Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian is using the second bye week of the season to prioritize team recovery and roster depth amid what he hopes is a run for the national title in late January.
With several injuries, including to senior safety Andrew Mukuba and junior wide receiver Isaiah Bond, Sports Illustrated reported that Sarkisian’s goal is to prepare younger players for critical roles while ensuring the team as a whole functions at peak performance.
It’s also a version of “Next Man Up” that has been popularized in the NFL, where a backup is expected to fill the shoes of an injured starter at a comparable level.
He noted the bye week’s role in preparing the underclassmen, saying the grueling recent matchups, like the Red River Rivalry, have highlighted the need for physical and mental recovery to sustain the team through the remainder of the season.
“I was thinking to myself, ‘Okay, we’re seven and one, we’re eight games into the season, and the goal is to be playing January 20. And if you want to play on January 20, you’re minimum playing eight more games,” Sarkisian said during Monday’s media availability, according to Burnt Orange Nation.
“When you look at it this way, we’re at the halfway point and might have to play nine, you know, depending on how it goes. So what are we doing this week to continue to build up the depth of our roster, of our younger players, because we never know. We’ve seen the injury bug bite us at a few positions now where young players need to get ready to play,” he added.
Facing tough recent games, the Longhorns still managed to edge out a win against Vanderbilt, 27-24, with underclassmen like freshman Ryan Wingo stepping up to fill gaps.
Looking ahead, Sarkisian emphasized the importance of giving each player time to regain strength to help Texas finish the season on a high note, especially as they prepare to face the Florida Gators in their next matchup after the break.
“At this point in the season, at the end of October, as we head into early November, nobody’s operating at 100% of what their ability is,” Sarkisian said, per SI. Everybody’s dealing with something, but as I touched on with the team, as close as we can get them back to 100% the better that’s going to serve us over this four-game stretch here that we have coming up.”
