Texas defense shines bright as Longhorns avenge bitter 2021 loss to Arkansas

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian walked off the field at Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday with a smile and a lot less people around him than he did in 2021.

His No. 3 Longhorns simply took care of business with a 20-10 win over Arkansas before 74,929 fans in Fayetteville.

It was a far cry from the Razorbacks’ 40-21 win over Texas back in 2021 when Sarkisian was in his first year with the Longhorns and was swarmed under by Arkansas fans storming the field.

“(Assistant head) voach (Jeff) Banks and I both know, we have been part of this conference now for some time when were at Alabama, and we know going on the road in this conference is not easy and especially when it is a rivalry game and the environment is what it was.”

The win allowed Texas to stay tied atop the SEC standing with Texas A&M and Tennessee, who plays at Georgia on Saturday night.

“…It’s like I told the team in there, don’t let these moments go by without taking in it in because these are the moments that are going to last a lifetime. They are going to remember being in that locker room today, especially the guys that were here a few years ago and what that felt like.

“As coaches, we were the same way. We had to walk off that field a few years ago, too, with thousands of people on the field running around us.”

Texas (9-1, 5-1), whose only loss this was a home one to Georgia, kept itself in the hunt to get one of the 12 berths in the College Football Playogffgs and maybe even a bye in the opening round.

Arkansas (5-5, 3-4) suffered a straight loss in its quest to get a sixth win and bowl eligibility.

“I think, even the players are saying it that were here three years ago, we are a different team and I think it is pretty evident we are,” Sarkinsian said. “There is a level of physicality that you have to play with in this conference and, on the road, when you can play defense like that and minimize an explosive offense and when you can run the football when they know you have to run it, that’s really effective offense, too.

“I do think we are light years from where we were, but the beauty of it is I don’t think anybody in that locker room is content. I think they know there is more work to be done and we have got to continue and try to improve in all three phases.

“But I think the versatility of this team is something that we weren’t three years ago. We can win games different ways and win this style of game, I think it was important for us.”

Texas ended a two-game losing streak to Arkansas and had lost 5 of 7 to the Razorbacks going into the resumption Saturday of a series the Longhorns now lead 57-23 all-time.

The Longhorns defense limited the Razorbacks to 74 yards total offense in the first half and out-gained them 315-231 overall in a game where both teams had just two penalties.

“Man, it is always great to go on the road in this conference, the Southeastern Conference,” Sarkisian said. “Tough environment, hard-fought game, just so proud of our defense.

“It is always great when your defense travels and ours traveled today…Defensively against a heck of an offense, I thought that was a heck of a performance.”

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was 20-of-32 passing for 176 yards passing with two touchdowns to Matthew Golden – a first quarter 20-0 yard one to Matthew Golden and a 1-yard toss with 9:05 remaining in the contest.

Arkansas had cut Texas’ 13-0 lead to 13-10 before the second scoring strike on Ja’Quiden Jackson’s 1-yard TD run and Matthew Shipley’s 44-yard field goal.

“Offensively, we actually found our rhythm here in the second half, it was just minimal possessions,” Sarkisian said. I think we only had four possessions in the second half the way the game went.

“We has a field goal drive, a touchdown drive, a punt and then to get the ball with under seven minutes to go in the game and close the game out with the ball in our possession was really good execution by the guys in the second half.

“All in all, really proud of these guys, great performance on the road and the mission continues.”

Sarkisian expected a much better effort from Arkansas than the one it had while losing to visiting Ole Miss 63-31 and giving up a whopping 694 yards total offense – 562 of those yards and seven touchdowns through the air.

“We knew coming in that wasn’t their best game and we knew we would get a different version of them, especially with them having the bye and two weeks to prepare and making some adjustments,” Sarkisian said. “They played exclusively with the three-safety defense with guys deep and they were going to try and make us earned it, see how patient we would be moving the football.

“That’s when you get in the locker room at halftime and make adjustments and again I thought we played really efficient football in the second half.”

Texas has games against visiting Kentucky and at Texas A&M left on its regular season slate and hopes to earn a berth in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta.

That would lead into a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

“I’m not one to shy away from (talking) about that kind of stuff,” Sarkisian said. “I think we all know what our goals are for the season. We want to be in Atlanta in December competing for an SEC Championship and we want be to playing (for the national title) on January 20th.

“But I don’t have to belabor the point. I don’t have to talk about it all the time to our guys. They know and once they know we get focused on the task at hand and that’s the next week’s game.

“We will celebrate this one while getting home and then it is on to Kentucky.”

Photo by John D. James