Longhorn Confidential: Why Texas deserves to be favorite over Michigan
In a clip from the Longhorn Confidential podcast, the American-Statesman’s Danny Davis, Cedric Golden and Thomas Jones explain why Texas is the favorite against Michigan.
Among all the expected College Football Playoff contenders, Texas football faces the biggest early-season test this Saturday against defending national champion Michigan — much to the delight of head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Sarkisian, in his fourth season as the Longhorns’ head coach, spoke Thursday about how his program embraces the challenge of traveling to Ann Arbor, Michigan. During his weekly Zoom conference, he also gave updates on his freshman class, his comfort level for a big road game with Quinn Ewers, and his thoughts on the 2024 Wolverines.
Here are five takeaways from Sarkisian before the No. 3 Longhorns take on the No. 9 Wolverines:
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New sideline tablets particularly useful in top-10 matchup
The NCAA now allows teams to use tablets on the sidelines, and Sarkisian said instant access to film will prove especially critical on Saturday considering the circumstances. Both squads cruised to comfortable wins in their respective season openers, and both teams likely revealed little of their playbooks.
“I’m sure, like us, that they have probably spent a little bit more time on us in preparation, maybe during the offseason, and have studied some different things,” Sarkisian said. “You have a game plan for that first game, and then they kind of have that second game plan waiting for us, and so it’s going to be critical for us to identify what they’re trying to do.
“I think this game is when we could probably really get some of the usage out of the tablets on the sidelines and some of the video that we get to see. Maybe we can make those adjustments a little quicker than when you’re trying to just talk it through.”
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Steve Sarkisian embraces role as ‘villain’
All week, Sarkisian has referred to the challenges that come with competing at Michigan Stadium, the largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere with an official seating capacity of 107,601. Facing a blue-blood program like the Wolverines makes the home-crowd edge especially sharp; Michigan has won 23 consecutive home games and has an all-time home record of 461-133-15.
And Sarkisian wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I kind of like going in there thinking, man, there’s 100 versus 120,000 and we’re the villain,” he said. “And it’s OK being the villain, you know? How do we create that deafening silence? That comes about by our style of play, that comes about by our execution, that comes about by sticking together and playing as one. But I love those opportunities as much as I love playing at home. I think you find out a lot about yourself and a lot about your team.”
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Sarkisian: Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers built for road games
Nothing helps a team survive a rugged road trip more than a veteran quarterback, said Sarkisian. And Texas has one of the nation’s most experienced signal callers in third-year starter Quinn Ewers. He boasts a 7-1 record as a starter in true road games, a mark that includes last year’s ballyhooed 34-24 victory at Alabama.
“These guys (Michigan) haven’t won 23 in a row at home on accident,” Sarkisian said. “It’s a big building. It can get loud. They play with a lot of swagger; you can see that on tape. But having that calming effect at quarterback, I think, is helpful for the other guys on the field, and for me. Just knowing that (Ewers) is going to operate the calls accordingly is comforting.”
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Freshman RB Jerrick Gibson in line for more work
In last week’s opener, Texas had a freshman lead the team in receiving (Ryan Wingo, 70 yards) and rushing (Jerrick Gibson, 67 yards) although neither started. Sarkisian said both will remain crucial parts of the offense, with the 5-foot-10, 205-pound Gibson in line for more work against Michigan’s elite run defense behind starter Jaydon Blue.
“Jerrick’s going to play for us again,” he said. “Every game takes on a life of its own, the way that it’s going, the rhythm of the game, and the score and time of possession and so on. But we have the utmost confidence in Jerrick. I thought him getting 10 carries last week was big for him and his confidence. I don’t exactly know when he’s going to get into the game, but I know he’ll play this Saturday.”
Sarkisian: Michigan’s two quarterbacks a threat
Michigan had to replace first-round NFL pick JJ McCarthy at quarterback this season, and neither starter Davis Warren nor his dual-threat understudy in Alex Orji drew much praise from the media after the Wolverines’ 30-10 win over Fresno State last week. Warren threw for 118 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 15 of 25 passing while Orji totaled 35 yards from scrimmage.
But Sarkisian said the ability of Michigan to utilize the distinct abilities of each quarterback creates problems for any defense.
“The challenges is Davis’s ability to operate their offense,” Sarkisian said. “There are so many things that systematically they do that are on the quarterback at the line of scrimmage, and I think that (Warren) definitely has got a good head on his shoulders and can make those necessary checks and different things at the line of scrimmage, protection, changes and so on.
“And I think it’s critical for us to recognize when (Orji) is in the game, and I think it’s going to be critical for us to recognize when they leave both of them on the field at the same time. We have to be ready for things that maybe they haven’t put on tape yet, and one of which being those two guys on the field together.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-05 08:55:00
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