Steve Sarkisian Remains Confident Heading Into Red River Rivalry

The Longhorns didn't expect to find themselves with two losses heading into the halfway mark of the season, and they certainly didn't expect to have a game against one of their biggest rivals be the defining moment for the 2025 season, but that has become their reality this season after finding themselves 3-2.

Now, the Longhorns must hope to put together a complete game, and Sarkisian has a big vote of confidence that they will figure it out in one of college football's best environments: a perfectly split 50/50 crowd for both teams.

"The Ohio State game, we drive the ball down to the one-yard line. I call a terrible call. We don’t score on the quarterback sneak. We drive down again. We have to go for it on fourth down, and we don’t hit it. We drive down again, and we score. We get the ball again and we’re driving again at the end of the game," Sarkisian said to the media. "The competitive spirit on offense, and the same thing happened last week. Even though we had some missed opportunities at Florida, our guys fought their way, stayed engaged in the game, and had an opportunity to get back in the game.

Red-zone scoring remains a problem for them this season, as they score on only 77.27 percent of their trips, ranking 100th among FBS teams. Their inability to run the ball is evident when they have scoring opportunities, as well as on early downs, where they find themselves with an average third-down distance of 6.92 yards, which ranks 61st in the country.

"We can help ourself on two different fronts. Play better earlier in the game and execute a little more soundly earlier in the game," Sarkisian continued while talking to the media days before playing the Sooners. "Be more efficient on first and second down. Too many times, we’re forced into 3rd and 9, 3rd and 10, 3rd and 11, 3rd and 12. That’s not a formula for success."

Now they have to find a way to put it all together, especially on early downs, against one of the country's top defensive fronts. While the fan outlook has become bleak, Sarkisian hasn't wavered, having complete faith in his team to rise to the task.

The Longhorns will take on the Sooners at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 11 at 2:30 p.m. CT