'We're Plenty Good Enough:' Texas' Steve Sarkisian Shuts Down Loss of Confidence Narrative

Head coach Steve Sarkisian described his players as needing to find their offensive mojo again, but it hasn't deterred their confidence heading into the final stretch of the season.

Oct 26, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian watches against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Texas football has officially completed two-thirds of its regular season stretch, and the month of November carries possibly the biggest weight on the Longhorns' shoulders. A lineup consisting of Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky and Texas A&M, awaits, and each matchup could arguably be the deciding factor in whether or not Texas will make it to its first SEC Championship.

Coming into its second bye week of the season, Texas received some beneficial downtime following a few harrowing weeks, taking a tough loss to Georgia before barely making it out alive against Vanderbilt. The results of both of these contests were seemingly shocking as the Longhorns had hit the ground running with a victory against Oklahoma coming out of their first bye week, causing momentum surrounding the fan base to be at an all-time high.

It's easy to say that the loss at home quickly diminished the energy that was once prominent within the first six games of the season, but with the amount of injuries, penalties and overall high level of football found in each opponent, it's no surprise that Texas might be feeling the physical and mental fatigue.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian said what each of his players needs is a key moment that will reignite their spark, also making it clear during Monday's media availability that there has been no strain in the confidence that was once obvious.

"If you're a home run hitter, if you're a really good three-point shooter when you see a couple go in, or you hit you hit a couple out of the park, I think you gain the confidence. But when you don't hit a couple or you miss a couple of threes, I don't know necessarily that those types of players lose confidence, they just need to see one go in," Sarkisian said. "They need to see one fly out of the park. And you know, for us offensively, I think if we can find a little of that mojo, whatever that is, in a football vernacular, I think it's going to spark our confidence and really kick us into high gear. I don't necessarily feel like we've lost it. I think our guys are working hard. They know they're good. They just want to see one go in the bucket."

Sarkisian mentioned that the early dominance of the team may have transitioned into the offense putting too much pressure on itself and in turn overcomplicating schemes. But he believes that isn't necessary, and continuously reminds his guys that they have every tool they need to be successful.

"I just don't want our guys to press. We're plenty good enough and we've got good enough players, we have good enough schemes, we've got enough balance to be a really electric offensive football team," Sarkisian said. "And, yeah, we didn't have a couple of great weeks. That's okay. We're going to be all right and make sure that we got the confidence to go do those things, and so I don't overdo it with them, because I just want them to know I believe in them, and here's why I believe in them, and here's what we're going to do to ensure opportunities for them to go make some plays."

The Longhorns will have the perfect opportunity to show just how explosive they can be against the Florida Gators on Saturday, a game that will surely be a catalyst for another convincing run for Texas.

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