The most anticipated season for Texas since 2009 will kick off on Saturday afternoon, when the fifth-ranked Longhorns host Texas State in Austin.
It’s the first time the teams will square off since 1930 and just the second-ever meeting between the schools, which are separated by 30 miles on I-35.
The Longhorns have one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Arch Manning, a preseason first-team All-America wide receiver in Cam Coleman, and an edge rusher in Colin Simmons, a projected first-round pick in next year’s NFL draft.
With those three players, arguably its most complete roster in nearly 20 years, and coming off a 10-3 record, Texas is viewed as one of the few squads that experts believe could contend for the national championship, which the Longhorns have not won since the 2005 season and have not played for since 2009.
But preseason accolades have to be proved. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said his team is ready to live up to the lofty expectations by taking the season one game, one series and even one snap at a time.
“We are locked in on that first opponent — this year it happens to be Texas State,” Sarkisian said Monday. “We are so zoned in, locked in and ready to put our best foot forward, whether schematically, whether it’s who’s playing, whether it’s how they play, (or) what we ask them to do.
“Come Saturday, we’re going to come out of that tunnel, and it’s going to say Texas on our chest. There’s so much that embodies that. We take a lot of pride in that in the way we play the game, the way we carry ourselves in game.”
Sarkisian explained that Manning has improved in the offseason and now understands things well enough to even veto plays that his coach suggests be put on the call sheet before the game.
“I want to make sure that we’re calling plays for him that he believes in, that he has great faith in,” Sarkisian said. “Just because it’s on the call sheet doesn’t mean I have to call it. I want to call the things that he really likes and the things that he feels comfortable with.”
The Texas defense is expected to improve after the hiring of Will Muschamp for his second stint as the Longhorns’ defensive coordinator.
“Muschamp comes in each and every day and sets the tone,” Simmons said. “This is my first year seeing this type of tone. Aggressive. You’re going to be on your feet. You’re going to be 10 toes down, on your feet.”
First on the slate is Texas State, which went 7-6 last year and routed Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Since then, the Bobcats have become a member of the new-look Pac-12 Conference. They still have talented dual-threat quarterback Brad Jackson, some dynamite receivers, and a scheme that head coach GJ Kinne employs after learning from offensive guru Art Briles, currently the head coach at Eastern New Mexico.
“(We’ve) really just built this offense the way we want to, and every year it’s evolved,” Kinne said. “Feel like it puts a lot of pressure on the defense. ‘What are you trying to take away? How can we attack you?’ Combine that with tempo and some different wrinkles and it’s been a pretty good offense, top-five offense, the last four years.”
The Bobcats have to get more from their defense to compete against teams as talented as Texas. Last season, they allowed an average of 383 total yards and 29 points per outing, including four losses in which they surrendered 40 or more points.
–Field Level Media
