Steve Sarkisian assesses Texas' struggles to get pressure on Michael Penix Jr.

Football season is in the rearview mirror, but the memories are still painfully present. Texas‘ final memory of the season was its narrow 37-31 loss to Washington in the Sugar Bowl. After the game, UT head coach Steve Sarkisian weighed in on his team’s battle to pressure Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.

“There were times we did create some pressure. We just couldn’t get him on the ground,” Sarkisian said. “That was probably the most frustrating part. He was elusive in the pocket. He did a good job of avoiding the rush and then keeping his eyes.

“It just kind of felt like every time they threw it, and we were in pretty good coverage, they made the play. And that’s a credit to them. They’re a good offense and a good passing offense, especially. It showed. We just couldn’t get him on the ground. We couldn’t generate enough pressure.”

In the loss, Texas recorded zero sacks and only three tackles for loss. The Longhorns’ inability to wreak havoc in the backfield was an unfamiliar sight for fans. Boasting defensive linemen Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat, Texas averaged 2.3 sacks per game.

An understandable struggle for Texas

In fairness, Texas wasn’t the first team to falter against Washington’s offensive front. The Huskies won the 2023 Joe Moore Award, an honor annually given to the best offensive line in the country. Penix took advantage of his excellent protection.

The Heisman candidate exploded for 430 passing yards and two touchdowns in the victory. He did not throw an interception. Sarkisian was the first to admit Penix was a thorn in the Longhorns’ sides.

“Our guys were fighting with the pass rush. We couldn’t put enough pressure on the tackles, quite frankly, to get a holding call to even get them off schedule,” Sarkisian said. “They really played on schedule all night, and that makes it difficult.

“The times we did get him into some third-and-longs, we had the ability to get off the field. But we just couldn’t get him on the ground. I thought there were some decent pressures in there. We just didn’t get him on the ground.”

Texas will have to restock its defensive line during the offseason. Both Sweat and Murphy declared for the 2024 NFL Draft earlier this month. With standouts such as Alabama’s Kendrick Blackshire and UTSA’s Trey Moore joining the team through the transfer portal, Texas shouldn’t have any issues.