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
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