Steve Sarkisian after beating No. 18 Mizzou: ‘Nobody thought we would win’
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Everyone loves a plucky underdog. That includes Steve Sarkisian. Fortunately, he coaches one in the Texas Longhorns.
Following No. 7 Texas’ triumphant 34-20 victory over the No. 18 Missouri Tigers on Saturday, Sarkisian let all the blueblood Longhorns’ naysayers know that he was keeping receipts on their pregame comments.
“Our guys… they’re not naive to noise… I could hear the talk getting on the plane… when we got here. Nobody believed we’d win the game,” Sarkisian told reporters. “Nobody thought we were going to come here and win… everyone thought that we’d get pushed around.”
“The DNA of this organization is mental and physical toughness,” Sarkisian said. “I think that poured out of our pores today.”
Texas (-2.5, DraftKings) was never viewed as a preseason national championship contender, like SEC stalwarts Georgia and Alabama. The Longhorns also don’t boast the back-to-back offseason No. 1 pick of the NFL Draft in quarterback Arch Manning. Their unheralded senior passer managed to throw for 297 yards and three touchdowns, though, without superstar receiver Cam Coleman in a heroic effort.
Texas (7-2, 4-2 SEC) takes its lesser-talented roster on the road again next weekend for a matchup with the No. 14 LSU Tigers. If the Longhorns find a way to win in Baton Rouge, they may just defy the odds and lock up a College Football Playoff berth. Texas and LSU’s kickoff time has not yet been determined, but their game will air on ABC.
