Sarkisian, Texas Get Ready to Rekindle Arkansas Rivalry

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As the No. 5-ranked Texas Longhorns (8-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) get ready to take a road trip on Nov. 16 to play the Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4, 3-3), Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is very well aware of the rivalry between the teams. Yes, Texas-Arkansas dates back to having Darrell Royal and Frank Broyles on opposing sidelines as head coaches.

"I don't know what Darrell Royal did to Arkansas back in the day, but they absolutely hate our guts," Sarkisian said at his Nov. 11 press conference in Austin, Texas, according to Inside Texas. "And I think we learned that the first time around when we went there."

Royal, who was Texas head coach from 1957-76, was 15-5 all-time against the Razorbacks. Among those wins was a 15-14 victory for Texas in the "Game of the Century" played in December 1969.

Texas Remembers 2021 Game

In 2021, the then-No. 15 Longhorns lost to the Razorbacks 40-21. Sarkisian was learning about what he did and did not have talent-wise at Texas, who heads to Fayetteville, Ark., to play Arkansas. With the humbling loss, he started making adjustments across the board. Those first steps paid dividends down the road, positioning the Longhorns among the top teams this season in the College Football Playoff rankings.

"Going back, I always try to revisit some of those games even from years past to get a sense and a feel," he said, On3 reported. "The frustrating part of that game, more than anything, we didn't play great. But then you look up and it's the middle of the third quarter, and it's 16-7. We were playing hard, we just weren't playing great."

That setback against Arkansas, who already was an SEC member in 2021, helped Sarkisian get a barometer of what he had to work with at the time. It also gave him a base of knowledge program-wise on what kind of team and organization Texas was as well.

"It was good, not only for myself but for the staff and for our players to say, OK, that's an SEC team," Sarkisian said. "At the time, they weren't at the top of the SEC, so we had a hill to climb to get to where we wanted to get to."

Arkansas Looks at History

But don't think Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman is simply ignoring this old-school Southwest Conference battle. Far from it. Arkansas on Rivals reported Pittman told media members on Nov. 11 that he's been busy offering some education on the Texas-Arkansas rivalry history. He pulled up game film from five different games in 1964, 1969, 1991, 2014 and 2021.

"I guess Sark says 'Arkansas dislikes Texas more than it likes themselves,'" Pittman said. "Might be true."

When looking at Arkansas' offense. Sarkisian was quick to point out 6-foot-6 transfer quarterback Taylen Green. He said that Green was a huge quarterback that can cover a lot of ground. Green also affects play with his legs and throws down the field, Orangebloods reported.

"First of all, he's huge," Sarkisian said. "They put him in really good positions in the zone read game, the quarterback run game and the shots down the field."

For the season, Green has totaled 161-of-263 pass attempts for 2,214 yards, 11 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Green suffered a sprained knee against Ole Miss two weeks ago and is currently listed as questionable on the Arkansas injury report.

Pittman, though, expects Green to be ready for the Texas game. Also on that injury report is Razorbacks' leading rusher Ja'Quiden Jackson (104 rushes, 592 yards, 10 touchdowns). Jackson suffered an ankle injury against LSU back on Oct. 19.

Longhorns Love the Road

True road games have been good for Texas. The Longhorns have won nine straight of them since a 2022 loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla.

"Our guys are very connected on the road," Sarkisian said, LoneStarLive.com reported. "We need each other, we have to lean into each other, and you can't just turn that on the week of the game."

Texas running back Jaydon Blue got some high praise from Sarkisian for his play in the Longhorns' 49-17 win on Nov. 9 against the Florida Gators (4-5, 2-4). Blue had 127 yards rushing on just six carries.

"When he's healthy we do need him," Sarkisian said. "When your fast guys get to play fast, that's their strength."

Quarterback Quinn Ewers totaled 5 TD passes against Florida, making way in the second half for teammate Arch Manning.