Steve Sarkisian's postgame comments after Texas escapes Arizona State

Hear Steve Sarkisian's postgame comments from the Longhorns' win over Arizona State in the CFP Quarterfinals. Sark discusses the team's resiliency, the play of Quinn Ewers, and the play of the defense.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
We're back. It's the Craigway Show with Hall of Fame
broadcaster in voice of the Texas Longheards Craig Way.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
The college football playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl between
Notre Dame in Georgia underway, and the Bulldogs are already
gonna have to punt on their opening drive, in fact
under review right now because it looks like Notre Dame
actually forcing a fun ball as Georgia quarterback Gunner stocked
him with scrambling out to his right trying to throw
the ball away. Actually the Notre Dame defensive back knocked

(00:40):
it out, so it was a live ball went out
of bounds, so Georgia will still have the pun they'll
be backed up a few yards in their own territory.
But remember they're starting punter Brett Thorson out for the
year after suffering that season ending knee injury against Texas
and then SEC championship. So Drew Miller, a freshman from Iowa,
is about to attempt his for ever collegiate punt in

(01:02):
his collegiate career, so keep an eye on that. But
Notre Dames defense looked pretty good. There was a defensive
pass interference call that did extend the Georgia's drive. I
think that had three plays for negative two yards to
start within that defensive play defensive pass interference rather gave
Georgia first down, but that was their only first down

(01:22):
in that first quarter before getting ready to attempt this
punt and get the ball back to the Fighting Irish
for their first drive on offense. So we'll see what
Roley Leonard in this Fighting Irish offense can do. They
are a one point favorite in this game. The winner
this team will take on Penn State next week. Let's
hear some post teams sound from Steve starkesion Texas thirty

(01:43):
nine to thirty one victory over Arizona State in double overtime,
and cannot imagine the emotions that Steve saur ocusion in
this Texas team felt down by a touchdown and overtime,
facing fourth and thirteen, able to come back and tie
it and then eventually in the game in double overtime
after leading by double digits in the fourth quarter. So

(02:04):
we'll start with Steve's our occasions postgame opening remarks discussing
this victory for Texas.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
First of all, hats off to Arizona State. Coach Dillingham,
they showed a ton of fight, a ton of resiliency.
It's a really good football team. And you know, we
went up sixteen in the fourth quarter. Their ability to
come back and take this thing to overtime was very impressive.
So congratulations to them on a heck of season and

(02:32):
a game played today. As far as our guys go,
today not our cleanest game of the year, and that's
okay to say that, But the one thing that I
know about our group is when our backs are against
the wall and when our best is needed, our best
shows up time and time again. And the resiliency that

(02:53):
these guys showed today was something as a coach makes
you really proud. You know that you know we weren't
at our best and it felt like a nay March
madness basketball game with the swings of emotions and things.
But fourth and fifteen and overtime to score, to come

(03:13):
right back and score again two point conversion and then
a great play by Andrew mccouba. Just throw out these guys,
because not every game is gonna be pretty. Not every
game is just gonna go exactly how you want it
to go, and there's gonna be plenty of stuff that
we're gonna look at this tape and say we've got
to do better and be better. But the one thing
I won't have to say is that our toughness in

(03:34):
our fight doesn't need to be better. And if there's
one thing that you want as a calling card for
your team, is just that. And so I think it's
a tribute to these guys up here and their leadership
and the culture that we have and their ability to
stay calm through the storm and execute when, like I said,
when our best was needed.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
And we've not seen tax as a complete a comeback
performance this season, of course, really only two games where
they've trailed by any margin. Georgia the first time around
and got to a one score game in the third
quarter before Carson Beck completed that long third down out
of his end zone. Bulldogs would pull away when that
one thirty to fifteen. And then against Georgia in the
SEC Championship, trailed in the third quarter, got it to overtime,

(04:15):
but could not complete the comeback, could not lead in overtime,
end up losing in the SEC Championship. So for Texas
to be able to hold on and then we'll actually
really come from behind and overtime and then when it
shows really the termination and the grit from this Taxas team,
especially from quinn Ewers. Next thing from sark the third quarter.

(04:37):
We've talked about the issues in the third quarters for
Texas this season. There's a stat I did not get
this share in the Long Corn's game day on our
pregame show, but I'll share it with you guys now
since the Florida game, so now six games leave six
games now Texas has not scored a touchdown in the

(05:00):
third quarter. They scored zero points in the third quarter yesterday.
In fact, now including yesterday's games, the last six games,
Texas has been outscored in the third quarter sixty to sixteen,
sixty to sixteen. Now they've been able to with stan
Clemson in Arizona State. I don't I cannot foresee them

(05:22):
not scoring any points against a whouse State in the
third quarter next week and holding on to a victory.
But Steve Sarakisan was asked about the third quarter in
the fact that Arizona State basically controlled the entire third
quarter on offense.

Speaker 3 (05:34):
Third quarter, in my opinion, was somewhat of a byproduct
of the first half We only ran twenty one plays
in the first half of the game, and then the
third quarter comes out, we go three and out. The
very next play we get the ball back after the
goal line stand, we give up the safety. But they
did a great job, and we knew coming into the
game that they were a tremendous ball possession team and

(05:55):
they do a great job to take care of the ball.
Tonight it was no different. They held the ball for
thirty eight minutes, right, and they limit your opportunities as
an offensive football team to you know, to take advantage
of that and over time, what that does is that
their style of play is they can wear on your defense.
And you know, clearly we got fatigues on their defensively

(06:16):
and their playmakers made some plays. The quarterback was scrambling
around and Scataboo was as advertised, you know, he got stronger.
It felt like though you could see him, he was
fatigued too. It was like a heavyweight fight. He made
some really critical plays and obviously on the go ball.
But to me, the third quarter was a little bit
of a microcosm of really the first half. It almost
bled all the way into the second half of just

(06:38):
we didn't have a lot of opportunities, and we weren't
taking advantage of things on first and second down to
stay ahead of the chains we were getting in third
and longs, we were putting the ball and it got difficult. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:48):
Looking at the third quarter summary, Arizona State one hundred
and twenty five yards, Texas eight eight. They averaged six
yards per rush. Texas average negative point six. Not good.
Negative three rushing yards in that third quarter for Texas
one hundred for Arizona State. They had seven first downs
Texas with just won. There were two or four on

(07:11):
third down. They ran twenty one plays the Texas is six.
They averaged six yards per play. Texas had just one
point three yards per play. And then the time of
possession Arizona State twelve and a half minutes, Texas just
two minutes total in that third quarter. The game plan
for Arizona State to win this game. A key for
an upset you control the time of possession to keep

(07:34):
the offense on the field. And that was huge because
no matter how many big bodies you have on the
defensive line, if you're on the field for almost the
entire game, you will get tired. You are a human
being you will get fatigued and tired. And despite them
doing a great job of stopping Cam Scataboo in the
first half, eventually the second half they just did not

(07:56):
have the energy to keep up with them. And we
saw that in the second half half when Skattaboo was
just running down Texas defenders. So credit to him, credit
to Kenny Dillingham for a good offensive game plan, and
the key for Texas in this next upcoming matchup is
just figuring out a way to not have so many
three and outs, figuring out a way to keep your
offense on the field and get into a rhythm, because

(08:18):
that goes hand in hand with not being able to
run the football. If you only have six plays in
a quarter and you run the ball for negative point
six yards per rush, you're not doing a great job
of establishing the run. And on the other side, Arison
want to say, defense, they're not tired. You know they're
ready to go. So no matter what, if you're not

(08:39):
able to get the offense or get the defense tired,
you're not gonna be able to establish run. Against Clemson,
Texas was able to run a lot more plays and
get that defense tired and fatigued and that led to
the second half that led to Jayden Blue's seventy seven
yard touchdown run that led to Trey wise Er running
over defenders. You need to be able to be on
the field for more than just three plays on offense

(09:02):
without putting the ball to allow your offense to one
get rhythm, but also two to be able to start
to wear down the opposing defensive front, and Texas just
really did not get to do that. I mean overall
in this game, the amount of rushing yards total fifty
three and the fact that Texas was able to win
this game averaging one point eight yards per carry is

(09:23):
crazy because the two games where they were not able
to run the ball came against Georgia. Those were the
two losses Texas had this year. So right at the
Quinn yours in the offensive line pass protection for finding
out a way to mitigate not being able to run
the ball and also not being able to kick a
field goal. Last thing from start before we had this break. Defensively,

(09:48):
despite the numbers that Arizona State put up, the defense
was nails and once again finding ways to get stops
on fourth down. Looking at this game overall, there was
three different drives where Arizona State would turn the ball
over on downs. One of those came on the Texas
two yard line. Now, of course, it did end up

(10:09):
resulting in Texas safety on the ensuing play, but this
Texas defensive line, game after game has figured out a
way to get goal line stops. And Steve's Oarkeisan was
asked about it, and here is his response.

Speaker 3 (10:27):
Well, it's it's pretty incredible. You know, these guys do
such a good job of just saying, hey, protect the
end zone and if it's six inches, one yard, four
yards whatever, that looks like, you know, they're gonna they're
gonna stand in there. And I think it was there
were three or six in the red area tonight scoring
and that's you know, I think that's a byproduct of

(10:47):
them trusted one another and trusting the scheme. But I
think it's also a byproduct of guys understanding when it's
their time to make the play, they make the play.
They tackle ferociously. There's a lot of white hats getting
to the ball, and they may catches tough. You know,
they can test balls when they're thrown in the air.
And I think all those things showed.

Speaker 2 (11:05):
Up tonight, and of course they got the stop that mattered,
that final third down interception Andrew mccooba picking off Sam
Levit the only Arizona State turnover in this game, I believe. Now,
of course there was three turnover rundowns with the only
interception or Fumbile coming to win the game Andrew Accuba
with the big playoff for Sam eleven. Update In the

(11:26):
All States Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia, Georgia
would punt, but not after two two running into the
kicker penalties on Notre Dame. Talk about deja vu from yesterday.
Now on the fortunate side for Notre Dame, it was
fourth and twenty one, not fourth and four. So fourth
and twenty one, then fourth and sixteen, then fourth and eleven,

(11:48):
but Georgia would punt the ball away. Notre Dame would
end up punting it back and now Georgia has it
so still zero zero in the first quarter between Georgia
and Notre Dame. More than come from Steve Sarkis and
Quinn Yours, Joddy Baron and the act his football team
here on The Craigway Show on this Thursday edition,