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SEC media days are underway, and we hear news and soundbites from coaches and players across the conference. One team with the biggest expectations is the Texas football team. The Longhorns are expected to completely reload and be one of the best teams in the country. Steve Sarkisian and Heisman Trophy favorite Arch Manning are the two biggest keys for the Longhorns.
Speaking at SEC media days, Steve Sarkisian discussed how close Texas football has been to advancing to the National Championship in the last two seasons. In the previous two years, they lost in the semifinals to Washington and Ohio State, and in both games, they fizzled out on red zone trips. Sarkisian talked about those struggles and how they have focused on fixing them.
Sarkisian told the media, “For the Last two years, we've had the ball inside 10 to tie or play for the national title. It's a huge point of emphasis. Every year, you look for areas of improvement. Those are two critical moments we needed our best, and we weren't our best as coaches or players.”
Texas football fans should acknowledge that Sarkisian knows their red zone issues well. Last season, the Longhorns were 111th in the NCAA in red zone scoring at only 77.42%. Repetition is the most significant way to improve in the red zone, so Sarkisian and Co-Offensive Coordinators Kyle Flood and A.J. Milwee have to figure out ways to focus on the red zone and get those extra reps in during fall camp to refine the edges.
The most notable example of the Texas offense fizzling out and struggling in the red zone was quarterback Quinn Ewers's fumble. Ohio State's defensive end took the ball and ran back the other way for a game-clinching 83-yard fumble recovery touchdown.
Texas football hopes that, thanks to Arch Manning, its red zone precision will continue to improve this season. Manning was able to sit and develop for two seasons under Quinn Ewers, and Sarkisian sees that maturity as a massive advantage with his first full season as the starter.
“He's learned a lot over time. He watched Quinn navigate the ups and downs,” Sarkisian said. “He has an even keel about him, very quick-witted and allows himself to laugh at himself.”
The Texas football program has been knocking on the door for the past two seasons, but after more coaching and one of the best quarterback prospects we have ever seen in Arch Manning, they hope things look much different in the red zone this season.
