The Texas Longhorns will seek to avenge their sole loss this season. The only thing standing between the Texas Longhorns and a flawless regular season is a 30-15 home loss to the Georgia Bulldogs on October 19, which was a disappointing outcome in their biggest game of the season.
Fortunately, the Longhorns will have an opportunity to avenge their loss when they face the Bulldogs in Saturday’s SEC Championship Game. Many may pick against the Longhorns based on their past encounter and the fact that this game will be played in the Bulldogs’ backyard in Atlanta, but this is an opportunity for them to prove that they can compete with the conference’s top dogs (pun intended).
In some ways, the Longhorns’ recent defeat can serve as an
advantage going into the contest. At least that’s the attitude of head coach Steve Sarkisian. “Well, I think the one thing that I’ve tried to lean into here today, as we’re in the preliminary stages of it all, is kind of take myself back to the NFL,” Sarkisian told the crowd. “You get into your division, and you play teams several times a year. After a few years, you begin to play them four times in two years. If you count the playoffs, that’s five times in two years.
“You attempt to do what you’re good at, A. B, you try to soak in the information that you may possibly obtain from seeing them in person rather than what it seems like on
tape. Then make sure that you have an understanding of some of your own habits and that you can break some of them.” Sarkisian, who previously served as the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator from 2017 to 2018, understands how playing the same club many times in a single season can alter the chemistry. Even the Bulldogs are aware of this. In 2021, Kirby Smart’s squad lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, only to win the national championship a month later.
However, it is still up to the Longhorns, both players and coaches, to go out there and execute on game day.
“At the end of the day, our duty is to put our athletes in the best position. Success can have many forms, including physical, mental, and schematic. That’s what we always fall back on.Again, I believe there are some things you can learn from a first meeting, both good and negative. Clearly, there were enough issues that needed to be addressed since the first time we played. You don’t get shut out in the first half, you don’t have four mistakes in the game, you’re not down 23-0, and you improve on the first time we played them.”
Leave a Reply