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Steve Sarkisian's halftime adjustments is cause for confidence for Texas Longhorns moving forward

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Berry | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 1:43 PM ET

Despite Saturday's faceplant in Columbus, the Texas Longhorns offense did some nice things in the second half thanks to a few halftime adjustments by Steve Sarkisian.

Texas drove deep into Ohio State territory twice in the second half – ending in zero points but the progress was evident. Two fourth down stops negated a ton of good things, but there were a few things Texas did which I really liked and think we will see more of moving forward.

Arch Manning had his struggles Saturday. There's no getting around that. But, I thought the offensive line settled in a little more down the stretch and Sarkisian and his staff did some nice things.

Despite Matt Patricia's defensive gameplan stifling Texas for most of the day, the run game was solid.

Tre Wisner and CJ Baxter combined for 120 yards on 26 carries. But, there were some good runs and both looked solid. Both had long runs of 13 and 14 respectively, but I thought the tempo helped them in certain down-and-distance situations.

I would have liked to see more zone read concepts – utilizing Manning's legs. But, the Buckeyes had a really good plan and Sonny Styles and Co., at the second level played really well.

Still, I think the offensive line will continue to mesh and Wisner, Baxter, and others should benefit down the stretch once Southeastern Conference play begins.

Mobile Manning™️ pic.twitter.com/6wrWpfnkN2
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) August 30, 2025

Parker Livingstone needs to be involved more.

The redshirt freshman scored his first career touchdown Saturday on a 32-yard on a nice double move wheel route. He only had two catches on just four targets, but I think with all the attention on Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore he will start to see a lot more opportunities come his way.

Livingstone was one of the best prep receivers in his class before a lower leg injury derailed his senior year. He's been someone who has been talked about nonstop in fall camp – receiving a ton of buzz about how big of a jump he's made in one year.

Now, moving forward I expect to see him involved a lot more in the game.

Happy first career TD, @ParkerL06 pic.twitter.com/0asYvNeiLB
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) August 30, 2025

Speaking of being more involved, Texas needs more Jack Endries.

Despite having just four catches, he led the way with 50 yards receiving. But, he needs more touches. I don't want to say force it to him, but he needs to be a lot more active.

Last season, Texas leaned on Gunnar Helm a lot in 2024. Manning will need to do this with Endries. If anything, it will be a nice safety blanket on third downs. But he was a highly sought-after player in the transfer portal for a reason.

Endries can help this offense really meet and exceed its potential once he's unlocked.

Overall, it's not the end of the world for Texas to be 0-1 after losing by seven points on the road to the defending national champions. Texas still has everything it wants to achieve in front of them and the SEC slate will boost the resume plenty for the CFP committee.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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