all the tools that we look for in a running back have shown up for him.”
Don’t expect Smothers to carry that heavy of a load, however. The 5-9, 193-pound Brown runs with a shiftiness that can confound any tackler, and the 6-1, 212-pound Cooper brings more size that can help wear on a defense.
“The closer we get to having all three of those guys 100% healthy, great,” Sarkisian said. “I don’t know if any of them are going to be 100% the rest of the way. I mean, they play running back, so there is a toll that it takes. But I also know there’s a reason we try to get depth in that room because of the physicality of this league and, hopefully, the amount of games that we have an opportunity to play.”
This article originally published at Texas vs Oklahoma football: Why Hollywood Smothers return is key in 2026 Red River Rivalry.
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