Steve Sarkisian explains how this team is living up to the standard at Texas

There are high expectations for Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns in their final season of Big 12 play. Those are expectations based both on the talent the roster already has on it, as well as the historic standard at Texas.

Recently, Sarkisian explained how this Texas team is working to live up to that standard.

“We have things that we kind of hold them to,” Steve Sarkisian said. “Energy is first and foremost. Our standard of energy has got to be high and ultimately I think that starts with us as coaches. What do we bring every single day?”

For Sarkisian, there are several things that the coaching staff has focused on with the goal of instilling a standard within the program.

“The aggressive nature in which we want to play the game. We try to call it aggressively in all three phases, we try to play an aggressive brand of football. We want to be fast. That’s why we run the way that we run, if you ever ask our players how much we run in the summer. We want to be a fast football team. We want to be a physical football team. We love running the football, we love populating the ball on defense, and getting as many white hats as we can to the ball. We’ve got to be tough. Right? It takes a mental and physical toughness to play to the standard that we want to have.”

Beyond all of those things, Steve Sarkisian wants his team to play smart.

“And then, ultimately, we want to be smart. We’ve put in a lot of work this Fall Camp on the special situations in the game. Two minute, four minute, third down, fourth down, backed up, whatever that is, red zone, third down, all those things,” Sarkisian said.

“So, playing smart in those situations is part of our standard too. So, I credit our coaches, and I credit our players for believing in that standard and then trying to work toward what that standard looks like.”

Steve Sarkisian says Texas feels a sense of urgency

Now that the regular season is here and games are starting up, the atmosphere is changing around programs. As Steve Sarkisian explained, game week has given Texas a sense of urgency.

“For sure. I think our guys are really excited. I just got done talking to them; as much as we’re excited to play on Saturday, we need to do a great job this week in being present today, and we need to focus on today. Saturday will come soon enough. We need to be present today, and we need to be taking in all the information today. And then go out and try to do it tomorrow,” Sarkisian said.

“So, we’re excited. You know our guys have worked really hard. And ultimately, I want them to play really well. My job as a coach is to prepare them to play well and [for] them understanding [that] Saturday is a few days from now. So, let’s focus on where we’re at. Let’s be present today.”