Texas didn’t leave Week 4 unscathed, and the timing could hardly be better for a bye.
The No. 1 Longhorns are 4-0 after grinding out an ugly win over Tennessee, but the game came with a price. Texas was already dealing with a banged-up roster before kickoff, and the injury list only grew as the night went on.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian didn’t sugarcoat it afterward.
"We do need to get healthy. We were a little banged up coming out of the game," Sarkisian said after the game. "[The bye] comes at a good time."
That was the obvious takeaway from a night when Texas had to manage a shorthanded lineup and still get the job done. Running back Hollywood Smothers was listed as available before the game, but never played. Sarkisian later said Smothers was only going to be used as an "emergency" option if Raleek Brown and Derrek Cooper weren’t getting it done in the backfield.
The injuries didn’t stop there. Wide receiver Cam Coleman went down in the second half, spent some time in the medical tent, then returned but didn’t see another target from Arch Manning. Edge rusher Colin Simmons, who had a career game against Tennessee, is also dealing with an elbow injury and had it padded and braced Saturday afternoon.
Texas was also without tight end Nick Townsend for a third straight game, which meant Manning’s connection with his big target was still off the table. Defensive lineman Justus Terry remained out too, another hit to a pass rush that Texas could use in a hurry.
The other side of that Tennessee game matters, too. Sarkisian pointed out that the Volunteers had eight players carted off during the contest, a reminder that Texas wasn’t the only team feeling the physical toll.
Now comes a week off, and for the Longhorns, it arrives at exactly the right moment. The Red River Rivalry is next, and Oklahoma may not be ranked, but Texas can’t afford to treat that one lightly. The Sooners are shaky, sure, but that game has a way of ignoring the records.
And the schedule doesn’t get any kinder after that. Sarkisian made that clear when asked about what’s ahead.
"We've got more of these to go. Our schedule is our schedule," Sarkisian said about the remaining schedule after earning their first ranked road win of the season. "That’s what good teams do; they find ways to win games."
Texas still has six ranked matchups and two rivalry games left on the slate. For a team that’s already carrying its share of bumps and bruises, this bye week looks less like a luxury and more like a necessity before the SEC grind really takes over.
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