Texas Longhorns’ head coach Steve Sarkisian greets fans after the Texas Longhorns defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
About an hour after a 24-23 win over Ohio State, once he’d greeted friends and family, commended his team’s grit and resilience in a postgame locker room address and wrapped up all of his commitments with media and visiting recruits, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian finally found a quiet moment.
From the perch just outside his office in the south end zone of Royal-Memorial Stadium, Sarkisian and his wife, Loreal, looked out across the nearly empty field, soaking in everything that just unfolded.
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The Longhorns rallied for 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to knock off the top-ranked Buckeyes, lifting the sixth-year Texas coach to perhaps the most important win of his career.
“I just think I don’t want to let this go by like ho-hum, it was just another one, because that was special,” Sarkisian said. “I wanted to take it in, too.”
READ MORE: How UTSA’s Owen McCown, Texas’ Arch Manning are bonded by family legacies
About 30 miles down I-35, with much less fanfare, UTSA and coach Jeff Traylor also scored a program-shifting win, beating Texas State 31-26 on a fourth-quarter comeback of their own to buck trends of rivalry losses, road struggles and slow starts.
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While the talent mismatch is vast as UTSA travels to face No. 1 Texas at 7 p.m. Saturday in Austin, one of the biggest challenges for both sides will be mental, refocusing from last week’s highs.
Which Texas college football team do you like to hate the most?
College football loyalties run deep in Texas, but so do the rivalries and grudges that give fans plenty of teams to root against.
Most RecentTop Responses
Even though im a Texas Longhorns Fan, even though I dont like Texas A&M there is an element of respect for them. They have weird traditions that you don’t see at other schools, and they are honest people for the most part. They are the little brother that thinks they’re bigger than they really are.
But I think A&M fans however delusional they are, they love their zany university and the traditions that come with it. It’s a rivalry that for the most part limits itself to the football field (or the baseball diamond, or hardwood), and when tragedies have struck at either university we’ve put the rivalry aside and come together. For one week in November its chaos, for the rest of the year its respect.
HOOKEM!
The Longhorns also battled a couple of new distractions since, including co-defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen’s arrest Wednesday on a misdemeanor DWI charge, the controversy surrounding Sarkisian’s postgame interview with Holly Rowe and Arch Manning’s reaction to a viral AI-edited video depicting the coach slapping the sideline reporter.
Texas has a matchup at No. 15 Tennessee looming next week — kicking off a stretch of six ranked opponents across the final nine games of the year.
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Even Traylor acknowledged that this is “the dreaded trap game” for the Longhorns, and he spoke during his first team meeting this week about how both sides will need to manage their emotions.
“I think there’s something to that for both teams. I hope we handle that correctly,” Traylor said. “Obviously, the odds of us looking like we handled it very well aren’t going to be as good as their odds are.”
UTSA running back Will Henderson III (1) runs the ball during the I-35 rivalry college football game against Texas State at UFCU Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 12, 2026 in San Marcos, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas edge Colin Simmons (1) tackles Texas State running back Torrence Burgess Jr. (4) during the game at Darrell K Royal?Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 5, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
UTSA linebacker Owen Pewee (2) and his team take the field ahead of the I-35 rivalry college football game against UTSA at UFCU Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 12, 2026 in San Marcos, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
UTSA defensive lineman Drenon Fite III (95) rushes the passer during the I-35 rivalry college football game against Texas State at UFCU Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 12, 2026 in San Marcos, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks away from a post-game interview after it was delayed due to technical difficulties following Texas’ 24-23 win over Ohio State at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin, Sept. 12, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
UTSA at Texas
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Where: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin
All-time series: Texas leads 2-0
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Last meeting: Texas 56, UTSA 7 on Sept. 14, 2024, in Austin
UTSA at Texas betting info
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What to know about Texas
Last game: Won 24-23 vs. Ohio State on Sept. 12
Players to watch: By Traylor’s own admission, the task of listing off the Longhorns’ standouts would be an all-day affair. Quarterback Arch Manning, edge rusher Colin Simmons, receiver Cam Coleman and offensive tackle Trevor Goosby are all projected as first-round picks in the NFL draft, and about a dozen other Texas players can expect to hear their name called at some point. UTSA has produced five NFL draft selections in the program’s history.
“It would take them not playing very well and us playing way over our head for us to have a chance,” Traylor said.
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MORE ROADRUNNERS: Why UTSA coach Jeff Traylor is ready to get away from matchups like No. 1 Texas
When UTSA has the ball
If the Roadrunners have an opportunity to knock the Longhorns off balance, tempo is the key, especially with Texas coming off a matchup against a methodical Ohio State team. With new offensive coordinator Rick Bowie adding some air raid flavor to the Roadrunners’ usual attack, Traylor said UTSA ranks No. 2 nationally in how quickly the ball is snapped. Quarterback Owen McCown said the Longhorns tend to play “simple coverages” on early downs before growing more exotic on third down under new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.
When Texas has the ball
More than any specific matchup with the Longhorns, the Roadrunners are worried about fixing the issues that were exposed last week when Texas State ran for 289 yards. Traylor said an inexperienced defense had “a bunch of kids trying to do too much,” leading to defensive linemen out of position and linebackers or safeties fitting incorrect gaps. The Roadrunners have also tackled poorly through two weeks, but Traylor frames that as a result of the unit’s playstyle.
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“We’re never good in that category, because we’re trying to literally separate the ball from the human as hard as we possibly can,” Traylor said. “When you have a certain mindset of the way you play, there are certain things that come with that — unintended consequences.”
Key matchup
Colin Simmons vs. UTSA offensive line
Traylor said the Roadrunners have struggled at tackle as they’ve worked through some early injuries, and now the unit must contend with one of the nation’s elite pass-rushers in Simmons. Getting out healthy for the rest of the season should be UTSA’s top priority on Saturday, so the Roadrunners may have to be creative in how they protect McCown, even if that means sending him to the bench early should the score become lopsided.
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Prediction
The Ohio State hangover and off-the-field distractions will create enough hiccups to keep Texas out of the 50s, but the Longhorns still have far too much firepower for the Roadrunners.
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