Sarkisian Cites Opponent Injuries to Rebut 'Soft' Label After Texas Win
The short version
- Texas beat Tennessee 20-17 on Saturday.
- Sarkisian claimed Tennessee had 'eight guys carted off,' though no Volunteer was actually carted off.
- His remarks responded to an anonymous coach quoted by The Athletic's Bruce Feldman calling Texas 'soft everywhere.'
- Sarkisian also blamed a 'look at me' society after Colin Simmons drew an unsportsmanlike conduct flag following one of five sacks.
The Texas coach referenced Tennessee players being carted off after a 20-17 win, though reports indicate no Volunteer was actually taken off by cart.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian drew attention following his team's 20-17 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday with remarks he made to reporters afterward. Attempting to rebut criticism of his squad's physicality, he pointed to the number of opposing players who were hurt during the contest.
The backdrop was a comment published Friday by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. An unnamed coach whose team had faced the Longhorns earlier this season described them in that report as "soft everywhere."
Responding to that characterization, Sarkisian pointed to what he believed happened on the field against Tennessee. "I think they had eight guys get carted off, so I'm not sure who wrote the article today and what coach said, 'We weren't a physical football team,'" he said, according to Ryan Schumpert of VolQuest. He added that whoever made the remark "might want to write another article."
Sarkisian's figure, however, does not match what occurred. While several Volunteers players did suffer injuries during the game, none of them was actually removed on a cart — a tally of eight would have been an extraordinary figure for a single college football contest.
The timing of the comments has drawn additional scrutiny. Days earlier, USC linebacker Desman Stephens was seen celebrating a hit — ruled illegal — that knocked Oregon quarterback Dante Moore out of a game, a moment that prompted widespread condemnation across the sport.
Sarkisian made headlines for another reason at the same press conference. Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, who finished the day with five sacks, drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for "simulating using the restroom" after one of those takedowns.
Asked about it, the coach attributed the celebration to a broader cultural problem, singling out media members who post on social media for engagement. "Unfortunately, in our society right now, we live in the 'look at me' society," Sarkisian said in comments relayed by Tyler Lauletta of Awful Announcing, noting that reporters "have your Twitter accounts" and want clicks. He said the focus should stay on the team, while acknowledging that "five sacks was pretty cool today too."
The victory over the Volunteers and the ensuing press conference remarks come during a season in which Texas has already faced Ohio State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, where Sarkisian was photographed by Scott Wachter of Imagn Images before the September 12 matchup.
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