Steve Sarkisian on Kansas loss: ‘We didn't play the first half'

After a disappointing loss against Kansas, the Texas football program is facing unprecedented criticism. Head coach Steve Sarkisian met with the media to rehash the Kansas loss and look forward to the season’s final stretch.

“We lost this football game because we didn’t play the first half,” Sarkisian said during his postgame press conference. “The thing I said to the team in general is, ‘it’s easy to look at one play late in the game.’ That – saying ‘that’s why we lost’ – that’s not why we lost the game.”

He continued: “We lost the game because we didn’t play good in the first half. We played a really bad first half of football, or we wouldn’t have been in that situation at the end of the game. So we can’t look at one play at the end of the game and say ‘that’s why we lost.’ We lost because the first 30 minutes of football was bad ball. And then it put us in that position late in the game.”

The 57-56 overtime loss made Texas the only Power Five school with two losses against Kansas since 2011. It was a low point for the program

Chris Del Conte defends Steve Sarkisian

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte quickly jumped to head coach Steve Sarkisian’s defense after the Kansas loss. He detailed his thoughts in this week’s Forty Acres Insider column from the school website.

“Last week had its ups and downs for our Longhorns, and we’re certainly ready to move forward and get right back at it this week,” wrote Del Conte. “At Texas Athletics, we all know it was a devastating way to lose. You all are so passionate about your Longhorns and feel frustrated about how things have gone for five games. Trust me, we’re so disappointed and frustrated, too, but no one is more upset than Coach Sark and the team.”

Through the ups and downs of 2021, Texas has accumulated a 4-6 record. With two games against West Virginia and Kansas State, the Longhorns need to win out in order to become bowl eligible. While the short-term looks bleak, Del Conte is focused on Texas’ long-term success.

“Coach Sark is building a culture, he has a tremendous group of coaches with him, and we are providing every ounce of support we can muster to help them redirect our program,” wrote Del Conte. “We have a group of coaches who are proven and have a wealth of experience. They have all succeeded at the highest level. They will help us do that here, too.”