Texas Longhorns' Steve Sarkisian Previews CFP Matchup vs. Clemson Tigers

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian shared his early thoughts about the matchup with the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Zach Dimmitt | Dec 8, 2024

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian looks up into the roof of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium before the start of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. / Joshua l. Jones Athens Banner-Herald USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

AUSTIN -- Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian met with the media via Zoom on Sunday after the 12-team College Football Playoff was released. No. 5 seed Texas will host the No. 12 Clemson Tigers in Austin on Saturday, Dec. 21 at DKR.

Here's some of the early takeaways that Sarkisian had about the matchup with the Tigers:

Opening statement on Clemson:

"But the fact that you know where the five seed and we get to play a 12 seed in a team like Clemson, a team who's been a perennial College Football Playoff team. I think Coach Dabo Swinney has done a fantastic job at Clemson. You don't win two national titles over a 17-year period, multiple appearances in the CFP, numerous ACC conference championship. So they've got a championship program. And the fact that we've never played them, that Texas has never played Clemson in football, the first time, will be in the inaugural 12 team College Football Playoff right here at DKR I think, is very exciting. And you look at some of the other matchups that are going to take place, and what the brackets could look like down the road. I think it's exciting time for college football, and so we're fortunate that we've earned the right to be in the in the playoffs, and looking forward to the opportunity to compete with with Clemson and in the CFP in general."

On Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney:

"I know Dabo pretty well. You know, we go way, way back," Sarkisian said. "We originally met at a high school basketball game in Alabama, when we were both assistants. I was an assistant at USC, and he was actually an assistant at that time at Clemson. I think that he modernized a lot of the coaching philosophies that a lot of us use today. You know, the old school model of coaching was basically coach out of fear. I think Dabo has been one of the guys that changed that philosophy early on, and he created an environment there and a culture there at Clemson that was, in my opinion, full of love and support and [that] it's okay to have fun. He's got a slide in the middle of their facility. It's withstood the test of time. You're not at one place for 17 years without doing some things right, And it's not only what they're doing off the field, it's what they've been doing on the field. And so again, you know, [I] just definitely kind of admire him for a lot of things that he does there."

On Clemson QB Cade Klubnik:

"Big fan of Cade. We recruited him hard. Obviously a local kid. I thought he really possesses a great deal of competitive spirit, and you can see that when he was in high school at Weslake. He's a winner. He's going to do what it takes. He'll throw it, he'll run it, he'll block. I mean, that guy will do whatever it takes to try to put his team in position to be successful. That was obviously a heck of a team with Michael Taaffe and a lot of really good players on that team. So, you know, when he made the decision to go to Clemson, honestly, I was surprised. Both his parents went to A&M, and we were, thought we were the hometown team. And he had always had a dream of going to Clemson. And for him, I think what a cool story of getting into the College Football Playoff, and the first-round game is right here in Austin, back home for him. So a lot of really cool story lines to this ball game, and that's definitely one of them."

On the home atmosphere for a playoff game:

"This is one of the bonuses of playing in the first round, but yet having a home game, so we get another opportunity at DKR. School is just going to be wrapping up, looking forward to a great environment. Like I said yesterday, appreciate all of Longhorn nation their support in Atlanta yesterday, but we're going to need 105,000 strong a week from Saturday, 3 o'clock against Clemson, inaugural College Football Playoff game. And in round one, that's the beauty of this new format that you get a home game. And so we're looking forward to seeing everybody there as we build towards it and appreciate all that they do to support us."

On what he remembers about Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley from the Alabama days:

"Very creative offensive mind, spread you thin and then utilize the run game because you're spread out. And they do a really nice job in the run game, with the counter play, with the guard-tackle counter play, they utilize the quarterbacks legs in the run game, which we all know, Cade is a very adequate runner, and then they take advantage of the one-on-one opportunities, getting you spread out on the field. And so to prepare, I'm sure we'll get all of it, and maybe we'll get some things that we saw a couple years ago when we played them."