Steve Sarkisian Warns Longhorns to Avoid 'Notre Dame Scenario'

The Texas Longhorns are using Notre Dame's recent downfall as motivation.

Sep 7, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Northern Illinois Huskies kicker Kanon Woodill (92) reacts after kicking the game winning field goal in the fourth quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. The Huskies won 16-14. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

AUSTIN -- Steve Sarkisian isn't satisfied after taking down the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor to secure a top-10 win.

The Texas Longhorns head coach is ready for his team to quickly move on from their statement win and is using the failures of others as some major motivation.

When speaking to the media Monday, Sarkisian revealed that he showed his team footage of Notre Dame's 16-14 loss at home to Northern Illinois over the weekend. The No. 5 Fighting Irish suffered one of the most notable upset losses in recent memory and have become heavily criticized as a result.

Northern Illinois celebrates after winning a NCAA college football game 16-14 against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend. / Michael Clubb / USA TODAY NETWORK

Sarkisian wants the Longhorns to recognize that feeling of failure and to be wary of it headed into Saturday's meeting with the UTSA Roadrunners.

"What did I do this morning? I walked them through the Notre Dame scenario of them going into College Station a week ago and winning that game and being anointed a top-five team and in the college football playoff, and a week later, losing to Northern Illinois. And so I showed that clip of the field goal, and I showed the clip of Northern Illinois storming the field this morning as a good reminder that we are entitled to nothing. We're capable of anything. We've got a really good team, but we're entitled to nothing, and we're going to earn everything we get, and we're going to have to earn the victory here Saturday."

The message will certainly apply for the Longhorns when they close out non-conference play against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 21, but it's particulary revelant for Saturday's matchup against UTSA.

When the I-35 neighbors met in Austin two seasons ago, the Roadrunners had Texas fans nervous in the first half after jumping out to a 17-7 lead with 9:36 to play in the second quarter.

The Longhorns eventually woke up and cruised to a 41-20 victory thanks to three touchdowns from Bijan Robinson, but it was clear that Texas had come out a bit too slowly in that game one week after the 20-19 home loss to No. 1 Alabama.

This Texas team and these Roadrunners are heading in different directions this season, but if the Longhorns expect to win, they could be caught off guard.