Steve Sarkisian was quick to point out all the mistakes the Longhorns made Saturday in their SEC opener. He also held himself to account for taking points off the board, usually a coaching sin regardless of level.
“I don’t know whoever the head coach is for Texas,” the head coach at Texas said, “but he took three points off the board and went forward on fourth down, and we lost that opportunity.”
Texas didn’t play its best football, to be sure. There were two fumbles, eight penalties, missed tackles and, yes, Sarkisian’s decision to take points off the board backfired. And Texas still won its first SEC game by 22 points over Mississippi State, arguably one of the worst teams in the league this year.
This isn’t the 2010s anymore. This is where Texas is now — upset about winning by more than a three-touchdown margin.
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AP Top 25 voters were more impressed by Alabama’s win over Georgia and moved the Crimson Tide to No. 1 in Sunday’s poll, pushing the top-ranked Horns down to second. Inside the football building, there was likely a collective shoulder shrug.
If the players can rebound from their miscues, so can the head coach.
With 10:51 left in the third quarter, Texas faced fourth-and-8 from the Mississippi State 31-yard line. Sarkisian didn’t hesitate; he sent kicker Bert Auburn onto the field for a 49-yard field goal attempt.
Auburn’s kick was good, after banging off the upright and shooting through. It was that kind of day. But back at the line of scrimmage, the Bulldogs were flagged for being offside. Sarkisian chose to take the points off the board and go for it on fourth-and-3.
Quarterback Arch Manning ended up throwing a high, low-percentage pass to Isaiah Bond near the sideline that fell incomplete. Texas turned it over on downs in what was a 14-6 game at that point.
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“I always say if I could play Monday morning quarterback like you guys do, I would have left the three points on the board,” Sarkisian told reporters. “But I don’t get to do that. I have to make real-time decisions.”
Well, even in real time, it was a curious decision.
“I had made a decision on third down if it was fourth down, three or less, I was going to go for it,” Sarkisian said. “So when they jumped offsides on the field goal, I went to my original decision to go for it. Maybe that changes the complexion of the game. So I could sit here and beat myself up.
“We got the look we wanted,” he added. “They played it pretty good. I wish Arch could have maybe given Isaiah a little better throw. But I’m never going to apologize for us trying to stay aggressive because our players appreciate us being aggressive. And it wasn’t us going rogue.”
It was simply that kind of day for everybody, the head coach included. In the end, it didn’t matter and the Horns won going away.
Still, for a coach who truly immerses himself in self-evaluation after every game, Sarkisian may likely beat himself up for that decision. He shouldn’t. It’s over, and No. 2 Texas can move on.
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