Playing on 9-11 holds special significance for Steve Sarkisian
Texas is 1-0 following a 38-18 victory over Louisiana on opening weekend. Now, Texas will face off against Arkansas on Saturday, September 11th. The significance of that date is not only a big one for the history of the country, but it brings back some difficult memories for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian talked about the significance of playing on that date in a press conference on Monday ahead of Texas’ matchup with Arkansas.
“I was working at USC at that time,” Sarkisian told reporters. “I was waiting to get picked up by Norm Chow. The unfortunate side for me, my cousin was in one of the towers and ended up not making it out. It’s definitely a big moment in our history and one we need to recognize.”
Sarkisian’s personal experiences undoubtedly add to the significance of the date for him. When Texas takes the field on Saturday against Arkansas, Sarkisian will be looking to come away with a win in the rivalry game.
Arkansas, Texas rivalry will add to the significance of the game
The Razorbacks started their season with a 38-17 victory over Rice on Saturday. When Arkansas and Texas face off on Saturday night, fans will be back inside the stadium, which adds more excitement to the rivalry after not having fans last season. If Sarkisian wants Texas to come away victorious, he knows that there is a lot of work to do in the coming days.
“It’s a pretty cool game,” Sarkisian said. “Old Southwest Conference foes to meet. We have a great respect for Arkansas. This football team plays hard, plays physical, they’re tough. Seeing them in their opener… it’s a brand of football that they’re proud of. We’ve got our work cut out for us. We need a good week of work.”
Despite the game against Arkansas being a rivalry game, Sarkisian isn’t letting that change his mindset as Texas enters the game.
“I am very aware of the rivalry,” Sarkisian said. “I love the pomp, pageantry, and history of college football. For us, we believe in our routine regardless of the opponent. We should go into the game with a very similar mentality. Very focused on the task at hand. I appreciate the rivalry and all it entails…quite frankly every opponent is a faceless opponent.”
Texas’ offense played a clean game on opening weekend, totaling 435 total yards and zero turnovers. If Texas continues to play mistake-free football, Sarkisian is likely to earn his second win of the season against Arkansas.