LIVE UPDATES: Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns players take the mic to preview Clemson

Gunnar Helm

“He always goes into the day with the same mindset. Very level headed. You can never tell if something’s going on with him off the field or on the field. He’s always going to be that leader. We’re going to do our best to protect him and allow him to make his plays in the game that he’s obviously made plenty of times in big game situations. He doesn’t really care what anybody else outside of our building thinks, and that’s the way we all are.”

Gunnar Helm

On the Senior Bowl: “Obviously, in the back of my mind. Very excited about where I could take myself after the season, but obviously still focused on Clemson and winning a national championship. That’s where it starts.”

Kelvin Banks

“DKR is special in itself, man. All three years I’ve been here, it’s been very special just to see the fans and how much we grew as Longhorns. Just to see how much the fans put into the game year in and year out no matter how we’re doing, it’s just special being able to run out of the tunnel and being able to see all the people who support us and are going to war with us as well.”

Gunnar Helm

“I feel like we just need to clean up the the penalties. We’ve got to establish the run game. We can’t play behind the chains, especially in this game and every game going forward if we get the opportunity to play in it. We can’t hurt ourselves as soon as we cross the 50. Can’t jump on a field goal which we made and then miss the next one. It’s everyone. It starts with everyone. We’ve got to clean up the penalties.”

Anthony Hill

“Now you’ve got extra time for recovery and extra time to get some film. I mean at this point, you should be at your best. You don’t got nothing else to worry about. There’s nobody here but us. All film. All football. This should be some of the best football we play all year.”

Anthony Hill

On not making All-SEC: “That’s not up to me. I don’t really trip over it too much. I just come to do my job every day and just handle business.”

Anthony Hill

On Phil Mafah: “He’s a downhill runner. We feel like Georgia was a downhill running team, so we’ve got to limit (Mafah) from running downhill and get him going side to side.”

Quinn Ewers

Q. Have you decided what your future is after the season?

Quinn Ewers: “I’m not sure yet. I’m just trying to win these games.”

Q. Do you think about this being your last home game?

Quinn Ewers: “Maybe. We’ll see.”

Quinn Ewers

What’s been the best part about being a QB at Texas? “Getting to know all these guys from different demographics, learning their stories, just getting to know guys from all over the country. Football has given me the opportunity to get to know them. Without this team and without football, I wouldn’t have been able to build the relationships that I built over the past three years.”

Most miserable? “It’s all been a learning experience, nothing’s been super miserable for me. It’s been good all the time.”

Quinn Ewers

How does he handle being asked to be the focal point of the offense up to 50 times a game?

“I mean, I just try to get the ball to the playmakers and let them go to work at the end of the day. It sounds like a simple answer, but that’s how simple it is.”

Quinn Ewers

“I feel good. It was good to get some time off.”

Steve Sarkisian

Sarkisian on Clemson’ culture, mentions there’s a common thread with ideas from an author named John Gordon: “There’s probably some correlation there for him on that front.”

Steve Sarkisian

Steve Sarkisian says last week, they reviewed the game on Monday and did “no football” on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: “I wanted them to get away from football for a few days, then we brought them back Thursday and Friday and we got into the game plan.”

Steve Sarkisian

Texas HC Steve Sarkisian mentions “I don’t ask any player on our team if you’re turning pro or not” in season.

“The best thing they can do for their future, whether they decide to stay or leave, is to play really well in the College Football Playoff.”

Says no discussions with Quinn Ewers, Kelvin Banks, or any player has taken place.

Steve Sarkisian

Was Steve Sarkisian surprised Anthony Hill and Michael Taaffe didn’t make the All-SEC teams?

“Both those blew my mind. Alfred Collins another one.”

Notes Jalon Walker, who won the Butkus, was oddly selected as second-team All-SEC.

Steve Sarkisian

When talking about first-year Longhorns in the NFL, Sarkisian mentions he liked the fits for players like Bijan Robinson with Atlanta, Xavier Worthy with Kansas City, and Jordan Whittington with the Los Angeles Rams.

Steve Sarkisian

On Clemson’s defense, Sarkisian notes the Tigers can rush the passer, and also “like us, you can tell they practice attacking the ball.”

Steve Sarkisian

Steve Sarkisian

Steve Sarkisian says WR Isaiah Bond is “in the same boat as Kelvin, as Quinn.”

“We took last week to shut him down completely to try to get him as healthy as we could. Isaiah and I had a great meeting last week and he’s going to do everything in his power to play this week, but we’re going to have to monitor that daily as it goes.”

Steve Sarkisian

Steve Sarkisian says that LT Kelvin Banks “was good last week. I was very pleased. I was probably the one that held him back more than he actually wanted to do, but I wanted him to come back today feeling really good with where he was out. I’m comfortable with him, with Quinn (Ewers), a lot of the guys that had things nicked up, we’re going to come back today and feel like a much more healthy football team than we were a couple weeks ago.”

Steve Sarkisian

Steve Sarkisian says “this has been a very challenging three weeks” when talking about Signing Day, SEC Championship Game, portal opening.

Regarding Texas players who entered the portal, Tia Savea, Justice Finkley, and “a couple other guys who are still trying to decide” will be with the team through the playoff.

Steve Sarkisian

Sark: “Clemson’s a really good team. Dabo, for a long, long time, has been winning a lot of games at Clemson.”

Steve Sarkisian

Sark: “This is pretty exciting stuff, this new era of college football. To be playing in a playoff game in mid-December is just very different. I think for everybody, at least on our end, is taking a minute. When you have a really successful season, historically you get this long layoff until your bowl game right around New Year’s and whatnot. For it to come off two weeks after the SEC Championship game is pretty exciting because one of the concerns always for us as coaches is that long layoff. How do you keep your team sharp and how do you keep them competitive, yet in the same token heal and get healthy. This just times up really nice.”

Michael Taaffe

Michael Taaffe

On Phil Mafah: “No. 7 is a really special guy. He’s physical. He’s big. He jump cuts like he’s 150 pounds then he runs like he’s 260.”

Michael Taaffe

Michael Taaffe on Cade Klubnik: “We communicated when we found out we’re playing each other and it’s all love.”

Jahdae Barron on Andrew Mukuba

Jahdae Barron: “He has a lot of savvy to him that creates plays for us.”

Jahdae Barron

Jahdae Barron said that fellow Thorpe Award winner Michael Huff told him “you need a natty to talk to me.” — “He was so serious.”

Jahdae Barron

On winning the Thorpe: “It meant everything. I’m blessed to have it. I appreciate my team, and I appreciate Coach Joseph. He’s changed my life on and off the field.”

Andrew Mukuba

Andrew Mukuba on his hit on Gunner Stockton: “I was just trying to stop the guy from getting in the end zone to be honest.”

Andrew Mukuba

Andrew Mukuba on Clemson QB Cade Klubnik: “He’s a good runner. I feel like a lot of people sleep on his speed. He can run. He’s a smart quarterback. He makes good decisions. I believe he can control the game.”

Andrew Mukuba

Andrew Mukuba