Tag: Steve Sarkisan

Did Steve Sarkisian fail the Longhorns in Texas’ Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State?

Did Steve Sarkisian try to get ‘too cute?’ Steve Sarkisian’s disastrous play-calling fails Texas in Cotton Bowl and ends the Longhorns season.

On Friday night in AT&T Stadium, the Texas Longhorns lost a heartbreaker to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Beyond the mistakes and bad plays at times by the players, much of the blame for UT’s season crashing and burning lays on the shoulders of Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.

Sark’s red zone play calling in the final quarter has fans and analysts alike scratching their heads. As USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer said, “Sark got cute and it wasn’t pretty.”

Down a touchdown with less than 3 minutes left on the 4th quarter clock, the Horns drove down to the Ohio State one-yard line. Four plays to go three feet. But, as Toppmeyer says, “Sarkisian earns acclaim for being one of the nation’s premier play callers, but he fell into a familiar coaching trap Friday of trying to show just how very smart he is with a play sheet in his hands. Only, Ohio State’s defense made Sarkisian look foolish at the close of the Buckeyes’ 28-14 victory in the Cotton Bowl.”

There were a lot of plays it looked like Sark “got too cute” this season, but none were more glaring than the four play red zone series with the game on the line.

On first and one, the Longhorns audible into a Power-I formation. Texas QB Quinn Ewers hands off to Jerrick Gibson who runs up the middle, but the play is stuffed. Fine.

But his second and one play is the one that’s being called into question and honestly is an inexplicable call at the wrong time. Sark calls a toss sweep off left tackle out of the shotgun. Quintrevion Wisner tried to get around the edge, but he was tackled for a six-yard loss.

It was a bad concept and was clearly defended. Ohio State had five defenders to UT’s four blockers. The play was never going to work. It shouldn’t have been called, but it also should have either been audibled out of or a time out called when the defensive set was revealed.

Instead, Texas put itself way behind the 8-ball. First-and-1 is now third-and-8.

Running sideways on the goal line with a berth in the national championship on the line might be the single worst play call of Steve Sarkisian’s career,” said Wescott Eberts of Burnt Orange Nation.

After the game, Sark stood by the play call. “That’s one of those plays if you block it all right, you get in the end zone,” Sarkisian said. “We didn’t.”

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs said the Buckeyes were ready for the toss sweep,  “You could see it on film,” Downs said. “They like that play when big moments come up. They’ve done that throughout the year – crack tosses to the boundary.”

Two plays later, Jack Sawyer ended Texas’ comeback hopes with a strip-sack of Quinn Ewers. Sawyer scooped up the fumble and ran 83-yards for the game sealing touchdown.

Why call a high-risk wide run there? Why not insert Arch Manning, like Sark had earlier in the game to great effect?

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian reacts as he heads to the locker room after his team’s loss to Ohio State in the 2025 Cotton Bowl at A&T Stadium in Dallas.

The second worst play call of the game, and season, came courtesy of Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. After struggling to put anything together on offense during the entire first half, UT finally scored with :29 seconds left in the second quarter to tie the score a 7-7. It looked like the game would go to the locker room tied.

But OSU offensive coordinator Chip Kelly called a screen and the Longhorns fell for it hard. As Toppmeyer said, “Any football novice knows to expect a screen in that situation. Sure enough, Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly dialed one up.”

Ohio State kept its two offensive tackles home to block, while the three interior linemen inched forward to block. Four UT defenders rushed toward Ohio State QB Will Howard on the slow developing play. Howard flipped the ball to TreVeyon Henderson and the Texas defense was walled off. Henderson ran 75-yards to the endzone untouched. Momentum killed.

The pivotal failures in key moments will be picked apart for months. Much of the focus will be on Ewers. But Sark and his coaching staff need to look in the mirror at their own mistakes if Texas wants to be a championship team.

Texas RB Jaydon Blue bounces back in huge way against Clemson

On Saturday night, in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Blue put all that in the rearview mirror and led the Longhorns to victory

For Jaydon Blue, the 2024 campaign has been full of frustration. The Longhorns running back has battled injuries and fumbling issues. On Saturday night, in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Blue put all that in the rearview mirror and led the Longhorns to victory.

On 14 carries, the Houston native recorded a team-high 146 yards. He averaged 10.4 yards a carry and found the end zone twice. The Longhorns star also made an impact in the air, hauling in two receptions for 31 yards. As the Longhorns rolled to a 38-24 win, Blue’s effort earned praise from his head coach Steve Sarkisian.

“I think about Jayden Blue,” Sarkisian told reporters Saturday night.” This guy fought through an ankle injury earlier in the year, fought through some fumbling issues this season, continue to work, continue to fight back. And he has this game tonight.”

While Blue gave fans plenty of reasons to celebrate, his best moment came in the fourth quarter. With the Longhorns up by seven points, he let out all of his frustration on a 77-yard touchdown run that put the game out of reach. During practice this week, running the ball was a main focus, and it paid off.

“It all starts in practice,” Blue said Saturday night. “Like I said, coming to this week, we made an emphasis that we were going to have to run the ball in order to win this game, and the O-line and us in the backfield took a lot of pride in working on that, so we’d be able to run the ball effectively.”

Following a game he will never forget, Blue will turn his focus to the quarterfinals against Arizona State. If Blue can replicate his performance, then the Longhorns will be hard to beat.

Steve Sarkisian named semifinalist for George Munger Award

With Sarkisian leading the way, the Longhorns have been one of the best teams in the SEC with an 11-2 record

Following another impressive regular season, Steve Sarkisian is getting national attention. On Wednesday, the Longhorns head coach was named a semifinalist for the George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, which is given annually to the top coach in college football.

With Sarkisian leading the way, the Longhorns have been one of the best teams in the SEC with an 11-2 record. Texas has back-to-back 11-plus win seasons for the first time since 2008-09. They are also one win shy of the fifth 12th-plus-win season in program history.

As the Longhorns have adjusted to a new conference, their offense has been hard to stop. Through 13 games, Texas ranks 13th in passing offense, 15th in team passing efficiency, and 16th in completion percentage. Regardless of who is under center, Sarkisian has put his team in the best position to be successful.

While the Longhorns offense has made headlines, the defense under Sarkisian has impressed. They lead the FBS in turnovers gained and passing yards allowed. Texas also ranks fifth nationally in first down defense, with veterans such as Jahdae Barron having career years.

For many in Austin, Sarkisian’s latest recognition comes as no surprise. He was also a finalist for the award last year and was named to the watch lists for the Dodd Trophy and Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year awards earlier this year.

The 2024 George Munger Award winner will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in less than a month.

Everything Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said on the field after beating Hogs

Steve Sarkisian speaks out after tough win by the Texas Longhorns in Fayetteville over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Win and move on. That was the mentality of the Texas Longhorns on the road in Arkansas. The Longhorns did enough to hold off the Hogs 20-10.

The Horns dominated the first half, but only had a 10-0 lead to show for it at halftime. After a third quarter UT field goal, Arkansas put together two scoring drives and two defensive stops to cut the lead to 13-10.

Texas responded with a touchdown, a forced fumble and a final drive that ended with three kneel-downs to secure the win.

After the game, ABC’s Katie George asked Texas coach Steve Sarkisian about that final drive.

“It was just one of those days. They were going to make us earn it. We weren’t going to get many chunk plays. So we had to be really efficient. I thought that was a really efficient drive on the ground. Hit a couple passes. Great catch by (Matthew) Golden for the touchdown.” Steve Sarkisian

The ABC sideline reporter then asked about the defense.

“Our defense played fantastic. Jahdae Barron had a great game as well. Alfred Collins had a great day. That’s a really explosive offense, so to hold these guys to 10 points on the road, that’s a heck of a job.” – Steve Sarkisian

Finally, George asked Sark about going on the road in the SEC.

“You guys saw the environment today. It was a tough one. Proud of our guys. It’s not easy to go on the road in this conference for sure.” – Steve Sarkisian

High Stakes in Nashville as Ewers, Longhorns look to rebound against surging Vanderbilt

Texas Longhorns face a crucial SEC game vs Vanderbilt as they look to rebound and strengthen their CFP hopes ahead of the November 5 rankings reveal.

As the No. 5 Texas Longhorns prepare for their first conference road trip of the season against No. 25 Vanderbilt, head coach Steve Sarkisian expressed confidence in quarterback Quinn Ewers after a strong week of practice. Sarkisian praised Ewers’ focus and execution, suggesting the junior signal-caller is in top form heading into a pivotal SEC matchup.

“I thought Quinn’s had a really good week of work. I think he’s really dialed into the game plan. I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence,” Sarkisian noted during his weekly media availability. “I’m looking forward to him getting another opportunity as a competitor to go back out and compete at a high level.”

Texas is looking to rebound after a disappointing 30-15 home loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, a result that has left the Longhorns in the spotlight. Sarkisian acknowledged as much on Wednesday, emphasizing that his team “has something to prove” following the setback.

Saturday’s 3:15 p.m. CT matchup in Nashville will be no easy task, as Vanderbilt enters on a three-game win streak, including a signature 40-35 victory over then-No. 1 Alabama. Commodores head coach Clark Lea made it clear this week that his team is preparing for Texas’ entire offensive system, which may include backup quarterback Arch Manning, a nod to the recent history of injuries at the position.

“I believe that this is a system on offense that doesn’t change dramatically with respect to who’s taking the snaps,” Lea said Tuesday. “So, we’re preparing to defend the system. Obviously, both quarterbacks have played, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see both. They’ve got injury history there, and you just never know.”

While Sarkisian remains committed to Ewers as the starter, Lea’s comments highlights the growing attention being placed on Manning’s potential role. Manning, the highly-touted sophomore, brings a more mobile dynamic to the field, a contrast to Ewers’ pocket-passing style. It’s clear that Manning’s athleticism and ability to push the ball vertically have drawn intrigue from opposing defenses, even as Ewers continues to lead the offense.

Tuesday, November 5th, will be a night all college football fans have circled on their calendars, as the College Football Playoff Committee unveils its first rankings of the season.

This game in Nashville carries significant weight for the Longhorns in the SEC standings. A win could propel Texas further in their quest for a College Football Playoff spot, while a loss could deal a serious blow to their postseason hopes.

Though the LSU-Texas A&M showdown may grab more attention, the Longhorns’ performance will be closely watched as they aim to rebound from their defeat to Georgia and keep their CFP ambitions alive in their first year in the Southeastern Conference.

Did Sark’s benching of Quinn Ewers actually work? Breaking down the decision

Breaking down the short and long term ramifications of Steve Sarkisian’s decision to replace Quinn Ewers with Arch Manning against Georgia.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has been openly second-guessed since the second quarter of the Longhorns 30-15 loss to Georgia. Is it fair?

With 4:43 left in the second quarter, the offense was flat. There was no life. The five Longhorns possessions ended punt, punt, fumble, punt and interception

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs already had 20 on the board.

There are only so many buttons a coach can push to change momentum. One of them is to change quarterbacks. Sark has a very capable backup QB. He pulled Ewers and inserted Arch Manning.

Immediately, experts from around college football started to question the move. They started to psychoanalyze Ewers. They started to talk about the future impact.

All valid questions. It didn’t help that Sark’s move seemingly backfired. Manning fared no better leading the offense to a punt and fumble.

A lot of former quarterbacks have joined the conversation about the move. Even former Aggie Johnnie Manziel.

“Coach Sark has come out and said that [Ewers] is his guy, he’s our starter, so at no point throughout would I ever think I would see him have to go to the bench. I thought this was a really weird decision. I don’t think it’s a situation where you have to go to the sideline and look at something or anything like that. Maybe [Texas] were trying to get a little bit of a spark going, but it didn’t really come to fruition the way they wanted it to.” — Johnny Manziel

It’s hard to imagine any quarterback advocating for a starter to be pulled. But the move might have worked better than the national media is giving Sark credit for. At least in the second half.

AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 19: Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns walks off the field after being defeated by the Georgia Bulldogs 30-15 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Ewers came out of the locker room looking more confident. He played better. His throws were better. The junior was 3 of 5 on the next drive, which ended in a Ewers TD pass to Isaiah Bond for Texas’ first score of the game. Ewers hit Bond again on the 2-point conversion.

UT then went on a bit of a run to cut the lead to 23-15. Ultimately, Texas and Ewers couldn’t complete the comeback. But you can’t rule out that Ewers two series on the bench may have contributed to his hot start in the second half.

The long term impact of the move is being much discussed across the nation. ESPN’s Greg McElroy had some harsh words about the move.

“So when your backup quarterback has rock star status, you just can’t make that move there. Now Pandora’s box has been opened, because Steve Sarkisian showed that he is not afraid to replace Quinn Ewers in favor of Arch Manning in the event in which Quinn Ewers struggles. So the only way you could have pulled the plug on Ewers is if Arch is going to be your guy moving forward.” — Greg McElroy

It’s an interesting point. McElroy is suggesting the move could harm Ewers’ psyche, partly because the backup is famous. Sark has stated, before and after the game, that Ewers is his starting QB. I don’t think anyone on the team questions that.

Could the move harm Ewers mentally? Maybe. But if Ewers is the guy that’s going to lead Texas to the playoff and a chance at the national title, his mental makeup better be stronger than to cave in for the season because he was benched for two series. Ewers has been through a lot in his college career. I don’t think the benching Saturday will have much of an impact.

The more pressing questions are: Why did Ewers have a bad game in the first place? Why did Ewers look lost? Why has Ewers not risen to his pre-injury level of confidence and performance?

The short answer is he’s still probably hurt on some level. If your abs hurt, they hurt on every throw. You just can’t put your entire core into a throw if the oblique injury is nagging.

In 2021, Georgia QB JT Daniels suffered the same injury in Week 2 and wasn’t cleared to play until mid-October. By then, Stetson Bennett had taken over and would lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back national titles.

It you’re in pain every time you throw the ball, you will not have the same amount of confidence you have when you’re pain free. The biggest impact on Ewers mentality is most likely his health.

McElroy mentions Manning’s “rock star status.” Should the fame and notoriety of the backup have any impact at all on who plays? Should Sark take the celebrity status of his backup and outside opinion into account when making the decision of which QB to play? McElroy thinks so.

“With who the backup is, and the celebrity status that he carries, I would have avoided that at all cost. That’s a problem because now, first series of the game, if Quinn Ewers starts a game one for three and they punt after a five-play drive stalls, you’re going to start hearing chants of Arch. You have to force your starting quarterback into feeling comfortable.” — Greg McElroy

Sark’s job is to win. A coach has to be aware of player mentality, but ultimately, this is big boy college football. This is a program where you have to win. It is a program you have to be aiming for the top. Sark might worry about feelings, but winning takes precedent.

Ewers is far from perfect. He is a really good college quarterback. There are only a handful of QBs that might be better. Does Ewers have what it takes to beat a top shelf defense? A top three of four defense? He never has.

I fear he doesn’t have enough arm strength or mobility to thrive against an elite SEC defense, or at the next level for that matter. Speed on the other side of the ball is his kryptonite.

It is obvious Manning’s tools are better. His arm strength has a much better chance against the speed of an elite SEC, or even NFL, defense. But his experience is lacking. We saw that on full display during his two series against Georgia.

No one knows Ewers and Manning as players better than Sark. Juggling the two personalities is and will be a challenge. But if you start hamstringing the coach based on outside perceptions and popularity, then you’re not doing everything you can to win. You’re not doing everything to be at the top of the sport.

Football is a meritocracy. 

Why was Sark ‘cussing’ himself out during Texas-Mississippi State game?

Steve Sarkisian was ‘cussing’ himself out during the Longhorns game with Mississippi State, but it wasn’t for pulling points off the board.

Sometimes Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian has regrets. Think of all of the plays and scenarios that go through a play-callers head during a game. Do we pass? Do we run? Do we go for it? Do we kick? Coaches are used to second-guessing themselves and being second-guessed.

In his time at Texas, Sark has been aggressive on fourth down. Austin-American Statesman writer Danny Davis points out, “In its 44 games under head coach Steve Sarkisian, the Texas football team has left its offense on the field for 80 fourth-down conversion attempts. And on 36 of those tries, the Longhorns have not been successful.”

Against Mississippi State, Sark took points off the board to go for it on 4th and 3. Arch Manning’s pass sailed out of bounds and Texas turned the ball back over to the Bulldogs on downs with the score stuck at 14-6.

In his postgame press conference, Sark was asked about the decision. The coach explained that he had already decided on third down that Texas would go for it if fourth down was within three yards. He stuck to his original plan.

“I thought they played what we were running pretty good. We got the look we wanted, they played it pretty good. I wish Arch could have maybe given Isaiah a little better throw, it was going to be a really tough catch for him. But that’s human nature, sometimes the throw is not perfect, the catch isn’t great and it falls incomplete.

But I’m never going to apologize for us trying to stay aggressive because our players appreciate us being aggressive. It wasn’t us going rogue. It was something that we believed in that hey, this was the number of where we were going to go and that number came up and so we went for it.” — Steve Sarkisian

AUSTIN, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns reacts on the sideline in the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

It wasn’t that play that took away points and handed the ball back to Hail State that had Sark second guessing his choice. He went for it because of another decision he made in the first quarter.

“I can sit here and beat myself up (about that fourth-down play), but I beat myself up for something earlier in the game already enough.” — Steve Sarkisian

The Longhorns coach explained it was on a third down run to Jaydon Blue that had him upset with himself. Sark said he should’ve gone with the original play he wanted to call on third-and-1 in the first quarter but didn’t. Instead, Blue fumbled.

“Coach Sark was getting cussed out in his own head.” — Steve Sarkisian

Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren calls Steve Sarkisian ‘surgical’

The Rice head coach has a ton of respect for Steve Sarkisian and his offensive prowess.

Texas is set to host Rice for their season opener on Saturday, and emotions are running high for a couple of reasons.

For starters, college football is finally back. However, the hype around the Longhorns has many thinking that this team will be generational. Texas is set to field what should be their best team since 2009, and are looking to finally be…we all know the word.

On Tuesday, Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren was speaking to the media about the game and spoke highly of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. He highlighted how innovative Sarkisian is on offense and even went as far to call him surgical as written about by On3.

“I think everybody knows Sark’s background. When you go back to those mid-2000’s USC teams when him and Lane (Kiffin) were as innovative as anybody in the country. What Sark did when he went to the Falcons and went to Alabama again, I mean, just an unbelievable offensive mind that’s very surgical.”

With a more confident and improved Quinn Ewers, elite receiving corps, and one of the best offensive lines in the country, Texas fans are hoping to see the success that Sarkisian had while at Alabama as the offensive coordinator.

Unfortunately for Rice and Bloomgren, they are subject to feeling the wrath of this high powered offense and enter the game as 35 point underdogs. They do however have an experienced quarterback in JT Daniels and a pair of receivers that could challenge the defense.

Urban Meyer says Texas is “loaded” ahead of 2023

Urban Meyer is confident in this Texas offense.

Former championship winning head coach Urban Meyer was recently discussing the Texas roster ahead of the 2023 season and had very high praise for the team.

The buzz around the Longhorns has been growing and growing as the season approaches, with Texas being favored in all but one game and expected to win the Big 12. The hype has gone from Texas fans praising their own team, to analysts and experts hopping on the hype train as well.

The latest to do so was former Florida and Ohio State head coach, Urban Meyer. When talking to Tim May of Lettermen Row, Meyer raved about how deep this Texas team was.

“They are loaded. There’s a five-star athlete at every position on offense.”

Meyer is correct, as this Longhorns team is the deepest squad we have seen since 2009 headlined by five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers. Joining Ewers is one of the best receiver corps in the country, a stacked running back room with four and five-stars littered throughout, and an offensive line that is one of the best units in college football.

Texas will be putting their new loaded offense on display come Sept. 2. As for Meyer, he is one of the analysts for Fox Sports and can be seen previewing games each Saturday.

Texas receives five crystal ball predictions in their favor

Texas is finding success across multiple recruiting classes.

The Longhorns have been hitting the recruiting trail as hard as any program across the country, and they appear to have more good news coming their way.

After seeing Texas’ class take a major leap from around No. 60 in the country to now being a top-25 class, 247Sports analyst Hank South is calling for more. The Texas recruiting insider for Bama247 inserted five crystal ball predictions on Tuesday in favor of Texas for recruits across multiple classes.

Let’s take a look at which recruits Texas is now viewed as the favorite to land in the near future, according to Hank South.