Week 1 marked the debut of Steve Sarkisian’s third head coaching stint, and it could not have gone any better.
While many college football experts were calling for the Longhorns to fall to the Billy Napier led Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, Sarkisian and Co. had other plans.
After falling behind 3-0, Sarkisian started working his magic as he was scheming up plays to perfection. Texas would go on to take the lead, and the game was never in question again as they would go on to win 38-18.
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit ranked the top seven coaching performances of the week, and the first-year Texas head coach landed at No. 4. His team was prepared and composed in all three phases against Louisiana.
My top performing coaches from WEEK 1! 🏈
1. Dan Lanning, DC @GeorgiaFootball
2. Chip Kelly, @UCLAFootball
3. Will Healy, @CharlotteFTBL
4. Steve Sarkisian, @TexasFootball
5. Justin Hamilton, DC @HokiesFB
6. Brent Pry, DC @PennStateFball
7. Todd Orlando, DC @USC_FB pic.twitter.com/OBoXiRHZN1— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 7, 2021
Sarkisian deserved to be on the list as he had a redshirt freshman quarterback making his first career start. Thanks to the great play calling, Hudson Card was looking like a seasoned veteran behind center, while also displaying running back Bijan Robinson’s ability to do everything.
The Longhorns are headed to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas for their Week 2 matchup in what is expected to be a sellout crowd and a very hostile environment. While Sarkisian is used to the SEC crowds, many players for Texas will be playing in their most hostile away game as a Longhorn.
This has the chance to be a great win for the program, and if Sarkisian plays his cards right, he might end up on Herbstreit’s list again.