Texas left the Cotton Bowl with the same problem that has shadowed its season: penalties that keep turning manageable moments into damage.
In the loss to Oklahoma, the Longhorns were flagged eight times for 61 yards, a number that only added more weight to a season-long issue Steve Sarkisian has been pushing to clean up. Texas now ranks tied for 68th nationally in penalties per game and 92nd in penalty yards per game, and Sarkisian made clear that the flags remain the biggest area he wants fixed.
“I’m frustrated because we’re working at it. It’s not for lack of effort.
It’s not for teachable moments and coaching and all those things,” Sarkisian said. “But clearly, it hasn’t been good enough, so we’ve got to continue to strive for better.
I’m not saying perfection. I’m just striving for better.
And if we can be better in that area, that’ll help us be a better football team.”
The most damaging flags came on defense, where Texas twice gave Oklahoma new life on a drive that ended in the Sooners’ only offensive touchdown.
One of those plays erased an interception. On a double pass, linebacker Rasheem Biles was called for roughing the passer for contact with the upper portion of the body of the passer, wide receiver Isaiah Sategna, after cornerback Bo Mascoe had come down with the pick. Instead of ending the possession, the penalty handed Oklahoma a fresh set of downs.
Later, on 3rd and goal from the 9-yard line, Oklahoma ran a crossing route that left Sategna running away from Texas defensive back Kade Phillips. Phillips, a sophomore, closed ground well and got a hand on the ball, but he was flagged for pass interference. That penalty moved the Sooners to the 2-yard line, and they scored on the next snap.
Both calls came on effort plays, but both carried a heavy price. Phillips was flagged for his third pass interference of the season.
Texas also hurt itself on offense with a false start by right tackle Melvin Siani, a mistake that turned a 3rd and 5 into a 3rd and 10. Siani was also called for holding early in the fourth quarter, his first two penalties of the season.
The other two flags for the Longhorns came on defense, with edge defenders Colin Simmons and Lance Jackson each going offside.
Texas is still doing better than it was a year ago in one sense. The Longhorns are averaging 6.6 penalties per game, down from 8.3 last season, a drop of about 20 percent. But the yardage has barely moved, sitting at 62.2 yards per game this year compared with 69.7 last year.
Sarkisian said some of the flags came from players trying to make plays, while others came down to lapses in discipline.
“I will say that some of them are unfortunate timing. Some of them are guys trying a little too hard to make a play when we’re jumping offsides at defensive end, we’re trying to get to the quarterback.
Biles is trying, too. He sees a double pass.
He’s trying to go make a play. He’s not trying to hit the the guy in the head, and that can happen,” Sarkisian said.
“Kade Phillips, I thought made a heck of a play in the back of the end zone. Unfortunately, they said he had his hand on his shoulder.
So some of those are unfortunate. Some of them, I think, you could deem undisciplined.
I didn’t think we had undisciplined penalties on Saturday maybe like we had the week before at Tennessee. So did we get better?
Yes. Was it good enough?
No.”
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