With Eyes On Bigger Prize, Longhorns Prepare For Must-Win Game vs. Kansas

A win over the Jayhawks inches Texas closer back toward a Big 12 title.

It's the rematch fans have been clamoring for since November of 2021. This time, however, there's more at stake than pride for Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns. 

All eyes are fixated on Lawrence, Kan., home of the Jayhawks. Remember them? That was the team that took Texas to overtime and ended their 18-game conference losing streak in a 57-56 outcome. 

That was the start of the Jalon Daniels era. The two-point conversion pass to Jared Casey ended up being more than just a highlight play in the program's history. 

The Longhorns might be favored headed to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, but this isn't the same Kansas team that went 0-9 during the COVID-19 season. This isn't even close to the version of last year's 2-10 roster. 

And players know it. 

"It still haunts me a little bit," defensive lineman Ovie Oghoufu said Monday. 

Sarkisian, who now is 11-11 during his tenure for Texas, knows the feeling far too well of coming up short. It's natural for him and the Longhorns (6-4, 4-2 Big 12) to want revenge, but it can't overshadow the ultimate goal of setting up a rematch against No. 4 TCU in the Big 12 Championship. 

To punch its ticket to AT&T Stadium, Texas must win its last two games against the Jayhawks and Baylor, and hope for losses over the next two weeks from Kansas State and Oklahoma State. 

"The reality is we're a different team. They're a different team," Sarkisian said. "A little bit more at stake in this scenario of what we need to do. So I think our guys want to play well for a lot of reasons. I'm sure that's a component to it all."

Kansas (6-4, 3-4 Big 12) is bowl eligible for the first time since 2008. A win over Texas or Kansas State in the season finale would secure the Jayhawks' first winning season in 13 years, back when Mark Mangino led them to a 42-21 victory over Minnesota in the now-defunct Insight Bowl. 

The biggest question mark entering Saturday might rely on the home team's sideline in terms of Daniels' status. Daniels, who help Kansas pick up its best start in over a decade with a 5-0 record, has missed the past four games with a shoulder injury. 

The Jayhawks are 1-3 without Daniels, despite adequate play from backup Jason Bean. Defensively, Kansas has allowed opponents to average 30.4 points per game, second-worst among teams in the Big 12. 

Kansas' saving grace? Its offense. Behind Lance Leipold's play-calling, the Jayhawks rank second in scoring (36.9), trailing only TCU. 

"Lance has done a great job," Sarkisian said. "They obviously came out early in the year and jumped on people with a unique style of offense."

Sarkisian said that freshman quarterback Quinn Ewers still is expected to start despite inconsistent play as of late. In Saturday's 17-10 loss to the Horned Frogs, Ewers went 17-of-39 passing for 174 yards and an interception. 

Since his record-setting 49-0 victory over Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown, Ewers has regressed. Over his last four starts, the Southlake native has completed 51.4 percent of his throws for 859 yards and seven touchdowns against four interceptions.

Ewers told reporters Monday that Kansas' defense plays with "effort" and has the talent to cause mayhem on Saturday. That mayhem could come in the form of an 0-2 start against the Jayhawks for Sarkisian. 

That's not the worst part. A loss, plus wins by Kansas State, Baylor, and Oklahoma State would mathematically eliminate the Horns from winning their first Big 12 title since 2009. 

"We’re a good football team. We’ve lost to a couple of good teams," Sarkisian said. "We’ve stubbed our own toe sometimes and that’s a level of consistency that we’ve got to keep working toward.”

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