Jeff Howe

The late Mike Leach made it popular to say that a quarterback can't go broke taking a profit. That's the mindset Texas needs when running the football against the Buckeyes. Build on the small gains and they're likely to have a bigger impact later in the game.

For all of the talk regarding strategy, keys to victory and other games within the game that will determine a winner in Saturday’s blockbuster season opener between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State (11 a.m., Fox), Ryan Day’s response to a question during his Tuesday press conference reinforced what makes the difference when push comes to shove in a high-stakes battle. “If we don’t stop the run and run the ball,” the Buckeyes’ coach said when asked about the importance of success in the trenches, “we’re not going to win the game.” Under Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns are 33-4 when winning the rushing yardage battle. Since the start of the 2021 season, Texas has held an opponent under 100 net rushing yards in 19 games, winning 18 of them (last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl is the only loss). While using a variety of formations and pre-snap movements to create mismatches in the passing game separates Sarkisian’s offense from other attacks, it’s much more potent when the Longhorns can run the football. If the defense remains stout against the run, the offense doesn’t need to pile up rushing yards to be successful (only four of the team’s 13 wins last season saw Texas rush for 200 or more yards). Still, the ground attack can’t falter the way it did in the Longhorns’ losses last season, three games in which Texas averaged a paltry 39.3 yards per game and a forgettable 1.4 yards per attempt. When adjusting the yardage totals to exclude sacks, Texas still only rushed for 231 yards on 61 attempts in its losses. Averaging 77 yards per game and 3.4 yards per attempt didn’t cut the mustard for an offense that netted 186.3 rushing yards per game and ran the football at a 4.8-yard-per-game clip in 13 victories (even with a 30-carry, 53-yard outing in the Peach Bowl win over Arizona State counting toward the production). The Longhorns failed to reach 30 official rushing attempts in last season’s losses, including the loss to the Buckeyes (58 yards on 29 carries). Still, a sack-adjusted 85-yard effort on 25 carries (3.4 yards per attempt) positioned Texas to reach the national championship game. Such production (as long as the re-tooled offensive line can create enough room for C.J. Baxter, Quintrevion Wisner and the other running backs to operate, Sarkisian stays patient, content to let his offense work over the Ohio State defense with a series of body blows throughout the bout) can get it off on the right foot in the first step of the 2025 squad’s quest to ascend to the top of the mountain. View full news story

A 12-inning game in Round Rock against Tech during the football team’s bye week in September:

Focused is how I'd describe Sark on the Zoom call today.

Very.

That's it from Sark for today. The next time we'll hear from him will be after Saturday's game.

Sark said Mason Shipley had "a nice last 2.5 weeks of camp."

Sark called Max Klare a "dangerous weapon" and a nice compliment to the other Ohio State receiving threats.

Sark has been impressed with Endries' versatility, including his willingness to be a blocker.

Sark: "I love Jack Endries."

He wants them exposed to the travel routine (Texas doesn't have a travel roster limit for non-conference road games).

Sark said all true freshmen will travel to Ohio State.

Sark said Cole Huston has the physical ability to match his toughness since he's had a full offseason to work with Torre Becton.

On Cole Hutson: "He's a blue-collar guy. He's a tough ass. He's smart."

Sark on the team's confidence/looseness before the game: "We should've instilled enough belief in them that they should be able to perform."

Other than Emmett Mosley's lingering injury, Sark didn't mention anything else regarding injury concerns for Saturday.

"About as good as you can expect," Sark said of where Texas is from an injury standpoint.

Sark asked if Mason Shipley will be kicking field goals and who will be returning punts. Sark: "Did I issue you guys a depth chart? Then I don't need to answer that."

Sark: "It all has to unfold for the season, but we've earned this. We've earned this opportunity... Let's go perform."

Sark: "I love this opportunity for us."

Sark said there was a sense of confidence the Longhorns had in practice today.

Texas has the ingredients to be great, Sark said, "but now, we'll see how it unfolds."