Steve Sarkisian said “everything” about his Texas program would undergo an audit after their gut-wrenching 27-24 home loss to Florida last Saturday. After a long, hard weekend of film review, Sarkisian finally met the media on Monday, and yeah, he dropped some truth bombs. The Longhorns’ coach slammed himself for some “crappy” play-calling and straight-up called out his staff and team for falling short in the game’s critical moments. He said they “were clearly not at our best.” And get this, he declared, “we need to see a better version of Arch Manning,” all while confirming the beleaguered quarterback is still the team’s starter. Talk about a walk on the tightrope.
Sarkisian Is Owning Up, But Where Are The Fixes?
So, after two straight losses that dropped the No. 19 Longhorns to a shaky 4-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play, what exactly is Sarkisian gonna change before No. 7 Ole Miss rolls into Royal-Memorial Stadium this Saturday night? That’s the million-dollar question, right? Sark was pretty cagey, saying, “Obviously, without disclosing game-planning and different things, yeah, I think there’ll be adjustments made to what we do.” He added, “You’re always striving to make improvements on the journey of a season, and some adjustments are more subtle than others.” Subtle? After two losses in a row? When you’re in the bottom quarter of the SEC in almost every offensive category? Fans want more than subtle!
Same Lineup, Different Results? That’s The Hope.
The least subtle changes involve swapping out starters, but Sarkisian didn’t give any hints about personnel moves. The defense actually isn’t the problem, even without All-American edge rusher Colin Simmons for multiple weeks and facing Heisman candidate Trinidad Chambliss. They lead the SEC, allowing just 257.3 yards per game. But seriously, zero takeaways in SEC play? That’s gotta change. The offense, though, is a mess. Manning’s still the guy over KJ Lacey, and Sark said no backup linemen have earned more playing time. Freshman receiver Jermaine Bishop Jr. is getting more snaps, but Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, and Emmett Mosley V are still the starting wideouts. And at running back, injuries to Hollywood Smothers and freshman Derrek Cooper mean Raleek Brown is pretty much it. So, how do you expect different results without major changes? Sarkisian’s response: “Well, I hope it’s realistic. That’s our job, right? My expectation is that we will see better results.” Hope. That’s what it all comes down to, apparently.
So, will we actually see a different Texas team? Or are they rolling out the same guys, hoping for magic? The No. 19 Longhorns face No. 7 Ole Miss and that Heisman candidate Trinidad Chambliss this Saturday night. We’ll find out then if Sark’s “subtle adjustments” are enough to stop the bleeding.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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