In the fourth quarter of Texas’ 27-24 loss to Florida, junior edge rusher Colin Simmons exited with a lower leg injury and did not return. The extent of the injury remained unclear after the game, leaving questions about his availability moving forward.
“Colin obviously had what looked like a lower-leg injury,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said postgame. “Obviously (he) was ruled out for the rest of the day. I don’t know the extent of it all.”
It was later revealed that Simmons is dealing with a high ankle sprain, a week-to-week injury that, as of Wednesday’s injury report, leaves him as doubtful against Ole Miss on Saturday.
While Simmons is known for his ability to get after the quarterback as the Southeastern Conference’s sack leader, what’s less obvious is his elite ability to stop the run at or behind the line of scrimmage.
What followed after Simmons’ exit on Saturday offered a troubling glimpse of life without Simmons. In the midst of a tied game, the Gators found room to run once he left the field.
On the Gators’ first full drive without Simmons present, they leaned heavily on the ground game, running the ball on five consecutive plays during a six-play, 45-yard possession that ended with an 11-yard touchdown run by Florida junior running back Jadan Baugh.
In a game Texas ultimately lost by three points, those possessions loomed large. The late-game struggles raise questions about whether Texas has enough depth up front to withstand the loss of its most productive defensive player, especially against Ole Miss’ impressive offense.
Simmons’ ability to stop the run and be a quarterback’s worst nightmare cannot be easily replicated. Sophomore edge rusher Lance Jackson understands the responsibility that could fall on him.
“If (Simmons) can’t go, I mean, just like for me, I got to step up,” Jackson said. “I got to be that guy. That’s how I see myself in my role on the defense.”
Jackson will have an opportunity to shoulder more of the pass-rushing burden, especially with the additional news of freshman edge rusher Richard Wesley out this Saturday.
Wesley, a five-star recruit, is also dealing with a high ankle sprain, and whether he returns to the field this season is up in the air, according to Anwar Richardson of OrangeBloods. That deals another blow to a Texas defense that had already taken the biggest hit possible.
But now, the next-man-up mentality will be utilized by a Texas team needing to make up for a man who has had more than half of the team’s sacks this season.
“We’ve got enough depth in there. We’ve got quality players in there,” Sarkisian said. “You never like losing good players — that part’s disappointing, but that’s also part of football, and that’s why you have to recruit to the depth that I think that we have to withstand some of the injuries that occur.”
No matter the personnel, the entire defensive front must show up as a team in the trenches, where missed tackles, lost gaps and extended drives can turn a close game into a costly loss.
The Rebels bring a dangerous rushing attack led by junior running back Kewan Lacy and a mobile fifth-year quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss. Ole Miss will present a difficult test for a defense adjusting to life without Simmons.
Florida exposed a vulnerability. To beat Ole Miss, Texas will need to find an answer.
