Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian experienced a night filled with highs and lows on Saturday. Facing Ohio State, the Longhorns trailed 23-3 in the third quarter. However, they staged an impressive comeback to defeat Ohio State 24-23.
Sarkisian was visibly frustrated with the halftime and postgame interviews. As Texas was down 20-3, ESPN’s broadcast captured Sarkisian briskly moving through the tunnel while sideline reporter Laura Rutledge attempted to speak with him. Rutledge noted that technical difficulties delayed the interview, causing Sarkisian to wait patiently before it could start. She stated, “He did decline the interview at the half. He had waited a long time, been very patient with some technical issues that we had. He apologized to us. We should be apologizing to him, which we did.”
Following Texas’s win, ESPN’s Holly Rowe briefly interviewed Sarkisian, though the interaction was brief as he quickly returned to the locker room. He commented, “Texas fight, hook ‘em,” which sparked online discussions as college football fans processed the day’s events.
In the game, Arch Manning was instrumental for Texas with 195 passing yards and a touchdown. Hollywood Smothers also contributed significantly, rushing for 74 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin achieved 278 passing yards, threw a touchdown pass, but also had an interception. Jeremiah Smith was a standout with eight catches totaling 164 yards and a touchdown.