Steve Sarkisian’s teams have produced mostly positive results in games after bye weeks
As Texas heads into its only bye week of the season on the heels of a 34-30 loss to rival Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout in Dallas’ Cotton Bowl, we thought it would be a pertinent time see how Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian’s teams have performed after having an extra week to prepare for an opponent.
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The results through Sarkisian’s first nine seasons as a head coach with Washington (2009-13), USC (2014-15) and Texas (2021-present) show a mostly positive track record.
Overall, Sarkisian is 10-3 after byes across his years as head coach.
While at Washington, Sarkisian’s teams were 7-1 over the five seasons, with wins at No. 18 USC in 2010 and at home versus No. 8 Stanford in 2012 as the benchmark victories for his stint at the Huskies’ helm.
Washington’s two wins after bye weeks in 2010 came after losses at home to No. 8 Nebraska and at No. 1 Oregon. The Huskies’ only loss after a bye week under Sarkisian came in 2009 two weeks after a loss at home to No. 12 Oregon.
Sarkisian’s stint at USC was limited to a full season in 2014 and five games in 2015 before he was dismissed. The Trojans won both of their games after byes in 2014, beating Oregon State and California, respectively, with the former coming after a loss at home to Boston College.
In 2015, USC lost at home to Washington a week after beating Arizona State on the road. Sarkisian was relieved of his duties after the loss to his former team.
In Sarkisian’s two seasons at Texas, the Longhorns are 1-1 after byes, losing at No. 16 Baylor in 2021 and beating No. 13 Kansas State on the road last season. Ironically, Texas’ opponent in the week previous to the bye each time was Oklahoma State, which has handed the Longhorns losses in both campaigns.
Texas’s next game will continue a pattern of playing on the road after bye weeks under Sarkisian. The Longhorns head to Houston to play Dana Holgorsen’s Cougars at 3 p.m. on October 21.
