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Sugar Bowl Media Day 2 - Live Updates

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•12/29/23•

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Kyle Flood (Ricardo B. Brazziell / Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Yesterday it was the defense’s turn. On Friday, the offense takes the stage for the Longhorns as part of Texas press availabilities in the leadup to the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

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Texas offensive coordinator Kyle Flood will be available, followed by Quinn Ewers, Xavier Worthy, Christian Jones, Adonai Mitchell, and Ja’Tavion Sanders.

Kyle Flood

Flood: “We’re looking forward to the game. It’s a great opportunity for us and for our program, having been there now for three years with Coach Sarkisian and watching the transformation that’s happened in our program. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to take the next step and have a chance to play for what our ultimate goals are.”

Flood on what makes Steve Sarkisian a good playcaller: “I’ve been fortunate enough to be with Sarkisian for seven seasons from Atlanta to Alabama to now at Texas. I’ve always felt this way, as somebody who works with lineman and certainly heavily involved in the run game and protections and that’s the world I live in, I think my biggest job for him in terms of playcalling is to know what he likes. I need to know what he likes to call in the games. That’s really where I spend my focus during the week to make sure I’m giving him the options that he wants to call on game day.”

Flood on Arch Manning being the backup: “We’ve got a ton of confidence in Arch. I think his progression throughout the year is excellent. He’s a real student of the game in that he’s approached it like that from the very beginning.”

Flood on Ja’Tavion Sanders: “He’s an explosive player. I will say what has made him different and made him more valuable to us as he’s progressed over the last couple of years is his willingness to become a better blocker.”

Flood on Washington’s defense: “It’s very much an NFL style defense. That’s the first thing I would say. They play with base personnel, meaning seven true front players. Which is a little bit unusually in this day and age of college football. They play nickel defense to 11 personnel, which again is pretty standard. They’ve got excellent edge players in their defensive angles that are as good as anybody we’d play this year. They play at a really high level.”

Flood: “When we’re at our best, we have balance. When people ask me to describe our offense, we are built on running the ball and play-action pass.”

Flood on Jaydon Blue: “Jaydon is a make you miss player. He’s got an explosive aspect to his game… Jaydon for sure is a make you miss player.”

Flood on Adonai Mitchell: “He’s got a skill set that we were lacking before we got here. He is the complimentary receiver to (Xavier Worthy) that we needed to make the field a little more open for both of those guys and a guy like JT. His role in what we do in gameplanning is critical.”

Xavier Worthy

Worthy on last year’s Alamo Bowl: “It’s the high and lows of football. That’s what you’ve got to love about football. It’s got its highs and it has its lows. I’ve learned from it and I’m going to overcome it.”

Worthy: “Definitely good to go. Trying to get as close to 100 percent as possible.”

Worthy on his punt return ability: “I feel like it took a little bit of confidence. Last year I didn’t really have confidence in punt return. I feel like this year, I’ve got more confidence and I feel more comfortable catching the ball.”

Worthy was asked if Florida State should have been in the CFP: “I don’t know. I’d be mad, too. 13-0? I’d be upset.”

Worthy on the NFL Draft: “I haven’t made a decision yet. I feel like I’ll make the decision after the next month.”

Xavier Worthy on committing to Steve Sarkisian without visiting: “I talked to him when I was a recruit. The offensive scheme, I really liked it. It was a hard choice, but I ended up committing to Michigan. He came to Texas, and as soon as he came to Texas I wanted to play for that. Just his offensive scheme and how he was coaching at Alabama as the interim head coach for the Iron Bowl, that was something I wanted to play for.”

Quinn Ewers

Ewers: “I think how aggressive his playcalls are. It makes him easier to be aggressive whenever he trusts us on offense. Whether it’s not there, I think I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and understand when to check the ball down and when to take the shot. I think that just goes into his playcalls as well.”

Ewers on his mechanical improvements at Texas: “I think a whole lot. That’s one of the reasons I came back to Texas. I have a lot more resources here in Texas. I grew up here (in Texas). I changed the way I threw a little bit. I made it a little quicker. My footwork has gotten a whole lot better with Coach (AJ) Milwee.”

Ewers: “I don’t remember the 2009 one. I was pretty young.”

Ewers: “Arch is a great kid. It’s cool to be in the same quarterback room as him. His family has got a lot of great history, especially in this state. He’s learned a lot and has grown a lot this whole year. It’s cool to see his growth.”

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