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In his newsletter: https://texaslonghorns.com/news/2026/9/29/forty-acres-insider-september-29 "Gritty, gutsy, driven and determined … our Horns dug deep, stood tall and delivered some TENACIOUS TEXAS FIGHT in Knoxville on Saturday! We can all agree it was a heck of a game and an incredible performance on the field, but I also know we had some major issues to address with inappropriate celebrations from our players. I'm not happy about that, I know none of us are, and it was embarrassing to our proud and widely respected football team, athletics program and university. It certainly raised very warranted concerns that many of you shared with me, drew a lot of attention, and I understand why. Rest assured, Coach Sark has addressed both situations with the players individually and with the team, and he discussed them after the game and again in Monday's press conference. As he said, it is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The message is clear — the players conduct did not reflect the values of Texas Athletics or our university and cannot happen again. I also want to add my apology to our Longhorn community and everyone who expects better from Texas. We should represent this university with class, dignity and respect at all times, and in those moments, we fell short. I do recognize that these are young men who made mistakes, and this is a meaningful learning experience. They have owned their mistakes, and those actions are not reflective of who they are. They are good people who made poor choices — they know it, we know it, and they, along with our entire team, will grow from this. What matters now is that they do just that and that our entire team understands the responsibility that comes with representing The University of Texas. We are proud of the team and what it accomplished Saturday and thus far this season, and we will continue to hold ourselves to the standard that all of you rightly expect from Texas. Thank you for your passion, your candor and your unwavering support of our Longhorns."

Seems like we have good reason to have a thread to chat on all summer and through the season. Team workouts begin June 1, I believe

Here's a look at Texas football's stats leaders through four games. Of note, to qualify the player had to play the majority of snaps at the position. Passing yardage Arch Manning — 862 yards Passing touchdowns Arch Manning — 7 Interceptions Arch Manning — 3 Rushing yardage Raleek Brown — 214 Yards per carry Hollywood Smothers — 4.8 Rushing touchdowns Raleek Brown — 4 Rushing yards per game Hollywood Smothers — 66 Receiving yardage Ryan Wingo — 239 Yards per catch Cam Coleman — 17.3 Receiving touchdowns Cam Coleman — 4 Receiving yards per game Ryan Wingo — 59.8 Total Tackles Rasheem Biles — 30 Solo tackles Rasheem Biles — 18 Tackles for a loss Colin Simmons — 9 Sacks Colin Simmons — 7.5 Interceptions Rasheem Biles — 2 Pass breakups Graceson Littleton — 3 QB hurries Hero Kanu, Justin Cryer — 3 Forced fumbles Rasheem Biles, Colin Simmons, Zina Umeozulu, Maraad Watson — 1 Fumble recoveries Graceson Littleton, Colin Simmons — 1 Punt average Mac Chiumento — 43.92 Field goals Gianni Spetic — 7 for 7 Points leader Gianni Spetic — 37

It’s time to revisit On Texas Football's “One Burning Question,” where we ask a question about the Texas Longhorns heading into a game. Entering Saturday’s 20-17 win over No. 14 Tennessee, the burning question was: Will the Longhorns start to form an identity on offense against the Vols? In short, no. Texas lacked the consistency needed to string together successful possessions and didn’t capitalize on opportunities to put Tennessee on the ropes. The Longhorns were out-gained by the Vols on the ground (70-61), lost the turnover battle (2-1), went 3-for-12 on third down and had more three-and-outs (six) than scoring drives (four). Yet amid the trash heap of forgettable moments, Texas did some things well. Well enough that if they build on them during the bye week, the Longhorns could come out of the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma on Oct. 10 (2:30 p.m., ABC) with a clearer sense of who they are and what kind of team they can be offensively. It’s unrealistic to think every call Steve Sarkisian makes will work. Still, one of the most frustrating things about the offense’s performance in the SEC opener is that when the Longhorns weren’t beating themselves and trusting proven concepts, Jim Knowles and the Vols couldn’t handle Sarkisian’s attack. For starters, Sarkisian’s opening script was executed to perfection, with Raleek Brown's 9-yard touchdown run punctuating a 7-play, 75-yard drive on the offense’s first possession. After Arch Manning connected with Ryan Wingo on an 8-yard, high-percentage pass on the first play from scrimmage, two tough, between-the-tackles runs (one by Brown and another by Derrek Cooper) set up Manning’s 43-yard play-action bomb to Emmett Mosley V. Two plays later, Brown reached the end zone with help from Connor Robertson and Brandon Baker, who walled off their defenders to create an alley, and Ryan Wingo, who’s second-level insert block (lined up stacked behind Melvin Siani at the snap) got Brown loose. “To get the ball in that environment and to go seven plays, 75 yards, to take the lead 7-0 on the road, I thought, was really big for us about owning the environment, owning the arena,” Sarkisian said Monday. “I've never been to a game where the opposing fans were all in their seats by the time we took pregame warmups. That was a different environment. “That was a really cool way to start,” he added. “From that point forward, until about the second-to-last offensive drive, we did not play very good offensive football. I'd love to say it was this or that. It literally was us taking turns not doing the things that we had practiced to do.” Texas mounted four scoring drives against Tennessee: the game-opening touchdown drive; a 10-play, 62-yard drive in the second quarter for a field goal (a 22-yarder by Gianni Spetic); a 6-play, 48-yard drive in the third quarter for another field goal (a 44-yarder by Spetic) and an 8-play, 60-yard drive in the fourth quarter for a touchdown (Brown’s 4-yard rushing touchdown with 5:41 left in the game). Even though a clunky goal-to-go sequence and a delay-of-game penalty on third-and-2 forced the Longhorns to settle for field goals on two of those possessions, the offense was humming on those four drives: — Total Plays: 26 — Total Offense: 230 yards — Yards Per Play: 8.8 — Arch Manning: 11-for-13, 184 yards — Rushing Offense: 15 carries, 46 yards (3.1 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns — Sack-Adjusted Rushing: 13 carries, 56 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and two touchdowns — First Downs: 12 — Third Down: 2-for-4 — 10-Plus-Yard Plays: 7 — 20-Plus-Yard Plays: 3 What worked for Texas on those possessions: — Sarkisian leaned mostly on duo and insert as the primary running game concepts, ditching long-developing plays and running the ball without pulling linemen. Baker and Siani caved in the front side of the line on Brown’s 4-yard touchdown run, clearing a path for Emaree Winston to lead Brown into the end zone. The only negative play on 13 non-sack rushing attempts was a 3-yard loss when the Vols’ penetration swallowed up Cooper for a 3-yard-loss on a zone run behind the right side of the line. — Most of Manning’s completions on those four drives came on hard play-action passes set up by positive rushing plays, quick throws to stationary targets or screens and other quick throws to the perimeter. The football moved through the air when Sarkisian stuck with those calls and Manning pulled the trigger at the right time. The Longhorns found themselves behind the chains in a world of trouble when some combination of long-developing pass plays, poor pass protection and communication breakdowns didn’t give Manning enough time to find an open man before Knowles’ pressure got home. — Texas either avoided stubbing its toe and made plays to recover from its mistakes on the four scoring drives. The most pivotal moment came on the fourth-quarter touchdown drive, with the Tennessee defense sacking Manning for an 8-yard loss on the first play. But Winston and Trevor Goosby opened a lane over the left side of the line on the next snap, springing Brown loose for a 10-yard gain. From there, with the offense recovering from second-and-18 to face third-and-8, Manning hit Wingo down the seam for 18 yards and a first down, one of four first downs the Longhorns picked up on the drive. No college football offense is perfect. Still, what Texas must avoid, by building on the things the offense does well, are possessions that destroy the fabric of complementary football. There were three drives in the Tennessee game when the Longhorns could’ve mashed the gas and cruised to a win: — A second-quarter drive from their own 43-yard line after Faizon Brandon left the game with an apparent shoulder injury. Texas led, 10-3, with 12:38 remaining in the half. — Another possession in the second quarter, this time with 10:17 on the clock and the ball at its own 38-yard line. — With 4:50 remaining in the game, the Longhorns had the ball at the Vols’ 41-yard line after Alex January sacked Brandon, forcing a Tennessee turnover on downs. What happened on those three drives? — A two-play drive that ended when Kayin Lee intercepted Manning’s attempt to hit Cam Coleman on a post route at the 4-yard line. — A three-and-out that started with a 12-yard loss when Manning couldn’t handle a high snap from Robertson. — A three-and-out that ended on third-and-8 from the Tennessee 40-yard line, with Arion Carter and Tyree Weathersby converging on Manning for the Vols’ sixth sack of the game. With three chances to pull away, the Texas offense gained 16 yards on eight plays, didn't record a first down, punted twice and lost their fifth turnover of the season. When the Longhorns needed to execute, they couldn’t protect the quarterback and failed to run and protect the football. After 60 minutes, Texas had enough on its four scoring drives to overcome a litany of self-inflicted wounds and failed attempts to execute. The Longhorns must eliminate the extended lulls that have plagued the offense through four games before a stretch of eight consecutive SEC games begins against the Sooners in Dallas. View full news story

3 Stars of the Game vs. Tennessee *** For the second straight week, it is all defense. *** Star #1 – Colin Simmons No explanation needed. The most impressive single game performance I have ever seen. Star #2 – Maraad Watson Watson has exceeded expectations this year and was a force on the interior Saturday vs. Tennessee. Five pressures, a sack and four hurries on the quarterback, that is phenomenal stuff from the defensive lineman. Star #3 – Lance Jackson How about nine total pressures from Jackson. We talk often about who will balance out the opposite side of the defensive line from Colin Simmons, well Jackson did exactly that. Good luck defending both guys if that is the performance Texas is getting from each. Honorable Mentions: Jelani McDonald – Several big tackles, very good in run support and the game-sealing batted pass on the final play of the game. Hero Kanu – As consistent and reliable as anyone on the defense. Four pressures, a sack and two hurries as well. Dominant from Kanu.

Bijan Robinson (along with Cameron Williams) and the Falcons will kick off Week 3 of the 2026 season tonight in Green Bay, with Matthew Golden and Barryn Sorrell in action for the Packers. *** Longhorns in the NFL: 53 Longhorns on the 53: 42 Practice Squad: 6 Injured Reserve: 5 *** Arizona Cardinals (3): Hayden Conner, Devin Duvernay, D’Shawn Jamison* Atlanta Falcons (2): Bijan Robinson, Cameron Williams Baltimore Ravens (1): Ethan Burke Carolina Panthers (2): Jonathan Brooks#, Ja’Tavion Sanders Chicago Bears (3): Roschon Johnson, Christian Jones*, Malik Muhammad Cincinnati Bengals (1): Jack Endries Cleveland Browns (1): Isaiah Bond Dallas Cowboys (2): PJ Locke, Demarvion Overshown Denver Broncos (5): Jahdae Barron, Sam Ehlinger, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Jones, Malcolm Roach Green Bay Packers (2): Matthew Golden, Barryn Sorrell Jacksonville Jaguars (1): Quinn Ewers Kansas City Chiefs (1): Xavier Worthy Los Angeles Chargers (1): Cameron Dicker Los Angeles Rams (5): Jack Bouwmeester*, Matthew Caldwell#, Poona Ford, Bill Norton*, Jordan Whittington Miami Dolphins (3): DJ Campbell, Trey Moore#, Michael Taaffe New England Patriots (1): Brenden Schooler New Orleans Saints (3): Kelvin Banks Jr.#, Vernon Broughton, Jaylan Ford# New York Jets (4): Andrew Beck, Adonai Mitchell, Joseph Ossai, T’Vondre Sweat Philadelphia Eagles (4): Jaydon Blue*, Jake Majors*, Andrew Mukuba, Moro Ojomo Pittsburgh Steelers (1): DeShon Elliott# San Francisco 49ers (1): Alfred Collins Seattle Seahawks (2): Michael Dickson, Byron Murphy II Tennessee Titans (2): Gunnar Helm, Anthony Hill Jr. Washington Commanders (2): Samuel Cosmi, Charles Omenihu * — Practice Squad # — Injured Reserve

Colin Simmons committed one of the most inexplicable penalties ever committed by a Texas player in the No. 1-ranked Longhorns’ 20-17 road win over No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday. The Volunteers didn’t score on the drive, one of their 11 possessions that failed to put points on the scoreboard. Will Muschamp’s defense put Josh Heupel’s offense in a vice, with the opponent’s only offensive touchdown coming with 1:22 left in the game. Still, Simmons’ 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for "simulating using the restroom” after sacking Faizon Brandon in the second quarter was a microcosm of the self-inflicted mistakes that plagued Steve Sarkisian’s team. Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC) committed 11 penalties for 115 yards and lost the turnover battle, 1-0 (Arch Manning’s second-quarter interception was the lone turnover for either side). Officials nullified Jermaine Bishop Jr.'s 22-yard punt return in the third quarter after ruling that Ryan Niblett made a hand motion indicating a fair catch. The kicking game gave up a Tennessee (3-1, 0-1) touchdown on a 57-yard punt return by Qua Moss. The Vols mounted a furious comeback, cutting the deficit to a field goal before recovering an onside kick. Thankfully, the Longhorn defense stepped up and put the kibosh on what would've been an improbable come-from-behind win. Rasheem Biles sacked Brandon and Hero Kanu forced a holding penalty on Tennessee’s last possession. Jelani McDonald knocked down Brandon's desperation heave to the end zone on the final play of regulation. The offense slipped gears all day, but Simmons recovered from his forgettable moment when his team needed him. Simmons led a historic defensive charge to get Texas out of Neyland Stadium with a win. Simmons’ five sacks tied Shane Dronett’s school record for a single game, which the late Longhorn great set against Texas Tech in 1990. The 10 sacks Muschamp’s defense racked up are the second-most ever in program history and, even with Brandon leading a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, the Vols only mustered 221 total yards (2.9 yards per play), went 4-for-17 on third down (2-for-4 on fourth down) and kicked a field goal on their only trip to the red zone. Sarkisian’s offense heads into the bye week with more questions than answers after an erratic showing. Other than Gianni Spetic’s leg (2-for-2 on field goals, including a 44-yarder in the third quarter), the special teams can’t be considered a strength right now. Nevertheless, Saturday further proved Muschamp’s defense is championship-caliber. The Longhorns needed every bit of Saturday's performance to head back home with an undefeated record intact. *** Other than Tennessee’s fourth-quarter touchdown drive, Muschamp’s defense did what he was hired to do. Texas threw a lot of different looks at Brandon (17-for-29, 145 yards and a touchdown; two net rushing yards on 23 official carries), making it impossible for the Vols to get the passing game going. Tennessee's best vertical throws were Brandon chunking the ball and hoping for a defensive pass interference call (Bo Mascoe was flagged twice). Brandon’s only completions of 15 yards or more were to Mike Matthews on the Vols’ touchdown drive, including a 30-yard touchdown, with Matthews getting position on Mascoe near the front pylon. The Longhorns suffocated Tennessee’s ground attack, which finished with 70 net yards on 44 official rushing attempts (1.6 yards per carry). The Vols had 143 sack-adjusted rushing yards (4.2 yards per attempt), well below their three-game season average (298.7 yards per game and 6.7 yards per carry). Entering the game with an FBS-leading 29 10-plus-yard runs from scrimmage, Muschamp’s defense limited Tennessee to four. It's longest gain was 16 yards on a scramble by Brandon on the touchdown drive. *** Muschamp brought pressure and played tight man coverage on the back end. A healthy portion of the defense’s success, however, was the defensive line winning in the trenches against the Tennessee offensive line. Simmons’ redemption arc saw him finish with eight tackles (six solos), a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. If Zina Umeozulu hadn’t grabbed Brandon’s facemask on the Vols’ last possession, Simmons would’ve had the half-sack he needed to break Dronett’s record. Simmons, Kanu, Umeozulu, Maraad Watson and Alex January tallied nine of the 10 sacks. Even when Brandon got loose and escaped pressure, Biles (13 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a quarterback hurry) and Justin Cryer (nine tackles and a pass breakup) were on top of him. Ian Geffrard had one hurry in the box score. Regardless, the Arkansas transfer made an impact when he was on the field, helping clog the middle of the line to stymie the Tennessee running game. There shouldn’t be two happier coaches on the team’s flight home than Kenny Baker and LaAllan Clark. Their guys delivered a dominant performance. *** It’s unrealistic to expect the Texas offense to do what it did on its two touchdown drives over a four-quarter game. On those two drives, which ended with Raleek Brown (17 carries for 67 yards)rushing touchdowns, the Longhorns were the high-powered, balanced unit everyone expected them to be coming into the season. — 15 plays — 135 total yards (9 yards per play) — Eight first downs — Manning: 5-for-5 for 87 yards — 2-for-2 on third down — 10 carries for 42 yards (4.2 yards per attempt) — Four explosive plays (Emmett Mosley V’s 43-yard catch, Ryan Wingo’s 18-yard catch on a critical third down and two 10-yard runs by Brown) — 2-for-2 in the red zone with two touchdowns — No turnovers Then, there’s the offense's other 10 possessions: — 40 plays — 127 total yards (3.2 yards per play) — Manning: 9-for-14 for 114 yards — 1-for-10 on third down — 26 carries for 19 yards (0.7 yards per attempt) — Five explosive plays — 1-for-1 in the red zone with a field goal — One turnover (an interception thrown by Manning) *** When the offense was good on Saturday, they met the defense's standard. Sarkisian, who had another tough outing trying to move the ball against Jim Knowles’ defense (six sacks and 10 tackles for loss), finally ditched the long-developing pass plays that made it hard for Manning to scan the field and pivoted away from pulling linemen in the running game. Texas moved the football when Sarkisian dialed up more quick-hitters on the ground and used hard play-action passes off the run and quick throws (like a 14-yard screen to Wingo on the fourth-quarter touchdown drive) to open windows for Manning. But when the offense was bad, it was putrid. If the Longhorns had lost, two scoreless second-quarter drives that started with great field position while the Tennessee medical staff was examining Brandon for a possible shoulder injury might’ve been the Vols’ stay of execution. A two-play drive ended with an interception was followed by a three-and-out, a drive that opened with a 12-yard loss on first down when Manning couldn't handle Connor Robertson's high snap. The offense wasn't good enough on Saturday. On a day when Texas hoped to find an identity, Sarkisian instead has a slew of inconsistent moments, out-of-sorts play calls, poor execution and self-inflicted wounds to sort through when he deconstructs his team's first regulation road win since the 2024 regular-season finale against Texas A&M. At least the Longhorns get a bye week to sort things out before heading to Dallas to face Oklahoma. View full news story

Saturday's 20-17 road win over Tennessee convinced voters in the Associated Press Top 25 and the AFCA Coaches Poll to name Texas the nation's No. 1 team for the third consecutive week. The Longhorns controlled their victory over the Volunteers throughout the program’s first-ever trip to Neyland Stadium. Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC) notched its 12th win over an AP Top 25 opponent since the start of the 2024 season thanks to a defensive effort highlighted by 10 sacks, five of which came from Colin Simmons. Simmons tied Shane Dronett’s single-game school sack record (set against Texas Tech on Nov. 3, 1990), helping the Longhorns record the second double-digit sack game in school history. With the Texas defensive front dominating Tennessee (3-1, 0-1) at the point of attack, Will Muschamp’s defense held the Vols’ explosive offense to 2.9 yards per play, 1.6 yards per rushing attempt and a 6-for-21 showing on money downs (4-for-17 on third down and 2-for-4 on fourth down). The coming week will be the 53rd in the history of the AP Poll that the Longhorns have been ranked No. 1. Texas is one week behind Georgia’s 54 weeks at No. 1 for the ninth-most appearances in the AP Poll’s top spot, fitting since the Bulldogs are on the Longhorns’ heels for positioning atop college football’s two major polls. Texas earned 62 of 70 possible first-place votes from AP Top 25 voters. The remaining eight first-place votes went to No. 2 Georgia (six), No. 4 Miami (one) and No. 6 Indiana (one); No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 5 Ohio State round out the latest top five. The same is true for the Coaches Poll. The Longhorns got 45 of the 73 first-place votes, followed by the second-ranked Bulldogs (17) and fifth-ranked Hoosiers (eight). The third-ranked Fighting Irish received three votes; the Hurricanes are No. 4 in the Coaches Poll, with the Buckeyes No. 6. The No. 1 ranking and an undefeated record position Texas as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender entering the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma on Oct. 10 (2:30 p.m., ABC or ESPN). The Longhorns' higher priority is to use the bye week to get healthy and clean things up before their annual grudge match with the Sooners in Dallas, which begins a stretch of eight consecutive SEC games to conclude the regular season. Although Tennessee dropped to No. 17 after Saturday's loss, the Vols are one of six current AP Top 25 clubs on Texas' SEC schedule. Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1) isn't ranked. Neither are Arkansas or Texas A&M. Still, the Longhorns are scheduled to face No. 8 Florida (Oct. 17), No. 9 Ole Miss (Oct. 24), No. 16 Mississippi State (Oct. 31), No. 25 Missouri (Nov. 7) and No. 11 LSU (Nov. 14) over five consecutive weeks. Saturday's win over Tennessee validated Steve Sarkisian's belief that his team's big-game experience will be an asset as Texas faces one of the nation's toughest schedules, with the Longhorns winning 12 of their last 17 games against AP Top 25 opponents. After struggling on the road last season, Sarkisian isn't taking a win over the Vols for granted. "We’ve got a real schedule," Sarkisian said during his postgame press conference in Knoxville. "That's why I say, 'I'm not going to apologize for winning on the road against a top-15 team,' when other teams don't even play them on the road. We're going to enjoy this. We need to get better. We need to play better. But I know there's more to come. We've got to have a mentality when we go on the road against these good teams that we're going to find a way to win. The easiest way to do that is to play well, but when you're not at your best in one phase or another phase, can you find a way to win the game and then get better going into the next week?” View full news story

It’s time to tackle “One Burning Question,” an On Texas Football in-season feature where we’ll examine a question facing the Texas Longhorns as they enter a game. On Sunday, we’ll revisit the question to see whether Steve Sarkisian’s team answered it successfully. This week, with No. 1 Texas traveling to No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday (11 a.m., ABC), the question is: Will the Longhorns start to form an identity on offense against the Vols? It’s easy to identify the symptoms currently plaguing Sarkisian’s attack. The Longhorns can’t rely on big plays; the passing game hasn’t clicked as expected; and while the offensive line has met or exceeded early-season expectations, Texas doesn't have what could be described as a dominant running game. Remedies include Arch Manning’s decision-making and Sarkisian’s willingness to establish and stick with a capable ground attack. However, a lack of identity could be the root cause of what’s ailing the Longhorn offense. The 2023 offense was rounding into a unit capable of producing Sarkisian’s ideal version of balance when Jonathon Brooks suffered a season-ending knee injury in November. Still, Texas rode an offense that was a top-25 unit nationally on the ground (25th with 188.4 rushing yards per game), through the air (17th with 289.1 passing yards per game) and on the scoreboard (15th with 35.8 points per game) to within one play of playing for a national championship. The 2024 Longhorns tied a school record with 13 wins thanks to an explosive offense. No offense in FBS had more plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more than Texas, which racked up 108 in a 16-game season en route to a second consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal berth (the Longhorns tied Ohio State for the fourth-most plays from scrimmage with 244 that went at least 10 yards, tied for fifth in the country in 30-plus-yard plays and ranked seventh in 40-plus-yard plays). Last season, the offense’s identity could be best described as snap the ball to Manning and hope for something good. When Manning was dialed in and dealing (wins over Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Michigan), the offense put a winning product on the field. When Manning struggled or didn’t get enough help from the pieces around him (losses to Ohio State, Florida and Georgia), the offense played a significant role in the team coming up short. Even if Hollywood Smothers (lower leg) is limited or misses Saturday’s game in Knoxville, Sarkisian’s organization acquired enough pieces around Manning to lighten the load. While the Texas offenses in 2024 and 2025 threw the football to set up the run, the 2026 group showed in a 24-23 comeback win over the Buckeyes that they can win being a run-first unit. Until the big plays become something the Longhorns can rely on, Sarkisian might be better served leaning into the running game, which could limit possessions for an explosive offense like Tennessee's. While it’s unrealistic to expect any offense to execute as well as Texas did down the stretch of the Ohio State game, ending regulation with 15, 13 and 12-play touchdown drives, entering Saturday’s game ranked No. 10 nationally in third-down conversion rate (56.3 percent) is proof that the current offense has the potential to be arguably Sarkisian’s best at executing in critical situations. Running the football downhill with a fast, physical mentality is a sure-fire way to attack the structural integrity of the three-safety defense Jim Knowles took from Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Penn State to the Vols as Josh Heupel’s defensive coordinator. Establishing a consistent, productive running game will go a long way toward the Longhorns leaving Neyland Stadium with a win. Texas is 24-2 under Sarkisian when recording 40 or more official rushing attempts in a game, which it didn’t do the last two times Sarkisian’s offense went up against a Knowles-coached defense (a 2021 loss to Oklahoma State and a 2024 loss to Ohio State), averaging 2.7 yards per attempt. At the same time, Sarkisian's offense executing in critical situations against Knowles’ defense would be a significant step in the right direction for the Longhorn offense. In Sarkisian’s two head-to-head losses to Knowles, his offenses combined to go 10-for-33 on money downs (9-for-30 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth down), turned the ball over four times and went 4-for-6 in the red zone, scoring three touchdowns on six chances inside the 20. Sarkisian's goal is to call the game however he needs if it ends with Texas staying unbeaten heading into the upcoming bye week. Beyond that, however, boarding the return flight to Austin with something to hang their hat on offensively would ease concerns about the Longhorns' offensive trajectory. View full news story

Hi Longhorn nation! Drop your Longhorn memorabilia in the thread here. I'm 27 so just getting started, but I'll start. Acquired some new ones between the two images but, A Ricky signed jersey with "HT 98" and a VY signed jersey. I've got the Colt Mccoy signed picture as well. The 3 frames on the wall were sent by the University after I wrote them a letter in grade school for a school project! 2 of them are trading cards maybe? that I just kept together and framed and the other is a picture with the entire 2009 team, signed by all the players. Feel grateful and lucky to acquire these, thank you for sharing below!

Have received a few DM’s on a tweet from National CBK analyst Jon Rothstein yesterday Not taking a shot at Rothstein, as he does a very good job covering college basketball. I do want to say Spears Jr., Punch and Vokietaitis aren’t expected to be in a starting lineup together. That doesn’t mean there couldn’t be a select matchup at some point to start them, but it’s not in the plans currently. I do believe there will be a matchup or couple of them in which you can play all three for some short stretches (maybe Florida a little come January). The issues with that lineup become floor spacing and rotation of the bigs. Spears Jr. is playing 4-man, and battling against David Punch daily is accelerating his development to get ready to play 4-man in major college hoops. I’m still of the belief that Texas will start: LG/PG Isaiah Johnson CG Mikey Lewis -or- Austin Goosby SF Elyjah Freeman … Amari Evans making a run headed into practices PF David Punch C Matas Vokietaitis Bench: PF Marcus Spears … major role CG Lewis or Goosby … Major role SF/G Amari Evans … Major role G/W Bo Ogden … key role PF John Clark or C Lewis Obiorah … based on matchups. Minor role SG Joe Sterling … minor role vs mid-majors, and see where he goes defensively

The Texas running back was actively participating in practice Thursday morning, On Texas Football was told. Keep in mind, Texas was not in full pads today. But Smothers did participate in practice. We will see what the injury report says Thursday evening, but overall a positive for the Longhorns’ lead back.

AUSTIN, Texas — Steve Sarkisian knows the Texas offense must create more explosive plays than it did in the non-conference portion of the 2026 schedule. The No. 1-ranked Longhorns enter their SEC opener against No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday (11 a.m., ABC) with nine 20-plus-yard plays from scrimmage. Texas A&M has generated only seven 20-plus-yard plays from scrimmage, the only SEC offense that’s been less explosive than Texas (3-0). The issues have been most noticeable when going to the air. Things just haven’t clicked when Arch Manning has pushed the ball down the field. The Longhorns have completed six passes of 20 or more yards this season, which also ranks 15th in the conference. According to Pro Football Focus, Manning is 3-for-11 on pass attempts of 20 yards or more beyond the line of scrimmage through three games. Sarkisian likes that his squad has shown signs of playing more efficient situational football than it did last season. The Longhorns are second in the SEC with a 56.3-percent conversion rate on third down and were 10-for-11 in the red zone with nine touchdowns and 4-for-5 on fourth down before last Saturday’s 30-6 win over UTSA (4-for-5 in the red zone with two touchdowns and 0-for-2 on fourth down). Still, Sarkisian knows he and the Texas staff can’t throw in the towel on trying to hit big plays down the field. “If we're not going to get the explosives because people are deploying people in a way to try to minimize those, you have to be efficient on third down and in the red area to maximize those opportunities,” Sarkisian said during his weekly news conference on Monday. “On the flip side of that, we have got to continue to exhaust ourselves as a staff to find those explosives, to create opportunities for explosives and then, hopefully, the players — put them in position to trust why and when we're calling those explosive-type plays to take advantage of them.” Thankfully, while big plays have been hard to come by on offense, Will Muschamp’s defense has helped the Longhorns win the explosive-play margin in each of the team’s first three games. Texas’ official in-game statistics feed tracks big plays, which are running plays from scrimmage that gain at least 10 yards and pass completions of 15 yards or more. The Longhorns were plus-7 against Texas State, plus-2 against Ohio State and plus-9 against UTSA. Muschamp’s defense is tied for 38th in FBS in 10-plus-yard plays (29) and 20-plus-yard plays allowed (nine) from scrimmage and is coming off a performance in which none of the Roadrunners’ 14 pass completions went for more than eight yards. After surrendering two 12-yard runs on UTSA’s second possession (a 13-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a field goal), the Longhorns didn’t allow another 10-plus-yard gain on the ground for the rest of the game. The irresistible force meets the immovable object in Knoxville on Saturday, with Muschamp’s defense trying to stymie the Volunteers’ rushing attack, which is currently the best in the SEC (298.7 yards per game). Tennessee (3-0) leads FBS with 29 10-plus-yard runs from scrimmage, while the Vols’ nine 20-plus-yard runs are tied for ninth-most in the country. A quarterback who ran Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense at Oklahoma in 1999, Josh Heupel’s veer-and-shoot offense has the trademarks of the system Art Briles made famous (Kendal Briles and Jeff Lebby run their versions of the veer-and-shoot at South Carolina and Mississippi State, respectively). Heupel, who coached alongside Kevin Wilson with the Sooners for five seasons (2006-10), has developed one of the top rushing offenses in the SEC in Knoxville; the Vols led the league in rushing offense in 2023 and 2024, finishing no worse than eighth in the conference since Heupel took over the program after the 2021 season. The struggles Texas has had trying to hit big plays through the air might continue on Saturday against Jim Knowles’ three-safety defense, which is designed to take away the deep ball. Tennessee is tied for 29th in FBS in 10-plus-yard pass completions allowed (18); only Penn State has allowed fewer 20-plus-yard completions than the Vols (two). On the flip side, there isn’t enough evidence to show Tennessee can lean on freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon’s ability to connect on deep balls. The Vols have 18 pass completions of 10-plus yards this season, the fewest in the SEC; only Texas and Texas A&M have fewer 20-plus-yard completions than Tennessee’s eight. Ultimately, Sarkisian’s commitment to running the football and the Longhorn offensive line winning at the point of attack could determine which side wins the explosive-play battle. Although Texas is in the middle of the pack of SEC offenses in rushing attempts that have gained at least 10 (17) and 20 (three) yards, the Volunteers have allowed the most 10-plus-yard (17) and 20-plus-yard (six) runs in the SEC (tied for 116th and 121st in FBS, respectively). The Longhorns’ willingness and ability to sustain a ground attack could come down to the health of key cogs who appeared on Wednesday’s SEC availability report. Jordan Coleman's absence means Sarkisian and Kyle Flood must find someone else for the six-offensive lineman package Texas rolled out for the Ohio State game. If Nick Townsend misses his second game in a row, the Longhorns will be without their top lead blocker and tone setter when they want to pound the rock. According to PFF, only six SEC players have forced more missed tackles than Hollywood Smothers (11), whose 140 rushing yards after contact rank 11th in the conference. If Smothers can’t go or is limited, Sarkisian will look to Raleek Brown and Derrek Cooper to carry the load. Even if Smothers is cleared for Saturday’s game, Sarkisian could turn to Manning as a threat on designed quarterback runs. Sarkisian wants Manning to be smart when he’s on the move. He's also “fearful of making a living going down that road." Nevertheless, Manning’s running ability can benefit the quarterback and the offense as a whole if he's unleashed. “There will be designed runs and we've had designed runs in previous weeks; we just haven't called them,” Sarkisian said. “You use them when you think you need them most.” View full news story

There were no Texas products on the field in Thursday's Bills-Lions game, so Week 2 for the Longhorns in the NFL starts today. *** Longhorns in the NFL: 53 Longhorns on the 53: 42 Practice Squad: 6 Injured Reserve: 5 *** Arizona Cardinals (3): Hayden Conner, Devin Duvernay, D’Shawn Jamison* Atlanta Falcons (2): Bijan Robinson, Cameron Williams Baltimore Ravens (1): Ethan Burke Carolina Panthers (2): Jonathan Brooks, Ja’Tavion Sanders Chicago Bears (3): Roschon Johnson, Christian Jones*, Malik Muhammad Cincinnati Bengals (1): Jack Endries Cleveland Browns (1): Isaiah Bond Dallas Cowboys (2): PJ Locke III, Demarvion Overshown Denver Broncos (5): Jahdae Barron, Sam Ehlinger, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Jones, Malcolm Roach Green Bay Packers (2): Matthew Golden, Barryn Sorrell Jacksonville Jaguars (1): Quinn Ewers Kansas City Chiefs (1): Xavier Worthy Los Angeles Chargers (1): Cameron Dicker Los Angeles Rams (5): Jack Bouwmeester*, Matthew Caldwell#, Poona Ford, Bill Norton*, Jordan Whittington Miami Dolphins (3): DJ Campbell, Trey Moore#, Michael Taaffe New England Patriots (1): Brenden Schooler New Orleans Saints (3): Kelvin Banks Jr., Vernon Broughton, Jaylan Ford# New York Jets (4): Andrew Beck, Adonai Mitchell, Joseph Ossai, T’Vondre Sweat Philadelphia Eagles (4): Jaydon Blue*, Jake Majors*, Andrew Mukuba, Moro Ojomo Pittsburgh Steelers (1): DeShon Elliott# San Francisco 49ers (1): Alfred Collins# Seattle Seahawks (2): Michael Dickson, Byron Murphy II Tennessee Titans (2): Gunnar Helm, Anthony Hill Jr. Washington Commanders (2): Samuel Cosmi, Charles Omenihu * — Practice Squad # — Injured Reserve

Prattville (Ala.) LB and Georgia Tech commit Jason Crenshaw Jr. will officially visit Texas Oct. 24-25 during Ole Miss weekend, a source tells OTF. Mid-season tape: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16369663/6ab2bfcaf048ad63e0f097ad

This is news, not political debate. If you're going to be in Knoxville you're going to want to get there early!