At first glance, the Texas Longhorns’ 27-24 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday doesn’t seem all that impressive, and it wasn’t pretty. However, things can change significantly.
First, this Vanderbilt team is different from teams of the past. The Commodores are currently 5-3 (2-2 in SEC play) and have a good chance of upsetting the top teams. Alabama learned that the hard way on Oct. 5, when it left Nashville with a 40-35 loss as the No. 1 team in the country.
Second, the Longhorns just played arguably the biggest game of the regular season last week against Georgia. They lost that game 30-15 at home, but considering how much preparation they had for that game, the game against Vanderbilt could have easily been a trap game.
Third, this is obviously the Longhorns’ fault, but they overcame some major hurdles in the game itself. Two chip interceptions and 10 penalties were the most notable mistakes they would like to correct.
That being said, the Longhorns were able to overcome this adversity and come away with an SEC road win. Through that lens, the victory becomes even more impressive.
“These last few weeks haven’t been easy,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said after the game. “It’s tough when you put too much emotion into the game and don’t play your best like we did last week. It’s tough for the coach, and it’s tough for the team to rebound. I wonder how many times we’ve failed. ” I’ve seen teams lose games like that and then lose again the next week. Because they are still experiencing it.
“And I thought tonight’s game was a culture, a toughness win for us. I’m really proud of our players and their preparation. I’m proud of the way they handled adversity tonight. We took 60 minutes. We knew it was going to be.” Against this style of team, it’s always good to come out and win on the road. ”
Now, the Longhorns enter their bye week with a chance to rest. They will then play three games against unranked opponents before returning to face Texas A&M in the Lone Star Showdown. They know they will face more adversity along the way and are prepared for the challenges ahead.
“We know that the next four games are all going to be very difficult games. Every team is a good football team, so we have to take it one game at a time,” Sarkisian said. “But the beauty of it is I think we know how to do it, and we understand the intensity of metal, the focus it takes one week at a time, we I think I know how to do it, and that’s because that’s what’s going on.”
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