Texas Longhorns TE Ja'Tavion Sanders Responds to Iowa State Cyclones 'High Ego' Smack Talk

The Texas Longhorns are feeling the heat from the Iowa State Cyclones ahead of Saturday's meeting in Ames.

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Iowa State Cyclones are hardly giving the Texas Longhorns a warm farewell ahead of their final scheduled meeting on Saturday in Ames, Iowa.

It's not a secret that the two programs have built a memorable conference rivalry since their first matchup as members of the Big 12 in 1998. Iowa State offensive lineman Jarrod Hufford is well aware of the history, and knows that Saturday's meeting means more as the Longhorns make their way to the SEC next season.

But he's turning things up a notch this time around by making sure the door doesn't hit Texas on the way out of both the Big 12 and Ames by delivering some textbook smack talk.

"They get all the 5-star recruits and have all the nicest stuff in the world and they just think they don't stink," Hufford said. "They're just humans and that's how I see them. They're people that have such a high ego that need to be checked."

"It's going to be one heck of a farewell present. They are going to come in here on senior night in the dark. I don't think they really know what is going to be coming for them. We've beaten them 4 out of the last 5 times at home. They don't have a good record here."

Ja'Tavion Sanders / © Jerome Miron, USA TODAY

The Longhorns have no shortage of confidence in themselves, but most of the team tends to avoid trash talk and stays true to basic player or coach talk. However, Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders took notice of Hufford's comments on social media and had a simple and straightforward response.

"Bet," Sanders tweeted with a ninja emoji.

BET🥷 https://t.co/l9HufwEPni

— Jatavion (@Jatavionsanders) November 14, 2023

No. 7 Texas (9-1) still has its College Football Playoff hopes alive and controls its own destiny to the Big 12 title game. But a loss in the cold on Saturday would give both teams a 6-2 conference record and would send the Big 12 title race into chaos ahead of the final week of the regular season.

Texas WR Adonai Mitchell Has Career-Best Game, Talks Support of Maalik Murphy: 'It's Not Easy'

Iowa State (6-4) got off to a slow start this season but have won four of their last five games since dropping to 2-3 after a 50-20 loss to Oklahoma on Sept. 30.

The Longhorns lead the all-time series 15-5, but three of those losses have come in Ames. Texas has a 3-3 record at Iowa State since 2011.

Iowa State clearly won't be backing down when Saturday's game tips off at 7 p.m. CT.