Steve Sarkisian didn’t hide the mood Monday. After the Oklahoma loss, Texas’ coach said the disappointment and frustration were real, but his focus was already on what comes next - and on getting the Longhorns back to the style he believes defines them.
He opened by thanking the fans who made the trip to Dallas and said it was good to be back at DKR this weekend. From there, the message was clear: Texas has to create turnovers to keep winning.
Sarkisian pointed to the Longhorns’ 26-game streak of forcing turnovers at DKR and said the answer now is to get back to playing “their brand of football.” His bigger point was that adversity can become fuel, especially with November and December still ahead.
The offense, naturally, drew plenty of attention. Sarkisian said Arch is “on a nice trajectory,” but he also lamented the two interceptions Arch threw in the fourth quarter after playing well for most of the game. He believes Arch can deliver in critical moments - citing what he saw against Ohio State and Tennessee - but said the quarterback has to get back to playing with confidence.
Sarkisian also pushed back against the idea that the issues are coming from one place. On the offense’s lack of consistency, he said it’s his job first and foremost, and he put the responsibility squarely on himself.
He said he has to put players in the best position to succeed and make sure he’s asking them to do the right things. “It’s a combination of all of it, but ultimately it’s his job and he takes full responsibility.”
That same theme showed up when he talked about the stretches of three-and-outs. He said the Longhorns have the tools not to be having those possessions end so quickly, but they need to find their rhythm and execute better.
To him, it’s less about chemistry than finding the right flow. Texas, he said, should be an explosive offense, and the standard at the school is too high for anything less than strong play in every area.
The head coach did defend parts of what he saw Saturday. He said Texas produced 382 yards, and he called the run game pretty efficient even if it never delivered the big pop play the Longhorns were hoping for.
Oklahoma’s defense, he said, creates negative plays, so the goal is consistency that eventually leads to a breakout run. Texas had to lean more on the pass in the fourth quarter, but Sarkisian said the ground game was better than it may have looked in real time.
Derrek Cooper’s usage came up too, after he got only two second-half carries. Sarkisian called it a game-flow issue and said it gets tricky when you’re trying to work three backs into the plan. Even so, he said Cooper is earning more chances as he comes off injury, and the more he does, the more opportunities he’ll get.
Special teams was another topic Sarkisian wasn’t ready to overhaul. He said history matters, and Texas has been good in that phase for a long time.
He expressed confidence in Jeff Banks and the players, saying teams go through lulls and he doesn’t question their ability to coach through it. Later, he said the fix comes back to execution - protecting, covering and blocking the right way.
He added that Texas has been an explosive special teams unit and said he trusts the specialists.
Penalties bothered him, though he separated them into different buckets. Some, he said, came at bad times, some from trying too hard.
He did not think Texas had undisciplined penalties on Saturday, but he also made clear the performance still wasn’t good enough. When asked about the offense’s pre-snap looks and whether Arch is getting enough checks, Sarkisian said every play is different and Arch is doing what he’s asked to do on those calls.
He also took a broader view of the SEC and the week ahead. Sarkisian said the league demands mental and physical toughness, strong play at the line of scrimmage on both sides, and the ability to handle tough environments because the coaching and players are so good across the board. Florida, he said, is very capable, and Texas needs to stay focused on its own standard and what it’s capable of doing.
Asked about Florida under Sumrall, Sarkisian described the Gators as unique offensively, pointing to their run game, unbalanced formations, shifts and the plays built off them. He said Texas has to prepare for that variety while continuing to clean up its own issues.
Sarkisian also referenced the 2023 Oklahoma loss when asked about lessons from that game. His point was straightforward: that team was hurt by the defeat, but it didn’t let it define the season.
The same lesson applies now, he said. It’s a loss, not the end.
Texas has to grow from it and keep moving.
On his own approach, Sarkisian said he is in a strange way built for this moment. “In a weird way, he's sick that way,” he said.
“He likes a little adversity, thinks it's good for people. He doesn't mind having a thorn in the side.
They'll respond.”
And as for Cam Coleman, Sarkisian said the staff is still searching for ways to get more people involved while keeping the offense efficient. Coleman, he said, played a good game Saturday and still has more in him. He called him someone who is just starting to hit his stride, adding that the transfers Texas has brought in often start to really come on around this point.
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Sarkisian also owned the responsibility for the offenses struggles, a notable admission from a coach who knows the standard in Austin does not leave much room for uneven Saturdays. The Longhorns have shown enough ability to suggest the ceiling is still there, but the next stretch will be about turning that talent into steadier production. For Texas, the frustration is not just the loss itself, but the feeling that the offense still has to prove it can hold up when the stage gets biggest. [Read more 🡒]