Over the last two weeks, Steve Sarkisian consistently said he would evaluate everything. The Texas Longhorns, particularly on offense, are struggling mightily.
The schedule doesn't get much easier as Texas hosts the Ole Miss Rebels this week. The Longhorns are up against the wall, and with the bye week gone, there isn't much time to fix these glaring issues.
The Texas offense was heavily criticized on Monday.
Sarkisian Says He Needs to Remain Creative
Sarkisian was honest about his play-calling, particularly on a third-and-down play in the fourth quarter, when Arch Manning was sacked for a 1-yard loss.
"Yeah, I had a crappy call and the roll out with Arch, I didn't love that the official stood over the ball, but that was a crummy call. I wish I had called something better for him in that situation. If we would've won the game or lost the game, I'd have still come up here and told you that was a crummy call," Sarkisian said to the media on Monday.
"I think I've got to continue to remain creative, but at the same time not lose sight of who we are fundamentally and in the beliefs that we have," Sarkisian added. "I can't not be creative because I'm trying to make it easy. We got to do simple better as an offense, but I still have to make things creative for our opponents to have to defend things that make it hard on them."
Texas totaled 272 yards and was 2-for-10 on third down in the loss to Florida. They ran six plays for eight yards in the third quarter, which is unacceptable.
If it weren't for a miraculous 62-yard catch by Emmett Mosley, Texas would've barely eclipsed 100 passing yards against a woeful Gators' secondary. The Longhorns are too talented to be playing this poorly.
A Change at Quarterback?
Manning's inconsistent play stirred quarterback controversy. Backup KJ Lacey is expected to receive first-team reps this week, but Sarkisian quickly said that Lacey gets first-team reps every week. However, Manning is likely on a short leash, and if this week doesn't go well, Lacey could get the starting nod at some point.
Clearly, the Longhorns are underperforming. That isn't anything new. Sarkisian understands that something has to change, but whether that idea plays out on the field remains to be seen. Sarkisian has been quick to defend Manning this season, but he wasn't on Monday.
"I think there's no doubt about it, Arch can play better for us," Sarkisian said. "He's our starter but I need to see a better version of Arch Manning like I need to see a better version of a lot of guys on our offensive football team right now."
Texas wants to succeed with Manning. At times, he's shown flashes of greatness, and the talent is there. Sarkisian has to put his team in positions to succeed and to unlock Manning's full potential. Otherwise, things can go from bad to worse in Austin.
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