Longhorns Aim For Strong Finish With Alamo Bowl Win Over Washington

The Washington Huskies and Texas Longhorns have extra ties than simply Steve Sarkisian main each applications at one cut-off date. Maybe the plain correlation between the 2 applications may begin with final 12 months. 

Each the Huskies and Longhorns completed under .500 and had been left within the mud when bowl season arrived in 2021. Texas, which was within the early levels of the Sarkisian period, spiraled uncontrolled after a 4-1 begin, dropping six straight video games for the primary time since 1956 to complete 5-7. Washington, which fired second-year coach Jimmy Lake midseason, misplaced six of its remaining eight video games en path to a 4-8 file. 

Issues have modified drastically for this system situated simply outdoors of downtown Seattle in 12 months 1 of the Kalen DeBoer period. The Huskies completed 10-2, with upset wins over then-No. 11 Michigan State, No. 24 Oregon State and No. 6 Oregon, and boasted the nation’s No. 1 passing assault behind the arm of Michael Penix Jr. 

Texas, in the meantime, completed third within the Large 12 standings. With a win over Texas Tech or TCU, the Longhorns may have discovered their method into the convention championship earlier this month at AT&T Stadium. Ought to which have received, they’d probably be dealing with No. 5 Alabama within the Sugar Bowl on New 12 months’s Eve. 

Whereas the Valero Alamo Bowl is not part of the New Years Six matchups, it nonetheless serves as one of many higher video games in bowl season. Thursday evening’s showdown will not be any completely different from the Alamodome as each the No. 20 Longhorns and No. 12 Huskies look to finish their seasons on a little bit of a profitable streak. 

“Anytime you spend a 12 months off the place you do not get to go to a bowl sport, you do not earn a bowl sport, and now you earn the suitable to get to 1 and one with the custom that this bowl has, we’re clearly actually excited and our gamers are trying ahead to an ideal week and an ideal sport,” Sarkisian mentioned Wednesday on the Alamo Bowl press convention. 

All eyes can be on Texas as a number of family names will not be seeing motion. Each Doak Walker Award winner Bijan Robinson, together with secondary operating again Roschon Johnson, opted out earlier than the Longhorns arrived in San Antonio to arrange for April’s draft. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who completed second on the staff in tackles (95), additionally opted out to arrange for the NFL Mix.  

That will not cease Sarkisian from trusting the run sport towards a potent Huskies’ defensive entrance that held opponents to solely 13 dashing touchdowns. The second-year Longhorns coach is excessive on the capabilities of rising sophomore Jonathon Brooks, together with junior Keilan Robinson and freshman Jaydon Blue. 

Mixed, the trio totaled 271 yards on 56 carries. Brooks, who’s anticipated to be the point of interest of the run sport in 2023, additionally completed third in dashing touchdowns with 4 scores. 

“We’re lucky,” Sarkisian mentioned. “It is a gifted group, and now they are going to get their alternative to go play and play at a excessive degree towards staff.” 

Texas may name the Alamodome its house away from house. Since 2006, the Longhorns have represented the Large 12 within the Alamo Bowl six occasions and at present personal a 5-1 file. 

Each applications are trending upwards heading into 2023. Penix Jr. introduced he’d be returning for one more season, which means the nation’s high passing offense should not fall off track. In the meantime, Texas completed with a top-five recruiting class throughout Early Signing Interval, touchdown 9 gamers from SI99’s listing, together with quarterback Arch Manning. 

“We’re teaching the suitable method. I believe we’re recruiting the suitable method,” Sarkisian mentioned. “I believe we have instilled the tradition in our staff the suitable method. However inevitably it comes right down to performing and performing the suitable method on sport day, and the subsequent alternative now we have (to do this) is tomorrow evening.”

Ought to Texas pull off the upset, it could mark simply the third time since 2010 that this system completed with 9 wins. Ought to Washington add to its six-game profitable streak, it could mark the primary 11-win season since 2016 and the fifth in program historical past. 

Each groups have extra to play for than delight. For the Huskies, it is about proving their standing for 2023. For the Longhorns, it is about creating an enduring tradition that may carry over to the SEC in 2025. 

“We’re attempting to construct one thing that’s sustainable, that may face up to the check of time,” Sarkisian mentioned. “We would like to have the ability to construct this the suitable method, and I believe we’re doing that. I believe our gamers acknowledge that.”

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