'Rat Poison': How Texas Is Planning To Avoid Setback Following National Praise

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is taking a play out of Nick Saban's book to avoid the pressure.

© Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian nearly became the third former assistant to take down his former boss Nick Saban. Now, he’s taking a play out of the seven-time national champion’s playbook to prepare for the remainder of the season. 

Texas played tough Saturday in front of a packed Royal-Memorial Stadium against top-ranked Alabama but ultimately fell short in a 20-19 loss. A three-touchdown underdog, the Longhorns caught the attention of the public eye and earned the respect of the national media. 

How does No. 21 Texas (1-1) build off its promise entering Week 3? Sarkisian channeled his inner Saban, issuing a warning to both his team and the fan base. 

“To quote my old boss, we've got to be careful of the rat poison of people telling us how good we are, which is important," Sarkisian said. "A week ago, everyone told us how bad we were. Now this week, everyone wants to tell us how good we are. We've got to be careful to quiet the noise outside of our building and focus on us."

Led by reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young, Alabama needed nearly all 60 minutes to take down Texas away from Bryant-Denny Stadium. A 20-yard scramble from the Crimson Tide quarterback eventually set up a game-winning 33-yard field goal from Will Reichard with 10 seconds remaining, ending any chance for the Longhorns to pull off the upset. 

In the short term, Texas still won. Despite the loss, the Longhorns are ranked for the first time since Week 7 of the 2021 season. Many around the league believe that this version of Texas football can compete for a Big 12 title and perhaps even the College Football Playoff.

Sarkisian is taking it game-by-game instead of looking at the big picture. He’s already moved off Alabama, turning his attention toward 2021 Conference USA champion UTSA. 

"They have our attention," Sarkisian said. "That didn't take long this morning when we turned the tape on for them. They get your attention. We need to be ready to go."

The Roadrunners are coming off their first 12-win season in program history. Led by third-year coach Jeff Traylor, UTSA is a favorite to repeat as conference champions despite losing key talents such as running back Sincere McCormick, cornerback Tariq Woolen, and offensive lineman Spencer Buford. 

Texas might enter the game as a -10.5 favorite, but not everything is trending in its direction. The Longhorns will be without quarterback Quinn Ewers for at least four weeks after suffering a clavicle injury in the first quarter Saturday. 

That’s not all for the Horns. Reliable backup Hudson Card is questionable for Saturday’s matchup after suffering an ankle injury against Alabama’s defense in the second quarter. Card, a native of Austin, played through the pain to keep Texas involved, going 14-of-22 passing for 158 yards. 

Both running back Bijan Robinson (shoulder) and cornerback D’Shawn Jamison (ankle) are also questionable, though Robinson is confident he’ll be good to go come Saturday evening. 

“I’m healthy. My shoulder just hurts a little bit, but I’ll be good by the middle of the week or so,” Robinson said. “Just be tough, stop being a little wimp.” 

If Card is unable to play, the expectation is that redshirt freshman Charles Wright will get the starting nod. Despite potentially having more upside, Sarkisian ruled out freshman and SI All-American’s No. 7 QB prospect Maalik Murphy as he's still recovering from an ankle injury suffered in the California high school state championship game last December. 

“I give Charles a lot of credit," Sarkisian said. "He has made strides and leaps and bounds from a year ago this time as a true freshman to where he is today.

Wright, who joined the program from Austin High School, made an appearance last season against Texas Tech but did not record a stat. During his time with the Maroons, Wright threw for over 8,000 yards and 80 passing touchdowns while adding another 13 touchdowns with his legs. 

Wright, Card, Roschon Johnson in a wildcat formation? Anything can happen in Week 3. Regardless of which passer gets the starting nod, Sarkisian is prepping as if he’s facing Alabama, not UTSA. 

One thing Sark won’t do is allow his team to treat the Roadrunners as if they're a lesser opponent. That happened far too often last year en route to a 5-7 finish. 

“We got a great deal of respect for UTSA,” Sarkisian said. 

Kickoff Saturday at DKR is set for 7 p.m. 

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