Ahead of his team's game with Houston, Steve Sarkisian feels the Longhorns are "a little pissed off"
When Texas takes the field Saturday in Houston versus the Cougars, it will have been two weeks since the Longhorns lost a heartbreaker to rival Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian‘s team has had to live with that fact for 12 days now, and Sarkisian sensed some righteous indignation from the Longhorns in preparation for the first game of the second half of the season.
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“I feel like I’ve got a team right now that’s a little pissed off, and that’s okay,” Sarkisian said. “They’re angry and they want to get back on the field. They want to play. In all likelihood, I know a lot of them wanted to rest, (but) I think they all wanted to get out there and play next Saturday to get the taste out of their mouth.
“That’s how practice has felt. It’s been very intense because these guys feel like we’re a good football team and we’ve got something to prove.”
Sarkisian touched on that topic and more when speaking with the media. Here are three things to know from his Thursday Zoom.
Nothing but good practices
In nearly every opportunity he’s had to talk about his team’s week of practice this season, Sarkisian’s descriptions have always been positive. That held true on Thursday when Sarkisian praised the efforts he saw in the Longhorns’ Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday practices.
Sark was asked if there have been bad practices this year. He admitted they have occurred, but the reason that they’ve been few in number is because of how his team approaches the Sunday through Friday leading up to Saturday.
He relayed a story from Wednesday’s practice, a day that emphasizes third-down defense and offense and ends with a good on good period to close things out. Sarkisian strolled over to one of the guest officials there to officiate things to express his satisfaction with what he had seen that day. On Thursday, he relayed what he told the visiting zebra.
“Man, our guys love to practice,” Sarkisian said. “They really love being out here. That’s a great sign they’re not just surviving practice but they’re attacking it. They’re having fun doing it. They’re competing at a high level.”
He added, “everything they do is intentional. They really try to be coachable, but they’re highly, highly competitive.”
Turnover emphasis
Texas forced five turnovers in the first two games versus Rice and Alabama, but since then the Horns have cooled off in that area. Pete Kwiatkowski‘s defense has forced just three turnovers in the last four games and netted zero versus Oklahoma.
When asked about the decline in takeaways, Sarkisian mentioned it has as much to do with being in the right spot as it does forcibly taking the ball away. However, both carry significant importance.
“I think sometimes, you need to be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there,” Sarkisian said.
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That’s held true for players like Jaylan Ford, who Sarkisian highlighted. It’s also true for Jahdae Barron, Jerrin Thompson, and even Austin Jordan. Those players along with Ford have all recorded interceptions this year. Barron and Jett Bush each have a fumble recovery as well.
It also has to do with making plays on the football. Sarkisian mentioned things like working to strip the ball from the quarterback in potential sack situations, recognizing routes while in zone coverage, and realizing when to attack the football if there are teammates helping make the tackle.
All those aspects have been drilled since the Longhorns last played.
“Hopefully in the second half of the season, it pays dividends,” Sarkisian said. “I’d love to get a few turnovers here Saturday defensively, but sometimes it’s about opportunity. You have to have opportunities to do that, and some of it is you create your own opportunities.”
Johntay Cook
The Monday after the loss to the Sooners, Sarkisian said he lamented not playing Johntay Cook more in the Cotton Bowl.
“I think he’s earned it,” Sarkisian said October 9. “He’s practiced well, so I hope to see more of him.”
Cook, who has four catches for 103 yards this season, logged 17 snaps versus Rice, two versus Alabama, five versus Wyoming, 12 against Baylor, 18 against Kansas, and only two against the Sooners.
Sarkisian spoke Thursday about how receiver is a complex position in his offense, with players having to know opposing formations plus their own, how to shift, run routes, and other things that need consistency.
“Ultimately you’re trying to gain trust and you’re trying to develop trust,” Sarkisian said. “I think that’s something Johntay has continued to work at. When I say earned it, that’s what I’m talking about. He’s earning the trust of the coaches. He’s earning the trust of the quarterback that he can be a guy that can go out there and function and play good football for us.”
