Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and his crew have told the press that they are keeping their heads up and not losing sight of the fact that a sloppy conference victory is still a conference victory.
That being said, fans, players and coaches alike recognize that room for improvement exists for the Longhorns following their narrow road win against the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday.
Sarkisian acknowledged his own shortcomings in a media availability on Monday.
Oct 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian celebrates with his team after winning the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
A 16-13 win felt like more of an escape than a victory, especially given that opportunities existed to put the game away during regulation.
Near the end of the matchup, the Longhorns failed to stay in bounds, run the clock and get in field goal range on offense. Sarkisian has accepted responsibility for this failure.
“I was disappointed in myself in our ability to end the game with the ball in our hands and kick a field goal to win it,” he said. “I did not do a good enough job of communicating to the offense to stay in bounds and making sure the game ended with the ball in our hands.”
Regulation ended with a 13-13 tie, which created a more stressful environment for Texas in the Bluegrass State. Their defense, which performed solidly all night, came up with a stop, and kicker Mason Shipley sealed the game with a 45-yard field goal.
Despite their ability to clutch up and secure their second consecutive SEC victory, one touchdown and three field goals against the SEC’s lowest ranked team don’t indicate offensive dominance.
“At the end of the day offensively, I’ve got to do a better job,” Sarkisian said of his coaching on Saturday. “I’ve got to do a better job of putting all of our players in position to be successful, that’s blocking people, that’s throwing the ball to open people, that’s running routes precisely where they need to be. That’s on nobody but me. When you can look in the mirror first and say I’m responsible to try to get this fixed and get better at it. Very comfortable with that.”
Accepting responsibility for an offensive underperformance is one thing, but Texas’ next test against the Mississippi State Bulldogs will better indicate how the team adjusts and moves forward.
A win is a win in the SEC, but for the Longhorns, a more organized and dominant level of play will likely be required in their next few matchups ahead.