Steve Sarkisian credits Texas' 'business-like approach' ahead of Red River Rivalry
Heading into the Red River Rivalry on Saturday morning, Texas players are feeling supremely confident. They’ve cool, calm and collected in pregame warmups.
Coach Steve Sarkisian noted that his team’s demeanor is a reflection of the work it has put in throughout the offseason.
“I think something that we’ve done all year, and I credit our leaders throughout the offseason, we’ve got a real business-like approach,” Sarkisian said on ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday morning. “Our guys are focused on the task at hand. They’ve focused day to day. It wasn’t so emotional. It wasn’t so this is personal, this and that. It was more, ‘What do we need to do coach? How do we need to do it? Let’s go practice it and then let’s go execute it Saturday.'”
Oklahoma has won four of the last five meetings in the series, but that one loss was quite lopsided. It came last year, in Oklahoma coach Brent Venables‘ first season in charge.
Texas won that Red River Rivalry showdown 49-0. So there will be plenty of reasons for confidence beyond just the team’s work ethic.
Top 10
- 1New
Alleged fraud
Australian pipeline to CFB
- 2
Jaxson Robinson injury
UK star to miss Tennessee game
- 3Trending
DJ Durkin
Auburn DC gets extension
- 4
AP Poll controversy
New Top 25 raises eyebrows
- 5
Penn State police warning
Saquon celebration triggers warning
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Until Oklahoma can prove it, Texas should feel like it’s in great position going into the game. Of course, quarterback Quinn Ewers is another really good reason to have a lot of confidence.
“I think Quinn is part of the reason why the rest of the team kind of focuses that way,” Sarkisian said. “He is not a very emotional guy. The fire comes out, obviously, but he’s so dialed in throughout the week and the day before and the morning of that I think our team has kind of assumed that personality as well.”
On the season Ewers is 97-of-147 passing for 1,358 yards and 10 touchdowns, against just one interception. He’s also run for 74 yards and five touchdowns already this year.
Both programs will be itching to go in the last iteration of the Red River Rivalry as a Big 12 matchup. Both programs are set to head to the SEC in 2024.
The game is slated for a 12 p.m. ET kickoff with a national broadcast on ABC.