Texas’ Steve Sarkisian sorry for lacking ‘The Eyes of Texas’

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian opened his Monday information convention following the Longhorns’ 41-34 loss to Oklahoma State by apologizing for not singing “The Eyes of Texas,” the college music, earlier than leaving the sphere.

“As you recognize, I owe an apology to Longhorn Nation,” Sarkisian stated. “I made a mistake on the finish of the sport in not singing ‘The Eyes of Texas’ when the sport was completed. That was not something intentional. That was not something that needed to do with our gamers. I feel our gamers simply adopted me up the ramp into the locker room, clearly upset by the best way the sport ended.”

The music has been the topic of an argument over the previous few years as the college has reckoned with its origins in a minstrel present sung by performers in blackface. Former head coach Tom Herman was criticized for letting gamers select whether or not they wished to sing it or not.

At Sarkisian’s introductory press convention in Jan. 2021, he made a robust assertion that it’ll not be a query going ahead.

“I do know this a lot, ‘The Eyes of Texas’ is our faculty music,” he stated. “We’ll sing that music. We’ll sing that proudly.”

However on Saturday, after the loss, only some gamers remained on the field in Stillwater for the music.

Sarkisian stated. “I apologize to all people for that. That’ll by no means occur once more. However once more, it was not intentional. It was not premeditated by any means. That was only a mistake on my half. Nothing to do with the gamers. They’d adopted my lead on that. So that will not occur once more.”

Sarkisian addressed the Longhorns’ loss to the Cowboys, through which that they had 14 penalties, their most since 2015, and misplaced a 14-point lead that they had within the second quarter. It was Sarkisian’s fifth loss through which he had a double-digit lead since 2021, probably the most within the FBS in that span. It was additionally the Longhorns’ fifth straight highway loss, its second-longest highway shedding streak up to now 80 years. Sarkisian stated he nonetheless sees enchancment and isn’t involved in regards to the pattern.

“It is easy to take a look at the report,” stated Sarkisian, who’s 10-10 with Texas. “We have come a great distance as a program. I really feel excellent about the place we have come. I really like our type of play. I feel we play laborious, we play robust. Like quite a lot of packages, I feel we’re a piece in progress. You understand, a pair balls bounce a sure method and our report is totally different. I would not change how I really feel about our program and the route that we’re entering into.”

And he addressed Saturday’s struggles by quarterback Quinn Ewers, who went 19 of 49 for 319 yards, with two touchdowns to a few interceptions. His 15 overthrows have been probably the most within the FBS up to now three seasons.

“Would I’ve appreciated extra precision within the passing recreation, does a few of that accountability fall on him? Sure,” Sarkisian stated. “A few of that accountability falls on me. A few of it falls on the receivers, some that falls on the O-line, the working backs, all people has to imagine their very own accountability in that. There’s positively room for progress.”

Sarkisian stated he by no means severely thought of benching Ewers for Hudson Card.

“I feel Quinn is wired the suitable method,” Sarkisian stated. “I feel he’ll be the primary one to let you know he would like to play higher than he did.”

Texas has a bye week earlier than touring to Kansas State on Nov. 5.