Sarkisian Preaches Poise, Precision Ahead Of Georgia Showdown

AUSTIN – Steve Sarkisian didn’t need to say much about the Georgia Bulldogs to get his point across. He let the numbers do most of the talking.

“They’re 51-2 in their last 53 games at home,” the Texas head coach said on Monday, referring to Georgia’s dominance inside Sanford Stadium. “It’s going to take 60 minutes. It’s going to take all three phases.”

On Saturday, Texas steps into one of college football’s most hostile environments with a season-defining challenge in front of them — a trip to Athens to face Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs. The Longhorns have already passed several early-season tests, but this one, Sarkisian admits, is different.

“In the end, I have a ton of respect for Kirby and the job that he does and the way that his teams play the game,” Sarkisian said. “A ton of respect for him. I always love competing against him. It’s a great challenge, and this week’s no different.”

It’s not the first time Sarkisian and Smart have squared off; the Texas coach went 0-2 against Smart last year, but Saturday’s meeting carries more weight. Both teams have playoff aspirations, both are loaded with blue-chip talent, and both pride themselves on toughness and discipline.

Georgia’s defense, retooled after losing multiple NFL draft picks, hasn’t skipped a beat. The Bulldogs are averaging 33.4 points per game, good for the top 30 in the country. Georgia remains a top 15 unit in stopping the run and a top 25 unit in scoring defense.

“Defensively, you’re seeing them grow up week in and week out,” Sarkisian said. “Very physical front, there’s a lot of new faces, a lot of new names, but they all look very similar.”

That familiarity — and Georgia’s consistency — makes them such a difficult team to beat. Smart’s teams have built their identity around suffocating opposing offenses with physical play and precision tackling. For Texas, sustaining rhythm and tempo will be critical.

“It is vitally important we do play in sync, in rhythm,” Sarkisian said. “I do think that is an important factor in this game, that one of their main goals is to disrupt your timing. You’ve got to try to keep your timing.”

Texas has been among the nation’s best at protecting the football this season, something Sarkisian emphasized must continue in Athens.

“Our ability to continue to protect the ball is paramount,” he said. “Defensively, we’ve got to find a way to get the ball off them, whether it’s off the quarterback, the runners, affecting the quarterback in the pocket, forcing some errant throws.”

The environment at Georgia will be unforgiving — a sea of red and black, noise coming from every direction. But for Sarkisian, it’s exactly the kind of game that tests a program’s maturity.

“It’s going to take 60 minutes,” he repeated. “All three phases.”

The Longhorns have spent the past four seasons under Sarkisian building toward this moment — a chance to show they belong among the nation’s elite.

They’ll get their answer Saturday between the hedges.