Two games into the season, Steve Sarkisian has already shown that Texas can move the ball in more than one way. That mattered against Ohio State, where the Longhorns had to survive a rough stretch, keep their nerve, and lean on both the run game and the pass game when the pressure was highest.
The opener made the offense look explosive and complete. In a 59-7 win, Texas rolled up more than 500 yards, and six different key players reached the end zone. That performance suggested Sarkisian had plenty of answers entering a much tougher test against the Buckeyes.
For a long stretch last Saturday, though, it looked like the same old problems might drag the offense down again. Texas opened with a shocking fumble on the first play.
Soon after, junior wide receiver Cam Coleman had a freak interception bounce off his hands. Later, junior wide receiver Ryan Wingo dropped what would have been a touchdown.
Then came an unsuccessful fourth-and-one jet sweep to Wingo late in the second quarter, with Texas trailing 13-3, and the frustration level only climbed.
At that point, it felt like another Ohio State loss was taking shape, and some fans were ready to turn on Sarkisian and his play sheet.
Instead, he stayed with it, and the game began to tilt Texas’ way in the fourth quarter.
The ground game helped flip the script. Senior running back Hollywood Smothers finished with 74 rushing yards and two late touchdowns against the Buckeyes, giving Texas the kind of balance Sarkisian has been pushing for.
“We’ve been emphasizing being a more physical football team, being a more physical offensive team and running the football when they know you’re going to run the football … and having the ability to have confidence to call it that way,” Sarkisian said on Monday.
Texas also delivered through the air when it had to. Facing a fourth-and-six in its own territory with 11:34 left in the fourth quarter and still down two scores, Sarkisian trusted Manning in the pocket to make the play. Junior wide receiver Emmett Mosley V got past the first-down marker, a snap decision that showed both Sarkisian’s willingness to be aggressive and the fact that Texas’ passing attack is more than a two-man operation.
That sequence helped turn a flicker of life into a real comeback. Sarkisian’s willingness to take the chance, paired with the offense executing in a tense moment, changed the feel of the game. As Sarkisian put it, “you’ve got to go for it.”
“The players and the staff are the ones that give me the confidence to make those calls,” Sarkisian said postgame on Saturday. “It’s not some bravado thing that I have, it’s more about ‘Hey, I’m aggressive because I believe in the schemes of the players that we have to go execute.’”
In Other News...
Steve Sarkisians Two ESPN Interviews Have Texas Fans Saying The Same Thing
Steve Sarkisian left Columbus with a marquee win and, for Texas fans, a couple of television moments that were almost as memorable for how they unfolded as for what was said. During the Longhorns comeback against Ohio State, ESPN caught Sarkisian in two awkward sideline spots, first at halftime with Laura Rutledge and then again after the game with Holly Rowe, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how chaotic a big road win can feel in real time.
The halftime interview never really got going because of technical issues, and Rutledge later clarified what went wrong while noting Sarkisian handled the delay patiently. The postgame exchange took a different turn, ending abruptly when Sarkisian shouted and headed off to celebrate with his team, leaving Rowe with a visibly different reaction and plenty of attention on the contrast between the two interviews. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Weighed In As Holly Rowe Faced A Heartbreaking Week
Holly Rowe had a painful week away from the football spotlight after announcing the death of her mother, Diane Buck Rowe-Gandre, and later sharing that the family held a private graveside service in her honor. Rowe described a tribute filled with personal touches, from released butterflies and purple colors to music and Dr. Pepper, offering a glimpse into how her family said goodbye while the college football world kept moving around her.
The timing only added to the unease around Texas after a viral AI-generated video depicted Steve Sarkisian slapping Rowe, coming on the heels of a real postgame moment when Sarkisian walked away from an interview with her. Arch Manning was asked about the controversy during a press conference and later apologized for his reaction, a reminder of how quickly an ugly online moment can spill into the wider conversation around the Longhorns. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Coaching Issue Hanging Over UTSA Week
A fresh off-field issue landed on Texas this week when co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Johnny Nansen was arrested Wednesday evening on a misdemeanor DWI charge. Head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed the arrest and said the program is still gathering information while monitoring the situation, an unwelcome development as the Longhorns turn their attention to UTSA.
Nansen was not at practice after the arrest, and his status for the upcoming game remains unsettled. For a defense already in game-week preparation mode, the uncertainty adds another layer to a week that was supposed to be focused on cleanup and rhythm, not staffing questions on the sideline. [Read more 🡒]