Jaylan Ford Reveals What Motivates Texas Ahead Of Washington Matchup

The Texas Longhorns are looking to beat the Washington Huskies in what is their first College Football Playoff appearance.

The Texas Longhorns are just a few days away from taking the field in New Orleans for the Allstate Sugar Bowl, where they will be taking on the Washington Huskies.

The two teams met last season in the Alamo Bowl, but the stakes are much higher this time around. The winner of this game will head to Houston for a chance to win the title. Ahead of the meeting, one of the Longhorns' leaders on defense, linebacker Jaylan Ford, spoke to the media to provide insight on everything around the game.

When asked about their mindset, Ford revealed that the Longhorns need to figure out a way to limit mistakes. 

"The mindset of the team is pretty good right now. I think for the most part everybody understood what their role is and what their job is for the team. Everybody knows what we need to do to go and win so I think now it is just making sure that we clean up the mistakes that we made since we started preparing," said Ford.

Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford  / © Maria Lysaker, USA TODAY

Ford, who leads the team in total tackles with 90 and is second on the team with two interceptions has emerged as a star for Texas. Even when DeMarvion Overshown was in Austin, Ford was someone that many looked at as the lead-by-example type. 

When asked about what is keeping the team motivated amid what has been their most successful season since 2009, Ford explained they aren't satisfied by anything they have done. 

"I would say not being satisfied is one of the things that keeps driving us," said Ford. "Winning the Big 12 championship was a big accomplishment for us, but when we started the season we wanted more than that and we wanted to achieve more than that. I think for us it was just a part of the process and a part of our journey. We understand what we really want to go and achieve, which is a National Championship, and now that we have gotten a chance to compete for one I think nobody wants it more than the guys on this team."

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Despite being the lower seed against Washington, the Longhorns are viewed as the favorites. The consensus is that both the Texas and Washington defensive backs will be tested by elite quarterback play, with this game having the makings of a shootout.