Steve Sarkisian addresses Red River loss, Texas’ red zone woes

Red zone struggles have been an issue for Texas this season and Steve Sarkisian was hoping they would be fixed heading into the Oklahoma game. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, they made the trip to Dallas as well, coming up short on two different occasions inside of the 20. They wound up being a huge factor as well in the four-point UT loss.

Sarkisian addressed them following the loss, saying the problem is “pretty simple.” Sarkisian believes the Texas coaches need to be better down there and the players do too. It’s definitely something to work on heading into the bye week and before a road game against Houston on Oct. 21.

“We’ve got to game plan better,” Sarkisian said via Joe Cook on On3’s Inside Texas. “We’ve got to execute better. It’s pretty simple.”

One possession is going to stand out more than others when talking about the red zone. Texas was down near the one-yard line with the opportunity to tie the game. Sarkisian called three straight jumbo formations as the Oklahoma defensive front held every single time.

A fourth-down tunnel screen to Xavier Worthy was inches short and Texas came out empty. Oklahoma was not able to capitalize on their next offensive drive but still, a huge moment in the game and a goal-line stand they will be talking about for years in Norman.

The other failed attempt in the red zone came on Texas’ second possession of the afternoon. Quinn Ewers thought he had tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders up the middle for a touchdown. Instead, Sanders’ high school teammate, Billy Bowman, blew the play up and popped the ball in the air. Oklahoma was able to snag an interception and take at least three points away from the Longhorns.

Sarkisian saw his team score two offensive touchdowns, both coming outside of the red zone. Gunnar Helm scored on a 22-yard pass from Ewers on a critical fourth-down call. Jonathon Brooks then broke free in the fourth quarter from 29 yards out to tie the game at 27.

With the type of weapons Texas has available, it’s an offense you expect to be lethal inside of the red zone. Especially when Sarkisian — considered one of the top playcallers in the country — is the mastermind behind it all.

If Texas were able to get points in those two trips, they are at the very least heading to overtime or potentially winning the game outright.