Steve Sarkisian Prepares Texas for 74-Man Battle for Critical Clash with Georgia Bulldogs

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is preparing for a 74-man effort on Saturday against the Bulldogs.

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That’s not just a random, arbitrary number; it’s the number of players Texas is allowed to travel with to Athens to face the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday.

The Longhorns enter this game in a situation that almost feels like a must-win for many reasons. Sarkisian went 0-2 against Kirby Smart last year; the path to the College Football Playoff becomes extremely difficult with a loss, and the narratives surrounding this game are important to look into. This is the healthiest and most complete Texas has looked since being named the No. 1 team in the preseason.

We’ve started to see the Arch Manning we were promised. Skill players are stepping up. Texas has a starting five offensive line. The defense, which at times has looked dominant, is healthy for the first time in three weeks.

But this isn’t some cupcake on the other side of the field. Georgia will be the second-best team Texas has played all year. They lost to the first on the road, but they did beat No. 2 and No. 3. Unfortunately, the Florida loss can’t be ignored.

With the level of coaching and recruiting on the other side of the field, Sarkisian has a clear message to his team for this game:

“When you play really good teams who are really well-coached, you never know what’s going to be the play or the plays that are going to be the deciding factors in games like this,” Sarkisian said on Monday. “Everybody’s got a role in our organization.”

Sarkisian makes a great point. Think about some of the biggest Longhorn wins in the last two years. Against Oklahoma, the unlikeliest of heroes (at the time) in Ryan Niblett sealed a win on a punt return touchdown. Against Clemson, Bill Norton, of all people, made the goal-line stand that effectively iced the game for the Longhorns.

But there have also been wins where Texas’ finest played full games and were the best players on the field. Manning and Colin Simmons were Texas’ two best players last week, and each had their own huge plays. The best player against Texas A&M last year was Michael Taaffe, who nearly led the team in snaps.

“For some guys, it’s 70 plays. You know, Anthony Hill, Michael Taaffe, those guys are gonna play 75–80 plays this game, depending,” Sarkisian said. “For other guys, it might be one to five plays, you know? It could be a kick coverage. It could be a critical block on a punt return. It could be Matt Caldwell coming in and having to make that pass. And so everybody’s got to get themselves ready to play.”

In a game like this, Sarkisian will empty the clip with his best players. A common complaint on our board has been the amount of rotation in the defensive backfield. You can bet a lot of money that Taaffe, Jelani McDonald, and Malik Muhammad will be in on every possible snap. Hill at LB will be as well. Even in a heavily rotated defensive line, Simmons may approach 60 snaps if needed.

Offensively, Texas will stick to their top two running backs, likely relying a lot on Quintrevion Wisner. Ryan Wingo and Jack Endries will play 85% or more of the offensive snaps. You’re not going to see a lot of young pass catchers because Texas has to operate in a must-win environment.

On the flip side, though, Sarkisian acknowledges that games like these are won or lost on a singular play at times.

Niblett’s punt return or Caldwell’s game-winner against Mississippi State are great examples. But what about a key block thrown by Spencer Shannon on the goal line on one of his five snaps? Or a key PBU from Derek Williams on one of his 15? Or the key play on special teams from Marshall Landewehr, Warren Roberson, or Colton Vasek?

“I think our guys have learned that throughout our season, as we’ve grown, that you never know what’s going to be the play or the plays that are going to be the deciding factors, and so everybody’s got to get themselves ready to go,” Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian has been complimentary of his team’s growth through October, where the Longhorns went over a month without playing a game at home. Constant stays in hotels and hard-fought wins have bonded the team. It’s clear that he values every player, from the stars like Hill to players who don’t even see the field outside of special teams.

What stars are going to shine brightest on both sides? Which role player will make the play of the game? There are so many situations to mull over with this game. It’s hard to think this won’t come down to the wire in Athens. Saturday can’t come soon enough.