Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian Wants to Prevent 2021 Repeat

With the Texas' bye week coming to a close, the Longhorns look towards the Houston Cougars.

The Texas Longhorns' bye week was much needed after an intense and heart-breaking loss against the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2023 Red River Rivalry matchup in Dallas. 

But now, Saturday's matchup against the Houston Cougars this Saturday is the only thing on Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian's mind.

“I think, inevitably for us, we’re back to game week,” Sarkisian said. “We’re playing a really good Houston team on the road.”

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian (right) / © Ricardo B. Brazziell, Austin American-Statesman

A major focus for the Horns this past week was regaining a healthy roster. Junior offensive lineman Jake Majors, for example, suffered an early-game injury against the Sooners.

“We had some guys that were a little banged up after the first half of the season,” Sarkisian said. “To get them as healthy as we could get them (last) week was good.”

The Cougars just entered the Big 12 this season, but that does not mean that the Longhorns won't recognize some familiar faces on Houston's roster. The Cougars' starting quarterback Donovan Smith led Texas Tech in victory over the Longhorns last season.

“We’re getting ready to play an experienced quarterback which we all know all too well,” Sarkisian said. “We know this team presents a lot of challenges.”

As a third-year head coach of Texas, Steve Sarkisian has lost two of the three Red Rivalry matchups. In 2021, after the Longhorns were defeated by Oklahoma in Sarkisian's first season as head coach, Texas lost its next five games. The Horns ended the year 1-6 in Big 12 matchups.

This season, however, Sarkisian wants to do everything in his power to prevent a repeat of the 2021 season.

“Last week I wanted to make sure that I re-sparked the competitive spirit,” Sarkisian said. “Practice remained highly competitive last week.”