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Nick “The Goat” Saban finally got his dues from Alabama on Saturday as they honored him by putting his name on the stadium. Saban Field at Bryant Denny Stadium officially debuted this weekend, narrowly escaping being dubbed "USF’s Home Field" after Alabama rallied with three late touchdowns to pull away from my beloved Bulls. Alabama survived, but Kalen DeBoer, Saban’s potential successor, narrowly avoided becoming a permanent part of that field.
In the realm of college football, speculation abounds over who will inherit Saban’s mantle. Georgia’s Kirby Smart is the obvious choice, fresh off consecutive national championships in 2021 and 2022. Some argue Smart wrested the torch from Saban even before the latter considered a cushier gig with ESPN and Pat McAfee. Dabo Swinney of Clemson once seemed poised to take up the mantle, but his resistance to the transfer portal may leave him stuck in the past after destroying the flux capacitor on his DeLorean that could yield different results in 2024. Others tout Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss, though his shot remains speculative without an SEC Championship Game appearance.
A new name has entered the conversation. Yes, it is too early to put him in that GOAT conversation. He needs to win an SEC Championship, followed by multiple national championships. However, I believe we are seeing this coach become one of the best in the business in real-time. His team should compete for conference titles and be in the playoff mix for years to come. He has the potential, which I know is a dangerous word, to become the next coaching legend.
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian is on the path to greatness.
“This one game isn't going to define our season, but I think it would serve as a pretty good barometer of the type of team that we could be,” Sarkisian said after the win against Michigan. “I think that our versatility showed up today in all three phases. Our ability to run it and be physical, our ability to play the run on defense, but yet minimize the explosive plays on defense and be effective on special teams. So all in all, it's a good start to the season. We're 2-0, but we got a long way to go.”
Texas has the right man for that journey.
Once again, Texas knocked off a giant on the road.
Sarkisian went into The Big House and dismantled it like he was a host on HGTV.
Here is Saturday’s list of accomplishments (via UT):
• The Longhorns snapped Michigan's 23-game winning streak at home.
• Texas snapped UM's 16-game winning streak.
• The Longhorns snapped the Wolverines' 29-game regular season win streak.
• It also solidifies Michigan's first regular season, non-conference home loss in a decade (2014-23 games).
It sounds similar to Sarkisian’s success against Alabama in 2023.
That win ended Alabama’s 21-game home winning streak. In addition, Texas became the first non-conference opponent to win in Alabama since 2007.
Sarkisian has built a program that can compete against any team in the country.
Period.
There was a time when I kept an annual log of Texas’ inability to do something as simple as start the season 3-0.
Texas owned a 2-12 record against non-conference Power Five opponents, a horrible streak from 2013 to 2022 (excluding the 2020 COVID season).
2013 – L. Ole Miss (44-23)
2014 – L. BYU (41-7), L. UCLA (20-17)
2015 – L. Notre Dame (38-3), L. Cal (45-44)
2016 – W. Notre Dame (50-47), L. Cal (50-43)
2017 – L. Maryland (51-41), L. USC (27-24 2 OTs)
2018 – L. Maryland (34-29), W. USC (37-14)
2019 – L. LSU (45-38)
2020 – Covid shortened season
2021 – L. Arkansas (41-20)
2022 – L. Alabama (20-19)
Total: 2-12
Texas is on the verge of starting 3-0 for the second straight season, with wins against Top 10 teams in back-to-back seasons.
That is one hell of a turnaround.
“We've gone into Tuscaloosa and played and won,” Sarkisian said. “We've played in a Big 12 Championship game. We've played in the college football playoff. None of the moments should feel too big for us anymore, and that's just what I commended them for in the locker room. This is who we are. This is how we know how to play. There's nothing better than going on the road, and when you have great composure and you can play that way because that’s a way to kind of take over a game. When you can start to eliminate a crowd, that fuels what we were doing. Sometimes it's almost easier than at home. When we can go in with the right mentality, and we can embrace the challenge, but also keep our mental intensity, but there's that fine line of not crossing over, and still staying poised and composed.
“I thought we're able to do that, but we've been doing that. I think that's something I wanted to impress upon our players ... that's just who we are now.”
Sarkisian has built a program that can win any game with Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning is ready to take over in 2025.
Sarkisian’s offensive line bullied Michigan’s defensive line.
Sarkisian’s defensive backs are playing on an elite level.
Sarkisian’s receivers are match-up nightmares.
Oh, that includes Gunnar Helm.
It is next man up in the running back room.
Young players are thriving.
The players Sarkisian inherited are revitalized.
Sarkisian’s predecessors fired coaches like they were hosting The Apprentice.
Texas is the only Power 4 school that has had the same head coach and coordinators for the past four years.
Recruiting?
Can we just ignore the panic every summer and know Sarkisian will obtain commitments from elite players, and flip others because that is just what he does?
Of course, I know that will not happen.
“A year ago was a really special moment in Tuscaloosa,” Sarkisian said. “To turn around and do it again this year in Ann Arbor, Michigan, snapping a 23-home game winning streak and then looking up and seeing the amount of Burnt Orange in the stands was special. It was super special. To sing The Eyes to go make sure that we gave a lot of thanks and gratitude to our fans, they showed up today. It was awesome. Longhorn Nation was big time.
“We got to keep going.”
Sarkisian is seemingly heading in one direction.
He is on the path to greatness.
(Photo via David Guralnick, Detroit News)
Team Notes
(via UT)
• Texas moves to 2-0 all-time against Michigan and records its first regular season win against the Wolverines.
• The victory marks the second-straight season in which Texas has defeated an AP Top-10 opponents on the road during the regular season.
• The win clinches Texas' 950th win - the fourth-most wins in FBS history.
• Head coach Steve Sarkisian earned his 73rd career win as a head coach and his 27th at Texas.
• The win gives UT its eighth consecutive regular season road win, dating back to the 2022 season.
• Texas is now 140-165-8 all-time against AP-ranked opponents.
BREAKING BIG PLAYS IN THE BIG HOUSE
• The Longhorns had seven plays for 20 or more yards throughout the ballgame, including one for a touchdown.
• Texas had five plays for 20 or more yards in the first half.
• 1Q: Isaiah Bond 33-yard reception from Quinn Ewers for a first down.
• 1Q: Gunnar Helm 22-yard reception from Quinn Ewers for a first down.
• 1Q: Gunnar Helm 21-yard reception from Quinn Ewers for a touchdown.
• 2Q: Matthew Golden 20-yard reception from Quinn Ewers for a first down.
• 2Q: Jaydon Blue 23-yard reception from Quinn Ewers for a first down.
• 3Q: Gunnar Helm 22-yard reception from Quinn Ewers for a first down.
• 3Q: Ryan Wingo 55-yard rush for a first down.
TALKIN' TURNOVERS
• Texas forced three Michigan turnovers through the ballgame - two interceptions and a fumble.
• DB Andrew Mukuba intercepted Michigan QB Davis Warren with 7:37 remaining in the second quarter, returning it three yards to the UM37.
• DB Jahdae Barron recorded a Michigan fumble and returned it two yards to the UM42.
• DB Derek Williams Jr. intercepted Michigan QB Davis Warren with 2:31 left in the third quarter at the UM48.
• The Longhorns did not turn over the ball and have only recorded one turnover, an interception, in eight quarters this season.
RUNNIN' DOWN A DREAM
• On Texas' 12-play TD drive in the second quarter, RBs Quintrevion Wisner (3 runs - 21 yards/1 rec - 18 yards) & Jerrick Gibson (3 runs - 20 yards) accounted for 59 of the yards — including Gibson's 7-yard TD run. The true freshman now has a TD in each of his first 2 games as a Longhorn. Texas increased its lead to 14-3.
• Texas rushed for 143 yards, extending their streak of recording over 100 rushing yards to 16 consecutive games.
Players Notes
(via UT)
QUINN EWERS, QB
• Ewers completed 24-of-36 passing attempts (67 percent) for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Ewers has thrown three touchdown passes in each of his first two games of the 2024 season.
• Eweres has now tossed at least one passing touchdown in each of his last 15 starts, dating back to the 2022 season.
• Ewers has registered multiple touchdown passing games in 14 of 24 starts under center.
Ewers has totaled 16 career games with 200+ passing yards.
GUNNAR HELM, TE
• Helm set career highs in both receptions with a team-best seven and receiving yards with a team-high 98 (14 ypc). Helm tallied 45 yards after catch as well.
• Helm caught a 21-yard receiving touchdown in the first quarter from QB Quinn Ewers. It was Helm's third career receiving touchdown and first of the 2024 season.
• Helm recorded three receptions for 20+ yards on the day.
MATTHEW GOLDEN, WR
• WR Matthew Golden continues to shine for the Longhorn offense after snaring six receptions for 41 yards (6.8 ypc) and a score against the Wolverines.
• Golden has now scored three touchdowns at Texas after charting two vs. Colorado State on Aug. 31.
• Golden scored on a five-yard reception from Quinn Ewers with 00:15 remaining in the second quarter.
ANDREW MUKUBA, DB
• Recorded his first interception as a Longhorn and the second of his collegiate career in the second quarter.
• Mukuba compiled four total tackles (three solo), two PBUs and an interception.
BERT AUBURN, K
• Connected on a 26-yard field goal with 2:40 remaining in the second quarter to push Texas' lead to 17-3.
• Was perfect on all four PATs.
DEREK WILLIAMS JR. DB
• Tallied his first career interception when he picked off Michigan QB Davis Warren in the third quarter.
• Williams Jr. finished the day with five total tackles (three solo) and an interception.
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
Enjoy the win
Bless his heart
It is hard not to like Dan Cambell
You do not miss the Big 12 at all
I would die
Sports On A Dime
1. What was the game plan I alluded to in the past War Room? The Longhorn staff wanted to keep things simple on defense and force Davis Warren to beat them with his arm. The Longhorn did not want to blitz and allow Warren to complete a long pass because of blown coverage. Texas expected Michigan to run the ball. However, the staff believed playing it safe on defense and forcing Warren to throw would benefit their team. They were correct.
2. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers on what he told Cam Williams after the right tackle committed three penalties on the opening drive: “I mean, at the end of the day, I was just like, hey, man, just listen to me. It'll be good. You'll start hearing it better. Just settle down a little bit. Overall, I think it ended up playing out pretty well.”
3. Sarkisian on what he told Williams after that shaky start: “I gave him a big hug. Then DJ Campbell got jealous, so I had to give him a hug, and then Jake, and then Hayden, and then, I had to give all the linemen a hug before the second series to calm everybody down. We were doing a couple of things with motions and shifts in there, and we were kind of sitting at the line of scrimmage, and Cam got a little antsy. I argued at pretty good length about, I didn't know if that was a hold or not. I got to look at the tape. I felt like he blocked the guy pretty good. Maybe it was, I don't know. But what a response for him, for a guy in his first year of really starting. On the road in that environment, you get three penalties in one drive, I've seen a lot of guys kind of melt. I thought he stood strong, he got himself recomposed and played a good football game.”
4. Sarkisian on the performances of Tre Wisner and Jerrick Gibson: “It's important to us because we're at our best offensively when we can run the football, when we can RPO, when we can play action pass, when we can drop back, when we can screen you. We try to do a lot. We try to make it difficult on our opponents trying to defend all that we can do. If we can't run it, and if we can't run it with a physical mentality, a lot of the other stuff gets difficult. Hey, I hated losing CJ before the season. I hated losing Christian, but we got a ton of belief in the guys that we have, Jaden, in Trey, and Jerrick, what they're doing. They know how to run the football, and they can run physical. That's the way we practice, and they just took the practice to the field.”
5. Before Texas played against Michigan, a college football expert told me this game would likely determine which team wins the Joe Moore Award, which is given to the best offensive line. I was told the process of selecting the winner involves several meetings, data exchange, and it takes several weeks to determine the recipient. Based on what we witnessed on Saturday, Texas should be the heavy favorite to win the award, which was this team’s preseason goal.
6. One thing I said on our YouTube channel multiple times this past week is we would learn what Steve Sarkisian’s real receiver rotation was. We know Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden are Sarkisian’s go-to guys, while DeAndre Moore, Johntay Cook, and Ryan Wingo are in the mix. Sarkisian may have depth in that room, but these are the players we see the most during important games.
7. Texas EDGE Barryn Sorrell on his team’s defensive performance: "We wanted the challenge because everybody knew what they were going to do. Everybody on the outside had questions or labeled the run defense a question mark, but there were no question marks inside the building. We know what we have and that we were prepared the right way. Stopping them on third down builds momentum. We do our red zone lockout drill weekly and for us, forcing teams to settle for three is a win."
8. ICYMI
9. Michigan football coach Sheronne Moore on his approach to handling a loss (via MLive.com): “There’s no difficulty in maintaining the standard. The standard that has been set here of how we do things, how we approach each and every day, every practice, every meeting, every walkthrough – that standard hasn’t changed. It falls on all of us to uphold that standard in every single way, and that’s something that, clearly, we didn’t do well enough today. I didn’t do well enough today as a quarterback. Falls on me to be better, to play better.
“It sucks because you come into this game and you know there’s a lot on the line. You want to get a win. So got to take a long, hard look in the mirror at what type of team we want to be, who we want to be. But I know, know from my end, adversity is – I’m used to that. I’m prepared to deal with it and take it in stride and wake up tomorrow morning with a with a burning passion to get better.”
10. If you have a moment this weekend, Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger wrote a nice story about Kelvin Banks.
“AUSTIN, Texas — The doctors told Big Kelvin that his wife wouldn’t make it.
“We’re just trying to make her comfortable.
“A few months ago, in the spring of this year, Kelvin Banks Sr. heard those words as the mother of his children lay sedated and on a ventilator.
“For months, Monica Banks had suffered through this illness, needing a hospital trip every other week for fluids and more fruitless tests. She became incapacitated, mostly lost the ability to speak and walk, in enough pain to virtually be ridden to her bed, her body battling an unseen and mysterious monster.
“No one knew why she was sick or how to treat the illness.
“These were tough times, especially for her 20-year-old son away at college.”
Proud Dad Alert
Big props to my 11-year-old goalkeeper, Maximus! He locked down the net with three clean sheets in five matches, helping his Cap City SC Pre-MLS team clinch the recent Labor Cup Championship in the U-13 division down in San Antonio.
Thanks for allowing me to be a proud dad - with amateur video editing skills.
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