Everything Steve Sarkisian said after No. 7 Texas' win over BYU
Here’s everything Steve Sarkisian after the Longhorns topped BYU 35-6 in Austin.
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Opening statement: “Okay, a little bit of a common theme but I do love that it’s a common theme: another really versatile team win. I’ve just continued to be proud of these guys that different aspects of the game show up. We felt really good the punt return unit, that we would get an opportunity. Sure enough right off the bat, we get the big punt return from Xavier (Worthy) right up the middle for an explosive play that way.
I thought defensively, a really good, physical, hard-fought game. Created three turnovers. A couple of really critical red area stops that were big in the game. They had the one explosive pass play down the middle, but for the most part (we) played really sound, affected the quarterback, did a good job against the run.
I thought offensively, for Maalik (Murphy) making his first career start, I was really proud of him. We had opportunities there for the game to go in a little better direction, a little smoother direction, and naturally we just didn’t finish those drives in the red area. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you there’s a level of frustration as it pertains to that. We’ve got to continue to dig deep into that and the things that we do well, and how do we emphasize that to score more points when we have opportunities to.
For Maalik to come out and play the way that he did, it’s unfortunate he had a couple of those turnovers which were quite frankly a little bit because we were out of rhythm. I think we can clean some of that rhythm up as he gets a little bit more comfortable as we move forward.
Jonathon Brooks showed up tonight. AD Mitchell was a weapon in the red area for us. (Ja’Tavion Sanders) made some really nice plays. So there was a lot of positives but I will say we haven’t played our best yet. And to me, that’s a little bit exciting to know that our best is still out there and that we can play better. I think it goes without saying we need to play better, but I’m going to be really proud of our guys on this one. Any time you can come home and beat a 5-2 football team the way that we did and play the style of defense that we played, that’s exciting and again the team versatility showed up.
On Maalik Murphy’s performance: “I thought he bounced back great. They were a little unorthodox. Both turnovers were quite frankly unfortunate for him. The first one, we had a bit of a miscommunication and we didn’t get a route from the receiver on the front side. Now he gets a little bit of pressure, and that’s some of the growing pains as a quarterback. Sometimes you’ve got to eat the ball, take the sack, and not just kind of try to throw it especially when you’re getting hit. The second one, we’re in a max protection and I think our running back and guard run into each other and we don’t block the defensive end. Probably had a pretty good chance at a touchdown pass. That’s some of the growing pains that sometimes you’ve got to eat it. We’ve got to execute better around him, but the way that he responded from both of those two turnovers I thought was great. Maalik has got really good composure about him. I think a little bit was the guys wanted to play so well around him and sometimes you can try a little too hard. You’re trying to make up for other stuff. We just need guys to do their jobs and do their jobs really well. I was proud of Maalik and the way he responded.
On the run game: “We believe in running the football. We take a lot of pride in our ability to run the football. We take a lot of pride in the versatility of our run game and the fact that we’re not a quarterback run team. I know a lot of people can steal yards with quarter back runs and different things. Ours are run driven, and our guys are blocking well. I think we’re playing in unison well when you think about the offensive line, the tight ends. I think the commitment from our receivers blocking downfield, and then utilizing some of the RPOs where people have to defend the RPOs. That’s the whole component to what drives us: our ability to run it, to utilize the RPO, to utilize the play-action pass and to set up those things. Jonathon Brooks had another really good day today, and we’re going to need that run game moving forward. Like I always say, if I can pack two things every game it’s run game and defense. If I have those two we always have a shot.”
On Ryan Watts: “Ryan provides a great deal of experience for us. I think there’s a little bit of a calming effect just knowing that guys back in the boundary doing what he does. He’s a physical player. Sometimes those perimeter plays were getting eight, nine, 10 yards a week ago. Maybe were getting three, four, or five today with his presence. It helps the rotation. Now that rotation between Terrance Brooks, Manny Muhammad, Gavin Holmes, everybody’s a little bit more fresh as that game goes on, especially on a day like today. It was definitely very humid out there.”
On Maalik Murphy’s looseness and throwing with him often early: “I just felt like sometimes the best way to get rid of any jitters that a guy might have is to let him go play. Not that I didn’t think we could run it, but I just feel like when I was a quarterback and my first time when I went out there, give me some throws. Don’t make me wait until it’s 3rd and 9 and now I have to throw it to try to make a play. I thought there were some good throws in there. I liked the throw to Xavier deep across the field. We didn’t get the pass interference call but it was a great read by him. He found AD. There were some things in there that I think were good for him and it kind of got him playing football again. A week ago when he went in against Houston, he really only had the two throws for an entire quarter. We can’t play football thinking we’re going to line it up and run it 10 out of 12 plays the whole game. We need balance and so to get him out there and letting him go play, I thought was good for him, and I thought was good for us. There’s going to be a lot of growth for him out of it, as well as for us as a team.”
On what he saw from the pass-rush and back end of the defense: “Our front showed up today. We talked about it when we put the keys to victory or the what it takes up with our team and our offense, defense, and special teams. That was one of the key bullet points in the game, it was to dominate the line of scrimmage. When we play like that, when our front plays like that, then we can be really active end the back end. I thought that showed up with a couple of big interceptions, the sack-fumble there. We had an opportunity for maybe a couple of more interceptions there. When those two things work hand in hand — we’re active up front and we’re really sticky in coverage — it can make it hard on any offense. It doesn’t matter. When a quarterback feels the pocket collapsing and the windows are tight, that’s when you’re playing really good defense. I thought it was really effective. It was a variety of guys in a lot of different looks of getting to the quarterback, whether it was (Barryn) Sorrell, J’Mond Tapp was in there. You saw (T’Vondre) Sweat, you saw (Byron) Murphy. Jaylan Ford was affecting the quarterback. Anthony Hill was affecting the quarterback. Jett Bush had a couple plays there so it’s not like we’re relying on one guy. I think the scheme was good but like I said the versatility of the defense showed up tonight. There was a lot of different guys making plays and being active up front.”
On not playing Arch Manning: “I just wanted to try to find a little more rhythm offensively. We just weren’t into the flow that I would have liked. We could have had a chance in there if maybe we would have punched a couple of those drives in where we got stopped inside the five. But we didn’t, so to me it was about making sure that we had enough rhythm with Maalik in there. It’s unfortunate. That’s why I’m always hesitant on those things to say ‘yes, he’s going to go in’ because now I’m going to get called a liar that I didn’t put him in. I just felt like it wasn’t the right time today. Hopefully in the future.”
On LJ Martin not playing for BYU: “The reality of it was it really wasn’t about one player. It was more about defending the scheme and the multitude of formations and the multitude of tight ends that they use. There’s a lot of substituting that goes on, so matching that personnel was big for us today. It wasn’t so much about, like I said, the one guy. It was more about the multitude of the scheme, the formations, and then trying to be sticky in coverage when they were dropping back.”
On what gives him confidence as his team is in the thick of the Big 12 race: “We’re versatile. We’re not a one dimensional team that relies on one aspect of our team to be successful. In that ‘we have to throw it. If we can’t throw it, we can’t win’ or ‘we have to run it. If we can’t run it we can’t win’ or ‘if we don’t play great on special teams, we’re in trouble.’ ‘If we don’t stop the run, we’re in trouble.’ ‘We’re in trouble if we don’t defend the pass.’
We can do all those things and the personality of the game starts to drive what’s needed from our team to excel and to come out victorious. That’s the most encouraging part for me. Our versatility shows up when the flow of the game starts to unfold, especially in the second half, that we’re able to adapt and adjust to what’s happening. The other thing that’s encouraging for me is I think our best football is still out there. With four games to go and with a really good team coming in here next week, we’re going to need our best game here. We need to continue to strive towards that, and I think our team recognizes that. We’re not a finished product. There’s more out left out there for us to do, and a better version of our team is still out there for us to play to.”
In this era of the transfer portal, what does it say about a guy like Maalik who doesn’t shy away when Quinn Ewers commits; who doesn’t shy away when Arch (Manning) commits? It’s almost kind of like Roschon (Johnson) in some ways. What’s that say about his character as a person?: “I’m so fired up you asked me that. To me, in this era of ‘things don’t go my way, I’m going to take my ball and go somewhere else,’ to have players on your roster that believe in this team, that believe in this football program, that believe in this university, that love being here, that’s I think ultimately why the culture is the way it is in our locker room. For Maalik Murphy to commit to the University of Texas, and then Quinn Ewers decides to transfer to Texas, he doesn’t blink. He still comes here. He’s fighting through an injury his freshman year that he had sustained in the state championship game, and Arch Manning commits and shows up. Two No. 1 players in the country, back to back, show up. He goes out and has a really good spring game, and people go out and allegedly are trying to recruit him to transfer.
I know this and I’m going to be candid on this: he didn’t stay because of NIL. I had my exit meeting. He didn’t bring up one thing about NIL. He stayed because he wanted to be part of this team, and he wanted to make sure he had an opportunity to compete. That’s what makes him special. I think that’s why our team really loves him so much. He loves his teammates. He’s a great teammate. He motivates Quinn when Quinn is in there. He’s a great teammate with Arch. That’s why that quarterback room is so good right now. Those guys have great rapport with one another. It was not about Maalik making his start as much as it was ‘Maalik’s starting, how are we going to go win the game?’
That was our team’s mentality. I don’t think it’s just Maalik Murphy. I think it’s a lot of guys like that. They recognize the opportunities they have here. They recognize the team and the culture we have here, what can they help us do to try to win a championship. Today, Maalik got his opportunity to go play and show the resiliency and perseverance that I think our team has in the way he responded to a couple of those turnovers. I couldn’t be happier for him.”
