While the number goes in the left-hand column, the first win of the season over Tulsa was not a pretty one for Texas. The Longhorns scraped by with a 28-21 victory at Darrell K. Royal Stadium on Saturday night, leaving more questions than answers for a team trying to find its identity.

Here are three major takeaways from Texas’ victory over the Golden Hurricane.

Offensive predictability

In the first half, the Texas offense looked relatively smooth. Sophomore quarterback Sam Ehlinger commandeered three touchdown drives, and another drive that went down to the two-yard line before stalling. Yet the second half was a different story.

On the first four drives of the half, the Longhorns picked up one first down and a total of 35 yards. While Tom Herman and the coaching staff have repeatedly praised Ehlinger’s pocket presence, they rarely gave him the opportunity to show it off.

Sticking with bubble screens and read options for a majority of the game, Ehlinger was limited to short throws, not showing off the playmaking ability of the quarterback and the electric receivers around him. Junior receiver Collin Johnson finished with only four catches on the night. Devin Duvernay had one. The Longhorns must find more creativity with their offense if they want to exploit poor defenses like Tulsa.

Revolving door at running back

After the first two weeks of football, it is clear Tom Herman and the coaching staff is committing to a “by committee” situation at running back. While senior Tre Watson started the game and got the bulk of the carries, Keaontay Ingram provided a nice change of pace in the backfield as more of a slasher style back.

Ingram provided Texas’ best run of the year thus far, bouncing off several tackles on his way to a 29-yard touchdown run in the first half, and put 64 yards on 10 carries on the day. The look of Watson and Ingram alternating series gave a nice look for a run game that needs a spark.

Youth in the secondary

Junior defensive back Brandon Jones was out against Tulsa with an ankle injury, throwing two freshman into the starting lineup. Without Jones, freshman Caden Sterns, who also started week 1 against Maryland, stepped up very well, intercepting a pass on the first play from scrimmage and recording four tackles on the day. Sterns has shown flashes of special ability in the defensive backfield, a good sign for years to come.

As a whole, however, the secondary showed some signs of youth. The Longhorns got burnt deep several times in the second half, leading to Tulsa’s late comeback attempt. There have been more than a few instances of busted coverage in the first two weeks. Whether it is youth or miscommunication, Texas will need to shore up the back end as USC and TCU await.