OTF Premium Steve Sarkisian Monday Press Conference (SEC Championship Game Week)

[CJ Vogel]

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is on the podium this morning to discuss the final bits of the Texas-Texas A&M game, as well as the upcoming SEC Championship Game featuring Texas-Georgia part II.

The Longhorns will be the home team for the SEC Title Game which will kickoff at 3:00 p.m. CST on Saturday in Atlanta.

Notes and quotes in the comments below.

 

[CJ Vogel]

Getting started now.

[CJ Vogel]

"What an atmosphere and what a turnout by Longhorn Nation."

Sarkisian says the Longhorns have won 11 straight road games and the team has great connectivity with one another on the road.

 

[CJ Vogel]

Sark points to the offense scoring on a 93-yard drive after the Taaffe INT.

Texas has scored or ended the game on each of its last nine turnovers created by the defense.

[CJ Vogel]

"I didn't think anybody blinked." Says Sarkisian about the insertion of Trevor Goosby to the offensive line for Banks.

Says the team did very well when facing adversity all game long.

[CJ Vogel]

"We are going to have to play a better brand of football offensively." Sarkisian says about the pending rematch with Georgia.

"We have to start better and we are going to have to finish better."

[CJ Vogel]

Sarkisian says it is essentially a road game for Texas having to go on the road to Atlanta.

[CJ Vogel]

 

[CJ Vogel]

Despite the portal and ESD window coming this weekend, Sarkisian says he would much rather be playing this weekend than to be sitting on the couch.

"We try to build quality relationships with the recruits that we are recruiting... When you come to Texas get ready to play in championship games."

[CJ Vogel]

#Texas QB Quinn Ewers practiced today, per Sarkisian.

 

The week of practice and his availability for Saturday will look similar to last week.

[CJ Vogel]

Sarkisian says there will be needs from the portal for the team to address, but that he doesn't want to live in the portal. Points to the talented class coming in, but also the young talent on roster currently.

[CJ Vogel]

Sark: I think we are a good football team, we didn't play very well the first time we faced them.

 

[CJ Vogel]

Sark on Taaffe:

Every player came back with player-led workouts saying something positive about Michael Taaffe. Whether it be interceptions or PBUs or big plays.

Added, that every day since he has arrived on campus, all he has done has been a leader in the program.

"I definitely think he is an NFL prospect."

[CJ Vogel]

On the possibility of a bye week with a win in the SECCG: "If you get the bye, you've got about 3.5 weeks or so. I don't know what the exact number is. I would love to get as healthy as we can get. But ideally, nobody's going to be 100% healthy at this point of the season."

[CJ Vogel]

Sarkisian says it might be a little bit of a disadvantage for recruiting the portal while preparing for the SECCG and College Football Playoff than a team who is at home or preparing for a lesser bowl game.

 

"I would much rather be in the situation we are in, than the latter."

[CJ Vogel]

 

[Hashtag]

7 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Sark on Taaffe:

Every player came back with player-led workouts saying something positive about Michael Taaffe. Whether it be interceptions or PBUs or big plays.

Added, that every day since he has arrived on campus, all he has done has been a leader in the program.

"I definitely think he is an NFL prospect."

Okafor and DJ said it depends on his testing if he's drafted. They also mentioned that even if not drafted he will definitely make a 53 man.

 

 

Also was there a Blue update? 

Edited December 2, 2024 by Hashtag

[CJ Vogel]

"We haven't full opened our playbook. We're gonna run stuff Saturday that we haven't ran all year." - Sark

[CJ Vogel]

Sarkisian says he carries about 6-7 two-point plays into the game plan for every week.

The team practices good on good for 2-point conversions during the week and heavily in fall camp.

[CJ Vogel]

"I think Trey (Moore) has had a heck of a year."

Says his impact has gone significantly beyond the statistical output.

[CJ Vogel]

Sarkisian says the leadership really stood up after being tested in game one vs. Georgia earlier in the year.

[CJ Vogel]

"Our culture is so cool. Our guys genuinely love one another, and you can feel it."

Sarkisian says A&M designed it for the Texas busses to go right through all of the A&M fans as they entered the stadium, yet it was the best thing they could have done to get the team fired up for the game.

[CJ Vogel]

That's all from Sark.

[Realist Horn]

16 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Sarkisian says it might be a little bit of a disadvantage for recruiting the portal while preparing for the SECCG and College Football Playoff than a team who is at home or preparing for a lesser bowl game.

 

"I would much rather be in the situation we are in, than the latter."

How much of a disadvantage is this? Seems like we are getting poached by a team who was out of the playoff picture for a while and could spend more time recruiting. 

[Hashtag]

18 minutes ago, Realist Horn said:

How much of a disadvantage is this? Seems like we are getting poached by a team who was out of the playoff picture for a while and could spend more time recruiting. 

IMO this is why it is very important to have a GM moving forward.