The season is here.
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian had his first game-week press conference of the year, and while questions came from all over the place, the biggest focus was unsurprisingly the Horns' first opponent of the year: the Texas State Bobcats.
While Texas State hasn't always been a formidable opponent and is still a far cry from a Power Conference program (despite joining the Pac-12 this offseason), the Longhorns can't afford to take the Bobcats lightly.
That's especially true as starting left tackle Trevor Goosby remains a question mark for now. Just a handful of days removed from a non-contact knee injury, the LT isn't a for-sure starter in Week 1, even though Sarkisian shared he had practiced on Monday.
"Both Trevor and Laurence [Seymore] practiced today, and I think they both looked really good, which is a big positive for us," Sarkisian said.
However, the Texas State defense won't pose the biggest threat on Saturday afternoon; the offense will. That means the Texas defensive line may be the bigger factor than the slightly beat-up offensive line.
Texas's defense must show up in Week 1 vs. Texas State
"I think we need to own the tempo; that starts with communication: getting the call, getting lined up… you have to play as if they’re gonna go fast… reacting to it, you’re gonna be too late. We’ve spent a lot of time on it," Sarkisian said about what he expects in Week 1. "I think Coach Muschamp has done a really good job of that, of getting our guys ready."
Texas State is well known for its up-tempo, fast-paced offensive scheme, something that the Horns will have to be ready for this weekend.
Holding the reins of the Bobcats' quick-tempo offense is returning starting quarterback Brad Jackson, who threw for 3,224 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, tacking on 744 rushing yards for a jaw-dropping 17 touchdowns on the ground.
Even Sarkisian had to admit what a threat Jackson could pose in Week 1, alongside his two go-to targets: wide receivers Beau Sparks and Chris Dawn Jr.
"[Jackson] can hurt you with his arm, and he can kill you with his legs," Sarkisian said. "He’s got two great receivers in Sparks and Dawn, who can hurt you in their own regard."
He likened Texas State's defensive scheme to that of the Tennessee Volunteers under Josh Heupel and the new-look LSU Tigers under Lane Kiffin, both of which Texas will play later this season.
With such a dual-threat quarterback holding the ball, the Longhorns' defensive line, as well as its star linebackers Colin Simmons and Rasheem Biles, are going to have to be ready to lay the pressure on thick.
Not to mention the fact that the game is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. In other words, it is going to be unbelievably hot. So, it can't just be the defensive starters that have to be ready for this fast-moving offense on the other side of the line of scrimmage; it has to be everyone on the depth chart.
"We’re gonna have to play a lot of bodies in this ball game. It’s not just about getting your starters ready to play; we need to have the two-deep ready to play," Sarkisian said.
No. 5 Texas and unranked Texas State will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 5, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN. It's game time.
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