Steve Sarkisian shares in-game moment when he felt solid about Alabama win

It’s difficult to let your guard down against Alabama. Nonetheless, halfway through the fourth quarter of Texas‘ 34-24 upset over the Crimson Tide, UT head coach Steve Sarkisian was able to take in the moment. During a recent appearance on CBS Sports’ “Inside College Football,” Sarkisian broke down the Longhorns’ pivotal fourth quarter.

“We loved the plan going in, and, honestly, I was a little frustrated we only had 13 points when we did,” Sarkisian said. “We had two opportunities at touchdowns that were off our fingertips. We missed the field goal. So, at minimum, I was thinking we should’ve had about 24 points going into the fourth quarter.”

Steve Sarkisian leads a lightning-fast comeback

In the moment, Sarkisian’s hopes were far from reality. After Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton hauled in a 49-yard touchdown catch from Jalen Milroe, the Crimson Tide led Texas 16-13 entering the fourth quarter.

Texas did not remain behind for long. Less than a minute into the final period, Adonai Mitchell snagged a 7-yard toss from Quinn Ewers to take a 20-16 lead. Just under 30 seconds later on the game clock, the Longhorns found the end zone again, thanks to an errant throw by Milroe.

Alabama responded quickly, cutting Texas’ lead to 27-24. Nonetheless, the Longhorns piled on another score to put the game out of reach. Sarkisian never doubted his team.

“We still liked the stuff that we had ready to call, predicated on the way that they were playing the game,” Sarkisian recalled. “To go out in Bryant-Denny on the road and score 21 points in the fourth quarter and then get the ball with seven minutes to go, and them not get it back.

“I don’t know how much better we could have played in that fourth quarter, outside of just not tackling on the one touchdown pass. Outside of that, we played really good football in all three phases there in the fourth quarter.”

More than a closer

Although Texas put the nation on notice in the final period, it wasn’t the only time the team shined. The Longhorns amassed 454 total yards in the win while committing zero turnovers. Additionally, UT recorded just four penalties compared to Alabama’s 10 violations.

Sarkisian is happy with his program’s performance, but not satisfied. He certainly isn’t overlooking Texas’ Week 3 matchup.

“This is a tough task because Wyoming is a very gritty football team. They’re extremely well-coached,” Sarkisian said. “Coach Bohl does a tremendous job. They’ve got a veteran football team, got a bunch of fourth, fifth, and six-year seniors. And their schemes; they’re disciplined. They execute, and they’re hard-nosed.”

Texas will square off against Wyoming on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network.